Enclosed vapor pressure rotation device

A mechanical toy having two enclosed chambers, one positioned above the other, connected by a tube; a vaporizing medium contained within the enclosed chambers and tube; means for rotationally supporting the tube and chambers; means for exciting the vaporizing medium within the lower chamber to create an increase in vapor pressure within the lower chamber relative to the upper chamber that exerts force upon the vaporizing medium within the lower chamber to communicate the vaporizing medium through the tube into the upper chamber allowing gravity to act upon the upper chamber when a sufficient amount of the vaporizing medium has collected within the upper chamber pulling the upper chamber downward around the means of rotational support.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates in general to a heat engine, and in particular to an engine that transforms heat energy partially into rotating mechanical energy with the assistance of gravity useful in actuating amusement and demonstrating concepts of physics for the purpose of education.

2. Description of the Prior Art

In order to provide background information so that the invention may be completely understood and appreciated in its proper context, reference is made to prior art U.S. patent numbers in the following paragraphs.

U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,402,463; 2,240,906 and 2,398,471 all disclose two chamber novelty power devices capable of partial rotation oscillating about an axis, which operation is effected by evaporative cooling and ambient air temperature. These inventions do not provide the capacity for 360-degree rotation about an axis, nor do they employ the explicit application of an external energy source, in the form of heat, for more clearly demonstrating the concepts of physics employed for device operation, as does the present invention.

The following paragraphs examine a variety of heat engines within the prior art designed with the purpose of producing useful work. Although the present invention is capable of converting heat energy into mechanical energy, the following prior art differs from the present invention principally in that amusement and education are the present invention's primary objects. There are also improvements noted with the present invention that are intended to reduce the device complexity found within the prior art.

While U.S. Pat. No. 242,454 requires a minimum of only one tube connecting a pair of reservoirs for operation; it should be noted that the ends of the tube are connected to the reservoirs at elbows bent in opposing directions to ensure the reservoirs offset each other with respect to the central length of the tube in order to obtain the desired 360-degree unidirectional rotation. The elbows may introduce a higher risk for device failure due to the increased potential for crimping or cracking depending on the material used to compose the tube. The present invention reduces the risk of malfunction by eliminating the elbows thus offering improved functionality while providing 360-degree unidirectional rotation with a minimum of one tube connecting a pair of reservoirs.

U.S. Pat. Nos. 243,909 and 389,515 improve the design of previous art by ensuring that the tube connecting the two reservoirs extends into each reservoir. The improvement was made in part to help maximize the flow of fluid through the tube affected by increased vapor pressure within a given reservoir. The improvement made it necessary to employ additional tubes and reservoirs in order to provide 360-degree unidirectional rotation. The present invention extends the connecting tube into the reservoirs to increase fluid flow with the objective of enhancing amusement; however, it differs from the prior art by utilizing asymmetric reservoirs to provide 360-degree unidirectional rotation without the need for additional tubes and reservoirs thus simplifying the device without compromising functionality.

Within the prior art there are many examples of two chamber heat engines that create a rocking motion. Included in this list are U.S. Pat. Nos. 250,821; 253,868 and 271,639. The present invention differs from the prior art in that the present invention utilizes an axis that enables full rotation and asymmetric chambers that provide 360-degree unidirectional rotation. The asymmetric chambers when filled shift the center of gravity to provide 360-degree unidirectional rotation and inhibit 180-degree oscillation about the axis.

In order to provide 360-degree unidirectional rotation prior art introduces a variety of constructs including additional chambers, gears, valves or pistons. Included in this list are U.S. Pat. Nos. 50,151; 250,265; 256,482; 2,513,692; 4,509,329 and 6,240,729. The extra complexity due to adding chambers is not required by the present invention. The present invention requires a minimum of one pair of chambers connected by a tube. The present invention does not require gears or internal moving parts with the exception of the liquid and gas that is communicated between the chambers as the simplicity of device embodiment is considered essential for enhancing the clarity of operation for educational purposes.

Whatever the precise merits, features and advantages of the above cited references, none of them achieves or fulfills the purposes of the explicit application of an external heat source to provide 360-degree unidirectional device rotation about an axis to actuate amusement and more clearly demonstrate concepts including but not limited to the first and second laws of thermodynamics, Charles' and Boyle's gas laws, the law of gravity, the dynamics of rotational motion and fluid mechanics as does the present invention.

Accordingly, it is a principal object of the present invention to provide a rotation device for amusement and education in the field of science.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide 360-degree device rotation about an axis.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide unidirectional rotation about an axis.

It is a further object of the present invention to achieve device rotation with a minimum of one tube connecting a pair of enclosed reservoirs.

It is another object of the present invention to provide the explicit application of an external energy source, in the form of heat, to generate device rotation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to an enclosed two chamber rotating device that provides 360-degree rotation useful in actuating amusement and demonstrating concepts of physics for the purpose of education. The rotation is created by a heat source that produces an increase in vapor pressure within one chamber's enclosed space that forces the flow of a liquid within the enclosed space through a hollow communicating member into a second chamber's enclosed space positioned above the former having a lower vapor pressure: When a sufficient amount of liquid is moved from the lower space to the higher space, the higher space will become heavier than the lower space. Gravity acting upon the device will draw the higher space downward around an axis of rotation.

Specifically this device is shown as an enclosed hollow structure with two divided asymmetric spaces connected by an elongated hollow member, in the form of a tube, that extends to an appropriate distance into the interior of each said space. An axis of rotation is maintained between the two spaces perpendicular to the connecting hollow member. The device is arranged in such a manner that one space is located above the other. Initially the lower space will contain a majority of a vaporizing medium in liquid form. A heat source is maintained at the lower space. The upper space being farther from the heat source will have a lower temperature than the lower space. The heat source at the lower space will excite the liquid within the lower space producing an increase in vapor pressure within the lower space relative to the upper space. The increase in vapor pressure will exert force upon the liquid within the lower space to communicate the liquid through the connecting hollow member into the upper space. When a sufficient amount of liquid has collected in the upper space, the upper space will contain more mass than the lower space. The asymmetry of the upper space will cause the liquid to collect in an off center manner creating a weight imbalance within the upper space. Gravity acting upon the upper space will pull it downward around the axis of rotation in the direction of the weight imbalance effectively switching the positions of the upper and lower spaces, hereafter referred to as a cycle. Multiple said cycles produce the capacity for 360-degree unidirectional rotation of the device.

With the above and such other objects in view, as may hereinafter more fully appear, the invention consists of novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter more fully described, and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein are shown embodiments of this invention, but it is to be understood that changes, variations, and modifications may be resorted to which fall within the scope of the invention, as claimed.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described in connection withFIGS. 1 and 2of the drawing followed by alternate embodiments withFIGS. 3 and 4of the drawing.

As shown inFIG. 1two enclosed chambers1also referred to as reservoirs are presented one above the other. By convention the same number is used to identify parts that are identical; for example, the number one is used to identify both the upper and lower chambers. A hollow member3, in the form of a tube, connects the two chambers. The hollow member extends into each chamber allowing for only a small distance2between the open ends21of the hollow member and the internal surface20of each chamber away from the points of entry22into each chamber by the hollow member. A vaporizing medium in the form of a liquid11within the lower chamber when heated by a heat source10about a base9will excite the liquid and increase the vapor pressure within the enclosed space12of the lower chamber relative to that which exists within the enclosed space of the upper chamber. The said small distance between the internal surface of the chamber and the open end of the hollow member enables the open end to remain substantially submerged within the liquid to ensure a majority of the liquid is communicated through the hollow member from the lower chamber to the upper chamber as the vapor pressure increases within the lower chamber exerting force upon the liquid within the lower chamber. When a substantial amount of the liquid collects in the upper chamber, gravity acting upon the upper chamber will pull the upper chamber downward around a supporting rotational shaft that defines the axis of rotation6and provides 360-degree rotation. The shaft is connected about its center to the hollow member between the two enclosed chambers5. The shaft is connected at its ends to bearing points7that provide 360-degree rotation that are supported by arms8connected to the base.

The hollow member and enclosed chambers are preferably comprised of a light transmissive material, such as heat and shatter resistant glass or silica, to promote easy observation of the physical phenomena. The heat source is preferably comprised of a light bulb, such as a 10 to 40 watt incandescent or halogen bulb, to simultaneously illuminate the device while providing heat. The vaporizing medium in the form of a liquid is preferably comprised of material with a low boiling point such as ethanol alcohol or acetone and more preferably of a non-flammable material with said low boiling point such as methylene chloride. The enclosed space within the chambers and connecting hollow member is preferably initially substantially evacuated of air before introducing the vaporizing medium in order to provide vaporization at relatively lower temperatures. The use of lower temperatures, heat and shatter resistant material and non-flammable liquid are preferred for increased operational safety.

FIG. 2depicts the side view of the device to illustrate an asymmetric chamber shape with respect to a vertical plane19running lengthwise through a rotational shaft that defines the axis of rotation6and chambers1, in the form of a dimple4to one side of each chamber. One chamber is positioned above the other. As a substantial amount of vaporizing medium in the form of a liquid11collects in the upper chamber by means described within the preceding paragraphs, more liquid will be situated to one side of the vertical plane than the other as a result of the asymmetric shape creating a weight imbalance. Gravity acting upon the imbalance within the upper chamber will create a moment of rotational force in the direction of the heavier side of the chamber, as indicated by the arrow13. Each chamber is configured in such a way as to ensure that the weight imbalance always occurs on the same side of the vertical plane regardless of which chamber is positioned above to provide rotation in a single direction.

FIG. 3is a frontal view of an alternate configuration of an enclosed vapor pressure rotational device in which a rotational shaft that defines the axis of rotation6is connected to support arms14that are attached to connectors15affixed to each of the enclosed chambers1. The figure illustrates the shaft maintained between the two chambers need not be directly attached to the connecting hollow member between the two chambers5for device operation.

FIG. 4is a side view of an alternate configuration of an enclosed vapor pressure rotational device that illustrates an asymmetric form of the two chambers1, one above the other, with respect to a vertical plane19running lengthwise through a rotational shaft that defines the axis of rotation6and said chambers in which outward facing bulges16closest to the axis of rotation toward the center of the device permit more liquid11to fill the upper chamber to one side of the vertical plane while opposing outward bulges17toward each end of the device enable liquid to evacuate the lower chamber in such a manner that more liquid remains on the same side of the vertical plane that contains the greater amount of liquid within the upper chamber. The opposing outward bulges work to enhance unidirectional rotation, as indicated by the arrow13, by allowing gravity to have a greater effect by acting simultaneously upon both the upper and lower chambers to the same side of the vertical plane when a substantial amount of liquid has collected within the upper chamber. The drawing also illustrates a bend18in the connecting hollow member3within each chamber that enables more liquid to be communicated through the hollow member by allowing the end of the hollow member21to remain submerged within the liquid slightly longer during rotation.

The foregoing explanation of a preferred embodiment and alternate embodiments of the invention has been presented for the purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or limit the invention to the precise form disclosed. Many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching. It is intended that the scope of the invention be limited not by this detailed description, but rather by the claims appended hereto.