US1794188A - Windmill construction - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 24, 1931. H. M. LOEBER WINDMILL CONSTRUCTIbN 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 J7Z0e70r; rum"; Woe/ 5e7- n w jg Filed Nov. 8, 1926 5 1931 H. M. LOEBER 1,794,188

WINDMILL CONSTRUCTION Filed Nov. 8, 1925 3, Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Feb. 24, 1931 HERMAN"- M. Loner-apes Bneraicn, NEBRASKA, Assienoa' T nnivirs'rna 1mm. MAN"- FACT'URING (30., 9F BFATRIGE,

SKA, A CORPORATION OF NEBRASKA WINDMILL CONSTRUCTION Application filed November 8, 1826. Serial No. 146,967.

lhis invention relates to a windmill construction.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a new and novel method of oiling the operating mechanism of a windmill construction.

A further object of this invention is to provide *indmill construction which will permit of the removalof the wheel shaft, together with its associated elements, for repairs without removing the mill from the towel.

A further object of this invention is to pro vide a windmill construction having an automatic adjustment for the bearings of the wind wheel.

A further object of this invention is to provide an improved pull-out mechanism for a windmill construction.

A further object of this invention is to provide an improved gear and gear support construction.

Further objects of this invention will be apparent from the description and drawings forming a part of this specification, to which latter reference may now be had for a more complete understanding of the characteristic features of this invention, in which drawings:

Figure 1 is a top plan elevaticnal view of the windmill construction with the cover or hood removed; 1

Fig. 2 is a side view partially in section taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional View taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1;

a is a vertical sectional viewof the lower portion of the supporting stem and the pull-out mechanism;

Fig. is a top plan sectional view taken on the line 55 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 taken on the line 66 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 7 is a top plan sectional View taken on the line 'Z? of Fig. 3; and

*ig. 8 is sectional View of a further embodiment of the end of the tubular portion of this device.

In the drawings, the construction shown therein comprises a main frame or head. 10,

a wind Wheel (not shown) mounted on the hub 11, a vane (not shown) mounted on the vane stem 12, and the transmission from the wind wheel 11 to the pump rod 13, all of said elements being mounted on the main frame or head 10. The head is mounted on 'a rotatable tubular stem 14, which stem contains the pull-out mechanism 15 for throwing the mill out of gear.

The head 10 is so designed asto provide a housing for containing a substantial supply of lubricants 16, which lubricant is convey-ed to the va "iousparts of the operating mechanism by a method which will be hereinafter disclosed.

The wind wheel hub is mounted on a Wheel shaft 17, which shaft is carried in the bearings l8 and 19, the outer members or cups of which are contained in the housings 18a and 19a which in turn are supported by the main frame 10. These bearings 18 and 19, which are of the tapered roller type, are adapted to take the radial load f'the wind wheel while said bearing 19 is also adapted to take the thrust load through the spacer 29 secured to the shaft l'Zby the pin 21, said spacer 20 being disposed adjacent said bearing 19. It will be apparent that the thrust load, due to wind pressure on the wind wheel, tend to urge the wheel shaft 17 rearwardly and is limited by means of the spacer 2O abutting the bearing 19 which is fixed to the main frame.

A. pair'ofvpinions 22 and 23 are mounted on the wheel shaft 17, one on each side of the bearing 19, the pinion 22 being secured to the shaft 17 adjacent the spacer 20 by means of awkey 24 and the pinion 23 being clamped with'a spacer 25' and the cone of the bearing 19 against the spacer 20 by the nut 26, said pinion being held from rotation on said shaft by a key 27. By removing the nut 26 and the pinion 23, this construction permits the removal of the shaft 17 and the parts mounted thereon, bolts 37 being removed, without disturbing the housing or main frameandthe remaining parts which said housing contains. An optional method of removing shaft 17 and the parts mounted thereon is to unscrew the guide rods l7 and 4,8 and, With l OltSBT er bearing 18 and thence on the wheel hub 11.

The outer bearing 18 is adapted to be lubrioated with grease by means of the grease cup 31' inserted in passageway 32 in the main frame and with a communicating passageway 33 in the bearing housing 18a, which latter permits the grease to enter the bearing recess. The grease is kept from working out of the bearing by means of a cup-shaped member 34 on one side of the bearing'and a felt'washer 35 on the other side of said bearing. This washer is retained by a plate 36 which memher and the housing 18a are secured to the main frame by bolts 37. A drain hole 38, also in said housing 18a, permits any accumulation of oil to drain back into the main frame.

Referring particularly to Figure 8, a construction is shown whereby the grease cup 31, passageways 32 and 33, drain hole 38 and the cup-shaped member 34 are eliminated. It has been found that a sufiicient amount of oil will work out along the shaft 17 past the oil thrower 30 to properly lubricate the outer bearing 18. The felt washer 35, as heretofore indicated, prevents the escape of oil outward around the shaft 17 A pair of large gears 39 and 40 are loosely mounted on a stud shaft or trunnion 41 and engage the pinions 22 and 23 respectively. The trunnion 41 is, in turn, rigidly mounted on a suitable bracket 42, which latter is preferably cast integral with the housing or main frame 10. These large gears 39 and 40 are connected by means of pitmen 43 and 44 to a cross-head 45, one end of each of said pitmen being pivotally connected to a pin 46 extending through said crossehead. The cross-head is arranged to slide upon a pair of guide rods 47 and 48, both rods being threaded into the main frame 10 and connected at their upper ends by a spacing brack et 49, which bracket acts also as a fastening for hood cover 10a, which hoodserves to keep out rain and dirt and also prevent loss of the lubricant. The pump rod 13 is fastened at its upper end to a pump-rod carrier 50, which carrier comprises a substantially U-shaped bracket member which is pivotally mounted on the pin 46, the arms or bearing portions of the bracket being disposed between the pitmen and the cross-head 45. This construc tion takes the load off the cross-head, whereby said cross-head acts only in the capacity of a guiding member. A

hubs of the gears 39 and 40 respectively, and

in this manner the gears are kept in their proper positions on the shaft or trunnion 41.

In the operation of the pumping mechanism, motion is transmitted by means of the wind wheel hub 11 through the wheel shaft 17 the pinions 22 and 23, the gears 39 and 40, the pitmen 43 and 44, and the pump-rod carrier 50 to the pump rod 13, the pitmen serving to translate the rotary motion of the gearing into a reciprocating movement in the pump rod.-

The lubrication of the guide rods 47 and 48 and the pin 46 is accomplished by oil being carried upwardly by a pair of oil conveyors 57 and. 58 projecting from the side of the rim of each gear 39 and 40 respectively. These conveyors drip the oil into an oil receiver 59 on the lower end of the cross-head 45. The oil then passes from the receiver 59 through a pair of small holes 60 in the cross-head to the guide rod 48 where it is worked upwardly by the motion of the cross-head and is sheared off into an inclined oil channel 61 at the top of the cross-head. The oil channel is divided by a rib 62 which permits part of the oil to be carried to the opposite guide rod 47 and the remainder to be guided down through a hole 63 to lubricate the pin 46. The lubrication of the gears and the remaining bearings is performed by the oil picked up by the gears as they rotate, the gears flooding themselves and the bearings.

The pull-out construction for throwing the mill out of gear comprises a pull chain 64, running over the pulleys 65 and 66 mounted on the main frame, and a rock arm 67 to which the chain 64 is connected at 68. This rock arm 67 is mounted on the vertically pivoted pin 69 on which the vane stem 12 is also pivotally mounted and said rock arm is provided with an abutment portion 70 which engages the strut 71. extending between, and secured to, the members 72 and 73 of the vane stem 12. This loose engagement between the rock arm 7 and the strut 71 enables the windmill to regulate itself in the wind by permitting pivotal movement of the head with respect to the vane without interference from the pull-out rock arm. i

In order to provide a cushioning effect for the throwing in-and-out of gear of the mill, a pivoted buffer member 74 is provided having an abutment portion 75 for limiting the throwing-in-movement of the mill, and another abutment portion 76 for limiting the throwing-out-movement of the mill. The

butter or cushioning member 74: is pivotally mounted on the pin 69 which pin is the same as that on which the vane stem and the throwout arms are pivoted. In order to provide a connection between the buffer member 74 and the vane stem 12, which will yield in both directions, a pair of coil compression springs 7'7 and *58 are provided through which the connecting rod 79 extends. One end of this connecting rod 79 pivotally secured to the vane stem, and the other end extends through an opening in a lug 80 in the buffer member 74. In order to throw the mill into gear and to hold the mill in the wind against the unbalanced pressure on the wind wheel, a heavy coil tension spring 81 is provided, one end of which is secured to the vane stem and the other end is secured to a hook 82 mounted on the main frame 10. This construction may also be adjusted to regulate the speed at which the mill runs.

In operation, when the pull-out chain 64 is released to allow the spring 81 to throw the mill into gear, the abutment portion 75 of the buffer member engages the side of the head 10 and the butter spring 77 acts as a cushion to bring the further relative movement between the head and the vane stem to a stop. o

On the other hand, when the mill is thrown out of gear by pulling down on the chain 64, the abutment portion .7 6 of the buffer member engages the side of the head 10, whereupon the relative motion between the head and the vane stem is brought to a stop by the cushioning spring 78.

In order to hold the wind wheel against rotation when the mill is out of gear, the hub of the wind wheel is provided with an internal annular braking surface, as at 84, with which cooperates an internal expanding brake band '85. The brake band is mounted on a bracket 83 secured to the main frame 10.

The brake band 85 is forced outwardly into braking position when the mill is thrown out of gear by means of a bell crank 87 plvotally mounted to swing about a vertical axis by means of a pin 88 secured to a projection 86 on the main frame. This bell crank is operated from the pull-out arm 67 by means of a link 89 pivotally connected at 90 to the bell crank and also pivotally connected by pin 91 to an arm 92 formed integral with the pullout arm 67. 7

Referring particularly to Figs. 3, 4L, 5 and 6, the chain 64, after passing over the pulley 66, enters the tubular stem 14: and passes downwardly therethrough to connect with the upper end of a tubular member 93. This member 93 is of such a diameter as to freely fit the inner diameter of the tubular member 14 and has slidable engagement lengthwise thereof butis secured to rotate withthe stem 14 by the pin 94. A slot 95 in the tubular member 93 is engaged by said pin 94 and the pin,

in turn, is fixed to the stem 14, which construction provides for the aforementioned slidable, but non-rotatable, engagementbetween the respective tubular members. The two-part casting 96 is clamped around the lower part of the pipe stem 14 and serves to' prevent any vertical motion of the mill head in high winds.-

- A casting 97 is fastened to the lower end of the tubular member 93 by means of rivets tower post or other stop to prevent rotation of the swivel with the pivot stem, which action would wind the pull-out wire around the pump rod. It will be apparent from the foregoing that the entire structure may ro' tate with the turning of the mill to engage the various directions of the wind and will not in any manner cause the attendant-to make adjustments prior to pulling the mill out of gear or of releasing the mill into gear.

While a single embodiment of this invention is herein shown and described, it is to be understood that the device is not to be limited to that specific structure since various modifications may be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention, and there fore, the same is to be limited only by the scgpe of the appended claims and the prior ar I claim:

1. In a windmill the combination of a wind wheel, a housing, a shaft supported in said housing and upon which said wind wheel is mounted, pinions mounted on said shaft, a 'bracket'in said housing, a nonrrotatable trunnion member supportedcentrally and extending oneach side of said bracket, and gears mounted on the extending port-ions of said trunnion for engagementwith said pinions.

2. In a windmill the combination of a wind wheel, a. housing, a shaft supported in said housing and upon which said wind wheel is mounted, pinions mounted on said shaft, a bracket in said housing, a non-rotatable trunnion membersupported centrally and extend mg on each side of said bracket, gears mount ed on the extending portions of said trunnion for engagement with said pinions, a crosshead, and guide rods upon which said crosshead is slidably mounted, one of said guide rods holding said trunnion in position on said bracket.

.3. In a windmill the combination of a Wind wheel, a housing, a shaft mounted on V tending from saidhousin said housing and arranged to support said Wind wheel, pinions mounted on said shaft, a non-rotatable trunnion member, means for mounting said non-rotatable trunnion member within said housing, gears mounted on said trunnion for engagement with said pinions, and holding means for preventing end motion of said gears along saidtrunnion, said holding means being detachablymounted on said non-rotatable trunnion.

- 4. In a windmill the combination of a wind wheel,a housing, a shaft mounted in said housing and arranged to support said wind wheel, a cross-head, guide rods upon which said cross-head is slidably mounted, a non-rotatable trunnion, and means for mounting said non-rotatable trunnion in said housing, said trunnion being held in position by one of said guiderods.

5.- In a. windmill the combination of a wind wheel, a housing having a recess therein, a bearing member for engaging said recess in said housing, an elongated tubular portion exg and having a recess therein, a second bearing member adapted to engage said recess of said tubular portion, a shaft journalled in said bearings for supporting said wind wheel, and pinions on said shaft, said bearings and said pinions being movable in a longitudinal direction through said recesses.

6. In a windmill the combination of a wind wheel, a housing, a shaft mounted in said housing and arranged to support said wind wheel, an elongated tubular member extending from said housing and encompassing said shaft, a bearing in said tubular member adapted to support the outer end of said shaft, said shaft and said bearing being removable through said tubular member.

7. In a windmill the combination of a wind wheel, a housing, a shaft mounted in said housing forsupporting said'wind wheel, pinions mounted on said shaft within said housing, an elongated tubular member extending from said housing and encompassing said :shaft, a bearing in said tubular member "adapted to support the outer end of said shaft, said shaft one of said pinions, and said bearing being removable through said tubular portion. v

p 8. In a windmill thecombination of a wind wheel, a housing, a shaft mounted in said housing for supporting said wind wheel, a

pump roe, means for transmitting power from said wind wheel tosaid pump rod, a tubular member extending from said housing and encompassing said shaft, a bearing in said tubular member for supporting the outer end of said shaft, and means for removing said shaft and those members mounted thereon through said tubular member. I

9. In a windmill the combination of a wind wheel, a housing, a shaft mounted in said housing and .on which said wind wheel is said pumprod.

fixedly mounted, pinions fixed to said shaft within said housing, a pump rod, means for transmitting power from said pinions to said pump rod, a tubular member extending from said housing and encompassing said shaft, a

bearing in said tubular member and for supporting the outer end of said shaft, and means for removing said shaft, one of said pinions, and said bearing through said tubular member. I

10. In a windmill the combination .of a wind wheel, a housing, a shaft supported in said housing and having said wind wheel mounted thereon, a vane supported by said housing, a tubular stem upon which said housing is mounted, a sleeve slidably mounted in said tubular stem, a swivel member rotatably mounted on the lower end of said sleeve, and means for connecting said sleeve and said vane.

11. In a windmill having provisions whereby it may be pulled out of the wind the combination of a wind wheel, a housing, a shaft mounted in said housing for supporting said wind wheel, a tubular stem upon which said housing is mounted, a tubular sleeve slidably mounted in said stem, and means connected to said sleeve for pulling said wind wheel out of the wind.

12. In a windmill having provisions where by it may be pulled out of the wind the combination of a wind wheel, a main frame, a tubular stem upon which said frame is mounted, a tubular sleeve mounted in said stem and means connected to said sleeve for pulling the windmill out of gear.

13. In a windmill the combination of a wind wheel, a main frame, a shaft mounted on said frame for supporting said wind wheel, a tubular stem adapted to rotate and upon which said frame is mounted, a tubular sleeve mounted in said stem, a swivel rotatably mounted on the lower end of said sleeve, and connecting means extending from said swivel, said swivel being stationary as said windmill rotates about its vertical axis.

14. In a windmill the combination of a wind wheel, a housing, a tubular stem adapted to rotate around :a vertical axis and for supporting said housing, a vane pivotally mounted on said housing, a sleeve slidably mounted in said tubular stem, and means for actuating said vane comprising a connecting device secured to said vane and said sleeve andpassing through said stem and arounc said housing. I 7

15. In a windmill the combination of a wind wheel, a supporting frame, a pump rod, a tubular stem upon which said frame is mounted to rotate about a vertical axis, a sli'dable sleeve mounted in. said stem and forming a guide for thelower portion of 16.1Ina windmill the combination of a wind wheel a housing, a shaft. supported in said housing and upon Which said Wind Wheel is mounted, pinions mounted on said shaft, a bracket 1n sald houslng, a non-rotatable 1 trunnion member supported centrally on said bracket, gears mounted on the over-hanging portions of said trunnion for engagement with said pinions.

17. In a windmill the combination of a wind wheel, a frame supporting said wind wheel, vane carried by the frame, a vertical tubular stem supporting the frame, a tubular sleeve slidably mounted in the vertical stem and arranged to be operated manually, and means connecting the vane and the tubular sleeve.

18. In a windmill the combination of a wind wheel, a housing supporting said wind wheel, a vane carried by said housing, a vertical tubular stem supporting the housing, a slidable member mounted in the vertical stem and arranged to be operated from apoint below the mill, and means connecting the vane and the slidable member.

19. In a windmill the combination of a wind wheel, a housing, a shaft supported in said housing and having said wind wheel mounted thereon, a vane supported by said housing, a rotatable tubular stem upon which said housing is mounted, a sleeve slidably mounted in said tubular stem and rotatable therewith, a swivel member rotatably mounted on the lower end of said sleeve, and means for connecting said sleeve and said vane.

20. In a windmill the combination of a winl wheel, a housing, a shaft mounted on said housing and arranged to support said wind wheel, pinions mounted on said shaft, a non-rotatable trunnion member mounted in said housing, gears mounted on said trunion for engagement with said pinions, a radial flange on the inner hubs of said gears, and a locating member for engaging said flanges to prevent endwise movement of said gears.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name. HERMAN M. LOEBER.

Images