IMPROVEMENTS IN WIND MILLS OR WIND ENGINES
Year: 1855

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by the Act.)
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by William Henry Zahn at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 22nd
December 1855.
I, WILLIAM HENRY ZAHN, of New York, in the United States of America,
but now residing in London, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN WIND MILLS OR WIND ENGINES" to be as follows;
and consists in making wind mills or engines self-regulating, by causing the
velocity of the wind to act upon the wings or sails, which are attached to
movable or rotating spindles, so that they shall present only that surface to
the wind as shall be required to produce an uniform speed, according to the
power necessary to work the machinery. The shaft of the mill or engine is
supported by suitable bearings, fixed on a cap, working loosely upon a circular
plate fixed to a proper support or framework. On the said shaft is rigidly
attached a wheel, through the rim of which the spindles of the wings or
sails pass to the boss, and are prevented from withdrawing by collars
secured by screws or pins to the spindles. There are two heads fitted
loosely upon the shaft, one upon each side of the wheel, and are con-
nected together by rods. On the outer head are fixed levers, which
are fastened or secured to the ends of levers rigidly attached to the

page_text: spindles of the wings or sails. The inner head; has a groove turned in it,
in which a forked lever fits; this lever is bent at about right angles, and at
the corner of such angle is its fulcrum, the. pin. of which is supported in any
suitable manner. On the end of this, lever is placed a weight sufficiently
heavy to cause the sliding heads to move forward and present the edges of the
wings or sails to the wind. Between the fulcrum and the end of the best
lever there is attached a long lever, having its fulcrum near to where the two
levers are fastened. This long lever is also provided with a weight to counter-
balance the weight on the bent lever to cause the sliding head to move back,
so that the required surface of the wings or sails shall be exposed to the action
of the wind. This last-mentioned weight is to be placed on the lever in such
a position so that the wind shall exert a given power on the wings or sails
before their surfaces shall be lessened, causing the sliding heads to move
forward, elevating the long lever and depressing the bent lever.
Immediately the wind falls below the given power, the weight on the long
lever causes the wings or sails to assume their natural position.
To enable the wind to have greater power, the spindles can be fixed at or
near the extremity of the side of the wings or sails.
Instead of employing the use of a weight on the bent levèr, a spring may
be placed behind the inner head, so as to cause the heads to move forward
and present the edges of the wings or sails to the wind, the long lever and
weight being used to counteract the spring and bring the wings or sails back
to their natural position. To counteract the spring behind the inner head,
and remove the long lever and weight, another spring may be used and placed
in front of the outer head, the shaft being made sufficiently long to place the
spring thereon; and instead of the last-mentioned spring and weight on the
long lever, a ball governor may be adopted, which would regulate the speed of
the mill or engine.
Another mode is of attaching to the wings or sails in any convenient manner
one end of a spring of vulcanized india-rubber, caoutchouc, or metal, and the
other end to the shaft or wheel before mentioned. This spring to be of suffi-
cient strength to resist an ordinary velocity of the wind, so that when the wind
exceeds a given power, it shall cause the surface of the wings or sails to be
lessened, expanding the springs, and as soon as the power decreases, the springs
cause the wings or sails to assume their natural position.
Another mode can be adopted by fixing small cog wheels or pinions on the
spindles of the wings or sails, having racks to gear into and work the said
pinions. These racks connect the two sliding heads instead of the rods. The
heads can be operated upon by the bent forked lever and long lever weighted,

page_text: or by springs and weights, or springs alone, or by a ball governor in a similar
manner as the levers are worked, as before mentioned.
The inner head can be made of sufficient thickness to allow of several rows
of cogs or projections being placed on its circumference. Into these cogs or
projections gears an endless screw or pinion, which will not prevent the head
from revolving with the shaft. On the spindle (which is supported in any
suitable manner) of the endless screw or pinion is placed a lever, weighted so
that the wind has to exceed a given power before it shall operate upon the
wings or sails, and thereby put in motion the sliding heads and endless screw
or pinion, elevating the lever and weight, and immediately the power of the
wind lessens, the weight causes the wings or sails to again assume their natural
position. Like the former methods, this last one can be operated upon and
regulated by means of springs and weights, or springs alone, or by
governor in a similar manner as before described, and whether levers be
attached to the sliding head and spindles of the wings or sails, or pinions and
racks instead thereof.
The gearing to work mill or other machinery can be attached to the shaft
in any convenient manner.
A wing is attached to the cap for the purpose of keeping the wings or sails
facing the wind.