US3185122A

US3185122A - Propulsion unit for watercraft

Info

Publication number: US3185122A
Application number: US354524A
Authority: US
Inventors: Pleuger Friedrich Wilhelm
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1963-03-30
Filing date: 1964-03-25
Publication date: 1965-05-25
Anticipated expiration: 1982-05-25
Also published as: GB986095A

Description

y 1965 F. w. PLEUGER 3,185,122

PROPULSION UNIT FOR WATERCRAFT Filed March 25, 1964 4 Sheets-Sheet l /NVEN70Q; F W. P/eu er ATTORNESS May 25, 1965 F. w. PLEUGER 3,135,122

PROPULSION UNIT FOR WATERCRAFT Filed March 25, 1964 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 F/G-E ATTOVKNEHS May 25, 1965 F. w. PLEUGER PROPULSION UNIT FOR WATERCRAFT 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed March 25, 1964 Wyn/704 F M Plea/gar ATTOF NESS May 25, 1965 F. w. PLEUGER PROPULSION UNIT FOR WATERCRAFT 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed March 25, 1964 ATTOR-MEBS United States Patent PRQPUESIGN UNET FUR WATERRAFT Friedrich Wilhelm Pleuger, .luthornstrasse 8d,

Hamhurg-Wandshek, Germany Filed Mar. 25, 19%, Ser. No. 354,524 Claims priority, application Germany, Mar. 3%, 1963, 1? 31,486 illaims. (Cl. 114-151) The present invention relates to a propulsion unit for watercraft, and more particularly'to a propulsion unit placed in a horizontal transverse passage of a vessel and acting as a so-called bow-jet rudder.

It is an object of the invention to provide a roomsaving drive of the propulsion unit with high efliciency in power transmission and with nearly noiseless operation which at the same time allows for good hydraulic flow conditions around the propulsion unit.

Another object of the invention is to provide a drive of the propulsion unit which ensures eifective power transmission, including very big power, by employing an endless chain connecting the propulsion unit to a driving motor in the interior of the ship. Said endless chain runs through hollow supporting elements of the propulsion unit.

According to an important feature of the invention, the supporting elements for the propulsion unit comprise two hollow struts, which slope with respect to the radial plane of the unit, extend in moving direction of the driving chain, and are arranged tangentially to a chain wheel of the propeller shaft. The driving chain runs over a plurality of deflecting pulleys which are located in front of the apertures of the hollow struts in the interior of the ship. They ensure proper gearing of the driving chain with the chain wheels of both propeller shaft and driving motor and guarantee a power transmission which is highly efficient and at the same time low in noise.

Further objects and features of the invention are related to the construction and mounting of the propeller shaft.

Still another object is the employment of an additional chain extending parallel with the driving chain and being linked with a device for variation of the inclination of the propeller blades in order to extend the use of the construction according to the invention to propulsion units of variable propeller blades.

These and other objects and characteristics of the invention will become apparent from the following description of two illustrative embodiments of the invention.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a partial longitudinal section and side View respectively of a driving device for the propeller of a bow-jet rudder,

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line HII of FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal section and partial side View respectively of another embodiment of the invention, which is applicable with bow-jet rudders of variable propellers,

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line IVIV of FIG. 2.

With reference to FIGURES 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals are used to indicate like parts, a cylindrical passage 1, transverse in the body of the ship, houses a casing 2 of streamline shape which is in a centric position mounted on two hollow struts 3. Within casing 2, a propeller shaft 4 is supported in two journal bearings 5 of an elastic type. In some cases, the bearings 5 may have sleeves of rigid material. Propeller shaft 4 carries a propeller 6, the

,hub 7 of which is streamlined in shape and, where it is 3,l35,l22 ?atented May 25, 1965 Ice adjacent casing 2, is of same diameter as said casing 2, whereas towards its other end the diameter of hub 7 is diminished. Propeller shaft 4 is protected against displacement by means of a disc 8, which is guided in two thrust bearings 9. A sprocket wheel 10, gearing with a roller chain 11, is fastened to shaft 4 between the disc 3 and the journal bearing 5 at the far end of propeller d. Roller chain 11 runs through the hollow struts 3 over two deflecting pulleys 12 which are located in the interior of the ship outside passageway 1, and over a chain pinion 13 which is mounted on the shaft of an electric driving motor 14. The deflecting pulleys 12 are supported in sleeve bearings 15, and they are at the same time used 'as tensioning rollers for chain 11.

The chain pinion 13, being operated by motor 14, sets chain 11 into rotating motion, in which the two deflecting pulleys 12 make it run through the hollow struts 3 to be guided towards or away from the sprocket wheel Ed on propeller shaft 4. By gearing with sprocket wheel 1t), chain 11 drives propeller 6. With the two struts 3 extending in direction of motion of chain 11, no further guiding elements, apart from the deflecting pulleys 12, need be provided for chain 11 to approach the sprocket wheel 1%) at the correct angle of mesh. As another advantage, the two hollow struts 3 ensure protection of chain 11 and casing 2 with its bearings 5, 9 and or" sprocket wheel 19 against water intrusion.

The two struts 3 may include a smaller angle than shown in FIG. 1 so that one of the two deflecting pulleys 12 may be constructed as a driving gear for chain 11, whereby chain pinion 13 can be dispensed with. This represents a further essential simplification of the driving device.

Referring now to FIGURES 3 and 4, these show an embodiment of the drive of a propulsion unit with a variable pitch propeller.

The streamlined casing 22 in transverse passage 1, like casing 2 of the afore-described embodiment, is centrically mounted on two hollow struts 3. Propeller shaft 21, which is also hollow, is supported in the casing 22 by means of two journal bearings 25. Hollow propeller shaft 21 is enclosed in a sleeve 23, which at one end carries the disc 8 between its two thrust bearings 9 and at its other, coniform end is in rigid connection with the sprocket wheel it). Said sprocket wheel 10 gears with the roller chain 11, which in the same manner as in FIGURES 1 and 2 runs through the hollow struts 3 and over the two deflecting pulleys 12 and chain pinion 13 on the shaft of driving motor 14.

The hollow propeller shaft 21 is coupled with the bellshaped hub 7 of the propeller 26 the blades of which are variable in their angle of incidence. Fitted to the pivot of each propeller blade is a bevel wheel 27 which meshes with a bevel wheel 28. The

bevel wheels

27, 28 are enclosed by the hollow hub '7 of the propeller. Bevel wheel 23 is secured to the end of a control shaft 29 which shaft extends inside the hollow propeller shaft 21 and at its other end carries a chain wheel 30 and is mounted in casing 22 by means of a journal bearing 32. Chain wheel 30 gears with an auxiliary roller chain 31 which is driven by an auxiliary chain pinion 33 arranged adjacent chain pinion 13 on the shaft of driving motor 14. The auxiliary roller chain 31 runs over a pair of deflecting pulleys 34 adjacent the deflecting pulleys 12 of chain 11, and another pair of deflecting pulleys 35 which are supported by an arm 36. Said arm 36 is pivotally mounted on the shaft of motor 14 and may be swung to either side by means of a threaded spindle 37.

When the angle of incidence of the propeller blades 26 is to be varied, the threaded spindle 37 is operated to shift arm 36, which initially has its central position shown in FIG. 4, to one or the other side so that the auxiliary deflecting pulleys 35 are shifted accordingly while staying at equal axial distance from each other. In this displaced position which is illustrated in FIG. 4 by broken lines, the portion of auxiliary chain 31 running from the left pulley 35 towards the chain pinion 33 is shortened inasmuch as the portion of auxiliary chain 31 running from the right-side pulley 35 to the chain pinion 33 is lengthened or vice versa. The direction of change is controlled by the direction of rotation of threaded spindle 37 in cooperation with arm 36.

The displacement of the auxiliary roller chain 31 causes the auxiliary sprocket wheel 30 to change the position of control shaft 29 in comparison to propeller shaft 21, which, change in turn, is by

bevel gear

27, 28 inside the propeller hub 7 transmitted to the blades of propeller 26. This enables starting the propulsion unit from its inoperative stopped position to adjust the angle of incidence of the propeller blades as required for forward or rearward motionof the vessel. Therefore direction and power of the propeller forces are regulated without changing the number and direction of revolutions of the driving motor in accordance with the required position of the propeller blades.

It is to be understood that the present invention is in no way limited to the particular constructions disclosed in the drawings but also comprises any modifications within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A driving device for propulsion unit arranged in a horizontal transverse passage of a vessel, comprising a driving motor, installed in the interior of the vessel, an endless chain for coupling said driving motor with said propulsion unit, hollow struts supporting said propulsion unit along the central axis of said transverse passage, said chain running through said hollow struts, deflecting pulleys within the vessel, movable in front of the apertures of said hollow struts, said struts extending tangentially to said propulsion unit in direction of motion of said chain, means varying the angle of incidence of the propeller blades, and an additional chain, arranged 4 parallel to said first chain inside hollow struts and coupled with said variation means, and deflecting pulleys within the vessel in front of the apertures of said hollow struts, said two chains running over said deflecting pulleys.

Q. The device of claim 1 wherein the additional chain controlling the means by which the angle of incidence of the propeller blades is varied, is guided by separate deflecting pulleys which are mounted on a swingable element.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein said additional chain, controlling the means by which the angle of incidence of the propeller'iblades is varied, is guided by two additional deflecting pulleys which are symmetrical in respect of the central axis of a swingable element.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein the additional chain controlling the means by which the angle of incidence of the propeller blades is varied runs over additional deflecting pulleys, which are symmetrical in respect of the vertical plane of the swinging axis of a swingable arm, which arm in order to vary the angle of incidence of the propeller blades is by means of a steering element swung from its central position to one or the opposite side.

5. The device of claim 1 wherein the additional chain controlling the means by which the angle of incidence of the propeller blades is varied runs over additional deflecting pulleys being mounted on a swingable arm, which is pivotally mounted on the shaft of the driving motor.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,7 04,991 3 5 5 Danielson 34 2,809,605 10/57 Russell 11534 XR 3,002,486 10/61 Jardmo 114143 FOREIGN PATENTS 211,951 2/24 Great Britain.

MILTON BUCHLER, Primary Examiner.

Claims

1. A DRIVING DEVICE FOR PROPULSIONUNIT ARRANGED IN A HORIZONTAL TRANSVERSE PASSAGE OF A VESSEL, COMPRISING A DRIVING MOTOR, INSTALLED IN THE INTERIOR OF THE VESSEL, AN ENDLESS CHAIN FOR COUPLING SAID DRIVING MOTOR WITH SAID PROPULSION UNIT, HOLLOW STRUTS SUPPORTING SAID PROPULSION UNIT ALONG THE CENTRAL AXIS OF SAID TRANSVERSE PASSAGE, SAID CHAIN RUNNING THROUGH SAID HOLLOW STRUTS, DEFLECTING PULLEYS WITHIN THE VESSEL, MOVABLE IN FRONT OF THE APERTURES OF SAID HOLLOW STRUTS, SAID STRUTS EXTENDING TANGENTIALLY TO SAID PROPULSION UNIT IN DIRECTION OF MOTION