Improved Method of and Apparatus for Securing a Ship's Screw Propeller upon its Shaft.
Year: 1899

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Improved Method of and Apparatus for Securing a Ship's Screw
Propeller upon its Shaft.
I, JOHN WILLIAM FOWLER, of 103, Queen Street, Auckland, in the Provincial
District of Auckland, in the Colony of New Zealand, Ship Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of my invention to be as follows:
The object of this invention is to provide means and apparatus whereby ships'
screw propellers may be secured in position and removed with greater facility
either in dock or while afloat.
According to my invention the tail end of the screw shaft is made hollow and
key blocks or bolts at right angles to the axis of the shaft and sliding in slots
formed in the shaft are operatable to project beyond the shaft into corresponding
holes formed for their reception in the boss of the propeller.
The keys are projected by rack teeth formed upon them engaged by a pinion
upon a spindle passing through the screw shaft, said spindle being turnable by
a box spanner whereby the keys are projected from or drawn into the screw
shaft as may be desired.
The pinion spindle is locked to retain the keys in position by a collar upon
said spindle having a projecting pin taking into one of a plurality of holes in
the bush referred to or some other fixed part. A spring upon the spindle
normally tends to force it endwise into position where said projecting pin will
engage in one of the holes.
Adjustable lock nuts and collars upon the pinion spindle also confine its
longitudinal movement within desired limits.
Check feathers may also be used upon the key blocks adapted to pass, into
recesses in some fixed part of the apparatus to prevent accidental return of the
keys.
The recesses receiving the keys in the propeller boss may be filled with tallow
or the like before the propeller is placed upon the shaft in which case passages
are formed through the boss for the tallow to pass out as the keys are projected
into the recesses.
1000
W. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
322, High Holborn, London, W.C., Patent Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: Improved Method of and Apparatus for Securing a Ship's Screw
Propeller upon its Shaft.
I, JOHN WILLIAM FOWLER, of 103, Queen Street, Auckland, in the Provincial
District of Auckland, in the Colony of New Zealand, Ship Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
This invention provides improved means for securing a ship's screw propeller
upon its shaft and according thereto :
The tail end of the propeller shaft is made hollow and keys at right angles
to the shaft and sliding in slots formed therein are operatable to project beyond
the shaft into holes formed for their reception in the boss of the propeller.
The keys are projected by rack teeth formed upon them engaged by a pinion
upon a spindle within the propeller shaft, said 'spindle being turnable by a box
spanner whereby the keys are projected from or drawn into the shaft as may
be desired.
I will further describe my invention by the aid of the accompanying drawing,
wherein
Figure 1 is a longitudinal central section, and
Figure 2 is a section on 2-2 Figure 1.
The propeller shaft (a) is hollow the end (b) being closed.
Keys (e) fitting within a slot (7) cut through the shaft at right angles to its
axis, are arranged to project from the shaft in opposite directions into recesses (c)
formed for their reception in the boss (f) of the propeller.
The keys have tail pieces (g) upon which are formed rack teeth and a pinion (4)
gears with the teeth upon both keys and operates simultaneously.
Pinion () is fixed upon a spindle (7) passing through a bush (k) and a collar (/)
upon the spindle fits within a recess (m) in the bush and has a projecting pin (n)
which fits into any one of a plurality of holes (o) formed in the bush at the back
of the recess (m).
A spring (p) surrounding the spindle fits within a recess (7) in bush (k) and
bearing against the back of the recess at one end and against a sleeve (r) upon
the spindle at the other tends to slide the spindle laterally and to bring pin (n)
on collar (7) into one of the holes (o).
An adjusting nut (s) and lock nut (/) permit adjustment of the degree of
compression of spring (/) and a collar (7) upon the end of spindle () limits the
movement of said spindle in one direction.
A feather (c) projecting from the face of bush (*) takes between keys (c) and
makes it impossible for the bush to revolve.
Holes (w) through the boss of the propeller permit escape of water from the
recesses (e) so that the feathers may pass into them. These holes may be filled
with tallow or some similar material which will squeeze out as the keys are
projected.
In operation when it is desired to remove the propeller the shaft coupling is
unscrewed to permit a box spanner to be passed into the hollow end of the shaft
to engage upon the sided end of spindle (i).
Spindle () is then pushed outwardly to disengage pin (n) from the bush (k)
when the spindle may he revolved and the bolts operated.

page_text: 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. In apparatus for the purpose set forth the combination of a propeller shaft
sliding keys fitting within a slot in the shaft at right angles to the axis thereof
rack teeth upon said keys engaged by a pinion upon a spindle a propeller boss
having recesses to receive said keys and means for revolving said spindle whereby
the keys are operated substantially as specified and illustrated in the drawings.
2. In apparatus for the purpose set forth the combination of a propeller shaft
sliding keys fitting within a slot in said shaft at right angles thereto a propeller
boss having holes to receive said keys, rack teeth upon the keys a pinion engaging
the rack teeth fixed upon a spindle a sleeve through which the spindle passes a
spring surrounding the spindle and tending to slide it longitudinally through
the sleeve and a collar upon the spindle having a projecting pin adapted to
take into one of a plurality of holes in said sleeve substantially as set forth
herein and as illustrated in the drawings.
3. A bush within a hollow propeller shaft a spindle passing therethrough having
a pinion at one end a collar fitting into a recess and having a pin taking into a
hole in the bush a spring surrounding said spindle and fitting into a recess in
the bush a sleeve upon said spindle bearing against the spring and lock nuts for
adjusting the compression of the spring substantially as and for the purposes
herein described and illustrated.
Dated the 18th day of May 1000
W. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of London, Liverpool, Manchester and Birmingham.
W. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of London, Liverpool, Manchester and Birmingham.