GB2285245A

GB2285245A - Marine propeller drive

Info

Publication number: GB2285245A
Application number: GB9426002A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Heinz-Jueurgen Bonmann
Original assignee: Mannesmann AG
Current assignee: Vodafone GmbH
Priority date: 1993-12-30
Filing date: 1994-12-22
Publication date: 1995-07-05
Anticipated expiration: 2014-12-22
Also published as: GB9426002D0; GB2285245B; DE4345126C1

Abstract

The invention relates to a ship's-propulsion arrangement having an engine which, via a cardan shaft, propels a propeller which is fastened on a radially and axially mounted shaft. The invention is characterised in that the front side (13) of that end of the shaft (11) opposite the propellers (12) has a tubular pressure-shaft part (44), in that there is provided, on the pressure shaft (44), a radially outwardly directed pressure collar (43) which corresponds with a bearing housing (41), which engages around the pressure collar (46) and exhibits axial bearings (71, 72), and in that the pressure shaft (44) encloses the cardan shaft (21) and is connected thereto via elastic elements (61, 62). … <IMAGE> …

Description

2285245 SHIP PROPULSION APPARATUS The invention relates to a ship

propulsion apparatus comprising a motor which drives via a universal-joint shaft a propeller fixed to a radially and axially mounted shaft.

US Patent No. 4854903 discloses a ship propulsion apparatus comprising a motor which drives, via gearing, a propeller fixed to a radially and axially mounted shaft. With this arrangement, on the one hand the motor is connected with the gearing and on the other hand the gearing is connected with the shaft via a universal-joint shaft. The proposed type of radial and axial mounting for the shaft requires a lot of structural space. Moreover, there are no arrangements for absorption of the structureborne noise stemming from the propeller blades and for resiliently intercepting shock forces which suddenly occur.

German Patent Applicant No. 24 09 242 discloses a thrust bearing for the propeller shaft of a ship, in which a radially outwardly extending thrust collar is provided on the propeller shaft, which thrust collar corresponds with a bearing housing comprising axial bearings encompassing the thrust collar. No suggestion of constructing the propeller shaft as a universal-joint shaft can be inferred from this specification.

The German company brochure "Centalink" published by Centa Antriebe, 5667 Haan, describes universal-joint shafts for various fields of application, including the connection of a ship's main drive with the propeller. Page 13 shows an axial drive for railway vehicles, in which the driving universal-joint shaft envelopes the wheel axle and one end of the universal-joint shaft is connected via resilient members with the wheel and thus with the axle.

A propulsion apparatus for ships or boats in known from German Patent No. 27 48 359, in which, for transmission of the torque to the propeller, this has two 2 synchronous swivel joints arranged at its ends and a rigid f ixed length shaft. To accommodate the axial and radial movement, a bearing is provided on the propeller shaft.

is The components of the propulsion apparatus between the motor and the propeller shaft are designed so that they are able to absorb not only the forces which occur but also the possible axial and radial movements. The arrangement of the universal-joint shaft known from the above-mentioned specification and of the thrust bearing on the propeller shaft requires a relatively large structural volume. This is particularly true as ships grow ever larger with consequently increasing driving powers, since very much greater demands are made on the movements of the individual components.

Furthermore, especially with passenger ships particular attention needs to be paid to the transmission of structure-born noise, with multi-vane propellers in particular, the resultant torque exhibits a degree of irregularity which is injected into the system. This structure-borne noise coming from the propeller blades must be disengaged as -far as possible. It has hitherto been attempted to achieve the predetermined admissible characteristic noise values by highly-elastic mounting of the individual units such as the motor and optionally the gearing. This solution entails high costs, however, and has hitherto only been used in luxury yachts.

moreover, especially with ships operating in polar seas, shock forces may arise, for example when the propeller meets a block of ice. The shockabsorption usually achieved hitherto by resilient mounting of the individual units is no longer sufficient with today's ships.

An aim of the invention is to provide a ship 3 propulsion apparatus which requires as small as possible a structural volume and at the same time accommodates large radial and axial displacements as well as forces, and additionally disengages structure- borne noise by simple structural measures and minimizes shock value.

A ship propulsion apparatus in accordance with the invention comprises a motor, which drives, via a universaljoint shaft, a propeller fixed to a shaft, the end of the propeller shaft opposite the propeller comprising a tubular thrust shaft, a radially outwardly directed thrust collar provided on the thrust shaft, and a bearing housing surrounding the thrust collar and including axial bearings wherein the thrust shaft envelopes at least part of the universal-joint shaft and is connected therewith via one or more resilient members.

The ship propulsion apparatus comprises a thrust bearing which is arranged as a tubular thrust shaft member at the front of the propeller shaft. The universal-joint shaft and the propeller shaft are connected via one or more resilient members. The thrust bearing is preferably rigidly connected to the ship's frame. Whilst radial bearings are provided between the housing and the thrust shaft.

By combining the thrust bearing of the propeller shaft with the coupling member to the universal-joint shaft, the structural space required in the ship's body is minimized. Through the cardanic mounting of the coupling all displacements of the propeller shaft with respect to the ship's body and the propulsion machinery are accommodated. The proposed ship propulsion apparatus is not only able to accommodate the axial thrust forces and the radial forces from the shaft line, it can also absorb the torques and disengage the structure-borne noise. Through the resilient connection the proposed ship propulsion is, moreover, in a position to absorb force impacts occurring spontaneously.

4 The use of the tubular thrust shaft, which envelopes the universal-joint shaft, allows the use of structurally simple members, standard housings being used for the bearing.

With a universal-joint shaft provided with flanges, the thrust shaft is constructed, in the area of connection with the main body of the propeller shaft, as a housing provided annularly with a bead. The housing and the propeller, or driving,-side flange of the universal-joint shaft are connected together with resilient members. The bead-shaped housing of the tubular thrust shaft is elastically deformable. In this way, shock magnitudes are further reduced, since the housing takes over the shock work, in addition to the resilient members. A comparable housing and connection via resilient members are-likewise provided for the connection of the universal-joint shaft and main shaft.

The invention will now be further described by way of example with reference to the attached schematic drawing, Figure 1. This shows a propeller shaft 11 with a propeller 12. The front 13 of the propeller shaft 11 is constructed as a hollow thrust shaft 44, on which a thrust collar 43 is provided. The thrust collar 43 and the thrust shaft 44 are mounted respectively axially and radially in a bearing housing 41 via propeller and motor-side axial bearings 71, 72 and propeller and motorside radial bearings 73, 74.

The hollow thrust shaft 44 envelopes a universal-joint shaft 21, which, as shown in the sketch, comprises a flange 22 on the propeller side and a flange 23 on the motor side. The propeller-side flange 22 is located in a housing 42, which is constructed as an annular bead on the thrust shaft 44.

In the lower area of the sketch the flange 22 is connected via an annularly constructed member 62 with the radially outwardly directed part of the housing 42. In the upper area of the sketch, openings are provided in the housing 42, into which openings there are inserted resilient members 61 formed as circular plugs. These resilient plugs 61 are connected via rod-from members 63 with the flange 22 of the universal-joint shaft 21.

The motor-side flange 23 of the universal-joint shaft is likewise connected via resilient members 61 and 62 with a shaft 31 driven by a motor 32. The end 33 of the shaft 31 is constructed, in the upper part of the sketch a collar 36 is provided on the coupling flange 35 and surrounds the flange 23 of the universal-joint shaft 21. The sketch further shows that the motor 32 is mounted resiliently by means of member 34, while the housing 41 firmly connected with the frame.

is 6

Claims

CLAIMS is 1. A ship propulsion apparatus comprising a motor, which drives,

via a universal-joint shaft, a propeller fixed to a shaft, the end of the propeller shaft opposite the propeller comprising a tubular thrust shaft, a radially outwardly directed thrust collar provided on the thrust shaft, and a bearing housing surrounding the thrust collar and including axial_bearings wherein the thrust shaft envelopes at least part of the universal-joint shaft and is connected therewith via one or more resilient members.
2. A ship propulsion apparatus as claimed in Claim 1, wherein radial bearings are provided on the thrust shaft on both sides of the thrust collar.
3. A ship propulsion apparatus as claimed in either Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein the region of the thrust shaft nearest the propeller shaft comprises a housing in the f orm of a bead, which housing envelopes the propeller-side end of the universal-joint shaft which includes a flange.
4. A ship propulsion apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim further including a coupling flange at the driving end of the main shaft and a collar on the coupling flange which projects beyond a flange on the motor - side end of the universal-joint shaft,
5. A ship propulsion apparatus as claimed in Claim 4 as dependant on Claim 3, wherein the f langes of the universal-joint shaft are respectively connected, via ring - form resilient members, on the driving side with the coupling flange and on the driven side with the housing.
6. A ship propulsion apparatus as claimed in either Claim 4 as dependent on Claim 3 or Claim 5, wherein resilient plug members are retained in openings provided in 7 the housing and in the coupling f lange collar, the plug members being connected with the flanges of the universaljoint shaft.
7. A ship propulsion apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.