MAKING WIDE BLADES.--If a wider blade is desired,
a greater number of steps may be made by
adding the requisite number of strips; or, the
strips may be made thicker. In many propellers,
not to exceed four different strips are thus glued
together. The number is optional with the
maker.
An end view of such an assemblage of strips
is illustrated in Fig. 80. The next step is to lay
off the pitch, the method of obtaining which has
been explained.
_Fig. 80. End view of Blank._
Before starting work the sides, as well as the
ends, should be marked, and care observed to
place a distinctive mark on the front side of the
propeller.
Around the pin B, Fig. 81, make S-shaped
marks C, to indicate where the cuts on the faces
of the blades are to begin. Then on the ends of
the block; scribe the pitch angle, which is indicated
by the diagonal line D, Fig. 80.
_Fig. 81. Marking the Side._
This line is on the rear side of the propeller,
and is perfectly straight. Along the front of this
line is a bowline E, which indicates the front surface
of the propeller blade.
PROPELLER OUTLINE.--While the marks thus
given show the angles, and are designed to indicate
the two faces of the blades, there is still another
important element to be considered, and
that is the final outline of the blades.
_Fig. 82. Outlining._
It is obvious that the outline may be varied
so that the entire width at 1, Fig. 82, may be used,
or it may have an outline, as represented by the
line 2, in this figure, so that the widest part will
be at or near the dotted line 3, say two-thirds of
the distance from the center of the blade.
This is the practice with most of the manufacturers
at the present time, and some of them
claim that this form produces the best results.
FOR HIGHER SPEEDS.--Fig. 83 shows a propeller
cut from a blank, 4" x 6" in cross section, not
laminated.
_Fig. 83. Cut from a 4" x 6" Single Blank._
It should be borne in mind that for high speeds
the blades must be narrow. A propeller seven
feet in diameter with a six foot pitch, turning
950 revolutions per minute, will produce a pull of
350 pounds, if properly made.
Such a propeller can be readily handled by a
forty horse power motor, such as are specially
constructed for flying machine purposes.
INCREASING PROPELLER EFFICIENCY.--Some experiments
have been made lately, which, it is
claimed, largely increase the efficiency of propellers.
The improvement is directed to the outline
shape of the blade.
The typical propeller, such as we have illustrated,
is one with the wide part of the blade at
the extremity. The new type, as suggested, reverses
this, and makes the wide part of the blade
near the hub, so that it gradually tapers down to
a narrow tip.
Such a form of construction is shown in Fig.
84. This outline has some advantages from one
standpoint, namely, that it utilizes that part of
the blade near the hub, to produce a pull, and
does not relegate all the duty to the extreme ends
or tips.
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