Improvements in and relating to the Propulsion of Ships or Vessels.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Sept., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 29th June, 1892-Accepted, 13th Aug., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to the Propulsion of Ships or Vessels.
I, JOHN MACDONALD, of 41 Watson Street, Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Engineer,.
do hereby declare the nature of my invention to be as follows:-
This invention has reference to and comprises a new or improved mode of, or
arrangement and combination of the parts of paddle wheels, endless chains and
floats and connecting gear for the propulsion of steam ships or other floating
vessels.
The improvements consist all as follows.-In mounting one transverse horizontal
shaft in fixed bearings in the steam ship or boat, which might be the crank shaft
of the engine or a main shaft driven from it and what I term the first main paddle
wheel shaft. This shaft could work out through a stuffing box or boxes in the
shell or skin plates of the ship, and have two strong large pitch chain wheels
mounted on it at a sufficient distance apart to permit of the acting paddles or floats
carried by the chains on these wheels working between them as hereinafter
described. Another or second transverse horizontal shaft with chain wheels on it,
similar to and only driven by the first main shaft, would be mounted at a consider-
able distance from the former, it might be a fourth or so of the length of the ship,
preferably having its end journals in movable bearings on slides in the side shell
of the ship, and preferably working in through stuffing boxes on the slide bearing
blocks, when the ends of the shaft were carried through the shell of the ship; and
these bearing blocks would be actuated through strong screws or otherwise, to shift
them to or from the fixed shaft for tightening up the chains, carrying the floats
between them, or removing them from the said chain wheels, for taking up the
slack of the chains or repairing them when that was required. These pitch chains
carrying the floats, would preferably be made in short length links, each with
single and double eyed joints, and nearly parallel pins passed through them,
preferably secured by a transverse pin in one of the eyes in preference to having
heads and cotters on the pins, so that these chains would be made in the form of
short segmental parallel links to work on a round chain wheel in between deep
edge flanges, with recesses in them for the driving axles or pins of the chains
which are passed through, preferably every alternate joint link, and project beyond
the links to take into these recesses in the driving chain wheels, this arrangement
giving long flanges between the pitch driving recesses which are strengthened by
side feathers to the bearing web of the chain wheels. These chain wheels would
be immersed to a sufficient depth in the water, for the floats carried by them to be
completely immersed, preferably in a channel formed in the centre of the vessel, or
it might be mounted on each side of the vessel, the paddles passing along and acting
horizontally in the water, while the upper parts of the wheels and returning chains
and floats would pass forward or return completely out of the water, and be
preferably covered in over their acting channel the whole length between the
chains and wheels over the paddles. Each float or paddle would preferably be
carried at one end of two long triangular open malleable iron or steel link frames,
with eyes at their ends taking on to the transverse driving spindles passed through
the chains and pulleys at every fourth joint of the short links. Each of these
double frames carrying the floats would be bound together as one frame with cross
stays, and have preferably round or slightly elliptical holes to take on to the
driving or drawing spindles of the chains; while the other or apex ends or eyes
of the triangular frames would have long elliptical holes in them to take on to the
carrying and actuating spindles of the chains to compensate for the short driving
links lengthening and shortening in passing round their wheels, and allow for wear

page_text: in the joints of the links. All so that while the two driving chains took parallelly
and circumferentially on to their driving chain wheels, the long frames carrying
the paddles at wide distances apart, would pass in and out radially between the
driving chains and their wheels, and all act parallelly and vertically in the water
between the two sets of chain wheels, as the front main driving shaft was actuated,
the back chain wheels and their shaft turning by the action of the chains. The
forward and back eyes of each bound frame carrying the floats would work side by
side on their cross driving spindles, and which spindles might have portable
screwed on collars on them to keep the frames in the central position of these and
their driving frames; and the central short joint pins of each driving chain between
these cross spindles which carry the float frames, might be elongated and have
rounded ends on them to steady the open side frames of the floats near their centre
between their end carrying joint eyes. The end journal slide bearing blocks of
the forward or secondary shaft and chain wheels besides having fixed powerful
screws and jam nuts for shifting and retaining them in position, would preferably
have inclined or wedge plates mounted on fixed inclined planes below and above
them, with fixed pinching screws and jam nuts fitted to each for inserting and
securing the wedge plates in their set position to raise or lower the bearings of
said shaft and chain wheels, all so that the acting floats and chains would pass
parallelly in the water backwards towards the chain wheels on the main driving
shaft, while propelling the ship forwards and vice versa for going astern. The
chain wheels might have their driving eyes formed so as to be mounted on their
driving and carrying shafts, some distance in from their chain rims or webs, the
side and edge arms bending out from the eyes to these to give more room for the
mounting of the stuffing boxes and journal bearings on the inner ends of the shafts
within the shell of the ship and channels formed for the driving chains and floats
to pass along. The floats might either be made of wood or sheet metal and be
either bolted or welded to the end flanges of their long linked chains; or the floats
might be made hollow to assist in carrying up their own weight and that of their
driving chains in the long space between the driving chain wheels, or antifriction
rollers might be mounted along the sides of the channel under the chains to support
these as they are traversed.
Although the Hoats have been described as fixed rigidly to the wide ends of their
carrying and driving long link frames to act vertically in the water at right angles
to the chains while passing from the one set of chain wheels to the other and thus
radially round these chain wheels, and in this way would not feather in entering
and leaving the water; it is to be understood that they might be so mounted on
spindles to oscillate in bearings at the wide end of their carrying frames as to
feather in passing in and out of the water by having cranks on their spindles at
right angles to each other and connecting those of each alternate float and frame
separately by an angled connecting rod, so that the one frame and float passing
down or up on to its chain wheel would oscillate the one in advance or behind it
to feather same while entering and leaving the water; or otherwise the pins of
these cranks may have antifriction pulleys mounted on them taking into fixed cam
grooves at one side of the channel at the chain wheels where the floats enter and
rise out of the water, so as to give the feathering action in doing so; and stops
may be mounted on the side frames carrying the floats to fix them in their vertical
position while passing along from the one wheel to the other, assisted by mounting
the floats on their swivelling axes a little to one side of their centres, so that the
pressure in propelling would always keep them vertically except when feathered in
advance of their stops.
The paddle wheels with their endless chains and floats may be so mounted on
board the ship that they can be raised or lowered by powerful screws or equivalent
action when the vessel enters shallow or deep water.
DOLL 2
1
1001

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to the Propulsion of Ships or Vessels.
I, JOHN MACDONALD of 41 Watson Street, Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of my invention and in what manner the same is to
be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement in writing, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:-
My invention has reference to and comprises a new or improved mode of or
arrangement and combination of the parts of chain wheels, endless chains, and
floats and connecting gear for the propulsion of steam ships or other floating
vessels.
And in order that my said invention and the manner of performing or carrying
the same into effect or practice may be properly understood, I have hereunto
appended an explanatory sheet of drawings in which the same reference letters are
used to indicate corresponding parts in all the figures where shown.
Figure 1 is a longitudinal elevation broken away through the centre of the stern
end of a steam ship showing one arrangement of my new or improved propelling
mechanism applied thereto; and
Figure 2 is a plan view corresponding to Figure 1.
Figures 3 and 4 are a detached elevation and plan view respectively of the floats
shown in Figures 1 and 2. And
Figures 5 and 6 are a detached elevation and partial plan of a modified arrange-
ment of a float.
Figures 7 and 8 are a detached elevation and plan view respectively of the
forward driving chain wheel showing a modified arrangement of floats and feathering
lever mechanism applied thereto. And
Figure 9 is a detached elevation showing the feathering float lever mechanism.
Referring to these drawings.-The improvements consist all as follows.-In
mounting one transverse horizontal shaft A, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, in
bearings in the steam ship or boat, which might be the crank shaft of the engine or
a main shaft driven from it and what I term the first main chain wheel shaft. This
shaft A is shown as mounted with its end journals a' in plummer block bearings
at a² carried on an angled frame A' which is raised and lowered at opposite ends by
strong screwed rods A, B, passed through eyes and secured by jam nuts at A", B"
so as to be suitable for any depth of water. These rods A³, B', are secured at
their lower ends to strong angle iron foundation plates A rivetted along the floor
or over the frames of the vessel, and a strong thrust block A is fitted in front of
the driving chain wheels. Two strong large pitch chain wheels a a are mounted on
the shaft A, at a sufficient distance apart to permit of the acting paddles or floats C
carried by the chains D on these wheels a, a, working between them as hereinafter
described. Another or second transverse horizontal shaft B, with chain wheels b, b,
on it, similar to and only driven by the first main shaft A, would be mounted at a
considerable distance from the former, it might be a fourth or so of the length of
the ship, preferably having its end journals in adjustable bearings at b², ³, on
the angled frame A'; and these bearing blocks 62, 63, would be actuated through
screws 6, 6, or otherwise, to shift them with the shaft B to or from the fixed
shaft A, for tightening up the chains D, carrying the floats C, between them, or
removing them from the said chain wheels for taking up the slack of the chains D
or repairing them when that was required. These pitch chains D carrying the
floats C, would preferably be made in short length links, each with single and
double eyed joints at d, d', and nearly parallel pins d passed through them, so that
these chains D would be made in the form of short segmental parallel links to work
round the chain wheels a, a, and b,, in between deep edge flanges, with recesses a³ ³,
in them for the driving axles or pins d" of the chains D which project beyond the

page_text: links to take into these recesses a³, 3, in the driving chain wheels a, a, and b, b, this
arrangement giving long flanges between the pitch driving recesses a", 63, which are
strengthened by side feathers to the bearing web of the chain wheels a, b. These
chain wheels a, b, would be immersed to a sufficient depth in the water, for the
floats C carried by them to be completely immersed, preferably in a channel
formed at Z in the centre of the vessel, (or it might be mounted on each side of the
vessel) the floats passing along and acting in the water, while the upper parts of the
chain wheels and returning chains and floats would pass forward or retura
completely out of the water, and be preferably covered in over their acting
channel the whole length between the chains and wheels over the floats. Each
float C would preferably be carried at one end of two long triangular open
malleable iron or steel link frames C', C', preferably with strengthening webs C
and with eyes C, C, at their ends taking on to the transverse driving spindles C
passed through the chains D at every frurth joint of the short links. Each of
these double frames C₁, C', carrying the floats C would preferably be bound
together as one frame by flanges and bolts at C, and have round or slightly
elliptical holes at C" to take on to the driving or drawing spindles C² of the
chains; while the other or apex ends or eyes of the triangular frames C₁, C', would
have long elliptical holes C, in them to take on to the spindles of the chains to
compensate for the short driving links lengthening and shortening in passing round
their wheels, and allow for wear in the joints of the links. All so that while the
two driving chains D, D, took parallelly and circumferentially on to their driving
chain wheels a, a, and b, b, the long frames C', C', carrying the floats C at wide
distances apart, would pass in and out radially between the driving chains and their
wheels, and all act parallelly and vertically in the water between the two sets
of chain wheels a, a, and b, b, as the front main driving shaft A was actuated, the
back chain wheels band their shaft B turning by the action of the chains D.
The forward and back eyes C, C, of the hound frames C₁, C', carrying the
floats C would work side by side on their cross driving spindles C²; and these
spindles C² would be crank shaped at their central part Cs; and rollers c would be
attached by pins e' to brackets c" carried on the spindles C³, C³, and have surface
rolling contact on the floats C. As shown in Figure 5, the lower edge of the
frames C¹ of the floats C, instead of being angled as in Figure 3 may be flat or
horizontal and the end eyes C" C" be placed at this low level, so as to permit the
floats C, to pass deeper into the water.
Although the floats C have been described in reference to Figures 1 to 6 as fixed
rigidly to the wide ends of their carrying and driving long link frames C², C', to
act vertically in the water at right angles to the chains D while passing from the
one set of chain wheels a u to the other bb, and thus radially round these chain
wheels, and in this way would not feather in entering and leaving the water; these
floats C may as shown in Figures 7 to 9 be mounted on spindles C to oscillate and
feather in passing in and out of the water by having cranks E, mounted on their
spindles Cat each alternate float C, and having angled connecting rods E, E,
jointed by a pin at e and leading from the outer end of each crank E, to the driving
spindle C of the floats C on each opposite side of then, the one rod E', being
formed on the end of the crank E and having a slotted eye at E" to allow of
traverse motion, and enable it to act like a bellcrank lever; all so that the one float
passing down or up on to its chain wheel would oscillate the one in advance or
behind it to feather same while entering and leaving the water.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
:-
First. The mode of and arrangement and combination of chain wheels, endless
chains and floats and connecting and adjusting gear, for the propulsion of ships or
vessels, substantially as herein described in reference to and shown in the accom-
panying drawings.

page_text: Second. In ships or vessels, the fitting and use of an endless chain of propelling
floats linked together and passing round actuating wheels, substantially as and in
the manner herein described in reference to and shown in the accompanying
drawings.
Third. In ships or vessels the fitting and use of an endless chain of propelling
floats linked together in combination with duplex driving chains having transverse
spindles entering recesses in the actuating wheels, substantially as herein described
in reference to and shown in the accompanying drawings.
Fourth. In ships or vessels the fitting and use of an endless chain of propelling
floats linked together by crank levers or rods for the purpose of feathering said
floats, substantially as and in the manner herein described in reference to Figures 7
to 9 of the accompanying drawings.
ool T
1000
W. R. M. THOMSON & Co.,
96, Buchanan Street, Glasgow, Agents.