US2758562A

US2758562A - Fluid deflector system for endless chain propellers in amphibian craft

Info

Publication number: US2758562A
Application number: US126652A
Authority: US
Inventors: Edward J Eyring
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1949-11-10
Filing date: 1949-11-10
Publication date: 1956-08-14
Anticipated expiration: 1973-08-14

Description

Aug. 14, 1956 E. J. EYRING FLUID DEFLECTOR SYSTEM FOR ENDLESS CHAIN PROPELLERS IN AMPHIBIAN CRAFT Filed NOV. 10, 1949 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR EDWARD J. EYRING ATTORNEY Aug. 14, 1956 J EYRING E.. FLUID DEFLECTOR SYSTEM FOR ENDLESS CHAIN PROPELLERS IN AMPHIBIAN CRAFT Flled NOV. 10, 1949 5 ShetsSheet 2 FIG 5 5 so 7 3| 9a 6 a! 9 I j as 40 In 36 Q 2 so I 80 2| INVENTOR EDWARD J. EYRING ATTORNEY E. J. EYRING Aug. 14, 1956 2,758,562 FLUID DEFLECTOR SYSTEM FOR ENDLESS CHAIN PROPELLERS IN AMPHIBIAN CRAFT Filed Nov. 10, 1949 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 FIG.7.

INVENTOR EDWARD J. EYRING ATTORNEY United States Patent FLUID DEFLECTOR SYSTEM FOR ENDLESS CHAIN PROPELLERS IN AMPHIBIAN CRAFT Edward J. Eyring, Arlington, Va. Application November 10, 1949, Serial No. 126,652 5 Claims. c1. 115-1 (Granted under Title 35, U. S. Code (1952), see. 266) The present invention relates to endless chain propellers and more particularly to a fluid deflector system and apparatus for amphibian craft.

Prior fluid propellers and impellers for track laying amphibian vehicles have two major disadvantages. First, they attempt to adapt fixed impeller blades to both fluid and land travel. This results in breakage and fouling when light weight thin section impellers are used, and in loss of effective propulsion when impellers were made heavy enough to avoid breakage. Secondly, it has been proposed to attach fixed paddle members to the outside rim of an amphibian traction belt. This arrangement creates so much drag during the return travel of the belt that eflective propulsion is critically diminished.

The invention of copending concurrently filed application of Willard C. Baker for Amphibian Propulsion Mechanism, Serial Number 126,655, now U. S. Patent 2,680,421, avoids these and other disadvantages by pro viding a series of fluid impeller blades arranged in cooperating relationship with a uniform series of fluid deflector vanes. The present invention provides a novel construction and arrangement of supplemental fluid deflector means in an amphibian craft.

One object of the present invention is to provide an improved system of propulsion for amphibian craft.

Another object is to provide power driven means for pumping fluid onto the fluid propelling or impeller blades in an endless chain propeller.

A further object is to provide combination bogie wheel and pump means for discharging fluid laterally onto the fluid impeller blades of an endless traction belt.

An additional object is to provide novel deflector vanes for the downward diversion of streams of fluid laterally pumped onto an endless chain propeller.

Other equally important objects and many of the advantages of the present invention become readily apparent from the following detailed description which illustrates preferred embodiments thereof when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings that diagrammatically represent in:

Fig. l, a side elevation of a bogie wheel for operation on the left side of an endless traction belt when viewed from the prow of an amphibian craft;

Fig. 2, a front elevation of the wheel of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3, an axial cross section of a companion wheel on the right side of an amphibian craft;

Fig. 4, an axial cross-section of a pump spoke arrangement for the wheel of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5, a side elevation of a portion of an endless traction belt embodying my novel combined pumps and bogie wheels;

Fig. 6, a horizontal cross section taken on the line 6-6 in Fig. 5, viewed downwardly;

Fig. 7, a vertical cross section taken on the line 7-7 of Fig. 5 viewed from the prow of the craft;

Fig. 8, a diagram illustrating the flow pattern through the pumping impeller spokes in the wheel sets; and

Fig. 9, a cross section taken on the line 99 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 1 illustrates a preferred arrangement viewed in a fore to aft direction of left side spokes in a left side wheel 40. Fig. 2 illustrates the preferred arrangement of the hub portion 41 on the outside face of a left side wheel 40. Figure 3 illustrates the preferred arrangement of the hub portion 21 on the outside face of a right side wheel 20. Fig. 4 illustrates a preferred arrangement of the effective angles and 86 of spokes 80 of a left side wheel. Fig. 5, a preferred arrangement of the assembled vanes 30, ridges 36, right side spokes 60, left side spokes 80, propelling or impeller blades 50 and belt 70. Fig. 6, a top plan view of the same assembly showing the flat inner faces of the

wheels

20 and 40 positioned in cooperating arrangement with the adjacent sides of vanes 30. Fig. 7 illustrates an elevation of the same assembly viewed in a fore to aft direction, and showing a vertical view of the flow pattern thereover during fluid travel. Fig. 8, a top plan view of the pairs of wheel sets for the traction belts 70 on each side of the hull 90. It clearly illustrates the preferred arrangement of the angles of spokes 60 on the left side of each belt 70 and spokes 80 on the right side of each belt when viewed in a fore to aft direction. Illustrated also is a horizontal view of the flow pattern of Fig. 7. Fig. 9 shows in cross section the hydrofoil conformation of dividing ridge 36 on vanes 30.

In Figures 1 and 2 the bogie wheel 40 is arranged for operation on the left side of belt 70 when viewed in a fore to aft direction and when hull is traveling in the forward direction as indicated by the arrow at F in Fig. 8.

The wheel 40 comprises hub portion 41, bore 42, rim 46, and tire 45, which is made of rubber or material of similar characteristics to provide suificient traction to assure the rotation of wheel 40 during operation. The left side spokes 80 are arranged with leading edge 81 and trailing edge 82 in the preferred relative position as illustrated in Fig. 4, and Fig. 2.

Each of the wheels is provided with a nut recess such as shown at 23 in Fig. 3 and at 43 in Fig. 1 and with a hub recess such as is illustrated at 24 in Fig. 3. The nuts 72 are engaged with wheel axles 71 by means of slots 73 as shown in Fig. 7.

As shown in Fig. 4 it is preferred to arrange the spokes 80 of left side wheels 40 so that the center line 84 of their rim-engaging portion is at an angle 86 within of approximate range of 5 to 15 from the axis 74, and so that the center line 83 of their hub-engaging portion is at an angle 85 within the approximate range of 30 to 60 from center line 84. These ranges also apply to spokes 60 of right side wheels 20 which are arranged with their leading edge 61 directed outwardly and forwardly on the right side of belt 70 as shown in Figures 7 and 8. These figures also illustrate the equivalent arrangement of leading edge 81 of spokes 80 which are directed outwardly and forwardly on the left sid of belt 70.

As illustrated in Figures 5 and 6, deflector vanes 30 are aflixed to inner wall 92 of hull 90 by any suitable attaching means such as the bolts indicated at 32, the

bolts 32 passing through a base plate portion 31 and into vane support 94, not shown in Fig. 5. Mounted on vanes '30 by shafts 711 in

hubs

21 and 41 are

bogie wheels

20 and 40 for rotating engagement with belt 70 so that the series of fluid impeller blades 50 travel between the right side wheels 20 and the left side wheels 40. A combined endless chain propeller and traction belt 70 is preferably positioned on each side of hull 90 as shown in Figure 8. Belt 70 is preferably constructed and arranged in cooperating relationship with vanes 30 and impeller blades 50 as illustrated and de- 3 scribed in detail in the hereinbefore mentioned copending application of Willard C. Baker.

However, in the present invention vanes 30 are provided with the novel flow dividing ridge portion 36 as illustrated in Figures 5, 7, and 9, and which acts to divide the flow into two streams as shown by the arrows at 100 and 101 in Figures 7 and 8, and as will be subsequently described herein.

In Figure 7 the belt 70 comprises land treads 52, foot portions 51, track links 54, connector links 53 and fluid impeller blades 50.

The upper traction surface of links 53 is preferably serrated or ridged to insure the rotation of

wheels

20 and 40 during operating engagement therewith.

Vane support 94 on hull 90 holds base plate portion 31 of vanes in fixed relationship preferably as illustrated in the herein mentioned copending applications. Skirt 91 and upper housing 93 form with back wall 92 of hull 90 a channelway for admission of fluid to vanes 30. Fluid is also admitted under the belly of hull 90 to spokes 60 and '80 of the innermost wheels as shown in Figures 7 and 8.

As shown in Figure 7 the upper or base portion 33 of vanes 30 extends laterally outward in the space between

wheels

20 and 40. The elevated steam-lined ridge portion 36 extends downwardly on the effective face 34 to a point above the area of axle 71, and is preferably under-cut to form the streamlined over-hanging lip portions 39 arranged to downwardly direct the two streams divided by ridge 36, so that those streams will be better concentrated on blades 50, as they leave the tip area 37 of vanes 30. The arrangement of ridge 36 on effective face 34 of vanes 30, and the hydrofoil contour of back portions 35 of vanes 30 is further illustrated in the section of Fig. 9. The diagram in Fig. 8 illustrates a top plane view of the sets of right and

left bogie wheels

20 and 40 respectively indicated at R and L. The forward direction of travel of hull 90 is indicated therein by the arrow at F, the concurrent direction of the fluid impelling travel of the belts 70 is indicated by the small arrows at 70, and the concurrent direction of rotation of

wheels

20 and 40 and axles 71 is indicated by the arrows around the axles 71. The flow pattern of the

fluid entering wheels

20 and 40 is shown by the arrows at 100 and the flow pattern of the fluid deflected thereafter by vanes 30 is indicated by the arrows at 101. The arrows at 100 in Figs. 7 and 8 show the lateral flow pattern in both directions across the under side of hull 90 or bottom of hull 90.

In a manner well known in the art, power is applied to drive belts 70 along their fluid impelling course in the rearward direction indicated by the arrows at 70 in Fig. 8. This causes hull '90 to travel through the fluid in a forward direction as indicated by the arrow at F. This travel of belts 70 concurrently causes the counter-clockwise rotation of

wheels

20 and 40 on axles 71, as shown in Fig. 8, as a result, of the frictional traction between tires 25 .and 45 and links 53. Thereafter the present invention provides the following:

Operation The water or other fluid medium in which hull may be afloat flows laterally outward over the bottom of hull 90 toward vanes 30 and concurrently flows laterally inward under skirt portion 91 toward vanes 30 as shown by arrows 100. As it reaches

rotating wheels

20 and 40 it is pumped by

fluid impeller spokes

60 and 80 through

wheels

20 and 40 and inwardly with respect to ridge 36 and onto vanes 30 as shown in Figures 7 and 8. Thereafter the two streams engaging the effective face 34 of vanes 30 are kept from neutralizing their velocities by hydrofoil ridge portion 36 and lips 39 which divide the streams, and deflect them downwardly onto hydrofoil impeller blades 50 as shown by the arrows 101 in the flow patterns of Figures 7 and 8. Therein it will be seen that the lateral velocities at 100 are accelerated by the pumping action of

spokes

60 and 80, and that the directions of flow of these accelerated velocities are diverted downwardly onto the effective face of blades 50 where they are converted into additional forward thrust of hull by blades 50 on belts 70.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the aforementioned application of Willard C. Baker provided the novel cooperation of the inwardly projecting fluid impeller blades and ridgeless deflector vanes to direct fluid downwardly to the blades. The present invention positively pumps jets of fluid laterally to novel vanes that divide the streams, and then deflects them downwardly. This overcomes laminar flow adjacent skirt 91 and results in greatly augmented thrust reaction of blades 50.

Related hereto are the following concurrently filed copending applications of: Willard C. Baker and William Nicholas for Amphibian Control Mechanism, Serial No. 126,656, now U. S. Patent No. 2,705,470; Emil S. Cigledy, for Deflector System, Serial No. 126,660; Edward J. Eyring, for Deflector, Serial No. 126,654, now U. S. Patent No. 2,730,064; and Willard C. Baker for Amphibian Propulsion Mechanism, Serial No. 126,655, now U. S. Patent 2,680,421; Edward I. Eyring, for Deflector Control, Serial No. 126,653.

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

While only preferred embodiments of this invention have been disclosed, it is obvious that various modifications thereof are contemplated and may be resorted to by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims:

What is claimed is:

1. In combination in an amphibian craft; a combined endless chain propeller and traction belt mounted to be supported by a series of bogie wheels on said craft; a series of inwardly projecting fluid propelling blades on said propeller; and a series of downwardly projecting deflector vanes mounted on said craft to direct fluid downwardly to said blades; said bogie wheels comprising fluid impeller spokes mounted to pump water laterally and inwardly from each side of said chain propeller to said vanes during travel of said craft in a fluid.

2. In combination in an amphibian craft, a pair of opposed bogie wheels thereon; one of said wheels being mounted to support one side of an endless traction belt and the other of said wheels being mounted to support the other side of said belt on said craft; a plurality of obliquely positioned spokes on each of said wheels, said spokes acting to pump fluid laterally from each side to said belt; a pair of outwardly projecting ground treads on said belt; a series of inwardly projecting fluid propelling blades positioned on said belt intermediate said treads; and a series of fluid deflector vanes on said craft mounted to direct said laterally pumped fluid downwardly to said blades, during fluid travel of said craft.

3. An amphibian craft for travel on ground and in a fluid, comprising a hull; endless chain propeller thereon; a pair of laterally spaced wheels carried on said hull mounted to engage said chain propeller; each of said wheels comprising spaced fixed fluid impeller vanes twisted to pump said fluid laterally and downwardly into the space between said wheels, said chain propeller including propelling blades projecting within the space between said pair of wheels and movable therein, said propelling blades being arranged to receive fluid pumped by said fluid impeller vanes, and said propeller blades receiving thrust reaction from saidpumped fluid.

4. An amphibian craft as defined in claim 3 but further characterized by a deflector means positioned centrally in the upper part of said space, said deflector means 5 6 being shaped to deflect fluid downwardly to said propel- References Cited in the file of this patent ling blEldCS Of Said chain PI'OPBllfiI. UNITED STATES PATENTS 5. An amphibian craft as defined in claim 3 but further characterized by shaft means supporting said wheels 1'017215 Hg 131 1912 for free rotation thereon whereby said wheels comprise 5 FOREIGN PATENTS bogie Wheels- 121.151 Germany June 6. 1901.