Improvements in Propelling Vessels.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 28th May, 1890
Complete Specification Left, 16th Feb., 1891-Accepted, 4th Apr., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Propelling Vessels.
I, THOMAS MILLS, of Charterstowers, in the Colony of Queensland, Miner, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The propeller I place at the front end of the vessel instead of at the stern as is
common with screw propellers and I form the propeller in such a manner that it bores
as it were through the water, displacing the water from the front of the vessel and
drawing the vessel forwards instead of thrusting it forwards from the stern. The
front end of the vessel I make in the form of a pointed cone with the point some
distance below the water line-the propeller I form of a corresponding hollow
cone to fit over the coned front end of the vessel but with a slight space between
the two. The pointed end of the propeller is secured to the end of the driving
shaft which is carried out through the pointed front end of the vessel, small
rollers are also placed between the front end of the vessel and the rear end of the
hollow propeller to give support to this end of the propeller-holes may also be
formed through the front of the propeller to admit water to its interior.
The exterior of the propeller has a web or webs projecting out from it at right
angles to its surface and passing spirally around it, commencing at the point at only
a slight inclination to the shaft and becoming more and more inclined to it as the
diameter becomes greater so that it bores through the water like an anger each part
of the inclined web being adapted to advance through the water an equal distance
for each revolution or part of the propeller.
The main shaft may be carried back to any desired point within the vessel
wherever the propelling engines are situated. The keel of the vessel may if desired
be carried on below the propeller and up to its point and may there carry a bearing
for a short axis projecting forwards from the point of the propeller to run in.
Dated this 98th day of Nov 1890
THOS. MILLS.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Propelling Vessels.
I, THOMAS MILLS, of Charterstowers, in the Colony of Queensland, Miner, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention, and in what manner the same is to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
The
The propeller 1 place at the front end of the vessel instead of at the stern as is
common with screw propellers and I form the propeller in such a manner that it bores
as it were through the water, displacing the water from the front of the vessel and
drawing the vessel forwards instead of thrusting it forwards from the stern.
front end of the vessel I make in the form of a pointed cone with the point some
distance below the water line-the propeller I form of a corresponding hollow cone
to fit over the coned front end of the vessel but with a slight space between the
two. The pointed end of the propeller is secured to the end of the driving shaft
which is carried out through the pointed front end of the vessel, small rollers are
also placed between the front end of the vessel and the rear end of the hollow
propeller to give support to this end of the propeller, holes may also be formed
through the front of the propeller to admit water to its interior if desired.
The exterior of the propeller has a web or webs projecting out from it preferably
but not necessarily at right angles to its surface and passing spirally around it,
commencing at the point at only a slight inclination to the shaft and becoming more
D

page_text: and more inclined to it as the diameter becomes greater so that it bores through the
water like an auger each part of the inclined web being adapted to advance through
the water an equal distance for each revolution or part of the propeller.
The main shaft may be carried back to any desired point within the vessel
wherever the propelling engines are situated.
Protection may if desired be given to the propeller by a protecting case formed
of bars fixed to the keel and sides and deck of the vessel.
Figure 1 of the drawings annexed is a perspective view of a vessel constructed
and provided with a propeller as above described.
Figure 2 is a perspective view of the same with the propeller removed.
Figure 3 is an elevation of the propeller.
Figure is a vertical section on a larger scale of the fore part of the vessel
shewing how friction rollers may be interposed between the ship and the rear end
of the propeller to reduce friction and to steady the cone.
As will be seen from the drawing the whole fore part A. of the vessel is made of
much the same form as the fore part of projectiles as now made for firing from guns.
Surrounding this portion of the vessel is the propeller B. C is the propeller
shaft to which the pointed end of the propeller is secured. D D are rollers
interposed between the vessel and the rear end of the propeller. Their axes may
be carried in bearings which can be set inwards or outwards or oiled from the
interior of the vessel. EE are the curved blades projecting out from the exterior of
the propeller-they may if desired be formed with a flange extending backwards.
from their outer edge-or may be plain and either at right angles to the surface of
the propeller or somewhat inclined to it.
There may be any desired number of and depth and length of blades. The pitch
of the blades may also be considerably varied according to the nature of the vessel
and the speed at which it is to be propelled.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
Claim is :-
1. A vessel with the whole fore part of a curved conical form surrounded by a
hollow conical propeller of corresponding form having blades projecting from its
exterior and winding around it like the screw threads at the point of an auger
substantially as described.
2. The constructing and propelling of vessels substantially as hereinbefore
described and illustrated in the drawing annexed.
Dated this 16th day of February 1891.
CARPMAEL & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.