초록 ▼

A controllable pitch propeller for application principally to sailboats employing electric auxiliary power. The design addresses a highly efficient approach to performing four basic functions desirable on sailing vessels that have electrical, or internal combustion, auxiliary power and onboard elect

A controllable pitch propeller for application principally to sailboats employing electric auxiliary power. The design addresses a highly efficient approach to performing four basic functions desirable on sailing vessels that have electrical, or internal combustion, auxiliary power and onboard electrical systems typically employing batteries. The design employs no external nor remote actuator means; instead, blade position (nominal pitch) is inherently “controlled”by the direction of shaft rotation and whether the propeller is acting as a propulsor or a turbine. The four basic functions, or configurations, performed by the design are 1) forward propulsion, 2) reverse propulsion, 3) efficient power generation as a turbine, and 4) feathering for no-power minimum drag. The propeller includes a cambered blade configured with a cross section that would purposely act efficiently with fluid inflow impinging on either edge, depending upon the function being performed.

대표청구항 ▼

A fluid dynamic propeller, comprising: an axially oriented shaft sleeve having a drive pinion at one end thereof; a floating sleeve rotatable about said shaft sleeve, said floating sleeve having at least one radially extending pivot post; a blade gear rotatably positioned about said at least one piv

A fluid dynamic propeller, comprising: an axially oriented shaft sleeve having a drive pinion at one end thereof; a floating sleeve rotatable about said shaft sleeve, said floating sleeve having at least one radially extending pivot post; a blade gear rotatably positioned about said at least one pivot post in communication with said drive pinion of said shaft sleeve; a post capping disc attached to said at least one post of said floating sleeve so as to retain said blade gear between said capping disc and said floating sleeve; a blade mounted on said blade gear so as to rotate with said blade gear about a blade axis substantially perpendicular to the length of said shaft sleeve; and stop means on said pivot post or on said capping disc for restricting rotation of said blade gear in a first direction about said blade axis at a first stop position and restricting rotation of said blade gear in the opposite direction about said blade axis at a second stop position, said first and second stop positions being at least 120 degrees apart about said blade axis.