US178042A - Improvement in steering-propellers - Google Patents

Description

F, J. ASHB'URNL STEERING-PROPELLER.

PaQtented May 30,. law

. VIITNESSE ATTORNEYS.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FLAVIUS ASHBURN, or WEST UNION, WEST VIRGINIA.

IMPROVEM ENT IN STEERlNG-PROPELLERS.

Specification forming part of Letters PatentNo. [78,042, dated May 30, 1876; application filed May 9', 1876.-

To all whom it may concern.- 1

, Be it known that I, FLAVIUS JosEPIIUs AsHBURN, of West Union, in the county of Doddridge and State of West Virginia, have invented a new and Improved Propeller, of which the following is a specification:

My invention consists of propeller-blades arranged horizontally on and hinged to vertical crankshafts suspended from a horizontally-revolving frame or wheel'above the water, and connected by their cranks to the crank of a shaft in the center of the carryingwheel or frame, and around which they swing, causing all the paddles to face in the same direction, and being so that in the forward motion they turn upon the hinge and work edgewise, and

in the back motion they work broadside against the water to propel the boat. My invention also consists of the stationary crank around .WhlGlll the bucket swings, made to be turned in either way, and provided with means; for

turning it, which may work either by the em gine or by the pilot-wheel, whereby the direction in which the paddles act is changed at Will to reverse the motion of the boat, and to utilize the propeller for steering it. One propeller may be used alone or two together. In the latter case they will be geared to turn in opposite directions, so that a certain oblique direction by which each alone acts on the vessel will be counteracted one by the other, thus applying the force directly in the line of the boat. They are, by preference, arranged under the stern of the boat, but may be located at the side, if preferred.

The propeller is specially adapted for shallow water, but may be worked in deep water as well as any.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of the stern of a boat with my improved propeller. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section. Fig. 3 is a transverse section, and Fig. 4 is a side elevation, of a couple of propellers arranged together.

A is the stern, in which is mounted an upright shaft, B, having two cranks, G and D,

- arranged at right angles to each other, said shaft being stationary, except as it is shifted for changing the direction of the action of the propeller on the boat to utilizeit for steering. E represents a couple of disks or other suitable carrying wheels or frames mounted on shaft B, so as to revolve freely, and being geared to the driving-shaft F by wheels or in any approved way. In these carrying-frames" M, with crank G of shaft B, so that the spiderframe holds the bucketsfso that all face the same way, while they are carried around in an orbit by the carrying-frame E to propel the V boat. The paddles N are fixed horizontally across the paddle-shafts below the frame and hinged to them so that they swing vertically to go sidewise against the water to propel the boat, and edgewise when goingback.

The frames E are turned to work the paddles by the driving-shaft F and the wheels G, and the shaft B is adjusted to change the direction in which the paddles act against the vessel, also to reverse the motion by the shaft P and wheels Q, said shaft being turned in one direction by the friction-wheel R on the drivingshaft F, and in the-other direction by the wheel S, which wheels act on the friction-wheel T on shaft B, which is shifted from one to the other of said wheels R S by the crank-pin U and lever V, the crankpin U being operated by the lever W, which is to be worked by the pilotwheel, or by means under the control of the engineer. The spring-pressed lever Y has a brake, A, to hold the friction-Wheel T when not engaged with either of the wheels, and the hub oflever W has a cam, X, which discngages the brake when the lever is shifted either way.

Fig. 4 shows the arrangement ofdriving-gear and the steering eontrivances when two propellers are to be used side by side also, a brake for holding the shafts B at rest. In this case the driving-shaft F gears at each end with one of the paddle-driving frames E, turning them in opposite directions, so that the oblique action of one propeller is balanced by the other, and the connecting-rod of the engine is'attached to crank Z.. The adjusting-shafts B- are connected to and disconnected from the carrying-frames E by clutches a, which are shifted by lever b, which is shifted by the le-' ver'd, which will, in practice, be so that itcan be Worked by the steam-engine when required,

and lever b carries a brake, e,,w.hich acts on the'friction-wheel f to hold shaft B from turning when the boat is to go straight ahead. Shafts B are coupled together by rod 9 and cranks h, so that they both shift alike, and rod y will be operated by the pilot-wheel for ordinary steering purposes. The clutches a and the shifting-levers b (1 will be employed for shifting the paddles by the steam-engine when i it may be required to do so.

When lever b is level the clutches are both disconnected, but when one of the clutches is shifted'down it connects with the wheel which turns the paddle-carrier and causes the shaft Patent, is

g 1. The combination of two or more cranked vertical paddle-shafts, having one or more paddles hinged transversely'to them, with a revolving carrying-frame, E, and a center cranked shaft, B, the center shaft and the paddle-shaft cranks being coupled together, as described.

2; The center cranked shaft B, to which the paddle-shafts I are coupled, as described, arranged to turn either way to change the direction in whiehthe paddles act, and having suitable means for so adjusting it, substantially as specified.

3. The combination, with the horizontallytraveling paddle-shafts I and the shaft B, for changing the direction of the paddles, of suitable means for operating shaft B by the'power ofv the driving-engine, substantially as specified.

4. The combination of a brake with the adjusting-shaft B, or a shaft connected with it, and with the reversing-gear thereof when the latter is arranged to detach the brake when it connectsthe vadj usting-gear, and allows the brake to act when it connects said gear, substanti-ally as specified.

FLAVI US J OSEPHUS ASHBUBN.

Witnesses:

W. H. CHENNUT, O. '0. DAVIS.

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