US1283199A

US1283199A - Water-power apparatus.

Info

Publication number: US1283199A
Application number: US23141418A
Authority: US
Inventors: Frederick Wm Irwin
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1918-04-29
Filing date: 1918-04-29
Publication date: 1918-10-29
Anticipated expiration: 1935-10-29

Description

F. W. IRWIN.

WATER POWER APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 29. 1918.

. Patented Oct. 29, 1918.

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F. W. IRWIN.

WATER POWER APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 29.. 1918. 1,283,199., Patented 0015. 29, 1918.

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F. W. IRWIN.

WATER POWER APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 29. l9l8.

Patented Oct. 29, 1918.

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WATERQPOWER"APPA.RAT.USJ1

Specification of LettersPatent.

Patented Oct. 29, 1918.

Application fi1ed'Apri1-29, 19.18. Seria1 1\To.'23l,414.

T0 sallwho'mit mag concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK W.IRWIN,

a citizen of the United States, and a resiwater. power. apparatus, and moreparticularly to an apparatus whereby to derive power-from water falls, my primary object bfilngvthe provision of an apparatus which may be effectively and efiicientlyutilized for this purpose, without destroying the scenic beauty of the falling .wvateror impairing the surroundings. thereof.

A further object is the provision of an apparatus which may be utilized beneath water falls, including rotating water Wheels with which thedescending Water comes in contact, and of an adjustable nature,whereby ready and quick adjustments may be made to compensate forthe condition ofthe water and the'angle-of. 'itsfall, due tosuch condition,-= as forinstance high on lowwater supply:

Other objects relating'for the most part to the details of construction of my improved apparatus will be better understood from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying;drawings forming'a part of this application, and in which Figurel is a top-planview. of the unit of construction embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a front elevationthereof j Fig. 3 is a side elevationithereof; and, Fig. 4- is a vertical transverse section taken on line 1-l of Fig. 3.

Referringnowto these figures, my invention contemplates the provision of an appa ratus including a hollow base 10 having side walls 11 provided intermediate their ends with side bearings 12 for a transverse shaft 18, on which a gear wheel 14 is secured at a point between the side Walls 11 with its upper portion projecting vertically through a slotted opening-15 of the base 10 adjacent its forward end, as seen by reference to the dotted lines of Fig. 3.

Longitudinally along opposite sides of the base 10 are a pair of tracks 16 in spaced parallel relation having recessed upper surfaces receiving the depending ribs 17 of a longitudinally adjustable carriage 18, the latter .of which is thus shiftable longitudinally .of the base fora purpose which will be presently described. This carriage 18 has a central lower rack 19 which is engaged by the gear l gso that byrotation of the shaft 13 from anysuitable point, the carriage 18 may b'eadjustedupon the base 10.

The carriage 18 supports a water wheel frame including inclined upwardly convergingnuprights20 and 21-at opposite sides of the carriage; theforward and rear uprights ateach side being connected bythe end pieces.22 of a yoke frame including a transversely disposed beam 23 between said end pieces 22, the upper ends of the uprights 20 and .21 being pivotally connected to the end pieces 22, as seen. at 24:, and. the lower ends of the forward.uprights 20 being similarly connected at 25 to the forward side portions of. the carriage 18.

The lower endsof therear uprights carry pivotally supported threaded bearings 26 engaged-.upon the forward screws 27 of a pair of shafts 28 extending longitudinally alongonposite sides of the'carriage 18, and mounted in laterally projecting bearings 29 of said ca:rriage,.the rear ends of the shafts 28.projecting rearwardly beyond the carri'agelS and provided with-gears or other members 30 forconnection with any suitable-meansfor rotating the shafts 28 in order-toishift the .rearnprights 21 of the water wheel. framesand in: this way .vary the angleiof. inclinationof the forward uprights 2O between t-he latter-of which are extended transverse shafts '31.

These shafts-8l are in a vertical series of any; suitable number and extendin parallel relation transversely above the upper portion: of the: carriage :18, their intermediateiportions supporting bladed Water wheels of any suitable structure and their outer ends having pulleys 33 or gears 34, so that the shafts 31 of adj aeent apparatuses of like character may be connected to one another or the rotation thereof transmitted to any suitable point of power consumption or storage.

Due to the construction above described, it is obvious that the base 10 of my improved apparatus may be anchored in any suitable manner, and more or less in the path of falling water at the rear of the water fall for instance between the column of descending water and the face of a cliff or other point over which the water falls. The carriage 18 will then be shifted forwardly by rotating shaft 13 in any suitable manner, to bring the water wheel, frame within the influence of the descending column of water, following which rotation of shafts 28 will permit of adjustment of the water wheel frame in order to bring the forward uprights :20 to an inclination paralleling the falling water, so that the latter will distribute its force evenly over the entire series of water wheels 3:2, it being understood that there will in practice be a series of wheel carrying shafts 31, and that each shaft will have one or more water wheels 32, as desired.

From the above it is readily to be observed that my invention enables the full force and effect of a water fall to be utilized without intruding any part of the apparatus into view and thus without destroying any of the scenic value of large powerful falls, particularly those of great prominence in connection with which apparatuses lacking these advantages would not be tolerated.

I claim 2- 1. A water power apparatus for use in connection with water falls consisting of a base, a carriage adjustable on the base, and upwardly inclined series of horizontally disposed water wheels carried by and adjustable as a series with respect to the said carriage for the purpose described.

2.. A water power apparatus consisting of a support and an upwardly inclined series of horizontally disposed water wheels mounted 011 the said support, the said series of wheels being bodily adjustable lengthwise of the support and being also adjustable in their inclination as a series with respect to the support, for the purpose described.

3. A water power apparatus comprising a base, a carriage adjustable on the base, a water wheel frame including inclined uprights movably connected to the carriage, and means for adjusting the inclination of said uprights, shafts j ournaled through the uprights, and water wheels secured to the said shafts, for the purpose described.

at. A water power apparatus coniprisingli their lower ends to the carriage, pivotal con nections between the upper ends of the said uprights adjusting connections supported by the carriage and engaging the rear uprights, a. series of shafts disposed horizontally in the forward uprights, and water wheels secured upon the shafts, substantially as described.

5. A power apparatus consisting of a base having a rotating shaft provided with a gear, a carriage slidable in guided relation upon the base, and having a rack engaged by the said shaft gear, adjusting shafts journaled in portions of said carriage and having threaded sections, inclined uprights movably connected to a portion of'the carriage, connections between said uprights and the threaded sections of said adjusting shaftswhereby to adjust the inclination of the uprights with respect to the carriage, and a series of water wheels rotatabl y mounted'in the uprights, for the purpose described.

6. A water power apparatus comprising a base, a carriage adjustable on the base, a water wheel frame including forward and rear uprights in inclined converging relation, the lower ends of the forward uprights of which are pivotally connected to the carriage, a connecting frame pivotally uniting the upper ends of the said uprights, and threaded bearings carried by the lower ends of the rear uprights, adjusting shafts j ournaled in portions of the carriage and having threaded sections extending through the said bearings of the rear uprights, and a series of water wheels rotatably mounted in the forward uprights for the purpose described.

FREDERICK WM. IRWVIN.

l/Vitnesses PAUL F. CUNNINGHAM, Finn). W. SIMoNs.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.