US1113716A - Fountain. - Google Patents

Description

. N. TESLA.

FOUNTAIN.

APPLICATION FILED 001'. 23, 1913.

1,1 13,?16, Patented U613. 13. 1914.

2 SHELTS SHEE'I' l WITNESSES: .(NVE/VTOR.

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FOUNTAIN.

T 0 all w/z 01/2 it may concern Be it known that I, NIKOLA TEsLA, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, borough of Manhattan, county. and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fountains, of which the following a full, clear, and exact description.

It has been customary heretofore I .tains and aquarian displays, to project spouts. jets. or sprays of water from suitable fixtures, chielly for decorative and beautify lug purposes. lnvariably, the (piantit of the ing fluid was small and the pleasing impr ssion on the eye was solely the result of the more or less artisti: arrangement of the streainlets .and ornaments employed. The present invention a departure from such practice in that it relies principally on the fascinating" spectacle of a large mass of lluidin motion and the display of seeinin'gly great power. Incidentally. it permits the realization of beautiful and striking views through illumination and the disposition of voluminous cascades which, moreto useful, purposes in ways not practicable with the old and familiar devices. These objects are accomplished by the displacement of a great volume of fluid with a relatively small expenditure of energy in the production and maintenance of a veritable waterfall as distinguished from a mere spout, jet or spray.

The underlying idea of the invention can be carried out by apparatus of widely varied design, but in the present instance the simplest forms, of which I am aware, are shown as embodiments of the principle involved.

ln the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a top plan and'l ig. 2 a Vertical central secdevised for the purpose. illustrate trn responthng device of much simpler Fig. 3 and Fig. 4 views of a similar construction.

resuitable material, as metal, glass, porcelain, marble, cement or. other compound. with a central hub 2 and a conical conduit 3, flared out atthe top and provided with openings at the bottom. ln the hub 2 is inserted a shaft 5 rotatably supon ball bearings 6 and carrying at its lower end a friction pulley or gear wheel 7. To the upper end oi. the shaft is fastened a :asting 8, preferably of some non-corrosive alloy, with blades 9 constituting a screw ceptacle of any Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed October 28, 1913.

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as the best will be unothcr means maybe er'nployed.

transmit through wheel 11, by friction or otherwise, power to the pulley or Wheel Openings 4 may be covered with removable strainers and receptacles 1 may be provided with convenient connections, respectively, for cleaning and renewing the liquid. it is thought unnecessary to show these attachments in the drawing.

The operation will be readily Receptacle i being filled to the proper level with water or other fluid, and the power turned on, the propeller blades are setv in rotation and the fluid. drawn through the openings 4-, is lifted. to the horizontal flared out top otcondu'it 3 until it overflows in the form of a circular cascade.

In order to pre ent the wetting of the bearings of shaft 5, the central hub 2 of receptacle l is made to project above conduit The latter of economy, and also fouthe purpose of reducing the speed and securing a smooth and even overflow. As the lift is inconsiderable, little power is needed to keep in motion a great volumeof Water and the impression produced on the observer is very striking. With the view of still further economizing energy. the bottom of receptacle 1 may be shaped as indicated by the dotted lines l2, in 2 so as to increase intake 01 the propeller.

To convey an idea of the results obtainable withya small apparatus, properly designed, it may be stated that by applying only 1/2) of a horse-power to the shaft and understood.

assuming a lift of eighteen inches, more than one hundred gallons per minute may be propelled, the depth of the fluid passing over the flared top of conduit 3, one foot in cascade presents a singularly attractive appearance and this feature may be still further enhanced by artistic grouping of plants l or other objects around it, in which case I the whole contrivance may be hidden from l view. Particularly beautiful displays, however, are obtainable by illumination which I may be carried out in many ways. To

A motor 10 suitably mounted so "as to is funnel shaped for reasons 1.

the velocity at the heighten the effect, a colored, opalescent or phosphorescent fluid may be employed. sterilizing, aromatic or radio-active liquids may also be used, when so desired. The usual fountains are objectionable. in many places on account of the facility they afford for the breeding of insects. The apparatus described not only makes this impossible but is a very eflicicnt trap. Unlike the old devices in which only a very smalLvolume I of water is set in motion, such a Waterfall is is highly effective in cooling the surrounding atmosphere. To still improve this action the free end 13 of the rotating shaft may be utilized to carry any kind of fan.

The water may, of course, be artificially cooled.

The device described may be modified in many ways and also considerably simplified. For example, the propeller may be fixed directly to the shaft of the motor and the latter supported conveniently from above when many of the parts illustrated in Fig. 1

*and Fig. 2 may be dispensed with. In fact,

receptacle 1 itself may be replaced by an independent tank or basin so that the entire apparatus will only consist of a funnel shaped conduit, motor and propeller as a unit. Such a construction is shown in Fig. 3 and Fig. 4 in which 3 is a conical vessel provided with intake openings 4 and resting on a substantial base. A motor 14., carrying on a strong shaft 5 a propeller 9, is fixed to supports 15 which extend from the inner side of conduit 3 and may be integral with the same. Obviously, to insure 'perfeet working the weight of the moving parts and axial reaction of the propeller should be taken up or balanced as by a thrust bearing 16, or other means.

Apparatus of this description is especially intended for use in open basins or reservoirs in which it may be placed and put in action at short notice. WVhen it is desired to produce large and. permanent waterfalls the conduit 3 may be formed by masonryof appropriate archit :tural. design.

The invention has. an unlimited field of use in private dwellings, hotels, theaters,

concert halls, hospitals, aquaria and, par-- ticularly, 1n squares, gardens and parks in which it may be carriedout on a large scale so as to afford a magnificent spectacle far more captivating and stimulating to the public than the insignificant displays now in use.

I am well aware that artificial water falls,

have heretofore been exhibited and that fountains in which the same water is circulated are old and well known. But in all such cases independent pumps of small volumetric capacity were used to raise the water to an appreciable height which involved the expenditure of considerable energy, while the spectacle oiferedto the eye was uninteresting. Inno instance, to my knowledge, has a great mass of fluid been propelled by theuse of only such power as is required to liftit from its normal level through a'.

relatively short space to that from which it overflows and descends as a cascade, nor have devices especially adapted for the purpose been employed.

What I claim is:

1. An artificial fountain consisting of an unobstructed conduit having an elevated overflow and adapted to be set in a body of water, and a propelling device for maintaining a rapid circulation of the water through the conduit.

2. An artificial fountain comprising in combination an unobstructed conduit having an elevated overflow and adapted to be set in a body of fluid. a propeller withinthe conduit for maintaining a rapid circulation of the fluid through the same, and a motor for driving the propeller.

3. The artificial fountain herein described, comprising in combination a receptacle, a central hollow conduit with an elevated overflow placed therein, a propeller within the conduit, and a motor for driving the-propeller. so as to maintain a rapid circulation of fluid through the conduit.

4. The artificial fountain herein described, comprising in combination, a receptacle, set therein, a central hub extending u through the conduit, a rotary shaft exten ing tlu-rcthrough, and a propeller carried by the shaft for maintaining a rapid circulation of fluid through the conduit.

5. An artificial fountain comprising in 'combination with an unobstructed passa e from the normal to the elevated fluid levels,

of a propeller for maintaining a rapid circulation of the fluid through such passage and producing thereby a cascade with the expenditure 'of-little energy.

6. An artificial fountain comprising a funnel shaped conduit adapted to be set in a body offluid, and having openings near the lower end, and a propeller supported within the conduit and adapted when in operation to maintaina rapid circulation of water through the same.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

in the presence of two, subscribing witnesses.

NIKOLA TESLA. Witnesses:

M. Lawson DYAR, v WM. Bonnnnnn.

a conduit with elevatedovcrflow

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