Fluid current driven machine employing individually self-governing energy panels

The self-governing energy panel is to be used as one of a group of panels designed to collect wind for and govern the speed of the windpowered traveling shaft machine. This machine is designed to convert windpower into other forms of energy (e.g. electricity or direct-drive) by connection to a generator or other device. The panel is hung on bearings that are on the support beams that protrude out from the horizontal shaft of the windpowered traveling shaft machine. The panel has the majority of its length below the bearings; however, there are several places the panel may be attached to the beams thus changing how much of the panel is above or below the bearings. The panel will hang vertically to the ground in calm periods but with increasing wind speed the panel can change to a completely horizontal position by rotating on the bearings. Weights of various sizes may be added to the bottom of the panel, which along with the bearing position, will control at what wind speed the panel wall reach different angled positions. An enclosure is required around the approximate bottom one-third of the machine. The force of the wind will cause the panel to carry the support beam in a forward direction and turn the main horizontal shaft of the windpowered traveling shaft machine which will turn a generator or other device to produce electricity or mechanical power. The size of the windpowered traveling shaft machine determines the wind speed that it will withstand. It is a fixed-base machine.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates in general to all machines that generate power by 
use of wind or water. In particular it relates to fixed based wind or 
water powered generating machines. 
Each of the self-governing energy panels is programmed by adding weights to 
the hollow tubing in the bottom of the panel and by adjusting the length 
of the panel's swing by a choice of bearing locations on the panel frame 
itself. The panel swings freely usually remaining in a vertical position 
related to the ground but can be pushed by the wind into a horizontal 
position in relation to the ground. In addition, as the wind increases and 
further blows the panel out from its normally lateral position torque will 
be increased and the displaced panel will slow down the revolutions of the 
machine around its central rotating axis compared to the number of 
revolutions that could be expected if the panels remained in a strictly 
vertical position. This feature enables the self-governing energy panels 
on the windpowered traveling shaft machine to continue operation in higher 
winds that would otherwise damage a permanently fixed vertical panel. This 
displacement feature for wind and its self-governing nature are what place 
this invention into a unique category for wind-powered machines. This 
design also enables the machine to be built in a variety of sizes. In an 
effort to show the improvements that the self-governing energy panels on 
the windpowered traveling shaft machine have over other similar 
inventions, the following list of U.S. patents discloses items with 
features which have been conceived similarly in nature: 
______________________________________ 
DOCUMENT NO. PATENTEE ISSUE DATE 
______________________________________ 
297904 Witherspoon 
4-1884 
387102 Nagel 7-1888 
410132 Witherell 8-1889 
583171 Curry 5-1897 
885141 Brown, O.E. 
4-1908 
1099602 Houtz 6-1914 
1321415 Brown, A.E. 
11-1919 
1650618 Erickson 11-1927 
4315713 Verplanke 2-1982 
______________________________________ 
Also, the following foreign patents are considered as similar: 
______________________________________ 
DOCUMENT NO. COUNTRY NAME ISSUE DATE 
______________________________________ 
168359 Austria Hausher 5-1951 
84871 Japan -- 6-1980 
47683 Japan -- 4-1981 
______________________________________ 
In Witherspoon's invention, the sails have mechanized spring stops as 
compared to the panels on this invention which have no stops and are 
governed by weight only. Also, there is only one bearing supporting the 
turning structure. The sails hang on their end and are not controlled by 
weight. 
In Nagel's invention, there are no weights controlling the pyramidal cups, 
and the cups are apparently regulated by an individual opening and closing 
doors instead of by self-regulation. 
Witherell's invention uses water instead of air to turn the axis. The 
blades also stop with a mechanical stop and have no self-governing 
features. 
Curry's invention is designed for use in the water. His added weights are 
distributed evenly throughout the lower half of the blade which while 
appropriate for the water is not effective for controlling air movements. 
His invention also applies power to a source rather than taking power from 
the outside source. 
O. E. Brown's invention has holes in its blades since they are designed for 
use in water. This invention also uses mechanical stops for the blades. It 
applies power to the water as opposed to taking power from the water to 
provide energy. 
In Houtz's invention, there are no weights controlling the speed of the 
axis but a mechanically raised shield that controls the amount of wind 
striking the blades. The blades are fixed to the central axis. Panels are 
not used to govern this machine. 
In A. E. Brown's invention, the panels have stops and are hinged at the 
top. They lock in position, have no weight adjustments at the bottom of 
the panels and are not self-governing. 
In Erickson's invention, the blades are curved and are fixed onto the 
central axis. There is no automatic provision for the controlling the rate 
of revolutions except by wind speed. An operator has to manually raise a 
wind shield to slow or speed up the machine for any given wind speed. 
In Verplanke's invention, the blades are curved and fixed onto a central 
axis. Panels are not used. There are no weights nor self-governing devices 
for the machine. 
On Hauhser's invention (Austria), the blades are hinged at the top but have 
no weight adjustment or panel adjustment device. This machine rotates 
parallel (horizontally) to the ground as opposed to rotating in a 
perpendicular manner (vertical to the ground). 
On the June 1980 Japanese invention, there are no hinged panels with 
weights. The blades are supported on the outside of the wheel, have stops, 
and are controlled by spring pressure. 
On the April 1981 Japanese invention, there are no weights for the blades 
which have stoppers and are returned to a normal position by spring 
pressure. This machine rotates parallel (horizontally) to the ground as 
opposed to rotating in a perpendicular manner (vertical to the ground). 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The self-governing energy panels on the windpowered traveling shaft machine 
provide a self-governing method for producing energy in low or high winds. 
The wind blowing into the panel covering will turn the wheel around the 
central rotating axis which will then turn other ancillary devices that 
will produce electricity or similar power. In higher winds, the panels 
will be displaced so that their bottoms move away from the direction from 
which the wind is coming. This feature increases the torque on the machine 
and helps reduce the number of revolutions per minute that the machine 
turns so that the panels act as a self-governing device that keeps the 
machine from spinning out of control or damaging itself in higher winds. 
The tendency is for the wind to catch the panel towards the top of its 
radius and carry it forward to a point where the wind panel is covered by 
the wind shield. Also, since this machine can easily be built in different 
sizes, the size of the machine itself can help govern its revolutions per 
minute since a fifty-foot radius machine will make fewer turns in a fifty 
mile-per-hour wind than would a five-foot radius machine. The wind shield 
on this machine is used to shield the machine from countervailing winds 
and not to control the speed of the machine.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles of this 
invention, reference will now be made to the embodiment illustrated in the 
drawings and specific language will be used to describe the same. It will 
nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the 
invention is thereby intended, such alterations and further modifications 
in the illustrated device, and such further applications of the principles 
of the invention as illustrated therein being contemplated as would 
normally occur to one skilled in the art to which this invention relates. 
Referring to FIG. 1, there is a windpowered traveling shaft machine 7 which 
revolves a central horizontal rotating axis 1 which when rotated will turn 
other ancillary devices (not shown) which are connected to or are part of 
the machine (e.g. a generator). For illustrative purposes the panels 4 are 
mounted in pairs towards the end of five sets of support beams 3 radiating 
out from the central rotating axis 1 of the machine. For two panels, there 
must be three support beams in each set. The support beams 3 are braced by 
sets of lateral beams 8 that connect the different sets of the support 
beams 3. The support beams are fixed to the horizontal axis 1. Two pillars 
9 in turn support the axis. Different sizes of the machine can be 
constructed. A wind screen 16, approximately one-third the height of the 
machine is needed to protect the machine from countervailing winds. The 
wind screen should be open at the bottom to allow for smooth airflow. 
Referring to FIG. 2, there is shown the central horizontal axis 1 which 
rotates when the self-governing energy panels 4 are pushed by the wind. 
The axis is attached to two pillow block bearings 2 located at either end 
of the axis in the pillars 9. The support beams 3 are attached to the axis 
1 by means of sockets 10 attached to the axis. These sockets 10 are 
further supported by brackets 11 which are attached to both the socket 10 
and the axis 1. As best shown in FIG. 3, the self-governing energy panel 4 
is attached to the support beams 3 by inserting male connections 12 into 
the female sockets 5 of the support beams. Additional support for the 
support beams can be provided by the horizontal beam supports 13 
permanently attached to the support beams. As can be noted in the figure, 
the pillars 9 are permanently anchored in the ground. The self-governing 
energy panels 4 have a panel surface 4C that can be of any type of 
material that can be mounted to the panel support structure, which 
consists of horizontal support frames 4A and vertical support frames 4B. 
Referring again to FIG. 3, the male connections 12 can be clearly seen 
inserted into the female sockets 5 which are attached to the support beam 
3. These form the bearings for the panel. 
In FIG. 4, the weight 6 is shown inside the bottom hollow tube horizontal 
support frame 4A. The weight/s 6 are held in the bottom beam by capping 
the beam with a stub shaft (plug) 14 that is either inserted into the beam 
or is welded onto the beam as illustrated in FIG. 3. 
FIG. 5 shows the effect of a light wind on the machine and panels with the 
machine rotating in this case in a counter-clockwise direction since the 
wind is coming from the right. With the weights 6 in the bottom of the 
self-governing energy panel 4, the panel remains virtually perpendicular 
relative to the ground as it rotates around the central axis 1. 
In FIG. 6, the self-governing energy panel 4 can be seen to have moved to 
other positions relative to increasing wind speed so that at some wind 
speed the panel 4 will become parallel to the surface of the ground with 
the weights 6 extending away from the direction of the wind.