Improvements in Propelling and Steering Apparatus for Ships and similar Vessels.
Year: 1885

page_text: Improvements in Propelling and Steering Apparatus for Ships
and similar Vessels.
I CARL CHRISTOPH LUDWIG LUCHT of Colberg in the Kingdom of Prussia,
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 :—
I
The propulsion of ships has hitherto been effected almost exclusively by means
of paddle wheels, or of screw propellers, but these two methods are somewhat
imperfect, and offer, as is generally known, great inconveniences.
Many attempts have been made to overcome these inconveniences, as for instance
by replacing the screws and paddle wheels by flaps or fins constructed after the
manner of jalousies, and intended to act in the same way as the web membranes of
the feet of sea-birds in swimming forward; they are shut in pressing against the
water, that is to say, they press with their whole surface against the water, whilst
in moving backwards they open and allow the water to pass through freely,
thereby offering only a small resistance to the water.
The use of such flap propellers has not as yet given very satisfactory results.
Now it is the object of this invention to overcome the difficulties hitherto
experienced in propelling vessels by means of flaps or fins, and the invention
consists in a new and peculiar arrangement and construction of parts, whereby this
object may be effected.
The invention is represented in the accompanying drawings, where similar
letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.
Fig. 1, Sheet I, represents a back view of a vessel provided with the flap
propeller applied thereto, and
Fig. 2 shews in plan view the means for steering.
Fig. 3, Sheet II, is a longitudinal section of the hinder part of the vessel.
Fig. 4, Sheet III, shews a partial plan view of the vessel, the upper deck being
removed; and
Figs. 5 and 6, Sheet IV, represent details of the invention on an enlarged scale.
The propelling apparatus is actuated by means of a steam engine of any suitable
system. This engine, which is not represented in the drawings, drives a cranked
shaft A (Sheets I, II, and III) carried in suitable bearings upon the main deck.
By means of the connecting rods B and C and a disc D, which is provided with an
arin, an oscillating motion is transmitted from the shaft A to a vertical shaft E,
to which the disc D is secured. On this shaft E is adapted a frame carrying
the flaps, the construction of which will be seen best in the Figs. 5 and 6 of the
Price 111

page_text: In
Sheet IV. This frame consists of three traverses or girders FFF mounted at
the centre of their length, and at equal distances apart on the shaft E, to which
they are secured in any convenient manner.- -The outer ends of these traverses are
bolted together, and strong stays are provided to support them on the shaft.-
These traverses carry vertical shafts G G G, on which the arms J J are loosely
mounted. The arms J J carry the shafts K K, to which the flaps HH are secured.-
The flaps H H are connected together at L by hinges. In the position shewn in
Fig. 6, the two flaps appertaining to the same shaft G form a plane angle, and
press with their whole surface weight against the water, when the shaft E rotates
in the direction of the arrow of the Fig. 6. When the shaft E rotates in the
opposite direction, the flaps are shut by the back pressure of the water. They turn
then round the shafts K K, while the arms J J move one towards the other.
this position of the flaps shewn in the Fig. 6 in dotted lines, the mechanism passes
easily through the water, as it does not offer a large surface to the same.
to avoid, at the shutting of the flaps, the counter pressure of the water being
exerted against the inside halves of the flaps, guard plates M M are applied, which
are rivetted to the arms J J.-During the back motion of the flap mechanism, the
water exerts a pressure only against the outside or exterior halves of the flaps H H,
and facilitates thus the closing thereof, while a neutral layer of water is placed
between the guard plates and the inside or interior halves of the flaps.—To
facilitate still the folding of the flaps, a spiral spring N (Fig. 5), or a plate spring,
is adapted, which presses against the outside halves of the flaps, and which is in a
bent condition when the flaps act against the water, and form thus a plane angle.
When the pressure against the water ceases, the springs N have a tendency to
press the flaps H together, and they are afterwards entirely folded by the counter
pressure of the water.
In order
In order to back the vessel, the pairs of the flaps are arranged in such a manner
that they can be turned 180° round the shaft G.
This movement can be effected in the following way :-
Upon the upper deck (see Fig. 1, Sheet I, and Fig. 3, Sheet II) is a hand
wheel O, by which a shaft Q is rotated by means of a chain P.-A tootbed wheel R
mounted on Q (Fig. 4) gears into another toothed wheel R¹, which is secured to a
shaft S placed upon the disc D.-Two mitre wheels T T, mounted on S, gear
into another pair of mitre wheels T¹ T, carried by the vertical shafts U U; the
latter are moveable in bearings V V fixed to the shaft E.-By cranks W W and
rods X X, the motion of V is transmitted to racks Z Z, which work in guides on
the traverses F. F.-The racks Z take into the toothed wheels Z' mounted on the
shafts G. To the toothed wheels Z¹ are secured the arms Y Y, which, at the
turning of the toothed wheel Z¹, bear against the arms J J, and turn the flaps
for 180°.
By this arrangement it is possible to move the vessel backwards without
changing the direction of the engine.
The stoppage of the vessel, when at full speed, is effected in a much more rapid
manner than in vessels provided with paddle wheels or screw propellers.
Another important advantage consists in the circumstance, that the direction of
the vessel can be changed from the deck without the mediation of the engineer.
On the hand wheel O is a contrivance for stopping the same, so that it can turn
only when required. By means of a fixed disc provided with marks, and of an
arrow connected with the hand wheel O, and pointing to the said disc, the position
of the flaps can always be controlled upon the deck.
In order to be able to turn the flaps also during the motion of the vessel, the
teeth of the two wheels R and R₁ are made round, that is to say, the wheel blank
is formed with a semicircular edge in cross section, and the contact point of the
teeth of the two wheels is exactly in line with the axis of the shaft E.
In applying the system of flaps to the rudders, I proceed as follows:-
The improved rudder being illustrated in the sheets I and II of the accom-
panying drawings and marked a.

page_text: The flaps bare constructed in a similar way as the flaps of the propeller, and are
ordinarily fixed and act then as any other ordinary rudder. But if the vessel is to
be rapidly directed sideways, or must be turned in rapidly, the flaps are put into
action. The rudder is fixed on a vertical shaft c (Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4), which
rotates in bearings fixed to the stern-post. If the rudder is to be used as an
ordinary, it is turned by hand; but when the flaps are in action the rudder may be
worked by steam. The steering by hand is effected by a hand wheel d on the
upper deck. By means of a worm wheel d¹, a shaft e is put in rotation by the hand
wheel. Two pulleys f, round which is wound a chain, are mounted on the shaft e.
This chain passes round guide pulleys g, and is fastened to a lever-arm h, fitted on
the shaft c. As the chain moves when the shaft e rotates, the rudder is also moved
when the hand wheel d is turned.
The lever arm h is loose on the shaft c, and is coupled thereto by means of a
clutch i, which can slide up and down on the shaft, but cannot turn. A feather k
on the clutch (Fig. 3) enters into a groove of the shaft. Above and below the
clutch, the feather projects and enters into a groove of the nave of the lever arm,
or of the nave of a crank 1 moved by an engine; the latter is not represented in
the drawings. By the entrance of the feather into the groove of the nave of the
lever arm, or of the nave of the crank l, the lever arm or the crank is coupled with
the shaft c; in one case the steering is effected by hand, and in the other case by
means of engine power. The clutch i is disengaged from the upper deck.-An
endless chain n passes over two pulleys m and m¹.
On the shaft of the pulley m is a lever arm p carrying a counter weight. A
forked lever q of the first kind is fastened at one end to the chain n, and at the
other to the clutch i.-By moving the arm p, the chain n is turned, and the lever q
lifted or lowered, whereby the lever arm h or the crank is engaged or disengaged.
The flaps bare turned in the similar way as the flaps of the propeller. By means
of a hand wheel mounted upon the upper deck, a shaft is turned, upon which a
spur wheel 8 is mounted (Fig. 3). This wheel s gears into another spur wheel s¹ on
the parallel shaft -On this shaft 2, a mitre wheel t is mounted, which gears
with another mitre wheel t¹. This wheel is secured to a vertical shaft u carrying
on its lower part a spur wheel which gears with another spur wheel on a shaft w.
The shaft w passes through the three traverses of the rudder, and carries on its
lower part chain wheels transmitting the rotation of the shaft w to the wheels of
the flaps b. The flaps 6 turn now in the same manner as the flaps of the propeller.
To allow the flaps to turn also during the motion of the flap, the teeth of the two
wheels 8 and 8¹ are made round, as described with reference to the wheels R and R¹,
and the bearings of the shaft 2 are placed on a disc secured to the shaft c and
turning with the same. The point of intersection of the two teeth of the wheels
must of course here also be in line with the axis of the shaft c.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that
what I claim is
1. The means herein shown and described for propelling and steering ships and
similar vessels, boats, etc., and consisting in the combination of a vertical shaft E,
which receives an oscillatory motion from any suitable motor with several hori-
zontal traverses F, mounted on E, vertical shafts G carried by the traverses F,
arms J mounted loose on the shafts G, vertical shafts K adapted to the ends of the
arms J, and flaps H turning on the shafts K.; the flaps H forming a plane angle, or
nearly a plane angle, when they press against the water, and shutting up when
they move backward, all substantially as described.
2. The means for turning the flaps to an angle of 180°, such means consisting of
the combination of toothed wheels Z' mounted on the shafts G with a rack Z
moving in guides on the traverses and gearing with the wheels Z, a rod X, a
crank W, and a shaft U, which is actuated from the deck, all substantially as shown
and described.

page_text: 3. The means for actuating the turning mechanism without arresting the working
of the propeller, such means consisting of two spur wheels R R¹ having rounded
teeth, the point of intersection of which shall always remain in line with the axis
of the shaft E, a disc fitted on the top of the shaft E and carrying the bearings for
the axle of the wheel R¹, a mitre wheel mounted on the same axle and gearing
with a second mitre wheel on the shaft U, the motion of the wheel R derived from
a hand wheel on deck in any convenient manner being thereby communicated to
the shaft U, as and for the purpose set forth.