Propeller for vessels.

(Application filed Mar. 29, 1901.)

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THE NORRIS PETERS CO . PHOTO-LfTHO.. WASHINGTON, O. C.

United States Patent Office.

HENRY V. B. PARKER, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

PROPELLER FOR VESSELS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 677,101, dated. June 25, 1901.

Application filed March 29,1901. Serial Ho. 53,381. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Henry V. B. Parker, a citizen of the United States, residing in the . city and county of San Francisco, State of Cali5 fornia, have invented an Improvement in Propellers for Vessels; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

Mj^T invention relates to a novel construction io of propeller for vessels.

It consists of a hub, blades having approximately straight parallel edges and projecting radially from the hubs, and a cylindrical rim inclosing the ends of said blades and flush with 15 the front and rear edges, said rim being made thin or sharp upon both edges.

My invention also comprises a means for fixing rims in sections to the peripheries of blades to form wheels of any desired diameter. 20 Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan, a portion of the rim being in section.

A is the hub of my propeller, which is pref25 erably made cylindrical in shape and of the smallest diameter necessary to provide sufficient strength and support for the inner ends of the propeller - blades, and a bearing by which the hub is fitted upon the propeller30 shaft. The hub has a central bore, as at 2, a means by which it is secured upon the shaft, and the blades 3, standing at any desired or approved angle with the hub, extend radially outward therefrom, and their outer ends con35 nect with a circular ring 4, by which the circular ends of the blades are inclosed. The hub is preferably made cylindrical, having the same diameter from end to end, and the rim has its front and rear edges made thin or 40 sharp and flush with the edges of the blades.

The opposite edges of the blades are in two planes coinciding with the front and rear of the wheel-rim and hub and at right angles with the propeller-shaft. These edges, the 45 hubs, and .the rims being thus in the same plane it will be seen that there is little or no opportunity for the screw to become foul with ropes or lines, which may be overboard, or with seaweed or with any floating object, the edges of the blades and of the rims being suf- 50 ficiently sharp to sever any ordinary soft obstruction, and by reason of their lying in the same transverse planes the rims will act to throw off any floating object which may come in contact with the propeller, and thus pre- 55 vent the latter from being broken.

For small propellers the hub, blades, and rim may be cast in a single structure; but for larger propellers the hub and blades may be formed together or the blades may be bolt- 60 ed to the hub and the outer rim formed in several circular segments, which are afterward fitted and bolted to the outer ends of the propeller-blades, so that when all are united the combined strength of the rim, blades, and 65 hub will be a sufficient support to prevent any portion from being readily broken.