Improvements in Apparatus for Marine Propulsion, and in Water Wheels for use in connection therewith.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd May, 1899-Accepted, 1st July, 1899
Improvements in Apparatus for Marine Propulsion, and in Water
Wheels for use in connection therewith.
I, HENRY ARTHUR MAURER, of No. 110, West 75th Street, in the City of New York,
in the County and State of New York, United States of America, Manufacturer, 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 marine propulsion, and water wheels.
The primary object of the invention is to provide a marine engine capable of taking
the place of engines directly energized by steam, gas, vapor or air, and which will
overcome the disadvantages incident to such use of these fluids in marine propulsion,
and be capable of operation at less cost than any of the engines operated in the usual
way by the fluids referred to.
With this object in view the invention consists essentially of a marine engine
comprising a motor wheel having buckets or vanes, a propeller attached to the shaft
of the wheel, and nozzles for projecting water or other fluid under pressure against
the buckets or vanes. Further the invention consists of a marine engine comprising
a motor wheel having a propeller attached to its shaft and having buckets or vanes
provided with oppositely arranged cups for receiving the impact of water, and nozzles
for directing water into the cups. Further the invention consists of a marine
engine comprising a motor wheel having a propeller connected to its shaft, and having
buckets or vanes, nozzles for directing water under pressure against the buckets or
vanes, and pumps for supplying water pressure to the nozzles. Further the invention
consists of buckets or vanes of a peculiar construction and special efficiency. Finally
the invention consists of various novel details of construction and arrangement of
parts all substantially as hereinafter described and as set forth in the claims.
One form of embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying
drawings, in which
Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a vessel having my motor applied
thereto;
Figure 2 is a view partly in section, showing the motor wheel, the means for
projecting water against the wheel and the means for controlling and regulating such
projection;
Figure 3 is a plan view, partly in section of the valve and connections for regu-
lating the flow of water to the cylinders for controlling through slide valves the dis-
charge of water upon the notor wheel;
Figure 4 is a perspective view of a bucket or vane of the form preferably employed
on the water wheel;
Figure
position;
is a detail sectional view of the means of securing the nozzles in
Figure 6 is a side view of the valve for governing the flow of water by which the
water supply valves are operated;
Figure 7 is a central vertical sectional view of the valve;

page_text: Figure 8 is a plan view of the valve with the upper part of the ensing of the valve
removed; and
Figure 9 is a detail view of the valve in the pipes connecting the suction and dis-
charge ends of the pump.
Figure 10 is a side elevation of a water wheel having my improved buckets or
vanes applied thereto, and showing four streams of water directed upon the buckets
or vanes to impel the wheel in one direction;
Figure 11 is a view similar to Figure 10, showing four streams of water directed
upon the buckets or vanes to impel the wheel in a direction opposite to that in which
it is driven by the streams of water as shown in Figure 10;
Figure 12 is a front view of my bucket or vane detached from a wheel;
Figure 13 is a sectional view of the bucket, the section being taken at one end of
the center and on a line at right angles to the axle of the wheel to which the buckets
are applied;
Figure is a sectional view of the bucket, the section being taken on a line at
right angles to that on which the section shown in Figure 13 is taken;
Figure 15 is a fragmental view showing a section of the wheel at its periphery
above a bucket; and
Figure 16 is a plan view of a bucket detached from the wheel.
In these drawings 1 represents the motor or water wheel which receives motion
from the impact of water or other fluid projected against it, the water being put
under pressure and its flow being regulated and governed by the means hereinafter
described and claimed. The motor wheel is preferably inclosed in a casing 2 as
shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings.
The periphery of the water wheel has attached to it a series of buckets 3 arranged
in close proximity to each other, and which buckets are provided with two cups on
ench side, the cups 4, 4 being of somewhat greater area than the cups 5, 5, and there
being an indentation G on the outer face of the buckets or vanes. Water from the
nozzles is projected against the cups 4, 4 when a forward motion is to be given the
vessel, while the smaller cup 5, and the indentation G receive the impact of water
when a reverse or backward movement is to be given. The use of the invention is
not of course to be confined to the described bucket as any bucket suitable for the
purpose may be employed.
A propeller 7 which may be of any suitable or desirable form is mounted on a
propeller shaft 8, which is rigidly attached to the center of the motor wheel 1 by
keying or otherwise. The propeller shaft S is of a length to retain the propeller at n
proper distance from the stern of the vessel as shown in Fig. 1, of the drawings, and
preferably extends downward from the stern at an angle. The forward end of the
propeller shaft is mounted in a suitable bearing 9 mounted on a standard 10 upon
which bearing the thrust of the shaft is imposed and by which the shaft is retained
in position.
The water or other liquid by which motion is given the water wheel is supplied
under desired pressure by pumps 11, 11, arranged in as close proximity to the wheel
as possible in order to avoid unnecessary friction in the conduits by which the water
is conducted from the pumps to the nozzles from which it is projected. Steam for
the operation of the pumps 11 is obtained from a suitable boiler or boilers 13.
connected by suitable steam pipes 14 having valves 15 therein for turning or cutting
off and regulating the supply of steain to the pumps. One of the steam pipes is
shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. The exhaust steam from the pumps is conveyed by
suitable condenser pipes 16, from the pumps to a well 17 arranged below the water
wheel. These exhaust pipes terminate in coils which are immersed in the water
contained in the well, so that they are kept cool. Therefore the exhaust steam
passing through the pipes will be condensed and the water of condensation will Blow
into the well 17 and he retained there until used in the generation of steam or for
supplying the pumps 11.
The water or other fluid to be forced against the motor wheel can be carried by the
well 17, which is in a location to receive the water when its energy is exhausted after

page_text: being discharged, against the wheel, or the supply of water may be obtained from the
body in which the vessel floats. To this end the suction inlets 18 of the pumps are
connected by suction pipes 19 with the well 17 and branch pipes 20 are connected
with the suction pipes 19 and are extended through the shell of the vessel and
extend into the water in which the vessel floats. The suction pipes 19 are provided
with valves 21 and the branch pipes are provided with valves 22 so that by opening
the valve in one pipe and closing that in the other the water may be drawn either
from the well or from the outside of the vessel, or by opening the valves in each of
the pipez water inay be drawn from both sources.
Each pump is provided with a discharge pipe 23 by which each pump is connected
to one of the water chests 24 from which the water is discharged upon the wheel
from one side or the other, as desired to revolve the wheel in the required direction.
Each pipe 23 is provided with a cut off valve 25.
In order that one or both of the pumps may be kept running continuously
independently of the discharge of water upon the wheel, and thus the water retained
under pressure ready for instant use to move the wheel in one direction or the other,
I provide each of the pumps with a pipe 26 connected at one end to the inlet or
suction end of the pump, and at the other end to the outlet. The pipe 26 is
provided with a relief valve 27. The relief valve has a spring 28 the tendency of
which is to keep the valve closed, and means for giving more or less tension to the
spring. Thus when the flow of water through the pipe 23 of one of the pumps is
cut off by the valve 25 while the pump is operating the relief valve 27 will, when
sufficient pressure exists in the pipe 26, be opened. The result of this construction
is that the pumps may be kept operating continuously and when the discharge of
water to one of the chests is cut off the relief valve will automatically be opened
with the result that the water will simply circulate through the puinp and the
pipe 26 being thus kept under pressure ready for immediate use.
The water after being received by the water chests 24, is discharged against the
bucket on the wheel 1, through nozzles 29 attached to the inner faces of the chests
arranged to direct the water in any desired direction against the buckets or vanes
on the water wheel. Any suitable number of these discharge nozzles may be used,
and in the present illustration of the invention I have shown the water chest as
provided with four, each extending in proper direction to project water against the
buckets or vanes in a way to be most effective. In order that the attachment,
detachment, and adjustment of the nozzles may be readily and easily accomplished,
I preferably employ the means of attachment shown in Figs. 2 and 5 of the drawings.
This consists of a tap or plug 30 having an externally screw-threaded end 31 adapted
to enter suitable openings in the inner face of one of the chests 24, and also having
an enlarged outer end 32 externally screw-threaded and provided with a curved socket 33.
The inlet ends of the nozzles 29 are spherical in general contour and of a size to fit
snugly into the socket in the outer end of the tap or plug 30. The inlet end of the
nozzle and the tap or plug are connected by a collar 34, screw-threaded on its inner
face, and provided with an inward extending flange having its inner face curved to
conform to the outer face of the spherical portion of the nozzle. By this construction
the nozzles are allowed to be moved to point their discharge ends in any direction
from the water chest when the collar 34 is loose, and by tightening the collar the
parts are bound together and the nozzle retained rigidly in place by frictional contact.
The taps or plugs 30 extend through the inner walls of the water chests 24 and
when the openings in them are unobstructed water under pressure in the chests
will be projected from all the nozzles. In order that these openings may be opened
or closed or partly opened or closed by the exercise of little exertion on the part of an
operator employ the means now to be described.
1
Arranged in each of the water chests 24 is a vertically movable valve 35, having
openings of a width corresponding to the size of the opening in the taps or plugs 30
and solid portions of about the same size alternately arranged. Connected with
these valves are rods 36 which extend upward into cylinders 37 and are provided at
their ends with piston heads 38. The cylinders 37 have ports 39 respectively at

page_text: their upper and lower ends and with these ports are connected pipes 40, 41 extending
to a valve or cock 42 by which the inlet or discharge of water under pressure is
admitted or allowed to exhaust from one end or the other of either of the cylinders
to move the piston heads 38 and consequently the valves to govern the discharge of
water through the nozzles 29 from the water chests.
The valve 42 consists essentially of two disk portions 43 and 44 arranged one above
the other in a casing 45 and each provided with a projecting handle 46 for operating
it. The center of each disk 43, 44, is open, forming a chamber 47 with which
communicates a pipe 48. This pipe is supplied with water under pressure from the
pumps through pipes 49. Each disk of the valve 42 has two openings 51 and 52
connecting with the inner chamber 47 and capable of registering with the pipes 40
and 41 and each is also provided in its periphery between the openings 51 and 52
with an indentation 53.
The pipes 40 and 41 from the two cylinders 37 are connected with the shell of the
valve on each side thereof and between these pipes on each side in an outlet or
exhaust pipe 54, also connected to the shell of the valve and extending to the well 17
or to some other convenient place of discharge.
In the operation of the valve to allow the inlet of water, for instance to move one
of the piston heads 38 upward and thereby raise the valve to partially or entirely open
the passages to the discharge nozzles on one side of the wheel, a disk will be inoved
to bring the parts to the position shown in full lines in Fig. 8 of the drawings. When the
part care in this position water under pressure will flow through the openings 52 in the
valve disk and pass through the pipe 41 to the lower part of the cylinder 37 through
which it enters below the piston head and raises the latter. At the same time the water
contained in the cylinder above the piston head will be forced out and will flow from
the cylinder through a pipe 140 to the valve 42. When the pipe 41 registers with
the openings 52, the dentation 53 is in a position to connect the pipe 40 and the
outlet 54, so that the water flowing from the cylinder will pass through the pipe 40,
the indentation 53 and then will be discharged into the well 17 or at some other
suitable place.
In moving the parts in the opposite direction to wholly or partially close the open-
ings to the nozzles, the opening 51 is brought to register with the pipe 40, and thus
the indentation 53 will connect the pipe 41 with the discharge pipe 51, the result being
to force down the piston head by the inlet of water under pressure above it and to
allow the escape of the water contained in the cylinder below the piston hend.
The piston head, and cousequently the valve may be retained in any desired posi
tion to which they may be moved by turning the disk to bring the blank face thereof
in front of the pipes 40, 41 and 54. This movement will confine water above and
below the piston head and retain the same and the parts connected thereto rigidly in
place.
The valve 42 is shown in the dmwing as located adjacent to the cylinders which it
controls but obviously if desired it may be placed in the pilot house or in any other
suitable place; or two such valves properly connected with the cylinders may be
employed, one to be located near the cylinder and one in the pilot house or at some
other point.
In the operation of a marine engine constructed as described, steam is generated in
the boiler 13 and is utilized in the most effective manner possible, there being
practically no loss in energy and the use of an expensive engine is entirely dispensed
with. Motion is given the water or motor wheel 1 and the propeller, connected to
the wheel, in either direction by directing the water forced under pressure from the
pumps through one or the other sets of nozzles, and the speed of revolution is sus-
ceptible of modification either by regulating the quantity of steam supplied the pumps
or by allowing the pumps to run at a uniform speed and by regulating by the slide
valve the quantity of water under pressure projected against the cups or vanes of the
wheel. In case the pressure of water in the pump-outlet pipe should become too
great, by reason of wholly or partially cutting off the discharge through the nozzles,

page_text: the relief valve will open and allow the passage of water to the suction end of the
pump.
The great advantages which the herein described means of propulsion have over
those ordinarily in use is that the construction is cheap both in first cost and in
operation and is not liable to wear and tear incident to the latter. For instance, in
this engine the direction of revolution of the propeller may be reversed with no
appreciable shock to the driving mechanism or to the vessel. This arises from the
fact that there is no connection between the motor wheel, which is connected to the
propeller, and the means by which the wheel is propelled. The water ejected against
the wheel is preferably gradually shut off on one side as it is turned on at the other
in changing direction of revolution and thereby a cushion of water is formed balanc-
ing the wheel and preventing jars. As the water once ejected from the nozzles can-
not be forced back by coming in contact with the buckets or vanes of the wheel no
reaction which would result in vibration of the parts of the motor takes place.
A great disadvantage incident to the use of propellers as ordinarily connected to
and driven by engines is the injurious effect of "racing." This cannot take place in
a propelling system constructed and arranged as herein described. There is no
augmentation of power when the load is taken from propeller by the latter being
raised from the water in the pitching of the ship. The water being projected against
the buckets of the wheel at a velocity not increased when the propeller is relieved of
its load, but continuing at a uniform speed, the speed of the driven wheel remains
the same whether loaded or not.
The specific form of the buckets or vanes will now be described, referring
particularly to Figure 4 and to Figures 10 to 16 inclusive.
On one side of the main portion 3 of the bucket or vane are the coucave surfaces or
cups 4 which receive the impact of the streams of water when the wheel is revolved
in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 10 of the drawings. These cups are
separated and one side of each formed by a rib or projection 60, which rib or
projection is as shown clearly in Fig. 14, sharp at its upper or outer edge and
gradually widens out from a short distance from its upper edge and forms one face of
each of the two cups 4. The other three sides of what are shown as four-sided
cups are forined by sides corresponding in shape to the central rib or projection,
that is all the sides are sharp on their upper edges and gradually converge toward
the lower portion of the pockets.
From the central ridge or projection the front and back edges of the cups incline
slightly downward to the outer ends, so that when in the turning of the wheel to
which the buckets are attached the water projected into the caps is first discharged
at the outer ends.
Oppositely arranged to the cups 4, 4 described are two cups 5, 5 which correspond
in all particulars as to form to the cups 4. The cups 5, 5 are of less width than the
cups 4 as clearly shown in the drawings.
The outside faces of the four cups of each bucket or vane correspond in contour to
the inner faces thereof and therefore there is formed in the outer front face of each
bucket or vane an outside indentation or pocket 6 the walls of which are formed by the
outer walls of the four pockets described.
The outer walls of all the pockets described are formed with inward projecting ribs
or projections 61 extending from front to rear, the ribs being so formed as to produce
grooves or ways 62 on the inner faces of the cups.
Formed with the bucket or vane is a shank 63 which extends rearward and has two
flanges 64 between which is received the periphery of the wheel 1. The shank may
be attached to the wheel in any suitable way as by bolts or screws 65.
Impetus is given the buckets and the wheel to which they are attached, by
water under pressure directed against the buckets by two oppositely arranged series
of nozzles 29, arranged one on each side of the wheel, and which are adjustably
arranged to allow discharge of water therefrom at any desired angle. When water
under pressure is directed through the nozzles 29, it impinges upon the buckets

page_text: with the center of the stream at a point midway of the two cups 4 and it is therefore
equally divided, one-half of the stream being directed into each of the cups 4. The
impact of the water received at the point described in the successive buckets as the
wheel revolves, gives momentum to the wheel the speed of revolution being governed
by the quantity of water ejected and the force under which the water is maintained
before the discharge. The exercise of the full force of the water is insured by reason
of the fact that the discharge of the water from the cups is retarded by the ridges
and grooves on the inner faces of the outer walls of the emps 5. By this retardation
of the discharge of the water an advantage in addition to insuring the full utiliza-
tion of the force of impact is secured in that the weight of the water retained in the
emps is effective in moving the wheel, until, when the buckets reach a low position
in the revolution of the wheel, the water is discharged from them.
The outer edges of the cups, being lower than the remaining sides, offer no re-
sistance to the discharge of the water after passing the grooves and ridges, the water
being allowed to pass outward on each side of the wheel free of all parts thereof in
the direction by which it is started by contact with the central ridge, and so it does
not come in contact with the wheel and offers no reactionary force to the outward
movement of the wheel.
When it is desired to reverse the movement of the wheel and revolve it in the
direction indicated by the arrows in Fig. 11, the flow of water through the nozzles 29
on one side is cut off, and water under pressure is projected through the nozzles 29
on the other side against the cups 5. These cups are sufficiently less in width than
the caps 4 to be out of line of projection of the water from the nozzles 29, in order
that no water he allowed to strike any parts of the buckets or cups other than those
specially intended for its reception, thereby avoiding application of force to the
wheel in any way liable to net against the force applied to drive the wheel in the
desired direction.
Inasmuch as the cups & are of less area than the cups 4 and as it is desirable that,
so far as possible, the force applied to revolve the wheel in the direction indicated
by the arrow in Fig. 11, be as great as that applied to revolve the wheel in the direction
indicated in Fig. 1, the exteriors of the buckets or vanes are provided with the in-
dentation or pocket 6, into which the water from the nozzles is received before coming
in contact with the cups 5, thereby materially increasing the surface for receiving
impact of water when the wheel is turned in the direction indicated in Fig. 11, and
increasing the efficiency of the wheel.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven.
tion, and in what mauner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
clnim is:-
1. A marine engine comprising a propeller shaft extending from the interior to the
exterior of a vessel, a propeller mounted on the outer portion of the shaft, an impact
water wheel provided with buckets or vanes arranged on the inner portion of the
shaft, and means for projecting water under pressure against the buckets or vanes,
substantially as described.
2. A marine engine comprising a propeller shaft extending from the interior to
the exterior of a vessel, a propeller mounted on the outer portion of the shaft, an
impact water wheel provided with oppositely arranged buckets or vanes arranged on
the inner portion of the shaft and nozzles for directing water under pressure into the
buckets or vanes, substantially as described.
3. A marine engine comprising a propeller shaft extending from the interior to
the exterior of a vessel, a propeller mounted on the outer portion of the shaft, an
impact water wheel mounted on the inner portion and provided with buckets or
vanes, a casing surrounding the water wheel, and nozzles for projecting water under
pressure against the buckets or vanes, substantially as described.
4. A marine engine.comprising a propeller shaft extending from the interior to
the exterior of a vessel, a propeller mounted on the outer portion of the shaft, an
impact water wheel provided with buckets or vanes arranged on the inner portion of

page_text: the shaft, a casing enclosing the water wheel, and nozzles arranged on opposite sides
of the wheel for projecting water against the buckets or vanes in opposite directions
for rotating the wheel in one direction or the other, substantially as described.
5. A marine engine comprising a propeller shaft extending from the interior to
the exterior of a vessel, a propeller mounted on the outer portion of the shaft, an
impact water wheel having buckets or vanes and mounted on the inner portion of
the shaft, nozzles for directing water under pressure against the buckets or vanes,
pumps for supplying water under pressure to the nozzles, a well situated below
the wheel, and a connection between the well and the pumps, substantially as
described.
6. A marine engine comprising a propeller shaft extending from the interior to the
exterior of a vessel, a propeller arranged on the outer portion of the shaft, an impact
water wheel mounted on the inner portion of the shaft, and provided with buckets
or vanes, nozzles for projecting water under pressure against the buckets or vanes,
pumps for supplying water under pressure against the buckets or vanes, a well
situated below the wheel, connections between the well and the suction end of the
pumps, and connections between the suction ends of the pumps and the outside of
the vessel, substantially as described.
7. A marine engine comprising a propeller shaft extending from the interior to
the exterior of a vessel, a propeller mounted on the outer portion of the shaft, an
impact water wheel having buckets or vanes arranged on the inner portion of the
shaft, nozzles for projecting water under pressure against the buckets or vanes,
pumps for supplying water under pressure to the nozzles, and connections provided
with valves between the suction end and discharge openings of the pumps,
substantially as described.
8. A marine engine comprising a propeller shaft extending from the interior to the
exterior of a vessel, a propeller mounted on the outer portion, an impact water wheel
provided with buckets or vanes mounted on the inner portion, a casing surrounding
the water wheel, water chests arranged in the sides of the casing, nozzles connected
with the water chests for projecting water against the buckets or vanes, valves
governing the flow of water from the water chests to the nozzles, and pumps for
supplying water under pressure to the water chests, substantially as described.
9. A marine engine comprising a propeller shaft extending from the interior to the
exterior of a vessel, a propeller mounted on the outer portion of a shaft, an impact
water wheel mounted on the inner portion of the shaft and provided with buckets or
vanes, a casing enclosing the water wheel, nozzles for projecting water against the
buckets or vanes, water chests arranged in the casing and communicating with the
nozzles, valves for governing the flow of water from the chests to the nozzles, rods
connected to the valves each provided with a piston head, cylinders having ports at
each end receiving the piston heads, and pipes for conducting water under pressure
to and from the ports of the cylinders, substantially as described.
10. A bucket or vane for water wheels having concave surfaces provided with
grooves or ridges, for receiving the impact of water, substantially as described.
11. A bucket or vane for water wheels having concave surfaces provided with grooves
or ridges, for receiving the impact of water, and a rib or projection for dividing a
stream of water injected into the concave surfaces, substantially as described.
12. A bucket or vane for water wheels comprising two oppositely arranged pairs of
concave surfaces, the surface on one side being of less width than those on the other
substantially as described.
13. A bucket or vane for water wheels comprising two oppositely arranged pairs of
concave surfaces forming cups, the walls of the cups converging and forming an
exterior indentation or pocket substantially as described.
14. A bucket or vane for water wheels comprising two oppositely arranged pairs of
concave surfaces forming cups and provided with grooves or ridges, the outer walls of
the cups being lower than the remaining walls substantially as described.
15. A bucket or vane for water wheels comprising two oppositely arranged pairs of

page_text: concave surfaces forming cups the inner face of the outer walls of each being provided
with ridges, and a central rib or projection sharp at its upper edge and gradually
widening from its upper edge, substantially as described.
Dated this 2nd day of May 1899.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.