Hydraulic torque conversion apparatus

Claim 1

HYDRAULIC TRANSMISSION APPARATUS FOR TRANSMITTING HIGH POWER WITHIN A SHIP FROM A PLURALITY OF DRIVE SHAFTS EACH HAVING EXTREMELY HIGH ROTATIONAL SPEED TO A DRIVEN SHAFT, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF COMPARATIVELY HIGH VOLUME OUTPUT TYPE SINGLE STAGE AXIAL FLOW PUMPS EACH HAVING AN IMPELLER SHAFT ADAPTED TO ENGAGE A DIFFERENT DRIVE SHAFT AND EACH HAVING A TRANSMISSION FLUID OUTLET OPENING, SAID PUMP FLUID OUTLET OPENINGS ARRANGED IN PARALLEL RELATIONSHIP WITH RESPECT TO THE TRANSMISSION FLUID OUTPUT OF EACH OF THEM, A TURBINE ADAPTED TO ENGAGE SAID DRIVEN SHAFT AND HAVING A TRANSMISSION FLUID INLET OPENING, SAID FLUID INLET OPENING OF THE TURBINE COMPARATIVELY SPACED APART FROM SAID FLUID OUTLET OPENINGS OF THE PUMPS, DUCT MEANS BETWEEN SAID FLUID OUTLET OPENINGS OF THE TURBINE AND SAID FLUID OUTLET OPENINGS OF THE PUMPS PROVIDING PASSAGEWAY FOR TRANSMISSION FLUID FOR INTERCONNECTING THE PUMPS AND THE TURBINE, MEANS FOR SUPPLYING SAID FLUID TO SAID PUMPS, SAID TURBINE BEING CONDITIONED TO ROTATE IN RESPONSE TO A PREDETERMINED FLOW OF FLUID AT A SPEED DIFFERENT THAN THE SPEED OF THE PUMPS PROVIDING SAID PREDETERMINED FLOW THERETO, ADDITIONAL DUCT MEANS, MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID ADDITIONAL DUCT MEANS FOR PRODUCING A FLUID JET EXTENDING WITHOUT SAID SHIP, MEANS FOR SELECTIVELY DELIVERING SEA WATER FROM WITHOUT SAID SHIP TO AT LEAST ONE OF SAID PUMPS, AND MEANS FOR SELECTIVELY BYPASSING THE FLOW OF SEA WATER OF AT LEAST ONE OF SAID PUMPS FROM SAID TURBINE TO SAID ADDITIONAL DUCT MEANS, SAID APPARATUS SO ARRANGED AND CONSTRUCTED THAT WHEN SAID APPARATUS IS TRANSMITTING SAID POWER THE SPEED OF ROTATION OF SAID TURBINE AND SAID DRIVEN SHAFT IS SUBSTANTIALLY DIFFERENT FROM THAT OF SAID DRIVE SHAFT.