Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Feb., 1898-Accepted, 2nd Apr., 1898
We, ALBERT PHILIPP LOEVENICH and JOSEPH CARL LOEVENICH, Merchants, both
of 64 & 65, Gäusemarkt, Hamburg, in the Empire of Germany, and CARL HEINRICH
JULIUS WIESE, Master Tailor, of 60' Neuer Steinweg, Hamburg, aforesaid, 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 present invention relates to a water wheel, which is designed to utilize the
motive force of flowing water, without necessitating any artificial damming up of
the water, or requiring a vertical fall of water, for its operation. The water wheel
may therefore be immersed direct in any stream which flows sufficiently fast to
possess an appreciable amount of motive force.
In the accompanying drawings, in which the water wheel is illustrated,
Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the wheel, with the parts transmitting the power
from the wheel shaft omitted.
Fig. 2 shews a vertical section of the wheel, perpendicular to the direction of the
stream.
Upon the vertical shaft a, which turns at its lower end in a step bearing n, and
at its upper end in a bearing in a bracket m fixed to a wall on the bank, are
mounted a series of arms c, forming a wheel, which is connected to the shaft by a
feather in such manner that the shaft must rotate with the wheel. The keyway
being of considerable length, the wheel is free to rise and fall on the shaft as the
water level sinks or rises.
The wheel rests upon rollers p, running upon a circular rail q, fixed to the cover
of a float b, loosely surrounding the shaft or axle a. As the water rises or falls, so
will the float ascend or descend, and with it the series of arms or wheel c resting
upon it.
On the ends of the arms are hung blades or paddles g, movable pivotally upon a
vertical bolt e. A horizontal arm f, forged with the bolt, permit of the blades
hinged to it turning also in an upward direction. This latter movement is, however,
limited to one direction only by a projection r on the hinges of the blades, and
stops 8 on the horizontal arms, in such manner that the blades can only pass from
a vertical to a horizontal position in the said direction.
The weight of the wheel c and the scoops g is so calculated, that the lifting power
of the float b allows of the complete immersion (or nearly so) of the blades, when in
a vertical position.
Supposing now the flow of the stream to be in the direction of the arrows
(Fig. 1), one half of the blades pendent from the arms f will be vertical, being
prevented by the stops & from turning further by the stream.
Through the resistance which the blades offer to the stream, the series of arms
are set in rotation. Assuming that, at starting, the position of the blades was at
right angles to the direction of the stream at u, they will, as they move onward,
remain parallel to each other, as the currents of the stream exert an equal pressure
on both edges of the pivot pins e, and the balance is therefore not disturbed. As

page_text: soon, however, as the movement of the blades changes from one at right angles to
the direction of the stream, the lateral pressure begins to act; the blades are then
thrown out of equilibrium, and following the water pressure, turn about the bolt e,
as at v. They thus present their other sides to the current, and as the stops rin
this position do not prevent their turning on the hinge arm f, the blades lie flat on
the water, and offer no appreciable resistance thereto. When the position of the
blades is again vertical to the direction of the stream, as at w, the reverse action
takes place; the blades turn to their vertical position, and, with their original sides
to the stream, they again offer resistance to the water.
Chains are provided for preventing the blades from turning too far at the
points v and w.
The shaft a is thus, on the rotation of the wheel c, carried round with it, and
transmits its power through bevel wheels y to a shaft z.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is:-
1. A wheel for utilizing the power of flowing water without the use of natural or
artificial dams, comprising movable blades pendent from radial arms, the said
blades being adapted to intercept the force of the stream on one side, and to yield
thereto on the other, as the wheel rotates, substantially as and for the purpose above
set forth.
2. A wheel as above described, having the chains i leading from the inner top
edge of the blades to the arms c, for the purpose of preventing the said blades from
turning round too far on their vertical pivots e, substantially as explained.
'
L
on
DHE DITTO DOORST
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicants.