US391571A

US391571A - Windmill

Info

Publication number: US391571A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1888-10-23
Anticipated expiration: 1905-10-23

Description

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1..

F. D. WINKLEY.

WINDMILL.

Patented Oct. 23, 1888.

WITNESSES! INVENTOR I 55;; ?%g 5912' EMWWMM.

ATTORNEY.

(No Model.) 2' Sheets-Sheet 2. I. D. WINKLEY.

WINDMILL. No. 391,57 Patented Oct. 23, 1888.

55 ATTORNEY UNITED Sra'rns Fa rnrvr tries.

FRANK D. WVINKLEY, OF MADISON, \VISOONSIN.

WlNDlVllLL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 391,571, dated October 23,1888.

Serial No. 199,266.

(No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANK D. WINKLEY, a citizen ofthe United States, residing at Madison, in the county of Dane and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin WVindmills; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to vertical'sectional selfgoverning wind-wheels; and it consists, first, in the peculiar construction of the frame-work of the wheel, by which I attain a maximum of strength and durability with the minimum of materials.

My invention relates, further, to a vertical wind-wheel constructed in such a manner that the wind-wheel arms are subjected to compression strains only, the strains in lines parallel to the wheels axis and those in lines perpendicular to the same being opposed, and counteracted by stay rods supporting said wheel-arms, and arranged as hereinafter described.

It consists, further, in a certain arrangement of the parts, hereinafter to be described, by which the speed of the wind-wheel is regulated automatically.

Figure 1 is a side view, also partly in section, showing the wind'wheel shaft with its connections and one of the vane sections thrown out of gear. Fig. 2 is a top view of Fig. 1 without the vane-section and its ac companying frame-Work. Fig. 3 is an end view of Fig. 1, showing the wind-wheel out of gear, a portion of the vanes being cutaway by passing a plane through the line a? 00 of Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a plan View of one of the windwheel sections in gear. Fig. 5 is a rear view of the governing-Wheel, the opposite or front View of which is shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a detail showing the method. of connecting the governing rod to the vane sections.

In the drawings similar letters, Where they occur, refer to like parts throughout the several views.

A is the tower-casting,adapted to be secured in the usual way to the towertimbcrs. .(Not shown in the drawings.)

B is a pivot shell or casting adapted to revolve inside the tower-casting A, the side end of the tower-casting and secured to the lower extension of the pivot shell by a setscrew. (See Fig. 1.) The upper part of the pivot shell or casting is extended into a hori- Zontal hollow arm, 0, and supports the wheelshaft D, at theinner end of which is the crankdisk (Z, attached by means of a crank-pin to the connecting-rod E, which is similarly connected at its lower end with a hollow plunger, F, through the center of which passes the regulatingwirc 6, connecting the chainf with the elbow-lever G, all that part of the mechanism just described being protected from the weather by the box-like shield H. The elbowlever G is pivoted to an ear extending from the pivot-shell B, and supports at its outer end a weight, IV, in the manner that such appliances are ordinarily attached in this class of mills. A

To an upward extension of the lever G, I pivot, by means of the bolt 2', the cross-bar g, at the outer ends of which are secured the rods h h, engaging with ears extending from opposite sides of the sliding collar I. The collar I is provided at its outer end with a re cessed head or inelosing-rim, which engages over a corresponding circular rim on the inner end of the sleeve K, by which means the latter may be moved back and forth over the hollow arm 0 with the sliding collar I, at the same time being adapted to revolve freely about the wheel-shaft. The rods J J, pivoted to ears on opposite sides of the sleeve K, extend forward in a vertical plane parallel with the wheel-shaft D, and engage with angle-levers cast as a part of the sector-gears M and N. These sectorgears are journaled on arms extending at right angles from opposite sides of 5 ICO Lin

shaft, the relative position of the governingrods R, in operative connection with the spokes of the governing-wheel J, is shown by the dotted lines, Figs. 3 and 5. If the wheel J were to rotate farther than the limit thus shown by the dotted lines referred to, the tendency would be for the vane-sections to dish outward from the plane of the wheel-disk, to which they are normally confined. The governing-wheel J is held to this limit as follows: The forward or outer end of the collar L, rigidly secured to the driVeshaft, as hereinbefore described, is slotted (see Fig. 1) through a portion of its circumference. The rear face of the hub of the governing-wheel rotates freely over the forward end of the collar L, and is provided with a clutch or lug, which extends into said slot in the front face of the collar L. When the vane sections are closed in gear, said lug strikes against the shoulder of said slot at the instant the vanesections close into a continuous disk at right angles to the wheel-shaft, thereby limiting the motion of the vane-sections in this direction and preventing them from dishing outward. When the vane-sections are thrown out parallel to the wheelshaft, they are held to this position and limited as to further motion in this direction by the goveruingrods R, which in this position are radial to the center of the governingwheel J, being a radial continuation of the spokes of the same,to which they are respectively attached. (See Fig. 1.) It is obvious that if any further rotation of the governing-wheel in this direction were possible it would simply result in drawing the respective vane-sections in again; so for this purpose the lug need not necessarily be arranged to strike the op posite limit of the slot. I prefer to accomplish this result by means of the governingrods R in the connection described. The clutch arrangement just described is a wellknown mechanical device, and I make no claim to this particular feature as being new and patentable. This limit is reached when the vane-sections stand out parallel to the drive-shaft D. At the same instant that this limit is reached the governing-rods R respectively assume the position radial to the center, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3.

The number of radial spokes in the governing-wheel J will be determined by the number of vane-sections in the wind-wheel. The inner or rear face of this hub is provided with suitable sector-gears on opposite sides of the wheelshaft adapted to mesh into and operate wit-h the sector-gears M and N, respectively. By the disposition of the sector-gearing on oppo site sides of the wheel-shaft, as described, one set of gears supplements and assists the action of the other, thus doing away with any cramping orjamming of the parts and securing quick and responsive action in the governing device. The hub, radial spokes, and sector-gears of the governing-wheel I prefer to make together in a single casting.

The wind-wheel hub proper, l, and the diskhub O are united by a sleeve, preferably in a single casting,and keyed to the wheel-shaft D. The drive-pin 1), extending through the periphery of the disk-hub O and the sleeve K, communicates to the latter the rotary motion of the wheelshaft. The preferably radial spokes 7c of the Wind-wheel are made, preferably, of gas-piping, which I prefer to screw into the wheel-hub P, as shown in Fig. 1, and are braced by the stay-rods Z, bolted at their outer ends to tips a screwed on the outer ends of said spokes, and at their inner ends to the disk-hub O. The point of connection of each of the stay-rods Z with the disk-hub 0, instead of being in the radial plane passing through the shaft D and the corresponding spoke 7c, is at one side of said radial plane and on a line approximately at rightangles thereto. The stayrod therefore lies wholly in a plane parallel to the shaft D and approximately tangent to the circular disk-hub at the point of attachment of the stay-rod thereto. By means of this construction the stay-rod braces the spoke of the windwheel not only against wind-pressure parallel to the wind-wheel shaft, but also against strains resulting from any resistance to the rotation of the wheel-shaft. The windpower applied to the rotation of the wheelshaft is transmitted to it through the spokes 7c, and as any resistance to such rotation must be overcome by rotary pressure on the spokes it is evidently an advantage to brace them against rotary strains as well as against strains in the line of the shaft. Heretofore each of the stay-rods of a windwheel frame has been in the same plane with reference to the wheelshaft as the corresponding spoke, and has consequently offered no resistance to rotary strains on the frame. My present construction overcomes this defect and greatly strengthens the frame without increasing the amount of mate rial employed therein. The spokes 7c are further secured at their outer ends by the tie-rods m, bolted through eyes in the tips n. The windvanes 0 are permanently mortised into wooden cross-pieces, the vanes of. each section converging toward the center, so that when in gear they form one continuous flat disk. The cross-piece or swivel-bar Q is provided with a suitable casting secured to each end thereof, each of said castings terminating in a pin, which extends into a suitable opening in each of the tips referred to, and is secured in position by tightening up the tie rod m. The swivel-bar Q is so adjusted with reference to the vane-section as to divide the latter into two equal areas for receiving the wind-pressure. The inner crossbar, T, is made extra heavy in order to facilitate the automatic regulation of the wind-wheel by employing the centrifugal motion for throwing out the vane sections when the wheel revolves beyond a certain rate of speed.

The governing-rod R is attached to an eye in the outer end of one of the short radial spokes of the governing-wheel J, and is swiveled by means of an adjustable link-connection at its IIO outer end to an ear or lug extending from a radial crossbar, V, preferably of metal, which is firmly secured to the crosspieces T and Q on the same side thereof as the vanes 0. This radial bar V is 1n ade, preferably, rather flat and elliptical in cross-section, its flat face between the points of attachment on the cross-pieces T and Q standing parallel with and between the adjacent vanes 0, so as to impede as little as possible the action of the wind on the vanes. The link-connection at the outer end of the governing-rod R is loosely swiveled over the ear on the radial bar V,in order to allow sufficiently free play of the jaws of said link to prevent any cramping or binding of these parts at any point of the machines operation, either in gear or out of gear.

The tierods m are bolted through suitable eyes in the tips n and unite the outer ends of the spokes It, thus forming the containing-rim of the wind-wheel. By dishing the spokes 7c outward I am enabled to stay them much more securely than if they stood at right 'angles to the wheelshaft, for while the stay-rods Z are just as effective in preventing the spokes It, thus dished, from being forced outward by the wind-pressure, the tie-rodsm serve also as stayrods to prevent the spokes from being forced inward and backward or wrong side out by any sudden change in the direction of the wind, as may often happen, for it is obvious that if the spokes 70 were to be thus forced backward toward or into a plane at right angles to the wheel-shaft the outer ends of the spokes It must spread farther apart, and it is by resisting this tendency that the tie-rods m perform the double function of a rim holding the vanesections together, also of stay-rods to resist any backward wind-pressure. If the spokes 7; were inserted in the hub l? at right angles to the wheetshaft, the tie-rods m could not, for obvious reasons, perform this added 1 function of supplemental stay-rods against back ward pressure.

It is evident that the improvement resulting from the novel arrangement of the stay-rods hereinbefore described is wholly independent of the dishing of the spokes. If the spokes were set at right angles to the wheel-shaft, so as to lie in a single plane, the placing of the stay-rods in planes diverging from the radial planes of the respective spokes would be as advantageous as in the structure shown and described, and I do not intend, therefore, to limit my invention in that respect to any special arrangement of the spokes with reference to the shaft.

The description just given of one of the vane-sections and the adjacent parts is similar in all respects to that of the other five sections, (not shown in the drawings;) but I do not restrict myself to any particular number of sections in the wind-wheel.

The disk-hub O, hub P, and their connecting-sleeve, the spokes 7c, set in the hub, the stay-rods Z, and the tie-rods m form a single permanent rigid structure whose parts are always in the same relative positions. No one of these parts has any function whatever in the regulation of the mill, and, in fact, the entire wheel-frame coacts with the other parts of the mill precisely as if it' were formed from a single piece of metal or of a series of pieces riveted together.

The wind-wheel operates on the leeward side of the tower, turning about the latter with the pivot-shell B, according to the direction of the wind.

Having described the construction of my machine, I will now explain how it operates. \Vhen the machine is in gear, the vane-sections together form a flat disk in a vertical plane at right angles to the direction of the wheelshaft. As the wind increases, the speed of the revolving wind-wheel also increases, until. the centrifugal force begins to open the inner ends of the vane-sections toward the tower and against the wind, the swivel-bar Q turning on its pivots journaled in the spoketips a. At the instant the vane-sections begin to dish or open inward this motion is communicated to the governing-rods B, which revolve the governing-wheel J in the direction indicated by the arrow, Fig. 1. This motion, continuing, reaches its limit when the vanesections have opened inward through an angle of about ninety degrees, when the governing-rods will be in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the original position of the same and the are through which the governingwheel turns being shown by thebroken lines in Figs. 3 and 5. The governing-wheel J, revolving through the are indicated, communicates its motion through the sector-gearing to the rods jj and h h, raising the weight WV to the position shown in Fig. 1, further motion in this direction being limited by the clutches or lugs on the collar L and governing-wheel J, respectively, engaging, as shown in Fig. 2. The angular motion of the weight W in this operation is shown by the broken line, Fig. 1. It is obvious that when the force of the wind abatcs so that it no longer equals the opposing force of the weight WV the latter will fall to its first position, reversing the operation of throwing the vanesections out of the wind, as just described, and bringing them back into gear in the form ofa plane disk, as before. In this position the cross-piece T of the vane-section bears against the governing-rod R. The wire e, attached to the chain f, enables the operator to throw the machine in or out of gear at will.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

l. The combination, with a wind-wheel sh aft, of a wheel-hub and a circular disk-hub rigidly connected and mounted thereon, a series of radial spokes set in said wheel-hub, and a corresponding series of stay-rods, each having its outer end fastened to the outer end of one of said spokes and its inner end fastened to the periphery of said disk-hub, said stay-rod lying wholly in a plane parallel to the wheel-shaft and approximately tangent to the disk-hub at IIO the point of attachment of the rod thereto, and being inclined with reference to the plane of the spoke and shaft in the direction of the winds rotary force upon the wheel, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. Thecombination,withawind-wheel shaft, of a wheel-hub and a disk-hub rigidly connected and mounted thereon, a series of radial spokes set in said wheelhnb and dished outwardly and away from the normal wind-pressure, a corresponding series of tie-rods connecting the outer ends of said spokes, and a corresponding series of stay-rods, each having its outer end fastened to the outer end of one of said spokes and its inner end fastened to theperipheryofsaiddisk-hub,andlying wholly in a plane parallel to the wind-wheel shaft and approximately tangent to the disk-hub at the point of attachment of the stay-rod thereto.

3. In a windmill of the class described, as an automatic governing device, the weight \V, attached to the elbow-lever G, )ivoted to the shell 13, in combination with the wheel-shaft D, cross bar 9, rods h h, collar I, sleeve K, rods jj, sector-gears M N, governing-wheel J, governing-rods It, and the series of vanesections adapted to rotate on their respective swivel-bars Q, journaled in the spoke-tips a,

the inner end of each of said vane-seetions be ing weighted, whereby the automatic regulation of the wind-wheel is facilitated, all as set forth, and for the uses and purposes mentioned.

4. In a Windmill of the class described, the collar L, rigidly secured to the shaft D, and provided with arms extending at right angles from opposite sides of the same, in combination with the sector-gears M and N, respectively provided with angle-levers standing at right angles to said arms and on opposite sides of the same, and the governing-wheel J, provided on its inner hub-faee with corresponding gears operatively connected with said gears M and N, whereby the weight Wand the respective vane-sections are made to operate reciprocally on each other, thereby co-opcrating to govern the machine automatically, all as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FRANK D. VVINKLEY.

Witnesses:

GHAs. G. NIAYERS, WM. H. MIHILLs.