IMPROVEMENTS IN TURBINE WATER WHEELS
Year: 1870

page_text: "
LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the "International
Patent Office," Southampton Buildings, London, Consulting En-
gineer, for the Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN TURBINE WATER
WHEELS." -A communication from abroad by Henry Allen Chad-
wick, of Burnet, Texas, United States of America, Millwright.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said William Robert Lake
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition and
Declaration, on the 24th March 1870, pursuant to the 9th Section
of the Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
"
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, J, WILLIAM
ROBERT LAKE, of the 'International Patent Office," Southampton
Buildings, London, Consulting Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS I am in possession of an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
TURBINE WATER WHEELS," and have petitioned Her Majesty to grant
unto me, my executors, administrators, and assigns, Her Royal Letters
Patent for the same, and have made solemn Declaration that it has

page_text: been communicated to me from abroad by Henry Allen Chadwick, of
Burnet, Texas, United States of America, Millwright.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Robert Lake, do hereby
declare that the following Complete Specification, under my hand and
seal, fully describes and ascertains the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawing forming a
part of this Specification :-
In turbine water wheels as at present constructed the water issues
with more or less force from the flume, showing conclusively that all of
its power has not been given to the wheel, and that consequently there
is both a waste of water and loss of power.
To obviate these objections and fully economize all the power of the
water is the object of my Invention, which consists partly in the cm-
ployment of direct and reaction spiral buckets, arranged upon the wheel
in alternate sets, with suitable guides for reversing the current of water
secured to the trunk or casing between each set, whereby the said current
upon leaving each set of buckets is reversed and caused to strike
directly against those of the next set below until its force is entirely
expended, and it leaves the exit pipe in a "dead" or expended state.
It also consists in the peculiar construction and arrangement of the
valves controlling the inlet pipe, whereby the entering current of water
is directed so as to strike the buckets of the wheel at the same angle
whatever the quantity of water admitted.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved wheel with the front of
the cylinder or casing removed; Figure 2 is a cross section of the same
on the line x, xz, of Figure 1 showing the scroll valves; Figure 3 is a top
view of the casing; Figure 4 is a cross section of the casing on the
line y, y, of Figure 1; Figure 5 is a broken longitudinal section of said
casing; and Figure 6 is a cross section of the wheel on the line, z, of
Figure 1. Like letters refer to like parts in each of the Figures.
A represents the wheel having secured upon its periphery three sets
of spiral buckets B, the faces of which are at a right angle to the lino
of the said wheel. The inclination of pitch of the buckets is not tho
same during their entire length, it being quite sharp at the upper end,
and for a short distance downward, and thence to the lower end less

page_text: rapid, producing what is known as direct and reaction buckets. The
wheel is suitably journaled at either end so as to revolve freely, and is
surrounded by a cylinder or casing C, the internal diameter of which
corresponds with the external diameter of the said wheel over the
buckets. Secured radially upon the inside of the casing between cach
set of brackets is a number of guides D in the form of a short section of
a spiral thread which correspond in breadth and thickness with the
buckets, and nearly fills the space between said casing and the wheel.
These guides are so placed as to incline in the opposite direction from
the buckets, and are for the purpose of reversing the current of water
from the buckets immediately above to cause it to strike the buckets
below at a right angle or in the same manner as when entering the
casing. When thus constructed and arranged, if the water be allowed
to enter the upper end of the casing so as to strike the upper
ends of the buckets at a right angle, its direct force will be com-
municated to the wheel, after which the downward flow of the water
will operate upon the balance of the said buckets, and by reaction com-
municate an additional per-centage of its power to said wheel. Upon
issuing from the first set of buckets the water has a considerable
velocity, but the current has been reversed, so that if allowed to strike
the second set of buckets its direct force would be lost, and it would act
thercon only by reaction. The guides, however, receive the water as it
leaves the buckets, and reverse its course so as to cause it to strike
the next set at the same angle as it did the first, by which means
its action is of the same nature, although in a diminished degree.
The same action and result are produced by cach additional set of
guides and buckets until the force or velocity of the water is entirely
expended. It has been found that by the addition of one set of guides
and buckets fifty per cent. more power was obtained than by the single
set, and that when another, or a second set of each was added, a further
increase of twenty-five per cent. of power was gained, after which the
water left the exit pipe or flume in a dead or exhausted state. Imme-
diately above the wheel A is placed the inlet pipe E, opening into an
annular chamber F, corresponding in diameter with the bore of the
casing, and having an inner wall G corresponding in diameter and shape.
with the wheel. Spiral sections II are pivoted at their centre upon
the periphery of the wall G at equidistant points, the forward end of
each overlapping the section immediately in its front. When thus
arranged the sections or valves are allowed to vibrate upon the pivot so

page_text: as to permit them to be closed down upon each other and check the
flow of water, or placed in the position shown in Figure 1, and allow
the water to pass between and strike the buckets of the wheel. A rod h
attached to the upper end of each valve extends upward through the
casing, and is connected with a cross I or other equivalent device by
means of which the said valves are simultaneously operated. It will be
readily seen that by means of this valve the water is admitted to strike
the buckets of the wheel at the same angle, whether its volume is large
or small, and also that while giving direction to the current it does not
retard its passage, but allows it to strike the said wheel in an unbroken
although divided stream.
Having thus fully described the nature of the said Invention as
communicated to me by my foreign correspondent, I claim,-
The combination of the buckets B with the guides D, substantially as
and for the purpose herein described.
Also, the reversing guides D within the casing C, substantially as
shown and for the purpose set forth.
Also, the wheel A, provided with two or more sets of buckets B, in
combination with the casing C, guides D, and spiral valves H, all
constructed and arranged to operate, substantially as and for the
purpose set forth.
Also, the pivoted adjustable spiral valves II when constructed and
arrange to operate, substantially as shown and for the purpose
specified.
In witness whereof, I, tho said William Robert Lake, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of March,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
seventy.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE. (L.S.)
Witness,
JAMES TEARE,
Clerk to Messrs. Haseltine, Lake, & Co.,
No. 8, Southampton Buildings,
London.