US22623A - Wind-wheee - Google Patents

Description

ABNER L.` BUTTERFIELD, OF WVEST DUMMERSTONa VERMONLHL.

WIND-WHEEL.

Specification of LettersPatent No. 22,623, dated January 18, 1859:

ham and State of Vermont, have invented a new and Improved Vind-Vheel; and I` do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of t-he same, A

reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure l, is a vertical section of my invention, taken in the line m, m, Fig. 2. Fig. 2, is a lan or top view of ditto.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in both figures.

This invention consists in the employment or use of a series of collapsible sails arranged and applied to radial arms, as hereinafter fully shown and described, whereby a very simple and efficient wind mill is obtained.

To enable others skilled in the art to fully understand and construct my invention, I will proceed to describe it.

A, represents a vertical shaft which is tted or placed in a proper framing B, and C, represents four horizontal arms which are attached to the shaft A, at its upper end. The shaft A, is allowed to rotate freely in the framing B, and to the end of each arm C, a rectangular frame D, is attached.

To the frames D, the sails E, are attached, one to each. These sails are formed each of two V-shaped boards or plates a, a, the edges of which at each side are connected by leather Z), or any other suitable flexible substance or fabric. The back or narrow end of the upper plate or board a, of each sail, is hinged to the corresponding end of the lower plate or board, and the leather or fabric b, is allowed to be suiciently full to enable the plates or boards a, a, to be distended so that each sail will form a chamber to receive the wind. To the back part of each bottom plate or board a, of the sails, a valve c, is attached. These valves are ordinary flap valves opening outward and a spring d, is made to bear against the under side of each, the springs prevent-ing the valves from casually opening.

To the bottom plate or board a, of each sail a bar F, is secured. These bars F, pass entirely through the sails and the front ends of the bars are secured to the lower ends of uprights G, said uprights being fitted in lateral projections e, attached to the frame D; the journalsvof the-uprights beingy allowed to turn freely'in the projections: e... The sails E, therefore, it will beseen, have a certain degree of lateral` play allowed them, the object 0f which will` be `hereinafter shown.

of the uprights G, said lrods serving as sup-A ports or braces.V

Ineach upright G, a slide g, `is placed"` from it. To the upper plates or boards a, rods z', are attached, one to each, said rods projecting from the fronts of the plates and ,passing through guides j, attached to the sides of the uprights, and resting on the arms it, of the slides, as shown clearly in Fig. l. To the upper end of each slide g, a cord or chain lo, is attached, and these cords pass upward through the upper parts of the frames D, and are connected to cords or chains Z, which pass through a guideplate H, which is secured to the ends of rods m, that project from the upper end of the frames D, the plate H, being directly over the top of the shaft A. The cords l, pass down into the upper part of the shaft A, and through holes in its side, and are attached to a ring or annular plate n, which encompasses the shaft A, see Fig. 1.

To each upright G, a spring catch 0, is attached. These catches are so arranged as to project over the front edges of the upper plates or boards a, when they are down or rest on the lower plates, said catches retaining the upper plates in such position. To each catch o, a cord p, is attached. These cords extend upward through the upper parts of the frames D, and are attached to cords g, which extend down through the center of plate H, into shaft A, and through holes in its side, and are attached to a ring or annular plate r, which encompasses the shaft A.

The operation is as follows: When the wind wheel is at rest, the sails E, are closed, that is to say, the upper and lower plates or boards a, a, are quite close together and the catches 0, project over the upper plates or boards a, and prevent the wind from raising them. When the wheel is to be operated the attendant draws the chains or cords g, g, so as to release the catches 0. The cords or chains Z, are then also drawn down and A rod f, is attachedwto thei back ends of each `bar F, to the upper parts `ing as their back ends face the wind. The

sails E, in consequence of being attached to the arms C, as shown and described, are, by means of the lateral play or movement allowed them in the frames D, enabled to adjust themselves properly to the wind so that the latter will act against them at right angles. The upper p-lates a, when the wheel is not to be rotated are allowed to descend, the cords Z, being lowered, and the stops 04, will again pass over the upper plates a, and prevent them from rising. In case the wind has great velocity, the wheel is prevented from having too great a speed in consequence of the valves c, opening, the

springs d, yielding to the pressure and allowing a portion of the wind thatl entersthe sail to escape.

I am aware that collapsible sails for wind wheels have been previously used, and I am also aware 'that valves have been employed and arranged similar to those herein shown and described. I therefore do not claim broadly the sails E, nor the valves, but

I do claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent,

Attaching the sails E, to the frames D, of the arms C, substantially as shown, so as to permit of a self-lateral adjustment of the same, and using the catches 0,7and slides g, with cords attached, for respectively locking the sails and freeing them from the locks or catches, substantially as described.

ABNER: L. BUTTERFIELD.

Witnesses:

ENos LEONARD, J. R. LEONARD.

Images