Improvements in and Means for Propelling Ships and Boats.
Year: 1896

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and Means for Propelling Ships and Boats.
I, GEORGES TABOURIN, of 23 Rue des Fleurettes, Brussels, in the Kingdom of
Belgium, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be ag
follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in and means for propelling ships and
boats by hydraulic percussion.
According to this invention the ship or boat is furnished with similar propelling
devices at each end of the vessel and situated at the ends of hydraulic tubes, and
the percussive force of the water therein, acting on a fixed part, propels the vessel
ahead or astern according to whether communication is opened with the front or rear
propeller.
These percussive propellers open and close the hydraulic tubes by calculated
intermittent action and allow the water they contain under pressure to flow off through
circumferential ports in said tubes.
The water contained in these tubes form liquid columns which owing to their
diameter and the length of the pipes represent a certain weight and consequently a
certain volume.
These columns of water flow from two reservoirs where the water is maintained.
under constant pressure as required, by a volume of compressed air. The feeding of
this water occurs in a constant and regular manner by means of two pumps of which
the plunging pistons are worked direct by a steam engine.
The suction valves and the exhaust valves placed beneath the pump pistons and
opening in the vertical direction leave a free passage for the water as much for suction
as for exhaustion through valve boxes which form the base of the pump.
Two suction tubes under the action of the pumps lead the water into the pressure
reservoirs.
The principal apparatus called the percussive propeller is composed of a cylinder
closed at one of its ends and forming in consequence a real cover for each of the
hydraulic tubes.
This cylinder is divided lengthwise into two parts; the first part of this cylinder
is pierced with long circumferential slits or openings forming ports; on this first part
which is well turned and finished revolves a cover cylinder having corresponding
ports and forming a cylindrical revolving valve. The revolving valve cover can be
fitted onto the fixed part either by leaving the surfaces in contact perfectly cylindrical
or by making them slightly conical.
tubes.
By its turning movement the revolving valve on account of its holes or ports allows
and stops the running off of the water coming from the reservoirs by the hydraulic
Each closing of the holes or ports has the effect of developing in the
suddenly checked liquid columns, inertia corresponding with their volume and the
speed they had attained. The revolving valve, at one of its ends is furthermore

page_text: provided with small flanged wings of any desirable shape, which constitute the
movable part of a species of turbine of which the directing floats likewise form an
annular flange, and integral with the second part of the divided cylinder
aforementioned.
The port feeding the turbine receives the necessary water by a secondary tube
which takes it from the pressure reservoirs.
This small turbine is intended to twin the revolving cover of the valve and thereby
to produce the opening and closing of the ports thereof.
In the second part of the divided cylinder aforementioned is a piston behind
which, in a free space existing between its surface and that of the bottom of the
cylinder of the percussion propeller, is enclosed a certain volume of compressed air
intended to act as an air cushion against the effect of the hydraulic percussions.
To keep up this volume of compressed air continually, a tube puts it in connection
with the volume of compressed air above the water in the hydraulic reservoirs; which
volume of air is kept up, when necessary and if required, under constant pressure and
volume by means of some kind of small auxiliary air compresser.
A ship or boat fitted with apparatus of the kind above described, for being
propelled by hydraulic percussion, works as follows during the movement ahead.
The water being previously accumulated under pressure of compressed air in the
reservoirs by means of the steam pumps, the valves of the secondary hydraulic tubes
are opened, when a stream of water under pressure escapes from the reservoirs and
goes direct to the turbine which is thereby operated and the covers of the revolving
valve rotated thus bringing about the alternate opening and closing of the ports of
the percussive propellers and the consequent methodical stoppage of the columns of
water contained in the hydraulic tubes, whereby the inertia in the liquid columns
strikes with percussive force against the pistons which by the medium of the com-
pressed air imprisoned behind them transmit in an elastic manner, to the bottoms of
the percussive propellers, and consequently to the framework of the ship or boat to
which they are fixed, all the energy which had accumulated in the said liquid
columns.
The hydraulic percussive action striking the ship at the prow, pushes it ahead
according to the results of established calculations with the power and speed that they
determine. The water producing the percussions by its alternate flow and stoppage,
escapes laterally through the circumferential ports in the cylinder of the percussive
propeller and passes into a hydraulic waste box which communicates with the outside
waters, by means of lateral tubes.
The same operation takes place for the movement astern by means of valves which
operate the similar mechanism at the rear of the vessel.
During the changes of movement those of the revolving valves which should act are
maintained in the closed position by a small peg or bolt which is brought into the
path of a knob on the movable cover of the turbine.
This peg advances or recedes to stop or allow free passage to the knob on the
turbine, in other words to prevent or allow the rotation of the revolving valves,
according to whether pressure does or does not exist in the secondary hydraulic
tubes.
The pressure or non-pressure in said secondary tubes operates manometrical or
curved tubes which by their deformation under the action of the pressure or non-
pressure as the case may be open or close, and thus draw in or press outward the stop
peg or bolt.

page_text: Improvements in a means for Fropenings and boats.
I, GEORGES TABOURIN, of 23 Rue des Fleurettes, Brussels, in the Kingdom of
Belgium, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the saine is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained ir.
and by the following stateinent :-
This invention relates to improvements in and means for propelling ships and
boats by hydraulic percussion.
In the drawings annexed to the present Specification Fig. I represents a
longitudinal section of a boat constructed according to this invention; Fig. 2 is a
transverse section on the line A B of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a plan view shewing the
motor and propelling apparatus.
Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section, taken on the line E F of Figure 5, of the special
percussive propeller drawn to an enlarged scale; and Fig. 5 is a transverse section
taken on the line CD of Figure 4.
According to this invention the ship or boat is furnished with four similar special
propelling devices a, a, a, a, placed at the extremities of four pipes or
tubes b, b1, b, b111.
These propelling devices, termed percussive propellers, open and close intermittently
at fixed periods the tubes b, bi, b, b, and allow the water which they hold under
pressure to run out through holes forming circular gratings and in the direction of
the arrows shown in Figs. 4 and 5. The two percussive propellers a, al as well as
the corresponding pipes b, b¹ are intended for propelling the vessel forward, the others
being only employed for driving it astern.
The water contained in the pipes h b' b forms liquid columns which, in
consequence of the diameter and the length of the pipes, represent a certain weight
and consequently a certain volume.
These columns of water proceed from two reservoirs c c¹ where the water is kept
at a constant pressure as desired by means of a body of compressed air. The supply
of this water is effected constantly and regularly by means of two pumps d d¹ the
plunger pistons e e' of which are actuated direct by the steam pistons ff and slide in
the cylinders g g', producing a rather considerably prolonged expansion of steam.
Besides this, the steam pistons ff are capable of directly actuating the plunger
pistons e e¹, whilst allowing the employment of the compound arrangement for the
cylinders g g as well as that for the condensation of the steam.
The two pumps d d act with harmonious alternating regularity, this being secured
by means of a slide valve acting as a simple regulator and necessary intermediary
in connection with the expansion and compression of the steam.
The suction valve h and exhaust valves i placed below the plunger pistons e e¹ and
opening in the vertical direction of these latter, allow a very free passage to the
water equally when sucked up as when forced across the valve boxes jj forming the
base of the pumps d d¹.
The steam supplying the driving power is supplied from a marine boiler k. T'wo
suction tubes (Figs. 1 and 3) under the action of pumps convey the water into
the pressure reservoirs. They suck and are intended to suck in the direction of
movement that is to say towards the stern of the boat.
The principal apparatus, called the percussive propeller, illustrated in longitudinal
section and in transverse section in Figures 4 and 5, is composed of a cylinder m'
closed at one of its extremities and thus acting as an obturator for each of the
tubes b b 611 6111

page_text: This cylinder is divided lengthwise into two parts n and a', the first portion is
pierced with long circumferential slits or openings forming a circular grating or
ports. On this first part, which is well turned and made smooth, rotates a sleeve o
of the same nature, that is to say pierced with corresponding openings or ports. The
sleeve o may besides be fitted smoothly to the first part either by leaving the contact
Burfaces perfectly cylindrical or by making them slightly conical.
In rotating, the sleeve o in consequence of the openings or ports, act so as to
allow the water coming from the reservoirs c e' by the tubes b b¹ bi bi to run away
or to prevent its doing so. Each closing of the openings or ports is intended to
develop in the liquid caluinns suddenly checked in their motion, forces of inertin
corresponding to their volume and to the speed which they had acquired. The
sleeve o carries besides on one of its edges a winged cap P of any desired form, which
constitutes the moveable part of a sort of turbine the guiding paddles g of which also
form a cap and integral portion of the second part 1 of the percussive propeller.
The cap with the moveable wings is indicated by the letter r and that bearing the
directing paddles by the letter a.
The circular orifice t supplying the turbine receives the necessary water through
the tube which carries it to the pressure reservoirs c c'.
This small turbine is intended for rotating the sleeve o and thereby effecting the
opening and closing of the circular grating or ports."
In the second part of the percussive propeller is a piston V behind which, in the
free space between its surface and that of the bottom y of the cylinder of the
percussive propeller, a certain volume of air is confined, which is intended to act as
an air cushion against the effect produced by the hydraulic percussion. For
constantly maintaining this volume of compressed air, a tube x serves to place it in
connection with the body of compressed air above the water in the reservoirs ce';
which volume of air is kept, as required, and if necessary, under constant pressure
and volume by means of a small auxiliary air-compressor of any kind.
A ship or boat fitted with apparatus substantially as above described is operated
for its forward propulsion in the following manner.
The water being previously accumulated under pressure of the compressed air in
the reservoirs c c¹ by means of the steam pumps dd, the cocks K K¹ of the small
tubes are opened, and a stream of water under pressure runs out of the
reservoirs c c¹ direct to the turbine caps 78 and 18 sets the moveable part in inotion
and so the sleeves o and o', which, producing by their rotation the alternate opening
and closing of the openings or ports of the percussive propellers a and a', it results
that the columns of water contained in the tubes b b are methodically arrested in
their course and thereby produce percussions which act on the pistons V V¹ and
cause all the energy accumulated in the said columns of water to be transmitted to
the bottoms of the percussive propellers, that is to say to the ship or boat.
The hydraulic percussion acting on the boat at the prow propels it forward. The
water producing the percussions by running away and stopping, escapes laterally and
in a circular manner through the openings in the percussive propellers a a², into the
hydraulic discharge tanks H H1, in lateral communication with the outside water by
means of the tubes I I¹.
For driving the boat astern a similar process is carried through by means of two
cocks K K which by means of the tubes uu set in action the turbine caps,
causing the sleeves oll and on to rotate; these, as described previously, effect the
opening and closing of the percussive propellers a and all, and the consequent
setting in motion and stopping, in the tubes 6, of columns of water the
percussions of which on the bottoms of the percussive propellers a propel
the boat towards the poop, that is to say impart to it a stern movement.
During the movements ahead or astern, those of the sleeves o 01 o 1 which are
not intended to come into operation are kept in the position for closing the openings
or ports through which the water runs away, by means of a small catch or bolt M.
This catch operates, that is to say advances or recedes so as to stand in the way of,
or to leave a free passage for, a stud or pin L, which carries the moveable cap

page_text: of the turbine, that is to say it prevents or allows the rotation either of the
sleeves oor of the sleeves olo according as there may be pressure in the
tubes u ul or u
These compressions or depressions effect a novement. of the manometrical or
curved tubes G, which open and shut under the influence of the compression or
depression and thus draw or push the catch or catch-bolt M, after the manner of
a Bourdon gauge.
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. The improvements in and means for propelling ships and boats substantially as
described.
2. The general arrangement or combination of parts or an arrangement or
combination of a similar or analogous nature, arising out of the same physical
or mechanical means for effecting the propulsion of vessels by the action of hydraulic
percussions in the interior of the mechanisin intended to be acted upon by them and
without taking for the purpose any support or leverage from without substantially
as described in the present specification and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
3. The arrangement of mechanism hereinbefore described and the manner of
operating the apparatus in connection therewith, viz.;-percussive propellers a al all all
fixed at the extremity of the tubes bb bb containing the columns of water
intended to produce the hydraulic percussions by their variations of speed or by the
methodical suppression of or interference with, their motion, that is to say, the
successive impulsions by which the vessel is set in motion in the manner substantially
as described in the present specification and shown on the annexed drawing.
4. In ships or boats the employment in the manner substantially as herein
described of the arrangement or combination of parts forming the improvements in
and means for propelling ships or boats by hydraulic percussion substantially as
described.
F. W. GOLBY,
36 Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agent for the Applicant.