Improvements in and relating to Tidal Motors.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Dec., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 17th Sept., 1896-Accepted, 17th Oct., 1896
Improvements in and relating to Tidal Motors.
I, JOHANN FERDINAND ROBERT KNOBLOCH, of 10 Von der Tann Strasse,
Hamburg Eimsbüttel, in the Empire of Germany, Mechanic, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows :-
:-
This invention relates to improvements in tidal motore.
The improvements in water wheels hereinafter described serve to adapt a water
wheel for working with equal effect in either of two opposite directions and to
render the same more especially suitable for the utilization of the motive power
of the water of the tides (ebb and flood water). The action namely is such that
the flood water falling from the one side upon the water wheel, is stemmed up
behind the water wheel and can subsequently during the low tide be effectually
returned upon the water wheel from the other side.
One improvement consists in the fact that the buckets of the wheel are arranged
upon rotary axes, which are placed at a slight distance apart around the wheel
and which may be located in rings. The said rings are placed at suitable
distances apart from one another, around the wheel, and between every two
adjacent rings one set of rotary buckets is arranged.
The rotary axis for each bucket lies close to the exterior edge of the bucket,
whilst its interior edge bears against one of the ledges, which are so arranged
upon the cylinder of the wheel that one bucket lies between each two adjacent
ledges.
By the hereinbefore described device the buckets are automatically adjusted
to the correct position of use by the falling water and also by their own weight,
according as the water meets them from the one or from the other side.
In view of the special case of the wheel being alternately met and worked by
the ebb and flood water, the said wheel is arranged upon a float between two over-
fall sluice gates in such a manner that the wheel gradually rises as the flood water
rises, when this latter flows over the one raised over fall into the wheel or
gradually falls with the ebb water when the stemmed up flood water flows back
from the other side over the other raised overfall into the wheel. The overfall
sluice gates are gradually raised and lowered according as the level of the inflowing
flood water rises and of the stemmed up water sinks.
In order that the power of the water may be as completely as possible utilized,
a displaceable circular channel has been provided. This channel lies as a cover
loosely upon a number of curved guide rails which are fixed upon the float at
distances apart, beside one another and below the wheel, and which are preferably
constructed in the form of pipes for the guidance of drawing links, for instance
chains, which pass over chain wheels. Each chain wheel circle is rotatably arranged.
upon the float at one side of the water wheel and can be rotated or can be fixed
in one position by suitable means.
The pipes are provided with longitudinal slots upon the top surface and through
these slots the chains are connected with the circular channel, without the chains
being enabled to be drawn through the slots.
The.
By this arrangement it is rendered possible to draw the circular channel
underneath that part of the water wheel which is met by the falling water.
circular channel thus always covers only one half of the guide pipes at a time,

page_text: while the other halves of the said pipes allow the water which flows off, to freely
pass through between them. Before each change in the direction of the water
current passing through the wheel, the circular channel is, by means of the chains
drawn over from one side to the other side of the lower surface of the wheel,
whilst the wheel buckets fold down automatically as soon as the water flows from 5
the opposite direction against the wheel.
Dated this 18th day of December 1895
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.
improvements in and relating to Tidal, Motors.
I, JOHANN FERDINAND ROBERT KNOBLOCH, of 10 Von der Tann Strasse,
Hamburg Eimsbüttel, in the Empire of Germany, Mechanic, 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 improvements in tidal motors.
The improvements in water wheels hereinafter described serve to adapt a water
wheel for working with equal effect in either of two opposite directions and to
render the same more especially suitable for the utilization of the motive power of
the water of the tides (ebb and flood water). The action is such that the flood
water falling from the one side upon the water wheel, is stemmed up behind the
water wheel and can subsequently during the low tide be effectually returned upon
the water wheel from the other side.
I attain this object first, by arranging the buckets of the water wheel upon.
rotary axes so as to admit the buckets to swing about their pivot in order to
automatically adjust the same to the correct position according as the water meets
them from one or from the other side, and, second, by providing a displaceable
circular channel designed to be drawn alternately underneath that part of the
water wheel which is met by the falling water.
In order to make my invention more clearly understood reference is to be had
to the accompanying in which-
Figure 1, is a sectional side elevation of a tidal motor arrangement embodying
my invention;
Figure 2, a cross section on the line I-I, (Figure 1), the water wheel being
removed for better showing the displacement circular channel;
.
Figure 3, a top view of my improved water wheel, and
Figure 4, a plan of the water channel (Figure 2) partly in section.
Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.
The pivots or rotary axes el of the buckets e are placed at a slight distance
apart around the water wheel and journalled in rings c' which are placed at suitable
distances apart from one another, around the main body c of the wheel, and
between every two adjacent rings one set of oscillatory buckets e is arranged
according as required by the size (breadth) of the wheel.
The rotary axis or pivot el for each bucket lies close to the exterior edge of the
bucket, whilst its interior edge bears against one of the ledges c², which are so
arranged upon the cylindrical body c of the wheel that one bucket lies between
each two adjacent ledges.
By the herein before described device the buckets are automatically adjusted to
the correct position of use by the falling water and also by their own weight,,
according as the water meets them from the one or from the other side.
.
In Figure 1 of the drawing is shown the position of the buckets, when the water

page_text: falls upon the wheel from the right hand side so that the latter is turned in the
sense of the hand of a watch or clock. In view of the special case of the wheel
being alternately met and worked by the ebb and flood water, the said wheel is
arranged upon a float S between two over fall sluice gates U₁ U in such a manner
that the wheel gradually rises as the flood water rises, when this latter flows
over the one raised over fall into the wheel or gradually falls with the ebb water
when the stenimed up flood water flows back from the other side over the other
raised overfall into the wheel. The overfall sluice gates are gradually raised and
lowered according as the level of the inflowing flood water rises and of the
stemmed up water sinks.
In order that the power of the water may be as completely as possible utilized,.
a displaceable channel has been provided. This channel lies as a cover s loosely
upon a number of curved guide rails t which are fixed upon the float S at distances
apart, beside one another and below the wheel, and which are preferably constructed
in the form of pipes for the guidance of drawing links, for instance chains v, which
pass over chain wheels w' on two shafts w. Each chain wheel shaft is rotatably
arranged in bearings supported by pillars p upon the float S at one side of the
water wheel and can be rotated or can be fixed in one position by suitable means.
The pipes are provided with longitudinal slots upon the top surface and
through these slots the chains are connected with the circular channel s, without
the chains being enabled to be drawn through the slots.
By this arrangement it is rendered possible to draw the circular channel s
underneath that part of the water wheel which is met by the falling water. The
circular channel thus always covers only one half of the guide pipes at a time,.
while the other halves of the said pipes allow the water which flows off, to freely
pass through between them. Before each change in the direction of the water
current passing through the wheel, the circular channels is, by means of the
chains v drawn over from one side to the other side of the lower surface of the-
wheel, whilst the wheel buckets fold down automatically as soon as the water flows.
from the opposite direction against the wheel.
On the top of each sluice gate (U' U2) a sliding board (u³ ³ respectively) may
be arranged so as to project beyond the chain wheels w¹ and to serve as a saddle
beam sill while the sluice gate is raised (see U* Figure 1).
When the sluice gate
is to be lowered the board must be withdrawn (see U¹ Figure 1) so as to be
enabled to freely pass the devices for actuating the covers as well as the float S;.
for the reception of the board in the lowest position of the sluice gates the floor of
the channel may be provided with suitable recesses µl r².
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. As an improvement in tidal motors, a water wheel having upon its periphery
oscillatory buckets arranged in such a manner that they automatically assume the
correct position of use according as the water meets them from the one or the
other side, substantially as set forth.
2. As an improvement in tidal motors, a water wheel having buckets arranged
upon rotary axes which are placed around the wheel, the pivots or axis of each
bucket lying close to its exterior edge, whilst the interior edge of each bucket
extends between to ledges arranged lengthwise upon the cylindrical body of the
wheel, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
3. As an improvement in tidal motors, the combination of a water wheel worked
by the falling water in either of two opposite directions with a displaceable
circular channel or cover s adapted to be drawn underneath that part of the water
wheel which is met by the falling water, and devices for actuating said cover,.
substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
4. The herein described circular channel for a water wheel consisting of a
cover s, curved pipes t provided with longitudinal slots, chain or like means guided

page_text: within the pipes and connected with the said cover and a winding device,
substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
Dated this 17th day of September 1896.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.