US1172892A

US1172892A - Propelling device for vessels.

Info

Publication number: US1172892A
Application number: US73269112A
Authority: US
Inventors: Angelo Raffaele Lerro
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1912-11-21
Filing date: 1912-11-21
Publication date: 1916-02-22
Anticipated expiration: 1933-02-22

Description

A. R. LERRO.

PROPELLING DEVICE FOR VESSELS.

APPLICAHON FILED NOV-2h l9l2.

Patented Feb. 22, 1916.

8 2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

W|TNESSE$ \NVENTOR L ANGELO RAFFAELE LERRO 3 BY ms ATTORNEY THE coLunmm L'LANOGRAPH (1).. WASHINGTON, D. c.

v A. R. LERRO.

'PROPELLING DEVICE FOR VESSELS.

APPLICATION FILED N0v.2l.1912.

1,172,892. Patented Feb. 22, 1916.

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- UNTTEE STATES i GFFTCE,

ANGELO RAFFAELE LERRO, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

PROPELLING DEVICE FOR VESSELS.

To all whom it may concern Be it. known that I, ANGELO RAFFAELE Lnnno, a subject of the King of Italy, residing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented certain Improvements in Propelling Devices for Vessels, of which the fol lowing is a pecification.

My invention relates to vessel propelling devices of the paddle whee]. type and incidentally to devices of that type where the paddle wheel is submerged and exercises its propelling force while. its blades are passing through the water in a longitudinal channel in the vessel, one object of my invention being to so construct the paddle wheel that its blades will'be presented flatwise to the water during their rearward movement but will be turned to an edgewise position during their forward movement, a. further object being to provide for the ready removal and replacing of the paddle wheel without necessitating the docking of the vessel or the removal of the same from the water.

These objects I attain in the manner herein after set forth, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a bottom view of a vessel constructed in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2 is a view, partly in elevation and partly in longitudinal section, on the line a e, Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section through the well of the vessel which contains the paddle wheel; Fig. 1 is an inverted plan or bottom view of the well and paddle wheel, and Fig. 5 is a View similar to Fig. 1 but illustrating a modified type of vessel to which my invention is applied.

Referring in the first instance to Figs. 1 to 4 of the drawings, 1 represents the hull of the vessel through the lower part of which extends from bow to stern a central channel 2, which channel is always submerged and filled with water. lVithin the vessel and extending above the water line is a well 3 which also extends down to the bottom of the channel 2, that portion of the well which lies alongside of the channel, however, being of segmental. form, as shown in Fig. 1, so that this portion of the well presents an open side adjoining said channel. Within this submerged portion of the well is disposed a paddle wheel t carrying a series of blades which are pivoted oft center to the arms or other available portions of the wheel, whereby the arm of the blade on one side of the pivot is longer than Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 22, 1916.

Application filed November 21, 1912. Serial No. 732,691.

the arm on the opposite side thereof,

shown in Figs. 1 and 4.

The paddle wheel is carried by a vertical shaft 6 which is adapted to bearings 7 and 8 located respectively in the top and bottom portions of a tubular casing 9, the latter litting snugly to the upper portion of the well 3 and being detachably secured thereto in any suitable manner, the lower bearing 7 being provided with a stutling box 10 so as to prevent the access of water to the interior of the tubular casing 9, as shown in Fig. 3.

The vertical shaft 6 is rotated by an appropriate engine 11 preferably through the intervention of a horizontal shaft 12 which is geared to the vertical shaft 6 by means of

bevel gears

13 and 1% and is adapted to bearings 15 mounted upon the top of the tubular casing 9 as shown in Fig. 2, this shaft 12 being driven by spur gears 16 and 17 from the engine shaft and being, by preference, provided with a detachable coupling 18 so that the section which is mounted in the bearings 15 can be readily disconnected from the engine section when desired. When the shaft sections are thus disconnected, the tubular casing 9 and paddle wheel can be readily withdrawn from the well, without removing the vessel from the water, whenever it is desired to gain access to the paddle wheel for purposes of inspection or repair.

Projecting upwardly from the long arm of each blade of the paddle wheel is a rod 19 and to the bottom of the tubular casing 9 is secured a cam 20, which, as the paddle wheel rotates in the direction of the arrow shown in Fig. 1, engages the projecting upper end of said rod 19 and serves to move the long arm of the blade backwardly and inwardly until said blade assumes a radial position in respect to the axis of rotation of the paddle wheel, as shown at 5 in Figs. 1 and 1, the blade being prevented from moving beyond this position by reason of the contact of the rod 19 with its corresponding arm of the paddle wheel or with some other equivalent stop.

The location of the cam 20 in respect to the blades of the paddle wheel and their pins 19 is such that each blade will occupy the flatwise or radial position shown at 5 in 1, while passing through the water in the channel 2 but aS the blade leaves the channel and enters the well 3 the short arm of said blade comes into contact with the lifii l 9011 6; of said well and causes the blade to turn until it assumes the position shown at 5 in Fig. 1, and is thus caused to travel edgewise through the water in the submerged portion of the well 3, the blade there fore oflering but little resistance to the water while in the well but exercising its full propulsive efi'ect while occupying the channel 2.

In order to insure the best eifect of the rear corner of the well upon the short arm of the blade it is preferable to round or bevel said rear corner of the well, as shown for instance at 21 in Figs. 1 and 2. A feathering paddle wheel of the character which I have shown and described may be used in vessels which employ partly submerged vertical paddle wheels but its full benefits are obtained when the paddle wheel is wholly submerged.

In that type of vessel shown in Fig. 5 a pair of my improved paddle wheels are employed one on each side of the channel 2, the paddle wheels in this case being operated synchronously so that their blades Will act in pairs upon the water in the channel. This arrangement also provides for a distribution of the weight evenly on opposite sides of the keel.

I claim:

1. The combination of a vessel having a submerged longitudinal channel therein and a vertical well whose lower portionis subchannel, a paddle wheel occupying said submerged portion of the well, and a tubular casin'g carrying said paddle wheel and occupying the upper portion of the well, said tubular casing being closed at the bottom.

2. The combination of a vessel having a submerged longitudinal channel therein and a vertical well whose lower portion is submerged and in communication with said channel, a paddle wheel contained in said submerged portion of the well, acasing can rying said paddle wheel and occupying the upper portion of the well, a motive power engine, and mechanism for transmitting power from said engine to the paddle wheel, part of said mechanism being carried by the casing, and means for disconnecting such part of the mechanism from the engine,

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

merged and in communication with said