IMPROVEMENTS IN AND CONNECTED WITH TURBINES
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Jacob McConnell of Ballymena in the County of
Antrim Ireland for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND CONNECTED
WITH TURBINES
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Jacob McConnell at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 7th August 1882.
JACOB MCCONNELL, of Ballymena, in the County of Antrim, Ireland, "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN AND CONNECTED WITH TURBINES,
This Invention relates to improvements in the construction of turbines or
turbine-wheels, and in means of regulating or governing the speed or power of
such wheels.
The improved turbine is of the kind in which the water used for driving is
caused to flow from the outside towards the centre, and is formed with curved
blades or buckets, which are increased in breadth or depth as they approach the
centre, for the purpose of utilizing the full effect or power of the water and
reducing its velocity before it is delivered into the flume or tail race below. A
chute casing surrounds the turbine wheel, in which are stationary guide blades, by
preference equal in number to the buckets, and set at such an angle to the radial
position as to cause the water delivered between them, to strike the buckets at
right angles, or nearly so, the outer ends of the wheel buckets being curved back to
receive the full effective pressure of the water.
Outside the chute casing are fitted four or other number of "register gates" or
movable guide blades, which are of the full breadth or depth of the wheel casing,
and together extend round the circumference or periphery of the chute casing.
These register gates or guide blades are centered or pivotted close to the outer edge
of the chute casing, and when the wheel is out of action they lie in close contact
with the guide blades of the chute casing, so that no water can pass through the
chutes. When the turbine wheel is to be driven the register blades are turned or
swung out in their pivots, so that they assume a position in which there is a wide
free space for the inflow of the water between the outer ends of these blades and
the chutes, which gradually narrows or converges towards the pivots or centres.

page_text: These register blades are simultaneously opened or closed, and the extent of
opening regulated by means of a hand lever fixed or fitted to a loose disc or boss
on the axis of the turbine, to pins or studs in which the outer ends of the register
blades are jointed or connected by links or bars.
The improved turbine or turbine-wheel may be fitted on a vertical or horizontal
axis, and may be placed at the bottom of a fall of water to be acted on by the
pressure due to the head of water, or it may be placed at or near the top of the
fall of water to be acted on by suction, or it may be placed intermediately to be
acted on by the combined power of pressure and suction.
When the turbine is placed at or near the head, a valve, which may be hinged
somewhat like a throttle valve, is placed at the bottom of the flume through which
the water is discharged from the wheel; and in starting the turbine, this valve is
closed to allow the flume to be filled and the air in it entirely displaced by the
water, before the register gates or blades are opened to the full extent. The
bottom valve is then opened and the wheel works by suction, or partly by the
suction of the water through the buckets. By regulating the extent of opening
of this foot valve, or of the register gates the speed and power of the turbine may
be governed or controlled.

page_text: by the said Jacob McConnell in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
3rd February 1883.
JACOB MCCONNELL, of Ballymena, in the County of Antrim Ireland, "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN AND CONNECTED WITH TURBINES
"
My said Invention relates to improvements in the construction of turbines or
turbine-wheels, and in means of regulating or governing the speed or power of
such wheels.
My said Invention is illustrated by the accompanying Drawings in which
Figure 1 is a vertical section of the improved turbine, and Figure 2 is a plan of
the same with the upper casing removed. Figure 3 is a vertical section showing
the improved turbine fitted near the upper end of the fall and operating a horizontal
shaft.
The improved turbine wheel A is of the kind in which the water used for driving
is caused to flow from the outside towards the centre, and is formed with curved
blades or buckets A' which are increased in breadth or depth at A' as they
approach the centre, for the purpose of utilising the full effect or power of the
water and reducing its velocity before it is delivered into the flume or tail race
below. To facilitate the outflow of the water through the centre of the wheel,
each alternate bucket A¹ is cut short about mid-length. A chute casing B surrounds
the turbine-wheel, in which are stationary guide blades B¹, by preference equal in
number to the buckets A¹, and set at such an angle to the radial position as to
cause the water delivered between them to strike the buckets at right angles, or
nearly so, the outer ends of the wheel buckets A being curved back to receive the
full effective pressure of the water.
Outside the chute casing B are fitted four or other number of "register gates,"
or movable guide blades C, which are of the full breadth or depth of the wheel
casing B, and together extend round the circumference or periphery of the chute
casing B. The register gates or guide blades C are centred or pivotted at c close
to the outer edge of the chute casing, and when the wheel is out of action they lie
in close contact with the guide blades B¹ of the chute casing B, so that no water
can pass through the chutes B2. When the turbine wheel A is to be driven, the
register blades C are turned or swung out in their pivots, so that they assume a
position in which there is a wide free space for the inflow of the water between
the outer ends of these blades C and the chutes B³, which gradually narrows or
converges towards the pivots or centres c. These register blades C are simul-
taneously opened or closed, and the extent of opening regulated by means of a hand
lever D fixed or fitted to a loose disc or boss E on the axis or shaft F of the
turbine. To pins or studs e on this disc, the outer ends c' of the register blades C
are jointed or connected by links or bars G.
The improved turbine or turbine wheel A, may be fitted on a vertical or
horizontal axis F, and may be placed at the bottom of a fall of water to be acted
on by the pressure due to the head of water, or it may be placed at or near the
top of the fall of water to be acted on by suction, or it may be placed intermediately
to be acted on by the combined power of pressure and suction.
When the turbine is placed at or near the head, as is shown in figure 3, a
valve H which may be fitted somewhat like a throttle valve, is placed at the
bottom of the flume I through which the water is discharged from the wheel A,
and in starting the turbine this valve H is closed by means of a hand lever J, to
allow the flume to be filled and the air in it to be entirely displaced by the water,
before the register gates C are opened to the full extent. The bottom valve H is

page_text: then opened, and the turbine wheel works by the suction, or partly by the suction,
of the water passing through the guide blades B¹ and buckets A'. By regulating
the extent of opening of the register gates C, the speed and power of the turbine
may be governed or controlled. The turbine in figure 3 is shown enclosed in a
large tank or casing K in which it is immersed, and through this casing K, the
shaft F of the turbine passes to the outside, where the power developed by the
turbine may be communicated through gearing in the usual way to drive machinery
or for other purposes.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I have to state that I do not confine myself to the precise
details herein described or delineated, but what I consider novel and original and
therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part recited
Letters Patent is,-
First. The construction and combination of the parts of turbines and turbine
wheels, substantially as herein described and illustrated by the accompanying
Drawings.
Second. The forming of the buckets or blades of turbine wheels, with an
increased depth or breadth towards the centre, substantially as and for the purpose
herein set forth and as illustrated by the accompanying Drawings.
Third. The combining with and fitting in the turbine flume or tail race, of a
valve which can be closed and opened for the purpose of forming a partial vacuum
and operating the turbine in part by suction, substantially as herein described and
illustrated by figure 3 of the accompanying Drawings.
In Witness Whereof, I the said Jacob McConnell have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this First day of February in the year of our Lord One thousand,
eight hundred and eighty-three.