US1199803A - Auxiliary steering device for vessels. - Google Patents

Description

- A. MCDOUGALL.

AUXILIARY STEERING DEVICE FOR VESSELS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 15. I915.

1,1 99,803. Patented Oct. 3,1916.

I be A TTORNEY.

ALEXANDER McDOUGALL, or DULUTH, MINNESOTA.

AUXILIARY STEERING DEVICE FOR VESSELS.

" To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ALEXANDER MCDOU- GALL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Duluth, in the county of -St.vLoui-s and StatelofMinnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Auxiliary Steering Devices for Vessels, of which the I following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention consists of certain improvements 1n auxiliary steermg devices for vessels and relates particularly to such means for use in connection with vessels such as canal boats and the like and especially in large vessels where it is necessary to make sharp and cramped maneuvers of same, or as means for steering the vessel in the event of her rudder being disabled while at sea.

It is now customary to construct vessels as long and large as possible.to obtain a maximum carrying capacity, and in many cases such vessels when navigating restricted waters, such as canals, narrow channels, and docking slips, become unwieldy and hard to manipulate to best advantage, as

heretofore the only means of steering is at the stern, and with my auxiliary steering device applied, both ends of the vessel become readily manageable.

A further object is to provide such a device that can be readily brought into action when needed or stored away within the vessel and offer little or no obstruction whatever to the,- customary navigation of the vessel.

In the accompanying drawings forming;

part of this application and in which like reference characters indicate like parts,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a fragmental side plating 'ofsame, the vessel being of metal construction,,as is common in the art. 4 represents the stem of the vessel, against the sides of which theplating 2 and 3 is securely riveted, and against which plating,

longitudinally the sides of the stem, I propose'to securely fastenthe angle bars 5.5, they extending the full length'of the stem, or not, as desired. These;;,bars extend for-' wardly a short distance "beyond the stem,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented 0013.3, 1916.

Application filed November 15, 1915. Serial No. 61,498.

tongue 9 which is designed to engage the I dovetail channel 7 of the stem, forms the 'guiding member of the steering device. This frame at its upper end is securely fastened to thehousing 10 which contains the,

motors 11-11 that drive the propellers 12-12, the latter being journaled upon the shaft 12' within thehousing 13, securely fastened to the opposite end of the guidingframe 8. Screw threaded pipes '14 and 15 form tubular connections between thehousings lOand 13 and are so positioned there with as to provide suitable conduits for the /sprocket chain 16 which transmits power from the motors to thepropeller shaft 12.

Any suitable form ofsprocket wheel 17 is mounted upon the motor shaft and conveys power through thechain 16 toa similarly suitable sprocket wheel not shown, mounted upon the propeller shaft 12.- Themotor housing 10 is thus supported some.

distance above the propellers to provide means whereby the latter may be submerged without the former being subjected to the action of the water. However the whole device is supposed to be water tight and enabled to withstand any adverse action of same. A more simple embodiment of the device might result in mounting the motor directly upon the propeller shaft or at least much closer thereto-than illustrated, Such departure however, would be considered within the scope of the invention and I prefer the construction as illustrated, and while I have shown twin electric motors 1111 as a convenient form of powe'r;-it is understood that a single motor might be used if preferred, or that certain forms of internal combustion engines or other motors could be made to perform the same functions, without departing from the invention. When the electric motor is employed, the device may be readily controlled by the pilot ofthe vessel or by one located at any place desired on the vessel which makes elecv tric power especially applicable for the purpose. The propellers-are designed to be 01)- erated "in either-direction by manipulation of the motor and are .both fixed to the shaft -1919 of which are pivotally mounted at 20-20 upon the deck of the vessel and asuitable tackle 21 suspends the steering device from the free end of the shears, said tackle being manipulated in any desired manner from the deck of the vessel, and the shears may be controlled with any form of tackle desired, as suggested indotted lines 22, or other means of raising or lowering the device may be resorted to. I prefer to,-form a pocket within the bow of the vessel bysuitable thwartship walls 23 and 24, there beinga suitable hatch within the deck of the vessel foraccess to the pocket. Thus the steering device in its entirety may be quickly raised and put into the pocket and the shears lowered upon the deck to form as little obstruction as possible, or when being used as a steering mechanism, the shears may be allowed to remain flat upon the deck and still form no obstruction Thus I have provided simple and comparatively inexpensive means for the suc-' cessful control of thebow of the vessel laterally and yet one that altersto a very small degree the customary construction of a vessel, and one'that may be applied to most any form of vessel now in use.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and, desire to secure by Letters Patent, is' v l. Ina device ofthe character described,

the combination with a vessel having a vertical channel in the stem thereof, of a propelling mechanism removably engaged within the channel, a pocket within the bow of the vessel andshear legs uponthe deck of the vessel whereby the propelling mechanism may be either adjusted to the stem of the vessel or stowed away in thepocket;

2. A device of the character" described comprisinga vessel, a vertically disposed I pocket in the bow of the vessel, a' shear leg derrick pivotally attached to the deck of the I vessel aft of the pocket and .extendible beyond the stem of thevessel, and a portable motor driven propeller made applicable to the stem of the vessel and suspended from the derrick whereby the propeller may either be applied to the stem of or stowed away in the pocket.

3. In a flush decked vessel having a verthe vessel .tically disposed compartment in the bow thereof and a vertical stem, of a derrick pivoted to the deck abaft the pocket and removably carrying upon its free end a motor latter may be suspended for action and in engagement with the stem While the derrick remains flat on deck for passing under bridges or the like.

4. The combination with a vessel, of a shear legged derrick pivoted upon the deck of the vessel and extendible beyond the stem thereof, and a motor driven steeringpropeller suspended from the free end of the derrick and in engagement/With theWater when the derrick is resting horizontally upon the deck as and for'vthe purpose described.

5. In combination with the bow of a vessel having a vertical stem with a dovetailed channel therein, a motor driven propelling mechanism having-means for engaging the 6. In combination with the bowof a vessel having a vertically disposed pocket therein and a vertical stem with a dovetailed channeltherein, a motor driven propelling mechanism having-means for engaging the channel and embracing the stem and slidable vertically thereupon and a derrick upon the deck of the vessel for suspendingthe propelling mechanism while in action or placing it into the pocket. v

7. An auxiliary steering device for vessels having a vertical stem, comprising means for slidably engaging the stem, a motor housing rigidly fixed to the upper end of said stem engaging means, a motor within the housing, a propeller shaft housing fixed to the lower end of said means, a shaft within said last named housing, a propeller upon said shaft, means for transmitting motion from the motor to the propeller shaft, 'and a derrick upon the deck of the I ALEXANDER MGDOUGALL.

Witnesses'v AC. DUNN, S. Gno. STEVENS-e

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