AN IMPROVED MODE OF AND MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR OBTAINING POWER FROM THE MOTION OF A SHIP OR VESSEL AT SEA POR POMPING, VENTILATING, AND OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1867

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Charles Denton Abel at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 2nd January
1867. A communication from abroad by Wilhelmus Johannes Van
de Ven, of Cape Town, Cape of Good Hope, Captain of Mercantile
Service.
I, CHARLES DENTON ABEL, of No. 20, Southampton Buildings, Chancery
Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED MODE OF AND MACHINERY OR APPARATUS
FOR OBTAINING POWER FROM THE MOTION OF A SHIP OR VESSEL AT SEA POR
POMPING, VENTILATING, AND OTHER PURPOSES," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object to obtain motive power from the rolling or
pitching motion of a vessel at sea by means of a suspended weight or heavy
pendulum so arranged as to receive an oscillating motion from such rolling or
pitching of the vessel, and to impart such motion to machinery or apparatus
in manner hereafter described.
For this purpose a main frame of any suitable form and material is so fixed
on any convenient part of the vessel as to stand "athwart ships" if it be
required to take advantage of the rolling motion, and to stand "fore and aft"
if required to utilize the pitching motion. This main frame is provided with
two or more bearings to carry a main shaft which can move freely in the
bearings; from this main shaft a heavy weight is suspended and keyed on, or
a hollow box or receptacle which may be filled with shot, chain, or other
heavy material sufficient for the required work to be done; this weight being

page_text: suspended by its upper part from the main shaft will swing from side to side
of the frame by the motion of the vessel, and to keep it steady in its proper
plane of motion antifriction wheels are fitted to the bottom of it, which wheels
run on a segmental track on the frame on each side of the weight; the weight
thus forms a pendulum which moves on its centre in the main shaft, and is
restrained from free motion other than in its proper plane by the wheels run-
ning in contact with the sides or cheeks of the frame. Upon the said main
shaft one or more levers, cranks, or wheels are fixed, from any convenient
part of which connecting rods proceed in the ordinary way to the pump rods
of the ship's pumps; or the connection may be made with the pumps by
means of intermediate rods, beams, chains, or bell cranks, as may be con-
venient. To obtain circular motion a second shaft is required, which is
provided with two ratchet wheels operated upon by pawls and vibrating ratchet
levers (or as is usual in the common "pump windlass"). These vibrating
ratchet levers are worked the one from a point in a lever above or on one side
of the centre of vibration in the main shaft, the other from a point below or
on the other side of the centre of vibration, so that when the vessel rolls to
"starboard" one vibrating rod, lever, and pawl may be in operation, and
when the vessel rolls to "port" the other rod, lever, and pawl may be in
operation. To render the action available for driving a fan for the ventilation
of the steerage or cabin of a ship, or for other purposes where much speed is
required, such speed is obtained by any known arrangement of multiplying
gearing.
Instead of the arrangement of vibrating levers and pawls above described
any of the ordinary modes of converting rectilinear into circular motion may
be employed.