US1489218A

US1489218A - Chain propeller

Info

Publication number: US1489218A
Application number: US689579A
Authority: US
Inventors: Ernest N Kerr
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1924-01-30
Filing date: 1924-01-30
Publication date: 1924-04-01
Anticipated expiration: 1941-04-01

Description

April 1, 1924.` l 1,489,218

E. N. KERR CHAIN PROPELLER' FiledaJan. 50 1924 2 sheetg-sheet 2 willi/lll; n w/ Filed Jan. 30 v1924 2 Sheets-Sheet' 1 Patented Apr. l, 1924.

UNITED STATES ERNEST N'. KEER, OF ROCK ISLAND, ILLINOIS.

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Application filed January B0, 1924. Serial N70. 689,579.

To all 'Lo/Lam t may concern Be it known that I, ERNEST N. KERK, a citizen of the United States, resident of Rock island, in the State of illinois, have made a certain new and useful Invention in Chain Propellers; and declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactl description of the same, such as will enable othersy skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the invention, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters or iigures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

rlhe invention has relation to propellers designed primarily for marine vessels and of the paddle wheel type, having for an object to increase the speedy and eiciency of the propeller with a given expenditure of power. Other objects and advantages will hereinafter appear.

The invention consists-in the novel construction and combinations of parts as hereinafter set forth.

Figure 1 is a side view of the invention, as applied.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the same partly broken away.

Figure 3 is a section on the line 3 3, Figure 1, partly broken away.

Figure 4 is a detail end view of one of the carriages, partly broken away.

Figure 5 is a detail fragmentary side view of a section of the sprocket chain, and its connection with one of the carriages.

Figure 6 is a section on the line 6-6, Figure 5, enlarged.

Figure 7 isa plan view of the showing o Figure 5.

Figure 8 is a detail side view of one of the forked members.

Figure 9 shows detail side and cross sectional views of one of the chain pins of the carriage.

Figure 10 is a detail side view of one of the body members.

Figure 11 is a detail plan view of the same.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating an embodiment of the invention, the numeral 1 designates the hull of the-boat to which the invention is shown as applied, and having rearwardly extending frames or supp0rts'2, wherein the power shaft 3 of the propeller is journaled at i and the endless tracks 5 of the propeller are supported at 6.

These parallel endless tracks 5 are spaced horizontally at 7 and located therebetween is the endless drive or sprocket chain 8, passing over the sprocket wheels 9, one at each end of said tracks.y

The paddle blades 10, are located one at veach end of each carriage 11, said blades being parallel and horizontally spaced and extending outwardly at right angles to said carriage.

Each carriage 11 is provided with trucks 12, one at each end, and pivoted respectively to the carriage at 13, and movable upon their pivots in passing around the curves or ends of the tracks to admit of free movement, said trucks having upper and lower wheelsv 12 running upon the upper and lower endless bearing surfaces of theltraclcs 5.

lt is found in practice that the endless tracks 5 should be of elliptical form, rather than as shown in my Patent No. 988,112, dated March 28, 1911, upon which the present inventicn is an improvement, the foci of the ellipse being adjacent to the shafts of the sprocket wheels 9, this necessitating a spacing of the sides of the elliptical tracks outwardly from the stretches of the sprocket chain 8, as shown at 14, the reason for this being mainly that the strain upon the trucks and wheels may be relieved when the propeller is run athigh speed, due to the more gradual change of position of the trucks and wheels when moving around the track, a greater range of movement of the trucks and wheels being a necessary consequence.

In order to provide for this greater range of movement kof the carriages 11, each carriageis provided with an inwardly extending member 15, having therein a slot 16, extending outwardly at right angles to the chain 8, and wherein is located a roller 17, working in the slot 16, and held in position by the forks 18 of a member 15a, engaging annular grooves 19 of the stub shafts 20 of said rollers, said member 15a being bolted at 15b to a body member 15c taking the place of a link of said chain, said forks locking the rollers 17 as well as two chain pins 23 in place, the latter being longer than the usual chain pins 23 and provided at their ends with sector form grooves 24 engaged by said forks. The slotted members 15 are provided in duplicate and spaced horizontally, the driving chain 8 being located therebetween and the rollers 17 being also in duplicate one at each side of said chain, said member 15 being provided with oil grooves 21 leading to the grooves 19 of the stub shafts.

As the carriages 11 pass around the tracks 5, the rollers 17 will move from one end of the slots 16 to the other ends thereof, the range of movement being considerable, this movement taking place twice for each complete revolution of the carriage around the endless tracks.

The elliptical tracks 5 are slightly tilted upwardly from front to rear in order to enable the feathering of the paddle blades to be better accomplished, in leaving the water.

r he carriages 11 are provided with tie rods 25 and cross brackets 26, thereby providing for light weight construction and increased strength.

Any number of carriages may be provided to accord with the length of the elliptical tracks and with the power desired for propulsion purposes, and each carriage may be provided with one or more blades.

Should increased power be desired, the most eflicient diameter for the two sprocket wheels of the driving chain gear being ascertained, the distance between these sprockets is increased as needed and the number of the carriages 11 and propeller blades 10 likewise increased.

rlhe oil pockets 22 feeding to the rollers 17 are arranged so that the oil will not wash out, and the carriage wheels and trucks are designed so that they may be well oiled. Roller or ball bearings may obviously be usedl if desired without change of the design. The design also provides for removal of the sprockets, drive shaft and carriages, as also the sprocket chain, without interfering with the endless tracks.

An advantage of this type of propeller is that half of the propeller blades are always in action, whereas with the circular paddle wheels located at rear or side of boat, and for which the present device is mainly intended as a substitute,only about one fifth of the propeller blades are workii'lg at one time.

rEhe center line of the sprockets should be at such an angle with the water line that ample clearance may be given the propeller blades, so that I:'said blades will be some height from the water before moving around the rear end of the elliptical track, i. e. the elliptical tracks are slightly tilted upwardly from front to rear. This aids in feathering the blades in leaving the water, and inasmuch as there will be frequently quite a number of the propeller blades and quite a number of trucks carrying the same, considerably more than shown in the drawings, for large installations, the blades will enter the water approximately in vertical position for proper feathering. The drive is practically in a straight line and will have the full length needed in side wheel use. llith two blades to each carriage, the carriages should be spaced apart so that all of the propeller blades will be equally spaced.

1 claim 1. A chain propeller, having in combination opposite tracks having upper and lower oppositely disposed endless bearing surfaces, a carriage having pivotcd trucks provided with upper and lower wheels running upon said bearing surfaces, each carriage having one or more paddle blades, and sprocket gearing having operative connection with said carriage, said tracks being elliptical and spaced at the sides thereof outwardly above and below the chain of said gearing, and said carriage having a slot and pin con nection with said chain and working inwardly and outwardly thereof upon said slot and pin connection.

2. A chain propeller having in combination opposite tracks having upper and lower oppositely disposed endless bearing surfaces, a carriage having pivot-ed trucks provided with upper and lower wheels runnino4 upon said bearing surfaces, each carriage lhaving one or more propeller blades, and sprocket gearing having operative connection with said carriage, said tracks being elliptical and spaced outwardly above and below the chain of said gearing and slightly tilted from front to rear, and said carriage having a slot and pin connection with said chain.

3. A chain propeller, having in combination opposite tracks having upper and lower oppositely disposed endless bearing surfaces, a carriage having pivoted trucks provided with upper and lower wheels running upon said bearing surfaces, each carriage having one or more propeller blades, and sprocket gearing having operative connection with said carriage, said tracks being elliptical and spaced outwardly above and below the chain of said gearing', and said carriage having a slot and pin connection with said chain, said connection including roller pins working in said slots and having stub shafts provided with circumferential grooves, and a member the body, of which is provided with forks engaging said grooves and locking said pins in place and having oil passages communicating with said grooves, the body of said member having an oil pocket communicating with said oil grooves.

4. A chain propeller, having in combination opposite tracks having upper and lower oppositely disposed endless bearing surfaces, a carriage having pivoted trucks provided with upper and lower wheels ruiming upon said bearing surfaces, each carriage having one or more propeller blades, and sprocket gearing having operative connection with said carriage, said tracks being elliptical and spaced outwardly above and below the chain of said gearing, and said carriage having a slot and pin connection with said chain, said connection including roller pins working in said slots and having' stub shafts provided with circumferential grooves, said chain having adjacent said connection cross pins provided with grooves, `and said connection further including a member provided with forks engaging the grooves of said stub shafts and of said cross pins and locking the same in place and taking the place of a link of said chain.

5. A chain propeller having in combination opposite tracks having upper and lower oppositely disposed endless bearing surfaces,y a carriage having pivoted trucks provided with upper and lower wheels running upon said endless bearing surfaces, each carriage having one or more propeller blades, and sprocket gearing having operative connection with said carriage, said tracks being elliptical and spaced above and below the chain of said gearing and said carriage having a slot and pin connection with said chain including a roller-pin carryingmember forming a link of said chain.

In testimony whereof I aIiX my signature.

ERNEST N. KERR.