Engines for Working the same.
Year: 1888

page_text: Engines for Working the same.
I, OTTO ERNEST POHL of 18, Regent Road, Liverpool, in the County of
Lancaster, Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The object of my invention is to supersede the screw by a propelling mechanism of.
greater safety, economy, and efficiency.
I employ reciprocating submerged paddles, which can be laid so deep that they will
work ocean boats without racing in the heaviest sea, and which on the other hand will
efficiently drive shallow river craft against the current, where the screw has proved
useless.
By working all paddles simultaneously all the power of the engines is exerted
for the greatest possible impetus to be given to the ship, from the stored surplus
energy of which she shoots ahead (fly wheel like), though no power is exerted for
promoting the onward motion of the ship during the simultaneous return stroke
of all propellers. My method in other words is systematic rowing by steam
power.
The propellers under my invention consist of boards or plates of a rectangular
shape in preference, with two long and two short sides; they are hung in forked
frames (bolt. jointed), hinged, pivoted or 'fixed on the end of a hollow continuation of
the piston rod, which goes through a stuffing box into the water, and is moved in
and out of the navigable vessel. Inside of this hollow shaft works the reversing rod
coming out into the water, provided with an abutment or stop frame against which
rests the propeller board, being supported thereby vertically downwards in the water
when pushed out from the ship. The steamer receives thus motion ahead. On the return
stroke the paddle flies back till nearly horizontal in the water, a rod or projection
fastened in the middle of the propeller upwards, prevents its absolute horizontal
position, so that the water which had previously permitted the feathering of the
propeller, may at once get hold of it in its slight obliquity and, press it into its

page_text: vertical position against the abutment instantly on the outstroke commencing
again. To reverse the propeller the internal rod is worked inside the ship through
a slit in the hollow shaft, until the abutinient or stop frame stands upwards, when it
presses against the rod or projection in the middle of the propeller upwards, mentioned
before, and thus holds the propeller vertically downwards against the water on the
upstroke towards the ship on the other hand, permitting it to lie almost horizontal
against the fork itself on the outstroke. The propeller blade may be pivoted with
its ends of the long sides in the fork frame, or in order to make the latter as small as
possible, consistent with the required strength, the blade may reach outside the
prongs or arms of the fork on each side. The fork may be varied so as to have
more prongs than two, getting hold of the blade in as many places as it has
prongs.
Motion is given to these propellers by the engines described in my patent of the
same date as the present one entitled "Improvements in or appertaining to steam
cylinders and steam exhaust, and equilibrium valves and their gearing," also with the
aid of my patent No. 5989 of 1887, but with the provisos, namely:
1. That the valve gear is set in such a way as to work both cylinders simultaneously
or nearly so.
2. That the steam for the stroke doing work for the propulsion of the ships must
be cut off so as to give the maximum desired power, and that for the stroke doing no
work, the cut off is regulated for recovering the working position of the propeller
with the least expenditure of force.
3. Where a condenser is used, the invention is made to use on the outstroke
steam for the maximum impetus, and on the return stroke, hot air, preferably taken
from such place of the chimney, which has the desired temperature (a littlo hotter
than the initial steam). Soot-filters consisting of one ог more perforated plates
in the side of the chimney or perforated tubes inserted in the same, and connected in
either case to the pipe leading to the valve box, may be used in such a way that a
brush or wire is worked by the steam stroke over the perforations, cleaning the soot
away. The air after use may be exhausted into the chimney. The hot air is made
to go at the same time through the mantel surrounding the steam pipe to keep up the
original heat of the steam. In using this invention, the jacket of the cylinder may
be filled with cow's hair or other non conducting material, and my patent No. 5989
of 1887 finds no employment in that case.
The simplest way of using the reverse then, is to throttle the steam, so as to
equalize the power on each side of the cylinder as much as practically possible, or
where this is undesirable, spare steam pipes must be provided for the hot air side of
the cylinder, to be used in the place of the hot air during the reversing only.
4. In order not to waste the greatest power of the steam at the commencement of
the outside stroke, when the propeller erects itself from its horizontal position to the
vertical one against the stop frame, the steam slit in the valve face (port) has two
tail ends set vertically against the main port, the slide has also corresponding tails,
which are arranged so as to give a little lead to their tail openings, against the main
port, commencing the steam supply shortly after the exhaust of the other side air of
the piston has opened; thus a little steam is admitted, sufficient to erect the
propeller vertically, and then it gets the full steam through the perfectly opened
valve.
5. To obtain the reverse with certainty and precision, the top of the projecting rod
rising vertically upwards in the middle of the propeller is bent over rectangularly
against the rod itself, and horizontally with the water surface. There is further, a
rod piece fastened vertically against the propeller blade in such a way, that the
abutment in turning upwards is stopped from going past the vertical rod, and down-
wards from passing its right position against the propeller blade.
6. A means has been contrived to reverse two or more propellers at a time.
Over the slit in the hollow shaft inside the steamer a quadrant is erected in franiework
moving along with the shaft, the quadrant turns a toothed wheel fixed round the
reverse rod, and the rods with the abutment are thus moved.

page_text: To reverse several propellers at a time, each quadrant is made to slide with a key-
way on the key of a longitudinal bar laid parallel to the piston rod. These bars aro
stationary and connected by a jointed cross-bar, so that they may be capable of
turning right or left by a lever, when they take the quadrants along with them,
effecting the reverse.
So far the motion given to the propellers by the piston rod direct, has been
described, and of course only speeds are obtained thereby, which will not be much in
excess of that of the piston rod (if any). For great velocities it becomes a necessity to
employ gearing. I hang a beam vertically to the keel on a pivot and out of its centre.
I connect the piston rod with the short end of the beam, and the propeller rod with
the long end, the length of the piston rod stroke being multiplied on the propeller
rod stroke in proportion to the difference of length of the arms of the beam.
Watt's parallelogram may be used for the connection, but for work of the beam in
a heavy sea-way, I prefer the beam ends slotted, through the slot square bolts working
up and down, and sideways at the same time, the bolts mounted in forks on guide rods,
and the forks forming the ends of the piston rod in the one case, and the end of the
propeller in the other case.
1
1
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool,
Patent Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Submerged Reciprocating Propellers and in Steam
Engines for Working the same.
I, OTTO ERNEST POHL of 48, Regent Road, Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster,
Manufacturer 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 :-
The object of my invention is to supersede the screw by a propelling mechanism of
greater safety, economy, and efficiency.
I employ reciprocating submerged paddles, which can be laid. so deep that they
will work ocean boats without racing in the heaviest sea, and which, on the other
hand, will efficiently drive shallow river craft against the current, where the screw
has proved useless.
By working all paddles simultaneously, all the power of the engines is exerted for
the greatest possible impetus to be given to the ship, from the stored surplus energy
of which she shoots abead (fly wheel like), though no power is exerted for promoting
the onward motion of the ship during the simultaneous return stroke of all pro-
pellers. My method in other words, is systematic rowing by steam power.
Referring to the accompanying drawings:-
Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of my propeller and its reversing apparatus.
Figure 2 is a sectional plan showing two slightly different forms of propeller with
their reversing gear connected.
Figure 3 is an end view of a portion of apparatus shown in Figures 1 and 2.
Figures 4 and 5 are details of propeller and reversing mechanism.
Figures 6, 7 and 8 are respectively elevation, vertical section and sectional plan of
the mechanism connecting the propeller shafts and engine piston rods.
Figures 9 and 10 are an elevation and plan respectively showing one
which twin propellers, such as herein described, may be applied to a vessel.
way in
Figure 11 is an elevation, partly in section, of a portion of an engine and
boiler adapted to work my propellers, and of various arrangements in connection
therewith.
Figure 12 is a sectional plan on line a Figure 11.
Figure 13 shows details of the mechanism set forth in Figure 12.
Figure 14 is a plan of a portion of the valve mechanism shown in Figure 11, and
described fully in my specification No. 5513 of 1888, and used here also for working
the brush and pumps.
Figure 15 shows the construction of the steam valve and ports for such an engine.
The propellers constructed in accordance with my invention consists of boards or
plates 1, of a rectangular shape, in preference with two long and two short sides;
they are hung in forked frames 2 or 2ª, being cither bolt jointed as at 3 or hinged,
or pivoted as at 3. The frames 2 or 2ª are fixed on the end of a hollow continuation

page_text: of the piston rod 4, which goes through a stuffing box 5, Figures 9 and 10, into the
water, and is moved in and out of the navigable vessel. Inside of this hollow shaft
works the reversing rod 6, coming out into the water, and provided with an abutment
or stop frame 6, against which rests the propeller board 1, being supported thereby
vertically downwards in the water when pushed out from the ship. The steamer
receives thus motion ahead. On the return stroke, the paddle flies back till nearly
horizontal in the water. A rod or projection 7, fastened in the middle of the pro-
peller and projecting upwards, prevents its absolute horizontal position, so that the
water which had previously permitted tho feathering of the propeller, may at once
get hold of it in its slight obliquity and press it into its vertical position against the
abutment 6ª, immediately the outstroke commences again.
To reverse the propeller, the internal rod 6 is worked round inside the ship through
a slit 8, Figure 1, in the hollow shaft, until the abutment or stop frame 6" stands
upwards so that the before mentioned rod or projection 7, in the middle of the propeller,
presses against it, and thus holds the propeller vertically downwards against the
water on the instroke towards the ship, permitting it, on the other hand, to lie almost
horizontal against the fork itself on the outstroke. Its contact with the fork prevents
it from lying perfectly horizontal.
A projecting piece 7" is provided upon the rod 7, and a similar piece, 1ª, is also
attached to the blade 1. These serve to arrest the rotary motion of the abutment 6
when it has arrived at either of its upright positions. Friction rollers may also be
provided upon the abutment, which bear against the blade. In order that the blade
may not be able to swing in both directions, while the abutment is momentarily in
the horizontal position during the operation of reversing, an arm Gb (Figures 1 and 4)
is attached to the abutment at or near its junction with the rod 6. This arm serves
to support the blade during the reversing operation. Or a curved rod 7b, Figure 2,
may pass from the outer end of the rod 7 to the edge of the blade so that it bears
against the abutment 6, and supports the blade during the reversing operation. The
rod 7 also serves as a stay for the rod 7, and a similar rod 7° may also be added as
a support to the opposite side of the rod 7. The rod 7 and abutment 6ª may also be
supported, if necessary, by stays 7" and 6c.
The propeller blade may be pivoted as at 3", by its ends, to the fork frame 2ª, or,
in order to make the latter as small as possible consistent with the required strength,
the blade may be bolt-jointed at its sides as at 3. The blade may reach outside the
prongs or arms of the fork on each side as at 2. The fork may be varied so as to
have more prongs than two, getting hold of the blade in as many places as it has
prongs.
Motion is given to these propellers by the engines described in my patent of the
same date as the present one, entitled. "Improvements in or appertaining to steam
cylinders and steam, exhaust, and equilibrium valves and their gearing," also, with the
aid of my patent No. 5989 of 1887, but with the provisos, namely:-
1. That the valve gear is set in such a way as to work both cylinders simultaneously
or nearly so, unless otherwise desired.
2. That the steam for the stroke doing work for the propulsion of the ship must
be cut off so as to give the maximum desired power for that stroke, and that, for the
stroke doing no work, the cut off must be regulated for recovering the working
position of the propeller with the least expenditure of force..
Where a condenser is used, as at 9, Figure 11, the mechanism is so arranged that,
on the operative stroke, steam is employed to give the maximum impetus, and on the
return stroke, hot air is used, and is preferably taken from any suitable point in the
chimney 10, which has the desired temperature (a little hotter than the initial steam).
Soot-filters, consisting of one or more perforated plates 11 in the side of the chimney,
or of perforated tubes inserted in the same, are connected to the pipe leading to the
valve-box 12, and 'may be used in such a way that a brush of wire, 13, is worked, by
the steam stroke, over the perforations, cleaning the soot away. The air, after use,
may be exhausted as at 14, into the chimney. The hot air is made to go at the same
time through the jacket 15, surrounding the steam pipe 15", to keep up the original

page_text: heat of the steam. In using this invention, the jacket 16 of the cylinder may be
filled with cow's hair or other non-conducting, material, and my patent No. 5989 of
1887 finds no employment in that case.
Where the hot air from the chimney contains too great an amount of impurities,
it may be passed, on its way to the engine, through suitable filters containing chalk
or other suitable substance. Or the air from the outside atmosphere may be used,
being simply passed through a coil or series of pipes, preferably of copper, placed
within the chimney, in which case the filters are unnecessary.
The simplest way of using the reverse then, is to throttle the steam, so as to
equalize the power on each side of the cylinder as much as practically possible, or,
where this is undesirable, spare steam pipes must be provided for the hot air side of
the cylinder, to be used in place of the hot air during the reversing only.
In order not to waste the greatest power of the steam at the commencement of
the operative stroke, when the propeller erects itself from its horizontal position to
the vertical one against the stop frame, the steam slit 17, Figure 15, in the valve face
has two tail ends 17 set vertically against the main port. The slide has also
corresponding tails, which are arranged so as to give a little lead to their tail openings,
against the main port, commencing the steam supply shortly after the exhaust
of the other side of the piston has opened; thus a little steam is admitted, sufficient
to erect the propeller vertically, and then it gets the full steam through the perfectly
opened valve.
A means has been contrived to reverse two or more propellers at a time. Over
the slit in the hollow shaft 4, inside the steamer, a quadrant 18, Figures 1, 2, 3
and 5, is erected in framework 19 moving along with the shaft, the quadrant turns a
toothed wheel 19ª, Figure 1, fixed round the reverse rod 6, and the rod with the
abutment is thus moved.
To reverse several propellers at a time, each quadrant is made to slide with a key-
way on the key of a longitudinal bar 20 laid parallel to the piston rod. These bars
are stationary and connected by a jointed cross-bar 21, so that they may be capable
of turning right or left by a lever 22, when they take the quadrants along with them
effecting the reverse.
So far the motion given to the propellers by the piston rod direct, has been
described, and of course, only speeds are obtainable thereby, which will not be much
in excess of that of the piston rod, (if any). For great velocities it becomes a
necessity to employ gearing. 1 hang a beam 23, Figures 6, 7, and 8, vertically to
the keel on a pivot 24 and out of its centre. I connect the piston rod 25 with the
short end of the beam, and the propeller rod 4 with the long end, the length of the
piston rod stroke being multiplied on the propeller rod stroke in proportion to
the difference of length of the arms of the beam.
Watt's parallelogram may be used for the connection, but for work of the beam in
a heavy sea-way, I prefer the beam ends slotted as at 26. Through the slot I pass
square bolts 27 working up and down, and sideways at the same time. The bolts are
mounted in forks 27° on guide rods 28, the forks forming the ends of the piston rod
in the one case, and the end of the propeller rod in the other case.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
1st. The method, substantially as herein described, of propelling vessels by means of
one or more reciprocating paddles acting simultaneously or nearly so, and at each
alternate stroke, whereby the energy of the engine imparted to the vessel during one
stroke is allowed to expend itself to a certain extent during the return or inoperative
stroke.
2nd. A reciprocating propelling apparatus in which the blades are jointed to a
fork, fixed at the extremity. of a hollow propeller shaft, and the action of which is
reversed by a rotatable reversing rod extending through said shaft and terminating
in an abutment constructed in such a manner as to support the blades in their

page_text: operative position during the out-stroke, when the rod is turned to a certain extent
in one direction, and during the in-stroke when it is turned to a certain extent in
the other direction, substantially as set forth.
3rd. In a combination with the reversing rod and abutment set forth in Claim 2.
a quadrant inserted through a slot in the hollow propeller shaft, and gearing with
said rod, and a projection upon the top centre of the propeller blade, the said pro-
jection having a stop piece on top and being provided with another on the propeller
blade, whereby the rod and its abutment may be turned into its proper position
against the said projection to reverse the action of the said blade, substantially as
described.
4th. The device for reversing several propellers simultaneously, by connecting the
arms of all the reversing quadrants with a coupling bar, and by providing the said
bar with a reversing lever common to the whole, substantially as set forth.
or
5th. In a reciprocating condensing engine for driving a propeller such as herein
described, a cylinder having steam on one side of the piston and hot air on the other,
the said hot air being preferably taken directly from or passed through a pipe
pipes in the boiler furnace chimney, and subsequently exhausted into the said chimney
before or after passing through the steam pipe jacket in any suitable manner,
substantially as described.
6th. In combination with a steam engine cylinder supplied with hot air from the
chimney of the boiler furnace or other suitable source, one or more perforated soot-
filtering plates, tubes, or their equivalent, through which the said air passes together
with a suitable wire brush or brushes working automatically over said plates or
tubes for the purpose of keeping open the perforations therein, substantially as
described.
7th. In a reciprocating steam engine for driving a propeller such as herein described,
a cylinder steam port provided with tail ends located perpendicularly thereto, in
combination with a slide valve working over said port, and provided with similar
perpendicular tails having a small amount of lead, whereby, previous to the opening
of the main port, a small amount of steam is admitted from the tail ends of the port,
to the cylinder, sufficient to move the engine the distance required to erect propeller
blade, substantially as described.
8th. In combination with the reciprocating piston rod of a steam engine and a
reciprocating propeller shaft such as herein described, an oscillating beam pivoted
between said rod and shaft, and lying approximately at right angles thereto, the
shorter arm of said beam being connected by a slot and pivoted sliding block, or its
equivalent, with the extremity of the piston rod, and the longer arm by a similar
device with the end of the propeller shaft, whereby the speed of the said rod is
multiplied in the said shaft, substantially as set forth.
Dated this 12th day of January 1889.