Abstract:
A water power machine comprises a drive means and a drive output means which are interconnected by a lever drive assembly. The drive means comprises a motor operated by downward movement of water, the water being lifted again by a conveyor operated by power taken from the drive means, whereby the water power machine operates with a comparatively small amount of water by virtue of utilising a circulating amount of water.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   The invention concerns a liquid power machine. 
   For the sake of convenience hereinafter the term water will generally be used to denote the liquid involved in operation of the machine but it will be appreciated that other liquids may be used if appropriate. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   A water power machine, which may also be referred to hereinafter as the machine for the sake of brevity, makes use of the potential energy or working capacity of flowing and/or falling bodies of water for producing mechanical energy. A flow turbine is an example of using the potential energy of flowing water for producing mechanical energy. A further example is water wheels which, for example with a suitable afflux, convert the potential energy of flowing and falling water into mechanical energy. In that case the energies due to the speed and position or weight of the flowing water are converted. Besides the energies due to speed and position of flowing water, turbines also transform the pressure energies thereof into mechanical energy. A common aspect of those machines is that they are disposed substantially in a flow of water, wherein the water flows to the machines, then flows through the machines with conversion of the energies, in order then to flow away from the machines (this is also referred to as the through-flow technology, for the sake of brevity). This restricts the siting thereof to those locations which involve quantitatively sufficient, naturally or artificially flowing bodies of water, both cases generally requiring expensive water installations for guiding and/or providing a build-up of water. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   An object of the invention is to provide a water power machine whose operating location or site is substantially independent of the presence of naturally or artificially flowing water and which requires less water to produce energy than machines which operate on the basis of the through-flow technology. 
   A further object of the invention is to provide a liquid power machine which affords recirculation of its operating liquid to minimise its operating liquid supply requirement. 
   Still another object of the invention is to provide a liquid power machine which is of a simple structure while enjoying a high degree of flexibility and adaptability to varying operational conditions and demands. 
   In accordance with the invention there is provided a liquid power machine comprising comprising a drive means and a drive output means which are in engagement with each other by way of a lever drive assembly. 
   It will be seen from the description hereinafter of a preferred embodiment of the machine according to the invention, in contrast to prior machines which operate on the basis of the open through-flow technology, the machine according to the invention operates by means of a substantially closed liquid circuit, the expression substantially closed circuit denoting a circulating amount of liquid in regard to which only quantitative losses are made up, that is to say in accordance with the invention on the basis of a circulatory procedure in which, between two levels of liquid which are arranged one above the other, the energy content of the liquid is used to produce forces which in turn are partially used again to convey the liquid from a lower level (lower energy level) to an upper level (higher energy level) while the forces which are liberated for prescribed purposes are available at the drive output means of the machine according to the invention. That therefore at least contributes to avoiding disadvantages of the prior machines, that is to say a limited choice in regard to siting, a necessarily large supply of water and expensive measures in terms of hydraulic engineering. 
   Further objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
       FIG. 1  is a partly sectional overall side view of the machine according to the invention, 
       FIG. 2  is a partly sectional side view of a part of the structure shown in  FIG. 1 , the partial view being limited at one end by the section lines I and Ia and at the other end by the section line VI—VI in  FIG. 1 , 
       FIG. 3  is a partially sectional side view of a detail from the structure shown in  FIG. 1 , limited at one end by the section line II—II and at the other end by the section line I/Ia, showing part of a drive means in simplified form, 
       FIG. 4  shows the part of the drive means illustrated in  FIG. 3  along section line II—II as a front view, viewing in the direction of the arrow X, with a cascade assembly of the drive means moving downwardly in the direction A, 
       FIG. 5  shows the part of the drive means illustrated in  FIG. 4 , with a cascade assembly of the drive means moving upwardly in the direction B, 
       FIG. 6  is a diagrammatic front view of another hydraulic motor (not shown in FIG.  1 ), a cascade assembly of the motor moving downwardly in the direction C, 
       FIG. 7  shows the hydraulic motor illustrated in  FIG. 6 , a cascade assembly moving upwardly in the direction D, 
       FIG. 8  is a diagrammatic view of a direction converter co-operating with a buoyancy body, as a front view, in section along section line III—III in  FIG. 1 , 
       FIG. 9  is a diagrammatic view of a conveyor arrangement in section along section line IV—IV in  FIG. 1  as a front view, in the direction indicated by the arrow Y in  FIG. 1 , 
       FIG. 10  is a sectional side view of the conveyor arrangement shown in  FIG. 9 , 
       FIG. 11  shows a shaft connector, connecting two shafts which occur in succession in the axial direction, and a flywheel arranged on a shaft, as a side view, with the illustration being limited at one end by the section line V—V in FIG.  1  and at the other end by the section line. VI—VI, with the shaft connector being partly in section, 
       FIG. 12  shows the shaft connector of  FIG. 11  as a front view, that is to say in  FIG. 11  along the section line E-F and viewing in the direction of the arrow X in  FIG. 1 , and 
       FIG. 13  shows a rotary transmission including for example five successive shafts in engagement with each other by means of four lever drive assemblies. 
   

   DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
   Referring to  FIG. 1  the machine  10  includes a drive means indicated by reference  11  and a drive output means indicated by reference  12  which can be in engagement with each other by way of a lever drive assembly indicated generally at  13 . 
   The drive means  11  substantially comprises a prime mover in the form of a hydraulic motor  14  (hereinafter referred to as the motor  14  for the sake of brevity) which is in engagement by way of a direction converter  15  with a first shaft  16  which in turn carries a wheel  90  of a conveyor arrangement  17 . The drive output means  12  is substantially a second shaft  18  which as illustrated carries a flywheel  19  and which drives for example a current generator  20 . 
   Referring to  FIG. 4  showing a front view of the motor  14 , the motor  14  comprises a liquid container  25  in which a buoyancy or float body  26  is accommodated, being immersed in a liquid  27  such as water and guided therein in such a way that it can move up and down. The float body  26  is a closed hollow body which, for reinforcement thereof, encloses a core  28  of honeycomb configuration, which fills up its hollow internal volume. The float body  26  is held in guided relationship in the liquid container  25  at one end by a pivotal lever  29 . For that purpose the pivotal lever  29  is pivotably mounted at a first end to a support  30  which in turn is connected for example to the bottom  31  of the liquid container  25 , while at the second end the pivotal lever  29  is arranged pivotably on the float body  26 . At its second front end the pivotal lever  29  carries a connecting pin or bolt  32  pivotably connecting the pivotal lever  29  to the float body  26 , at a spacing. Between the pivotal lever  29  and the float body  26 , the connecting pin or bolt  32  carries a thrust bar or rod  33  and a connecting rod  34 . 
     FIG. 2  shows the connecting rod  34  in engagement with the direction converter  15  and  FIG. 4  shows the thrust rod  33  in engagement with a control lever  35 , actuating cascade assemblies  40 ,  41 . 
     FIG. 4  shows two cascade assemblies which are positively guided in their opposite directions of movement, being the cascade part of the motor  14 , namely a left-hand cascade assembly  41  and a right-hand cascade assembly  41 , whose stages indicated generally at  42  (referred to hereinafter as pivotal containers  42 ) partially engage one into the other at a spacing from each other in a vertical direction and thus form a stepped fall of liquid, preferably water, between an upper feed container  43  and a lower liquid level (flow-receiving bottom  44 , referred to for brevity as the bottom  44 ). 
   The left-hand cascade assembly  40  includes the feed container  43  and two pivotal containers  42   a ,  42   b  and the right-hand cascade assembly  41  includes two pivotal containers  42   c .  42   d . The pivotal containers  42   a ,  42   b  of the left-hand cascade assembly  40  are pivotably connected to a carrier device  45  which in vertical section is in the form of a double-T-bearer. The carrier device  45  as such includes, as shown in  FIG. 5 , a web  46  and two equal-length limbs  47  which extend at a right angle to the web  46  and which each project in respect of half thereof from the web  46 . Arranged at the transitions between the web  46  and the limbs  47  are carriers  48  to which the pivotal containers  42  ( 42   a  at the top and  42   b  at the bottom) are pivotably secured. The pivotal containers  42  are of a trough-shaped configuration, they are open upwardly at the carrier device  45 , that is to say they are open in the flow direction indicated by the arrow X in  FIG. 4 , and they are mounted at the centre pivotably about the carriers  48 . 
   The pivotal movements of the pivotal containers  42   a  and  42   b  are synchronised by a connecting member  49  to which the ends that are disposed in opposite relationship to the downstream ends of the pivotal containers  42   a ,  42   b  are pivotably mounted. The vertical spacing of the pivotal connections of the pivotal containers  42   a ,  42   b  to the connecting member  49  corresponds to the vertical spacing of the carriers  48  at the carrier device  45  so that the pivotal containers  42   a ,  42   b  pivot at an equal angle relative to the horizontal, that is to say always in mutually parallel relationship. The extent of the pivotal movement is determined by a control device including two abutments  50 ,  51  which are arranged on the connecting member  49  at a given vertical spacing and an abutment  52  which is arranged between the abutments  50 ,  51  and which is stationary in contrast to the abutments  50 ,  51  which are vertically movable with the connecting member  49 . The control device further includes a carrier  53  which projects at a right angle from the end of the limb  47  that is towards the connecting member  49 , and which can be brought into engagement with the bottom  54  of the pivotal container  42   b . The front free end  55  of the control lever  35  is pivotably mounted to the web  46  centrally thereon, while the free rear end  56  of the control lever  35  is pivotably arranged on the thrust rod  33 . Reference  57  denotes a stationary mounting arrangement at which the control lever  35  is centrally and pivotably arranged, stationary always meaning fixedly mounted to the machine housing structure or the like support component. 
   The left-hand cascade assembly  40  includes two pivotal containers  42   a ,  42   b  and the feed container  43 . The pivotal containers  42   c ,  42   d  are likewise pivotably mounted to a carrier device as described hereinbefore with reference to the left-hand cascade assembly  40 . The connecting member and the control device are also identical to the left-hand cascade assembly  40 . A lever  62  connects the upper carrier  48  of the left-hand cascade assembly  40  to the middle of the web  63  of the carrier device of the right-hand cascade assembly  41 , insofar as it is there pivotably connected to a bearing  64 . Like the control lever  35  the lever  62  also pivots about a stationary bearing  74 . The pivotal connection of the lever  62  to the left-hand cascade assembly  40  and the right-hand cascade assembly  41  is such that the control lever  35  and the lever  62  extend in mutually parallel relationship. The right-hand cascade assembly  41  also produces the pivotal movement of the feed container  43 . To produce the pivotal movement, the feed container  43  is arranged centrally on a stationary bearing or mounting  65  pivotably about same. A connecting link  66  is connected at one end to the side of the feed container  43  which is remote from the discharge end thereof while the other end of the connecting link  66  is connected to a control rod  67  which in turn is connected to the upper bearing  68  of the right-hand cascade assembly. 
     FIG. 3  shows an upper liquid container  69  which intermittently feeds liquid into the feed container  43 . For that purpose the upper liquid container  69  and the feed container  43  have through-flow openings  70  (in the upper liquid container  69 ) and  71  (in the feed container  43 ) which are alternately opened and closed. Opening and closing of the opening  70  is effected by a side wall  72  of the feed container  43  insofar as, upon pivotal movement of the feed container  43 , the opening  71  is moved out of the illustrated position, in a manner corresponding to the pivotal movement, and the opening  70  is closed by the side wall  72 . Reference  44  denotes a bottom which, as shown in  FIG. 4 , at one end extends entirely beneath the left-hand cascade assembly  40  and the right-hand cascade assembly  41  and at the other end, as shown in  FIG. 1 , discharges into a lower liquid container  73 . Hereinbefore the left-hand cascade assembly  40  and the right-hand cascade assembly  41  were described with two pivotal containers  42 , and two pivotal containers  42  and a feed container  43  respectively. The apparatus according to the invention however is not limited to that number of containers, and each cascade assembly, with suitable adaptation of the carrier arrangements and the like, may also have more containers than described, in which case however each cascade assembly must have the same number of containers, namely a cascade assembly and in addition a feed container. 
   Converting the substantially upwardly and downwardly directed movement of the thrust rod  33  into a rotary movement is the function of the motion direction converter, referred to for the sake of brevity as the direction converter or further abbreviated to converter  15 . 
   As shown in  FIGS. 2 and 8  the converter  15  includes a driving toothed gear  78 , referred to hereinafter for the sake of brevity as the drive gear  78 , and a driven toothed gear  79 , referred to hereinafter for the sake of brevity as the driven gear  79 . On both sides the drive gear  78  which itself is not rotatable is carried in fixed relationship on a shaft  82  between two bearings  80 ,  81  which move synchronously and over the same circular orbital paths. The radius of the circular orbital paths is determined from the sum of the radii of the drive gear  78  and the driven gear  79 . The drive gear  75  is mounted on the one side (fixed bearing  80 ) at the free front end of the connecting rod  34  and on the other side at a mounting disc  83  (bearing  81 ) by means of the shaft  82 . The shaft  82  with the drive gear  78  which is mounted thereon fixedly, that is to say non-rotatably, is non-rotatably accommodated in the bearing  80  while the shaft  82  is capable of rotating in the bearing  81  in the disc  83  and in the bearing at the front or upper end of the connecting rod  34 . The drive gear  78  is fixedly connected to the connecting rod  34  by way of a screw means  77 . The driven gear  79  is fixedly connected to the end of the first shaft  16 , said end being towards the connecting rod  34 . The disc  83  is itself freely rotatably arranged on the first shaft  16 . The ratio between the number of teeth on the driven gear  79  and the drive gear  78  is preferably 1:1. 
   The first shaft  16 , rotatably mounted at two upright support embers  88 ,  89  (see FIG.  1 ), carries the conveyor arrangement  17 , following the disc  83  in the axial direction. As shown in  FIGS. 9 and 10  the conveyor arrangement  17  comprises a wheel  90  which is fixedly connected to the first shaft  16 , that is to say which is non-rotatatably arranged on the first shaft  16 . On its face and in the proximity of its outer periphery the wheel  90  carries containers  91  which are arranged pivotably on the wheel  90 . A control lever  92  co-operates with each container  91 , of which for example there are provided eight uniformly distributed at the periphery of the wheel. The containers  91  and the control levers  92  are each fixedly connected to each other by way of a respective pin  93  engaging through the wheel  90  from one face to the other so that the container  91  follows a pivotal movement of the control lever  92 . The conveyor arrangement  17  transports a liquid medium, for example water, from a lower supply or storage container  73  (lower level) into the upper liquid container  69  (upper level). Provided in the proximity of the upper liquid container  69  is a control plate  95  on to which the control levers  92  run so that they and the containers  91  are pivoted thereby. 
     FIGS. 1 ,  2  and  11  show that the drive means  11  and the drive output means  12  are in engagement with each other by way of a lever drive assembly  13 . The lever drive assembly  13  connects the first driving shaft  16  of the drive means  11  to the second driven shaft  18  of the drive output means  12 , which would be separate from each other, without the arrangement, that is to say the interposition, of the lever drive assembly  13 . Hereinafter the terms ‘drive side’ and ‘driven side’ are used in connection with ends of the shaft. In that respect the drive-side shaft end denotes the shaft end which extends towards or is directed in the direction of the motor  14  while the driven-side shaft end denotes the shaft end which extends towards or is directed in the direction of the current generator  20 . 
   As  FIG. 1  shows the second shaft  18 , that is to say the shaft  18  of the drive output means  12 , is mounted between two upright support members  100  and  101  of the apparatus  10  according to the invention in axial alignment with respect to the first shaft  16  of the drive means  11 . The spacing between the support members  89  and  100  affords an intermediate space  102  in which the lever drive assembly  13  is accommodated. 
   Referring to  FIG. 2 , the lever drive assembly  13  includes a driving portion  103  comprising a drive lever  104  fixedly arranged at the driven-side end of the shaft  16 , a carrier arm  105  with a driver  106  arranged fixedly, that is to say non-rotatably, at its free front end, a mounting disc  107  which in turn is freely rotatably arranged on the shaft  18 , and a driven portion  108 , in the present case a rotary body  108 , which is fixedly connectedly arranged on the drive-side end of the shaft  18 , followed on the driven side by the mounting disc  107 . In the present case the driver  106  and the rotary body  108  are in the form of interengaging gears with a gear tooth ratio of 1:1, but they may also be different from gears, provided that they are such that they can roll around each other while being in engagement with each other. 
   The drive lever  104  is at one end fixedly arranged on the driven-side end of the shaft  16 . At the other end, that is to say at its free end, it carries a shaft trunnion or journal  109  ( FIG. 11 ) whose drive-side end  109   a  is rotatably accommodated in the drive lever  104 . The journal  109  rotatably passes through the carrier arm  105  and, following the carrier arm  105 , carries the driver  106  which is non-rotatably mounted on the journal  109 . The driver  106  is fixedly connected to the carrier arm  105  by a screw means  110 , with the face of the driver  106  bearing against the driven-side surface of the carrier arm  105 . As indicated above, that kind of arrangement is also to be found in the fixing of the gear  78  to the thrust rod  34 . The free end  109   b  of the journal  109 , following the driver  106 , is rotatably accommodated in the mounting disc  107 . Therefore the journal  109  is rotatably accommodated at both sides, on the one hand in the drive lever  104  (drive side) and on the other hand in the mounting disc  107  (driven side). 
   At the other and of the carrier arm  105 , being the end which is opposite to the driver  106 , the carrier arm  105  is pivotably connected to a front free end of a carrier lever  111  whose other end is pivotably arranged on a carrier device indicated at  112  in FIG.  12 . 
   The carrier lever  111  is formed from two lever arms  11   a  and  111   b  which are held in parallel spaced relationship and between which the carrier arm  105  is pivotably mounted by means of a pivot bearing indicated at  113  in FIG.  12 . The carrier device  112  is for example a carrier of circular cross-section, held on both sides by the support members  100  and  89 . Therefore the carrier arm  105  is supported on both sides, at one end on the journal  109  and at the other end at the free end of the carrier lever  111 , with the carrier lever  111  being pivotably mounted at its other end to the carrier device  112 . 
     FIGS. 6 and 7  show another embodiment of the cascade portion of a motor  14 . The cascade portion comprises a left-hand cascade assembly  118  and a right-hand cascade assembly  119 . Each cascade assembly has a container carrier indicated generally at  120 , on which containers  121  are fixedly arranged at a spacing one above the other for receiving liquid. Disposed between the container carriers  120  is a stationary body  122  through which inclinedly extending passages or ducts  123  pass. 
   The container carriers  120  (left-hand container carrier  120   a , right-hand container carrier  120   b ) are pivotably mounted to the body  122  in such a way that they are displaceable up and down, in a condition of bearing against vertical slide walls  124 ,  125 . The container carriers  120  are connected together by way of an upper pivotal lever  126  and a lower pivotal lever  127 , both being pivotably connected at their centre to the body  122  by means of pivot mountings  128 ,  129  so that the cascade assemblies  118 ,  119  are movable in opposite directions to each other. The containers  121  are open on their top side and at the side which adjoins the slide walls  124 ,  125 , that is to say, the slide walls  124 ,  125  replace the missing side wall for each respective container  121 .  FIG. 6  shows a feed flow means  130  which co-operates with the uppermost container  121   a  of the left-hand cascade assembly  118  and which is intermittently opened and closed by said container  121   a .  FIGS. 6 and 7  show the inclinations of the passages or ducts  123 . The passage  123   a , starting from the left-hand cascade assembly  118 , is inclined in a direction towards the right-hand cascade assembly  119 , while the passage  123   b , starting from the right-hand cascade assembly  119 , is inclined in a direction towards the left-hand cascade assembly  118 . That alternate arrangement is continued at respective uniform spacings over the heightwise extent of the body  112 . The containers  121  are arranged in mutually displaced relationship in a vertical direction on the container carriers  120   a  and  120   b , with the dimension of the displacement of the containers corresponding to a container height dimension. 
   Referring to  FIG. 6 , liquid issuing from the feed flow means  130  passes into the container  121   a  of the left-hand cascade assembly  118 , from there by way of the passage  123   a  into the container  121   b  of the right-hand cascade assembly  119 . Due to the weight of the liquid in the container  121   b  of the right-hand cascade assembly  119 , it is moved downwardly in the direction indicated by the arrow C in  FIG. 6  while the left-hand cascade assembly  118  rises in the direction indicated by the arrow D in  FIG. 7 , with the uppermost container  121   a  closing off the flow through the feed flow means  130 . The liquid then flows out of the container  121   b , passing through the passage communicating with the container  121   b , into the container  121   c  in the left-hand cascade assembly  118 , which causes the left-hand cascade assembly  118  to move downwardly, with the feed flow means  130  being opened. In that position of the container carriers  120  the container  121   b  is again filled with liquid, coming from the container  121   a , while the container  121   c  is emptying into the container  121   d . Due to that change in weight from the left-hand cascade assembly  118  to the right-hand cascade assembly  119 , the latter again moves downwardly (FIG.  7 ), wherein, in the lower downwardly moved position the container  121   b  empties into the container  121   c  and the container  121   d  into the container  121   e , which in turn produces a downward movement of the left-hand cascade assembly  118 . Filling and emptying of the containers  121  continues with the upward and downward movement of the cascade assemblies, until the amount of liquid filling the container  121   f  is discharged therefrom by way of the lowermost passage  123 . When all containers  121  of the left-hand cascade assembly  118  and the right-hand cascade assembly  119  are filled, the weight difference necessary for the upward and downward movement of the cascade assemblies is afforded by overfilling of a cascade assembly in relation to the other, or a reduction in the weight of a cascade assembly by sudden partial emptying. The upward and downward movement of the container carriers  120  produces at the lower pivotal lever  127   a  pivotal movement thereof about the lower pivot mounting  129 , and that movement can be transmitted by the pivotal lever  127  to a connecting rod  131  in engagement with a direction converter. 
   The mode of operation of the apparatus  10  according to the invention is as follows: 
   The motor  14  produces a substantially rectilinear, upwardly and downwardly directed movement, comparable to the free end of a connecting rod connected to the piston of an internal combustion engine. By means of the direction converter  15 , that movement is converted into a rotary movement which is transmitted to the shaft  16 , with the direction converter  15  being comparable to the crank throw of a crankshaft of an internal combustion engine, the end of which performs a rotary movement, like the shaft  16 . With the shaft  16 , the wheel  90  of the conveyor arrangement  17 , which is fixedly mounted thereon, also rotates. The lever drive assembly  13  arranged between the individual shafts  16  and  17  takes off the rotary movement of the shaft  16  and transmits it to the shaft  18 . 
   The substantially rectilinear, upwardly and downwardly directed movement of the thrust rod  33  is produced by the float body  26 , which is immersed in the liquid  27  in the liquid container, for example water, being loaded or relieved of load. Upon relief of load, the operative buoyancy forces acting on the float body  26  cause the latter to rise in the upward direction (direction indicated by the arrow B in  FIG. 5 ) while when a load is applied it sinks in the downward direction (direction indicated by the arrow A in FIG.  4 ). Loading and unloading of the float body  26  are effected by the cascade assemblies as indicated for example at  41  and  42  in  FIG. 4  which are connected by way of the control lever  35  to the thrust rod  33  and thus to the float body  26  and which move upwardly and downwardly synchronously in opposite relationship in a vertical direction by way of the above-described lever system, in dependence on the varying individual loading weights of the cascade assemblies, which occur due to the loading and unloading of the pivotal containers such as  42  which are positively controlled in terms of their movements. If for example the wheel  90  of the conveyor arrangement  17  rotates in the counter-clockwise direction, as indicated by the arrow in  FIG. 9 , then loading and unloading of the cascade assemblies  40 ,  41  occurs repetitively in the same sequence as follows. When the free end of the thrust rod  33 , that is to say the upper end which is connected to the control lever  35 , has reached its uppermost reversal point (see the position in  FIG. 4 ) then the pivotal containers  42   c  and  42   d  are horizontal and the feed container  43  which is equally associated with the right-hand cascade assembly  41  is pivoted in a direction towards the pivotal containers of the right-hand cascade assembly  41 . The containers  42   a  and  42   b  of the left-hand cascade assembly  40  are pivoted in the same direction as and extend parallel to the feed container  43 . In that reversal position, a container  42   d  of the right-hand cascade assembly  41  rests on the carrier  53  while the static abutment  52 , co-operating with the right-hand cascade assembly  41 , bears against the vertically displaceable abutment  51  of the right-hand cascade assembly  41  and the corresponding abutment  52  of the left-hand cascade assembly  40  bears against the abutment  50 , the latter being disposed in opposite relationship to the former. The pivotal container  42   b  of the left-hand cascade assembly  40 , which corresponds to the pivotal container  42   d  of the right-hand cascade assembly  41 , is lifted by the abutment  52  of the left-hand cascade assembly  40 . In that reversal position the pivotal container  42   c  is filled from the feed container  43  and the pivotal container  42   d  is filled from the pivotal container  42   a  while the pivotal container  42   b  is discharged towards the bottom  44 ′. Loaded by the weight of the cascade assemblies  40 ,  41 , that weight consisting of the weights of the cascade assemblies  40 ,  41  themselves, the weight of the lever mechanism and the feed container  43  and the weight of the liquid loads in the pivotal containers  42   c ,  42   d , the thrust rod  33  moves in a direction towards its lower reversal point as indicated by the arrow A in  FIG. 4 , referred to hereinafter as the downward movement, with simultaneous downwardly directed displacement of the position of the float body  26 . During the downward movement the right-hand cascade assembly  41  with the feed container  43 , due to the pivotal mounting of the cascade assembly  41  to the control lever  35  and the lever  62 , moves downwardly in substantially the same direction as the thrust rod  33 , until the abutment  50  bears against the static abutment  52 . When the abutment  52  comes into contact with the abutment  50 , the downward movement of the right-hand cascade assembly  41  with the feed container  43  continues, but the connecting member  49  no longer follows the downward movement and now causes pivotal movement of the containers  42   c ,  42   d  on the carrier arrangement  45   a  of the right-hand cascade assembly  41  in a direction towards the left-hand cascade assembly  40 , while the feed container  43  is moved out of its position of inclination in a direction towards the right-hand cascade assembly  41 , into a horizontal position. While the right-hand cascade assembly  41  with feed container  43  follows the downward movement of the thrust rod  33 , the left-hand cascade assembly  40  rises synchronously in the opposite direction, that is to say upwardly. During the upward movement the abutment  51  comes to bear against the abutment  52 , which likewise with continuing upward movement of the left-hand cascade assembly  40  produces pivotal movement of the containers  42   a  and  42   b  from a position of being pivoted towards the right-hand cascade assembly  41  into the horizontal position. When the pivotal movement into the horizontal position has taken place, for example the bottom or the underside  6   f  the container  42   b  rests on the carrier  53 . The carriers  53 , one of which is provided for each pivotal container, perform the function of holding the respective pivotal containers  42  in the horizontal position while the stationary abutment  52  changes its condition of engagement with the displaceable abutments  50 ,  51 . When the thrust rod  33  reaches the lower reversal point shown in  FIG. 5 , then the containers  42  of the right-hand cascade assembly  41  are pivoted to such an extent that the content thereof can flow over into the horizontally disposed containers  42  of the left-hand cascade assembly  40  while the feed container  43  is loaded from the upper liquid container  69 . 
     FIG. 4  shows the position of the cascade assemblies  40 ,  41  and the pivotal position of the containers  42  at the upper reversal point in the movement of the thrust rod  33  directly before initiation of the downward movement while  FIG. 5  shows the positions of the cascade assemblies and the pivotal positions at the lower reversal point immediately before initiation of the upward movement of the thrust rod  33 . During the upward movement the movements of the cascade assemblies  40 ,  41  take place in the reverse sequence to that described above in connection with the downward movement. 
   In accordance with the invention the buoyancy force F of the float body  26  is used for operation of the apparatus  10 . The buoyancy force is determined from the difference of the forces which act on the lower surface indicated at  26   a  in FIG.  3  and the upper surface at  26   b  in  FIG. 3  of the float body  26 . As the force acting on the lower surface  26   a  is greater than the force acting on the upper surface  26   b , then, so that the float body  26  moves downwardly, the force which acts downwardly on the float body  26  by way of the thrust rod  33  and which results from the weight of the two cascade assemblies such as  40 ,  41  with lever mechanisms and the weights afforded by the loads of liquid in the containers  42  must be at least slightly greater than the buoyancy force, while the force which acts on the float body  26  in the upward movement should be at least slightly less than the buoyancy force. In accordance with the invention, that difference can be set by a procedure whereby at the upper reversal point the pivotal containers  42  of the right-hand cascade assembly  41  are overfilled to produce the necessary weight while at the lower reversal point one or more pivotal containers  42  of the left-hand cascade assembly  40  are preferably suddenly relieved of the load of the weight of the overfilling plus the reduction in weight necessary for the float body  26  to rise. 
   Pivotably connected to the float body  26  is the connecting rod  34  which connects the float body  26  to the direction converter  15  which transforms the substantially vertically upwardly and downwardly directed movement of the float body  26  or the thrust rod  33  into a rotary movement for transmission to the first shaft  16 . As mentioned above and as shown for example in  FIGS. 4 and 5 , at their free ends towards the tank or liquid container  25 , the thrust rod  33  and the connecting rod  34  are pivotably connected to the lower end of the float body  26  at the connecting pin or bolt  32  to which one end of the pivotal lever  29  is also pivotably connected, wherein the other end of the pivotal lever  29  is pivotably arranged at the bottom  31  of the liquid container  25 . In that way, in the upward and downward movement of the float body  26  which is guided in the liquid container  25  by way of the pivotal lever  29 , the thrust rod  33  and the connecting rod  34  can synchronously follow the float body  26 . The connecting rod  34  moves between an upper reversal point and a lower reversal point, the spacing of which from each other is determined by the diameter of the driven gear  79  and half the diameter of the drive gear  78  as can be clearly seen from FIG.  8 . 
   That also defines the distance that the float body  26 , immersed in the liquid  27 , covers in the upward and downward movement thereof in each revolution of the shaft  16 . 
   The mode of operation of the direction converter  15  is as follows, with reference to FIGS.  2  and  8 : 
   The drive gear  78  which is fixedly arranged at the end of the connecting rod  34  has the shaft  82  engaging therethrough; the shaft  82  in turn is carried at one end fixedly, that is to say, non-rotatably, on the connecting rod  34 , but at the other end it is carried rotatably in the mounting disc  83 . The disc  83  in turn is freely rotatably mounted on the shaft  16 . The drive gear  78  which is supported at both sides but which itself does not rotate can thus circle around the shaft  16  on a circular path. In order to convert that movement into a rotary movement, the drive gear  78  is in engagement with the driven gear  79  by way of external tooth arrangements on the respective gears, with the driven gear  79  being fixedly carried on the shaft  16 . With the adopted ratio between the number of teeth of the drive and driven gears  78 ,  79  of preferably 1:1, the shaft  16  rotates twice about itself for a revolution of 360° of the drive gear  78  about the driven gear  79 . 
   The conveyor arrangement  17  conveys liquid from a lower liquid container at  73  in  FIG. 1  into an upper liquid container at  69  in  FIGS. 3 ,  4  and  5  and lifts the liquid which has previously passed through the motor  14 , giving off portions of its energy at it did so, to a higher energy level again. The liquid discharging from the motor  14  flows to the lower liquid container  73  over the bottom  44 . The lower liquid container  73  stores an amount of liquid which is greater than the amount of liquid which is in the work-performing liquid circuit of the machine  10  according to the invention, this being for reasons of rapid complete filling of the containers  91  which pass through the liquid container  73  on a circular path and which, pivotably mounted to the wheel  90 , convey liquid into the upper liquid container  69  insofar as, due to the control levers  92  passing on to the control plate, the containers  91  are caused to pivot over the upper liquid container  69  in such a way that the liquid contained in the containers  91  is discharged. The amount of liquid which flows through the substantially closed circuit is also determined in accordance with the amount of liquid which, from the upper liquid container  69 , flows through the cascade assemblies  40 ,  41 , flows over the bottom  44  to the lower liquid container  73 , is removed therefrom by means of the containers  91  carried by the wheel  90 , and is conveyed again into the upper liquid container  69 , that amount of liquid for operation of the apparatus remaining substantially constant. With the adopted ratio of the number of teeth as between the drive gear  78  and the driven gear  79  of 1:1, involving the same number of teeth and equal outside diameters, the conveyor wheel  9  rotates twice like the shaft  16  with a complete 360°—revolution of the drive gear  78  about the driven gear  79 . 
   Looking again at  FIGS. 2 and 12 , the lever drive assembly  13  connects the drive means  11  to the drive output means  12  by virtue of the lever drive assembly  13  transmitting the rotary movement of the first shaft  16  of the drive means  11  to the shaft  18  of the drive output means  12 . The drive output lever  104  which is fixedly connected to the driven-side end of the shaft  16 , upon rotation thereof, causes the journal  109  (that is to say its axial central line) with the driver  106  fitted thereon to rotate on a circular path, the diameter of which is determined by double the spacing between the longitudinal axis of the shaft  16  and the longitudinal axis of the journal  109 . The driver  106  rolls over that circular path with its outer periphery against the outer periphery of the rotary body  108  fixedly arranged on the shaft  18 , and thus causes rotation of the rotary body  168  and therewith the shaft  18 . The free front end of the carrier lever  105  follows the rotational movement of the journal  109  while the other end of the carrier arm  105  causes the carrier lever  111  to perform pivotal movements, with the carrier lever  111  pivoting about the carrier device  113 . It will be clear from the foregoing that the only function of the carrier arm  105  is to hold the driver  106  in such a way that, without rotating itself, it can pass around the rotary body  108  for transmission of the rotary movement of the shaft  16  to the shaft  18 . If the ratio between the number of teeth as between the driver  106  and the rotary body  108  is for example 1:1, then, in a complete revolution of the driver  106  around the rotary body  108 , the shaft  18  rotates twice, that is to say the speed of rotation of the shaft  16  is doubled by the lever assembly  13 ′. 
   While  FIG. 1  shows a single lever drive assembly  13  between the drive means  11  and the drive output means  12 , a train of such lever drive assemblies  13  can be arranged between the drive means  11  and the drive output means  12 . By way of example  FIG. 13  shows a train  13  comprising a plurality of lever drive assemblies  13 , of which four are illustrated here, which are arranged in axial succession. The lever drive assembly  13   a  is driven by for example the shaft  16  of the drive means  12 . The lever drive assembly  13   a  transmits the rotary movement of the shaft  16  to the shaft  16   a  on which the lever drive-assembly  13   a  is carried, that shaft  16   a  transmitting its rotary movement by way of the following lever drive assembly  13   b  to the shaft  16   b , with that design configuration being continued for example twice more in regard to the lever drive assemblies  13   c  and  13   d  and the shafts  16   c  and  16   d . If  16  is the shaft of a drive means, then  16   d  could be the shaft of the drive output means  12 . 
   A train as shown in  FIG. 13  increases, that is to say, multiplies the input speeds of rotation from one stage (lever drive assembly) to another as follows. The ratio in respect of the number of teeth is the ratio of the teeth on the rotary body  108  relative to the number of teeth on the driver  106 . As examples: a ratio in regard to the number of teeth of 1:1 means that at its periphery the rotary body  108  carries an equal number of teeth of identical configuration, to the driver  106 . A ratio in regard to the number of teeth of 1:2 means that the driver  106  carries twice as many teeth of the same geometrical configuration as the rotary body  108 . 
   If the driver  106  moves around the rotary body  108 —with a ratio in regard to the number of teeth of 1:1—then that results in two revolutions of a shaft connected to the rotary body  108  (referred to hereinafter as the rotary body shaft). If the ratio in regard to the number of teeth is 1:2, then with the driver  106  passing once around the rotary body  108 , the rotary body shaft rotates three times, while with a ratio of 1:3 it rotates four times. If lever driver assemblies  13  which involve identical tooth ratios are arranged in succession, that means that a revolution of the shaft of the preceding lever drive assembly causes the driver  106  to pass completely around the rotary body  108  of the next following lever drive assembly, which in turn involves two revolutions of the shaft of the following lever drive assembly. Two revolutions of the shaft of the preceding lever drive assembly are thus increased to four revolutions of the shaft of the subsequent lever drive assembly, that is to say they are doubled to four times, and that continues from one stage to another. 
   The following Table sets out an overview in respect of speeds of rotation in dependence on given ratios in regard to numbers of teeth and the number of stages at the drive-output end of the last downstream-disposed stage if at the first stage a driver passes around a rotary body once per unit of time, for example per second, completely, that is to say through 360°. 
   
     
       
             
             
             
           
             
             
             
           
         
             
                 
             
             
                 
                 
               Speed sec −1   
             
             
                 
               Number of 
               of the last 
             
             
               Ratio of number 
               lever drive 
               drive lever 
             
             
               of teeth 
               assemblies 
               assembly 
             
             
                 
             
           
           
             
                 
             
           
        
         
             
               1:1 
               1 
               2 
             
             
                 
               2 
               4 
             
             
                 
               3 
               8 
             
             
                 
               4 
               16 
             
             
                 
               5 
               32 
             
             
                 
               6 
               64 
             
             
                 
               7 
               128 
             
             
                 
               8 
               256 
             
             
                 
               9 
               512 
             
             
                 
               10 
               1024 
             
             
               1:2 
               1 
               3 
             
             
                 
               2 
               9 
             
             
                 
               3 
               27 
             
             
                 
               4 
               81 
             
             
                 
               5 
               243 
             
             
                 
               6 
               729 
             
             
                 
               7 
               2187 
             
             
                 
               8 
               6561 
             
             
                 
               9 
               19683 
             
             
                 
               10 
               59049 
             
             
               1:3 
               1 
               4 
             
             
                 
               2 
               16 
             
             
                 
               3 
               64 
             
             
                 
               4 
               256 
             
             
                 
               5 
               1024 
             
             
                 
               6 
               4096 
             
             
                 
               7 
               16384 
             
             
                 
               8 
               65536 
             
             
                 
               9 
               262144 
             
             
                 
               10 
               1048576