US2073383A

US2073383A - Lifeboat propelling mechanism

Info

Publication number: US2073383A
Application number: US91422A
Authority: US
Inventors: Clarence W Allen
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1936-02-24
Filing date: 1936-07-18
Publication date: 1937-03-09
Anticipated expiration: 1954-03-09

Description

C. W. ALLEN LIFEBOAT PROPELLING MECHANISM March 9, 1937.

Original Fil ed Feb. 24; 1936 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

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March 9, 1937. w, ALLEN 2,073,383

LIFEBOAT PROPELLING MECHANISM Original filed Feb. 24, 1956 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 W INVENTOR. immwwv March 9, 193 c. w. ALLEN LIFEBOAT PROPELLIN G MECHANISM 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Original Filed Feb. 24, 1936 INV ' ENTOR.

ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 19, 1937 V l UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LIFEBOAT PROPELLING MECHANISM Clarence W. Allen, San Francisco, Calif.

Original application February 24, 1936, Serial No. 65,452. Divided and this application July 18, 1936, Serial No. 91,422

4 Claims. (Cl. 74-136) This invention relates to life-boats and par- Referring to the drawings in detail, and particularly to a propelling mechanism therefor, the ticularly Figs. 1 and 6, A indicates a life-boat of present application forming a division of my standard construction and B the seats extending pending application entitled Life-boat propelling crosswise thereof. The seats serve two functions,

mechanism, filed February 24, 1936, Serial Num first that of seating the crew and passengers, .5

her 65,452. and secondly, that of a support for the driving The object of the present invention is generally mechanism generally indicated at C. -.to improve and simplify the construction and The driving mechanism consists of a pair of operation of propelling mechanisms of the

charrods

2 and 2 which extend longitudinally of the acter described; to providea driving mechanism boat and which are spaced apart a sufficient 10 for actuating the propelling mechanism which distance to permit one person on each set to sit may be attached to the seats of a boat without between the rods. The rods are provided with changing or re-arranging the seats or the air a series of

handles

3 and 3 by which the rods tanks placed alongside or under the seats; to are grasped when the boat is to be propelled and provide a driving mechanism which can not be the rods are guided and supported in eye bolts 15 blocked or disabled by the action of ice and frost, a and 5 secured to the respective seats. etc. to provide a driving mechanism which will In addition to the driving mechanism, a proavoid the transmission of strain to the bottom polling mechanism is employed. This mechanism of the boat and thereby tend to strain or open is mounted within the housing D. Suitably sethe seams; to provide a driving mechanism which cu e n e at and j e e re end extends substantially throughout the length of thereof a shaft 6 is journaled in and extends 20 the boat and which is so arranged in position through the rear end of the housing and is conthat three rows of people can conveniently and neeted throu h a uni sa jo the like, 7 efliciently actuate the same, in fact, permit at W a propeller Shaft 8 Which t n thrOugh least double the number of people in the boat to a Stern bearing and carries a Suitable yp of 25 be actively engaged in the propulsion of the boat pr p The propelling mechanism is carwhen comparison is made with oars; to provide ried by t e S a t 6 a S d p sed Within and a combination propelling and driving mechanism completely enclosed by the housing D. The pro- .which is capable of being set at neutral, ahead, pelling mechanism is identical to the propelling or reverse; and, further, to provide a single lever mechanism disclosed in my eopen n p control within convenient reach of the oflicer in tiOn W the eXception, t0 the propelling charge of the boat for actuating the setting mechmechanism here disclosed is provided with means anism for neutral, ahead, or reversef for setting it in neutral or reverse in addition The invention is shown by way of illustration to the ahead drive; a reverse and neutral being in the accompanying drawings, in which an essential feature of a life-boat drive. 35

Fig 1 i n enlarged longitudinal ti In order that the neutral and reverse action tion of a portion of the boat, said section showing can be ea y understood a brief p on of the propelling mechanism and the driving mechthe propelling mechanism w l be submitted. Reanism whereby it is actuated; ferring to Figs. 1 t0 5, inclusive, it Will be noted Fig, 21 a cross section taken on 11 1 11 of that the shaft 6 carries two drums Ill and H. 40

Fi 1; These drums are placed end for end longitudi- Fig. 3 is a cross section taken on line III-III nally 0f the Shaft and are Separated by a disc of Fi 1; l2, which is keyed to the shaft so as to rotate Fig 4 is a cross section taken on line v v in unison therewith. Formed on the ends of the of Fig 1; drum adjacent the disc l2 are ratchet gears I3 45 Fig. 5 is an enlarged longitudinal section of nd pivotally mounted on each side of the disc the propelling mechanism and the mechanism and adapted to engage the ratchet ears are whereby ahead drive, neutral or reverse is atpeWlS See Surrounding e disc is a m ring I6 .and extending inwardly from said ring 5 is a plan View of thelifeqgoat howing and into slots formed in the disc l2 are apair 5 the installation of the driving and propelling of 0am members and I8. The exterior surmechanism; face of the ring I6 is provided with a pair of Fig. 7 is a perspective diagrammatic view showannular flanges forming a groove I9 in the cening the manner in which the driving mechanism ter of which extends a fork 20 of a shaft rod nd propellingmechanjsm .are cgnnected, 2|, said I'Od being connected at oneend a 55 lever 22 whereby the ring may be shifted laterally of the disc I 2. Cams H and I8 are so shaped that during lateral movement thereof in one direction rocker extensions 23 on the respective pawls will be engaged by the cams and both pairs of pawls on opposite sides of the disc |2 will be lifted free of the ratchet gears and the propelling mechanism will assume a neutral position.

If the ring I6 and the cams I1 and I8 assume" the position shown in Fig. 5, only one pawl of each pair will be engaged and held free of the cooperating ratchet gear, as plainly shown in Fig. 2, hence if the drums l0 and H are rotated a drive will be transmitted from the ratchet gears through the engaging set of pawls to the disc I2 and as this is keyedto the shaft 6 rotary motion in one direction will be transmitted from shaft 6 to the propeller shaft 8. On the other hand, if the shifting ring .and the earns 11 and I8 are moved to a position opposite to that shown in Fig. 5, the pawls, which previously engaged the ratchet gears, will be released and will be pressed into engagement with their respective ratchet gears by means of the spring 24 and the pawls which previously engaged, will be raised to disengage the ratchet gears. Hence, during rotation of the drums H] and II rotary motion will be transmitted to the disc l2 and the shafts .6 and 8 in a reverse direction and when ring I6 and the cams l1 and |8 are moved at a midway position neutral will be attained, as all the pawls will be held out of engagement. Lever 22 carries a pawl 25 which cooperates with the notched segment or leg 26. Lever 22 is also provided with a hand grip which is connected with the pawl 25 and lever 22 may thus be swung about its pivot and secured in any one of the three notches shown, notch 26 being the one engaged when an ahead drive is desired. The middle notch is engaged when neutral position is assumed and the notch 2'Iwhen reverse is desired. V

When the driving mechanism is in

operation rods

2 and 2 will be reciprocated in opposition to each other and means are provided for transmitting the reciprocal motion of the rods to rotate the drums l0 and H in opposite direction. This is accomplished as follows.

Formed on the exterior surface of each drum is a helical groove 29. The groove on the drum I0 is pitched in one direction and the groove on the drum I in the opposite direction as clearly shown in Fig. 5. A pair of cables'30 and 3| are anchored at one end, as shown at 32 and 33, to the eye bolts indicated at 5. These cables pass over pulleys 34 secured to the

respective rods

2 and 2 and then over guide pulleys 35 secured under the seat. The opposite end of cable 3| is suitably secured to the drum and wound around the helical groove formed on the surface of the drum l0 and then around and anchored thereto. Cable 30 is similarly wound around the groove formed in the exterior of the drum I and also anchored. The second cable is passed over an idler pulley 3'6 and the two ends, indicated at 31 and 38, are wound around the respective drums and anchored thereto. The windings of the cables 31 and 38 occupy the inner half of each drum and the windings of the

cables

30 and 3| occupy the outer half of each drum. It should also be noted that the cables 31 and 38 are wound in one direction about the respective drums and so are the

cables

30 and 3|.but in a direction opposite to the cables 31 and 38; but in view of the fact that the pitch of the helicalgrooves on the respective drums is in opposition to each other the

cables

30 and 3| will transmit a reverse motion to each other and thereby cause one drum to rotate in one direction and the other drum to rotate in the opposite direction when a reciprocal movement is transmitted thereto from the driving rods 2 and 2 A fourth cable is shown at in Fig. '7. This passes over guide pulleys 4| secured on an adjacent seat and the ends of the cable are anchored to the respective rods, as shown at 42. This cable attachment is essential as it insures reciprocal movement of the

rods

2 and 2 in opposition to each other and in unison, and it is also essential for the simple reason that the power transmitted to the rods through the crew or passengers pulling thereon is alternately transmitted through the cable 40 to one rod or another and the

cables

30 and 3| connected therewith to rotate whichever drum happens to be the driving drum. For instance, if rod 2 is being pulled in the direction of arrow a, see Fig. 7, rod 2 will be traveling in the reverse direction, or that indicated by arrow b. That is, the

. crew or passengers on one side will be pulling on the rod 2, while they will be pushing on the rod 2*, but the push exerted on the rod 2 will be exerted as a pull on'the rod 2 as motion is transmitted to the rod 2 from the rod 2 through the cable 4|]; hence all combined power or effort applied to the rods is transmitted alternately from one rod to the other and the rod to which the power is transmitted is in turn submitted to the drum which is transmitting the drive.

In view of the fact that the

rods

2 and 2 are supported and guided by the eye bolts 5 only rod. In fact, the brackets 41 are nothing more A or less than a continuation of the brackets supporting the pulleys 34 but inasmuch as they straddle or engage the rods 46 disposed below the seats, rotation of the

rods

2 and 2 is prevented. The ends of the rods extend beyond .both the bow and the stern seat and they may be passed either under and over the same. In Fig. 1 an oifset is shown in the rods, as indicated at 2 Where said rods pass beneath the stern seat 50 an eye bolt-5| is provided to guide the end of the rod, the construction being the same as far as the bow seat is concerned. On the other hand if it is desirable to bring the rod over the seat, the eye bolt may be placed 'on top as shown by dotted lines. The rod may be extended therethrough, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1, the same being true of the bow seat.

In actual practice when a life-boat .is filled with crew and passengers one person on each seat will sit between the rods and one person will sit on the outer side of each rod; thus, there are three rows of people engaged in the propulsion of the boat. The center row of individuals'will grasp the upright portions of the handles, indicated at 3, while the rows of individualssitting outside of the rods, or between the gunwales and the rods, will grasp the horizontally extending handle sections 3. With the number of handles hereshown, it is possible for-twenty-one people to beaactively engaged ,inzthe propulsion A pair of guide rods are employed as of the boat. The boat shown is a six seater and could not use more than twelve oars. Where cars are employed they would be limited to twelve men rowing but with the driving mechanism here shown practically twice the number can be employed and obviously the exertion need not be so great. People rowing, whether it be crew or passengers, may face either forward or rearwardly, this making no difference in view of the fact that when they grasp the handle they are pulling when the rods are traveling in one direction and they are pushing when the rods are traveling in the opposite direction.

The propelling mechanism being completely enclosed by the housing B is always safe against the entrance of rain or water as it is tight and, in fact, may be partially filled with lubricant; hence any danger of freezing or blocking the propelling mechanism is entirely avoided. On the other hand, the driving mechanism, to wit, the rods and the cables connected therewith may be covered with spray during cold weather and as such will freeze up but if they are frozen up and it is necessary to use the boats the ice, which is formed between the rods and the eye bolts, can be almost instantly released by merely tapping the rods and pulleys. That is, a certain amount of play is provided between the rods and the eye bolts, hence a slight shock or tap of any nature, even with the hand, is sufficient to break any ice formation and if any ice is left it will merely function as a lubricant, hence any freezing up or blocking of the mechanism which would permanently or even temporarily hinder operation can be quickly eliminated.

Another feature which is important and should be noted is the fact that the driving mechanism is placed and secured on top of the seats and as such permits an installation of this character to be placed in any standard life-boat without any change to the seats or the air tanks placed under the seats or alongside the same. Also all strains are carried by the seats and transmitted to the sides of the boat, hence danger of straining and opening the seams in the bottom of the boat is entirely avoided.

While this and other features of the present invention are more or less specifically described, I wish it understood that various changes may be resorted to within the scope of the appended claims. Similarly, that the materials and finish of the several parts employed may be such as the manufacturer may decide, or varying conditions or uses may demand.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a drive of the character described a propeller shaft, a pair of drums arranged longitudinally of the shaft and freely rotatable thereon, a disc secured to the shaft between the drums, a ratchet gear on each drum adjacent the disc, a pair of pawls pivotally mounted on each side of the disc and engageable with the ratchet gears, means for intermittently rotating each drum first in one direction and then in the other and each drum in opposition to the other, and means for selectively holding one pawl of each pair out of engagement with the ratchet gears and the other. pawl of each pair in engagement to cause rotation of the propeller shaft in either direction.

2. In a drive of the character described a propeller shaft, a pair of drums arranged longitudinally of the shaft and freely rotatable thereon, a disc secured to the shaft between the drums, a ratchet gear on each drum adjacent the disc, a pair of pawls pivotally mounted on each side of the disc and engageable with the ratchet gears, means for intermittently rotating each drum first in one direction and then in the other and each drum in opposition to the other, means for holding both pawls of each pair out of engagement with the respective ratchet gears, said means also having means for selectively holding one pawl of each pair out of engagement with the ratchet gears and the other pawl of each pair in engagement to cause rotation of the propeller shaft in either direction.

3. In a drive of the character described a propeller shaft, a pair of drums arranged longitudinally of the shaft and freely rotatable thereon, a disc secured to the shaft between the drums, a ratchet gear on each drum adjacent the disc, a pair of pawls pivotally mounted on each side of the disc and engageable with the ratchet gears, means for intermittently rotating each drum first in one direction and then in the other and each drum in opposition to the other, a projecting lever on each pawl, a ring slidable laterally of the disc, cams on said ring for engaging the levers on all of the pawls to hold the pawls out of engagement with the ratchet gears, said cams having a recess formed between them whereby certain levers are selectively released to hold one pawl of each pair out of engagement with the ratchet gears but leaving the other pawl of each gear in engage- 'ment.

4. In a drive of the character described a propeller shaft, a pair of drums arranged longitudinally of the shaft and freely rotatable thereon, a disc secured to the shaft between the drums, a ratchet gear on each drum adjacent the disc, a pair of pawls pivotally mounted on each side of the disc and engageable with the ratchet gears, means for intermittently rotating each drum first in one direction and then in the other and each drum in opposition to the other, a projecting lever on each pawl, a ring slidable laterally of the disc, cams on said ring for engaging the levers on all of the pawls to hold the pawls out of engagement with the ratchet gears, said cams having a recess formed between them whereby certain levers are selectively released to hold one pawl of each pair out of engagement with the ratchet gears but leaving the other pawl of each gear in engagement, lever actuated means for shifting the ring and the cams carried thereby to assume any one of three positions, and means for securing the lever together with the ring and cams carried thereby in any one position.

CLARENCE W. ALLEN.