Patent Publication Number: US-2019186460-A1

Title: Rotational generator

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of Invention 
     The present invention relates generally to rotating devices and in particular to a rotating device driven by a plurality of balls. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     There exists a need to produce power and/or movement for a vehicle. There exists a growing need around the world to provide sources of energy which are readily available and produce low or no pollution. Disadvantageously, many current forms of energy are expensive and may be sources of pollution. 
     The use of buoyancy or gravity to provide lift and therefore power have been previously proposed. However such previous attempts have not been successful as either too complicated or lacking scalability. In particular, some attempts have been proposed which utilize buoyant or weighted balls which move in a track or circuit to provide energy or lift. Examples of such devices may be found in U.S. Pat. No. 8,516,812 to Manakkattupadeettathil or U.S. Pat. No. 6,734,574 to Shin. Such solutions are extremely complicated and impractical for use on a vehicle. 
     Further other proposed solutions have linked a plurality of buoyant bodies together. Examples of such devices may be found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,944,480 to Forrest. Disadvantageously, as the buoyant bodies in such devices are connected to the rest of the apparatus only be strings or the like, such a device would be prone to excessive movement of the bodies during movement of the apparatus. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     According to a first embodiment of the present invention there is disclosed a rotating apparatus comprising a base, at least two elongate retaining arms extending a length between first and second ends, each of the at least two retaining arms rotatably supported by the base along a horizontal axis proximate to the second end and a slot extending through each of the at least two retaining arms from the first end of each of the at least two retaining arms. The apparatus further comprises a ball retained within the slot, and a concave ball guide secured to the base wherein the concave ball guide is passed through the slot as the at least two retaining arms are moved therepast. 
     The at least two retaining arms may comprise two retaining arms. The two retaining arms may extend along a common axis. 
     The apparatus may further comprise a convex ball guide extending between fixed and free ends wherein the fixed end may be secured to the concave ball guide. The convex ball guide may extend through the slot as the at least two retaining arms are moved therepast. 
     The apparatus may further comprise a vertical ball passage between the concave ball guide and the fixed end of the convex ball guide. The vertical ball passage may be adapted to permit the ball to pass therethrough. 
     The slot may include a widened portion adapted to permit the vertical ball passage to pass therethrough as the at least two retaining arms are moved therepast. The free end may be horizontally spaced apart from the fixed end. 
     The convex ball guide may have a length adapted to move the ball within the slot to a position proximate to the free end and the first end of the at least two retaining arms as the at least two retaining arms are moved therepast. 
     The ball may be buoyant. The horizontal axis may be submerged within a fluid at a depth less than the length of each of the at least two retaining arms. The ball may be weighted. 
     Other aspects and features of the present invention will become apparent to those ordinarily skilled in the art upon review of the following description of specific embodiments of the invention in conjunction with the accompanying figures. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       In drawings which illustrate embodiments of the invention wherein similar characters of reference denote corresponding parts in each view, 
         FIG. 1  is a side view of a rotating apparatus according to a first embodiment of the invention partially submerged within a body of water. 
         FIG. 2  is a cross sectional view of the rotating apparatus taken along the line  2 - 2  of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is an end view of the apparatus of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  is a side view of the apparatus of  FIG. 1  in a rotated position. 
         FIG. 5  is a side view of the apparatus of  FIG. 1  in a rotated position. 
         FIG. 6  is a side view of the apparatus of  FIG. 1  utilizing weighted balls according to a further embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view of a rotating apparatus according to a further embodiment having a plurality of radially staggered arms. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a rotating apparatus according to a first embodiment of the invention is shown generally at  10 , partially submerged in a body of water  8  with a surface  6 . The apparatus  10  includes a retaining arm assembly  20  rotatably supported about a horizontal axis  500  by a base  50 . As the retaining arm assembly  20  rotates about the axis  500  in a direction indicated at  502 , a pair of balls  12  retained within the retaining arm assembly  20  are guided within the retaining arm assembly  20  by a ball guide assembly  80 , as will be set out it further detail below. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 through 3 , the base  50  extends between top and bottom edges,  52  and  54 , respectively, and includes a top portion  56  proximate to the top edge  52  and a pair of retaining arm supports  58  extending from the top portion  56  to the bottom edge  54 . Each retaining arm support  58  includes a bore  60  extending along the axis  500  adapted to receive a shaft  62  therethrough. 
     The retaining arm assembly  20  extends between arcuate ends  22  and the horizontal axis  500 , and between first and second edges,  26  and  28 , respectively. As illustrated, the retaining arm assembly  20  may include two ends  22  such that the retaining arm assembly  20  extends along an axis  504  between each arcuate end  22  and the horizontal axis  500  although each retaining arm assembly  20  may also be formed as only a single length extending radially from the horizontal axis  500 . The retaining arm assembly  20  is comprised of first and second side retainers,  30  and  32 , respectively, joined by a pair of central planar joining members  46  extending therebetween spaced apart and parallel to the horizontal axis  500 , as best seen in  FIG. 3 . Each retainer  30  and  32  includes a planar center portion  40  with a bore  34  therethrough at the horizontal axis  500 , adapted to receive the shaft  62  therethrough. The retaining arm assembly  20  is secured to the shaft  62  with a pair of shaft collars  78  secured thereto, as is commonly known. The shaft  62  is rotatably secured to the retaining arm supports  58  with additional shaft collars  78 . 
     As best seen in  FIG. 2 , the retaining arm assembly  20  includes slots  36  extending from the ends  22  between the first and second retainers  30  and  32 . As best seen in  FIG. 1 , each retainer  30  and  32 , includes a gap  38  extending from proximate the ends  22  to the center portion  40 . The ends  22  may include flexible lips  42  extending partially into the slots  36 . As illustrated in  FIGS. 1 and 3 , the retaining arm assembly is formed as a wire frame. The balls  12  are retained between the first and second retainers  30  and  32 , and are adapted to move longitudinally within the slots  36  and the gaps  38 , as will be set out in further detail below. The second retainer  32  includes expanded portions  44  proximate to the center portion  40 , the purpose of which will be set out below. Referring to  FIG. 1 , the ball guide assembly  80  includes a concave ball guide  82  and a convex ball guide  84  with a vertical ball passage connector  86  therebetween. The ball guide assembly  80  is adapted to be received within the slots  36  of the retaining arm assembly  20  as the retaining arm assembly  20  is rotated therepast, as will be set out further below. 
     The concave ball guide  82  extends between top and bottom edges,  88  and  90 , respectively, and includes a concave ball guide surface  92 . The convex ball guide  84  extends between horizontally spaced apart fixed and free ends,  94  and  96 , respectively, and includes a convex ball guide surface  98  extending below the horizontal axis  500 . The concave ball guide  82  is mounted to the top portion  56  of the base  50  proximate to the top edge  88 , by means as are commonly known. 
     As illustrated in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the vertical ball passage connector  86  is secured to the concave ball guide  82  proximate to the bottom edge  90  and to the convex ball guide  84  proximate to the free end  94 . The vertical ball passage connector  86  is adapted to pass between the retainers  30  and  32  proximate to the expanded portions  44  of the second retainer  32  as the retaining arm assembly  20  is rotated therepast. The purpose of the vertical ball passage connector  86  is to direct a ball  12  from engagement upon the concave ball guide surface  92  to engagement upon the convex ball guide surface  98 . As illustrated in  FIG. 2 , a ball  12  is engaged upon the concave ball guide  82 , the convex ball guide  84  and the vertical ball passage connector  86  as the retaining arm assembly  20  is rotated therepast. 
     As illustrated in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the free end  96  of the convex ball guide  84  is adapted to position the ball  12  within the slot  36  and the gap  38  proximate to an end  22  of the retaining arm assembly  20  as the retaining arm assembly  20  is rotated therepast. The flexible lips  42  are adapted to retain the ball  12  between the free end  96  of the convex ball guide  84  and the end  22 , as the retaining arm assembly  20  is rotated therepast, as illustrated in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . 
     The balls  12  are buoyant and may be formed using such as, by way of non-limiting example, air-tight, hollow plastic. As illustrated in  FIGS. 2, 4 and 5 , one ball  12  is retained in the retaining arm assembly  20  within each slot  36 . As the balls  12  are buoyant and the apparatus  10  is partially submerged in water  8 , the buoyant balls  12  are forced upwards towards the surface  6  of the water  8 , in the direction indicated at  506 . For clarity, each ball  12  is designated as either an upper ball  12   a  located above the horizontal axis  500  or a lower ball  12   b  located below the horizontal axis  500 . Following an initial application of force to the retaining arm assembly  20  to initiate rotation in the direction indicated at  502 , the upper ball  12   a  passes the free end  96  of the convex ball guide  84  and naturally moves towards the surface  6  of the water  8 , thereby rotating the retaining arm assembly  20  in the direction indicated at  502 , and moving the lower ball  12   b  into engagement with the convex ball guide  84 , as illustrated in  FIG. 4 . The momentum of the retaining arm assembly  20  and the longer lever arm between the axis  500  and the upper ball  12   a  compared to the shorter lever arm between the axis  500  and the lower ball  12   b  enables the retaining arm assembly  20  to continue to rotate such that the upper ball  12   a  moves into engagement with the concave ball guide  82  and the lower ball  12   b  moves along the convex ball guide  84  towards the free end  96 . Due to momentum and buoyancy of the balls  12 , the retaining arm assembly  20  continues to rotate in the direction indicated at  502 . Note that a generator may be attached to the shaft  62  by means as are commonly known to produce electricity while the shaft  62  is rotating, as is commonly known. Optionally, the rotation of the arm assembly  20  may also provide a movement operable to drive a propeller or may include other means of propelling a vehicle. Although a single pair of retaining arm assemblies  20  are illustrated in  FIGS. 1-6 , it will be appreciated that more than one retaining arm assembly  20  may be located on a common shaft so as to be radially arranged around the shaft as illustrated in  FIG. 7 . 
     Turning now to  FIG. 6 , an alternate embodiment of the apparatus  10  is illustrated with weighted balls  12  using the force of gravity in a direction generally indicated at  508  to propel the balls  12 . For clarity, a ball located above the horizontal axis  500  is designated as an upper ball  12   a  while a lower ball  12   b  is located below the horizontal axis  500 . As a ball  12  passes the free end  96  of the convex ball guide  84 , the force of gravity  508  naturally moves the lower ball  12   b  down, thereby rotating the retaining arm assembly  20  about the horizontal axis  500  in the direction indicated at  502 . In a similar manner to that described above, the balls  12  alternate between engagement with the concave ball guide  82  and the convex ball guide  84 . As illustrated in  FIG. 6 , the retaining arm assemblies of the gravity driven apparatus may be formed of tubes having slots  36  extending therein as set out above to reduce the effects of air friction upon the balls. 
     While specific embodiments of the invention have been described and illustrated, such embodiments should be considered illustrative of the invention only and not as limiting the invention as construed in accordance with the accompanying claims.