Improvements in Machinery or Apparatus for Propelling Ships.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 21st July, 1888
Complete Specification Left. 23rd Apr., 1889-Accepted, 15th June, 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machinery or Apparatus for Propelling Ships.
I, ANTOINE DAMASKINOS, of 30, Boulevard St. Germain, in the Republic of France,
Professor, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to a novel method of constructing and arranging the steam
engines by which ships are propelled through the water, and the apparatus actuated by
such engines, so that a high speed can be obtained, with great economy of working,
and facility in measuring or manoeuvring the ships.
I use three cylinders I, provided with pistons the respective areas of which have the
relative proportions of the numbers 1, 4, and 9.
A driving shaft is arranged transversely to the axis of the vessel, and is divided
into three parts each turning in bearings solidly fixed to the vessel. The first part
carries a heavy wheel, the second part two equal in weight to each other and to the
first, and the third part one equal to the other one.
The lower ends of the three cylinders I are always in communication with the
condenser, whilst the upper ends communicate sometimes with the boiler or steam
pipe and sometimes with the lower end of another cylinder III, the communication
being opened and closed by suitable valves worked by excentrics and catches.
The upper end of the last mentioned cylinder is always in communication with the
condenser, and its lower end sometimes with the upper end of the first mentioned
cylinder I and sometimes with the upper end of another separate cylinder IV, the
lower end of which is always open to the condenser, whilst its upper end sometimes
communicates with the condenser and sometimes as described with the lower end of
the last mentioned cylinder III.
The separate parts of the shaft described are driven in the ordinary way by means
of pistons in the several cylinders, and they are also connected with the pistons in two
other smaller cylinders V.
When steam is admitted above the three cylinders I first described, their pistons
revolve drive up the
set the shaft in revolution, and the excentrics being also made
two small pistons just described and open a communication between the upper parts
of all the three cylinders I and the lower end of the cylinder III with which they
communicate as already described, the piston in which moves upward.
As the excentric rod rises, the communication is shut off between the cylinder IV
and the lower end of the cylinder III, and when all the pistons have reached the top
of their stroke, the excentrics alter the positions of the valves so that steam from the
boiler presses down the piston in the cylinders I, whilst the steam accumulated in the
lower end of the cylinder III passes to the upper end of the cylinder IV. Finally
when all the pistons have reached the bottom of their stroke, the continued movement
of the excentric and valves continues so that part of the steam which has forced
down the piston in the cylinders I passes to the lower end of the cylinder III, whilst
the steam in the cylinder IV is adimitted to the condenser, and the pistons commence
another upstroke.
When the shaft is thus made to revolve continuously the wheels upon it actuate
connecting rods which drive backward and forward two pairs of plungers or pistons
which operate as propellors by forcing back a column of water in their outward
stroke, the ship being propelled forward by re-action.
By regulating the direction, force, and number of the columns of water so ejected,
the speed of the vessel may be varied and it can he stopped, steered, or turned, as
may be desired.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machinery or Apparatus for Propelling Ships.
I, ANTOINE DAMASKINOS, of 30, Boulevard St. Germain, in the Republic of France,
Professor, 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, and accompanying drawing, (that is to say) :-
-
The present invention has for its object improvements in apparatus for propelling
ships by means of hollow cylinders, or cylindrical propellors, instead of the paddle
wheels or screws ordinarily used.
The steam Engine which provides the power as well as the different mechanical
parts relating to it, such as the bearings, slides, and steam pipes, are not shewn in
the accompanying drawings, in which the pistons, shafts, and fly wheels only are
indicated.
The system of construction of the Engine and the methods of communicating the
necessary movements and the size and strength of the connecting rods and cylinders,
may be varied according to circumstances; the invention relating especially to the
construction and use of the novel propellors in the following manner.
These consist each of two hollow cylinders K K (as shewn in figure 1, which
represents the entire apparatus in combination with a suitable steam Engine) connected
at their hase m by a bar u of suitable shape, and at their outer ends by two rings
connected together by a crossbar q.
The bar o carries two slides g g and the rings at P carry two others g¹ g¹. These
slides move in guides which are omitted from the drawing for the sake of clearness.
Figure 2 is a transverse section of the propellor cylinders on the line L L, in figure 1.
Water is admitted, if necessary, for cooling the slides and reducing the friction.
It is to be understood that at o o¹, figure 1, the ship is provided with stuffing boxes
through which the propellors slide and which prevent the water from entering.
Cocks or valves & (figure 2) may also be used for discharging any water which may
onter.
Figure 3 is a view of the propelling cylinders from the front, the solid part being
represented by a² and the holes in the direction of the hollow axis by b².
Figure 4 is a horizontal section of one of the cylinders K. At R are brought in
the pipes which bring water to the slides.
Figure 6 represents a front view of the excentric e' between the pipes z which unite
into one at the points n.
In order to work the propellors, a steam Engine is used in which three
cylinders CCC, one B, and one D are used instead of a single cylinder only.
The steam enters directly from the boiler to the upper ends of the cylinders CCC,
the pistons of which 6 descend and set the shaft A A in revolution.
Upon this shaft are fixed excentrics or detent cams e ele, which open passages not
shewn in the drawing, communicating with the lower end of the cylinder B, the piston
of which having an area larger than that of the three pistons in the cylinders C C C is
forced up.
The rods of the excentrics e e in rising cut off the communication between the
cylinder D and the bottom of the cylinder B, and when all the pistons have reached
the end of their up-stroke the excentrics or cams bring their valve spindles suddenly
down.
Steam from the boiler then enters the top of the cylinders C on the one hand, whilst
on the other the steam accumulated at the bottom of the cylinder B passes to the top
of the cylinder D, the area of the piston in which is to that of the piston in the
cylinder B as 9 to 4.
Finally when all the pistons have reached the bottom of their stroke, the excentrics
or cams rapidly raise all the valve spindles, and the steam which has been acting in
the upper end of the cylinders C passes to the lower end of the cylinder B, while the
steam in the cylinder D passes to the condenser and the upward movement of the
pistons recommences.

page_text: If the difference between the pressure exerted in the lower end of the cylinder B
and the upper ends of the cylinders C C C is insufficient to overcome the resistance at
starting, small supplementary cylinders c c may be used to assist until the Engine has
fairly started.
The Engine once in motion, the revolution of the fly wheels V will communicate by
the connecting rod N a backward and forward movement to the propellors, which in
their outward stroke will force the water sharply back and will drive the ship forward
by re-action at a speed proportionate to the rapidity of the movement.
The propellors may be made to work alternately instead of simultaneously.
In order to avoid loss of propelling power by the vacuum formed behind the
propellors when they take their forward stroke, the inner and outer surfaces may be
made to communicate by tubes provided with valves opening outward. These valves
will open by the pressure of the air and will allow sufficient air to pass to fill the
vacuum.
They will close by the pressure of air contained in the tubes when the propellors
make their out-stroke.
As the novel propellors described can only give a forward movement to the ship and
as it is often necessary that she should be capable of going astern, two small pro-
pellors K K, having a stroke of about 2 mêtres may be arranged in front of the ship
close to the prow being driven backwards and forwards by a single double acting
cylinder. This arrangement is illustrated in figure 5, care being taken to make the
outer end of the propellors of such a shape as to offer as little resistance as possible to
the forward movement of the vessel.
Pare the rings connected by the bar q; V are the flywheels, and A A the shaft.
In order to give more stability to the propellors and to protect them against shock
from waves, friction rollers may be arranged at the stern of the ship as shewn at G
in figure 1.
In figure 6, the pipe z effects by its opening and closing the proper distribution of
the steam to the cylinder D, from which the steam passes to a condenser not shewn
in the drawing.
The improved cylindrical propellors described possess the following advantages over
the ordinary screw:-1st. They offer no resistance to the movement of the ship, their
work being done in the same direction as the movement of the latter.
2nd. They act directly upon the water in the right direction.
3rd. As they work at a much greater depth they scarcely ever leave the water when
the vessel pitches, as is always the case with screw propellors.
4th. They work without noise or shock.
5th. They effect a great economy of fuel.
6th. The force driving the vessel forward is taken by four bearings and as it is
divided into four equal parts these bearings will necessarily be more durable than if a
single thrust block is used.
The weight of the propellors is much less and they run no risk of breakage as is the
case with screws.
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 propellor for ships consisting of the hollow cylinders K K arranged, guided,
and actuated, substantially as described and shown.
2. The combination with such propellors, the Engine for driving them, consisting
of the cylinders CCC, B, and D, and valve gear, crank shaft A A, fly wheels V, V,
and communicating rods N, arranged and operating substantially as described and
ahown
EDWARDS & Co.,
35, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Inventor.