New or Improved Apparatus for Utilizing the Power of the Waves of the Sea or other Water.
Year: 1891

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
New or Improved Apparatus for Utilizing the Power of the Waves
of the Sea or other Water.
I, REGINALD HADDAN of the firm of Herbert & Co. Patent Agents of
18 Buckingham Street Strand W.C. in the County of London Civil Engineer do
hereby declare the nature of this invention a communication to me from abroad
by Jose Sagrera, Manuel Duran y Gost and Martin Cuadras Florit all of Barcelona
in the Kingdom of Spain, Manufacturers, and in what manner the same is to be
performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:—
The object of this invention is to provide apparatus or machinery by means of
which power may be obtained from the rise and fall of waves upon the sea or other
body of water; the apparatus consists of three main parts or divisions namely
mechanism for receiving the mechanical power furnished by the up and down or
wave movement of the surface of the water, secondly means for transmitting this
power and thirdly means for storing or reserving the power so that it may be
utilized continuously or as and when occasion may arise.
The accompanying drawings illustrate the apparatus by which this invention is
carried into effect;
Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional and to a certain extent diagramatic view of the
whole apparatus.
Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of the device by which the movement of the waves
is transferred to or received by the machinery.
Fig. 3 is a vertical section and Fig. 4 a horizontal section of the means for
utilizing the power of seas where the waves are considerably greater than those
for which the construction shown in Fig. 2 is applicable.
B is a buoy which rises and falls with the waves in which it floats and transfers
this movement to the rope C. There may be as many of these buoys as are needed,
each connected to a rope C running over pulleys C₁ on a staging A. so that the
buoys are suspended in the water at the end of the staging. The lateral swaying
of the buoys is prevented to a certain extent by chains M fastened to collars or
blocks P sliding loosely on the piles of the staging and counterbalanced by
weights G so as to rise or fall with the buoy as the latter moves with the tide or
is drawn up out of action. The buoys are preferably hollow and divided into two
compartments by a horizontal partition, water being allowed to fill the lower
compartment through an opening controlled by a valve F which allows the water
to fill the lower compartment of the valve but does not allow the same to flow out
unless it is drawn up by hand by the cord D as may be done when by reason of a
storm or other cause the buoy is to be lifted out of action, the water being then
allowed to flow out to lessen the weight of the buoy. The floating power of the
buoy may be adjusted by weighting the upper compartment to the desired
amount, for instance with sand. The ropes Care connected to operate plungers
of pumps A' by the action of which water is raised from a well N and delivered
into a trough V whence it flows into a reservoir X where it accumulates. This
water is used to drive a turbine M¹ and the waste water passes back through
the drain E into the well N. A syphon T may be used for controlling the
level of the water in the well N by filling the same from the sea as it becomes
exhausted or a weir may be used for emptying the surplus water from the
well N.
For utilizing large waves the following mechanism may be employed and
arranged in lieu of or in addition to the buoys and their ropes above described.
Inhamboy 1
11 AT
R

page_text: is in free communication with the sea. When the wave descends the water
pent up in the well N passes into the turbine by the passage 3 and drives the
latter, the wave again rising fills the well N.by a weir.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
In apparatus for utilizing or obtaining motive power from waves of the sea
or other body of water
1) The combination with a suitable supporting framework and pumps adapted
to raise water, of a buoy or buoys connected by ropes or the like to the plungers
of said pumps and floating in the waves for the purpose set forth.
2) A buoy consisting of a hollow casing divided into an upper and a lower
compartment, the lower having a valve admitting water to said lower compart-
ment and adapted to be removed by hand for release of said water, the buoy
being suspended to rise and fall with the waves and communicate the movement
so given by means of a rope or equivalent.
3) The combination with a series of pumps operated by the rising and falling
of buoys moved by waves, of a well or channel N for feeding the said pumps
and a reservoir X for receiving the water pumped, the said well be provided
with water substantially as described.
4) The combination with the pumps A¹ the channel N and the reservoir X
of the turbine M' and waste drain E leading to said well or channel N.
5) The combination with a buoy adapted to rise and fall with waves and
communicate the movement so given of a frame work, collars or blocks P
sliding in the vertical piles thereof chains M connecting the same to the buoy
and counter balance weights G for the purpose set forth.
6) The combination with the well N of the division or well 1 at the end
thereof and the turbine 2 therein adapted to operate as herein described.
Dated this 24th day of July 1891.
HERBERT & Co.,
Agents to Applicant.