IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MODE OF PROPELLING VESSELS, AND IN APPARATUS THEREFOR."
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Max Hedicke, of Borough High Street, in the County of
Surrey, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MODE OF PROPELLING
VESSELS, AND IN APPARATUS THEREFOR." A communication from abroad by
Hermann Grauel, of Magdeburg, Germany.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Max Hedicke at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 17th October 1881.
"
"
MAX HEDICKE, of Borough High Street, in the County of Surrey. IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE MODE OF PROPELLING VESSELS AND IN APPARATUS THEREFOR'
A communication from abroad by Hermann Grauel, of Magdeburg, Germany.
This Invention relates to an improved system for propelling ships, and has for
its object to increase the speed of ships or other floating bodies.
For obtaining this result I arrange a shaft horizontally along each side of the
ship over the surface of the water, said shafts being revolved by a motor through
any suitable device.
On these shafts I secure a number of screws of any convenient construction,
which can be regulated and made to travel in different directions in order to admit
of the ship being steered and moved backwards.
I preferably make the screws of one blade only, although ordinary screws may
be used; owing to the shaft being placed over the water, the screws only make a
part of their revolution in the water.
For steering or backing the ship it is sufficient to change or inverse the action of
the screws, any suitable device being provided for effecting this.
The shafts are so arranged as to allow of regulating their height in or over the
water by means of movable arms or supports.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Max Hedicke in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 17th April
1882.
MAX HEDICKE, of Borough High Street, in the County of Surrey.. "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE MODE OF PROPELLING VESSELS AND IN APPARATUS THEREFOR."
A communication from abroad by Hermann Grauel, of Magdeburg, Germany.
This Invention has for its object to provide a peculiar device for increasing the
speed of ships, and consists in one or several shafts provided with a number of
inclined blades and placed horizontally alongside the ship.
Instead of simple blades, double blades, three, four, or more bladed screw
propellers may be employed without altering the nature of the Invention.
The effect of these inclined blades is substantially different from that of an
ordinary screw propeller. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the shafts a are placed
alongside the ship in such a manner that the screw blades b immerse with half of
their length only. If the blades were entirely immersed in water like an ordinary
ship-screw, little or no advantage could be derived from increasing their number,
as the front blades would throw a large amount of water on the following blades,
thus thwarting their effect unless a greater speed be imparted to the latter, which
however is not economical owing to friction under water. Moreover the blades
would throw the water against the ship (as shown by the featherless arrows)
during the upper or lower half of their travel (which depends on the direction of
their revolution), thus impairing the motion of the ship.
In considering the effect of this Invention it will be seen that the screw blades
drive the water away from the ship, and therefore continually dip into new and
comparatively calm portions of water.
I make the bearings of the shafts a vertically adjustable, in order to allow of
lowering the shafts and preventing the blades from being partially lifted out of
the water when the ship, owing to great speed, somewhat rises and seems to glide
over the water.
The position of the shafts may be regulated in various ways. I suggest, for
instance, the arrangement shown in Fig. 3, where the radial arms or carriers h are
pivoted to the sides of the ship. The shafts a may be lowered or raised by hand
by means of chains or rods, or by a contrivance which is automatically controlled
by the water in the manner already known. The number and shape of the blades
are optional within the limits necessary to attain the described effect. For
instance, the blades of any kind of screw propeller may be used, nor do I exclude
the use of belices, as shown in Fig. 4, if arranged on the shafts in suitable distances
from each-other. The transmission of motive power from the motor A to the
shafts a may also be effected by any suitable means. Figs. 1 and
direct propulsion by a steam engine, but intermediate gear, such as bevel wheels, a
flexible shaft, a universal joint, belts, chains, or steel ribbons, &c., may be adopted
for this purpose.
show the
The backward-motion of the ship may be obtained either in the ordinary way
by turning the shafts in the opposite direction (Figs. 1 and 2), or by the arrange-
ment shown in Figs. 5, 6, and 7, for altering the position of the blades on the
shafts. By this latter device, which also serves for rapidly turning the ship, the
blades may be turned on the shaft through an angle of 90°, so that they can be
set at any desired angle up to 45°.
The blades are made movable by supporting them between points 8, 8', (Figs. 5
and 6), or by means of a boltz which is pivoted in the shaft (Fig. 7). All the blades

page_text: are connected by a movable rod G which is secured between the lugs 7, r¹, so that
by shifting G to the right the blades assume the position indicated in dotted
lines. At the rod G is connected with a sleeve u sliding on the shaft a, and
capable of being shifted at will from the ship by the forked end of a lever e which
turns in o.
It is evident that without reversing the motion of the shafts the ship can be
moved backward by shifting both the rods G, and turned round by shifting one
rod only.
A ship-propelling-apparatus having the following peculiar features:-
1. The application of revolving shafts a alongside the ship, said shafts being
always kept over the surface of the water and provided with screw blades b or
their equivalents, which are in contact with the water during the lower half of
their revolution only.
2. The vertical adjustability of the bearings of the propeller shafts a to prevent
the blades b from dipping too much or too little into the water during the up or
down motion of the ship.
3. The arms h pivoted to the sides of the ship for the purpose specified in
claiming clause 2.
4. The movable attachment of the blades b to the shafts a for the purpose of
reversing the motion of the vessel without altering the direction of the motion of
the shafts or of the motors.
5. The connection of the blades b with one-another by means of rods G to be
shifted from the ship.
6. The application of a sliding-sleeve u on the shaft a and its motion by means
of a forked double lever e, for the purpose specified in clause 4.
In witness whereof, I, the said Max Hedicke, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Seventeenth day of April, A.D. 1882.
MAX HEDICKE. (L.S.)
MAX HEDICKE. (L.S.)