IMPROVEMENTS IN TRANSMITTING MOTION TO PROPELLING SHAFTS
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Edward Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN TRANSMITTING MOTION TO PROPELLING
SHAFTS." -A communication from abroad by James Buchanan Eads,
of St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, United States of America.
Sealed the 24th April 1866, and dated the 31st October 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edward Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
31st October 1865.
I, WILLIAM EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery
Lane; in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN TRANSMITTING MOTION TO
PROPELLING SHAFTS," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to a method of converting an alternating rectilinear
motion into a rotary one without the use of a crank, and in such a manner as
to avoid any dead points at the moment of reversing the rectilinear applica-
tion of power.
The object of the Invention is to impart a more equable impulse to the
rotation of ships' propellers and other machinery, and thereby avoid the
[Price 8d.]

page_text: unequal strains to which they are subjected, and the evil effects caused thereby
in the use of the crank engine. This result is obtained by constructing the
shaft with two or more sets of spiral threads or grooves on it, turned in
opposite directions, and fitting to these threads or grooves one nut to each set
of threads or grooves. These nuts are driven backwards and forwards over the
shaft by means of the piston of a cylinder actuated by steam or other power.
One of the nuts is held from turning by means of a clutch, or by dogs, or
other equivalent contrivances while the stroke is being made in one direction,
whilst the other nut is released and turns freely with the shaft at the time the
first nut is thus held. When the stroke is reversed the action of the nuts is
also reversed, the first being released, while the second is prevented from
turning. The instant the power is reversed at one end or the other of the
stroke, one nut or the other, as the case may be, is held from turning, and as
it advances along the shaft in contact with the spiral threads or grooves it
compels the shaft to rotate, and thus there is no point in the rotation where
the power cannot be imparted to compel the shaft to turn. The devices which
hold the nuts from turning are arranged to alternate, so as to prevent each of
the nuts from turning in the opposite direction to that required, so that when
it is desirable to reverse the rotation of the shaft all that will be necessary to
do is to reverse the action of those devices. It will be evident that if either
nut be held from turning and it be thrust forward it will turn the shaft in one
direction, while it will give just the opposite direction to the shaft if held from
turning while it is moved backwards over the shaft. No reversing of the
valves is therefore needed to give a forward or backward motion to the shaft.
This method of constructing an engine is more economical and the engine is
more compact, less liable to derangement, and because of the parts being kept
lower it is better suited for war vessels than any other arrangement now in
use.
In carrying out the Invention the two nuts are held in a frame, and move
back and forth in a line coincident or parallel with the shaft. This frame
will be held from turning by means of rods arranged to produce a rectilinear
motion in a manner similar to that known as the parallel motion applied to
steam engines, or by guides provided with friction rollers. This frame is
actuated by a piston moving in a suitable cylinder, and to which piston it will
be attached by the piston rods. The frame will have a central division, which
will keep the two nuts separated from each other. Now, if the threads on
the shaft are twisted in opposite directions, and if the opposite faces of the
central division of the frame be provided each with a circle of teeth
surrounding the shaft, and fitting into corresponding teeth formed around the

page_text: end of each nut next to this central division, and if the frame be thrust
forward, the teeth in the central division will be pressed into one of the nuts,
and if sufficient play be allowed between the end pieces of the frame the teeth
on the other side of the division will be drawn out of the teeth in the other
nut. One nut will then be held from turning by this central division, while
the other will be free to turn in the frame with the shaft. If the frame be
forced to the end of the stroke the nut it holds will force the shaft to turn by
its action against the sides of the spiral grooves or threads on it. When the
motion of the frame is reversed the teeth of the central frame which held this
nut will be drawn out of it, and those on the other side of the division will
immediately enter the teeth of the second nut, which nut by working on
threads or grooves cut in the opposite direction will cause the shaft to continue
turning in the direction imparted to it by the action of the. first nut. If the
ends of the nuts were of sufficient face, and were covered with wood or gum
elastic, or some material "creating considerable friction, and the corresponding
faces of the central division were also covered with the same, sufficient friction
might be produced by the pressure of the piston to cause the nuts to adhere
alternately to it, and thus to produce the same effect caused by the interlocking
of the teeth. This would avoid the loss of motion and noise of the locking and
unlocking of the teeth. If the end pieces of the frame be provided with
teeth to match into teeth cut in the ends of the nuts next to them, a change
of motion of the shaft may be produced by any device that will prevent the
locking at the central division. A groove turned on the outside of each nut,
each having a tappet or holder fastened to the frame and fitted in the groove,
would allow the nut to turn but would compel it to move with the frame.
If the grooves were large enough to allow a little play, the teeth could
be allowed to lock at one end of the nut but not at the other, and by
moving the two tappets by a right and left hand screw they could be
moved together or apart at will. Bringing the tappets together a little
would prevent locking at the ends but would permit it at the central division,
whilst moving them apart would allow them to lock at the ends but would
prevent them from coming in contact with the central division. If the
impetus of the shaft becomes from any cause greater than that due to the
movement of the nuts they will be both thrown out of gear with the frame,
and permit the free rotation of the shaft; but if there be any tendency in the
shaft to turn back, as in winding up a heavy weight, one nut will not be dis-
engaged until the other takes hold, thus preventing any back action in it.
By having a strong collar turned upon each nut close to the central division,
with only sufficient play for the nuts in the frame to allow them to turn

page_text: freely in it, the nuts can be held from turning by surrounding these collars
with a number of pawls or cams having their pivots or centres secured to the
central division of the frame, and all set so as to allow both nuts to turn in
one direction but not in the other. The pressure of a set of springs may be
applied alternately to each set of pawls which hold the nuts, so as to cause
them to hold more firmly, while each set when not acting may be kept from
contact with the collar, and thus avoid friction. To prevent friction between
the nuts and threads or grooves of the shaft the nuts are made of the same
length as the shaft threads, and between the bearing surfaces of each friction
rollers held in spiral frames of about half the length of the threads are adapted.
The axes of these friction rollers constitute radii of cross sections of the
shaft. As opposite parts of the surface of the rollers are in contact with the
nut and shaft threads, the rollers will only have to move half the distance
travelled by the nut. They will be kept in their places by stops placed at
the ends of the nuts and on the shaft at the ends of the threads. The
friction rollers are truncated cones; the apices of which will be the centre of a
circle whose circumference is equal to the hypothenuse of a right angle triangle,
the base of which is equal to the circumference of the threads of the shaft,
and the side of which is equal to the pitch of the threads. The bases of the
cones will be at the circumference of this circle. When the diameter of the
rollers is decided upon, which will depend on the number and strength of the
threads desired on the shaft, the latter and those in the nuts in like manner
should be chased to the proper angle to receive them, with a bearing through-
out the length of the roller, and no spare room when all the sets of rollers
are into their places. To avoid the friction caused in the shaft bearings by
the thrust of the piston against the spiral threads friction cones are introduced
between collars turned upon the shaft and bearings for them on the sides of
the bearing blocks of the shaft where the engines are small. In large
engines two or more cylinders with their frames and pairs of nuts and threads
are employed. The pistons in the cylinders must be moved in opposite
directions at the same instant, and in this way the thrust alluded to will be
neutralized. The valves to the cylinder or cylinders may be worked by any
of the known methods suitable for the purpose, and they can be easily and
effectively reversed by the movement of the frame or frames holding the nuts
as they approach each end of their stroke. If the valve be large a small
cylinder can be used to work it, the small valve of which would be moved by
the frame.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Edward Newton in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 30th April 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents
66, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirty-first day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-ninth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said William Edward Newton, Her special licence that I, the said William
Edward Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said William Edward Newton, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and
at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully
might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention,
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN TRANSMITTING MOTION TO PROPELLING SHAFTS," being a
communication to me from abroad, upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said William Edward Newton, my executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same
to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next
and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Edward Newton, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
he performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say)
This Invention relates to a method of converting an alternating rectilinear
motion into a rotary one without the use of a crank, and in such a manner as
to avoid any dead points at the moment of reversing the rectilinear application
of power.
The object of the Invention is to impart a more equable impulse to the
rotation of ships' propellers and other machinery, and thereby avoid the
unequal strains to which they are subjected, and the evil effects caused thereby
in the use of the crank engine. This result is obtained by constructing the

page_text: shaft with two or more sets of spiral threads or grooves on it, turned in opposite
directions, and fitting to these threads or grooves one nut to each set of threads or
grooves. These nuts are driven backward and forward over the shaft by means of
the piston of a cylinder actuated by steam or other power. One of the nuts is held
from turning either by the friction of the parts, or by means of a clutch, or by
dogs, or other equivalent devices while the stroke is being made in one direction,
whilst the other nut is released and turns freely with the shaft at the time the first
nut is thus held. In practice it is found that the friction of the surfaces is
sufficient under all ordinary circumstances, but clutches may be used if desired.
When the stroke is reversed the action of the nuts is also reversed, the first being
released, while the second is prevented from turning. The instant the power is
reversed at one end or the other of the stroke, one nut or the other, as the
case may be, is held from turning, and as it advances along the shaft in con-
tact with the spiral threads or grooves it compels the shaft to rotate, and thus
there is no point in the rotation where the power cannot be imparted to compel
the shaft to turn. The devices which hold the nuts from turning are arranged
to alternate, so as to prevent either of the nuts from turning the shaft in the
opposite direction to that in which such nut is intended to drive it. When it is
desirable to reverse the rotation of the shaft, all that will be necessary to do
is to loosen the nuts that have been previously held fast and hold fast those
which were previously loose, or, in other words, reversing the action of the
nuts. No reversing of the valves will therefore be needed to reverse the
motion of the shaft.
In carrying out the Invention the two nuts are held in a frame, and move
to and fro in a line parallel with the shaft. This frame will be held from
turning by means of guides arranged to produce a rectilinear motion in a
manner similar to that known as the parallel motion applied to steam engines,
or by guides provided with friction rollers. This frame is actuated by pistons
moving in suitable cylinders, and to which pistons the frame will be connected
by the piston rods. The frame will have a central division, which will keep
the two nuts separated from each other. Now, if the threads on the shaft are
twisted in opposite directions, and if the opposite faces of the central division
of the frame be made to bear and bind against each other, or provided
with teeth surrounding the shaft and fitting into corresponding teeth formed
around the end of each nut next to this central division, and if the frame
be thrust forward, the central division will be pressed against one of the nuts,
and if sufficient play be allowed between the end pieces of the frame
the friction surface on the other side of the division will be released from
binding against the other nut. One nut will then be held from turning hy

page_text: this central division, while the other one will be free to turn in the frame with
the shaft. If the frame be forced to. the end of the stroke the nut it holds
will force the shaft to turn by its action against the sides of the spiral grooves
or threads on it. When the motion of the frame is reversed the friction
surface of the central frame which held this nut will be drawn away from it,
and that on the other side of the division will immediately bear against the
surface of the second nut, which nut, by working on threads or grooves cut in
the shaft in the opposite direction, will cause the shaft to continue turning in
the direction imparted. to it by the action of the first nut. If the ends of the
nuts were of sufficient face and were covered with wood or gum elastic, or
some material creating considerable friction, and the corresponding faces of
the central division were also covered with the same, sufficient friction might
be produced by the pressure of the piston to cause the nuts to adhere
alternately to it, and thus to produce the desired effect without employing any
clutch or arrangement of teeth. This would avoid the loss of motion and
noise of the locking and unlocking of the teeth or clutch. If the end pieces
of the frame be provided with teeth to match into teeth cut in the ends of the
nuts next to them, a change of motion of the shaft may be produced by any
device that will prevent the locking at the central division. If the impetus.
of the shaft becomes from any cause greater than that due to the movement
of the nuts they will be both thrown out of gear with the frame, and permit
the free rotation of the shaft; but if there be any tendency in the shaft to
turn back, as in winding up a heavy weight, one nut will not be disengaged
until the other takes hold, thus preventing any back action in it.
In the accompanying Drawing, Fig. 1 is a side view of a double-acting
engine constructed according to the present Invention; Fig. 2 is a plan of the
same; and Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical section of the same, in which the
spiral threads on the shaft with the spiral frames holding the friction rollers
are shewn; Fig. 4 is a sectional plan view of the same, the threads of the
shaft being shewn in full, the spiral frames being shewn in section at one
end of the engine and at the other end in full; Fig. 5 is an end view of the
same. The cylinders E, E, are two in number and are annular, the shaft H
passing through them. The cylinders are placed together end to end, and
the pistons act in opposite directions at the same time. By using two
cylinders with the pistons acting in opposite directions, the thrust of one
piston (which would otherwise have to be sustained by the collars at the shaft
bearings) is counteracted by that of the other piston, thus preventing undue
friction at the bearings.
In Fig. 3 the thread of the shaft is shown at K, K, that of the nut at L,

page_text: and the spiral frames or guides to hold the friction rollers are marked
J, J, J, J. These frames are loose on the shaft and are between the nut
threads and those of the shaft, and will have stops placed to keep them from
working out of their places. The flanches M, M, on the nuts C, D, are
each enclosed between two other flanches at each end of the thrusting head;
the latter are far enough apart to allow the flanch of the nut to play freely.
between them. The engine when running in one direction will have the
flanch of one nut in contact with but one of the flanches of the thrusting
head. This contact will create sufficient friction to insure the nut remaining
still (not turning) while the piston is forcing the thrusting head against the
nut; but as the piston returns the flanch of the thrusting head on the other
side of the nut flanch must not be permitted to come in contact with the
latter, otherwise the same amount of friction on that side will prevent the
nut from turning as the piston returns. It is by preventing the nut flanches
from coming in contact with one or the other of the thrusting head flanches
that inclose them that the engine is made to rotate in one direction or the
other, and this is managed by the shaft Q, which has a right and left handed
screw on it, working in two moveable arches O, O. On the legs of these
arches are four friction wheels N, N, and P, P. When these arches are thrust
apart by the shaft Q, the wheels P, P, will prevent the nut flanches M, M,
from coming in contact with the two inner flanches of the thrusting head, but
will leave them free to touch the outside ones. The wheels P, P, prevent the
nut flanches from coming in contact with the flanches R, R, but leave them
free to come in contact with the flanches S, S. Now if the thrusting head
be driven in the direction of the arrows the wheel N will push the nuts B
and C along on the shaft, and on coming back they will run on their thread
free from contact with the thrusting head; but the nuts C and B will be
held from turning by the friction at their flanches M with S, and as they
are forced along the shaft they will compel the latter to turn them. When
the pistons move in the opposite direction the nuts D and A will be held in
the same way, while C and B will be released and pushed by the other wheel
P in the opposite direction. Thus D and A will continue the rotative motion
of the shaft going one way, while C and B do the same in the opposite.
direction. Now if the shaft Q be turned, and the arches 0, 0, be brought
together, the contact of the flanges M, M, will be with the flanges R, R,
while the wheels N, N, will keep them from contact with the flanges S, S,
In Figures 1, 2, and 5, T represents a parallel motion to prevent the
turning of the thrusting head; it will be connected with both thrusting
heads. U, U, are slides to take the weight of the thrusting head. The

page_text: arrangement of threads on the shaft and nuts insures one revolution of the
shaft for one stroke of the piston, while in crank engines two strokes of the
piston are needed for the same purpose. G, G, are two piston rods for each
cylinder.
Figures 6, 7, and 8 shew another method of accomplishing the same result
without the use of the nuts. V, V, represent two sleeves (one of which is
shewn detached in Fig. 7) turning freely on the shaft between collars firmly
fixed on the shaft. One of these collars W is shown at one end of one sleeve,
and another, the central one X, is placed between the two sleeves. Instead
of a thrusting head a frame composed of four longitudinal bars Y, Y, Y, Y,
supported on a rest or slide Z, and driven to and fro by the pistons F, F,
two or more in number. Each of these bars has two wrists or pins inserted
in it at a, a, and on each of these pins is a conical wheel c, made of proper
shape to fit the thread on the sleeve in such a manner as to create a true
rolling surface on it. The wheel is not so large as to come in contact with
the thread at opposite points on its periphery. The wheels on the upper and
lower bars will be in close contact with one side of the threads, while the
wheels on the side bars will be in close contact with the other side of the
threads, thus avoiding any loss of motion when the stroke of the piston is
changed. If contact of the sleeves with the central collar be prevented by
any system of friction rollers like that described in connection with the shaft
Q, the result of the piston's movements will be to cause first one sleeve and
then the other to be pressed against the other two outside collars on the shaft,
and to alternately adhere to them by friction, and thus compel a rotation of
the shaft by friction of contact, each sleeve being alternately freed while the
other is adhering to the collar. If the contact be prevented at these collars
and permitted at the central one, a reverse motion will be imparted to the
shaft. Figs. 8 show a method of introducing friction rollers between the
pins and the wheels working on the threads of the sleeves. To accomplish
the reversal of the engine the flanches at each end of the sleeves are enlarged,
as shewn at b, Fig. 7. The outer faces of them are designed to come in
contact with conical friction rollers d, d, secured to a circular collar turning
freely around the shaft. A circular fixed collar e is placed between the two
sleeves supported on the bracket f, and another similar one at each outside
end of the sleeves. A concentric ring is placed in each of these collars to
come in contact with the friction rollers. The central fixed collar is double,
and has one ring on each face. These rings are fitted into the fixed collars
their peripheries, and fitting into a corre-
sponding one in the fixed collar, so that when they are turned they shall
with a spiral thread turned on

page_text: advance or retire into the fixed collar. When these rings are caused to
advance from the central fixed collar they press the friction rollers forward
and prevent the flanches of the sleeves from coming in contact with the
central collar on the shaft, while if the rings at the ends be drawn back
contact will be permitted there, and thus a certain direction will be given to
the shaft, which will be reversed by reversing the position of the rings. The
frame will be provided with a parallel motion or other method to prevent the
tortional effect and keep the frame from turning.
Having now described this Invention of "Improvements in Transmitting
Motion to Propelling Shafts," and having explained the manner of carrying
the same into effect as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent, I
claim as the Invention secured to me by Letters Patent as aforesaid, the
arrangement of parts herein set forth for communicating rotary motion to
shafts by means of the reciprocating motion of nuts or sleeves, as above shewn
and described.
Second, I claim the mode herein shewn and described of reversing the
action of the shaft without stopping the engine.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Edward Newton, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Thirtieth day of April, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
W. E. NEWTON. (L.S.)