Year: 1897

page_text: I, MARIUS ROCHEGUDE, of 99, Boulevard Montmorency, Paris, in the Republic
of France, Pilot, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to an hydraulic motor for effecting the utilisation of the
force in running water streams.
This motor is capable of various applications, but for the sake of simplicity and
clearness, I have assumed in the following description, the motor to be utilised for
driving dynamo-electric machines which form a part of the apparatus as a whole.
My motor comprises, in principle, two floating vessels stayed and connected.
together for the whole of their length; the interval separating them varying
according to circumstances.
At each of their extremities the two vessels carry a transverse shaft upon which
are mounted four pulleys; these latter receive endless steel cables or belting,
carrying rectangular floats.
These floats preferably consist of a frame of angle-iron in which are fixed, by
means of bolts, the planks of which they are made up; they are fixed upon the
cables or belts which carry them by means of four strong hinges which allow them
to describe an angle of 90°.
The travel of these floats is limited by means of outriggers or brackets to the
number of four for each float.
In order to prevent bending of the cables or the like, each float is in addition
provided with two rollers travelling upon four rails; two at the upper part and
two at the lower.
The rear pulleys are larger in diameter than the forward pulleys so that both
the upper cables and the upper rails may be inclined, with the object of diminishing
friction and of thus facilitating the actuation.
In the length of the two vessels are formed in the sheathing tight conduite which
traverse the hulls; these conduits, which are made conical in form, conduct the
external current water into the space comprised between the two vessels with the
object of giving, additional force to the floats.
The orifice of each of these conduits is protected by an iron grating against the
entry of wreckage or other floating matter.
The motor acquires its greatest speed when all the floats are acting; in order to
reduce the speed or to stop the motor entirely, I have devised the following dis-
engaging device.
Opposite each float, the two cables are connected by a transverse shaft carrying
two hooks provided with counter-weights; these hooks, which are capable of
rotation around their axis, when free always assume a vertical position.
When the float leaves the water and arrives above the rear pulleys, it lies upon
the cables and the extremities of the hooks become engaged in an opening formed

page_text: in the said float, in such a manner as to maintain the latter applied against the
cables.
At the instant when this float is about to again plunge into the water, the hooks
are pushed back by disengaging rods and the float resumes its normal position in
the current.
Each of these disengaging rods, which are capable of sliding freely, is terminated
by a rack which actuates pinions fixed upon a shaft which latter carries at its
extremity a hand wheel.
Under these conditions, when the motor is to run at full speed,. the disengaging
rods occupy a position such that they cause all the hooks reaching them to
oscillate; consequently all the floats are acted upon.
If, on the contrary, it is desired to reduce the speed of the motor, the hand wheel
is acted upon in such a manner as to bring back the disengaging rods, so that they
no longer exert any action upon a certain number of floats; in this way only such
a number of floats is allowed to act as may be considered necessary for the result
desired.
If it is required to stop the motor completely, the disengaging rods are drawn
back in such a manner that none of the hooks are released; all the floats then
remain applied against the cables, so that even when they enter the water they do
not act and the motor stops.
Power is taken from one or several pulleys fixed upon the shaft carrying the
forward pulleys.
In the case under consideration, the motion of these transmission pulleys is
communicated to another pulley on an intermediate transmission shaft, which
actuates, by means of a third pulley, the pulley of a dynamo machine.
This dynamo machine might, for example, serve for the electric lighting of
towns situated upon the bank of the stream which actuates the motor, or for any
other appropriate purpose.
'
I may of course vary the form, dimensions and detail arrangements of my motor
according to the different purposes for which it is intended to be employed.
Deted this 2nd day of February 1897
Improvements in Water-current Motors.
I, MARIUS ROCHEGUDE, of 99, Boulevard Montmorency, Paris, in the Republic
of France, Pilot, 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:
-
This invention relates to an hydraulic motor for effecting the utilisation of the 40
force of running streams of water.
This motor is capable of various applications but, for the sake of simplicity and
clearness, I have assumed, in the following description, the motor to be utilised
for driving dynamo-electric machines which form a part of the apparatus as a whole.
In the accompanying drawing I have shown by way of example how my said 4
invention may be conveniently and advantageously carried into practice.
Figure 1 is an élevation of the motor.
Figure 2 is a plan of the same.

page_text: •
Figure 4 is a detail view showing in plan the disengaging device.
Figure 6 represents a section of the same taken upon the line 1-2.
Figure 6 is a detail view showing one of the floats or paddles in section.
In all these figures the same letters of reference are employed to designate similar
parts.
The motor comprises, in principle, two floating vessels a stayed and connected
together for the whole of their length; the interval separating them varying
according to circumstances.
At each of their extremities the two vessels carry a transverse shaft b upon which
are mounted four pulleys c; these latter receive endless steel cables d or belting,
carrying rectangular floats e.
These floats preferably consist of a frame of angle-iron in which are fixed, by
means of bolts, the planks of which they are made up; they are fixed upon the
cables or belts which carry them by means of four strong hinges which allow theni
to describe an angle of 900.
The travel of these floats is limited by means outriggers or brackets f, to the
number of four for each float.
In order to prevent bending of the cables or the like, each float is in addition
provided with two rollers g travelling upon four rails ; two at the upper part
and two at the lower.
.
The rear pulleys are larger in diameter than the forward pulleys so that both
the upper cables and the upper rails may be inclined, with the object of diminish-
ing friction and of thus facilitating the actuation.
In the length of the two vessels are formed in the sheathing tight conduits i
which traverse the hulls; these conduits, which are made conical in form, conduct
the external current water into the space comprised between the two vessels, with
the object of giving additional force to the floats.
The orifice of each of these conduits is protected by an iron grating against the
entry of wreckage or other floating matter."
The motor acquires its greatest speed when all the floats are acting; in order to
reduce the speed or to stop the motor entirely, I have devised the following dis-
engaging device.
Opposite each float, the two cables are connected by a transverse shaft carrying
two hooks provided with counter-weights ; these hooks, which are capable of
rotation around their axis, always assume a vertical position.
When the float leaves the water and arrives above the rear pulleys, it lies upon
the cables and the extremities of the hooks become engaged in an opening el
formed in the said float, in such a manner as to maintain the latter applied against
the cables.
At the instant when this float is about to again plunge into the water, the hooks
are pushed back by disengaging rods m and the float resumes its normal position in
the current.
Each of these disengaging rods m, which are capable of sliding freely, is
terminated by a rack n actuated by pinions o fixed upon a shaft p, which latter
carries at its extremity, a hand wheel q.
Under these conditions, when the motor is to run at full speed, the disengaging
rods occupy a position such that they cause all the hooks reaching them to oscil-
late; consequently all the floats are acted upon.
If, on the contrary, it is desired to reduce the speed of the motor, the hand
wheel g is acted upon in such a manner as to bring back the disengaging rods m,
so that they no longer exert any action upon a certain number of floats; in this
way only such a number of floats is allowed to act as may be considered necessary
for the result desired.
If the disengaging rods are left drawn back for a space of time equal to that
which it takes a float to describe a complete revolution, the whole of the floata

page_text: will thus successively be put out of action and at the end of this time none of the
floats will have any useful effect; as soon as the disengaging rods are brought
forward the extremities of these latter presenting an obstacle to the hooks which
retain the floats the said floats will rock and assume their operative position.
Each time that the disengaging rods are drawn back a certain number of floats
remain inactive and this number will always be a function of the time during
which the rods remain drawn back and of the speed of the motor.
The disengaging rods remain thrust forward during a time interval which corre-
sponds to the number of floats desired to be set in action for as long as the
disengaging rod is pushed forward, all the float-boards, in passing over the front
pulley, meet the extremity of this rod, and are compelled to successively oscillate;
each time when it is desired that one float board be thrown out of operation, it is
necessary that a little time before the hook of this float board comes into contact
with the disengaging rod, the latter be passed backward in such a manner as not
to exert any action upon the said float board.
The apparatus being in operation, when the disengaging rods are thrust forward,
all the float boards as they meet these latter, oscillate successively and assume the
working position, and on the contrary in order to slacken the speed the disengaging
rods are moved back in such a manner that one, two, three, and so on, float boards
remain applied against their supporting cables so as to consequently have no useful
or working effect. During all the time in which these rods remain in their back-
ward position, none of the float-boards oscillates or enters into their working
position, on the contrary the said float boards, as they pass upon the front pulley
do not oscillate until the disengaging rods have been again passed forward.
If it is required to stop the motor completely, the disengaging rods m are drawn
back in such a manner that none of the hooks are released; all the floats then
remain applied against the cables, so that even when they enter the water they do
not act and the motor stops.
Power is taken from one or several pulleys fixed upon the shaft carrying the
forward pulleys.
In the case under consideration, the motion of these transmission pulleys is com-
municated to another pulley on an intermediate transmission shaft, which
actuates, by means of a third pulley t, the pulley of a dynamo machine u.
This dynamo machine might, for example, serve for the electric lighting of
towns situated upon the bank of the stream which actuates the motor, or for any
other appropriate purpose.
I may of course vary the form, dimensions and detail arrangements of my motor
according to the different purposes for which it is intended to be employed.
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:-
The hydraulic motor formed by two floating vessels stayed and connected
together between which are arranged endless cables or belts upon which are
mounted movable floats or paddles, and particularly characterised by the appli-
cation of
1. Conical conduits formed in the planking of the floating vessels, with the
object of bringing the action of the external current to bear upon the internal
floats; and
2. A disengaging device by the use of which only such a number of floats as may
be considered necessary for the object to be attained, may be put into action ; each
float leaving the water being kept applied against the cables by which it is carried,
by means of rocking hooks provided with counter-weights which encounter, when
the float is about to re-enter the water, the extremity of rods which force these
hooks to rock and thus permit the floats to again assume their normal position in
the current,, these rods being capable of forward or backward motion according as

page_text: it is desired to place the floats in action or not, as above described with reference
to the drawing.
Dated this 22nd day of October 1897.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.