IMPROVE- MENTS IN WINDMILLS
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Morgan-Brown, of the Firm of Brandon
and Morgan-Brown, Engineers and Patent Agents, of 38, Southampton
Buildings, London, and 1, Rue Laffitte, Paris, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN WINDMILLS." A communication from abroad by Indalecio Caso,
of Madrid. Spain.
Sealed the 3rd September 1878, and dated the 5th March 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Morgan-Brown 'ɛ
the Office of the. Commissioners of Patents on the 5th March 1878.
at
WILLIAM MORGAN-BROWN, of the Firm of Brandon and Morgan-Brown, Engineers
and Patent Agents, of 38, Southampton Buildings, London, and 1, Rue Laffitte,
Paris. "IMPROVEMENTS IN WINDMILLS." [A communication from abroad by
Indalecio Caso, of Madrid, Spain.]
This Invention has reference to horizontal windmills, that is to say, to mills the
vanes of which are attached to horizontal shafts which pivot on a vertical shaft';
two vanes are attached to each horizontal shaft, one on either side of the vertical
spindle.
The object of the Invention is to cause these vanes as they come round to receive
on one side of the vertical spindle. the full force of the wind by presenting their
faces perpendicularly to the current, whilst on coming round on the other side of
the said vertical spindle they on the contrary present their edges or minimum of
resistance to the current. For this purpose I suspend the said vanes on their
horizontal spindles either centrally but with lower half weighted or provided with
projections, so that they present themselves perpendicularly to the current, when
the latter acts on their faces, and when the wind acts on the back of the vane it
tilts the same about one quarter of a revolution, and in this position they present

page_text: their edges to the wind, to which they offer a minimum of resistance; or I suspend
these vanes on their horizontal shafts, the line of suspension being slightly above
their central line so as to divide them in two unequal halves, the lower one being
the heaviest.
Instead of a single vane on each arm of the horizontal axis I fix an open frame
on the same, in which I insert a series of such vanes articulated, as above stated,
but of diminished depth, the number of the same making up the same amount of
surface as the larger vanes.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Morgan-Brown in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 5th
September 1878.
WILLIAM MORGAN-BROWN, of the Firm of Brandon and Morgan-Brown, Engineers
and Patent Agents, of 38, Southampton Buildings, London, and 1, Rue Laffitte,
Paris. "IMPROVEMENTS IN WINDMILLS." A comniunication from abroad by
Indalecio Caso, of Madrid, Spain.
This Invention has reference to horizontal windmills, that is to say, to mills the
vanes of which are attached to horizontal shafts which pivot on a vertical shaft;
two vanes are attached to each horizontal shaft, one on either side of the vertical
spindle.
The object of the Invention is to cause these vanes as they come round to receive
on one side of the vertical spindle the full force of the wind by presenting their
faces perpendicularly to the current, whilst on coming round on the other side of
the said vertical spindle they on the contrary present their edges or minimum of
resistance to the current. For this purpose the said vanes are suspended on their
horizontal spindles either centrally but with lower half weighted or provided with
projections, so that they present themselves perpendicularly to the current when
the latter acts on their faces, and when the wind acts on the back of the vanes it
tilts the same about one quarter of a revolution, and in this position they present
their edges to the wind to which they offer a minimum of resistance; or these
vanes may be suspended on their horizontal shafts, the line of suspension being
slightly above their central line, so as to divide them in two unequal halves, the
lower one being the heaviest
Instead of a single vane on each arm of the horizontal axis an open frame is fixed
on the same, in which is inserted a series of such vanes articulated as above stated,
bnt of diminished depth, the number of the same making up the same amount of
surface as the larger vanes.
The "Giralda" is a new windmill, which, according to its proportions and sizes,
'serves as a motive power for industrial purposes or else constitutes an entirely new

page_text: thing, as an ornament or toy. Its mechanism consists of vanes, which alternately
cut through the air or resist thereto by facing it. These vanes may consist of
boards or sheets of resisting material, or else framing covered with linen either fixed
or with one free edge. They may be of any form, providing they present a
sufficient surface and are thin, the main thing being that they turn in the same way
as valves, so that whilst on one side they are horizontal, on the opposite side they
assume either a vertical or diagonal direction.
In order to obtain this result the following arrangements are used, isolated or
combined together, and which I will describe with reference to the eight Figures
of the accompanying Drawing, which form part of this Specification.
Figure 1. A, B, are the vanes pivoting upon a horizontal shaft, arranged some-
what above half of their height; the radial arms a of the shaft serve as stopping
points for the swinging of the vanes. Whatever the construction of the shafts and
stopping points may be the reversed position of the vanes, according to this Figure,
causes one of them whilst acted upon by the wind to present its entire surface to
its action and the other to present itself edgeways, whereby the rotation takes
place in an invariable direction whatever the direction of the wind may be, and
provided there are fair vanes radiating from opposite directions.
Figure 2. The horizontal shafts are placed exactly at the centre of the vanes,
the lower part of which is heavier than the upper part; any kind of appropriate
projection or counterweight, such as the strip C, D, for instance, fastened below
the centre and on one side only, being intended to maintain the vane vertically
whilst acted upon by the wind. When a vane of this kind is acted upon by the
wind at its projecting edge it lays itself horizontally, whilst when acted upon on
the opposite side its own weight causes it to lay itself vertically without its
motion being thereby rapid, so as to avoid violent shocks, which are however
prevented by the stop studs or parts E.
Figure 3. Instead of a large single vane upon each arm several small vanes F,
arranged in a similar way to the plates of blinds, may be made use of, and be
fitted according to either of the above-described modes, or according to the shaft
placed in the upper part with corresponding stops, as above stated. In this manner
when one of the venetian blind shaped vanes opens and lets the wind pass through
the other closes and opposes it. If the venetian blind is composed of sheets or thin
plates slightly inclined in the same direction, and if it has a slight play, it presents
the full surface of these plates to the wind as a motor, thus obtaining the same
result with still more simplicity.
Figure 4. Coupled vanes set at right angles; each pair of vanes should be
mounted on one single shaft, as shewn in this Figure; these coupled vanes turn
together so that the moment one takes the horizontal position the other takes the
vertical or inclined position during the rotation of the apparatus.
Figure 5 is a side view of Figure 1, showing the stops a.
Figure 6 is a side view of Figure 2, showing the stops E.
Figure 7 is a sectional side view taken through A, B, Figure 3, showing the
small vanes F, and Figure 8 is a sectional side view of Figure 4.
I would have it understood that I do not limit myself to the above-described
arrangements of windmills, as they are susceptible of alterations and modifications,
but what I claim as the Invention is,-
Firstly. An arrangement of windmill consisting of horizontal swivelling vanes
mounted on horizontal shafts so as to be divided in two unequal halves, and which
whilst acted upon by the wind assume the positions indicated for the purposes
above stated, and as above described with reference to Figures 1, 2, 5, and 6.
Secondly. An arrangement of several small vanes composed of any appropriate
material adapted in a framing, and mounted horizontally upon pivots adjusted so as
to divide these small vanes into two unequal halves, for the purposes berein set
forth, and as above described with reference to Figures 3 and 7.

page_text: Thirdly. The arrangement, illustrated in Figures 4 and 8, and above described,
wherein the vanes are coupled on the same horizontal shaft and set at right angles
one with the other.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Morgan-Brown, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this day of September, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.
MAT
HTT
MORGAN-BROWN. (..)