Apparatus for Effecting Marine Propulsion by Gas or Petroleum Motor Engines.
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Nov., 1886
Complete Left, 21st July, 1887.
Complete Accepted, 7th Oct., 1887.
Apparatus for Effecting Marine Propulsion by Gas or Petroleum
Motor Engines.
I, GOTTLIEB DAIMLER of Cannstadt Wurtemberg in the German Empire Engineer
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to apparatus for effecting the propulsion of a boat or vessel by
a gas or petroleum motor, instead of by a steam engine, whereby a maximum of speed
is obtained with a minimum extent of immersion of the vessel, inasmuch as the load of
coals, water and metal ballast required with the latter is greatly diminished so that
the capacity and power of the vessel are utilised to a much greater extent in the
transport of loads. As the motor I employ by preference the gas or petroleum motor
engine described in the Specification to my Patent No. 4315 of 1885. The motor
engine is so arranged as to drive the screw propeller through a friction coupling for
the forward motion, and through a friction or toothed gearing for the backward
motion, in such manner that the motion of the screw propeller produces automatically
the required frictional contact of the coupling or of the gearing.
The improvements consist furthermore in arranging the propeller shaft with its pro-
peller and shaft-coupling to slide longitudinally somewhat, for the above purpose, and in
combining together the apparatus for stopping, starting and reversing the screw propeller
and for the steering of the vessel so as to effect these operations at one and the same time;
also in the provision of a thrust bearing at the motor engine for taking the thrust of
the screw, in combination with the starting gear; also in effecting the cooling of the
motor cylinder by means of the water in which the vessel is running, this being made
to circulate round the cylinder either by a siphon arrangement operating in combina-
tion with the motion of the vessel, or by a centrifugal pump driven by the motor; and
lastly in utilising the waste spaces of the vessel as gas reservoirs, either at atmo-
spheric or higher pressure, and in arranging these in such manner as to make the ship
more or less unsinkable.
For the above purposes, the motor engine is so arranged that its crank shaft is
situated in line with the propeller shaft to which it is connected by a frictional
coupling, one half of which is on the engine shaft while the other half is on the

page_text: propeller shaft. The latter can slide somewhat in its bearings, and it is acted upon by a
spring which tends to keep the two parts sufficiently in contact to cause the engine
shaft to carry the propeller shaft round with it. When once started, the thrust pro-
duced by the rotation of the screw is sufficient to keep the coupling in proper contact.
A lever acted upon either directly by hand or through a screw spindle is so connected
to the propeller shaft that this can thereby be pushed more or less backwards, against
the action of the thrust, so that by thus more or less diminishing the frictional contact
of the coupling, the engine, while always running at the same speed, will be made to
drive the screw at any required reduced speed, or the motion of the screw can be
entirely stopped. For reversing the motion, of the screw, friction discs are provided
on the engine and propeller shafts, with which lateral friction discs are brought simul-
taneously in contact by means of levers actuated by the backward motion of the
propeller shaft, after the friction coupling has been drawn entirely out of gear by such
backward motion.
The said lateral discs are moved out of contact again by springs when not acted
upon by the levers.
The screw spindle or lever that effects the shifting of the propeller shaft is situated
within or alongside of a spindle by means of which the steering is effected, so that the
regulation of the motion is effected from the same place as the steering.
The thrust of the propeller shaft is taken by a thrust bearing on the inner end of
the engine shaft; this bearing is made rotatable in the engine framing, and is provided
with a crank handle and a sliding pin, so that by sliding the pin in gear with lugs on
the engine shaft, the thrust bearing and engine shaft can be rotated by the crank
handle for first starting the motor engine.
The cooling of the engine cylinder is effected by means of a water jacket
through which water is made to circulate by means of a pipe extending fore and
aft of the vessel, the outer water entering the pipe at the bows and flowing off at
the stern. The circulation may also be effected by a centrifugal pump, a branch
pipe with cock opening into the hold being provided so that the bilge water may be
used as the circulating medium.
When a gas motor engine is used, gas holders charged with combustible gas
under pressure are arranged under the seats or at other points in the vessel, and
waste spaces, such as the part of the hold at the bows are converted into reservoirs
for combustible gas at atmospheric pressure, such spaces being provided with a
flexible expansible lining.
These low pressure reservoirs are made to supply the engine with gas and are
replenished from the high pressure reservoirs through a reducing cock or valve.
The said reservoirs also act as floats for rendering the vessel more or less unsinkable.
Dated this 1st day of November 1886.
ABEL & IMRAY,
28, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: Motor Engines.
I, GOTTLIEB DAIMLER of Cannstadt, Wurtemberg in the German Empire, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement :-
My invention relates to apparatus for effecting the propulsion of a boat or vessel by
a gas or petroleum motor, instead of by a steam engine, whereby a maximum of speed
is obtained with a minimum extent of immersion of the vessel inasmuch as the load of
coals, water and metal ballast required with the latter is greatly diminished so that
the capacity and power of the vessel are utilized to a much greater extent in the
transport of loads. As the motor I employ by preference the gas or petroleum
motor engine described in the Specification to my Patent No. 4315 of 1885.
The motor engine is so arranged as to drive the screw propeller through a friction
coupling for the forward motion, and through friction or toothed gearing for the
backward motion, in such manner that the motion of the screw propeller produces
automatically the required frictional contact of the coupling or of the gearing.
The improvements consists furthermore in arranging the propeller shaft with its
propeller and half coupling to slide longitudinally somewhat, for the above purpose,
and in combining together the apparatus for stopping starting and reversing the
screw propeller and for the steering of the vessel so as to effect these operations at
one and the same point; also in the provision of a thrust bearing at the motor engine
for taking the thrust of the screw, in combination with the starting gear; also in
effecting the cooling of the motor cylinder by means of the water in which the vessel
is running, this being made to circulate round the cylinder either by a siphon
arrangement operating in combination with the motion of the vessel, or by a
centrifugal pump driven by the motor; and lastly in utilising the waste spaces of
the vessel as gas reservoirs, either at atmospheric or higher pressure, and in arranging
these in such manner as to make the ship more or less unsinkable.
On the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 shews a part longitudinal section of a vessel
with gas or petroleum motor engine, constructed according to my invention. Fig. 2.
shows a cross-section, and Fig. 3. shews a plan. A is the motor engine, a¹ is the
half coupling fixed on the motor shaft, a² that fixed on the propeller shaft b, which is
in line with the motor shaft, and can shift longitudinally somewhat in its bearings.
In addition to the coupling a² it carries the reversing disc c and at its outer end the
screw propeller d, all being fixed thereon. The half coupling a¹ acts with its
projecting flange as friction disc for reversing.
The motor engine is driven continuously in one and the same direction. For the
forward propulsion of the vessel the propeller shaft is in the first instance pressed by
hand or otherwise towards the motor, so that the half couplings a² a² are in sufficient

page_text: frictional contact to effect the starting of the screw, whereupon the thrust of the
latter itself maintains the required contact. The coupling at a² may be either conical
or flat.
For the backward motion of the vessel the propeller shaft is drawn backwards so as
to disconnect the coupling a¹, a², while the intermediate friction discs e¹² are at the
same time pressed by elbow levers ff against the discs a¹ c in consequence of which
the screw will be rotated in the contrary direction, so as to propel the ship backwards.
The elbow levers fl f² have their fulcra at g¹ 92 and transmit by their connection
with the boss of the disc c the longitudinal motion of the propeller shaft to the
discs e¹ e², by pressing on the projecting centres ese thereof. In order to transmit
such pressure equally to the two discs e e² a crosshead h¹ h² pivotted at h³ is employed.
The discs ele rotate free in their bearings ese and when not acted on by the
levers they are pushed outwards by helical springs e e8 so as to be out of
contact with the discs a¹ c. In place of the discs a¹ e¹ e² c may also be used bevil
wheels always kept in gear, in which case the wheel taking the place of c would be
loose on the propeller shaft and formed with a coupling similar to a¹. A bearing
behind the latter would then take the pull of the reversed propeller shaft, and this
pull would effect the frictional contact of the coupling of c for running backwards.
For pressing the propellor shaft forward towards the motor engine, a helical
spring is provided which always tends to move the shaft forward so as to keep the
coupling a¹ a slightly in contact. In order to prevent the coupling a¹ a² from being
brought too rapidly into forcible contact by the thrust of the propeller, so as to
insure a gradual starting as also a gradual stopping and reversing, a screw spindle k¹
with hand wheel or crank elbow lever and fixed collar 22 are provided. The
collar serves as abutment for the spring ¹ and is loose on the shaft. In place of
the spring and collar a second fixed collar may be fixed on the shaft in front
of the lever so that the forward motion of the shaft is also effected by this. The
lever may also be arranged, either straight or as an elbow lever, to be acted upon
directly by hand or foot instead of through a screw spindle.
By the above described arrangement wherein the propeller shaft is connected to the
engine shaft by a frictional coupling controlled by the spindle k¹ and lever l, it will
be seen that without altering the speed of the engine the speed of the propeller
and consequently the motion of the vessel can be increased or decreased at will or
entirely stopped, by simply causing the frictional coupling to be brought in contact
with greater or less force.
For steering the vessel the rudder m is connected by a chain n or other mechanism
with the shaft o¹, which is turned in one direction or the other by means of the
levers o² 3 by the steersman sitting on the seat p. The spindle k¹ is either carried
through the steering shaft o' as shewn, or it is arranged at the side thereof, so as to
have the whole controlling mechanism arranged conveniently together at the seat p.
The thrust of the propeller is taken by the thrust bearing 9 on the front side of
the motor engine. This bearing is shewn to an enlarged scale at Figs. 4. 4° and 4°;
it is provided with a crank handle ¹ by means of which the engine can be started.
For this purpose the bearing has a sliding pin 2 which can be pushed inwards so as
to gear with a stud 73 on the motor shaft, so that the rotation of the bearing will also
cause the shaft to be rotated so as to start the engine. The pin ³ being formed with
an incline, it will be pushed out of gear by the pressure of the stud when the engine
is started as shewn af Fig. 4" so that the bearing g and its crank handle r¹ will then
remain stationary.
The cooling of the motor cylinder is effected by a current of water either passing
through the pipe s from the bows of the vessel to the jacket of the cylinder and
thence through the pipe s² to the stern, the current being produced on the forward
motion of the vessel by the forcing action at the trumpet mouthed forward end of s
and by the exhaust action at the rear end of s². For starting the siphon-like action,
the pipes and water jacket are in the first instance filled with water through a
funnel with cock 2, the supply pipe s¹ being provided with a stop valve ³.
According to another arrangement, the water is drawn up from the outside by a

page_text: centrifugal pump u and after circulating through the jacket flows back to the
outside again. The two arrangements may be combined as shewn on the drawing.
For discharging bilge water the pipe s has a funnel opening v provided with a
three way stop cock so that the circulating water can either be drawn from the bilge
or from the external water. In place of a centrifugal pump an air fan for cooling
the cylinder by means of air currents may be used.
When using combustible gas for working the motor engine, high pressure gas
holders w² are provided on the vessel in suitable places, such as under the seats,
while other parts of the vessel, as for instance spaces w¹ in the hold under the deck
may themselves be formed into reservoirs of gas at atmospheric pressure, for which
purposes these spaces are lined with a gas tight fabric, which may be made as a bag
so as to expand against the underside of the deck when charged with gas as
indicated on the drawing. These gas holders or reservoirs are charged respectively
with gas at high pressure and at atmospheric pressure at the end station. The motor
engine draws in the gas from the bag-like reservoir wand this is replenished from
the high pressure reservoir w² through a cock x that is opened and closed either by
hand, or automatically by a tappet connected to the rising and falling bag y.
several high pressure gas holders are all connected either directly to the low pressure
reservoir, or they are connected with each other by means of pipes provided with
stop cocks. They also serve as floats for rendering the vessel entirely or partially
unsinkable.
The
When using petroleum for working the motor engine, I employ by preference the
petroleum apparatus described in my before mentioned prior Patent No. 4315 of
1885.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is :-
1. The combination of a gas or petroleum motor engine with the propeller shaft of
a vessel through a friction clutch, the propeller shaft being made capable of sliding
longitudinally in its bearings, so that the thrust of the propeller when in motion will
maintain the frictional contact of the coupling, such frictional contact being decreased
more or less-for regulating the speed of the propeller-by pushing the propeller shaft
backwards against the said thrust, substantially as herein described.
2. In combination with a frictional coupling connecting the engine shaft with the
sliding propeller shaft-referred to in the preceding claims-the friction discs or
wheels a. c. e' e² and the levers f¹ f2 connected to the propeller shaft, constituting
mechanism for reversing the motion of the propeller, the pull of the latter when
reversed being made to effect the required frictional contact between the discs el e
and a' c for this purpose.
3. The combination with a motor engine coupled to a propeller shaft as set forth in
the preceding claims of a thrust bearing such as g for taking the thrust of the
propeller, and provided with means for starting the engine, consisting of the crank
handle and sliding pin r².
4. The herein described arrangements for steering the vessel and shifting the
propeller shaft at one and the same point, consisting in the shaft o¹ levers o² 0 and
chain n or equivalent means for actuating the rudder, and the screw spindle k¹ with
lever ., or levers l. only, for actuating the propeller shaft, whereby the entire
movements of the vessel can be controlled from such point.
5. In combination with the water jacket of the engine cylinder A, the pipe s¹
extending down to below water line and communicating with the outer water at
or near the stern of the vessel, the branch pipe v with three way cock s³, centrifugal
pump u, the pipe s leading down to below water line and communicating with the
outer water at or near the stern of the vessel, and the charging funnel t¹ with stop
cock t² for filling the water jacket and pipes s² ² in the first instance thus producing
a siphon-like action whereby on the movement of the vessel the outer water is made
5 to rise into the jacket through the pipe stand to descend therefrom again through the
pipe substantially as herein described.

page_text: 6. In a vessel driven by a gas motor engine the combination of gas holders
containing compressed combustible gas arranged under the seats or other parts of the
vessel, and a reservoir for gas at atmospheric pressure, arranged in the hold or waste
spaces of the vessel, the last named reservoir being made to supply the motor engine
with combustible gas, and being itself supplied with gas from the high. pressure
gas holders through one or more reducing cocks or valves substantially as
described.
7. In a vessel propelled by a gas motor engine the combination with the gas motor
engine of a screw propeller whose shaft is capable of sliding longitudinally and is
geared to the engine shaft by a friction coupling, means for longitudinally shifting
the propeller shaft for varying the speed, stopping and reversing, a petroleum
evaporating apparatus or low pressure gas reservoir for supplying the gas motor
engine with combustible gas, and one or more high pressure gas holders that supply
the low pressure reservoir through reducing cocks or valves, substantially as herein
described.