US2797659A

US2797659A - Aqua jet propulsion device

Info

Publication number: US2797659A
Application number: US414216A
Authority: US
Inventors: Haase Bartholomew; Willis N Mcwhorter; Ralph G Dale; Woodrow W Stahl
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1954-03-04
Filing date: 1954-03-04
Publication date: 1957-07-02
Anticipated expiration: 1974-07-02

Description

July 2, 1957 B. HAASE ET A1. 2,797,659

AQUA JET PEOPULSION DEVICE Filed March 4, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 i [I J0 W o Z6 23 W00 dro w I/l/. Ja/i/ INVENTORJ BY fw@ /fmf ATTORNEY July 2, 1957 B. HAASE ET AL 2,797,659

AQUA JET PROPULSION DEVICE Filed March 4, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Woof/row W Jza/ INVENTORS BY @w /4 7' TOR/VE V United States Patent AQUA JET PROPULSION DEVICE Bartholomew Haase, Willis N. McWhorter, Ralph G. Dale, and Woodrow W. Stahl, Houston, Tex.

Application March 4, 1954, Serial No. 414,216

4 Claims. (Cl. 11S-14) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in an aqua-jet propulsion device.

lt is an object of this invention to provide a motor for use on jet marine engines that will provide an auxiliary power to the propulsion stream.

It is another object of this invention to provide a motor for use in marine engines that provides novel steering means.

It is still another object of the invention to provide a jet operated marine engine having novel means for reversing the direction of propulsion of the craft.

ln the present type of jet propulsion marine motors, it is necessary to stop the motor, or pump, when it is desired to discontinue the propulsion. It is another object of this invention to provide means for neutralizing the propulsion action without stopping the motors or pump.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention has more particular relation to certain novel features of construction and operation as defined in the following specifications and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure l is an elevational, cross sectional view of the device, attached to a vessel.

Figure 2 is an end view, in cross section, taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1, and

Figure 3 is an end view of the compressing means taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, the numeral 1 designates the hull of a vessel, to which the fixed housing 2 is secured, as by the

bolts

3, 3. The driving shaft 3 is vertically mounted in the housing 2 and is in operative connection with a gear box 4, which is rotated by the shaft 5. A suitable source of power (not shown) rotates the shaft 5.

An inner housing 6 is mounted inside of the housing 2, and is rotatable therein, the bearings, as 7, providing means for easy rotation thereof. A ring gear 8 is mounted on the outer surface of the inner housing 6 which is in geared relation with the worm gear 9 which is in turn rotated by suitable steering gear as 10.

The housing 6 is enlarged forming the

cylinders

11, 11 in which suitable pistons as 12, 12 are mounted. Connecting rods, as 13, 13 connect said

pistons

12, 12 to the loosely mounted

rings

14, 14 which are mounted on the eccentric cam 15. The cam 15 is mounted on the shaft 3 and rotated thereby. Suitable packing means 16, 16 and

bearings

17, 17 are mounted on the shaft 3 and maintained in place by the

collars

18, 18.

An impeller 19 is mounted in the housing 6 in the impellet' chamber 20. A storage chamber 21, formed in the housing 6 between the impeller chamber 20 and the

cylinders

11, 11, is provided to receive fluid under pressure. An induction chamber 22 is located in the lower end of the housing 6 and is mounted in the port 23 in the hull 1. An eduction chamber 24 leads from the impeller chamber 20 into the

discharge nozzles

25, 26.

Mounted on the lower end of the shaft 3 is a booster ICC impeller 27. Extending axially through the shaft 3 is a valve control shaft 28 which is pivotally secured at the upper end to the control lever 29 and at the lower end to the rocking arm 30. The rocking arm 30 is connected to and controls the shuttle valve 31 which is mounted in the eduction chamber 24 and which may be moved to block the flow of eduction through either of the

discharge nozzles

25, 26.

Suitable valves as 32, 33 and 34 are provided to supply air into the cylinders 11, the storage chamber 21 and eduction chamber 24.

The shaft 5 drives the drive shaft 3, which in turn rotates the cam 15 and the cam reciprocates the

pistons

12, 12 which draw air into the

cylinders

11, 11, through the

valves

32, 32, and upon movement of the pistons in one direction, admit the air into the storage chamber through the

valves

33, 33, and the storage chamber 21, which may be of any desired capacity, retains the compressed air until a predetermined pressure has been reached, whereupon the valve 34 admits impulses of air into the induction chamber 24. A suitable shield, as 35, is provided in the induction chamber 24 which extends from the bottom of the chamber 21 through the chamber 20 and into the chamber 24 forming a conduit to guide the flow of air past the impeller chamber 20 and into the chamber 24.

As the shaft 3 rotates, the water is drawn in through the induction chamber 22, by the impeller 19 and booster impeller 27, and is discharged by the impeller 19 through the eduction chamber 24 in a jet, assisted by air impulses from the storage chamber 9.1. The direction of discharge is determined by the shuttle 31. When it is desired to travel in one direction, the lever 29 is moved by the operator of the vessel to block the flow of water through either one of the

discharge nozzles

25, 26, which will be longitudinally extended beneath the vessel. When it is desired to neutralize the movement of the boat, the shuttle may be moved to neutral position, as shown in Figure 1, thus directing a divided flow through both

discharge nozzles

25, 26. The boat will be steered by manipulation of the steering gear 1 0, which will rotate the inner housing 6, carrying with it the

discharge nozzles

25, 26.

If desired, a projection 37 may be provided on the bottom of the shuttle 31 which will automatically reverse the direction of flow of eduction when contacted by any solid matter. For instance, if the vessel runs aground, the projection 37 extending beneath the bottom of the hull will be contacted first and will move the shuttle 31 into reverse position from the direction of travel of the vessel, thus reversing the thrust of eduction and preventing or minimizing the actual grounding of the vessel.

As may be seen by the drawings, the induction chamber 22 is formed by casting a separate piece from the rest of the inner housing 6, but which is bolted to, and thus forms an integral part of the rest of the inner housing, as indicated by the

bolts

36, 36. This is a preferable way of forming the inner housing in order that access may be provided to the working parts of the device.

While the foregoing is considered a preferred form of the invention, it is by way of illustration only, the broad principle of the invention being dened by the appended claims.

What we claim is:

l. In a motor for aqua jet propulsion, an outer housing, an inner housing within said outer housing, means for rotating said inner housing, a drive shaft through said outer and inner housings, means for compressing air within said inner housing and means for drawing water into said inner housing, means for ejecting said water and air under pressure from said inner housing, eduction nozzles integral with said inner housing through which said water and air are ejected, a shuttle pivotally mounted in said eduction nozzles and means axially mounted in said drive shaft for selectively moving said shuttle transverse in said eduction nozzles to direct the ow of fluid therethrough.

2. ln an aqua jet propulsion device, an outer housing adapted to be mounted on the bottom of a vessel, an inner housing rotatably mounted in the said outer housing, a vertical drive shaft extending through said housing and adapted to be rotated by a suitable source of power, an impeller mounted on said drive shaft, an induction charnber beneath said impeller, a booster impeller mounted on said drive shaft within said induction chamber, an eccentric cam mounted on said drive shaft, compression chambers within said housing, pistons reciprocably mounted in said compression chambers, connecting rods secured to said pistons and said eccentric cam, an eduction chamber, control means for directing a predetermined pressure of Huid into said eduction chamber from said compression chambers and from said impeller into said eduction chamber.

3. ln an aqua jet propulsion device, an inner and outer housing, means for rotating the inner housing within the outer housing to control the direction of jet propulsion, u vertical drive shaft through said inner housing, means on said drive shaft for drawing water into said inner housing and expelling it from said inner housing under pressure, an eduction chamber through which said expelled fluid is discharged, the discharge end of said charnber being divided and extended in opposite directions, a shuttle in said eduction chamber transversely movable therein to direct the flow of fluid through one of said extensions, and a bell crank pivotally mounted in said eduction chamber having one end pivotally secured to said shuttle and the other end secured to a control rod,

4 said control rod extending through said drive shaft and being pivotally secured to a control lever.

4. In an aqua jet propulsion device for use on boats, an inner and an outer housing anchored to the hull of a boat, a drive shaft extending vertically through said inner housing and an inlet port through the hull of said boat adjacent the lower end of said drive shaft, an induction chamber in said inner housing, an impeller mounted on said drive shaft and extending into said induction chamber, a propeller on said drive shaft beneath said impeller for boosting water to be inducted into said induction chamber, an eduction conduit leading from said induction chamber and terminating beneath said port in said hull of said boat, said eduction conduit having its terminus divided into forwardly and rearwardly directed outlets, a shuttle transversely movable in said eduction conduit to control the direction of flow of fluid through said outlets, said shuttle having a downwardly extending projection adapted to move said shuttle to reverse the flow of discharge upon contacting bottom.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 146,266 Morton Ian. 6, 1874 1,747,817 Choquette Feb. 18, 1930 $12,149,155 Anderson Feb. 28, 1939 742,243,800 Goodyear May 27, 1941 `,12,255,852 Lundin Sept. 16, 1941 2,528,354 Flanagan Oct. 31, 1950 \`,2,655,891` Gorski Oct. 20, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 126,425 Great Britain May 12, 1919 183,434 Great Britain June 7, 1923 503,593 Great Britain Apr. 11, 1939