An Apparatus for the Application of Tidal and Wave Action as a Motive Force.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 15th June, 1894
Complete Specification Left, 15th Mar., 1895-Accepted, 1st June, 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Apparatus for the Application of Tidal and Wave Action as a
Motive Force.
IWALTER JAMES GRIFFITHS of 40 Albert Road Stroud Green in the County
of Middlesex Solicitor's Clerk do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
This invention consists of floating pontoons lighters, barges, rafts, ships or other
similar vessels moored in one place, but free to move vertically up or down with
the rise or fall of the tide and so connected by suitable pinions wheels and gearing
to posts provided with racks fixed outside the vessel, as that, on the rise or fall of
the vessel, the wheels thereon engaging with the racks on the posts shall revolve,
and, being connected by suitable means with any machinery, such machinery shall
be worked by the power so obtained.
One method of carrying out the said invention is as follows:-
A vessel of any shape or size is moored in any piece of water where the tidal
action is comparatively unrestrained, and the water of such a depth as to prevent
the stranding of the vessel at extreme low tide, the said vessel being coufined
between vertical piles driven firmly into the earth beneath the water, cach or any
of such piles having on its face towards the vessel and for as much of its length as
required, a metal rack in which a wheel or pinion connected to a train of wheels
on the vessel will run.
Upon the vessel and opposite each post or pile fitted with a rack as described,
and so that it runs in the rack, the aforesaid wheel or pinion is fixed, which runs
up or down the rack as the vessel rises or falls. This wheel or pinion is so
connected and geared with a train of wheels of any length that any speed required
can be obtained, and connection by any of the usual methods being made between
the train of wheels and any machinery, the latter is driven thereby.
The aforesaid leading wheel or pinion is so geared to the following train of wheels
that whichever way it revolves, the train of wheels will revolve in one direction
only. This is accomplished by providing a clutch at each end of the hollow
spindle on which the wheel or pinion is cut, the teeth facing in opposite directions,
so that on the wheel or pinion reversing its original direction of rotation, it is
disengaged at one end from the shaft of the wheel on which it is set, but immediately
engages at the other end a short train of wheels so geared to the last mentioned
shaft as to preserve the direction of rotation of the latter.
Another method of working the said invention is by a modification of the above,
such as fixing the posts with the racks, on the vessel itself, the pinions and wheels
being set up outside the vessel, and again :-instead of the racked posts and
pinion, the principle of the Archimedean screw can be applied, either the screw or
the nut being made to revolve, according to convenience, the following machinery
and the method of preserving its direction of rotation being the same as before
described.
Dated this 15th day of June 1894.

page_text: An Apparatus for the Application of Tidal and Wave Action as a
Motive Force.
I WALTER JAMES GRIFFITHS of 40 Albert Road Stroud Green in the County
of Middlesex Solicitor's Clerk 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 :-
My invention relates to apparatus for utilising the motion imparted to a floating
structure by the rise and fall of tides and the movement of the waves, as a means
of working machinery, and consists of any floating structure such as a ship, raft,
pontoon, boat or similar craft (hereinafter referred to as "the vessel ") moored in
any piece of water, and confined between piles to prevent the said vessel drifting,
but not so as to interfere with the vertical movement thereof, each or any of such
piles having upon its side facing the vessel, a metal rack, the teeth of which may
be of the ordinary description or set at an angle to the horizontal plane of the pile.
The preferable method is to set the teeth at an angle, and the following description
refers to this method. Upon the vessel and opposite the racked pile, a toothed
wheel or pinion (called "the leading pinion") is set up, its teeth being cut to
correspond with the angle of those of the rack with which it engages and up and
down which it travels with the motion of the vessel. This leading pinion has cut
upon each face of it, but facing in opposite directions, angular clutch teeth, to fit
into corresponding recesses in the faces of wheels on each side of it, with either
one of which, according as the vessel rises or falls, it automatically engages, causing
it to rotate, the direction of rotation of each wheel being opposite to that of the
other. One of these wheels is connected rigidly to the before mentioned shaft on
which the leading pinion revolves, and is hereafter called the main wheel; the
other is loose on the shaft, and is the first of a short train of wheels so connected
with the main wheel, that, although its own direction of rotation is contrary to
that of the main wheel, the direction of rotation of the main wheel is maintained..
As before mentioned, upon the rise or fall of the vessel, the leading pinion revolves
as it runs up and down the rack, and owing to the angle at which the teeth of the
rack and the said pinion are set, the said pinion will move laterally on its shaft,
causing it, if the vessel is rising, by means of the clutches on the faces of the
wheels, to automatically gear with and communicate its rotation to the wheel on
one side, and when the vessel falls, to automatically disengage from the one side
and engage with and rotate the wheel on its other side. By adding to the train of
wheels any required speed may be obtained, and connection being made by any
of, the usual methods with any machinery, the said machinery is driven thereby.
Another method of working the said invention is by a modification of the above,
such as fixing the posts with the racks thereon, on the vessel itself, the pinion and
wheels being set up outside the vessel. And further-Instead of the racked posts
and pinion, the principle of the Archimedean screw can be applied, either the screw
or the nut being made to revolve, according to convenience, the following machinery
and the method of preserving its direction of rotation being the same as before
d'escribed.
In order that my invention may be properly understood and readily carried into
effect, I have hereunto appended an explanatory drawing, in the several figures, of
which, corresponding parts are marked with the same letter of reference.
"A" is the floating vessel confined between the piles B, B, b, b, b; B, B, are two
of the piles fitted with racks C, C, having inclined teeth as described; D is the
leading pinion with teeth set at an angle to correspond with those of the rack;
E is the shaft of the main wheel; F is the main wheel, G, H, I, J, are the wheels
of the short train connected with the main wheel.

page_text: 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 :-
1. The general arrangement and combination of the parts of the apparatus for
utilising the rise and fall of water as a motive power for driving machinery
substantially as described, and as illustrated in the accompanying drawing.
2. The particular combination and application of rack and pinion of the forms
described and as illustrated in the accompanying drawing.
Dated this 14th day of March 1895.
WALTER J. GRIFFITHS.