US244221A

US244221A - Water-power

Info

Publication number: US244221A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1881-07-12
Anticipated expiration: 1898-07-12

Description

L. D. FOUNTAIN & J. MoDONALD.

' WATER POWER. No. 244,221. Patented July 12,1881.

N. PETER5, Pholwmlngnphe Wm D-C v UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LORENZO D. FOUNTAIN AND JOSHUA MCDONALD, OF JACKSON, ALABAMA.

WATER-POWER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 244,221, dated July 12, 1881.

Application filed November 17,1880. (Model) To all whom it may concern:

'Be it known that we, L. D. FOUNTAIN and J. MCDONALD, citizens of the United States, residing at Jackson, in the county of Clarke and State of Alabama, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Floatin g Tide- Powers; and we do hereby declare the followin g to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters or figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to floating powers for the transmission of the power of runningstreams to machinery located on banks of the stream for example, saw-mills and gristmills.

Ourimprovement consists inthe construction and combination of parts, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth, and pointed out in the claims.

Figure l of the drawings is an isometrieal perspective of our floating tide-power. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same taken through the line or m of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the cone or fan shaped conductor.

In the annexed drawings, the letters A A represent two boats or floats suitably connected and braced together, so as to form an open way or channel between them extending from bow to stern. These boats should be of such a construction and form as will offer the least resistance to the flow of the stream.

Between the boats or floats for the passage of the water is arranged an undershot waterwheel, B, the shaft of which is suitably journaled to the upper surface of the floats or boats, substantially as shown in Fig. l of the drawin gs. This undershot water-wheel may be constructed in any suitable and well-known manner for use as an undershot water-wheel.

The letter 0 represents the cone or fan shaped trough or conductor pivoted at its rear end between the forward ends of the boats, and is provided at its forward ends (corners) with chains or ropes a a, which pass over pulleys located in the upper ends of the standards or uprights b I), attached to the forward ends of the boats, as seen in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings. The object of these ropes or chains attached to the forward end of the pivoted conductor or trough, and passing over the pulleys of the standards, is to adjust the conductor or trough to the currentof the stream or to raise the same from the current, substantially as indicated bydotted lines in Fig. 2 of the drawings.

The fan-shaped conductor or trough O is bottomed and boxed on the sides, with its rear portion contracted, substantially as shown in Fig. 3. This conductor or trough is also formed at its rear end with brackets 0, to receive the pivotal connection d, and at its forward end with eyes e, to receive the chains or ropes.

Between the trough or conductor and the undershot water-wheel is arranged the vertically-sliding gate D, by means of which the water can be shut off or let on at will when it is desired to stop or start the motion of the wheel. This gate can be done awaywith, for the trough will serve the same purpose on being raised, as seen in dotted lines of Fig. 2 of the drawings; but we prefer to use the gate, it being more convenient to slide a gate than raise the trough or conductor.

The driving mechanism or means-gearing or belts and pulleys-for operating the machinery on land or the banks of the stream are placed on either or both boats. The driving means employed are those in use in floating powers.

What we claim as our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In combination with a floating boat carrying an undershot water-wheel, the cone or fan shaped trough or conductor C, pivoted at its rear end at the forward end of the boat in front of the water-wheel, and the chains or ropesaa, for elevating and lowering the conductor, as described.

2. The combination, with a floating boat carrying an undershot water-wheel, of the pivoted fan-shaped conductor 0, the elevating and lowering chains or ropes ac, and the slid ing gate D, all arranged in the manner as described.

In testimony whereof we aflix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

LORENZO DOW FOUNTAIN. JOSHUA MCDONALD.

Witnesses:

J. E. DU Bosn, S. F. OoALE.