Improvements in Means for Propelling Boats, Ships, and the like.
Year: 1899

page_text: ate of Application, 31st July, 1899-Accepted, 20th Jan., 1900
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Means for Propelling Boats, Ships, and the like.
I, REINHOLD BEGAS, of Stülerstrasse 4, Berlin, in the Empire of Germany, Pro-
fessor, 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:-
The object of the present invention is a new propelling device for vessels, which,
contrary to the screw propellers used hitherto, is capable of being worked by
machinery making less revolutions whereby the strokes and shocks damaging
the hull of the boat or the like, are entirely avoided and at the same time the
disadvantages of paddle wheels are prevented.
In paddle wheels at present used the inclination of the floats to the vertical
is continually altered and only at one movement does the whole surface of the
float come entirely into effect. Even in those arrangements, which are very com-
plicated, in which the paddles or floats stand always normal, they only come to
their full effect in one position, whilst the said effect diminishes or increases to-
wards both ends of their revolution or travel. It is moreover a disadvantage
that each following paddle works in the water agitated by the previous one,
whilst the best degree of effect is obtained by working in still water.
All the above mentioned disadvantages are avoided by the propeller forming the
object of the present invention and which is represented in the annexed drawings
in which
Fig. 1 is a side view.
Fig. 2 a plan view and
Fig. 3 shows an end view from the left, the paddles on the front and rear chain
wheels respectively being removed.
Fig. 4 shows one of the paddles on an enlarged scale in front and side view
and also in section.
Perpendicular to the axis of the vessel a horizontal shaft 1 is arranged which
may be put into revolution by any suitable machinery. On the said shaft 1
two chain-wheels 2, 2 are fastened and opposite thereto are the chain wheels 3, 3,
arranged on the rear end of the vessel, which are of exactly the same size. They
are fixed on a second axle 4, which is journalled in a suitable manner and which
can, if necessary, be driven by the same machinery as the axle 1 or by an inde-
pendent motor, in which case it must work at exactly the same speed as the
former. Round one front and one rear chain wheel a link chain 5 is passed
between which in intermediate spaces of suitable size paddles 6 are fastened
which are revolvable round adjustable pivots 7.
The paddles whose form is shown more clearly in Fig. 4, have the shape of a
parallelogram put on its upper edge, whose front and rear surfaces are formed
slightly concave in order to offer a greater resistance to the water.
On the sides
the spaces are suitably limited by projecting ribs.
The part of the paddle lying above the axle arm 7 has a cut away portion 8
whose purpose is hereinafter explained. Near its upper edge two guide rollers 9
are arranged which run between the flanges of a double Trail 10.
The latter is arranged in two parallel tracks immediately underneath the axles 1
and 4 and near the chain wheels 2 and 3 and at their ends the two parallel tracks
are connected by semi-circular pieces.

page_text: .
It follows that a paddle fastened on the lower track of the chain 5 gearing
with its guide rollers 9 into the double Trail, is in an exactly perpendicular
Fosition, whilst on the upper track where chain and guide rail are closer together,
a reversing of the paddle is effected in the manner shown in Figs. 1 to 3; to
enable this the cutaway portion 8 is provided in the guided part of the paddle 6.
The paddles will also during the whole lower part of their travel offer to the
water their whole surface and give full working effect, whilst in coming back
into their original position the resistance which they find in the medium wherein
their movement is effected, is very small.
The manner in which the paddles pass from one position into the other is very
important. Suppose for instance a river-steamer is in question in which the
paddles of the lower track of the chain run entirely in the water whilst the upper
track with the paddles travelling on it moves in the air.
As soon as the paddle, shown in the drawing in the middle of the lower track,
arrives at the point where the guide rail is bent upwardly it will move with its
lower end slightly faster than with its upper one, consequently it can no longer
press with full force upon the water; but after a short time the guided end of
the paddle will move faster than the free end and then a displacement takes
place in a direction toward its longitudinal axis; thus the resistance which it
finds in the surrounding medium will only be very small. When the paddle
arrives again at its foremost position it will there first also be introduced into
the water in the direction of its longitudinal axis and consequently it finds little
resistance and only on the short distance of travel during which the reversing
of the paddles takes place, when it pushes from above to below upon the water,
does much resistance take place.
The distance between the chain wheels being proportionally large the paddle
can, during a proportionally long travel, be in a favourable position for working,
whilst during its passage out of the water it comes into such a position that the
resistance is very small. Only during two proportionally very small distances
is the paddle in such a position that it does not work with full effect.
By arranging the paddles on the chain at a moderate distance from each other,
each of them in passing into the water finds practically quiet water wherein it
will have a greater effect than when it works directly in the agitated water of
the previous paddle. The surface of working of a paddle of such a propeller is
considerably larger than the same of an ordinary paddle wheel.
The above described propellers can be arranged on both sides of the boat or
in a channel arranged amidships in which the paddles can run. Usually in the
first case only the lower track of the chain will work in the water whilst the upper
che moves in the air, but when the propeller is arranged in a channel amidsh.ps
it is preferred that the upper track also runs under the water level.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this s: d
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that whit
I claim is —
A new or improved propeller for boats, ships and the like having movable
paddles arranged on the links of chains running over chain-wheels, and an end-
less guide track arranged unsymmetrically to the chain way, into which track
rollers fixed on the inner ends of the paddles work so that the paddles pass into
a horizontal position and describe a quarter revolution round the guiding rollers,
whereby a braking effect is avoided.
HERBERT HADDAN & Co.,
Agents to Applicant, 18 Buckingham Street, Strand, W.C.