An Improved Device for Producing Electric Current at Sea by the Action of the Waves.
Year: 1899

page_text: IONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Device for Producing Electric Current at Sea by the
Action of the Waves.
I, MAX GEHRE, of Bismarck, Strasse, Rath, near Düsseldorf, in the Empire of
Germany, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
:-
For many purposes, more particularly for the production of flash lights or
the like at sea, it is desirable to produce electric current by simple mechanical
means.
According to the present invention this is effected by the transmission of the
movement of the waves to suitable rods, through which without other inter-
mediate gearing the displacement or movement of an induction coil against
a magnet or vice versa of a magnet against an induction coil is effected and
current thereby produced.
The present apparatus is characterised by an arrangement of rods projecting
out of the sea to a suitable extent, one of which rods carries at its upper end an
armature or rather an induction coil, and the other, a magnet with alternating
poles, whilst between the two rods, connection is established by lever or guide
connections in such a way, that a rising and falling of the one rod is produced
by the action of the waves by means of a float, and thereby a displacement of
the induction coil against the magnet or vice versa, is brought about.
Some examples of construction of such an apparatus will now be described.
In one example a point of rotation is arranged on an anchored rod or support,
on which point of rotation, one or more floats are arranged to turn in such a way
that they are alternately raised and lowered by the waves. The floats are for
this object connected, one with the other, by means of a lever.
The support or carrier is connected by means of an anchor with the bottom
of the sea, and is supported by the floats, so that the whole arrangement floats
on the surface of the sea whether the tide is ebbing or flowing, as the length of
the anchor chain admits of this. By the rocking movement of the floats, a
lever action against the support is obtained, and conveyed from the lever con-
nection by means of a second rod to an electric current producer.
This electric current producer consists of an induction coil mounted at the top
of the rod which induction coil is arranged in such a way, as against the magnet,
that the adjacent poles of the magnet are of opposite polarity. In the coil there
is an iron core. By the movement of the floats, the coil is moved to and fro
in front of the poles of the magnet, and thereby an electric current is produced.
The magnets may of course be moved in front of the coil.
In a modification a magnet may be displaced or moved as regards the induction
coil. For example the magnets may oscillate on a point of rotation round the
coils, and thereby produce current in the latter.
In place of the rods or supports floating bodies may also be employed, on
which bodies the floats are so arranged that they receive from the waves, a swing-

page_text: ing movement relative to the floating bodies, which movement also serves for
producing an electric current, like that produced by the arrangement hereinbefore
described.
For use in those parts of the sea, where there is little ebb and flow the supports
or rods may be fixed in the bottom of the sea. The floating body and'. its rod
are in this case mounted on the support in such a way that the waves of the sea
raise and lower the same. This movement may also be utilized similarly to the
other examples for producing an electric current.
Of course floats such as first described may also be arranged on the fixed rods
or supports described.
:
Dated this 20th day of March 1809
An Improved Device for Producing Electric Ourrent at Sea by the
Action of the Waves.
I, MAX GEURE, of Bismarck Strasse, Rath, near Düsseldorf, in the Empire of
Germany, Engineer, 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:-
For many purposes, more particularly for the production of flash lights or
the like at sea, it is desirable to produce electric current by simple mechanical
means.
According to the present invention this is effected by the transmission of the
movement of the waves to suitable rods, through which without other inter-
mediate gearing, the displacement or movement of an induction coil against
a magnet or vice versa of a magnet against an induction coil is effected and
current thereby produced.
The present apparatus is characterised by an arrangement of rods projecting
out of the sea to a suitable extent, one of which rods carries at its upper end an
armature or rather an induction coil and the other a magnet with alternating
poles, whilst between the two rods a connection is established by lever-or guide-
connections in such a way, that a rising and falling of the one rod is produced
by the action of the waves by means of a float, and thereby a displacement of
the induction coil against the magnet or vice versa is brought about.
Some examples of construction of such an apparatus are shown in the accom-
panying drawings. In the example shown in Figures 1 to 3 a point of rotation i
is arranged on an anchored rod or support carrier d on which point of rotation one
or more floats « are arranged to turn in such a way that they are alternately
raised and lowered by the waves e e¹. The floats a are for this object connected
one with the other by means of a lever g.
The support or carrier dis connected by means of an anchor with the bottom of
the sea, and is supported by the floats a, so that the whole arrangement floats
on the surface of the sea whether the tide is ebbing or flowing, as the length of
the anchor chain admits of this. By the rocking movement of the floats a, a
lever action against the support d is obtained and conveyed from the lever
connection by means of a second rod D to an electric current producer.
This electric current producer consists of an induction coil s mounted at the
top of the rod D, which induction coil is arranged in such a way, against the
magnet m, that the adjacent poles of the magnet are of opposite polarity. In

page_text: the coils there is an iron core. By the movement of the floats, the coil s is
moved to and fro in front of the poles of the magnet, and thereby an electric
current is produced. The magnets may of course be moved in front of the coil.
Figure 2 shows a modification in which a magnet may be displaced or moved
as regards the induction coil.
Figure 3 shows an example in which the magnets may oscillate on a point
of rotation o round the coils, and thereby produce current in the latter.
In place of the rods or supports d, floating bodies f, such as are shown in
Figures 4 and 5, may also be employed, on which bodies the floats a are so
arranged that they receive from the waves a swinging movement relative to the
floating bodies f, which movement also serves for producing an electric current,
like that produced by the arrangement shown in Figures 1 to 3.
Figures 6 and 7 show an arrangement for use in those parts of the sea where
there is little ebb and flow. Here the supports or rods d' are fixed in the bottom of
the sea.
The floating body a and its rod D' are mounted on the support d' in
This movement
such a way that the waves of the sea raise and lower the same.
is also utilised similarly to the other examples for producing an electric current.
Of course floats a, such as shown in Figures 1 to 5, may also be arranged on
the fixed rods or supports such as shown in Figures 6 and 7.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
A device for producing electric current by utilising the movement of the
waves of the sea characterised by the arrangement of suitable rods ( D d D')
projecting from the sea, one of which rods carries at the upper end an armature
with an induction coil (s) and the other a magnet or magnets (m), with alternating
poles, and one or other of said rods being adapted to be operated by means of a
Hoat under the action of the waves of the sea without intermediary gearing in
order to produce a displacement of the magnet relative to the armature sub-
stantially as herein before described.
1000