SCHNEIDER, Ernst Leo
* 18. 6. 1894, Gaya, Czech Republic
† 1. 6. 1975, Neustift on Walde, Austria
Mechanical engineer, inventor (ship propulsion)
S. spent his youth in Gmundn in Linz, where he graduated. After military service he studied mechanical and electrical engineering at the Higher Technical School in Vienna. In addition to dealing with the glider aviation, he also studied wing shapes. He was interested in water navigation and especially cycloid tracks. Insights and results of his research were later published in an article Cycloid - propulsion wings, kinematics, flow and power relation and their link (Zykloiden-Treibflügel, Kinematik, Strömungs- und Kräfteverhältnisse und allgemeine Zusammenhänge, 1932).
Ship propulsion unit developed by S. combines the propulsion and steering. A screw consists of a screw head, which rotates at the bottom of the ship, from which protrudes three to six small spades. During rotation around the centre of the screw head each spade moves so that the spade, which is perpendicular to it, goes always through the same point. The position of a control point is critical for the direction and amount of thrust force, while the number of revolution-counters remains constant. His invention was notified on 7th December 1925 and he received Austrian patent number 105723 for his invention on 15th December 1926. In cooperation with J. M. Voith from St. Pölten-Heidenheim (Württemberg), he later managed to carry out a technical solution for his idea. The first pilot screw with 60 km was composed in 1928 and installed in the ship named “Torqueo“. In 1930 the installation of the second ship propeller in Uhu tractor on the Danube river took place and the first ocean expeditionary ship Makrele got the new drive in 1933.
The Voith-S. screws are today used on every ship or floating device where very close manoeuvring is necessary, such as inland navigation for transport of passengers (for example, in Austria on the ship Theodor Körner) and a number of port tugs and floating lifts.
