US2076428A - Boat propulsion - Google Patents

Description

April 6, 1937- M, F. DRUM, 4R.. E, AL 2,676,428

BOAT PROPULS ION Filed April l2, 1935 ATTORN EYS Patented Apr. 6, 1937 BOAT PBOPULSION Mortimer F. Drudy, Jr., Richmond Hill, and Arthur G. Mahoney, New York, N. Y.

Application April 12, 1935, Serial No. 16,098

1 Claim. (Cl. 46-95) This invention relates to boat propulsion, an object of the invention being to provide improved means for turning the propeller of the boat, which includes a receptacle for water and air under pressure, whereby the water is forced in fine jets or streams from the blade or blades of the propeller to turn the same.

While our invention is especially adapted for use in connection with toy boats it is obvious that there are many features of the same which might also be adapted for larger boats, and we do not wish to be limited in this respect.

A further object is to provide a boat which will move through the water at considerable l5 speed, and which may be driven for a relatively long time without renewing the water or air f therein.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts, all of which will be more fully hereinafter described and pointed out in the claim:

In the accompanying drawing- Figure -1 is a view in longitudinal section through a toy boat illustrating our invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged view mainly in longitudinal section but partly in elevation, illustrating a propeller and its mounting;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the three-blade propeller in which our invention is embodied;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary view, partly in section and partly in elevation, illustrating a modification; and

Figure 5 is an enlarged view in transverse section through the water and air inlet port.

I represents the hull of a boat which may take any desired form and be ornamented with any desired superstructure, either imitation or real, so that it is understood that the boat may have 40 the appearance of any type of boat to be found on the market.

The hull I is hollow and constitutes a receptacle for water, indicated by the reference character 2, and this water is under air pressure. An internally screw-threaded in1et3 is provided on the deck "4 of the boat, and has a removable screwthreaded plug 5 with an air passage 6 therethrough and a check valve 'I in said passage. This plug has a threaded nipple B thereon for the attachment of the hose constituting the outlet of any suitable pump so that air may be forced to exert the necessary pressure on the water. A screen 9 is preferably provided at the inlet to screen the water pouredtherein when the plug is 55 removed.

In the lower portion and at the stern of the boat a tube Il is secured and extends through the stern of the boat and may have any suitable bearing bracket II to strengthen the same. In the fixed tube Il a rotary tube I2 is located which is of appreciably less diameter than the tube 'I0 and turns freely in a bearing I3 near the rear end of the tube Il. The rear end'of the tube I2 is screwed onto a threaded nipple I4 constituting a part of a bearing block I5, turning in the tube III, and a second bearing block I6 having a nipple I1 thereon screwed into the forward end of the tube I2 turns freely in the tube I0. A suitable packing I8 is located around the tube I2 in the tube I0 to ensure a water-tight juncture of the tubes.

The bearing blocks I5 and I5 are tubular in form, so that water passes freely therethrough, and a propeller, indicated generally by the reference character A, is secured on the rear bearing block I5 and turns with the same. This bearing block I5 communicates with a central chamber i8' in the center of the propeller A, and small ducts or passages I9 are formed in the propeller blades and extend to the edges thereof so that water passing through the tube I2 flows through the ducts I9 and escaping in the form of pressure jets against the water causes the propeller to turn and propel the boat. To shut oil and also to control the iiow of water to the propeller a turn plug or other suitable form of valve 20-is provided at the inlet end of the tube I0 and controlled by the stem 2I extending upwardly through a suitably packed stuiing box 22 in the deck l, and having a hand wheel or other device 23 thereon to turn the same.

In Figure 2 the propeller illustrated is a twoblade type, and in Figure 3 a modification is illustrated showing a propeller 2l of the threeblade type, and it is, of course, to be understood that the propeller may have any suitable number of blades, and that the blades are provided with ducts or passages discharging at the edges of the blades. In Figure 4 one of these blades is shown having a plug 25 to close the duct I9, which is illustrative of the idea that one or more of these ducts I9 may be`closed which, of course, would result in a decrease in the speed of the boat, but power for a longer time.

In operation it is simply necessary to remove the plug 5 to pour the desired amount of water into the hull I. Then replace the plug 5 and couple the same to an air chamber to raise the air pressure in the hull, as desired. When the boat is in the water the valve 20 is turned to open the same to allow the water to flow to the propeller and through the ducts I! in the blades thereof, and as above explained this water escaping in the form of jets at the edges of the blades causes the propeller to turn and propel the boat.

While we have illustrated what we believe to be the preferred embodiment of our invention, it is to be distinctly understood that various slight changes may be made with regard to the form and arrangement of parts without departing from our 10 invention. and hence we do not limit ourselves to the' precise details set forth but consider ourselves at liberty to make such changes and alterations as fairly fall within the spirit and scope of the claix'n.

What we claim is: o

A toy boat including a hollow body in the shape ot a boat and comprising an airtight water and compressed air chamber, said body having inlets for water and air under pressure, a propeller at the stern of the body, a water tube secured to the propeller and projecting into the body below the water level therein, said propeller'having ducts in its blades extending to the edges of the blades and through which water admitted to the propeller through said tube escapes in the form of jets to cause-'the propeller to turn and propel the boat, a fixed tube around the first-mentioned tube and supplying water to the first-mentioned tube and propeller, a manually operated valve at the inlet end of said xed tube, and a stem on said valve projecting upwardly through the body of the boat in position for manual control outside of the boat.

MOR'I'IMER F. DRUDY, JR. ARTHUR G. MAHONEY.

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