US2374125A

US2374125A - Propelling means

Info

Publication number: US2374125A
Application number: US508202A
Authority: US
Inventors: Allison R Peirce
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1943-10-29
Filing date: 1943-10-29
Publication date: 1945-04-17
Anticipated expiration: 1962-04-17

Description

April 1 7, 1945. p E 2,374,125

PROPELLING MEANS Filed Oct. 29, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 April 17, 1945. A. R. PEIRCE PROPELLING MEANS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 1 vial/ v Filed Oct. 29, l943 QN v k\ v 1.23. Pearce. 5

' it is driven.

Patented Apr. 17, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application October 29, 1943, Serial No. 508,202 7 Claims. (01. 170-174) The invention relates to screw-type propellers and while the present disclosure is directed to a marine propeller, aircraft.

One object of the invention is to provide a novel screw-type propelling means which may be reversed without reversing the direction in which Another object is to provide a. novel screw-type propeller, the pitch of which may be varied at will. Q

A still further object is to provide a comparatively simple and inexpensive construction-yet one which will be efficient and reliable.

With the foregoing in view, the invention resides in the novel subject matter hereinafter described and claimed, description being accomplished by reference to the accompanying drawmgs.

Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of the stern portion of a ship, partly broken away, show- Fig. is a transverse sectional view on line 55 of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a detail longitudinal sectional vie on line 5-6 of Fig. 5.

While the features of construction shown in the drawings will be'rather specifically described,

it is to be understood that the present disclosure is illustrative rather than limiting, toa large extent.

In the drawings above briefly described, III denotes a spiral spring metal propeller blade, the inner or apex end of which is suitably secured at H to a propeller-shaft I2 of a ship 13. A rigid ring I4 extends circumferentially of the base end of the spiral propeller blade l0 and is secured to the same. Suitable mounting means is provided for this ring I4 and it will be seen that by relatively shifting this mounting means and the shaft l2, the spiral blade I0 may be sprung into the form of a forwardly pitched conical spiral as in Figs. 1 and 4, or into the form the invention is also useable on material so that it may be flexed, its apex end may move through and be positioned on either side of the plane of its base end. Thus, with the propeller shaft I2 driven in one direction only, the ship may be propelled forwardly or rearwardly at will. Moreover, it will be seen that whether the blade 10 be set for forward propulsion or rearward propulsion, its pitch maybe varied as desired. In both forms of the invention herein disclosed, the apex of the blade I0 is shifted axially with respectto its base f or're versing or pitch changing, but it will be seen that this is not essential for the same effect could be obtained by shifting the outer end. or base of said blade axially with respect to its inner end or apex.

In the present disclosure, the 'drivingmeans for the propeller shaft I2 includes coacting gears I5 and I5, gear I5 being driven by an enginedriven shaft It while'gear I5 is slidably keyed upon the shaft I 2, the key-way being shown at I! in Figs. 1 and 4. As the-shaft is axially shifted through the gear l5 to spring or flex the propeller blade ID as above explained, suitable provision is vmade for holding said gear I5 against movement with the shaft. Collars I8 at opposite sides of the gear I5 are shown for this purpose.

The shifting means for the shaft I2 may be of any appropriate nature. For illustrative purposes, a screw It has a'swiveled connection 20 with the shaftpand said screw is engaged by a suitably mounted nut 2| having a hand wheel 22 .bymeans of which it may be rotated. 23 denotes a bearing in which the nut is rotatably and non-slidably mounted.

In the form of construction shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the ring I4 is rotatably mounted in suitable bearing forks 24 which are secured to the ship I3. In Figs. 4, 5 and 6, however, the ring I4 is provided with angular arms 25 which are circumferentially spaced and extend inwardly to a collar 26to which they are suitably secured. The shaft I2 extends slidablythrough this colof a rearwardly pitched conical spiral as seen in collar 26, arms 25, ring I4 and propellerblade In are thus rotatable as a single unit. At 21, I have shown a key-way in the shaft 12 and at 28 .(Fig. 5) have illustrated a key carried by the collar 26 and engaging said key-way to establish a driving connection between said sleeve and shaft. The sleeve may be held against axial shifting by any preferred means. A shell 29 is shown surrounding the front portion of said sleeve and secured to the ship I3. Thi shell carries studs 01', the like projecting into a peripheral groove 3! in the sleeve 26, as shown in Fig. 6.

Instead of fixing the shell 29 to the ship and having the shaft 12 slide to adjust and reverse the propeller blade I0, it would of course be possible to non-slidably mount said shaft and to make provision for shifting said shell forwardly and rearwardly to attain the same results. Similarly, in Figs. 1 to 3, the shaft 12 could be non-slidably mounted and provision made to forwardly and rearwardly shift the mounting forks 24 of the ring it, to adjust and reverse the propeller blade.

From the foregoing, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it will be seen that novel and advantageous provision has been made for carrying out the objects of the invention. Whenever the inner end of the spiral spring metal blade I0 is in advance of the ring Hi, with the shaft I2 rotating as indicated by the arrows in Figs. 1 and 3, forward propulsion will be obtained, and the pitch of the propeller blade may be varied at'will by longitudinally adjusting said shaft 12 by rotating the hand wheel 22 in one direction or the other. Whenever the inner end of the blade I0 is behind the ring H, (see Fig. 3), with the shaft I2 rotating in the same direction as before, rearward propulsion will be obtained, and the pitch of said blade may be varied as required,

it being of course understood that the pitch variance will change not only the speed of the vessel but will vary the propulsive power exerted by the propeller.

Attention is again invited to the possibility of making variations within the scope of the invention as claimed.

I claim:

1. A propelling means comprising an open spiral spring propeller blade, the apex end of which is movable throughthe plane of its base end, driving means connected with one end of said spiral propeller blade, mounting means for the other end of said spiral propeller blade, and means for relpeller shaft coaxial with said spiral propeller-blade and secured to the apex thereof, mounting means for the base of said spiral propeller blade, and means for relatively shifting said propeller shaft and mounting means axially to spring said spiral propeller blade into the form of a forwardly pitched conical spiral when desired and into the form of a rearwardly pitched conical spiral when desired, whereby said propeller blade may drive a vehicle either forwardly or rearwarclly without reversing its direction of rotation.

3. A propelling means comprising an open spiral spring metal propeller blade, the apex end of which is movable through the plane of its base end, a propeller shaft coaxial with said spiral propeller blade and secured to the apex thereof, a rigid rin extending circumferentially of said spiral propeller, blade and secured to the base thereof, mounting means for said ring, and means for relatively shifting said propeller shaft and mounting means axially to spring said spiral propeller blade into the form of a forwardly pitched conical spiral when desired and into the form of a rearwardly pitched conical spiral when desired,

whereby said propeller blade may drive a vehicle either forwardly or rearwardly without reversing its direction of rotation.

4. A propelling means comprising an open spiral spring metal propeller blade, the apex end of which is movable through the plane of its base end, a propeller shaft coaxial with said spiral propeller blade and secured to the apex thereof, a rigid ring extending circumferentially of said spiral propeller blade and secured to the base thereof, fixed bearing means in which said ring is rotatably mounted, and means for axially sliding said shaft.

5. A propelling means comprising an open spiral spring metal propeller blade, the apex end of which is movable through the plane of its base end, a propeller shaft coaxial with said spiral propeller blade and secured to the apex thereof, a rigid ring extending ciroumferentially of said spiral propeller blade and secured to the base thereof, a collar surrounding said propeller shaft and spaced from the plane of said ring, circumferentially spaced arms secured to said ring and collar, and means for axially sliding said propeller shaft and collar relatively to each other.

6. A propelling means comprising an open spiral spring metal propeller blade, the apex end of which is movable through the plane of its base end, a propeller shaft coaxial with said spiral propeller blade and secured to the apex thereof, a rigid ring extending circumferentially of said spiral propeller blades and secured to the base thereof, a collar surrounding said propeller shaft and spaced from the plane'of said ring, circumferentially spaced arms secured to said ring and collar, means for holding said collar against axial shifting, and means for aXilly shifting said propeller shaft.

7. A propelling means comprising a spiral propeller blade of resilient material, said blade decreasing in width from its base to its apex to permit its apex end to be positioned on either side of the plane of its base end, driving means connected with one of the ends of said blade, mounting means for the other end of said blade, and means for relatively shifting said driving means and mounting means axially to position the apex end of the blade on either side of the plane of the base end thereof.

ALLISON R. PEIRCE.