Improvements in the Method of and Apparatus for Utilizing Tidal Power at the Mouths of Rivers and other suitable Places.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Apr., 1894.
Complete Specification Left, 22nd Jin., 1895-Accepted, 23rd Feb., 1895
TRUVIDIONAL DE DOITTALION.
Improvements in the Method of and Apparatus for Utilizing Tidal
Power at the Mouths of Rivers and other suitable Places.
I, WILLIAM HORSFALL of Square Road Foundry, Halifax in the County of
York, Ironfounder and Engineer do hereby declare, the nature of this invention, to
be as follows:-
The object of my invention is to harness or utilize the tides at the mouths of
rivers and other suitable places, such power being employed for electric lighting
and for other suitable purposes.
At the mouths of rivers or other suitable places I form a lock within which I
place a hollow pontoon or other floating structure, upon which I mount a suitable
water wheel, turbine, or chain bucket, or float arrangement as desired.
As the tide rises it is kept back or locked in any suitable manner until it has
preferably risen two thirds of its usual height, upon which a sluice or sluices
(employed for admitting the tide to the aforesaid turbine or wheel) are opened, the
tidal water then operates the wheel or turbine before described, and by means of
an outlet at the back which is preferably higher than the level of the river, passes
into the river.
As the river rises and the water becomes level with the outlet from the wheel or
turbine, the said wheel and its structure are risen bodily within the lock, by means
of hydraulic power or by rack or screw in any suitable manner, and may be secured
in any suitable position.
When the tide has fallen or ebbed two thirds of its traverse, the sluices before
described are closed and the outlet to the river also closed, the wheel within the
lock is then lowered to its original position or thereabouts, and the sluice or sluices
upon the river side are opened, and the outlet from the lock to the sea is also
opened, the tidal water from the river operating upon the wheel, passes into the sca
in the same manner as when the tide is rising or flowing before described.
Dated this Twenty-first day of April 1894.
JOHN E. WALSH,
Crossley Street, Halifax, Patent Agent for the Applicant.
Improvements in the Method of and Apparatus for Utilizing Tidal
Power at the Mouths of Rivers and other suitable Places.
I, WILLIAM HORSFALL of Square Road Foundry, Halifax in the County of
York, Ironfounder and Engineer, 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 object of my invention is to utilize the power of tides at the mouths of rivers
and other suitable places, such power being employed for electric lighting and for
other suitable purposes.

page_text: DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1. is a sectional side elevation of my improved apparatus for utilizing tidal
power, showing the position of pontoon, wheel, sluices, and the height of the tide
when the wheel or other motor is first operated.
Fig. 2. is a similar view to Fig. 1. showing the position of the pontoon, sluices,
and wheels, when the tide is within two feet of high tide.
Fig. 3. is a plan of my improved apparatus, showing two wheels and pontoons
fixed at the mouth of a river or other suitable place.
Fig. 4. is a sectional side elevation of my improved apparatus in which I employ
a chain piston bucket in place of the wheel or turbine, this method being preferably
applicable to places having very high tides.
Fig. 5. shows a plan of pontoon and sluices employed and shown in Fig. 4.
Fig. 6. is a sectional plan through A', B¹ of the valves or inlets to the piston
buckets, for operating same.
At the mouths of rivers or other suitable places I form a lock A (see Fig. 1. 2
and 3.), within which I place a hollow or other suitable pontoon B, or other floating
structure, upon this pontoon is mounted a suitable water wheel, turbine, chain
bucket or float arrangement C, as desired.
As the tide rises, it is kept back or prevented from entering the lock, by means
of preferably a floating sluice or sluices D, until it has risen preferably three
quarters of its usual height, this sluice or sluices is raised gradually with the tide,
by the action of the tide itself, or by hydraulic or other power, in any suitable
manner.
A second sluice E, working within suitable grooves or guide plates F, is placed
at each end of the pontoon, and rides with the pontoon, and is employed for
admitting the tidal water to the wheel or other motor C, and for determining the
volume of such water, these sluices are adjusted independent of or with the pontoon
as desired by hydraulic or other power.
Between this sluice E and the sluice D at each end of the lock, I preferably fix
a suitable grating G, which may act as a guide and stay for the sluice D, besides
equalizing the flow of the water to the wheel or other motor.
Upon the opposite or river side of the pontoon, are fixed corresponding sluices
and grate E', D' and G', which are operated upon and have the same effect upon
the wheel as before described, when the tidal water is passed from the river back
into the sea.
When the tidal water is admitted to the wheel, is guided on to the buckets or
trays C' of such wheel by means of suitable adjustable pivotted guide abutment
plates or platforms H, pivotted upon the pontoon, and extending across the breast
of the wheel, so obtaining the full force or weight of the water upon the wheel,
after which it passes forwards into the river, the various sluices and pivotted plate
being lowered for that purpose.
As the river rises and becomes level with the outlet from the wheel or turbine,
the said wheel and pontoon or other structure, are risen bodily within the lock, by
hydraulic power, or mechanically by rack or screw, or in any other suitable manner,
and secured in the desired position.
When the tide has nearly risen to its greatest height and the water in the river
has nearly risen on a level with tide, the wheel, pontoon, and sluices are raised into
the position shown in Fig. 2, and by the time the river and sea are level the
wheel C will be in a similar position to a midstream wheel.
The sluices E' and D' upon the river side are then closed and the wheel lowered
to the position shown in Fig. 1. the buckets or trays C of which are then reversed,
and when the tide has fallen to the required level the sluices upon the river-side
are opened, and the tidal water from the river then operates upon the wheel or
other motor, and passes into the sea in the same manner as when passing from the
sea into the river before described.

page_text: Or in lieu of the wheel or turbine before described, and where subject to a very
high tide, I may employ or fix upon and within the pontoon, a chain piston bucket
arrangement for operating a wheel C or other motor see Figs. 4. 5 and 6, the
pontoon B in this case having formed upon its upper surface a large tank or
cistern J, by means of the sides of the pontoon and the sluices E and E', within
which is fixed suitable cylinders or chambers K, down and up which pass the piston
buckets L.
Upon one of these cylinders or chambers I fix or form one or more series of
valves M (see Fig. 6) which admit the tidal water to the piston buckets L, these
inlets or valves are of sufficient depth, so that when the bottom of one bucket has
reached the bottom of the inlets, there is sufficient space above the bucket for the
water to circulate, thus always keeping one even pressure upon the buckets as they
are presented to the valves or inlets M.
As the buckets pass down and up these cylinders, the water is passed from the
sea to the river as shown or vice versa as desired.
Also I form the lower part N of this cylinder or chamber taper and smaller than
the top part N' but sufficiently large for the buckets L to pass through, so receiving
and confining the weight of water to the bucket, this chamber tapers from the
bottom to the top of the inlet valve.
The chamber or cylinder above being larger than the bucket, allows the extra
water to pass up each side, thereby preventing friction and backlash when the
water is being admitted to the buckets.
Also in addition to which I may place one or more floats or valves in each piston
bucket, to allow the water to pass or circulate upwards through the said buckets,
should the same get overloaded in working.
I preferably keep a required depth of water within the cistern or tank, so as to
obtain one uniform pressure upon the buckets throughout, this. water is kept in the
tank by means of sluices E and E' within the poutoon, such sluices and pontoon
being constructed and operated in the manner before shown and described in
Figs. 1. 2. and 3.
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:
1. In apparatus for utilizing tidal power, the employment of a wheel, turbine or
chain piston bucket arrangement mounted upon a pontoon, the whole being adjusted
to the position of the water upon each side, in combination with suitable sluices all
operating in the manner and for the purposes described.
2. In apparatus for utilizing tidal power, the combination of one or more wheels
or turbines C, mounted upon adjustable pontoons B, sluices D, E, E'D', gratings G
and G' and pivotted guide abutment plates H, operating in the manner substantially
as shown and described.
3. In apparatus for utilizing tidal power, the combination of a chain piston
bucket arrangement for operating suitable wheel or motor C mounted upon an
adjustable pontoon B and consisting of cistern or tank J, chambers or cylinders K,
having valves or inlets M, chain piston buckets L, with sluices E, E D and Di
and grating G and G', operated in the manner substantially as shown and
described.
Dated this Twenty-first day of Janua… 100%
JOHN E. WALSH,
Crossley Street, Halifax, Patent Agent for the Applicant.