US109099A - Improvement in water-wheels - Google Patents

Description

PATENTED NOV. 8. 1870.

No. 109,U99.

l B. J. BARBER.. WATER WHEEL.

italia %iai5 BENJAMIN J. BARBER.,- or yBALs'roN SPA,Y NEW roux.

Letters'Patent No.A 109,099,A dated November 8, 1870.

IMPnov'EMEN-r lnwA'rEn-WHEELS.

The Schedule referred tc'in ,thus Letten Patentfnni' soaking par: o! the lame.

To all 'whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, BnitrAMINv J. BARBER, of Balston Spa, in the county `of Saratoga and in the State of New York, have invented new and useful :operating them, the sha, and a-porton of the lower or discharge-buckets.

Figure 2 is a horizontal section, on line :c a: of iig.

, 1, showing the arrangement of the wheel within the case, the stationary chutes for directing the water-to the buckets of the wheel, the manner of pivoting the gates thereto, the form ot' such gates, andthe means for operating them.

Figure 3 is a yrticai central section of the wheel, showingthe arrangement of' the two sets of bucket-s, und the form of the eenteror hubto which they are attached.

Figure 4 is an elevation ofthefrition-rollers, which workin the segmental slots in the arms, which are :tttached `tothe gates.

Corresponding letters refer to correspomling parts in the several figures.

' This invention relates tothat class of water-wheels in which two sets of buckets are used, the first set for receiving and utilizin the second to'utilize t ie gravity of the same water as it is leaving the wheel; and to this end,

It consists First, in a novel chute for directing the water to the wheel and' Secondly, in a novel'form of buckets for utilizing the gravity of the water; and

Thirdly, in a .uoveldevicc for opening the gates which control the admission of water to the'w'heel and i Lastly, in certain combinations and arrangements of some of the parts of which the wheel and case are composed, as will be more fully explained hereinafter. v

In water-wheels of the class` or type to which this belongs, it is important that provision be made for the proper admission of thc water to the wheel, so that its impactive force may beutillzed to-thehest advantage in propelling the wheel; and i Secondly, that the arrangements of its parts be such that the gravity of the water, as it falls `upon the lower set of buckets, shall have the opportunity the impact ot' the water, and

oi' doing its full share ot' the work of. driving such wheels; and

Thirdly, it is of the first importance that adequateprovision be made for 'the discharge of water-from the wheel vat the instant when the forces above alluded to have been thus expended, in order 4that the wheel may be relieved from *the weight as well' Yas the friction of such water.

To accomplish the above-recited. results iu a better manner than has heretofore been done is the object of the present invention; and

To enable those skilled in the art to construct and use my improved wheel, I' will proceed to 'desume-it, referring to the annexed drawing, which forms Aa part of this specification.

A iu the drawingrefers to the step upon or within which the lower end of the shaft. Al of the wheel rotates. It may he of cast'fu'on, and have a plate of steel placed in it for the shaft to rest on; or it may rest upon a block of hard wood, or of any other suitable material.

A2 refers to the .':ub or center of the wheel, ,it cousisting of a plate or disk, with a projecting hub upon its upper surface, furthe reception ot' the shalt A1, to which it is lirmly secured. Y

From the lower surface of this disk or plate there projectsa flange, the length of .which is to h e equal. to the depth of the two vsets of buckets which'are attached to it.

The outer diameter of this flange is to be suohthat, when the buckets are'attached to it, awhcel of the required diameter will be formed, its upper end being curved outward, as shown in iig. 3, for the purpose of'A giving a downward direction to the water.

B B refer to the upper set Aor series of buckets, A

which are to be of a form substautiallysuch as is shown in fig. 2, their` outer ends being provided with a sharp curve, for the purpose of enabling them to receive the impact of' the Water, and afterward allow it to pass between the one upon which it strikes and the one which precedes it without itsvolume being broken or' shattered, nud with but very little fric;

tion.

The upper ends of these buckets 'are rounded upon their =inner edges, to fit the under smface of the center Al, so that the Vtwo may form a guide to the water as it passes from these buckets, and di rect it in an unbroken volume upon the lower set of buckets.

C G refer to the lower series of buckets just ref ferred to, which, like the upper series, are secured to the center A, their length being such as to cause them to extendin a spiral form along the surface of' wh'eel passes, and which, to

l port for such shaft.

Istructionl of these buckets is, that their outer diameter is only about two-thirds as great as that of the upper series, as a consequence of which the compressing of the water, while it is acting upon them, is caused, and thus'the full force of its gravitatin g action secured, which, as above remarked', is regarded as of vital importance. D Iefel'sto a foundation, upon which the step of the wheel rests. It may be oft-he form shown in the drawing, or ot' any other suitable form.

IE refers to the lower ring or pla-telef the wheel, there being au aperture through its center, the diameter of which is equal to the outer diameter of the lower series of buckets.

rJ .his plate has a'downwardly-projecting flange, E', ther depth ot' which is equal to, say, one-third, more or less, of the depth of the lower buckets, the outer surfaces of which are secured to it. j

`It will be seen that, as aconsequence of the construction of this ring or plato and the buckets C, which it enc'ircles, a bottom and a circumferential dis-` charge for the water from the lower buckets is provided, thus insuring its escape from the wheel, both as a'consequence of i-tsown gravity,l and ci' the centrifugal action ot' the wheel, as -a consequence of which a considerable per cent-. of advantage is gained, owing to4 the .fact that, n'nder this arrangement, no dead water is carried by thc wheel.

l refers to a concave-convex plate of met-al, which forms the cap or cover of the wheel, its apex being provided with a boss, through which the shaft of the some extent, forms a sup- This plate is boltedto the upper plate of the'wheelcover.`

G refers to the plate just referred to, it consisting of Ya plate or ring of metal, having an 'aperture through it equal in diameter to the outer diameter of the wheel, and being of suitable thickness to giveit the required strengtu.

G refers -to the lower ring or plate of the case, which is, in all respects, like the one described. These rings aro set at such a distance apart as to correspond with the depth ofthe upper seriesof buckets of thcwhe'cl,

they being held in posit-ion by chutes, which are placed between scribed. I

.H refers to a ring of metal, which rests upon the upper plate of the case, and is made to surround the cap F, it being held in position bv buckets, also se- .thcm, and which are soon to be deeurcd to the plate F, as shown in iig. 1.

I I refer to a sexies of piratedgates, there being as many of themas may be found necessary'to admit the proper quantity o f water to the wheel.

The interior form of these gates is of the curved form shown iu tig. 2, while their outer surfaces arc supplied with arms 1', in which there is formed a segmeut of a circle, whicas so arranged that, when the gate commences to open, the leverage upon the gate is the greatest, and its Increment the leastin proportion to the spas@ travelcdzby the pin, .which Iworks in said slot, and operatesto more the gate.

When the gatc'has been once started frorn1ts scat, as indicated by dbttbd lines in g. 2, and the greatest amount of resistance has been overcome, any subsewitnesses. t

they being placed -chutcs the gates are pivoted, so that, when they are opened, more 'or less, the water shall be directed in a solid volume to the curved portion of the npper'buckets of the wheel, and in being thus directed shall always'fill the chamber formed between the bucket, the curved chute', and the wheel, thus causing each bucket -t-o be constantly -receiving the impact of the. water throughout the entire revolution of the wheel.

K refers to a vertical shaft, which is placed upon the outside of the case, and held' in position by brackets attached thereto.

Upon the upper end of this shaft there is placed a wheel or cra-nk for rotating it, and that portion thereof which is between the brackets isy made to receive a chain, L, the ends of which are H, so that, as the shalt K is rotated, the said ringI shall be turned, and thus the gates opened or closed,

according to the direction in which said shafty is turned. Y

M M refer to a' 'series of pins, which is secured in lthe ring H, as shown in tig. 4, there being one to'each gate.'

, Upon each of these pins, and just -umler the ring, there is placed a friction-roller, M', which is made to revolve upon the pin, its lower surface-resting upon another roller, which is made to rotate upon the same' p'in, it being provided with allonge upon its upper end, which rests upon the upper surface of theslotted arm ofthe gate, its lower and reduced portions entering the curved slot thereof, the whole being for the purpose of reducingthe friction, `in opening and closing the gates, tothe minimum.

Having'tlius described my invention, y What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Ptent, is'- x 1. The stationary chutes 12, curved upon their inner surfaces, substantially as and for thc purpose specified. i 2. The combination, in a water-wheel, of two sets of buckets, one, B, being of curved form, and .the other, O, of the spiral form, substantially as und [or the purpose set forth.

3. The curved arm upon the gate, for opening the same with varying rates of speed,and with'varying amounts of power, snbstantially as set forth.

4. The combination of the curved gates I, the

. --curved stationary chutes I', andthebuckets B, whereby a chamber is -formed, for the'action of the water,

l y impact, upon the buckets Iof the wheel, substanially as' set forth.

The combination and arrangement of the shaft K, the chain L, the ring H, and' the slotted arm I, substantially as and for the purpose setfforth.

6. rlhe arrangement of thc lower series of buckets oi'a water-wheel, andthe lower plate@ thereof, whereby a bottom and acircumferentiaj.discharge of the water from such buckets is obtained, substantially. as

`and for theA purpose set forth.

Intestimony'whereo I have signed my namev to this'specifcation in the presence of two subscribing BENJAMIN J. BARBER.

Witnesses; i Y' J. I). Bananen?, L. W. BRISTOL. l

attached to the ring i

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