US1044371A - Propeller. - Google Patents

Description

L. R. FULDA'.

,PrwPELLERI f IIIIIIIIIIIII LED APR. 111111 o. 1 ,044,371.` Patented Nov..12, 1912.

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L. R. FULDA.

PROPELLER.' APPLIOATION FILED APRlze, 1910.

Patented Nov. 12,1912.

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the following is a specification.

LA'MARTINE R. FULDA, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

PROPELLER.

1,044,371. 'Specification of Letters Patent.

Application led April 26, 1910. Serial No. 557,699.

taining propulsive force, and any propeller in common' use may be employed for that purpose. The propeller A, as shown, has, however, been put to a number of practical comparative tests and has been found to be of greater eliiciency in propulsive force than any other type of propeller; but as further experiments may result in the employment of other propellers than that here shown, for the purpose of increasing prop'ulsive speed, and as to obtain speed is not the essence of this invention, it can be readily understood that I do not wish to be limited to the use of the particular structure shown.

The propeller A is mounted on a revoluble shaft 2, whichmay be driven by any desired means and in any suitable manner. In applying the invention to propeller driven ships, the shaft 2 is preferably disposed at right angles to the keel of a vessel B, as shown in Fig. A, passing through eachside,`and Vmay be situated at the stern To all whom t may concern Be it known that l, LAMARTINE R. FULDA, citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of San Francisco and State of California, have invented new and useful lmprovements in Propellers, of which to a device for conthe propulsive acrlhis invention relates trolling the direction of tion of propellers. 0

lt is the object of this invention to provide a means for controlling the direction of the propulsive force of propellers without stopping or diminishing the speed of the propellers or their motive power.

A further object is to provide a device which is applicable for use in any situation where propellers are employed, whereby the structure driven by the propellers may be caused to stop, reverse, go ahead, or travel at various speeds without changingthe direction of the rotation or altering speed of the propeller.

A device of this nature is especially adapted for use on aerial machines, submarines, and sea-going vessels. It is also suitable for launches and other craft using propellers for their propulsion, and particularly on boats which are designed to travel at a high rate of speed.

rlhe invention consists of the parts and the construction and combination of parts as hereinafter more fully described and claimed, having referencel to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a front elevation of my 1nventionl Fig. 2 is a side elevation.l Fig. 3 is a perspective view. Fig. 4: is a view depicting the manner of applying the device to the sternV of aship. Fig. 5 shows the successive positions of thedirection con trolling device for driving in different directions. Fig. 6 is a plan view of a modiied form of the invention as applied to aerial propellers. Fig. 7 is a cross section on the line X X Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is aperspective view of the modified form of the invention shown in Figs. 6 and 7. Fig. 9 is a detail in section showing another form of constructing the device shown in Fig. 7. Fig. 10 is a similar view illustrating a different manner of constructing and operating the device shown in Figs. l and 2.

ln the drawings A represents a propeller which may be of any suitable type or construction, as it is merely a means for obbe disposed `at intervals throughout the lengthV of the. vessel, but in either case a propeller blade A would be mounted on each" end of thej drive shaft in pairs to produce an even driving action. The shaft2 isv shown as passing through a sleeve 3, mounted in a suitable stuffing box 4;, where it extends through the side of a vesselB, the sleeve 3 being secured to or formed integral withV a circular disk or back-plate 5, which is disposed back of and adj acentto the blades'of the propeller A. This construction permits of. the shaft 2 and propeller A being rotated independent of the sleeve d and back-plate 5, which latter is adapted to be revolved freely in either direction, irrespective of the shaft 2, by `means o-f a lever 6 or its equivalent secured to theinner end of the sleeve 3, which may be operated in any'suitable manner. The 'back-plate 5 is substantially the same diameter as that of the propeller A, and has a flange or rim 7 formed at right angles on its outer periphery, forming a cylinder, the inner face of which follows the curvature of the circle, which bounds the outer periphery of the blades A. The flange 7, or cylinder, may be a portion of the plate 5, or may be suitably secured thereto. In some instances, however, the flange or cylinder 7 may be formed independent of the back-plate 5 and be revolved byany means independent thereof, the object of the plate 5 being merely to Patented Nov. i2, 1,912.

thereof; or' a number of drive shafts may 2, so as to act form an essential backing or wall at the rear of the propeller blades A, and is here shownV as attached to the flange 7 as a means of transmitting movement to the latter from 5 the interior of the vessel B through the sleeve 3.

The flange or cylinder 7 is designed to be of a height approximately equal to the widest depth of the blades A and may be con- 10 tinuous, that is, to extend entirely around the periphery of the propeller A, as shown in Fig. 6, or it may have a section removed so as to form an open space 8 on one side, as shown in Figs. 12*8, a condition depending upon whether the propeller is employed in a vertical position, Figs. l and 2, or in a horizontal position, Fig. 7. lVhere the propeller A is used in a vertical position, as on ships and submarines, the open`space 8 in the flange or cylinder 7 extends approximately about onequarter the distance around the propeller A, as shown in Fig. l, thus virtually incasing the propeller in a cylinder formed by the fiange 7 and backplate 5, which cylinder yis open on one side,

as at 8, and one end.

have found by experiment that the efliciency of the propeller A, when used in conjunction with my invention, wasgreatly increased by partially closing the front of e the cylinder 7 with a plate9, the upper edge of which terminates at one end just below the center line of the propeller and a sho-rt distance above the lower edge of the opening 8 at the other end, the plate 9 being trimmed at 9 to bring its upper edge down to the cylinder end.

The operation of this form of the invention is as follows, the propeller A being vertically'mounted and disposed parallel with the keel of the vessel, instead of at rightV angles thereto, as in common practice: The propeller A, being rotated in the direction of the arrows a Fig. l, the Huid medium or water in which itoperates is drawn in at the open end ofthe cylinder 7, as indicated by the arrows Fig. l, and is carried around the interior of the cylinder 7 intoV the pocket formed back .of the plate 9, by the propeller 5o blades A, to be discharged through the open space 8.- The volume of Huid forced out of the opening'8 drives the vessel forward in the direction indicated by the arrow Z) Fig. l.

der l up, with cylinder e to the right, and with cylinder f the direction of travel is down.

From the foregoing, it is evident that if Va vessel is being propelled in the direction of the arrow C, Fig. 5, and it is desired to reverse the direction of travel, it is only necessary to give the cylinder 7 a half turn, so as to throw it into the position shown at c, Fig. 5, the turning of the cylinder 7 changing the direction of travel without affecting the propeller A. To stop the forward or rearward movement of a vessel while the propellers A are rotating, the cylinder 7 is turned in the position shown at 8 d or f, Fig. 5, in which position the propulsive action would be to lift the vessel in the water or pull it down, an action which would have but little effect on a large ship other than to bring it to a standstill, for g in this position the direction of the propulsive force is neither ahead nor astern. This feature of the invention, however', can hc taken advantage of in submarine construction, as by turning the cylinder to one point, 9( the propellers will act to sink the vessel, and at another point to raise it, while by varying the position of the cylinder on its axis, the vessel may be driven at any angle up or down, ahead or astern. As the turning of 95 the cylindrical fiange 7 is essential to the successful operation of this forin of the invention and as the fiange or cylinder 7 is the essence of the invention, it becomes obvious that any suitable means may be employed by 10i which the cylinder may be revolved. Fig. l0 shows a simple and different manner by which this may be effected. In this form the cylinder 7 is revolubly supported on the face of a stationary back-plate 5 by means of a 10 flange 10 on the cylinder 7 engaged by a band 1l on the plate 5. A lever 6 is sccured on the cylinder 7 through which the latter may be rotated in any suitable manner.

Where the propeller A is operated in a 110 horizontal position, as shown in Figs. G and 7, to produce an upward and horizontal propulsive force, such, for instance, as in flying-machine construction, the cylinder 7 completely surrounds the propeller A, and a 115 portion of the back-plate 5a is removed as at 8, so as to form an open space of approxit p mately half the area of the cylinder. In this which Ydirection is that on the Side 0f the form the air acted upon by the rotation of propeller opposite the opening 8. It will be the blades A, is drawn in through the open 120 readily seen that when the cylinder 7 is 10- end of the cylinder 7 from above and is distated so as to change the position of the charged through the open space 8 in a Opening 8 in relation to the propeller blade downward direction, thus tending to raise v A, the direction of propulsion will be correor lift the vessel in an upward direction spondingly. changed. This is clearly illusand at the same time propel it in a hori- 125 trated in Fig. 5, which shows the cylinder 7 zontal position in the direction of the arrow dturned in four different positions and indig, Figs. l and 2, which direction is toward reating by arrows the direction of travel in the side of the cylinder 7 opposite the openeach position. For instance, with the cylining 8. This being the case, it is readily der c the travel will be to the left, with cylinapparent that an air ship fitted with this in- 130 vention can be navigated in any direction, as turning the cylinder 7 to right or left to change the position of the opening 8 changes the direction of the propulsive force of the propeller A. This form of the invention eing put to an experimental test in a volume of Water, was found to pull equally in an upward and a horizontal position at the same time.

As the changing of the position of the opening 8 influences the direction of travel, in a manner like that of the opening 8 in the form previously described, it is evident that the same results can be accomplished by mounting the cylinder 7 stationary over a circular opening 12, as shown in Fig. 9, and mounting the back-plate 5 separately therein, in which case the latter will be supported on a bearing 13 and provided With means for being rotated, such as a lever 111. By turning the lever 1li the back-plate 5 will be caused to 'rotate on its axis Within the cylinder Z and thus change the position of the opening 8. e

lilach propeller blade A is provided WithV an outwardly projecting rib or flange l5 on its rear edge, which is designed to contact with the face of the back-plate 5 or 5 and acts to form a straight or plane surface, against which the fluid medium operated on is impinged; it being found that greater efhciency is obtained in propulsive force Where this construction is employed than Where the blade A meets the back-plate 5-5 at an angle. The back of the blades A may also be provided with a number of ribs or corruga- Copies of this patent may be tions 16, if desired, which act to offer a greaterl resistance, or prevent a certain slip of the fluid medium, on which the propeller revolves.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is- 1. In a device of the character described, and in combination With a propeller, a cylinder completely closed on one side an having an opposite side With an opening Which extends from substantially the axis of the cylinder to the periphery of the cylinder at the other side of the axis, said cylinder having a discharge opening in its periphery.

2. ln a device of the character described, y

and in combination With a propeller, a cylinder completely closed on one side and having an opposite side with an opening which extends from lsubstantially the axis of the cylinder to the periphery of the cylinder at the other side of the axis, said cylinder having a discharge opening in its periphery, ka shaft, a sleeve on the shaft'and xed to the closed side of the cylinder, and means whereby the shaft and sleeve may be independently rotated.

`ln testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

LAMARTINE yR. FULDA.

Witnesses CHARLES, EDELMAN,

W. Coon.

Commissioner of '.Patents,

Washington, D. G.

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