GB2054499A

GB2054499A - Driving system for ships or the like

Info

Publication number: GB2054499A
Application number: GB8031324A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Hurth Verwaltungs GmbH
Current assignee: Hurth Verwaltungs GmbH
Priority date: 1977-10-15
Filing date: 1978-10-06
Publication date: 1981-02-18
Also published as: FR2405868A1; GB2054499B; FR2405868B3; GB2007614A; IT1157368B; IT7851441A0; GB2007614B; SE7808175L

Abstract

In a marine V-drive, torque is transmitted from the input shaft 8 to the inclined propeller shaft 5 by one or more belts 21 or other endless flexible members, which may be deflected by rollers 28 to ensure uniform contact with the associated pulleys 19, 20. The propeller shaft 5 is journalled in a bush 36 with a slightly oblique bore so that by rotation of the bush through 180 DEG the angle of inclination of the shaft can be adjusted.

Description

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SPECIFICATION

Driving system for ships or the like

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The invention relates to a driving system for ships or the like in which the driving torque is transmitted by an engine via a substantially horizontally disposed output shaft to a propeller shaft carrying at least one 10 propellororthe like, inclined at an acute angle with respect to the output shaft. Such driving systems are referred to in the art as "V-drives". Examples are described in German Patent Specification OS 27 46493 and British Patent Specification No. 2007614. , 15 The prior art discloses V-drives in which the torque is transmitted from the output shaft of the engine to the inclined propeller shaft by means of bevelled gearwheels. Such drives are expensive and noisy. In comparison with these, V-drives using flexible trac-20 tion members to couple the shafts are simple in design and easy to maintain. They are particularly advantageous at low powers.

It is the object of the invention to disclose a driving system of the above-described kind which is as 25 versatile as possible. Hitherto, a different model of V-drive has been required for each application needing a different shaft angle.

The invention provides a driving system for ships or the like in which the driving torque is transmitted 30 from an engine via a substantially horizontally disposed output shaft to a propeller shaft inclined at an acute angle with respect to the output shaft, extending (in use) into the water, in which the propeller shaft is retained in a bearing bush whose 35 bearing bore is inclined with respect to its external surface and can be installed in two positions which are offset circumferentially from each other by 180°. In consequence, one and the same driving system can be used for ships with different inclinations of 40 the propeller shaft. This arrangement is not confined to use in driving systems with flexible traction elements but can also be employed for other V-drives.

Further advantages and features of the invention 45 are disclosed in the description hereinbelow with s reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 shows an example of a driving system (V-drive) in which the invention is used;

Figure 2 is a simplified view of the V-drive for a 50 driving system according to the invention;

Figure 3 is a view of the V-drive in the direction of arrow III in Figure 2; and

Figure 4 \s a horizontal section along the line IV-IV in Figure 2.

55 Figure 1 shows an engine 2 installed in the hull 1 of a ship and adapted to drive via a known reversing transmission 3 (for example according to German Patent Specification 20 45 383) and via a V-drive 4, which will be described below, a propeller shaft 5 60 which extends through the ship's hull into the water and supports at its end at least one propeller 6. The output shaft of the engine, not shown in Figure 1, and the propeller shaft 5 form an acute angle. The reversing transmission can be controlled with a lever 65 7. The same lever can also control the engine charging where appropriate. The V-drive is described hereinbelow by reference to Figures 2 to 4.

A cylindrical belt pulley 19 is non-rotationally and axially non-slidably mounted on the output shaft 8 which extends from the engine 2 or from the reversing transmission 3 and a cylindrical belt pulley 20 is mounted in like manner on the propeller shaft 56. Endless traction means 21 of any desired kind, for example one or more V-belts or the like, is or are placed over both belt pulleys 19,20.

The cylindrical belt pulleys arranged at an angle to each other would result in different lengths of the external fibres of the traction means. To equalize this difference, skewed support rollers 28,29 are provided which bear on the outside of the traction means and reverse the traction means 21 on the two portions thereof which do not bear on the belt pulleys 19,20, so that all longitudinal fibres of the traction means are tensioned uniformly or at least approximately uniformly. To this end the support rollers are rotatably supported on the members 31, 32 of a V-shaped support and their axes are inclined at an angle in space. Conveniently, the support 30 is placed so that the angle bisector 33 of the angle 8 formed by the members 31,32 extends through the apex of the angle (3 formed by the two shafts 5,8.

To ensure uniform thrust of the support rollers 28, 29 on the traction means 21 and therefore to obtain uniform tensioning of the traction means itself, the support 30 can slide axially in the direction of the angle bisector 33 and is thrust by means of a spring 35 towards the traction means.

To enable the drive to be installed in a variety of circumstances, the propeller shaft 5 is supported in a bush 36 whose internal bore 37 is inclined at a small angle a in relation to the external diameter 38 of the bush so as to provide the greatest versatility for the use of the driving system. The bush 36 can be installed in either of two positions and a pin 39 orthe like provides the necessary security against rotation. These two positions enable the propeller shaft 5 to be set at two angles of inclination which differ by 2a. If the angles a are very small (up to approximately 3°) the resulting unequal stress in the traction means can be neglected. Similar plug-in bearing bushes or other devices are recommended for receiving the support 30 in the case of larger angles, so that the support can also be installed in two positions which differ by the angle a.

The description hereinabove applies not only to flat belts or V-belts as traction means but can also be correspondingly applied to toothed belts, chains and like traction means. The invention is also applicable to other V-drives or angular drives using gearwheels as transmission elements.

Attention is drawn to our co-pending application 39587/78 (2007614) from which this application is divided and which describes and claims a driving system for ships or the like in which the driving torque is transmitted by an engine via a substantially horizontally disposed output shaft to a propeller shaft substantially coplanarwith and inclined at an acute angle with respect to the output shaft, extending (in use) into the water, and in which the torque is transmitted from the output shaft to the propeller

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shaft orthe like by traction means comprising one or more endless flexible traction members.

Claims

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1. A driving system for ships orthe like in which the driving torque is transmitted from an engine via a substantially horizontally disposed output shaft to a propeller shaft inclined at an acute angle with 10 respect to the output shaft, extending (in use) into the water, in which the propeller shaft is retained in a bearing bush whose bearing bore is inclined with respect to its external surface and can be installed in two positions which are offset circumferentially from 15 each other by 180°. *

Printed for Her Majesty's Stationery Office by Croydon Printing Company Limited, Croydon, Surrey, 1981.

Published by The Patent Office* 25 Southampton Buildings, London, WC2A 1AY, from which copies may be obtained.