Improved Device for Adjusting or Feathering the Blades of Ships' Screw Propellers
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Dec., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 21st May, 1895-Accepted, 27th July, 1895
люто
Improved Device for Adjusting or Feathering the Blades of Ships'
Screw Propellers
A communication by HEINRICH BRINKMANN, of 12 Worthstrasse, Munich, in the
Empire of Germany, Merchant.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, F.C.S., M I.M.E., of The Agency for
Foreign Patent Solicitors, 6 Lord Street, Liverpool, and 6, Bank Street,
Manchester, both in the County of Lancaster 118 New Street, Birmingham in
the County of Warwick and 31 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex,
Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to an improved device for adjusting or feathering the wings
or blades of ships' screw propellers during the voyage.
In carrying out this invention, a sheath or holder is arranged on the propellor
shaft. The rear end of this holder is connected with levers, drawbars, or the like,
which adjust the propeller blades. This holder or sheath passes through the stern
post to the inner hold of the ship and is hero adjustably connected with this shaft
in a longitudinal direction, by means of pins let into grooves in the shaft, and these
grooves, or rather their length determines the arc of 1otation on their own axis
of the blades. On the end of the sheath in the hold of the ship, a sleeve 18
screwed, the thread of which has an action the reverse of the direction of movement
of the ship's engines, that is to say, when the engines rotate to the right, left hand
threads are employed, and vice versa, so that the sleeve is always tightened by the
movement of the engines. At its end, the sleeve has a stuffing box to prevent the
admission of water from the outside, and another one is provided on the sheath or
bolder at the stern post. A ring composed of two halves lies in an anuular groove
in or about the centre of the aforementioned sleeve, in which ring the sleeve
rotates with the ship's shaft. The ring is provided with two pins standing opposite
one another, with which a forked main oscillating lever is connected. The opposite
end of this oscillating lever is connected with the piston rod of a steam- or pressure-
cylinder, by means of a cross head connection. The pressure cylinder is always
connected with a vessel for holding air or gas at a suitable pressure arranged in the
engine room or other suitable place.
When the
The shde valve of the pressure cylinder is operated by means of rods and levers
from the captain's bridge. A second lever is provided for regulating the slide
valve, which lever at its lower end is connected by means of a rod with the mant
oscillating lever, whilst the opposite end of the first named lever receives a holder
or socket, which is movably arranged on the valve rod The lever just referred to
as well as the main oscillating lever stand vertically over the axis of the ship's
shaft, and are arranged on an extension of the cross bend bar.
blades of the screw are arranged for projecting forwards, and the slide valve is
pushed backwards, the piston performs its stroke, the main oscillating lever pushes
the holder or sheath backwards, and the couplings on the wings or blades turn
these latter 100 degrees to 120 degrees, according to the extent or size of the pitch
or angle of mclination of the said wings or blades which pitch is limited, as already
mentioned, by a groove. As soon then as the second oscillating lever has traversed
its arc of a circle, it moves the slide valve by means of a regulating ring arranged
on the slide rod up to the centre or middle of its stroke by which means the

page_text: steam or compressed an is shut off, and the piston is unloaded by the escape of
the air or steam (as the case may be) through a passage in the cylinder It is also
self-evident that a lever arranged on the captain's bridge for operating the slide
valve, will be pushed back to the centre, where it is retained in a quadrant by a
sping catch engaging in a notch, and thus preventing any unauthorised shifting
of the slide. For the persons on the watch on the upper deck the automatic
return of the slide valve leve is the indication that the apparatus has completed
its movement. An error with the slide levers is absolutely impossible, as the same
cannot be drawn backwards when the wings of the screw are adjusted backwards,
and vice versa
In order to prevent the possibility (in the case of the ship lying at rest in the
harbour, or the like, or at any stoppage of the ship's engines and also during the
voyage) of the wings of the screw propeller being moved or displaced on their
own axis by the beating of the waves or other like influences, a compressor
operated by springs is arranged over the cross head bar, which compressor exerts
such a pressure on the upper end of the inclined or main oscillating lever that any
undesued shifting of the latter and thereby of the adjusting holder or socket is
prevented. The pressure of the compressor is conveyed to the main oscillating
lever by means of a slide piece movably connected with this lever, which slide piece
on the movement of the lever that is during the adjustment of the screw blades
bears in a groove of the compressor
The fixing of the wings or blades takes place, as already herein mentioned, by
means of a flanged pin arranged in the grooves of the screw shaft. Owing to this
it is necessary to partially unload the piston when the same has described more
than half its strobe, and for this object a discharge passage 18 connected by
means of the passage aforementioned with the cylinder chamber, whilst the piston
has two suitable independent washer rings separated from one another. This
pai
tial unloading of the piston may also be done by means of a valve, which valve
if necessary may remain suitably open all the time
Dated this 28th day of December 1894.
Improved Device for Adjusting or Feathering the Blades of Ships'
Screw Propellers.
A communication by HEINRICH BRINKMANN, of 12 Worthstrasse, Munich, in the
Empire of Germany, Merchant.
1, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, F C.S., M 1.M.E., of The Agency for
Foreign Patent Solicitors, 6 Loid Street, Liverpool, and 6, Bank Street,
Manchester, both in the County of Lancaster, 118 New Street, Birmingham in
the County of Warwick and 31 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex,
Civil Engineer, 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 an improved device for adjusting or feathering the wings
or blades of ships' screw propellers during the voyage.
The invention is shown in the accompanying diawings, in which,
Figure 1 is a side elevation partly in section;
Figure 2, a rear view partly in section;
Figure 3, a section on the line A A of Figure 1 ;
Figures 4 and 5 are sections of details ;
Figure 6 is a sectional view of a regulating valve;

page_text: Figure 7 is a side elevation partly in section of a modified arrangement of the
compressor of the reversing lever;
Figure 8 is a front view of same, the reversing level being in its middle
position;
Figures 7 and 8 are further modifications of the same;
Figure 9 is a modified forin of the diawbar shown in Figure 1.
In carrying out this invention, a sheath or holder d (Figure 1) is arranged on
the propeller shaft a. The rear end of this holder is connected with levers,
draw bais, or the like which adjust the propeller blades. This holder or sheath d
passses through the stern post B to the inner hold of the ship and is here
adjustably connected with the shaft in a longitudinal direction, by means of pins e
let into grooves in the shaft. and these grooves, or rather then length determines
the mic of rotation on their own axis of the blades.
On the end of the sheath in the hold of the ship, a sleeve his screwed, the
thead of which has an action the reverse of the direction of movement of the ship's
engines, that is to say, when the engines rotate to the night, left hand threads
are employed, and vice versa, so that the sleeve is always tightened by the movement
of the engines
At its end the sleeve has a stuffing box to prevent the
admission of water from the outside, and another one is provided on the sheath or
holder at the stern post A ring composed of two halves lies in an aunular groove
in or about the centre of the aforementioned sleevo h in which ring the sleeve /
rotates with the ship's shaft The ing is provided with two pins standing
opposite one another, with which a forked main oscillating lever is connected.
The opposite end of this oscillating lever 19 connected with the piston rod b of a
The
steam or pressure-cylinder c by means of a cross-lead connection nu.
pressure cylinder c is always connected with a vessel for holding air or gas at a
suitable pressure arranged in the engine room or other suitable place.
The slide valve o of the pressure cylinder c is operated by means of rods pp'
and elbow levers p' from the captam's budge. A second lever ° 18 provided for
regulating the slide valve, which lever at its lower end is connected by means of a
1od and pin with the main oscillating lever 1, whilst the opposite end of the said
lever receives a holder or socket which is movably airauged on the valve rod t
which in turn is connected with 1od p³. The lever as well as the main oscillating
lever stand directly above the axis of the ship's shaft, and are arranged on an
extension of the cross head bar n Figure 1 shows the moment when the blades of
the screw are arranged for projecting forwards, and the slide valve o 18 pushed
backwards. At this moment the piston is about to perform its stroke whereby the
main oscillating lever pushes the holder or sheath d backwards, and the couplings
on the wings or blades tun these latter 100 degrees to 120 degrees, according to
the extent or size of the pitch or angle of incluation of the sail blades or wings,
which pitch is limited, as already mentioned by a groove / As soon then as the
second oscillating lever has traversed its nic of a cucle, it moves the slide
valve o, by engaging one of two adjustable stop rings vaanged on the slide
rod t, up to the centre or muddle of its stroke (shown in dotted lines), by which
means the steam or compressed air is shut off, and the piston m is unloaded by the
escape of the an or steam (as the case may be) through a passage in the cylinder.
It is also self-evident that by tho above movement a lever y aanged on the
captain's bridge for operating the slide valve, will be pushed back to the centre,
where it is retained in a quadrant by a spring catch a engaging in a notch and
thus preventing any unauthorised shifting of the slide. For the persons on the
watch on the upper deck, the automatic return of the slide valve lever is the
indication that the apparatus has completed its movement.
An eo with the slide
levels is absolutely impossible, as the same cannot be drawn backwards when the
wings of the scien nie adjusted backwards, and mee versu
In order to prevent the possibility (in the case of the ship lying at rest in the
barbour, or the like, or at any stoppage of the ship's engines and also during the
voyage) of the wings of the screw piopellet being moved or displaced on then own

page_text: axis by the beating of the waves or other like influences, a compressor r' operated
by spings is arranged over the cross hend bar, which complesso exerts such
a pressure on the upper end of the inclined or main oscillating lever that any
undesued shitting of the latter and thereby of the adjusting holder or socket 19
prevented The pressime of the compressor is conveyed to the main oscillating
lever by means of a slide picce mevably connected with this level, which slide
piece, on the movement of the lever, that is during the adjustment of the screw
blades, bears in a groove of the compressor.
The fixing of the wings or blades in their actual position takes place, as already
herein before mentioned, by means of a flanged pin e arranged in the grooves of the
screw shalt
Owing to this it is necessary to partially unload the piston m when
the same has descubed more than half its stroke, and for this object a discharge
passage is connected by means of the passage aforementioned with the cylinder
Chamber, whilst the piston m has two suitable independent washer lings separated
from one another. This partial unloading of the piston may also be done by
means of a valve y, Figure 6, which valve if necessary may remain suitably open
all the time.
A modified form of the compressor for the reversing lever of the propeller
blades is shown in Figures 7 and 8, and an arrangement in connection therewith
for enabling the pitch of the propeller blades to be regulated as requied or
necessitated by means of the above named lever . In this case, as shown in
Figure 8, the oscillating lever is forked at the top and the arms of this fork k
are connected with one another by means of a pin on spindle . On the latter, two
arms are movably mounted and both coily a cross spindle ', on the ends of
which guide heads s' are movably arranged These heads s'est in two cylinders nº
vertically arranged on the crosshead slide n, which cylinders are provided at both
bides with recesses or slots n affording play to the spindle in its vertical move-
ment. Pistons are fastened on the heads s¹ by means of short rods
The cylinder chambers above the pistons are filled, after cach reversal or
feathering of the blades of the propeller, with compressed an, which keeps the
pistons and guide heads pressed down in their lowest position, and thus
immovably retains the mins so and the lever in the position shown in Figure 7
(or the opposite position). As may easily be seen, on the oscillating lever & being
eversed, the spindle and the pistons are raised and lowered by the aims so, these
latter being gunded in a straight line, that is, vertically by the heads s¹ sliding in
the cylinders.
In this form of construction, the pressure is no longer exerted duectly and
vertically on the lever A, but from the opposite side in each case, almost vertically
to the centre line of the oscillating lever so that an unintentional return of this
lever into another position is much more certainly prevented, than in the previous
form of construction berein before described. The pistous may if desired be of
course replaced by spiral springs
This form of construction also replaces the device e faranged in Figure 1 on
the sheath and the propeller shaft a, for limiting the stroke of the lever k, or the
are of 10tation of the propeller blades, as the pistous 7º are retained in their lowest
position by the compressed air, thus preventing an unauthorised movement of the
lever beyond the desired position, and unmovably retaining the same in this
position.
This construction however not only replaces the said device, but it also lenders
it possible to adjust at will the stroke of movement of the lever k, and thus to
regulate the pitch of the blades according to requirements For this purpose it is
only necessary to raise or lower the crosspiece by means of the nuts placed on
the aims, so that the lever arm of these bars is lengthened or shortened and
consequently the movement of the lever k is altered.
According then as the stroke or movement of lever is greater or less, the arc
of rotation and the pitch of the propeller blades will be greater or less
Figures 7 and 8 show a further form of construction of a compressor for

page_text: holding fast the oscillating lever As may be seen on the drawing, the upper end
of the oscillating lever is connected with the crank of a crank spindles which
is movably arranged in the upper crosshead bar. Outside this latter, aims are
fastened on the ends of the spindle s, on which aims the cross bar is screwed
fast Between this bar r' and the spindle s³, pressure springs rate inserted which
are held by bolts secured on the spindle
Figure 7 shows the two working positions of this compressor, whilst Figure 8*
shows the same in the middle position of its movement.
The arrangement may of course be altered by using only one arm in place of the
two arms the remaining parts being retained, such single arni being socketted in
a fork of the lever A. The device consisting of the parts and the screw Duts,.
which device serves for regulating the movement of the lever & or the feathering
of the screw blades, may also act as such for itself alone without acting as a
compressor in which case the piston m of the main cylinder may remain loaded for
fixing the lever A. In this case another very simple arrangement may be employed
of the kind shown in Figures 7 and 8 The springs and their carrying bolts
may be omitted, also the crank spindle s' The arms are connectel with
lever as in Figure 8, whilst the cross bar is movably arranged on the cross
head slide n. so that it may move with the aims so on the oscillation of levei k.
The
The arms are also only provided with screw nuts above the cross bar l
arms s move to and fro in the cross bat on the movement of lever k, whilst the nuts
on thom rest on the cross bat in both end positions of lever k. The movement of the
latter and therewith the arc of rotation of the screw blades is thereby limited.
By adjusting these nuts on the arms so the pitch of the screw blades may be altered
at will.
Figure 9 has for its object a form of construction of the draw-bar lever nicchanism
for operating the blade feathering mechanism shown in Figure 1, such form ot
construction enabling an automatic stoppage of the slide drawbar on the return of
the slide to be effected as soon as this comes into its middle position, and also
working with a more favourable conveyance of forco from the reversing lever to
the valve rod which is of importance in the case of large slide valves. For this
latter object, as shown in the drawing, the valve 1od is interupted and a lever t'
inserted between the lower lying part to of the valve rod and the drawbar or rod
or the lever q ou the upper deck, on which lever the upper part of the valve
II the
1od connected with the slide valve engages somewhat above the bar to.
lever mechanism stand in the position shown in full lines and for reversing
(feathering) the screw blades, the slide valve o be drawn to the right (shown in
dotted lines) by means of the lever mechanism qp so that compressed air can
flow in behind the piston m, the rod to forms the fulcrum for the lever t. As may
easily be seen in consequence of the favourable leverage of the lever 'the
movement of the slide valve requires only a slight amount of force.
If the piston m and the levers k° have reached their middle position and the
piston commences to exceed it, the lever u engages the part vand draws the rod to
to the left, by which means the lever t' is moved into the position shown in dotted
lues, and the slide o into the middle or closing position. In this the rod p³ serves
as fulcium for the lever tº. Adjustable blocks or nuts o° are arranged at suitable
distances apart on the rod to, which nuts, on the movement to and fio of the rod to
or of the slide valve encounter alternately a fork of fastened on the crosshead
sliden and thereby limit the movement of this rod and of the slide valve in such a
way that the slide valve on its return is prevented exceeding the middle or closing
position.
As the slide valve, as already stated, can only return after it has reached the
centre of its course, if the piston has exceeded the middle of its com se, the
remaining arrangement of the reversing or feathering arrangement remains in
general the same, so that a prevention of the slide valve iod on the return of the
slide valve exceeding the middle is necessary, and is effected by means of the
nuts o" and the contact of The lever in this form of construction no longer runs.

page_text: back into its original position on the return of the slide valve, but is fixed in both
positions by means of a pawl on the quadrant.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, as cominunicated to me by
my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. A device for adjusting or feathering and fixing the blades of ships' screw
propellers during the voyage, characterised by a sheath or holder d for the blades
connected by means of a lever with a motor piston m, the slide valve o of which
is operated from the captain's bridge for the purpose of adjusting or feathering
the blades, and which valve after such operation is returned into its central position
by another lever u engaging the said lever , thus unloading the piston, the
reversing lever q being also returned into its original position when the feathering
lever has cached one of its end positions and a compressor acting on said
feathering lever in order to secure it in one or other of its end positions
substantially as described and illustrated.
2. A form of construction of compressor 1 10 s, such as described in Claini 1,
for securing the feathering lever in one or other of its end positions, having
arms connected with the said lever and provided with screw nuts whereby the
angle of pitch of the screw blades may be regulated substantially as described and
illustrated.
3. In a device such as described in Claim 1 for adjusting, feathering or 6xing
the blades of ships' propellers, the replacement of the mechanism p ppt for
operating the slide valve by an arrangement of valve rods to operated from the
operating lever rod p by means of a connecting lever ', one part of said valve
rods being provided with two stops or nuts o° which limit the movement of said
rods and thereby the movement of the valve on its return by encountering
alternately a fixed fork o' or the like, whereby a better transmission of power 18
obtained, substantially as described and illustrated.
Dated this 20th day of May 1895.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Agents.