US954626A

US954626A - Current-motor.

Info

Publication number: US954626A
Application number: US49921809A
Authority: US
Inventors: John Ira Hawley
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1909-05-29
Filing date: 1909-05-29
Publication date: 1910-04-12
Anticipated expiration: 1927-04-12

Description

@Hou w13 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Patented Apr. 12, 1910.

J. I. HAWLEY. CURRENT MOTOR. Prummel rzLnn nu nu, uns.

J. I. HAWLEY. CURRENT MoToR.

UNITEI) STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN nu nAwLnY, or PLYMOUTH, WASHINGTON.

CURRENT-MOTOR.

Speelcation of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 12, 1910.

Application tiled Mey'm, 1909. Serial No. 499,218.

To all 'whom it 'may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN IRA HAwLnY, a citizen of the United States, residi at Plymouth, in the county of Benton and tate of Vashington, `have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Current-Motors, of which the following is a specification.

`Thc present invention relates to certain new and useful improvements inthe construction of hydraulic motors of that ty e which are designed to utilize the energy o. a stream Or moving body of water, and the object. of the invention is the rovision of a current motor which is dura `le and inexpensive in its construction, which can be readily installed upon a stream, and which is peculiarly designed so as to render availab e for useful purposes a maximum amount of the energy of thev water.

The invention further contemplates a device of this character which will readily accommodate itself to the rise and fallof the stream, andr which can be quickly adjusted so as to obtain the best results with either a swift or slow current. Y

With these and other objects in view, as will more fully appear as the description proceeds, the lnvention consists in certain constructions and arranoements of the parts, the novel features of which are pointed out in the 'appended claims.

For a full understanding of the invention, reference is to be4 had to the accompanying drawings, in which,

- Figure 1 is a top plan view of my irnproved current motor, portions being ybroken awa Fig. 2 is a side elevation of that end oft e current motor which is mounted upon the shore: Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view through the ksame, portions being removed: Fig. 4 is a detail view of a portion of one of the blades, showing the manner f connecting the blades to the endless cables: Fig. 5 is a sectional view on the line -gof Fig; 4, looking in thedirection of the arrow. ig.

6 is a plan view ofa modified form of the invention the sarne. Corres riding-and like lparte are referred and, Fig. 7 is a side elevation of to in the ollowing description', and xindicated in all the views of the drawing by like reference characters. 'f Speci'uzall describing the referred 'embodiment o the invention, t e numeral 1 designates a stationary -base or platform .mounted so as to swin current when hahjdesigned to `llmounted upon the bank of a stream or moving body of water, und 2 a movable or oating base which may be in the nature of a scow as illustrated. Pivotally mounted u on each of the bases 1 and 2 so as to turn about a vertical axis is a circular plate 3, the peripheries of the said circular plates being engaged by the small rollers 4 which serve to prevent any binding action and admit of the plates .turning freely. As indicated upon the drawing these lates are mounted upon the pivot bolts 3 which pass through the respective bases.

Projecting u wardly from opposite sides ofeach of the p ates 3 are the standards 5 upon which a drum 6 is journaled so as to turn about a horizontal axis. Passing around the two drums 6 carried respectively by the stationary buse l and the movable base 2, is a pair of cables or endless belts 7, and applied to these cables are the blades or floats 8. These blades 8 are arranged at an angle with respect to the cables, and are preferably about a horizontal axis, the outward swinging movement of the blades being limited bv the cords 9. 'ith this construction it will be obvious that, as shown in Fig. 2, those blades upon the upper reach of the endless cables T will swing inwardly against the same so as to assume an inoperative position, while those blades upon the lower reach of the cables will -dro i bythe action of gravity into a substantially vertical position so as to be acted upon by the submerged. At this pomt it may be stated that those portions of the cables passin around the drums ,6, together with the bla es carried thereby, are elevated entirely above the surface of the stream so as the cables, and being formed in any man- .'.ner desired such as by looping the intermediateportion of a piece of strap iron. Each of these. sleeves loosely receives the shank of a T niember 11 the head of which is vclamped to one of the cables 7 by means of the two U bolts 12 and4 the block 13. The journaled upon these bearings are the drums blades turn freely upon the change of the T 6*. The endless cables 7 pass around the members as a horizontal axis, and cotter pins drums as in the previous instance, the u 14 are rovided for preventing the sleeves 10 er -reaches of the cables being above t 1e from i ping over the ends of the T memoat and running over the idlers 16, while bers and) thereb causing the blades to betlie lower reaches of the cables are under come disengage from the cables. the float and submerged. The blades 8B The various blades are arranged parallel are a plied to the cables just as in the preto each other and are disposed at an angle ferredJ embodiment of the invention preto the cables, and owin to the peculiar manviouslly described, those blades under the ner of mounting the lades it will be obfioat an 'ng in a vertical position so as vious that this angle may either be made to be acte upon by the current, while those larger or smaller, as required by the velocblades above the float swing downwardly ity of the current or other conditions, by against the cables in an out of the way sli ping one of the cables around the drums position. The anchor ropes 18 are secured so indbpendentl of the opposite cable. The to the arms 17 projecting from the bearings current of t e stream would run substan- 15 at one end of the float, and the blades 8 tially parallel to the shore line A indicated are arranged vat an angle to the longitudinal in Fig. l, and would have approximately axis of the float. Thevcurrent of the stream the direction of the arrow. The energy of has approximately the direction of the arthe water acting upon the submerged blades row in Fig. 6, and as in the former conwould tend to push the blades forward so as struction, strikes the blades at an an le to to draw the cables around the drums, and the normal so 'as to both move the lades would also have a lateral component tendin the direction of the longitudinal axis of ing to move the blades outwardly away from the float and also move the float laterally the shor and hold it away from the shore. It will In explanation of the operation of the be readily obvious that such a construction device, 1t may be stated that the force of is very advantageous for many purposes, the current acting upon the faces of the since 1t entirely eliminates the necessity of submerged blades would have a tendency anchorin the float to' the bed of the stream, 95 to swing the float away from the shore and' and enab es the same to be secured -either to up stream until the blades assumed a dlthe shore or a fixed base at one side thereof rection arallel Vto the direction of the curby means of ordinary cables such as those rent, w ich is the position of least reslston the drawings. A ance, but that this tendency' would be re- Having thus described the invention,what 100 sisted by the force of the current acting I claim as new is: upon the float and the ed of the iloats 1. In a current motor, the combination 0f and the cables, and that t e device would `a floating base arranged to swing either finally asume a osition of equilibrium simitoward or away from the shore but held lar to that in lcated in Fig. 1, in which against -moving with the current, a'`l drum 105 position a portion of ,the energy of' the carried b the oatin base,a cable passing stream acting u on the submerged blades around t e drum, an blades carried by the would be utilize for holding the oat away cable so as to' be acted upon by4 the current, from shore, while the remainder of the thecurrent striking the blades at an angle energy would be utilized in moving the to the normal so as to both turn the drum 110 cables around the drums and turnin ,the and hold the floating base away from the latter. With a swift current the ang ebeshore. tween the direction -of the current and the 2. Ina current motor, the combination of "blades would be comparatively small, while a floating base arranged to swing either with a slow or sluggish current the angle toward or away from the shore but held would necessarily be much greater. It will against moving with the current a drum thus be obvious that the forces acting upon carried by the oatin base, a cable passing the submer blades serve both to revolve around the drum, b ades carried y the the drums a out their axes, and also to hold cable so as to be acted upon by the current,

the Heating base 2 away from theshore, the currents striking the blades at an angle 120 and the power may be taken from the drums to the normal so as to both turn the drum land emplo edA for performing useful work and hold the floating base away from the in any wel known manner. shore, and means for varyin the'angle be- -In the modified form of the invention tween the blades and the cab e. shown in Figs. 6 and 7, the numeral 14 3. In acurrent motor, the combination of 125 desi ates an elon ted ioat which is a Heating base arranged to ,swing either loose y connected to ile shore or other fixed toward or away from the shore ut held -base by flexible members such as the anchor against movin with the current a drum en of the Boat are the bearings 1 5 and around edrum, Tmembers appli rocples 18. Projecting outwardly from each c'arried b the oating base, a cab mg 18o l rent striking the cable, and blades pivotally mounted upon the T members, the said blades being designed the current and the eurlades at an angle to the normal so as to both turn the drum and hold the floating base away from the shore.

"4.' In acurrent motor, the combination a floatingbase a stationary base, drums mounted upon tlie floating) base and stationary base respectively` a ca le passing around the drums, and blades carried by the cable so `as to be acted upon b the current, the current striking thebla es at an angle to the normal so as to *oth turn the drums and 'swing the floating base outwardly away fromrthe shore 1 5. In a current motor, the combination of a 'floating base, a stationary base, drums mounted upon the floating base and ary base respectively so as to turn about both a vertical axis and a horizontal axis a cable assin around the drums, and bla es carries by t e cable so as to be acted upon by the current, the current striking the b ades at an angle to the normal so as to both-turn the drums and swing the iloating to be acted upon b \base outwardly away from the shore.

ried by sasl 4'8.,In a current motor, the combination of 6. In a current motor, the combination of -a\lloating base, a stationar base, lates pivotally mounted upon the ases, rums carthe plates, a cable passin around the drums, and blades carried by t e cable. 7. In a current motor, the combination of a floating base, a stationary'base, plates pivoted'upon' the bases, antifrction `rollers engthe lates, drums carried b the lates a cab e passing around the rums, and blades carried by the cable. a floating base, a stationary base, plates pivotally mounted upon thesaid bases, standa'ds projectin upwardly Vfrom the plates, drums journa ed' u on the standards, a cable assin aroun carri by t e cable.

9; In a current motor, ther combination of a 'floating base, a stationary base, drums mounted upon the .respective bases lso as to turn abbutfeithergapvertical axis or a horiaadapted to be acted upon station- 4.away .from or swing the the drums, and bladesA a pair of cables passin around blades carried by the ca lesand by the current, and means for connecting the blades to the cables so that the blades can be set at any angle to the cables by slipping on'of the cables around the drums independently of the op osite cable.

10. ny a current motor, the combination of a floating base,` a stationary base, drums mounted upon the respective bases, a pair of cables passing around the drums, blades carried by the cables and adapted to be acted uponr by the current, and means for securing the blades to the cables so that they can be set at any desired angle to' the cables by slipping one of the cables around the drums independently of the opposite cable.

11. In a current motor, the combination of a floating base arranged to swing either toward or away from the shore but held against moving with the current, a drum carried b the iloatin base, a cable Hassing around t e drum, an blades pivota y connected to the cable so as to swing against the upper reach of the same, `the current actin against the blades at an angle to the norma so as to both turn the drum and hold the iloatin base away Vfrom the shore.

12. n a. current motor, of a floating base arranged to swing either toward the shore but held against movin with the current, a drum carried by the oating base, a air of cables passin around the drum, bla es carried the ca les and adapted to be acted upon by the current so as to turn the drum and float away from shore, and means for securing the blades to the cables so that they can be set at any desired angle to the same by slipping one of the cables around the drum independently of the opposite cable.

In testimon in presence o zontal axis, the drums,

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