An Improved Electro-magnetic Device for Use in connection with the Propulsion and Steering of Ships and for similar purposes.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 1st June, 1899--Accepted, 12th Aug., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Electro-magnetic Device for Use in connection with the
Propulsion and Steering of Ships and for similar purposes.
I, DANIEL BACON, of 106, Fulton Street, in the City, County and State of
New York, United States of America, Gentleman, 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 provide electro-magnetic devices, by means of
which the action of the propelling and steering apparatus of steam-boats and
other vessels or conveyances engaged in navigation can be easily controlled and
governed, without interfering with the action of the engine, whereby the
evolutions of the vessel, as to speed, direction and course, may be at all times
speedily and accurately controlled by the commanding officer without com-
municating with the engineer.
To accomplish this object, I cause the rotation of the engine shaft to be com-
municated to the shaft which operates the propeller, paddle wheel or other means
of propulsion, (hereinafter spoken of as the propeller shaft), and to the shaft
which operates the rudder or other steering apparatus, (hereinafter spoken of as
the steering shaft), through the medium of electro-magnetic power transmitting
devices, instead of by direct mechanical connection.
In the accompanying drawings, I have shown my invention as applied to very
simple forms of propelling and steering apparatus for convenience of illustration;
but it will be readily understood that my invention is not limited to any specific
form of steering or propelling apparatus, but is of wide scope and is applicable
to all forms of machine operated steering and propulsion mechanisms. The
specific location of the electro-magnetic devices interposed between the source
of mechanical power and the devices to be operated thereby will vary with the
particular need arising from the situation or character of the steering and
propelling mechanisms.
Figures 1, 2 and 3 illustrate the application of electro-magnetic devices to
the propelling mechanism, Figure 1 being a plan view, Figure 2 a vertical
section on line 2-2 Figure 1. and Figure 3 an end view.
Figure 4 illustrates the further application of the electro-magnetic device to the
steering apparatus.
Same letters indicate similar parts in the different figures.
Referring more particularly to Figures 1, 2 and 3:
A represents a supporting frame which may be any convenient supporting
structure in which the shafts are journalled. The main shaft B-B¹ consists
of two sections, one of which, B, is positively connected to the engine or other
source of power. The other section, B', which may be called the propeller shaft,
is not positively connected with the engine, but is turned by means of the
armature C keyed thereto.
D-D are geared wheels mounted respectively on sections B and B₁ of the
main shaft. The gear D is keyed to the shaft while the gear D₁ is loose on
ho shaft

page_text: Motion in a direction opposite to that of the gear D is communicated therefrom
to the gear 11 by means of the gears 12-D3 on the shaft B2 and the inter-
mediate gear D on the shaft B³, both of which shafts are journalled in the
supporting frame A.
In the form shown in the drawings, the electro-magnetic portion of my device
is shown as mounted upon the shaft B-B¹; but it is obvious that there may be
circumstances or conditions where it would be desirable to place said electro-
magnetic portion of the device on a different shaft, which may be called the
propeller operating shaft.
As shown in the drawings, this electro-magnetic portion consists of the arm-
ature C and the two sets of electro-magnets E-E¹ mounted upon the discs F-F¹
respectively. Each set of magnets is arranged to present poles of opposite
polarity alternately in the series and the discs are rigidly secured to the gear
wheels D-D¹ respectively.
The gear wheels are constantly rotating in the direction of the arrows, Figure 1,
whenever the engine is in operation; and, therefore, the magnets E-E¹ are
moved in opposite directions on opposite sides of the armature C.
Electrical energy is imparted to either set of magnets, as desired, from a
source of electric power not shown through wires connected with the collars G-G¹
on the shaft B-B and the brushes H-H¹ respectively.
Whichever set of magnets is energized at any time picks up and carries with it
the armature C and hence the propeller shaft B', while the other set of magnets
not being energized does not exert any influence on said armature. When neither
set of magnets is energized, the engine shaft and the gearing carrying the magnets
continue to revolve, but the armature C is idle, receiving no power from either
set of magnets.
Assuming that the rotation of the gear D corresponds with the forward move-
ment of the propelling shaft, it is obvious that under normal conditions, the
magnets E will be kept energized and as long as that is the case, the vessel will
be going ahead. Should the commanding officer desire to reverse said propeller
at any time, he has simply to turn or cause to be turned a switch, not shown, by
means of which the current is diverted from the brushes H to the brushes H¹.
The magnets E' are thereupon energized and pick up and turn in the opposite
direction the armature C which was dropped by the magnets E as soon as they
stopped receiving electrical energy.
Should the commanding officer desire to stop the vessel, he has only to turn
the switch so as not to supply electrical energy to either set of magnets, whereupon
the armature C comes to rest.
Referring more particularly to Figure 4, which illustrates the steering
apparatus:
Jis the rudder attached to the stern of the boat K and moved to starboard or
port by the chain J which passes around the windlass L, as usual in this simple
form of construction.
The windlass is mounted on the shaft M, which I call the steering shaft, and on
which is also mounted the electro-magnetic actuating devices which control its
operation.
When the rudder J reaches the extreme of its throw in either direction, as
shown by dotted lines in Figure 4, it makes contact with one of the stops J³,
breaking the electric circuit through the wires w-w inside the switch box N for
a purpose to be hereafter explained.
The switch box N is electrically connected by wires - not only with the
stops JJ but with the magnetic actuator before referred to and with the
steering board O.
On this steering board are mounted the steering switch P and the holding
switch Pl When it is desired to turn the vessel to starboard, the switch P
is turned to make contact at the point P2. When the vessel is to be turned to
port, the switch P is turned to make contact with the point P³. When it is

page_text: desired to hold the rudder stationary, the holding switch P is turned to make
contact between the wires cw at the point P, which operation breaks the
circuit of the steering switch P inside the switch box N and establishes a circuit
of its own to the actuating mechanism.
The actuating mechanism, as before described, consists of a pulley, gear wheel
or other device mounted on the shaft B and adapted to receive motion from
the engine of the vessel or other source of power desired. This shaft B carries
the gear D which engages the gear 1) which is loose on the steering shaft M.
This gear 1) carries an armature bearing a set of electro-magnets E arranged to
present alternately poles of opposite polarity to the armature C which is keyed to
the steering shaft. This set of magnets receives electrical energy through the
collar G and brushes H on the shaft M whenever it is necessary to turn the rudder
in the direction which corresponds to the direction of the revolution of the
magnets E. When such motion of the rudder is not desired, the magnets E
continue to revolve but have no effect upon the armature C which is
only picked up and turned by the magnets while the latter are receiving an
electric current. As before stated, this happens only when the switch P makes
contact at the point P2 and then only in case the switch " does not also make
contact, for, as before explained, if contact is made by the switch P¹ while the
switch P makes contact at P2, the circuit established by this latter contact is
broken in the switch box N.
Movement of the rudder in the opposite direction is accomplished as follows:
The driving shaft B carries a second gear wheel D³, which, through an inter-
mediate gear D on an independent shaft, imparts to the gear D¹ loosely mounted
on the steering shaft M a constant rotation in the opposite direction from that of
the gear D. This gear D carries an armature bearing a set of electro-
magnets arranged similarly to the magnets but on the opposite side of the
armature C. This second set of magnets receives electrical energy through the
collar G and brushes H¹ on the shaft M whenever the steering switch P makes
contact at P3, provided the circuit thereby created is not broken by the switch P',
as before explained.
It is, therefore, obvious that, without taking account of the holding switch Pl,
the rudder may be shifted as often as desired by moving the steering switch P
back and forth between the points P2 and P3. Each movement of the switch P
shifts the electric current from the set of magnets previously energized to the
other set, causing the first set to drop the armature C and the second set to pick it
up and begin to rotate it in the opposite direction. Should the contact between
the switch P and either of the points P2-P be continued so long that the rudder
came in contact with the corresponding stop J2, the circuit would be broken
inside the switch box N and remain broken until the rudder left said contact point
when the circuit would automatically close.
The function of the holding switch P is to hold the rudder J in a fixed
position whenever it is desired to hold the vessel steadily to a given direction.
This it accomplishes by aid of the electro-magnetic holding device R, which may
be single, as shown, or arranged in series along the armature C upon stationary
supports and adapted, when electrically energized, to attract said armature and
prevent the same from turning. Electrical energy is sent to the holding device R
whenever the switch P1 is turned to make contact with the wires
at the
point P. As before stated, whenever this occurs, the two steering switch circuits
are broken inside the switch box, so that simultaneously, the armature C is
dropped by whichever of the magnets E and E¹ was energized at the time and is
attracted and held by the holding device R. When it becomes necessary again
to move the rudder, the switch P₁ must first be turned to break the holding
circuit and to re-establish the steering circuits inside the switch box.
It will be readily seen that the application of the electro-magnetic devices to
the steering and propelling mechanisms is nearly identical.
The only difference between the electro-magnetic device, as applied to the

page_text: steering apparatus in Figure 4 and that applied to the propelling mechanism in
Figures 1 and 2 is that the armature C is fixed and the wheels D-D¹ are loose
on the steering shaft and receive motion from the power shaft B through the
other gears, instead of being mounted directly upon two sections of the power
shaft and transmitting motion to each other by means of the gears D2-13-14
and the shafts B2--B³.
In both cases, the armature C keyed to the propeller shaft or steering shaft is
picked up and operated by whichever set of magnets is energized at the time,
said two sets of magnets, whether energized or not, constantly rotating in
opposite directions by means of power mechanically communicated from the
engine through the power shaft. But in one case, this power is received by the
wheel D and communicated to the wheel D' through the intermediate gears and
shaft, while in the other case, the power is received by one of the intermediate
shafts and communicated in opposite directions to both gears D-D¹.
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. A marine propulsion device which consists of an armature mounted upon a
propeller operating shaft; two sets of electro-magnets moving in opposite
directions, and means for energizing either of said sets at will, whereby said
propeller operating shaft is caused to move in the direction of the set which is
energized at the time, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
2. An electro-magnetic steering apparatus which consists of an armature
mounted on the rudder operating shaft and adapted to revolve in either direction;
electro-magnets adapted, when electrically energized, to cause said armature to
revolve in a direction corresponding to their own motion; means for moving
some of said magnets in one direction and the others in an opposite direction;
means for energizing either set of magnets, as desired; and means whereby all
of said magnets are prevented from receiving electrical energy and said armature
is held stationary, substantially as described and for the purposes set forth.
3. An electro-magnetic steering apparatus which consists of an armature
mounted on the rudder operating shaft and adapted to revolve in either direction;
electro-magnets adapted, when electrically energized, to cause said armature to
revolve in a direction coresponding to their own motion; means for moving some
of said magnets in one direction and the others in an opposite direction; and
means for energizing either set of magnets, as desired, substantially as described
and for the purposes set forth.
DANIEL BACON,
Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.
DANIEL BACON.
Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.