Improvements in Propellers for Vessels.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Sept., 1893-Accepted, 2nd Dec., 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Propellers for Vessels.
We CHARLES PAGE, Machinist, of No. 28 St. Charles Borromee Street and
LEONARD FORTIER, Merchant, of No. 148 St. Lawrence Main Street, both in
the City of Montreal, in the District of Montreal and Province of Quebec,
Dominion of Canada 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:-
This invention relates to propellers for vessels of the adjustable blade type and
has for its object to afford protection to the blades against accident as for instance
by contact with objects that might break them off or damage them and also to
render the repairing or replacing of the blades a very easy matter.
To the above ends our invention may be said to consist firstly in using a protection
ring or band to form as it were a periphery encircling and providing bearings for
the outer ends of the several blades, disposed in radial form about the central boss
of the propeller mounted on the usual driving shaft and secondly in the special
manner of constructing the said boss or hub and of connecting the blades with the
adjusting mechanism, all of which will be hereinafter particularly described and
claimed.
In order that over invention may be fully understood reference must be had to
the annexed drawings forming part of this Specification in which like symbols
indicate corresponding parts and wherein
Figure 1 is a side elevation partly broken away of a launch (shown in dotted
lines) provided with a propeller constructed according to our invention;
and
Figure 2 is a stern view or end elevation of the propeller;
Figure 3 a rear end view of same showing the outer half of the hub removed
Figure 3.
Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view of the same on line,
Figure 5 is a detail of the hub or boss of the propeller showing its connections
with the adjusting mechanism, drawn to a larger scale.
The propeller is carried on the usual driving shaft a which does not require
alteration of any kind to accommodate it.
The means shown for controlling the adjustment of the blades of the propeller
consist of a hand lever 6 with graduated segment located in the pilot house and
connected by rod band lever ² to a small shaft d arranged parallel with the main
shaft in bearings d', d. This small shaft d is connected to the blades of the
propeller through mechanism to be described in connection with the propeller proper.
The boss or hub of the propeller formed in two parts or inner and outer side
pieces e, f, having corresponding radial arms e, f, adapted to be bolted or
otherwise detachably secured together and to provide bearings or sockets g for the
journals or spindle ends on the inner ends of the several blades H, the outer
ends of which are provided with similar spindle ends h', bearings j, for which are
provided on the inside periphery of a wide band or annulus J, concentric with the
main shaft, encircling the whole.
Each of the inner spindle or journal ends has a crank arm k projecting from it
and with each crank arm is connected an arm / projecting rearwardly from a flanged
clutch collar m free to slide on the shaft a and freely encircled between the flanges
by a forked arm projecting laterally from the end of the shaft d.
In operation, the movement in either direction of the shaft d (as by the lever b)
serves to oscillate or throw backward or forward the crank arms k (the radial
arms e, being cut away as at p to accommodate their movement) and through

page_text: them the blades H are set at any desired angle. Any other means of controlling
the movement of the shaft d can be used without departing from the invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1st. In a propeller, the combination of a boss or hub, adjustable blades and a
band or annulus concentric with the hub and encircling the whole, as set forth.
2nd. In a propeller, the combination of a sectional boss or hub, adjustable blades
provided with inner and outer journal ends, a band or annulus concentric with the
hub and encircling the whole, bearings for said journal ends in said hub and band
and controlling or adjusting mechanism, as set forth.
3rd. In a propeller, the combination of a boss or hub formed in two parts, set on
the driving shaft and secured together by bolting, adjustable blades provided with
inner and outer journal ends, the former having crank arms, a band or annulus
concentric with the hub and encircling the whole, bearings for said journal ends in
said hub and band, a movable collar on said driving shaft with connections between
it and said crank arms and means for moving said collar, as set forth.
4tb. A propeller boss or hub made in detachable parts with means for securing
them together, as set forth.
Dated this 20th day of September 1893.
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
C. PAGE,
L. FORTIER,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.