US2546210A

US2546210A - Jet propelled vessel having submerged capillary feeding means for the steam boiler

Info

Publication number: US2546210A
Application number: US711642A
Authority: US
Inventors: Godfrey E Bittner
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1946-11-22
Filing date: 1946-11-22
Publication date: 1951-03-27
Anticipated expiration: 1968-03-27

Description

G. E. BITTNER March 2 7, 1951 2,546,210 JET PROPELLED vEss HAVING SUBMERGED CAPILLARY FEEDING MEANS FOR THE STEAM BoILERs 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 22, 1946 March 27, 1951 G. E. BITTNER 2,545,210

` JET PROPELLED VESSEL HAVING SUBMERGED CAPILLARY FEEDING MEANS F'OR THE STEAM BOILERS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 22, 1946 4parts throughout theseveral views.

Patented Mar. 27, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JET PROBELLED VESSEL HAVING vSUB- lMERGED CAPILLARY FEEDING 'MEANS FOR THE STEAM BOILER 3 Claims. 1

This invention relates to 'marine `propulsion devices.

An object of this invention is to provide'a steam generator for driving a vessel bythe discharge of steam under high pressure from the'vessel Another object of the invention `is to provide a propulsion device including a steam generator, and .means for discharging steam under high pressure from said steam generator whereby the vessel may be propelled by direct rocket reaction of the steam acting upon the vessel in a well known manner.

A further object of the invention is to provide a propulsion device for a vessel including a steam generator inwhich steam is created by injecting water onto an electrically heated element which lines a cylinder tube, and allowing the steam'thus created to escape through an exhaust 'valve to create a reactive thrust against the cylinder tube and thus to propel thevessel.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a marine propulsion device which is simple in design,`inexpensive to manufacture, and which is effective for the purpose intended.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent fr-omth'e following descrip- 'tion 'of a preferred embodiment thereof as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and in which,

Figure 1 is a right end elevation of the device Aas seen from'the right of Figure 2,

Figure 2 is a secticnal side elevation of the device shown in Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a plan viewl of the device shown in Figure'2,

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on lineY4-4 of Figure 2, and

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken on line 5--5 of Figure 3.

Steam is a tremendous force and can be used at high pressure underwater in'propelling boats. My invention would reclaim .the energy that now 'is lost by the use 'oi the rigidprcpller blade. As boats are now propelled, the energy that is generated by the boat-engine loses half its power before vreaching the propeller. On the other hand, my invention relates to a device which -gives 'substantially its entire energy to thetask of 'propelling the boat, with no long heavy -drive shafts to rob =its power, :nor Vany backward drag due to frictional or water displacement, as is the case with any solid propeller "attached to a hull.

Reference may now be had 'to the drawings, in which like reference characters denote similar As shown, there-isan upper housing l2 -fwhich is :somewhat box like in shape, and forms an upper chamber `4 therein. A cylindrical outer casing 6 has an upper curved portion 8 thereof extending into the upper chamber 4 through an openingor cutwout portion I0 in the lower wall I2 thereof.

The left hand end I4 of the cylindrical outer casing 6 extends into contact with the inner ysurface of the left end wall i6 `of the upper housing and is secured thereto in any suitable manner.

The right hand vend I8 of the `outer casing `6 is curved asshown best in Figures 2 and 3, with-its inner or central portion 2] curved back upon itself and drawn inwardly to Iform an axial tube 22 extending into the chamber 24 inside the cylind'er 6.

A cylindrical inner casing 26 forms the Ilining of the cylinder 6, with its right hand end portion 28 curved back upon itself like the curvature lof the outer casing at location-20 in order lto form a lining thereof, as best shown in Figure 2, the bent back portion terminating-at location 30. An inner casing end wallv32 closes the left hand-end of the inner casing 26, as seen in Figure 2, a rounded aperture 34 being `formed in the lower portionvof the wall 32 to permit escape of `steam therethrough toward the left.

The chamber 24 is lined -witha coiled heating element 36 which is supplied with lenergy -by means of the electrical leads `38 and 40"'which extend upwards through the upper yhousing 2 and are connectable lto a source of electrical energy, the leads 38 and #49 being -connected to a rheostat 39. Steam is lcreated by injecting water ontothe electrical heating'element l36 inside vthe steam generating chamber 24. Water enters through the water intake tube v22, and, in striking the heating element -3b, the water is converted `into `steam almost instantaneously, raising the pressure within the chamber 24. Agate valve 38 is hinged lat 40 over the 4'opening 34 Vextending throughthe walls 32 .and I6, so asso t0 be rswingable under 'the influence of the steam pressure inthe chamber `24'in 'a clockwise Vdirection about the ,pivot '49, opening 'the exhaust `valve v38 and allowing the steamto escape tothe Yleft'as seen in Figure 2 to be discharged directly into the water below the'water line 42. Such discharge exerts a reactive thrust on the right-hand end of `chamber 24 which is effective to lpropel the 4boat to which ,the device is attached in a well known manner.

'The discharge o'f the steam is guided by -means of the casing extension 44 which has Walls 46 which diverge as they extend away from '.the opening'3`4, as shown inFigures2 and.3, forming a v,half shell. This half-,shell isinstrumental .in

straightening out the llines .of secondary Vreactive force Iparallel ,tothe shipsihullby providing balanced vthrust surfaces. This is .to prevent tem porarily v the force ,from A'following .the lines .of least resistance, which Ain .this case would be towards the surface of the water.

vFor regulating the admittance of water into the cylinder 24, through the entrance tube 22 in the cylinder head, I provide an auger 48 having teeth 50 formed along its outer spiral edge, as shown best in Figure 5. The inner periphery of the tube 22 is formed with a spirally disposed trackway providing means 23 complementary to the pitch of the auger and in which the latter is threaded. The auger is extensible into and out of the entrance tube 22 under the influence of the gear wheel 52, the teeth of which mesh with the teeth E! on the auger to cause it to be moved into and through the entrance tube 22 to the right or left, as seen in Figure 2, as the gear Wheel 52 turns on its horizontal axis shaft 54.

The gear wheel extends partly through an opening formed in the side of the entrance tube 22, as shown in Figure 2, and has its shaft carried in bearings 56 secured to the outer surface of the tube 22 within the cylinder 24. A bevel gear 58 on the shaft 54 meshes with a similar bevel gear 60 carried on the lower end of a valve adjusting shaft 62 extending upwards through the inner and outer easing walls and through the upper housing 2, as shown in Figure 2. A handle wheel 64 is secured to the upper end ES of the shaft 62 to permit turning thereof by an operator to cause the auger valve i3 to be moved inward and outward in the water entrance tube The auger 48 has a closure cap or valve plug 68 secured to its outer end, which, when the auger is fully extending into the cylinder 24, tightly closes the tube 22, thus preventing further Water from entering. The auger valleys l@ are completely wrapped with insulated wiring, asbestos insulated, with only the flanged too.hed track of the auger exposed.

As best seen in Figure 2, the inner end of the auger is also provided with a cap 69 which seats against the ared inner end ll oi the entrance tube 22 when the auger is extended out of the cylinder to the right, thus sealing the cylinder. This permits it to be heated prior to operating by blocking entry of Water or moisture into the cylinder prior to the time desired.

Water is supplied constantly to the interior of chamber 2Q by the capillary attraction of the asbestos insulation' aforesaid which serves as a Wick. Thus, that portion of auger 123 that is irorn that portion which is outside of such chamber whereby to constantly replenish that water which has evaporated and been discharged as steam through the gate valve 38.

Control is exercised by means of an electrical rheostat or o.her control, and by the handle wheel 64. If desired, induction heating may be employed.

Although I have described a preferred embodiment of my invention in specific terms, it is to be understood that various changes may be made in size, shape, materials and arrangement Without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

I claim:

1. A marine propulsion device for a vessel, said device comprising a casing having a cylindrical chamber formed therein, said chamber being adapted to be partially submerged in a body of water, capillary means for admitting water into said chamber from one end thereof, means for generating steam in said chamber from said admitted Water, means for discharging a jet of steam from an opposite end of said chamber and below the water line, whereby to propel said vessel by the reaction of said jet, and means exteriorly of said chamber and partially surrounding said jet for guiding the same for most efficient transfer of energy.

2. A marine propulsion device for a vessel, said device comprising a casing having a cylindrical chamber formed therein, said chamber being adapted to be partially submerged in a body of Water, capillary means for admitting water into said chamber from one end thereof and axially of said chamber, a helical heating element carried by said chamber and concentrically disposed about said capillary means for generating steam from water admitted to said chamber by said capillary means, means for discharging a jet of said steam from an opposite end of said chamber and below the water line whereby to propel said vessel by the reaction of said jet, and means for varying the volume of water admitted to said chamber by said capillary means.

3. A marine propulsion device for a vessel, said device comprising a casing having a cylindrical chamber formed therein, said chamber being adapted to be par.ially submerged in a body of water, said chamber including one end formed to provide a tubular passage axially of said chamber and below the Water line, an auger mounted in said tubular member axially thereof, a valve plug carried by each of the ends of said auger, said auger normally extending exteriorly and interiorly of said chamber, the valleys of said auger being wrapped with brous material having capillarity whereby to p-rovide means for supplying water to the interior of said chamber, said auger being formed with a spiral series of peripheral teeth, gear means carried by said chamber and engaging said teeth to cause rotation of said auger and move said valve plug axially of said tubular member whereby to vary the volume of water admitted to said chamber, a coiled heating element concentrically disposed about said auger inwardly of said chamber, said chamber f includingan end wall opposite to said rSt-named end wall and formed to provide a discharge opening therein below the water line, a normally closed flap valve hinged over the outer end of said discharge opening, said nap valve being adapted to be opened by steam pressure whereby to discharge a jet of steam from said chamber arid propel said vessel by the reaction of said je GODFREY E. BITTNER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in 'the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 10,224 Birkinbine Nov. 15, 1853 13,394 McIntire Aug. 27, 1855 1,787,844 Widdis Jan. 6,1931

FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 643,536 France May 16, 1928 OTHER REFERENCES Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collections, found in Rocketsj by Dr. R. H. Goddard, pages 194