US443905A - Turbine - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet f1. W. H. ELMER.

TURBINE.

No. 443,905. Paten-ted Dec. 30, 189.0.

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NVEMTDR UNITED STATES WILLIAM II. nLnnn., or BERLIN, wisconsin.

TURBINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 443,905, dated December 30, 1890.

Application filed March 27, 1890. Serial No. 345,536. (No model.)

To all whom, t may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM Il. ELMER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Berlin, In the county of Green Lake and State of lVisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Turbines, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings, in which* -Figure 1 represents a plan view of the turbine; Fig. 2, a vertical sectional view thereof; Fig. 3, a horizontal sectional view taken through the inlet-gates; Fig. 4, a detail horizontal sectional view of the wheel, taken on the line x x on Fig. 5; Fig. 5, a side elevation of the Wheel; Fig. 6, a plan View showing another form of the gateshifting devices, and Fig. 7 a perspective View in detail of one of the wheel blades or paddles.

The invention has relation to that class of turbines wherein the water is supplied to the periphery of the wheel through a series 0f tangentially-arranged passages extending entirely around its perimeter, and discharged from the periphery at a point below the inletgates th ro ugh tan gentially-arran ged passages, as will b e more fully hereinafter set forth.

The invention has for its objects the production of an apparatus that will be very durable and strong, and which will utilize to an eminent degree the force of t-he water and prevent any waste whatever, as will more fully hereinafter appear.

In the drawings annexed, A designates a vertical cylinder anged at its lower end and secured t0 the door of the fiume over the opening in the same. This cylinder tapers toward its upper end and is there provided with an inwardly turned annular flange. Secured to or formed integral with this cylinder, near its lower end, is a horizontal frame or spider B, in the center of which the lower end of the wheel-shaft is stepped. In the side of the cylinder is 'formed an opening which is closed by a removable flanged plate or door C, whereby access may be had to the interior of the cylinder for cleaning and other purposes. One or more-of these doors may be employed, but one will probablybe found suflicient.

Supported upon and bolted to the upper flanged end of the casing A is the wheel-casing D, which is circular in shape and provided in its top with la central opening for the passage of the wheel-shaft. The casing incloses the upper half of the wheel and is provided with lateral passages a, which carry the water into and project it against the wheelblades in an approximately tangential direction, as shown most clearly in Fig. 3. Upon one of the vertical side walls of each of the passages is secured a plate a', the outer vertical edge of which is extended beyond the periphery of the casing, and bent or curved backwardly, as at c, forming a wide or liaring mouth to each passage. the exterior of the casing are two rings E E, connected by vertical posts h, which latter are slightly concaved on their inner surfaces to fit closely the circular casing. The rings and connecting posts or bars are preferably formed integral with each other, and the posts equal in number the inlet-passages a, as shown in Fig. Secured to the rear side of each post is a plate h', which extends into the adjacent passage nearly to the Wheel and runs parallel with the adjacent vertical wall of the said passage. The rear sides of the posts and the outer ends of the platessecured thereto are curved outwardly, as at b, t0 assist in forming the flaring mouths 0f the inlets. The inner or adjacent faces ofthe rings E E are also curved or beveled off to assist in forming the wide mouths of the inlets, whereby the water may have a free unobstructed passage to the inlets. The forward vertical edges of the posts b are reduced or beveled off to fit behind the projecting curved lips a of the plates c', in order not to obstruct the intlowing water. To vary the capacit-y of the inlet-passages the rings and posts are rotated in either direction. When the inwardly-projecting plates b lie against the longer walls of the passages, the latter are open to their full extent. By rotating the rings so as to bring the plates b nearer the opposite walls of the passages the'capacity of the same will be reduced,and by turning the rings far enough to bring the plates h against the plates c the supply of water to the wheel may be entirely out oft. The advantage of this particulararrangement of gates and passages is that the angle at which the water is projected is always the same whether the Fitted closely to IOO gates be wholly or only partially open,\\herel the tangential discharge-opening l'ormed by by the l'ull power ol the quantity ol water supplied to the wheel is utilized at all times.

To adjust the gate-rings rotatively l einploy a pair of angle-levers c and pivot the same at diainetrieally opposite points on the top of the easing,the outerends ot' the radial arms of these levers being connected to the top ring` by means ol' oppositely-projecting pivotal links e', and their other arms being Connected together by a horizontal rod c, as`

shown in Fig. gl. The pivot ol one ol;I the angle-levers isextended upward and forms a vertical shaft d, provided at its upper end with a handwhcel d', whereby the gates may be readily adjusted from the top of the ilume. The advantages ol this manner of adjusting the gates is that all gearing is done awaywith and the gate-ringsare rotated smoothly without binding or undue wear. '.lhe old way of adjusting the gates by means of gearing is disadvantageous, in that the sand in the water soon grinds and wears the contacting surfaces to such an extent as to render the devices unreliable and unt for use, and, further, because the power is only applied to one side ot the rings,thereby causing them to bind and work hard, as is eviden-t.

As shown in liig. t), l may employ two T- shaped levers instead of two right-angled le vers and connect their oppositcly-projecting arms by means ot chains.

Leading out from the top of the casing isa pipe e, which is carried to one side and extended downwardly a u i table d istance,wh ereby any water collecting upon the top of the wheel may lind an exit and thus relieve the wheel ot` any pressure that would otherwise result from confined water.

The wheel consists ol;` vertically-arranged radial blades g, scoured between the curved 'faces of two conical-shaped hubs or disks g', keyed upon the shalt a suitable d istanee apa rt. The blades are itat throughout their length, and are arranged in a vertical position and have formed integral with the lower portion of their outer edges extensions y. lhese extensions are all curved and bent in the same direction-thatis, away from the direction of the revolution of the wheel*so as to discharge the matter Yfrom the wheel in a tangential direction and into the tube orcylinder A. Surrounding the wheel about midway its length is a ring l1, which is secured to the outer edges ol' the blades and to the upper ends oi. the lateral extensions y, and which tits against the lower edge ol" the casing l), and thereby serves to greatly strengthen the wheel and steady it in its rotation.

The water in entering the wheel strikes first against the lflat faces ol the paddles and then again against the curved exteiisions of the paddles upon its discharge from the wheel, thereby exerting its utmost force upon the wheel. The ila-t blades permit the water, after it exerts its initial force at the entrance to the wheel, to pass directly without obstruction to the bent portions y ot' the blades. lt'. will be observed that the advantages el' a tangential l'ecd and a tz'ingential discharge are brought together and utilized to an eminent degree in this wheel.

'l'he letter 71. designates a wooden step for the lower end ol thewheel-shal't, which is provided with a lower reduced portion 71., fitted into a vertical central passage in the lranie l5, and a n upper larger portion h', which is recessed lor the lower end ol: the shaft, as shown in Fig. i). A vertical passage h'" may be formed in the step to let the water in under the shaft, and thereby prevent it overheating. This construction of step possesses advantages over the old lorm. lts principaladvantage is that all lateral wear of the step is avoided, and the shal't is thereby kept in a true vertical position. tree lroni binding, ttc., until the step is entirely worn out; and a further advantage 'is that the water may circulate freely around the shaft and thereby prevent the binding' and chai-ring of the step, as is evident. In the old forms ot' steps, heretofore used, where the shaft rested on top of the step, it frequently happened that the shaft would work or wear to one side, especially where the Wood was ot? an uneven texture, and thus cause the shaft to bind in its bearings in the casing; but my lorm ot' step obviates this trouble.

The special objectl have in view in mounting the wheel-casing D on top ot a cylinder resting upon the lloor of the flume, instead ol mounting it directly upon the Hoor, is to enable the wheel to be examined (by means el openings C) without having to take it. up for that purpose.

llaving described my invention, what I claim isl. The (.foinhination of a easing, a wheel inclosed therein, the gate-rings andA gates, the angle-levers pivoted upon top of the casing at diametrical points, links cf, pivotally connecting the outer ends of the radial arms ot the said angle-levers to the upper gate-ring, these links extending in opposite directions, a rod e, connecting the parallel arms of the angle-levers, and a vertical-operating shaft d, formed by an extension of one of the pivots ot the angle-levers, as and for the purposes described.

The combination ot' a vertical cylinder A, set upon the iloor ol the llunie, over the opening in the same, and provided with an opening closed by a removable door, an open l'ranie l, secured in the lower part ofthe cylinde A, a. wheel-casing mounted on top et the cylinder, and a wheel-shalt stepped in the frame l and carrying a wheel, the said'wheel exten ding troni the wheel-casing into the cylinder A and having its lower end above the lloor of the ilume, as and for the purposes described.

3. The combination oi a shalt, the conical hubs g', keyed onthis shaft a suitable distance apart and having their adjacent faces IOO IIO

eoneaved, vertical flat blades g, secured bel tween these hubs,these blades being-provided tween these hubs, these blades being,` provided with lateral tangential extensions g on the lower portions of their vertical edges, and a ring 7L, surroundingl the Wheel and seenred to the vertical edges oi' the blades, substantially as described.

4. The combination of a shaft, the conical hubs g', keyed on this shaft a suitable distance apart and having their adjacent faces concaved, and vertical fiat blad es g, secured bewith lateral tangential extensions g on the lower portions of their lower ed ges, substanlially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM H. ELMER. Witnesses:

A. L. TUCKER, J. MCLAUGHLIN.

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