GB2169255A

GB2169255A - Device for propelling a vessel or a person

Info

Publication number: GB2169255A
Application number: GB08500153A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Philip Sydney Smith
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1985-01-04
Filing date: 1985-01-04
Publication date: 1986-07-09
Also published as: GB8500153D0

Abstract

This invention relates to reciprocating propelling means, (such as sails, paddles, flippers and oars) manually or otherwise motivated; that is, by mechanical means or by natural scientific means of wind, wave or water current. The propelling device (Figure 1) has two basic portions, a frame (11) and flaps (12). The frame portion 11 may be more or less rigid, but always more rigid than the flaps (12). The device may comprise a single aperture frame with a single flap or be of a modular nature with multiple frames and flaps, and may be planar (Figure 1) or three dimensional (Figure 6). Upon reciprocation of the vane, a large amount of thrust can be exerted in one direction by virtue of the flap(s) closing the aperture(s), with a very small amount of thrust in the other direction. Thus it serves the purpose of a non-rotating propeller for a person or a vessel. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Sails, paddles, flippers, and oars This invention relates to sails, paddles, flippers, and oars, manually or otherwise motivated; that is, by mechanical means or by natural scientific means of wind, wave or water current.

Sails, paddles, flippers, and oars are well-known implements for propelling a body or vessel on or under water. In order to achieve high performance known implements have to be operated very efficiently. This requires a great level of skill on the part of the operator; only persons with this skill are able to attain top performance.

According to the present invention, sails, paddles, flippers, and oars are provided, which unskilled persons can operate at a high level or efficiency, by a simple reciprocating motion, where resistance is maximised in one direction, and minimised in the other direction, without any need to feather the blade in this other direction. For the remainder of this description the sail, paddle, flipper, or oar will be described as a vane.

According to the invention, an air or water vane has two basic portions - the frame, and the flap or sheet. Some methods of manufacture of the vane envisage the integration of these two portions into one component, with different zones retaining the physical properties described herein-after. These physical properties also apply when these portions are seperate parts. In all cases the frame portion may be rigid or less rigid; but always more rigid than the flap portion. The vane may be a single frame with a single flap; or of a modular nature with multiple frame and flap portions. The frame may be of planar or three-dimensional shape, such as bucket-shaped. Handles, poles or other mounting means of conventional design may be attached to the vanes depending on their particular application.

A specific embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of the example of a hand-held swimming aid, and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shews in perspective the vane, in this case a modular type, of planar form, with two handles for manual motivation.

Figure 2 shews a section through the vane during the non-working or minimum resistant part of the stroke.

Figure 3 shews a section through the vane during the working or the maximum resistant part of the stroke.

Figure 4 shews diagrammatically the overlap of the modular sheets and their size relationship to the frame modular openings.

Figure 5 shews diagrammatically the sheets when extended over a plurality of openings in the frame.

Figure 6 and Figure 7 apply to a further embodiment of the invention.

Referring to the drawing, the vane, in this case a hand-held swimming aid, has a modular frame 11 of planar shape. Joined to the trailing edge of the frame 11 are flexible sheet parts 12. When the swimming aid is moved in a forward direction shown by the arrow 13 the sheets 12 trial out in the opposite direction thus presenting minimum resistance to the motion forward as shown in Figure 2.

When the swimming aid is moved in a rearward direction shown by the arrow 14, the sheets 12 are compressed against the frame 11, thus presenting maximum resistance to the rearward motion as shown in Figure 3. High resistance to the motion of the swimming aid causes the swimmer to be pulled in the opposite direction to arrow 14; that is, forward; and as the subsequent push in the direction of arrow 13 has very little drag on the swimmers motion forward, the forward motion can be maintained by simple reciprocation of the swimming aid.

Figure 4 is a diagram showing one modular opening 15 of the frame 11, and how it is covered by a modular sheet 12. A sufficient overlap of the opening 15 by the sheet 12 must be arranged so that the water pressure does not force the sheet edges through the openings 15. This is determined by the size of the openings 15 and the thickness of the sheet 12. Overlap only occurs on the three unfixed edges of the sheet 12.

On a planar type frame a sheet 12 may extend over a plurality of openings 15, as shown in Figure 5. This arrangement only has virtue if the extension is along the line of the fixing, or hinge, of the sheet 12, as the trailing length of the sheet 12 should be kept to the minimum length compatible with not being forced through the opening 15 by the water pressure. THIS will ensure rapid closing of the openings 15 by the sheet 12 when the reciprocating motion is reversed. This is important when mechanical means are used to motivate the reciprocation at high speeds. THE need for rapid opening and closing of the frame 11 by the sheet 12 will also determine the size of the modular openings 15.

A further embodiment of the invention is described by the example of a three-dimensional vane for propelling boats and the like when greater amounts of power are available for the reciprocation means. Figure 6 shows a three-dimensional vane being pushed in the direction of the arrow 16.

Figure 7 shows the same vane being pulled in the direction of arrow 17. Referring to the drawing Figure 6; the frame II is three-dimensional, and is furnished with sheets 12 using the same technique as the first embodiment. When pushed in the direction of the arrow 16, a mass of water is trapped inside the bounds of the three-dimensional shape, and due to the inertia of the mass it presents resistance to the movement, and the vessel, or the like, is forced to move in the opposite direction.

Referring to Figure 7, when the vane is pulled in the direction of arrow 17, upon reciprocation, the mass of water is no longer trapped and flows through the openings 15, and thee is very little drag retarding the movement of the vessel, or the like, in the direction of the arrow 17. Thus, the forward movement of the vessel can be maintained by simple reciprocation of the vane.

Claims

1. A non-rotating but reciprocating propeller consisting of a modular frame covered with selfstreamlining flaps; for propelling a person, or a vessel, in or under water. The reciprocation in both directions occurs while the non-rotating propeller remains fully immersed in the water.

2. A propeller as claimed in claim 1 whereupon are hand-holding means which permit it to be used as a swimming aid.

3. A propeller as claimed in claim 1 whereupon are mechanical attachments which permit it to be used as a propeller for a vessel upon or under water.

4. A propeller consisting of a modular frame covered with self-streamlining flaps mounted obliquely to the vertical, fore and aft around a vessel, thereby propelling the vessel in a forward direction by the reciprocating motion of the pitching of the vessel, thus drawing energy from the waves or swell upon which the vessel is floating.