US767080A - Windmill. - Google Patents

Description

PATENTED AUG. 9, 1904. R. H. PHILLIPS. WINDMILL.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 20, 1903.

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R. H. PHILLIPS.

WINDMILL.

APPLICATION FILED R0120. 1003.

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UNITE STATES Patented August 9, 190a.

RALPH H. PHILLIPS, OF RA'IIIBONIC, OKLAHOMA TlTItRltlTORY.

WINIDMIILL SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 76?,080, dated August 9, 1904.

Application filed November 20, 1903. Serial No. 182,012. (No model.)

To all whom it may (BOW/(387771.

Be it known that I, RALrn H. PiLiLLIrs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Rathbone, in the county of (luster and Territory of Oklahoma, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Windmills, of which the following is a specification.

This invention belongs to the type of engines which utilize currents of air as the motive medium and to the variety employing a motor-wheel arranged to rotate in a horizontal plane and about a vertical axis, a portion of the wheel being protected by a wind-guard and the opposite portion being exposed to re ceive the impact of the air-currents utilized for operating the engine.

The improvement consists, essentially, of the novel manner of mounting the parts and the peculiar means devised for automatically controlling the wind-guard, so as to adapt itself to the shifting currents of air, whereby the engine is continuously driven when required for work and there is in existence a current of air of suflicient strength to operate the machine.

For a full description of the invention and the merits thereof and also to acquire a knowledge of the details of construction of the means for effecting the result reference is to be had to the following description and drawings hereto attached.

While the essential and characteristic features of the invention are susceptible of inodi iication, still the preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of a windcngine specially designed for attaining the objects of this invention. Fig. 2 is a hori zontal section thereof on the line X X of Fig. 4. Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the engine. Fig. 4 is a vertical section on the line Y Y of Fig. 3.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

The derrick or tower 1 may be of any construction to form a substantial support for the operating parts and is provided at its upper end with a circular track 2, upon which is mounted a rotary frame or reel provided with the wind-guard 3, said frame having rotary supports or axes at, arranged to travel upon the track 2. The shaft 5 of the engine is journalcd centrally of the derrick or tower and is mounted in antifriction or ball bearings, so as to minimize the resistance and reduce the friction to the smallest amount possible. The shaft 5 may be mounted in any substantial manner and'projects above the tower a distance to receive the motor-wheel, reel, and the vane for holding the engine in the wind.

The rotary frame or reel comprises a plurality of upper and lower crossed arms (5, connected at their outer ends by vertical bars 7. This reel is loosely mounted upon the shaft 5, so as not to interfere with the free rotation thereof when the engine is in operation and to move so as to adapt itself to the direction of the air-currcnts. The rotary supports or caster-wheels fare secured to the lowermost arms of the reel or frame and are positioned .so as to obtain a safe mounting upon the track 2 and to balance the reclthereon, whereby the shaft 5 is relieved of any strain incident to a leaning of the reel toward any particular side.

The wind-guard 3 is one-fourth of a circle or thereabout and may be constructed of sheet metal or other material adapted for the purpose. The guard is arranged to cover one half of the forward portion of the wheel, thereby leaving the other half exposed, so as to receive the action of the wind.

The vane 8 for automatically controlling the wind-guard may be of any construction and is i'nountcd coaxially with the motorwheel, preferably upon an extension of the shaft Bars 9 are secured at one end to the vane 8 and are loosely mounted at their other end upon the vertical extension of the shaft 5, so as to admit of independent movement of the vane without a'llecting the movements of the motor wheel or reel. Cords or ropes 10 are connected to the vane 8 and project in opposite directions therefrom and pass through keepers 11. at opposite sides of the vane, thence over guidc-pulleys 12, applied to the reel, and are provided at their lower ends with weights 13, which hold the reel and windguard in proper position. The vane 8 when properly adjusted with reference to the wheel and the guard is secured to the reel in any manner by fastening either one or both of the cords 10 thereto by suitable means. A curved track let connects upper adjacent arms of the reel and supports the wheel 15, secured to the lower edge of the vane 8. As is well known, in engines of the type aforesaid the vane 8 always occupies a position parallel with the current of air and shifts with the direction of current, so as to hold the engine in the wind or out of the wind, as may be determined upon. The vane 8 of the present invention performs the accustomed oflice and automatically shifts the wind-guard so as to cover one half of the forward portion of the motor-wheel and leave the opposite forward half exposed for action of the air thereon.

The motor-wheel comprises corresponding upper and lower arms 16 and sails 17, which are connected at their upper and lower edges to companion vertically-alined arms and belly or curve intermediate of their upper and lower edges, so as to receive the full benefit of the current of air. The sails 17may be of textile, sheet metal, or other suitable material for this purpose and may be connected to the arms in any substantial manner. The arms 16 may be secured at their inner ends to the shaft 5 in any determinate way, preferably by being attached to hubs or collars 18, which are fast to the shaft 5, in any way common in engines of this variety. The motor-wheel is arranged to operate wholly within the reel or rotary frame supporting the wind-guard; hence is in a measure protected thereby.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new is 1. In a wind-engine, the combination of a motor-wheel arranged to turn about a vertical axis, a wind-guard for protecting one-half of the forward portion of the motor-wheel, a support for said wind-guard mounted coaxially with the motor-wheel, a governing-vane mounted coaxially with the motor-wheel and wind-guard support, flexible connections extended from opposite sides of the vane and loosely connected with the wind-guard support at opposite sides of said vane, and weights applied to the lower ends of said flexible connections, substantially as specified.

2. The herein-described wind-engine comprising -a derrick provided with a circular track, a vertical shaft journaled centrally of the derrick, a reel loosely mounted upon the shaft and provided with rotary supports to travel upon said circular track, a wind-guard applied to a portion of the reel, a motor-wheel secured to said shaft and inclosed by said reel and comprising horizontal arms and vertical sails curved intermediate of their upper and lower edges, a vane loosely mounted upon the shaft, a curved track and rotary support sustaining said vane, flexible connections projecting from opposite sides of the vane and loosely connected with portions of the reel, and weights applied to the lower ends of said flexible connections, substantially as specified.

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

RALPH H. PHILLIPS. [1,. s]

\Vitnesses:

J. F. ARMSTRONG, A. BROADDUS.

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