US623556A

US623556A - Wave-motor

Info

Publication number: US623556A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1899-04-25
Anticipated expiration: 1916-04-25

Description

No. 623,556. Patented Apr. 25, I899. J. McA. PALMER.

WAVE MOTOR.

(Application filed Apr. 16, 1898.)

(No Model.)

ncrrouma, wnsnmomn u c UNTTnn STATES PATENT @TTTcn,

JOHN MOAULEY PALMER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

WAVE-MOTO R;

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 623,556, dated April 25, 1899.

Application filed April 16, 1898- To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that LJOHN MOAULEY PALMER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wave-Motors, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in wave-motors, and particularly to that class of the art exemplified in the apparatus forming the subjectmatter of another application filed by me concurrently herewith, Serial No. 677,886, in which the parts and devices are so arranged that the impulses of the waves will be communicated directly to a power-shaft or similar device. v

The object of the present invention is to 'provide an apparatus for utilizing the powerof wave impulses which shall be'of very simple construction, strong, and inexpensive to manufacture and emplace, while at the same time recovering a maximum degree of power.

Another object is to provide an improved buffer for the float, so that the perfect and effective working of the apparatus will not be interfered with by any unusual lateral movement of the float.

A further object is to construct and arrange the various parts of the apparatus in such manner that any unevenness or irregularity in the movement of the float and the parts actuated thereby will not affect the character of the power transmitted; and a further object of the invention is to employ a single driving-rod which will operate on both its upward and downward strokes to communicate the movement ofthe float derived from the impulses of the waves to a' power-shaft or elsewhere.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side view, partly in section, of an apparatus embodying the invention in its preferred form. Fig. 2 is a front View of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a detailed plan view of the buffer. Fig. 5 illustrates the same embodiment of the invention shown in Fig. 1, with a chain and sprocket instead of the rope and drum.

Referring to the drawings, in which like letters of reference denote corresponding Serial No. 6'77 885. (N0 model.)

parts in all the figures, A designates a float of any desired construction, which is adapted to be actuated by wave impulses-and guided in a suitable mannen This float is loosely connected by a rope or chain d or other device with a cross-piece B, carrying guide-rollers b on its ends, which operate in contact with the piles a, supporting the platform a, or with ways'or tracks on the piles.

It is of prime importance that the operative parts of the apparatus should maintain their regular action regardless of the movement of the float, which may be subjected to many irregular jars and wrenches by reason of the irregularity of the waves. It becomes essential, therefore, to have such a connection between the float and the cross-piece that the cross-piece will be impelled upward regardless of the angle of impact of the float therewith. This I accomplish by means of my improved cross-piece, which is composed, preferably, of two plates 1) b, secured together at intervals and bent at the middle to form a buffer or buffer-box 0, as indicated in Fig. 4. The sides of the buffer are provided with upwardly-extending ears or lugs c, to which the driving-rod hereinafter described is connected.

The float is provided with a spherical segment 0 on its upper side, and the buffer is arranged to engage the segment whenthe float is on its upward travel. The side edges only of the buffer engage the segment, and therefore it will be practically impossible for the float to get into such a position that it will not engage and actuate the cross-piece and its connected parts properly. There are only two effective points of contact of the buffer with the segment, and while these contactpoints may change in position according to variations in the inclination of the float at the same time the contact will be properly made and the effect upon the cross-piece remain substantially the same. A driving-rod I) is pivotally connected to the ears of the buffer, or it may be otherwise secured to the cross-piece, and it extends upwardly through an opening din the platform, the sides of said opening being faced with metal plates, if desired, to prevent wear.

A power-shaft L is journaled in suitable bearings in the brackets Z, mounted on the platform at one sidev of the driving-rod, and this power-shaft carries a ratchet-wheel M, rigidly secured thereto or made integral therewith, and two drums N O, which are loosely mounted on the shaft. Suitable devices are provided for alternately locking the drums to said shaft, and in the drawings I have illustrated one example, which comprises the pawls 7L 0, secured on the sides of the drums and arranged to engage the ratchet-wheel M. Other locking means or devices may be employed for this purpose; but the devices illustrated will be found verysimple and effective.

Ropes are employed for forming the conn ection between the driving-rod and the drums to communicate power from the float to the power-shaft. Other means may be used for this purpose, as hereinafter pointed out.

A rope J is connected to the top of the driving-rod and trained around the drum N and provided at its other end with a weight Another rope J is connected to the lower end of the driving-rod and trained around drum 0 and provided with a weightj. These ropes are trained around their respective drums in opposite directions, so that on the upward stroke of the float one drum will be locked to the power-shaft, while the other drum runs free, and on the downward stroke of the driving-rod the conditions are exactly reversed.

I have so far referred to the use of drums and ropes; but I mean to include and cover all equivalents for these parts, such as sprockets and chains and the like, audit will be understood that in the description and claims the drums and ropes are simply referred to as one form and to avoid needless alternative expressions,butinclude allequivalentsadapted to accomplish the same results.

In Fig. 5 I have illustrated an apparatus of this description in which sprockets and chains are employed in the place of the drums and ropes heretofore described, the arrangement and operation of parts, however, being substantially the same. It will be observed that I have shown the sproeket-wheels in this view,

Fig. 5, as of different diameters. This is done simply to illustrate both sprockets in the one figure in side elevation, and it will be understood thatin practice I will make the sprockets of the samediameter, (like the drumsin Fig. 2,) so that the movement communicated 'to the power-shaft will be regular and even. The ropes are trained around the drums to secure the necessary purchase thereon; but it will only be necessary to have the links of the chains engage the teeth on the sprockets in the usual manner and as shown in Fig. 5 to obtain the desired connection between the chains and sprockets.

\Vhere I have used the expression trained around with reference to the ropes and drums in the description and claims I mean to include and cover also the well-known method of engagement between the chains and sprockets, as I hold that the chain-andsprocket arrangement is in every respect the substantial and known equivalent for the rope-and-drum arrangement, and the claims are intended to cover both.

The operation will be readily understood. An upward impulse of a wave carries the float with it and drives the driving-rod upward. The pawl n is engaged with the ratchet-wheel at this time, and as the rope J revolves the drum N the power-shaft is rotated, the drum 0 running freely on the shaft. \Vhen the float and rod have reached the limit of their upward movement, the operation is reversed and the pawl 0 is engaged with the ratchetwheel and rotates the shaft in the same direction as the rope J revolves the drum 0, the pawl at being disengaged from the ratchetwheel and the drum N being revolved freely on the shaft on the downward movement of the driving-rod by the rope J. The weights jj maintain the ropes taut, so as to provide the requisite frictional contact with the drums and overcome the inertia of the drums.

It will be observed that the driving rod is practically necessary to communicate the upward movement of the float to the power-shaft;

.and it is therefore possible to utilize an ordinary pile pier instead of rigid masonry for mounting the apparatus, and this materially lessens the cost of the apparatus and its em placement. The apparatus as thus constructed permits considerable flexibility of the parts, and it does not depend upon rigidity of action to secure the desired results.

I am aware that in this class of apparatus many changes and alterations in the form and proportion of parts may be made without departing from the spirit or sacrificing the advantages of the invention, and I would therefore have it understood that I reserve the right to make all such changes as fall within the scope of the invention.

In Figs. 5, (5, and 7 the sprocket-wheels are shown of different sizes for clcarncss of illustration, and I do not limit myself to this const-ruction.

lIaving thus fnlly described my invention, what I claim, and desire to seeu re by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination with a vertically-movable float having a spherical segment on its upper side, of a cross-piece provided with a rectangular-shaped buffer arranged to engage the segment, substantially as described.

2. The combination with a vertically-movable float having a spherical segment on its upper side, of a cross-piece provided with a rectangular-shaped buffer constructed and arranged to engage the segment at two points on its side edges, substantially as described.

3. The combination with a vertically-movable float having a spherical segment on its upper side, of a cross-piece composed of two plates secured together and bent to form a buffer arranged to engage the segment, substantially as described.

4. The combination with a vertically-movable float having a spherical segment on its upper side, of a cross-piece composed of two plates secured together and bent at their middle to form a buffer, and ears on the sides of the buffer, substantially as and for the purpose described.

5. The combination with a vertically-movable float having a spherical segment on its upper side, of a cross-piece composed of two plates secured together and bent to form a buffer which engages the segment at its side edges, ears on the sides of the buifer, and a driving-rod pivotally connected to said ears, substantially as described.

6. The combination with a vertically-movable float having a spherical segment on its upper side, of. a cross-piece composed of two plates arranged on edge and secured together and bent in opposite directions to form a buffer whose side edges only engage the segment on the float, substantially as described.

7. The combination with a power-shaft, 'ofa driving-rod having a groove therein, means for actuating the rod, a device operating in the groove to guide the rod, and connections intermediate of the driving-rod and powershaft to communicate the movement of the rod to the shaft, substantially as described.

8. The combination with a power-shaft, of a driving-rod having a groove therein, means for actuating the rod, a device operating in said groove to guide the rod, a drum loosely mounted on the power-shaft, a rope or chain connected at one end to an end of the driving-rod and trained around the drum, and having its other end Weighted and means for lockin g the drum to the shaft to communicate the upward or downward movement of the rod to the shaft, substantially as described.

9. The combination with a power-shaft, of a driving-rod having a groove therein, means for actuating the rod, a device operating in said groove to guide the rod, a drum loosely mounted on the power-shaft, a rope or chain connected at one end to an end of the drivingrod and trained around the drum and having its other end weighted'and means for locking the drum to the power-shaft while the rod is moving in one direction and for releasing the drum from its locked position on the shaft while the rod is moving in the reverse direction, substantially as described.

10. The combination with a power-shaft,of a driving-rod having a groove therein, means for actuating the rod, a device operating in said groove to guide the rod, a pair of drums loosely mounted on the power-shaft, a rope or chain connected to the upper end of the driving-rod and trained around one drum, another rope or chain connected to the lower end of the driving-rod and trained around the other drum, each of said ropes or chains being provided with a Weight at its free end, and means for locking the drums to the shaft alternately to communicate the movement of the rod to the shaft, substantially as described.

11. The combination with a power-shaft,of a Vertically-movable float, a cross-piece connected with the float, a driving-rod pivotally secured to the cross-piece, and ropes or chains each connected at one end to the driving-rod and weighted at their other ends and adapted to communicate the movements of the float to the power-shaft, substantially as described. 12. The combination with a power-shaft,of a

vertically-movable float, a cross-piece connected with the float and adapted to be actuated thereby, a driving-rod pivotally secured to the cross-piece, drums on the power-shaft, and ropes or chains each connected at one end with the driving-rod and having its other end weighted, said ropes or chains being trained around their respective drums in opposite directions, substantially as described.

13. The combination with a power-shaft,of a vertically movable float, a cross piece connected with the float and adapted to be actuated thereby, a driving-rod connected with the float, drums loosely mounted on the shaft, devices for locking saiddrnms alternately with the power-shaft, and ropes or chains trained around said drums, each rope being connected at one end to an end of the driving-rod and weighted at its other end, substantially as described.

14. The combination with a power-shaft,of a vertically movable float, a cross piece connected with the float and adapted to be actuated thereby, a driving-rod connected with the cross-piece, drums loosely mounted on the shaft, a ratchet-wheel rigid with the powershaft, devices for locking said drums alternately with the ratchet-wheel, and ropes or chains trained'around said drums, each rope or chain being connected at one end to an end of the driving-rod and Weighted at its other end, substantially as described.

JOHN MOAULEY PALMER. WVitnesses:

WM. 0. BELT, O. L. WOOD.

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