Improvements in and relating to the Propulsion of Ships or Vessels.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Sept., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 9th June, 1891-Accepted, 15th Aug., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to the Propulsion of Ships or
Vessels.
I, KELSO WRIG¤t, of 16 Arthur Street, Greenock, Renfrewshire, Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of my invention to be as follows :-
This invention has reference to and comprises a new or improved general con-
struction, or arrangement and combination of the parts, of gearing for driving screw
propellers, actuated by steam or other motive power engines, or it might be by
manual labour, and specially suitable for the smaller class of vessels, such as yachts,
launches, or punts, canal boats, and the like, and specially applicable for driving twin
screws in such vessels which require small draught of water, and will be more con-
venient for such purposes, than the modes and means of mounting and driving
screw propellers in such vessels heretofore.
The nature and novelty of the improvements under one arrangement consist in
carrying each propeller to revolve loose on a fixed stud or turned axle screwed or
otherwise secured in a strong stationary eye block fixed to the shell or deadwood
of the ship as hereinafter described. The boss of the propeller is keyed or other-
wise secured on a bored bush eye, with driving bevel wheel on its inner end turning
loose on the said fixed axle, and driven by a vertical or angled bevel wheel gearing
into it on the lower end of a vertical or angled intermediate shaft which turns
freely in a footstep bearing formed in the said block carrying the fixed axle of the
propeller. The upper end of the intermediate shaft would be carried in neck bush
bearings in a metal headstock frame secured to the deck or other convenient part
of the frames of the vessel. The extreme upper end of each intermediate bevel
wheel shaft above the bearings would have a bevel or mitre wheel keyed or
otherwise mounted on it, and be actuated by vertical bevel wheels gearing into
these rotating loose on a horizontal motive power shaft carried in bush bearings
in the said metal frame carrying the bearings of the intermediate bevel wheel shaft
or shafts. On this horizontal shaft between each pair of loose bevel wheel shafts
over the fixed bevel wheel which they drive, a sliding friction or other clutch is
mounted driven by a key and feather and with hand lever for actuating it, and
engaging into corresponding clutches in the loose bevel wheels, so that whichever
bevel wheel is thrown into gear it drives the intermediate shaft and propeller to
propel in the forward or backward direction, or in the central position stops the
driving of the propeller, the hand lever having spring catches and notched quadrant
to retain it in any of the three positions. The horizontal shaft driving this bevel
gearing is preferably actuated by a grooved driving pulley and rope belt, or it
might be a pitch chain and chain pulley actuated by a corresponding rope or chain
pulley on a first motion shaft, which might be actuated by hand cranks and fly
wheels or by small steam or oil motive power engines placed near the centre or
other part of the boat, which driving rope or chain might be enclosed between
narrow protecting partitions or bulkheads where it passed through the cabin or
passenger part of the boat. For twin propellers each block carrying the stud axis
of each propeller might by one arrangement be carried on a fixed transverse square
bar passing through eyes in the blocks, with strong pinching screws and lock nuts
for securing the blocks thereto in any fixed position, and this transverse bar would be
secured by a corresponding eye or block and pinching screws to the lower part
of a vertical square bar mounted in the line of the deadwood or centre stern of
the vessel, carried on strong brackets secured to and projecting out from the lower
and upper parts of the stern post or deadwood and it might have angled stays from

page_text: its outer ends secured to the deadwood at their forward ends, when the propeller is
mounted abaft the cross bar and vertical shaft, but when the propeller is mounted
inside or forward of the propelling gear, the angled stays might be taken from the
outer ends of the propeller axles. But when there was only one propeller in the
centre its axle might be cenred to the block direct on the vertical bar, and
the rudder might he mounted to the said brackets or blocks or outer end of the
stern axle, although when twin propellers are used the rudder when desired might
be mounted in the usual manner to the stern, post or deadwood between the two
propellers and although these propellers and their fixed spindles, have only been
described as mounted at the stern of the boat, they might be similarly mounted at
the bow or under the bow quarters of the vessel, and their rotating eye bushes
might be mounted on anti-friction rollers or balls on their fixed axes to save friction
as in many other kinds of machinery.
Den til. Unutdum 1280
W. R. M. THOMSON & Co.,
Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to the Propulsion of Ships or
Vessels.
1, KELSO WRIGur, of 16 Arthur Street, Greenock, Renfrewshire, Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of my invention and in what manner the same is to
he performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement in writing, that is to say:
1
This invention has reference to and comprises a new or improved general con-
struction, or arrangement and combination of the parts, of gearing for driving serow
propellers, actuated by steam or other motive power engines, or it might be by
manual lah ur. and specially suitable for the smaller class of vessels, such as yachts,
launches, or punts, canal boats and the like, and particularly applicable for driving
twin serews in such vessels, which require small draught of water, and will be more
convenient for such purposes, than the mixes and means of mounting and driving
screw propellers in such vessels heretofore.
And in order that my said invention and the manner of performing or carrying
the same into effect or practice may be properly understood, I have hereunto
appended an explanatory sheet of drawings, in which the same reference letters
are used to indiente corresponding parts in all the figures where shown.
Figure 1 is an elevation broken away of the stern part A of a launch or bont,
showing one arrangement of my improved propelling gear applied thereto. While
Figure 2 is a hall end view broken away, corresponding to Figure 1 to show the
motive gearing and clutch arrangements.
Figures 3 and 4 are views of details hereinafter referred to.
Referring to these drawings.-The improvements under this arrangement consist
in carrying each screw propeller 13 to revolve loose on a fixed stud or turned axle (
screwed into or formed in one with a strong stationary eye block D fixed to the
shell or deadwood A of the boat or ship as hereinafter described. The boss B' of
the propeller B is keyed or otherwise secured on a bored bush or eye E, with
driving bevel wheel keyed or formed on its inner end turning loose on the said
fixed stud axle C, and driven by a horizontal or angled bevel wheel gearing into
the wheel F and keyed on the lower end of a vertical or angled intermediate
shaft (, carried in neck bush bearings 11 in a metal headstock frame or plate H
secured to the deck A or other convenient part of the frames of the vessel. The
extreme upper end of each intermediate bevel wheel shaft (i above the bearing H, 11',
has a bevel or mitre wheel 1 keyed or otherwise mounted on it, actuated by corre
sponding vertical bevel wheels 11, 12, gearing into these mounted and rotating loose

page_text: on a horizontal motive power shaft J, J', on frames J³, secured to the deck or other
frame of the vessel. On this horizontal shaft J between each pair of loose bevel
wheels I, I, over the fixed bevel wheel I which they drive, a sliding friction or
other double clutch K k is mounted driven by the shaft through a key and
feather K and with hand lever K for actuating same carried on a fixed centre
stud in a frame K* secured to the deck, so as to make the catches & of the
clutch K engage into one or other of the corresponding catches or clutches k¹
formed on the inner face of the loose bevel wheels II, so that whichever bevel
wheel or I is thrown into gear, it drives the intermediate wheel I and its
shaft G and propeller B to propel in the forward or backward direction respectively,
or in the central position stops the driving of the propeller B, the hand lever K
having ordinary spring catches and notched quadrant not shown in the drawings to
retain it in any of the three positions. Any double friction reversing coupling may
be used between the wheels I, I, instead of the clutch coupling shown. The
horizontal shaft J driving this bevel gearing 1 to 12 is preferably actuated by a
pitch chain L and chain pulley L' mounted on the shaft J near the centre, (or it
might be a grooved driving pulley and rope belt or other band), actuated by a
corresponding chain or rope pulley on a first motion shaft, not shown in the
drawings, which might be actuated by hand cranks and fly wheels or by small
steam or oil motive power engines placed near the centre or other part of the boat,
which driving chain or rope L might be enclosed between narrow protecting
partitions or bulkheads where it passed through the cabin or passenger part of the
boat.
For twin propellers B one mounted on each side of the deadwood A¹ and
rudder, each block D carrying the stud axis C of each propeller B is by one
arrangement carried by a square eye D)" fixed on a square part M' near the ends
of a transverse bar M, with strong pinching screws and lock nuts at D³ for securing
the blocks D thereto in any desired fixed position, and this transverse bar M. is
secured by a central square M to and through an eye or boss A³ in the dendwood
or centre stern A A¹ of the vessel by screw nuts M³ or other equivalent; and
further secured in the arrangement shown by angled stays N screwed or otherwise
secured at its outer ends N and to the wall of the vessel or it might be to the
deadwood or other part at N'. But when there was only one propeller B in the
centre, its axle C might be secured to the block D direct or to the stern frame
of the keel or deadwood, and the propeller work through a recess in the deadwood,
and the rudder Z be mounted in a usual manner to the stern post behind the
propeller, although when twin propellers are used the rudder would be mounted in
a usual manner to the stern post or deadwood and work clear between the two
propellers. And although these propellers B and their fixed spindles C, have only
been described and shown as mounted at the stern of the boat, they might be
similarly mounted at the bow or under the bow quarters of the vessel, and their
rotating eye bushes E might be mounted on antifriction rollers or balls to rotate
on their fixed axes C to save friction as in many other kinds of machinery.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is.-
First. The construction or arrangement and combination of the parts of pro-
pelling mechanism consisting in mounting screw propellers on fixed axes and
driving them by bevel wheel gearing and reversing clutch mechanism, substantially
as herein described, in reference to and shown in the accompanying drawings.
Second. The combination comprising a screw propeller or propellers revolving
on a fixed axis or axes each actuated by bevel wheel gearing at the lower end of
a vertical or angled shaft with reversing bevel wheel gearing and coupling at its
upper end, substantially as and for the purposes herein described in reference to
and by way of application shown in the accompanying drawings.

page_text: Third. The mounting and driving of screw propellers on fixed axes, for being
fitted at the stern or bow or under the stern or bow quarters of the ship or vessel,
substantially as herein described in reference to and by way of application shown in
the accompanying drawings.
لبي
1
W. R. M. THOMSON & Co.,
96, Buchanan Street, Glasgow, Agents.