US1506395A - Current and tidal-current motor - Google Patents

Description

Aug" 26 1924. 1506.395

J- TYDINGS cumum AND TIDAL curmammoron Original Filed Nov. 15, 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet. 1

IIVVZW'TOR d1); ZaZIJ ya Patented Aug. 26, 1924:.

UNITED STATES JOHN TYDINGS, OF SMITHVILLE FLATS, NEW YORK.

CUR-RENT AND TIDAL CURRENT MOTOR.

Original application filed November 15, 1921, Serial No. 515,329. Divided and this application filed February 16, 1922.

T all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN TYDINGS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Smithville Flats, in the county of Chenango and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Current and Tidal-Current Motors, which is a division of my application bearing Serial Number 515,329, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in current and tidal current motors, which is a division of my application for Letters Patent for an apparatus to mechanically harness, store and transmit power, bearing Serial Number 515,329, dated November 15, 1921, and has for its object to provide a device of this character which will provide power to be mechanically stored and transmitted by means of the apparatus set forth in the above mentioned application of which this is a division.

Another object'of the invention is to provide a motor of the class stated for use in streams, rivers and the like Whether having a tide or not so that the power produced by the movements of the water may be trans formed to a mechanical power and stored for future use.

WVith these ends in view, this invention consists in the details of construction and combination of elements hereinafter set forth and then specifically designated by the claims.

In order that those skilled in the art to which this invention appertains, may under stand how to make and use the same, I will describe its construction in detail, referring by numerals to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this application, in which Fig. 1, is a plan view of a current motor particularly adapted for use in tidal rivers or other streams.

Fig. 2, is a side elevation thereof with a portion of the near side pontoon and a part of the water wheel broken away.

Fig. 3, is an enlarged sectional view at the line 33 of Fig. 2, some of the gear wheels and portions of others being shown in elevation.

Fig. 4, is a fragmentary end view of that portion of the apparatus shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5, is an elevation of the opposite end Serial No. 536,908.

thereof with portions broken away to clearly illustrate the construction.

In carrying out my invention as shown in Figs. 1 to inclusive, I utilize pontoons 2 preferably two in number, spaced apart in parallelism with both ends pointed after the manner of a bow of a ship so that the current of water will be guided betweenpontoons and caused to flow througlr the restricted space between said pontoons at which point the paddle wheel 3 is located and the blades of this paddle wheel are ar ranged on radial lines as plainly shown in Fig. 2 and said paddle wheel when in use is only partially submerged for obtaining the best results. The submergence of the paddle wheel is controlled by the buoyancy of the pontoons and these pontoons may be of buoyant material or constructedwith air chambers or to hold air cylinders.

To each of these pontoons is connected a pair of reach rods 4 which in turn are journalled upon the bosses 5 formed with the bearings 6 the latter being mounted upon any suitable foundation such as for instance masonry piers, as shown by dotted lines in Fig 2. The reach rods 4 support suitable bearings 7 in which are journalled the shafts 8 each having fixed on one end a gear 9 meshing with a pinion 10 fixed to the shaft 11 of the water wheel, while on the opposite end of each of said shafts 8 is fixed a worm 12 meshing with a worm gear 13 rotating about a shaft 14 which is journalled in the bearings 6. The worm gear 13 is provided with a pawl 15 or its equivalent which is adapted to engage a ratchet 16 for rotating the shaft 14 on which is fixed a gear 17 meshing with a right hand gear 18. The worm gear 13 is provided with a hub 19 carrying a pawl 20 or its equivalent arranged to operate in a direction opposite to the pawl 17 and said pawl 20 coacts with a ratchet 21 connected with a gear 22 which is fixed on the shaft 14, said gear meshing with a left hand gear 23. Each of the gears 18 and 23 are mounted on suitable short shafts 24 and 25 and are each ratcheted to another gear whereby an intermediate gear 26 may be always rotated in the same direction and this gear is mounted upon a shaft 27 by which the created power is transmitted to the apparatus for storing the same. 7 One means of providing a ratchet connection between the gear 13 and another gear on the same shaftwhich meshes with the gear 26 will behereinafter described and as the means used with both gears 20 and 23 is identical, with the exception that the ratchet pawls are reversed, only one will be described. hen the gear 23 is being revolved in the direction of the arrow thereon in Fig. 3, the pawl 28' carried by the hub of said gear will engage the ratchet wheel 29 and rotate it in the same direction and as this ratchet is connected with the gear 80 on the shaft 25 said gear will rotate in the same direction to revolve the gear 26 with which it meshes in the direction of. the arrow on said ear and thereby transmit motion to the mam portion of the apparatus through the shaft 7, but if the power is being transmitted from the worm 12- to the right hand gear 18 a similar ratchet mechanism inthe reverse direction will transmit motion to the gear. 26 and cause it to revolve in the same direction as denoted by the arrow'thereon, while at the same time the gear 30 will revolve freely upon the shaft 25 permitting said shaft and the gear 23 to remain stationary.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that when the paddle wheel 3 is revolving in one direction, as for instance, when the tide is running out power Will be transmit-ted to the shaft 27 through one train of gears whereas when the tide is moving in the other direction or running in power will be transmitted to the shaft 27 through the other train of gears.

Of course I do not wish to be limited to the exact details ofconstruction as herein shown as these may be varied within the limits of the appended claimswithout departing from the spirit of my invention.

'Havingthus fully described my inven tion, what I claim asnew and useful is 1. In a device of the character stated, a current motor for deriving power from the current of a tidal stream including pontoons, a paddle wheel having radial blades located between said pontoons, a shaft 011 which said paddle wheel is mounted journalled in suitable bearings on said pontoons, a worm on each end of said shaft, bearings located at a distance fromsaid pontoons, said bearings having bosses thereon, reach rods arranged in pairs journalledon said bosses and pivotally connected with the pontoons, bearings supported by saidreach rods, shafts journalled in the *bearings on said reach rods each having a worm gear at one end to mesh with the worms on the paddle wheel shaft, gears on the opposite ends of said shafts, a shaft mounted in the first named bearings, worm gears mounted on said shaft to mesh with the last named worms, gears having pawl and ratchet mechanisms between them and the worm gear whereby one of said gears will be r0 tated when the worm gear is revolved in one direction and the other of said gears rotated when the worm gear is revolved in the opposite direction, and means including ratchets and pawls to constantly rotate a shaft in one direction. I

2. A current motor comprising, in combination, a pair of spaced pontoons, bear ings carried by the pontoons, a shaft journalled in said bearings, a paddle wheel fixed to said shaft, a worm on each end of said shaft, bearings located at a distance from the pontoons, reach rods arranged in pairs and pivotally connected with the last named bearings and said pontoons, other bearings carried by the reach rods, shafts journalled in the bearings of said reachrods and each having a worm gear atone end to mesh with the worms on the paddle wheel shaft, worms onthe opposite-ends of said shafts, a horizontal shaft journalled in the bearings which are located at a distance fromthe pontoons, worm gears mounted on the last named shaft to mesh with the last named worm, ratchet wheels fixed to the horizontal shaft, pawls carried by the last named worm gears for coaction with the ratchet wheels whereby the hori zontal shaft will be revolved in one direction, a driven shaft, trains of gears for transmitting motion from the horizontal shaft to said driven shaft, other trains of gears for transmitting motion to the driven shaft, said last named trains of gears including ratchet wheels and other pawls carried by the last mentioned worm gears for transmitting imotion therefrom to said last named trains of gears.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto affixed my signature. 5

-,-JOHN 'rYnrNes.

Images