Improvements in Apparatus for Periodically Producing Electric Current by Wind Power.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 26th June, 1899
Complete Specification Left. 6th Mar., 1900-Accepted, 5th May, 1900
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Periodically Producing Electric
Current by Wind Power.
I, MAX GEURE, of 71, Bismarck Strasse, Rath, near Düsseldorf, in the Empire
of Germany, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The irregular movement of wind motors renders them only capable of being
used for few industrial purposes. Especially when it is a question of transmit-
ting an even movement, wind motors are unsuitable by themselves for many
industrial purposes owing to the constant change in the force of the wind.
The arrangement which forms the object of the present invention is designed
to enable the irregular movement of wind motors to be utilised for the produc-
tion of electric current, more particularly for charging electric accumulators.
In order to avoid any interruption in the current supply from the dynamo
machine, it is necessary that a given maximum speed must not be exceeded.
For this object the wind motor is arranged to drive a ratchet mechanism which
serves for drawing up a weight or winding up a spring, in longer or shorter
periods, according to the speed of the motor, power being accumulated and
automatically released in such a way that by the accumulated power a longer
lasting even movement is transmitted.
A wind motor is connected with the ratchet lever of a ratchet mechanism,
by means of links or draw-bars so as to receive an oscillating movement and a
drum is mounted on the shaft of said ratchet mechanism, by the rotation of
which drum a weight for instance which is suspended on a cord or chain is
lifted or a spring is wound up.
After the production of a large number of ratchet movements which are trans-
mitted by means of a driving pawl connected with the ratchet lever to a
ratchet wheel on the drum shaft in one direction, any backward rotation being
prevented by a stop pawl, the said two pawls are disengaged from the ratchet
wheel so that a backward rotation of longer duration may take place by means
of the weight or spring.
Any periodically released ratchet mechanism may serve for this object. As
an example a suitably arranged catch may be actuated by being engaged by a
stud on the ratchet wheel and thereby the two pawls be disengaged from the
ratchet by means of a disengaging mechanism consisting of links and levers
arranged to move under the action of a weighted arm when released by said
catch.
In the backward rotation of the shaft which then takes place by means of
the action of the main weight a rotation which may be utilised for producing
current is transmitted to a pinion on an adjacent shaft by means of a spur
wheel mounted beside the ratchet wheel on the drum shaft. Towards the end
of this rotation, the weighted arm of the disengaging gear is again raised by
means of a second stud, projection or cam on the ratchet wheel and is locked by
means of the aforesaid catch. Thereby the two pawls are again brought into

page_text: engagement with the ratchet wheel by means of the links and levers of the dis-
engaging gear and the hereinbefore described ratchet movements are repeated
in a forward direction by means of the wind wheel. The actuation of the
catch then again takes place by means of the first stud or projection on the
ratchet wheel and by means of the disengaging mechanism which is thus
released by the said catch, the two pawls are again disengaged from the ratchet
wheel as before described.
The arrangement hereinbefore described is particularly adapted for feeding
electric accumulators by periodically operated dynamo machines. The arrange-
ment has the considerable advantage of converting the motive force of the
wind in such a way that only the periods of feed vary whilst the strength or
force of the feed however always remains the same, whether the wind be strong
or slight.
Dated this 24th day of June 1899
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in Apparatus for Periodically Producing Electric
Current by Wind Power.
I, MAX GEHRE, of 71, 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:-
The irregular movement of wind motors renders them only capable of being
used for few industrial purposes. Especially when it is a question of transmit-
ting an even movement, wind motors are unsuitable by themselves for many
industrial purposes owing to the constant change in the force of the wind.
The arrangement which forms the object of the present invention is designed
to enable the irregular movement of wind motors to be utilised for the produc-
tion of electric current, more particularly for charging electric accumulators.
In order to avoid any interruption in the current supply from the dynamo
machine, it is necessary that a given maximum speed must not be exceeded.
For this object the wind motor is arranged to drive a ratchet mechanism which
serves for drawing up a weight or winding up a spring, in longer or shorter
periods, according to the speed of the motor, power being accumulated and
automatically released in such a way that by the accumulated power a longer
lasting even movement is transmitted.
In the accompanying drawings,
Figure 1 is a side view of the apparatus with for instance a ratchet mechanism,
Figure 2an end view of the ratchet mechanism with the ratchet lever in
section.
A wind motor a is connected with the ratchet lever c of a ratchet mechanism,
by means of links or draw-bars 6 so as to impart an oscillating movement to
said lever, and a drum e is mounted on the shaft d of said ratchet mechanism,
by the rotation of which drum a weight f for instance which is suspended on a
cord or chain g is lifted or a spring is wound up.
After the production of a large number of ratchet movements which are trans-
mitted by means of a driving pawl / connected with the ratchet lever c to a
ratchet wheel k on the drum shaft d in the direction indicated by the upper

page_text: row any backward rotation being prevented by a stop pawl m, the sand two
awls and mare disengaged from the ratchet wheel so that a backward rota-
on of longer duration may take place by means of the weight or spring.
Any periodically released ratchet mechanism may serve for this object. In
he example shown in the drawings a disengaging ratchet mechanism of the
ind described in my previous Patent No. 5934 of 1899 is shown, in which a
uitably arranged catch may be actuated by being engaged by a stud on the
atchet wheel and thereby the two pawls and m be disengaged from the
atchet by means of a disengaging mechanism consisting of links and levers
arranged to move under the action of a weighted arm when released by said
catch as fully described in the said patent.
in the rotation of the shaft d in the direction of the lower arrow which then
takes place by means of the action of the main weight fa rotation which may
be utilised for producing current is transmitted to a pinion i on an adjacent
shaft by means of a spur wheel mounted beside the ratchet wheel k on the
drum shaft d. Towards the end of this rotation, the weighted arm t of the
disengaging gear is again raised by means of a second projection or cam o on
the ratchet wheel and is locked by means of the catch p. Thereby the two
pawls and m are again brought into engagement with the ratchet wheel by
means of the links and levers qrs of the disengaging gear as fully described
in my aforesaid patent and the hereinbefore described ratchet movements are
repeated in the direction of the upper arrow by means of the wind wheel a.
The actuation of the catch then again takes place by means of the first stud
or projection n on the ratchet wheel and by means of the disengaging mechanism
which is thus released by the said catch, the two pawls and m are again dis-
engaged from the ratchet wheel as before described.
The arrangement hereinbefore described is particularly adapted for feeding
electric accumulators by periodically operated dynamo machines. The arrange-
ment has the considerable advantage of converting the motive force of the
wind in such a way that only the periods of feed vary whilst the strength or
force of the feed however always remains the same, whether the wind be strong
or slight.
An essential advantage of the arrangement described is however more parti-
cularly that the wind motor remains in motion during the backward movement
5 of the ratchet wheel, in order in weak winds to be strong enough for a fresh
lifting of the weight by the assistance of its impetus.
10
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
An apparatus for producing electric current by wind power, characterized by
a wind motor (a) which is arranged to operate a ratchet mechanism which raises
a weight, being adapted to automatically release its pawls after a large number
of ratchet movements in order to produce by the action of the weight a longer
lasting and always constant backward rotation of the ratchet mechanism suit-
45 able for producing electric current, in such a way that the wind motor remains
in motion during the backward rotation of the ratchet wheel in order to be
strong enough in weak winds to effect a fresh lifting under the influence of its
impetus, substantially as described.
1 1000
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Agents for the Applicant.