US154324A - Improvement in the means for utilizing wave-power for the propulsion of vessels - Google Patents

Description

. P.-S.IDEVLAN.

M'esnsfnr Utilizing wave-Rnwe r -fur the Propulsion of Vessels.

No.154,324. l P' 1 tented'Aug .2 5,1874- 1 Wit esse A Invent or:

' UNITED ST TES PATENT OFFICE,

PATRICK SARSFIELD DEVLAIT', OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

IMPROVEMENT IN THE MEANS FOR UTILIZING WAVE-POWER ,FOR TIIE PROPULSION 0F VESSELS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 154,324, dated August 25, 1874; application filed July 22,1874.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PATRICK SARSFIELD DEVLAN, of Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus forUtilizing the Power of the Waves for the Propulsion of Vessels, and for other purposes, of which the following is a specification:

This invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Figure'l represents a sectional plan or top view. Fig. 2 is a'longitu dinal vertical section.

Similar letters indicate corresponding parts.

This invention consists in combining, with a sea-going vessel, a series of floats, which are properly distributed over the vessel, and which connect with the plungers of air-pumps intended to compress the air in a suitable receiver situated in the interior of the vessel in such a manner that, by the action of the waves, as the same strike the sides of the vessel, combined with the rolling and pitching motions of the vessel itself, one or more of said floats are raised, wh'le others are permitted to sink down, and by these motions of the floats the air-pumps are kept'in motion, and a constant supply of compressed air is forced into the receiver, and the air thus accumulated can-be used either for the purpose of driving an air-engine, or as an auxiliary in driving asteam-engine, which may be used for propelling the vessel or for other purposes.

In the drawing, the letter A designates a vessel which is provided with a number of wells, B, which are distributed over'the vessel, so that one or more of them are near each side, and one or more of them near each end of the vessel. These wells extend clear down through the vessel, being open at top and bottom, and theyare either circular in their crosssection, or they may be square or of any suitable form or shape. In each of said wells is situated a float, O, which corresponds in shape to the shape of the well, and is free to move up or down in the'same.

In order to reduce the friction of the floats in their wells, said wells may be lined with sheet metal, and the floats may be furnished with anti-friction rollers in their sides. The floats are constructed,.by preference, of hollow air-tight boxes or cylinders, and they may be made of sheet metal, or any other material suitable for this purpose.

Each of said floats connects with an airpump, D, situated in the interior of the vessel, and the buoyancy and weight of the floats are so regulated that whenever the water forces one of the floats upward in its well the plunger of the corresponding air-pump is moved in one direction, and when the water in the well recedes, the weight of the float carries said plunger in the opposite direction.

The connection between the floats and their air pumps may be effected by means of a working-beam, as shown in the drawing, or the air-pumps may be placed in line with the wells, and in this case the connection between the floats and the air-pumps can be direct.

The air-pumps D connect by pipes E, Fig. 1, with a receiver, F, so that, by the action of said air-pumps, the receiver is charged with compressed air.

It is obvious that the pipes E have to be furnished with check-valves to prevent the compressed air from recedingout of the receiver. From the receiver the compressed air is conducted to a cylinder, which is constructed similar to the cylinder of an ordinary steamengine, and the piston of which may be connected to a propeller, which serves to'propel the vessel; or said piston may be connected to a pump, or to any other machine to which motion is to be imparted.

The principal object of this apparatus however is to provide the means for propelling the vessel, or to assist in propelling the vessel, in case the quantity of compressed air obtained by the action of the floats and of their air-pumps should not be suflicient to effect the propulsion unaided by any other power.

The compressed air may be used in connection with an ordinary steam-engine.

It will be readily seen from this-description, that one or more of the floatsO will always be in motion as soon as the vessel begins to roll or to pitch, and consequently the supply of compressed air will be constantlykept up, so that when the vessel is once in the open sea its propulsion can be effected chiefly by the action of the compressed air, and almost, if not entirely, unaided by steam.

It must be remarked that the wells B, ina suitable receiver, substantially in the man stead of passing down through the vessel, ner herein shown and described.

might be arranged on the sides of the same In testimony that I claim the foregoing I without changing the result. have hereunto set my hand and seal this 17th What I claim as new, and desire to secure day of July, 1874. by Letters Patent, is

The combination, with a sea-going vessel, of a series of floats, properly distributed over Witnesses: the Vessel, and which connect with the plun- A. F. BRITTON, gers of air-pumps intended to compress air in JOHN C. J AGOBSOHN,

P. s. DEVLAN. L. s]

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