US235105A - Tidal motor - Google Patents

Description

(NOMOde-l.)

T. As. SPEAKMAN.

` Tidal Motor.

No. 235,105. Patented Dec. 7,1880.

N. PETERS, PHOTO-LITHOGRAPH ER, WASHINGTON. T)y C.

' UNrTen STATES PATENT Trace..

THOMAS S. SPEAKMAN, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

TIDAL MOTOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 235,105, dated December 7, 1880.

Application tiled July 9, 1880. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, THOMAS S. SPEAKMAN, a citizen ot' theUnited States, residing atPhiladelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State otl Pennsylvania, have-invented new and useful Improvements in rlidal Motors,of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure l is a vertical section ot' my invention. Fig. 2 is an elevation, partly in section, of the same; and Fig. 3 is an elevation of a modication of my invention. l

My invention has for its object to provide mechanism whereby the rise and fall of the tide may be utilized to raise water in a standpipe or reservoir, said water being designed to be used as a motive power for operating various kinds of machinery-as, for instance, to run the electric machines in light-houses and to supply power for operating all other machinery contained in such places, or it may be used to run saw-mills, or for any other available purpose.

Myinvention accordingly consists in the provision of a cylinder Or tank provided with a piston, upon whose rod is secured a float eX- terior to said cylinder, the latter having pipeconnections with a reservoir or stand-pipe, and which are provided with suitable induction and eduetion valves, whereby the ebb and flow of the tide will reciprocate the piston to force water to said reservoir or stand-pipe, the water being forced or pumped thereto both during the upward and downward movement of the piston.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, A represents a cylinder or other tank, ot' iron or other metal, supported upon piles or other suitable foundations B B.

C is the cylinder-piston, having a rod, c, projecting through the lower end, c, of said cylinder, and is provided with a oat, D, as shown, which is held in position and moves up and down between the platform-posts b b, the iatter also serving as guides for said float to prevent the current moving said iioat out Ot' line to strain the piston-rod.

E E are the induction-pipes, proceedingfrom the top ot' said cylinder and running down below the level of the lowest tide-water mark, so that their ends will always be immersed in water. Said pipes are provided with branch pipes e e, which terminate in the lower end ot said cylinder, and are each furnished with a coupling or enlarged chamber, c'. From the latter proceed pipes F F, passing up to the stand-pipe G, which is provided with a valve, g, as shown, at its connection with the cylinder A at g'. If desired, the pipes F F may be provided with valves j' f at their terminations in the stand-pipe, so as to prevent any back flow or pressure of water therein from said standpipe. Vithin the couplings c e are hinged valves e2 e2, which have one seat against the lower ends ofthepipes F F, as shown in Fig. 1, and another against the edge c3 ot' said couplings, as shown in Fig. 2. When said valves are seated against the ends ot' the pipes F F- they prevent water iowing into or escaping. therefrom, and when seated against the edges c3 they stop the How of water to the branch pipes e efrom the induction-pipes E E.

H is an open-topped case secured to cylinder A, and receives stones or other weight, h, to hold said parts firmly upon the foundation B.

The operation is as follows: As the tide iiows in or out the oat is caused to rise or fall, and, carrying with it the piston, the water iiowing into the cylinder by the suction producedby the movement of said piston is thereby forced or pumped to the stand-pipe or reservoir. It', for example, the piston is ascending, as shown in, Fig. 1, the tide supposed to be coming in, the valve g in the stand-pipe Gr opens and the valves c2 c2 in the couplings seat themselves against the I lower ends of the Apipes F F to close the same and prevent water flowing thereinto from the induction-pipes E E. Said water passes into the branches c e, and thence into cylinder A below its piston to till the vacuum caused by its partial ascent. As the latter moves upwardly the pressure of the water above it, which iowed into said cylinder during the previous descent of the piston, closes the valves e4 in the upper ends of the pipes E E; hence said water finds an exit only through the now open valve g in the stand-pipe. When said piston has reached the limit of its ascent and all the water above it has been forced into the stand-pipe the valve g closes, and the tide now running out, the piston falls or is lowered by the descent of the IOO float, whereupon the valves c2 e2 now seat themselves against the edges c3 c3 of couplings e e', to open.communication between the lower end ofthe cylinder and pipes F F and to shut oli' the water-supply to the branches c c from the induction-pipes E E. As the piston descends it forces the water beneath itthrongh branches e e, couplings c c, and pipes F F to the stand-pipe G, the valves ffopenlng under the pressure produced thereby. Meanwhile the valves cLl cl open to allow water from the induction-pipes E E to ilowinto the cylinder above the piston. As long as the tide rises or falls thewater will be raised in the stand-pi pe, thereby providing a continuous stream of water to be lifted, to be used as a motor, either by conducting it to any ofthe well-known forms of water or turbine wheelsbr to a hydraulic engine, to operate said devices torun allkinds of machinery used in light-houses, mills, or factories, or it may be used for any otherdesirable purpose.

In the application ot' my invention to oper- -ate the machinery in light-houses it can advantageously be employed to run the electric machine to generate electricity for the lamps, or turn the machinery which revolve said lamps to' produce iia-shing lights; or it may be used to operate an elevator, or for any other known purpose to save labor in such or other places. Any number of cylinders maybe employed, and their pistons will discharge the water into a common stand-pipe or reservoir. It' desired, the stand-pipe may terminate in a reservoir, as shown in Fig. 3, which also shows a modification of my invention wherein the cylinder Ais placed directly upon the sea or river bottom, with the float above the saine.

I l are the valved induction ports or pipes, one for the upper part of the cylinder and the other for the lower part thereof.

K K are the eduction-pipes, the former taking the water from the upper part and the latter from the lower part of the cylinder. The pipe K terminates within the coupling c', having valve e2, which operates in this construction as already described. Vhen it seats itself against end of pipe K it opens communication between pipe K and standpipe L and allows the water below the piston C to iiow through stand-pipe L to reservoir M. l/Vhen seated against end of pipe K the passage is free between pipe L and pipe K, permitting water above the piston to tind its way through pipe L to said reservoir.

What I claim as my invention is- 1. A tidal motor consisting of a cylinder or tank having a piston whose rod passes through one of the ends of said cylinder or tank, and to the extremity of which is secured a oat, said cylinder or tank having suitable valved induction and eduction pipes, whereby the rise and fall of the tide will operate said piston to draw water into and force it out ot' said cylinder or tank, substantially as shown and described.

2. In a tidal motor, a cylinder or tank hav ing a piston and attached oat, valved induction and eduction pipes, arranged substantially as shown and described, whereby the piston will operate to draw water into and force it out ot' said cylinder or tank both on the upward and downward movement ofthe piston, as set forth.

3. In a tidal motor, the combination of a cylinder or tank provided with a piston, tothe rod of which is secured aiioat exterior to said cylinder or tank, a reservoir or stand-pipe, and valvedinduction and eduction pipesinterposed between said cylinder or tank and stand-pipe, substantially as shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

4. The combination of cylinder A, piston C, oat D, and stand-pipe or reservoir G, and interposed valved induction and eduction pipes E F, substantially as shown, and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this 6th day of July, 1880.

- THOMAS S. SPEAKMAN. Witnesses J oHN M. RIDINes, JOHN CURTIS.

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