A New Form of a Jet or Impact Water Wheel.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Mar., 1891-Accepted, 16th May, 1891
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A New Form of a Jet or Impact Water Wheel.
I, CORNELIUS CADLE, Mechanical Engineer, 39 Wellington Quay, Dublin,
Ireland, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement :-
One of the objects of my invention is to construct a jet or impact water wheel as
to secure the desirable qualities of strength and compactness, a further object being
to so construct the device that a high percentage of the full theoretical power of
the water may be utilized and the power of the wheel readily graduated to accord
with varying requirements.
These objects I attain in the manner hercinafter set forth, reference being had to
the accompanying drawings in which :-
Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section partly in elevation of a jet or impact water wheel
constructed in accordance with my invention;
Fig. 2 is a sectional plan view of the same on the line 1-2, Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 is a front view of the valve box;
Fig. 4 is a sectional plan view of another form of valve box and valve constructed
in accordance with my invention;
Figs. 5 and 6 are respectively a front view and a plan view partly in section
illustrating a cut off valve of the jet nozzle.
Figs. 7 and 8 are respectively a side view, and a front view, of a different form
of cut off valve;
Figs. 9 and 10 are respectively front and rear perspective views of one of the
buckets of my improved impact water wheel; and
Fig. 11 is an enlarged diagram illustrating the action of the jets on the buckets
of the wheel.
The frame work upon which the wheel is mounted consist of opposite side
bars A, A, and end plates B B, the side bars carrying the bearings for the
wheel shaft D, and one of the end plates carrying the valve box F, which is in
communication with a supply of water under pressure.
The wheel consists of a disc G, having a hub keyed upon or otherwise rigidly
secured to the shaft D, each side of this disc having around its periphery a series of
buckets J. The end of each bucket are straight and parallel with each other but
the opposite sides of each bucket are inclined or flared from the rounded bottom of
the bucket to the outer edges, so that a jet of water directed against the inner
flaring side of the bucket will follow the rounded bottom of the same and the outer
flaring side, as shewn in Fig. 11, and will exert a propulsive force upon the bucket
until it leaves the same each bucket has a web or plate a, and on the inner side of
each bucket are lugs b, adapted to openings b, formed in the disc G, the lugs
formed on the plates a, of the buckets being perforated for the reception of
transverse securing bolts, d, each bolt passing through the disc, and through the
plates a, of buckets on the opposite side of the same so that each bolt serves to
secure two buckets in place on the disc.
The lugs h, seated in the openings in the disc G, serve to relieve the securing
bolts d, from strain and, in order to still further relieve these bolts the disc G, has
formed upon it a series of angular ribs, against which each bucket is seated when
secured in position upon the disc.
The valve box F, shewn in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, is provided with two projecting
nozzles K, K', located one above the other so as to discharge successfully into the
buckets as the disc G, is rotated and each of these nozzles has, at the delivery end
a central partition y, in line with the disc G, so that each nozzle is divided at the

page_text: delivery end into two jet openings i, one discharging into the buckets on one side of
the disc and the other into the buckets on the opposite side of the same.
A single
valve M, controls the flow of water into both nozzles, the valve being operated by
a rod K¹ threaded for the action of an operating nut ', and said valve M, has a
port m, which serves to open the upper nozzle K, as the movement of the valve is
continued after opening the lower nozzle K, by this means one or both nozzles
may be used depending upon the desired power to be developed by the wheel
another plan of duplex nozzle arrangement in which one nozzle can be used inde-
pendently of the other is that shewn in Fig. 4.
In this case there are two nozzles K, K, side by side one discharging into the
buckets, on one side of the disc, and the other into the buckets on the other side of
the same, the flow of water into these nozzles being controlled by a laterally moving
valve so that one nozzle may be in action while the other is out of action, water
being consequently delivered either to the buckets of the disc only or to buckets
on both sides of the disc.
It is advisable in a jet or impact water wheel, having buckets such as described
to employ a thin jet of water so that it will strike upon the inner side of the
bucket only, hence in order to provide for such a thin jet and yet insure a jet of
considerable volume I make each of the jet openings i, oblong in shape, the
longitudinal line of the opening being in a plain parallel with the plain of the
disc.
This form of jet moreover provides for the convenient reduction of the area of
the jet when it is desired to reduce the consumption of water and the power
developed by the wheel, more or less of the jet opening being in such case, cut
off in the direction of the length of the opening, so that the full width of the jet is
maintained in order to insure the most effective action of the water striking the
bucket.
This reduction in the area of the jet opening may be effected by simply inserting
a plug which partly fills the opening but the preferable plan is to provide a cut off
plate for the delivery end of the jet opening so that by the adjustment of this
plate more or less of the opening in the direction of the length of the same may be
covered.
One form of such cut off is shewn in Figs. 5 and 6 the cut off plate P, in this
case being hung, that one side of the jet nozzle and connected at the opposite side
of the same to a suitable operating rod P, so that it may be swung across the jet
openings to cover or expose the same, as desired.
Another form of cut off plate is that illustrated in Figs. 7 and 8 the cut off
plate S, in this case travelling across the segmental end of the nozzle being hung to
arms S, having hubs turning upon studs projecting laterally from the nozzle one of
the said hubs having another arm S2, to which is connected a suitable operating
rod T.
It will be observed that as the disc G, rotates and carries its buckets past the
nozzles, the jet first enters the forward end of the bucket the latter being carried
further and further into the jet as the disc rotates.
When only a part of the full jet is acting a certain percentage of its force is lost,
if it is allowed to spread into the advancing portion of the bucket, hence I prefer
to divide each bucket into a series of chambers by means of ribs or flanges n,
projecting into the bucket from the bottom and sides of the same and following the
contour of the bucket as shewn more clearly in Fig. 9, for by this means the spread
of the partial jet into an empty bucket when the water first enters the same is
effectually prevented, and said partial jet is so confined as to exert its maxium
propulsive effect upon the bucket in order that the jets of water issuing from the
tangential nozzles may not strike the forward end of the buckets as the latter are
carried into the jets, said buckets are arranged upon the disc G, at such an angle
that their forward ends when they enter the jets are in a plane parallel with the
planes of the jets, or the front edge of the bucket is slightly in advance of that
plane as shown in Fig. 1.

page_text: In the construction shown in Figs. 1. 24 and 11, the nozzle plate has a thin
projecting web S, the outer edge of which is on a curve of slightly greater radius
than the periphery of the disc G, so that if the said web is set, so as to be central
in respect to the disc and so as to just clear the same, the proper relation of the
nozzles to the buckets will be insured, in case it is desired to use a cut off valve P,
or S, this web is of course dispensed with.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is.
First. The combination of the disc and the buckets on opposite sides of the same
with a bolt passing through the disc and through opposite buckets and serving to
secure said buckets to the disc substantially as specified.
Second. The combination of the disc having openings therein with buckets
having projections adapted to said openings, and bolts for securing said buckets to
the disc substantially as specified.
Third. The combination in a jet or impact water wheel of the tangential nozzle
and a disc, having buckets with transverse partition plates whereby each bucket is
divided into a series of chambers which are brought in succession into the path of
the jet as the disc rotates, substantially as specified.
Dated this 25th day of March 1891.
CORNELIUS CADLE.