Abstract:
A wheel thruster for converting rotary motion to a unidirectional thrust resulting from an unbalance of centrifugal force produced by air or steam pressure and rotation of weights about an axis, comprising a housing, a rotatable wheel within the housing, the rotatable wheel mounted on a shaft for rotation about a common axis, a plurality of weights connected to the wheel; a plurality of bearings located between the shaft and the wheel; the shaft being powered by a motor; and, a means for supply air or steam pressure, which pressure is distributed within the housing producing ambient pressure to the rotating wheel.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]    U.S. Provisional Application for Pat. 60/225,653, filed Aug. 16, 2000, with title, “Wheel Thruster” which is hereby incorporated by reference. Applicant claims priority pursuant to 35 U.S.C. Par. 119(e)(i). 
     
    
     
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0003]    This invention relates to a wheel thruster apparatus, and more particularly to an apparatus for converting rotary motion to a unidirectional thrust resulting from an unbalance of centrifugal force caused by air or steam pressure and a rotation of weights about an axis.  
           [0004]    2. Brief Description of Prior Art  
           [0005]    Systems for converting rotary motion into unidirectional motion by rotating weights about an axis are known in the art. However, previous embodiments generally rely on mechanical means to cause a displacement of rotary masses, thereby causing the unbalance centrifugal force. The prior art devices rely upon the displacement of rotating masses in which the masses are oscillated toward and away from the axis of rotation. Consequently, unbalanced centrifugal force is generated in a preselected direction, and the direction of the unbalanced centrifugal force is selective. These devices are overly complex to manufacture, require complex systems and critically interrelated rotating components, and the like. Therefore, a need exists for a less complicated wheel thruster system that converts rotary motion to unidirectional motion by rotating weights about an axis.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0006]    The present invention produces thrust from an unbalance centrifugal force that is consistently located at a single location on a rotatable wheel by converting rotary motion to unidirectional motion, including a motor, a rotatable wheel carried by a housing, an adjustable vent assembly, said rotatable wheel mounted on a shaft for rotation around a common axis, a plurality of mass blocks situated within a plurality of milled pockets evenly spaced circumferentially around the wheel, an air or steam pressure means connected to the vent assembly that provides said air or steam pressure to the wheel, and a flow divider that properly distributes said air pressure around the circumference of the wheel to create said unbalance centrifugal force that produces said thrust.  
           [0007]    In the present invention, rotary motion of the wheel is converted to unidirectional motion due to a resultant unbalanced force produced by rotating the wheel, and the introduction of air or steam pressure. The unidirectional characters of the unbalanced centrifugal force is responsible for thrust movement. The unbalanced centrifugal force is, in effect, a thrust force capable of moving a movable frame or vehicle, without any requirement of traction between the frame or vehicle and supporting surface or medium.  
           [0008]    In a further embodiment, the mass blocks are contained about the perimeter of the wheel design by a band thereby eliminating the need for said plurality of milled pockets.  
           [0009]    The present apparatus in its various embodiments, as discussed herein, can be utilized to propel virtually any form of movable frame, as well as vehicles of all types. Thus, the apparatus can be used to propel aircraft, space vehicles and the like.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0010]    [0010]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the present invention, namely a wheel thruster assembly.  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the housing and rotatable wheel of the assembly of FIG. 1.  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the components of the assembly of FIG. 1.  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 4 is a top view of the assembly of FIG. 2.  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 5 is an exploded sectional view of the rotatable wheel.  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 6 illustrates an exploded perspective view of a second embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0016]    [0016]FIG. 1 illustrates the preferred embodiment of the present invention, an apparatus which is a wheel thruster  1  that produces thrust from an unbalance centrifugal force that is consistently located at a single location on a cylindrical rotatable wheel  20  by converting rotary motion to unidirectional motion, including a housing  10 , a shaft  30 , a motor  50 , an adjustable vent assembly  60 , and a means for supplying air or steam pressure (not shown). The motor  50 , as will be seen, is operative to effect rotation of the wheel  20  of the apparatus  1 . Further, said motor  50  to effectuate rotation of the wheel  20  may be varied to suit the particular requirements of each application, and the present invention is not limited to, for example, internal combustion engines, electric motors, or the like.  
         [0017]    Referring to FIGS. 2, 3 and  4 , the rotatable wheel  20  includes a top plate  22  having a plurality of relief vents  23 , a plurality of mass blocks  25 , a wheel center  27  having a plurality of vents  28 , and in the preferred embodiment, a plurality of milled pockets  35  which are open at its outer periphery and are evenly spaced circumferentially around the wheel  20 , the number of pockets  35  corresponding to the number of mass blocks  25 . Each milled pocket  35  having a first edge  35 A and a second edge  35 B, which edges  35 A,  35 B slidably accept the mass blocks  25 . Consequently, the pockets  35  and blocks  25  constitute a rotating “floating” mass within the apparatus  1 . The rotatable wheel  20  further includes a bottom plate  39 .  
         [0018]    The housing  10  includes a first end  10 A and a second end  10 B, a top  40  having a top mount  43  and a plurality of vent clearances  41 , sides  40 A and  40 B, and a bottom  42 , defining a chamber  45  contained therein. The top plate  22 , the wheel center  27 , the bottom plate  39 , the top  40  and the bottom  42  of the housing  10  include central openings through which the shaft  30  is disposed. With this arrangement, any rotation of the shaft  30  is accompanied by corresponding rotation of the wheel  20  and the plurality of mass blocks  25 .  
         [0019]    Referring to FIG. 3, the adjustable vent assembly  60  includes a frame  62  defining grooves  63  therein, a valve motor  64  having a screw  65 , and a vent support  66  having vents  66 A and  66 B, said vent support  66  is slidably received within the grooves  63  of the frame  62  (shown in FIGS. 1 and 2). Further, said screw  65  is threadably attached to the side of the vent support  66 .  
         [0020]    The motor  50 , top  40 , and rotatable wheel  20  are mounted to the bottom  42  of the housing  10  using a bushing  70  attached to the shaft  30  as shown in FIG. 3. Further, as shown in FIG. 3, the motor  50  is connected to the shaft  30  and top mount  43  of the top  40  with a coupler  80  and a washer  85 .  
         [0021]    The assembly  1  further includes a flow divider  90  in the housing  10  that, as will be described, properly distributes incoming air pressure within the chamber  45  around the circumference of the rotatable wheel  20 .  
         [0022]    The air or steam pressure means is connected to either the vent  66 A or  66 B of the vent assembly  60  as will be discussed, and distributes air or steam pressure through the flow divider  90  and to the wheel  20  contained within the housing  10 . The particular means for providing such air or steam pressure can be varied to suit the particular requirements of each application.  
         [0023]    As an example, and shown in FIG. 4, air or steam pressure is distributed into vent  66 B in the direction of arrow A. Such air or steam passes through the flow divider  90  and into the chamber  45 , and distributed around the circumference of the rotatable wheel  20 . Such air is expelled through vent  66 A on the opposite side of the apparatus  1  in the direction of arrow B. The incoming pressure shown as arrow A applies an inward force to the wheel  20 . An ambient pressure is created as a result of the incoming pressure and rotation of the wheel  20 . The ambient pressure is partially released from the housing  10  through the vent  66 A shown as arrow B.  
         [0024]    In operation, the unbalanced centrifugal force is a result of varying the center of gravity of the mass blocks  25  from the wheel center  27 . This is accomplished according to the present invention, by a transfer of the mass blocks  25  inwardly and outwardly in a weightless state, the combination of these mass changes causing the desired unbalanced centrifugal force.  
         [0025]    The rotation of the shaft  30  is effected by starting the motor  50 , and results in the rotation of the rotatable wheel  20  and the plurality of mass blocks  25 . When the inclusion of the incoming air pressure is applied through the vent  66 B (arrow A in FIG. 4), the mass blocks  25  are urged inward towards the wheel center  27  and as the wheel  20  rotates in the direction of Arrow D (shown in FIG. 4), away from the high pressure side of the apparatus  1 , the mass blocks  25  are generally forced outwardly away from the center  27 . When the mass blocks  25  pass the center line which is marked C 1  in FIG. 4, the mass blocks  25  will be at an external diameter position that causes the wheel  20  to be unbalanced. The collective effect of such an unbalance of the wheel  20  causes an unbalanced centrifugal force to develop, which results in the frame or vehicle to which the apparatus  1  is attached move in the direction it is most off balanced thereby creating a thrust action. The speed of movement in the direction of the off balance can be controlled by varying the rate of rotation of the shaft  30 , or by controlling the degree of air pressure thereby varying the angular position the mass blocks  25  move inward and outwardly.  
         [0026]    With the inclusion of the incoming air under pressure, and the rotation of the wheel  20 , this results in a variation of the centrifugal force produced on the wheel  20  by the plurality of mass blocks  25 . As the speed in which the wheel  20  rotates increases, the speed will eventually cause the mass blocks  25  to be weightless. Once the mass blocks  25  are in a weightless state, the force from the ambient pressure will cause the mass blocks  25  as they pass the center line C 1  in FIG. 4, to extend outwardly from the wheel center  27 . As the mass blocks  25  pass the said center line they continue to rotate toward the outlet vent  66 A (arrow B). The result is an unbalanced wheel  20  that causes the unbalanced wheel  20  to move away from the center of rotation. The resulting unbalance of centrifugal force produces a unidirectional thrust in the direction of, in this example, the said outlet vent  66 A.  
         [0027]    As shown in FIGS.  1 - 4 , the adjustable vent assembly  60  is situated on both ends of the apparatus  1 . In the previous example, incoming air pressure was applied through the vent  66 B of the vent assembly  60  situated on the first end  10 A of the housing  10 . To change direction of the thrust, involves applying incoming pressure to the opposite side vent assembly  60  situated on the second end  10 B of the housing  10 . In the previous example, incoming pressure was received by vent  66 B on the first end  10 A of the apparatus  1  (referenced as arrow A) and expelled through vent  66 A on the second end  10 B of the apparatus  1  (arrow B). To change the direction of thrust, incoming air pressure would be received by vent  66 B on the second end  10 B of the housing  10 , and expelled through the vent  66 A on the first end  10 A of the housing  10 . When one of the vents  66 A or  66 B on the end of the apparatus  1  is being used to receive or expel air as described above, the remaining vent on that end of the apparatus  1  is slidably blocked, as will be discussed, by either the end  10 A or  10 B. As best shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, selection of the vent  66 A or  66 B is to receive or expel air and the vent  66 A or  66 B to be blocked, is adjusted by slidably moving vent support  66  using valve motor  64  turning screw  65 . The screw  65  is threadably attached to the side of the vent assembly  66 , so that the motor  64 , when activated, slidably pulls or pushes the vent support  66  within the grooves  63  of the frame  62  of the vent assembly  60  such that the selected vent  66 A or  66 B is blocked by ends  10 A or  10 B.  
         [0028]    Said vents  23 ,  28  and  41  cooperatively allow pressure to be released within the chamber  45  caused by the inclusion of the incoming pressure and the rotation of the wheel  20 ; otherwise, too much internal pressure within the chamber  45  would prevent or restrict rotational movement of the mass blocks  25 . When the mass blocks  25  pass the center line C 1  of the rotation, shown in FIG. 4, the vents  28  serve as an intake allowing to draw air behind the mass blocks  25 ; when the mass blocks  25  pass the opposite center line C 2  on the apparatus  1 , the vents  28  become an exhaust allowing it to expel air so the mass block  25  can shift. Having a plurality of said vents  28 , including vents  28  in the milled pockets  35  behind the mass blocks  25 , allows release of such pressure regardless of the direction of the wheel  20  rotation.  
         [0029]    Referring now to FIG. 6, there is illustrated a second embodiment of the present invention. Where the components of the apparatus  1  are identical, except, as shown in FIG. 6, a band  100  is wrapped around the mass blocks  25 . Such band  100  replaces the milled pockets  35  described in the first embodiment. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, the mass blocks  25  are held in place by the band  100 , the top plate  22  and the bottom plate  39  of the rotatable wheel  20 . The operation of the apparatus  1  would be as described in the first embodiment.  
         [0030]    Although the description above contains many specificities, these should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention but as merely providing illustrations of some of the presently preferred embodiments of this invention. Thus, the scope of the invention should be determined by the appended claims in the formal application and their legal equivalents, rather than by the examples given.