US1372749A

US1372749A - Water-craft

Info

Publication number: US1372749A
Application number: US229004A
Authority: US
Inventors: William J Hafstrom
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1918-04-17
Filing date: 1918-04-17
Publication date: 1921-03-29
Anticipated expiration: 1938-03-29

Description

Patented Mal'. 29, 1921.

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. 1. HAFSTROM. WATER CRAFT.

APPLICATION FILED APR. I7, 1918.

W. I. HAFSTROM.

WATER CRAFT.

APPLICATION FILED APII; I?, 191ey menamar. 29, w21.

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W. J. HFSTROM.

WATER CRAFT.

APPLICATION man APH. 17, 1918.

Eatented Mar. 29, 192B.

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d?. (MM @ijf Y@ the WILLIAM J. HAFSTROIVI, OF CHCAGO, ILLINIS.

WATER-CRAFT.

Leraars.

Specieation of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 29, 19921..

Application filed April 17, 1918. Serial No. 229,004.

T 0 all whom it may concern.

Be it known that 1, 1XWILLIAM J. HAF- s'rROM, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of illinois, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Water- Craft, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to water craft, particularly to that class which when in motion is sustained partly by flotation on water and partly by the air. Y

The broad object of my invention is to produce a water craft which can be driven at high speed by water engaging propulsion mechanism and then sustained in great part by suitable wings or vanes so that the craft can travel in a more horizontal line irrespective of the waves or broken water surfaces.

More in detail, one important object of the invention is to provide propulsion mechanism in the form'of hollow spiral propel- 1ers which in addition to acting as oats and water engaging propellers, act also as airl engaging propellers when raised above the water. Another feature of the invention is to provide vanes or wings suitably secured to and extending from the craft body for sustaining a great part of the vehicle load when it vis rapidly traveling in order that the craft, when in rapid progress, will hit only the high spots of the water, so to speak, suitable rudder mechanism being provided for determining the direction of travel of the craft and for causing the desired elevation of the sustaining planes with reference to the horizontal.

The above and other features of my invention are clearly disclosed on the accompanying drawing in which- Figure 1 is a'plan View,

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view,

Fig. 3 is a rear elevational view,

Fig. 4 is a sectional view on plane Ll-h Fig. 1, and

Eig. 5 is a sectional view on plane 5 5, Fig. 1.

The supporting frame F of the craft is in the form of a boat and constructed of sheet metal or other material and in such manner as to be strong and light. rPhe prow 10 is shaped and curved so as to out down the resistance when inthe water. Extending laterally from the front of the boat body are the brackets or arms 11 and 12 and at the rear of the boat similar arms or brackets 13 and 1d extend laterally. These arms afford bearing support for the hollow spiral propeller structures P and P. Each propeller structure comprises a hollow shaft section 15 surrounded by the hollow worm or thread 16, these parts being of sheet metal so that the propeller structures will be strong and light and will serve as floats. rlhe ends 17 and 18 of the propeller shafts are preferably conical so as to reduce the resistance when the craft is traveling through the water or in the air. The ends of the shaft of the propeller P have bearing in the ends of the arms 11 and 13, while the propeller P has bearing support in the ends of the arms 12 and 14, the propellers being parallel with the craft body. rPhe worm or thread arrangement may be single or multiple and the pitch such that the craft can be given great speed when the propellers are :rapidly rotated.

Extending from the crests of the propeller worms or threads and suitably spaced, are the fins or vanes 19 whose pitch is the same as that of the threads. The arrangement of the vanes on each propeller is such that their engagement with the water will assist the threads or worms in rapidly propelling the craft, and by their engagement with the air these vanes act together like the ordinary propellers of aeroplanes.

Describing now the driving mechanism for the propellers, a suitable engine E is mounted in the craft body E, the engine shaft 2O being ournaled at its outer end in the bearing structure or frame 21. Journaled in this frame structure and in the end wall 22 of the craft body are the transmission shafts 23 and 24 carrying outside of the wall 22 the intermeshing gears 25 and 26. The pinion 27 on the engine shaft meshes with the pinion 28 on the transmission shaft 23 so that when the engine shaft is driven the gears 25 and 26 will be rotated. The outer ends of the shafts 23 and 24 also support

sprocket wheels

29 and 30 which are connected by

chains

31 and 32 with the sprocket wheels 33 and 311 secured to the propeller' structures P and P just within the arms 13 and 111, the rotation of the gears 25 and 26 being thus transmitted to the propellers. 1With the arrangement shown the propellers are rotated in opposite directions, but the screws or worms are so arranged that the propellers will cause propulsion of the sides of the craft body F are the planes or

wings

35 and 36, these wings being rectangular and preferably parallel with the propeller axes. Suitable anchor or tie rods 37 and 38 connect the outer corners of the wings with the ends of the craft body and keep the wings in proper alinement. At

their innerends the wings are preferably curved to parallel the circumferences of the propellers, as clearly shown in Fig. 4.

R represents a rudder structure which comprises the horizontal steering plane 39 and the vertical steering plane 40 extending downwardly from the center line of the hori- Zontal plane. The rudder structure is pivoted at the apex of the V-frame 41 as indicated at p, which at the ends of its limbs is pivoted to the lugs 42 and 43 extending rearwardly from the arms 13 and 14, the frame 41 with the rudder structure pivoted thereto being therefore capable of being swung Vvertically and the rudder structure being capable of Vswinging horizontally at the pivot p. Atthe front end of the craft body the operating mechanism O for the rudder structure is situated. The tubular shaft 44 is suitably journaled and carries a drum 45 for the cable ends 46 and 47 which extend around guide pulleys 48 and 49 and fasten at their outer ends 50 and 51 to the rudder plane 39 so that turning of the hand wheel 52 secured to the shaft 44 will cause horizontal swing of the rudder around-the pivot p. Extending through the tubular shaft 44 is the shaft 53 which supports the drum 54 for the cable ends 55 and 56, the cable end 55 passing over the guide member 57 and being secured at its end 58 to the outer end of the rudder structure at the top thereof. The cable end 56 travels around

suitable guides

59 and 60 and is secured at 61 to the rear end of the rudder plane 40 a distance below the top thereof. With this arrangement turning of the shaft 53 by the hand wheel 62 causes the rudder structure together with its supporting frame 41 to swing vertically around'the center of the pivot connections 42 and 43.

When the craft is at rest its boat body F and the hollow propeller structures will support its weight, the dimensions being preferably such that the propeller structures will be only partly immersed in the water. When the engine is operating and connected, the propeller structures will be rapidly rotated and the lins 19 coperating with the worms will cause the craft to acquire great speed through the water. y of the ns and Vworms with the water will The engagement Y have a tendency to raise the craft with reference to the water in. proportion as the speed increases, and thus the resistance is reduced. When the vehicle is undery headway the wings or planes 35 and 36 will cooperate with the air to prevent sudden dropping of the craft where the water surface is broken or wavy. By adjusting the rudder structure the craft can be tilted so as to bring the sustaining planes at an angle with the horizontal, the planes then exerting raising effort on the craft and takin up'the greater part of the load. The cra is thus practically carried bodily by the sustaining planes across the crests Vof the waves or broken water surface and can travel inV a straight line without having to follow the irregular water surface. Although the fins 19 of themselves are not able to propel the craft sufficiently to permit the sustaining planes to hold the craft entirely above the water, yet their engagement with the air Y adds greatly to their propulsion effect and that of the worms in the water.

rl`he craft is more vor less self-controlling during travel. If the tilted sustaining planes tend to carry the craft too far out of the water the engagement of the' worms and fins for water propulsion will decrease and the speed of the craft retarded to permit it to settle suiiiciently in the water to increase the water propulsion area. Y

As the inner ends of the sustaining planes curve around the propeller structures pockets are formed into and through which the propellers rapidly draw the air so that the sustaining effort of the planes is increased and steadied. Y

I thus provide a very simple yet highly veflicient water craft which canbe propelled at great speed through and along the Vsurface of a body of water and whose forward travel is along a straight line irrespective of waves or broken water surfaces. Y

l do not of course desire to be limited to the precise shown and described as changes and modifications are no doubt possible which would still comewithin the scope of the invention. I claim as follows: Y

1. A water craft comprisingV a body provided with planes'extending laterally therefrom, a buoyant propeller mounted beneath said body and providedv with a deep helical groove extending longitudinally thereof and a plurality of blades-mounted onsai propeller'intermediate said grooves. l Y

2. A water craftV comprising a body, a buoyant propeller mounted beneath :said body and having a ldeep helical groove extending longitudinally thereof, a plurality of radially extending blades mounted yon said propeller, and a horizontal rudder prostructure and arrangement surface of the water. f

3. A Water craft Icomprising a body, buoyand having deep helical grooves extending ant propellers mounted beneath said body longitudinally thereof, and blades arranged and having deep helical grooves extending helically intermediate said grooves, and a longitudinally thereof, and blades arranged combined horizontal elevator and vertical 5 helically intermediate said grooves, a horirudder mounted on said body, and elevator 15 zontal elevator mounted on said body, and and rudder controlling mechanism. means for elevating and depressing said ele- In Witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe vator. my name this 12th day of April, A. D. 1918.

4. A Water craft comprising a body, buoyl0 ant propellers mounted beneath said body WLLIAM J. i STROM.