IMPROVEMENTS IN HORIZONTAL WIND-WHEELS
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Friedrich Hermann Felix Engel, Civil Engineer and
"
Patent Agent, in the City of Hamburg, Germany, for an Invention of
IMPROVEMENTS IN HORIZONTAL WIND-WHEELS." A communication from
Christian Friederich Franz Stein, Engineer, of Hamburg, in the German
Empire.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Friedrich Hermann Felix
Engel at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 23rd January
1880,
FRIEDRICH HERMANN FELIX ENGEL, Civil Engineer and Patent Agent, in the
City of Hamburg, Germany. "IMPROVEMENTS IN HORIZONTAL WIND-WHEELS."
A communication from Christian Friederich Franz Stein, Engineer, of Hamburg, in
the German Empire.
The purpose of this Invention is to secure a better action of the wind on wind-
wheels than has been the case with the wheels hitherto in use. This apparatus
consists of a vertical main shaft placed in a step bearing at its lower end, and in a
roller bearing at its upper end. The upper part of this main shaft, which is
exposed to the action of the wind, is furnished with a number of wind. sails or
vanes, which turn loosely on horizontal axles fastened to the upright main shaft,
and which vanes are arranged in couples, one couple above the other on opposite
sides of the main shaft. Each vane is connected to a rope, the other end of which
is fastened to an adjustable heavy weight guided and sliding in upright direction
on an iron bar fastened to a side of the main shaft.
The construction of the vane mechanism is such that the vanes on one side of
the vertical shaft allways take a position normal to the direction of the wind,
whilst they alter this position as soon as they arrive on the opposite side, at which
point each of them is brought into a horizontal plane, and in which position they
do not form any serious resistance to the wind. The main shaft consequently
turns in one and the same direction, independent from the directions of the wind,
and nearly the whole force of the wind on the normally positioned vanes is
effective, as the opposite horizontal vanes give little or no appreciable resistance
against the action of the wind.
When the wind-wheel is placed at rest all the vanes or wind sails are capable of
being brought into a horizontal position, so that the wind cannot act upon the
plane or surface of the vanes.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Friedrich Hermanu Felix Engel in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 22nd July 1880.
FRIEDRICH HERMANN FELIX ENGEL, Civil Engineer and Patent Agent, in the
City of Hamburg, Germany. IMPROVEMENTS IN HORIZONTAL WIND-WHEELS.”
A communication from Christian Friedrich Franz Stein, Engineer, of Hamburg, in
the German Empire.
The purpose of this Invention is to secure a better action of the wind on wind
wheels than has been the case with the wheels hitherto in use. This apparatus
consists of a vertical main shaft placed in a step bearing at its lower end, and in a
roller bearing at its upper end. The upper part of this main shaft, which is
exposed to the action of the wind, is furnished with a number of wind sails or
vanes, which turn loosely on horizontal axles fastened to the upright main shaft,
and which vanes are arranged in couples, one couple above the other on opposite
sides of the main shaft. Each vane is connected to a rope, the other end of which
is fastened to an adjustable heavy weight guided and sliding in upright direction
on an iron bar fastened to a side of the main shaft.
The construction of the vane mechanism is such that the vanes on one side of
the vertical shaft allways take a position normal to the direction of the wind,
whilst they alter this position as soon as they arrive on the opposite side, at which
point each of them is brought into a horizontal plane, and in which position they
do not form any serious resistance to the wind. The main shaft consequently
turns in one and the same direction, independent from the directions of the wind,
and nearly the whole force of the wind in the normally positioned vanes is
effective, as the opposite horizontal vanes give little or no appreciable resistance
against the action of the wind.
When the wind wheel is placed at rest all the vanes or wind sails are capable of
being brought into a horizontal position, so that the wind cannot act upon the
plane or surface of the vanes.
The
The Invention is illustrated in the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, whereof
Fig. 1 is a front view, and Fig. 2 a plan. W is the stand or frame of the apparatus
(not shown in Fig. 2) carrying the vertical main shaft R placed in a step-bearing N
of frame W, and supported at the top of the frame by a roller-bearing N¹. The
cross beams B fastened to shaft R carry the axles C, to which the wind sails or
vanes S are attached by bosses e, which vanes turn loosely on the corresponding
axles. The vanes are arranged in couples, one on each side of the vertical beam R.
To axles C supporting levers A' are fastened, one lever A³ for each vane.
levers A¹ of each couple of vanes are set at right angles to each other. The vanes
are, by means of ropes D (passing over rollers c) and weights G, pulled or drawn
towards these levers A', which latter are supported by arms A resting against
projections of beams B. As long as the wind is not too strong for the strength of
construction of the apparatus the weights G keep the vanes in that position in
which they rest against the corresponding levers A¹, that is, one vane of each
couple in vertical, and the other in horizontal position. As soon however as the
wind rises above the normal strength to which the vanes are to be exposed it
overcomes the weights G of the vertically placed vanes and turns the latter more
or less from the vertical acting position into an approximately horizontal position,
and prevents breakage or demolishing of the apparatus. The weights are guided
on iron rods m fastened to the vertical beam R, and in the before mentioned case
of too great pressure of wind rise more or less on these rods, whilst as soon as the
wind diminishes in strength the weights will be lowered again and return the
acting vanes towards or in the vertical position.
In the Drawings only two pairs of vanes and two cross beams B are shown, but

page_text: three or more pairs of vanes may be used, one pair arranged above the other on
shaft R.
For placing the wind wheel at rest all vanes can be brought in a horizontal
position by raising the weights, in which position little or no resistance is given to
the wind, and the machine can be easily stopped. For this purpose one vane of
each pair is furnished with a rope E, by means of which the corresponding vane
can be turned for 90 degrees, in which position it corresponds with the position of
the opposite vane.
Having now described the nature and particulars of the said Invention, I
claim,―
First. The arrangement of placing vanes or wind sails in pairs on horizontal
axles attached to an upright main shaft, one vane or sail on each side of the main
shaft, which vanes are arrested by levers fastened to the axles and set at right
angles to each other.
Second. The arrangement of regulating the action of the vanes by weights and
ropes or chains in such manner that the weights are lifted and the vertically placed
vanes turned more or less to a horizontal plane as soon as the strength of the wind
rises above the maximum power to which the full surface of the acting vanes have
to be exposed.
Third. The arrangement of guiding the weights on the upright metal rods
fastened to and revolving with the main shaft of the apparatus.
In witness whereof, I, the said Friedrich Hermann Felix Engel, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Nineteenth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty.
DIYATT
F. H. F. ENGEL. (L.S.)