IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PROPELLING AND STEERING SHIPS
Year: 1883

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Gerard Wenzeslaus von Nawrocki
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 20th July 1883.
A communication from A. F. Barth of Grossenhain in the Empire of Germany
GERARD WENZESLAUS VON NAWROCKI, Proprietor of the firm of J, Brandt &
G. W. v Nawrocki Patent Solicitor, and Civil Engineer, of 124, Leipzigerstrasse,
Berlin, Germany, "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PROPELLING AND STEERING
SHIPS [a communication from A. F. Barth of Grossenhain in the Empire of
Germany]
"
This invention relates to apparatus for propelling and steering ships.
According to one part of the said invention I provide apparatus composed of
a cylindrical shell from which branch two pipes or tubes in opposite directions to
one another and fitted water tight on each side of the hull of the ship. Withia
the cylindrical shell and at the rear of the same is placed a six bladed screw-
propeller composed of three two-bladed screws the blades being at an angle
of 60°. The shaft of the screw-propeller is rotated by the engine in such a
direction that the screw draws or sucks the water into the said tubes and forces
it through the cylindrical shell to the back of the said blades. The transverse
sectional area of tho shell must be at the least equal to the sum of the transverse
sectional areas of the two tubes.
Instead of placing the said tubes at each side of the hull of the ship, they may
be placed in front of the same in such a manner that their outlet will come inside
it; this arrangement will however necessarily occupy much space.
The above apparatus may be used to assist the propulsion of sailing ships; in
this case as the ship does not carry a steam engine an arrangement is required
to effect the drawing or sucking of the water and its action upon the screw
blades. For this purpose the rear part of each tube is closed up by means of a
flap-valve which, when the screw is working, allows the water to flow through the
tube into the cylindrical shell.
When the water flows from the screw after having acted upon the same the
said valves are moved into such a position that the water flows through the tubes
without entering the cylindrical shell and without interfering in any manner with
the motion of the ship. When a ship is provided with one apparatus fitted in

page_text: the bow and another in the stern, the water enters the cylindrical shell of the
apparatus which is fitted in the bow and comes out through one of the tubes
whilst in the apparatus fitted in the stern the water enters the other tube and
comes out through the cylindrical shell. To permit the direction of motion of a
ship to be changed by means of this double apparatus it is necessary that the
tubes should be provided with regulating valves. These regulating valves are so
arranged that they close the tubes when in a vertical position, so that the water
forced by the screw into the tubes comes out through another tube in a direction
perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the ship, When the valves are in a
horizontal position, the perpendicular tube or pipe is closed and the water is
capable of flowing through the aforesaid tubes. The outlet of each of these
tubes is provided with a closing valve one of which must be closed whilst the
other is opened in order to permit the water which is required for the propulsion
of the ship to come out only through one of the said tubes.
When the valves are adjusted in a certain manner the ship will turn from right
to left around its vertical axis.
Instead of the arrangement of perpendicular or branch pipes above described
for the steering or changing of direction of movement of the ship, the following
arrangement may be employed whereby the inconvenience of the perpendicular
pipes crossing each other will be avoided. The branch pipes in this case are
arranged close to one another, and the admission of the water from the
cylindrical shell into one of the said pipes is regulated by means of a valve.
These valves are preferable to those herein before referred to and will render an
additional valve unnecessary.
The said valves may be acted upon from the bridge, all that is required for
that purpose being to connect the two corresponding valves to an endless chain
and to pass the said chain over a number of rollers or pulleys and thus ensure
proper action upon the valve from the bridge of the ship.
In order to illustrate one of the advantages of this apparatus over those.
heretofore in use, it is sufficient to state that no whirlpool nor dead water are
formed when the former is employed.
1 also provide a reaction apparatus for ships, which consists essentially of a
piston moving to and fro in a cylinder which draws or sucks water on one side
whilst it forces the same out on the other side.
The piston is actuated, in its to and fro movement in the cylinder, by a steam
engine. Tho cylinder is provided at its extremities with two valve-chambers in
each of which four valves are arranged in such a manner that two of the same
open inside and the other two outside the said chambers. These valves may be
arranged or connected with rows of superposed flap-valves.
The four valves which are situated in each valve-chamber are provided on each
side with four pipes.
The to and fro movement of the piston causes water to be pumped in through
the two suction pipes and forces it out through the delivery pipes. The whole
apparatus being placed admidships in the lower part of the hull, the suction
pipes are somewhat bent at the top in order that the water may be freely
admitted.
In order that the water forced out of both sides of the cylinder should have
the same direction, the delivery pipes are suitably constructed. The delivery is
effected through rotating tubular stays or supports fitted in the delivery tubes
which are connected; whilst the direction of the forced water is regulated by
means of valves.
According to this invention it is easy to steer the ship at the same time, by
first giving a proper position to the tubular stays and secondly by arranging
a corresponding opening and closing of the valve. The steering may be effected
in the ordinary manner, that is to say, from the stern of the ship.
The tubular stays may be actuated from the bridge in the same manner as

page_text: above described with respect to the closing of the valve in the screw-propeller
apparatus, the said stays being connected by means of a chain which is passed
over a number of pulleys or rollers, in such a manner that by pulling the suid
chain the stays may be moved.
It is obvious that in the above described apparatus the valves, and the suction
and delivery pipes must have the same area as that of the piston, in order to
obtain a regular influx of water.