US1497631A

US1497631A - Water wheel

Info

Publication number: US1497631A
Application number: US633814A
Authority: US
Inventors: Lars S Engeset
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1923-04-21
Filing date: 1923-04-21
Publication date: 1924-06-10
Anticipated expiration: 1941-06-10

Description

` June 10, 1924.

L. S. ENGESET WATER WHEEL Filed April 2l 1923 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 10 1924."

L.. S. ENGESET WATER WHEEL 4 Sheets-Shet 2 Filed April 2l 1923 llmlllllllill June 10 1924. 1,497,631

l.. s, ENGESET WATER WHEEL Filed Apri1'2l. 1923 4 Sheets-Shee't 5 vente?,

June 10 1924.

L. S. ENGESET WATER WHEEL Filed April 2l 1923 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented .lune 1924i.

UNITED stares Laten rueTENTl OFFICE.

LABS S. ENGESET, OF SEATTLE, WASI-IINGTUN.

WATER WHEEL.

Application filed April 21, 1923. Serial o. G3,814.

To (all fzii/2.0m t may con-cem:

l Be it known that l', Lans llnonsnrr, a citizen ot' the United States, and a resident of Seattlefling ounty, llv'ashington, have invented certain new and useful improve" submerged in flowing water, to be revolved and to transmit power through their supporting means for the purpose ot driving machinery or for doing other work.

It is the object of this invention to provide a water wheel with means in connection 'therewith whereby the speed otthe wheel underthe lifting iniiuence ot the floats as.

they enter the water.

Other objects of the invention reside in the details ot construction of the various parts of the wheel and in the means whereby it is supported tunctionally in position. In aci complishing these and other objects ot the invention, I have provided the improved details ot construction, the preferred 'forms of which are illustrated vin the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a side elevation of a water wheel constructed and supported in accordancepwith the present invention.

Figure 2 is a transverse, sectional view of the same taken on the line 2 2 in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a` detail view illustrating an alternative type ot construction. l Figure 4 is a partial view ot still another construction.

Figure 5 is a sectional view of the same.

Referring more lin detail to the several views ot the drawings, wherein like reference numerals designate the same or like parts., 1 designates a horizontal base Jframe which may be supported on piles 2 or in any other suitable manner within a stream ci :tiowingl 4water and 3 designates a swinging frame that is pivotally tixed at one end, as designatedat el, to the frame 1 and is supported at its other end by means of a shai't 5 equipped with a turningwheel 6 at its upper end whereby itniay be revolved to raise or lowerthat end of the frame B, the post 5 being threaded at its lower end into a sleeve 7 that is pivotally fixed onto trame 1.

The fame 2 comprises parallel opposite side beams between which a wheel supporting shaft 8 extends. This shaft is revolved in bearings 9 fixed to the said side beams and at one end has operative driving connection with. a power transmission shaft 1() which may be extended as a driving means for machinery which it is desired to operate by the wheel. The hub 12 of the water wheel is keyed to the shatt 8 and has a plurality ot radially extending spokes mounted therein at equally spaced apart intervals, each spoke comprising a tubular inner section 14C that is tiXed solidly in the hub and an outerpsection 15 that is telescopically slidable into and from the rinner section. The outward movement of the spoke sections 15 within their` respective inner sections is limited by means of stop plates 16 fastened to their inner ends by bolts 17 and which engage with nutsl?, through which the sections slide and which are threaded into the outer ends of the section lil. The spoke sections 15 are normally retained extended b v means of spring arms 2O that are fastened to the inner spoke sections 14 with their outer ends connected with pins on the outer spoke sections ot the spokes.

Fixed to the outer end of each spoke section 15 is a tloat 25. here shown to consist ot hollow metal tanks that are tapered toward their opposite ends and extended in the plane of the wheel in order that they will pass through the water with the least resistance. Mounted on the inner section ot each spoke is a propeller 26, each with a supporting shaft 27 mounted rotatively in bearings 28 on the spoke and equipped with a driving gear 29 that meshes with a rack sur- `tace 3() formed on the outer movable section ot the spoke; the connection being such that movement ot the outer spoke section into or from the inner section will cause rotation ot' the propeller which will tend to drive the wheel iu the direction oiA the iiow of water.V Assuming that the wheel is so constructed, it would be used in the following manner :V

A frame 1 would be mounted on a suitable supporting foundation in a stream of flowing water and the frame 3 so adjusted that the lower'half of the water wheel would be below the water surface. The force vof the current against the floats would causeV the wheel to be revolved and this will bring the floats successively in-to the water. At the time the fioats enter the water their supporting sections 15 are held in extended position by means of the spring arms 20 but as they are immersed the lifting effect of the water against them causes them vto move inwardly toward the Vcenter of the wheel. This movement by means of the connecting gearing causes the propellers to berrevolved in the water to drive the wheel forwardly, thus increasing the speed ofthe wheel and the amount of power that maybe derived therefrom.

As the floats are raised from the water the spring arms 2O move the supporting spoke sections 15 to their extended position' and retain them in this position until the floats again enter the water. Power for driving machinery or for other work may be derived fromV the water wheel by connection with the shaft 8 and while I have illustrated but Vone wheel on the shaft 8, it is readily apparent thatany desired number could be connected therewith so that an unlimited amount of power could be obtained.

In Figure 3 I have illustrated an alternative construction wherein each spoke of Athe waterwheel is equipped with two driving propellers. In this type of construction, brackets 40 are fixed to the outer ends of the spoke sections 14 and extend about the floats to the outer sides thereof and at these ends are equipped with propellers 41 thatV are alined with the propellers of the inner set. The slidable spoke sections 15 are equipped with extensions 42 that project beyond the drums and are geared, as at 43, to mesh withgears 44 fixed on the supporting shafts 45 of the propellers 41. In this construction the o13 erationY is the same as previously described and the propellers work together to increase the driving action of the wheel.

In Figures 4 and 5 is illustrated a construction wherein the propellers are geared up to revolve at a high rate of speed. In

this construction the propeller shaft gears 29 are small, andmesh with large gears 50 supported on shafts 51 in bearings 52 at the end of sections 14. Small gears 53 are fixed4 to the shafts 51 in mesh with rack sur- Vfaces 30 of sections 15. With this construction, movement of flats inwardly causes the propellers to be driven at a high speed.

It is readily apparent that such wheels could be made in different sizes with various numbers of spokes without departing from the spirit of the invention, and that various means of support could be provided according tothe character of the wheel and the stream in which it is used.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new therein and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

l. A water wheel of the class described, comprising a supporting shaft, a wheel fixed on the shaft having a plurality of radially extending spokes, each with telescopically mounted outer section floats, fixed to the outer sections of the spokes, propeller wheels fixed to the inner spoke sections and means for revolving the propeller wheels by inward niovement of the outer spoke sections under the lifting influence of the floats.

2. A water wheel of the class described, comprising a supporting shaft, a wheel fixed to the shaft having a plurality of radially extended spokes, each with an outer section movable into and from a fixed inner section, means for yieldingly retaining the outer sections of the spokes extended, propeller wheels mounted on the inner sections of the spokes, floats fixed to the outer ends of the movable spoke sections and means operatively connecting the slidable spoke sections with their corresponding propeller wheels whereby the latter will be revolved to drive the water wheel by the inward movement of these spoke sections under lifting action of their floats.

3. A device of the class described, comprising a base frame, a wheel supporting frame adjustable vertically on the base frame, a power shaft su )ported by the swinging` frame, a water wlieel fixed to the power shaft having a plurality of radially extending spokes, each with an outer section telescopically movable into and from a fixed inner section, spring arms fixed to the wheel and engaging bosses on the outer sections to retain them normally extended, propeller wheels mounted on the inner sections of the several spokes, each with a driving shaft and a gear wheel fixed to the shaft, fioats fixed to the outer ends of the movable spoke sections and rack surfaces formed on the movable spokes meshing with the propeller driving gears, whereby inward movement of the movable spoke sections under lifting influence of their floats will effect rotation of the propellers for the purpose set forth.

Signed at Seattle, King County, Washington, this 13th day of April, 1923.

LAHS S. ENGESET.