IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS AND APPARATUS FOR UTILIZING THE FORCE OF THE WAVES
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Francis Ellershausen, of Ellershouse, Nova
Scotia, and Theodore Wehle, of New York, United States of
America, but at present both of No. 20, Southampton Buildings,
Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS AND APPARATUS FOR UTILIZING THE FORCE OF
THE WAVES."
Sealed the 29th March 1870, and dated the 20th December 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Francis Ellershausen
and Theodore Wehle at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents;
with their Petition, on the 20th December 1869.
We, FRANCIS ELLERSHAUSEN, of Ellershouse, Nova Scotia, and
THEODORE WEHLE, of New York, United States of America, but at
present both of No. 20, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the

page_text: County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS AND APPARATUS FOR UTILIZING THE FORCE OF
THE WAVES," to be as follows:-
Our Invention consists in causing the waves of the ocean or other
large body of water by their force, momentum, or vis viva in entering an
open chamber, firstly, to propel a body of air contained in such chamber
through one or more orifices, and either to act by its impulse directly
upon a suitable prime mover, such as a turbine, or upon a body of water
so as to propel the same, or to pass into a closed chamber or air vessel
where it is accumulated under pressure to act as motive power in any
desired manner.
Secondly. We cause such waves by their reflux after entering the
open chamber to produce a partial vacuum or suction therein whereby
air may be exhausted from a pump, air vessel, or suction apparatus in
communication therewith so as to raise water through pipes. The
chamber for receiving the waves is by preference made of a tapering
form widening out towards the inlet end, and in order to render such
apparatus effective at all heights of the tides and size of the waves we
prefer to construct the same of a number of superposed compartments,
so that at a low level of the tide or wave it shall enter into and displace
the air from the lower compartments only, while at a high level of the
tide or wave it shall enter the whole of the compartments. In order to
prevent the air forced out from passing back into the chamber one or
more valves are arranged at the exit end thereof, and the entrance of
the air into the chamber for allowing of the escape of the water may be
effected either simply through the front open end of the chamber or
through one or more side valves in the chamber opening inwards, or such
air may be supplied from the before described suction apparatus whereby
the raising of water is effected when such apparatus is employed in
connection therewith. In this apparatus the air by being drawn into
the chamber or "wave ram," as we term it, is exhausted from the pump
or air vessel, whereby the water is caused to rise through a pipe into the
same, after which upon a wave again entering the wave ram the air is
forced back into the air vessel, and the water is thereby forced out
through a valve into a tank or reservoir, from which it may be again
raised to a greater height by a second suction apparatus worked either
by a second separate wave ram or by another of the superposed

page_text: compartments of the same wave ram. We also prefer to apply at the
front open end of the chamber a flap or valve opening inwards and
closing only the upper part of the opening.