US810314A - Current-motor. - Google Patents

Description

No. 810,314. PATENTED JAN. 16, 1906. A. WIEBKE & R. E. GRUWBLL. CURRENT MOTOR.

APPLIGATION FILED JAN. 28, 1905.

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A. WIEBKE & R. E. GRUWELL. CURRENT MOTOR APPLICATION FILED JAN. 28, 1905.

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PATENT OFFICE.

AUGUST WIEBKE AND ROBERT E. GRUVVELL, OFv MILES CITY, MONTANA.

CURRENT-MOTOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 16, 1906.

.To LZZ whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that we, AUGUST VVIEBKE and ROBERT E. GRUWELL, citizens of the United States, residing at Miles City, in the county of Custer and State of Montana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Current-Motors and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact de scription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

Our invention relates to current-motors of the general character disclosed in the application of August Wiebke, Serial N 0. 216,463, filed July 14, 1904, and has for its object generally to improve current motors of this type.

To the above ends the invention consists of the novel devices and combinations of de vices hereinafter described, and defined in the claims.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like characters in dicate like partsthroughout both views.

Figure 1 is a plan view of the improved motor, and Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken on the line 03- x of Fig. 1.

The numeral 1 indicates boat-like floats which are rigidly tied together by timbers 2 to form a raft which carries the motor, pump, and connections between the same. As shown, three floats 1 are employed, and these are spaced apart to afford spaces in which work a pair of water-wheels 3, the shafts 4 of which are loosely ournaled in bearings 5 on said floats, extend in axial alinement therewith, but are separated at their abutting ends.

The numeral 6 indicates a spur-gear which is mounted loosely on the adjacent ends of the two shafts 4 and the hub of which is pro vided at each end with a half-clutch 7. Sliding half-clutches 8 are carried, one by eachshaft 4, are keyed to revolve with the respective shafts, and cooperate one with each of the half clutches 7. Levers 9 suitably mounted on the central float, control the movements and positions of the two sliding half-clutches. The gear 6, while loose for rotation with respect to the shafts 4, is by suitable means (not shown) held against lateral movements thereon. Said gear 6 meshes with a spur-gear 10, carried by a crankshaft 11, mounted in bearings 12 on the central float 1 and provided at its ends with cranks 13, that extends in diametrically opposite directions.

The sliding half-clutches 8 are so set on the shafts 4 and are so related to the half-clutches 7 that when both are engaged with their respective half-clutches 7 the blades of the one water-wheel will stand circumferentially halfway between the blades of the other waterwheel, thereby giving a continuous application of power. Each water wheel has one blade which is pivotally mountedfor movement into an inoperative position, and this is best accomplished by pivotally connecting the arms 3 of said movable blade at 14 to radial stub-arms 15 of the cooperating shaft 4. To lock the said arms 3 in radial or operative positions, as shown in the drawings, lock-bolts 16 are mounted for sliding movements in suitable bearings on the stub-arms 15 and are provided with lock-fingers 17, that are adapted to enter perforations in the inner ends of said arms-i 6., light springs 18 react against the stub-arms 15 and against shoulders on the lock-bolts to normally hold the lock-fingers 17 in engagement with the said arms 3. As is evident, by taking hold of the finger-piece 19 at the outer end of the rod 16 and drawing upward thereon the pivotallymovable blade of the wheel may be released at will, thereby rendering the wheel inoperative. It may be here remarked that the water-wheels will run at such speed that the said finger-piece 19 maybe easily engaged by a person standing in the vicinity thereof.

The pumps, ofwhich there is one for each waterwheel, are of the cylinder-and-piston type and are set upright, with their long cylinders 20 rigidly secured to the central float 1 and with their lower ends opening through the bottom of said float. Near their upper ends the cylinders 20 are provided with discharge-spouts 21. The piston-rods 22 at their upper ends are connected to the forward ends of long levers 23, which levers are pivoted at their intermediate portions to the upper ends of long uprights 24, that are also rigidly secured to the central float 1. The rear ends of the levers 23 are connected one to each of the cranks 13 of the shaft 11 by long connecting rods 25. The said twov pumps are therefore thrown into action in alternate orderthat is, the piston of the one pump is given its operative upward stroke while the piston of the other pump is being given its inoperative downward stroke, and vice versa.

l/Vhen the pivoted blade of the water-wheel is tripped and rendered inoperative, it is desirable to positively sto' the wheel in a position in which no one 0 its fixed blades will project into the water. To accomplish this, we provide for each water-wheel a stop, preferably in the form of a sliding bar 26, mount-,

ed in suitable bearings 27 on the timbers 2 and provided with a pronged head 28, adapted to engage the edge of one of the fixed blades of the wheel. The slides 26 are preferably moved by levers 29, pivoted at 30 to one of the beams 2.

The device described, while extremely simple, is efficient for the purposes had in view, and under the force of a running stream will elevate water to very great heights. The floating support should of course be anchored in the stream. It may be assumed that the current flows and that the wheels turn in the directions indicated by the arrows marked on Fig. 1. To stop the Wheel when its movable blade has been tripped or released, the stop-head 28 should be projected into the path of movement of the released blade while the latter is moving downward. This bein done, the said blade will be caused to move %ackward against the blade which follows it and will then stop the wheel in a position in which no one of the blades of the wheel will project into the water.

By means of the clutch devices described either one or both of the wheels may be coupled tothe crank-shaft 11, and thus a variablepower device is afforded. The water discharged from the spouts of the two pumps may be carried ofl either by independent or by a common trough or spout. (Not shown.)

From what has been said it will be understood that the device described is capable ofabove the water-line, said water-wheel having a blade movable pivotally into an inoperative position, and a lock for securing said blade in operative position and for releasing the same, substantially as described.

2. The combination with a support, of a water-wheel mounted thereon, with its axis above the water, said wheel having a pivoted blade movable into an inoperative position, and a stop mounted on said support and movable into the path of the blades of the wheel, substantially as described.

3. The combination with a floating support, of a water-wheel mounted on said support, with its axis above the water, said wheel having a blade movable pivotally into an inoperative position, a lock for securing said blade in an operative position, and for releasing the same, and a stop mounted on said support and movable into the path of the blades of said wheel, to positively stop said wheel when its pivoted blade is released, substantially as described.

4. The combination with a floating support, of a pair of water-wheels mounted thereon, with their shafts in axial alinement, a gear loosely mounted on the adjacent ends of the two shafts, a pair of clutches for connecting said wheels to said gear, arranged to couple said wheels with the blades of the one set ahead of the blades of the other, a gear meshing with the aforenoted gear, a pair of oppositelyprojecting cranks connected to said latter gear, a pair of pumps mounted on said support, and connections between said two pumps and said two cranks, substantially as described. I

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

AUGUST .WIEBKE. ROBERT E. GRUWELL.

Witnesses:

ROBERT C. MABEY, F. D. MERCHANT.

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