IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND ARRANGEMENT OF WATER WHEELS AND OF APPLIANCES TO BE EMPLOYED IN CONNECTION THEREWITH
Year: 1882

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Joseph Knight at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents on the 4th November 1882.
JOSEPH KNIGHT, of Queen's Park, Harrow Road, in the County of Middlesex,
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND ARRANGEMENT OF WATER WHEELS
AND OF APPLIANCES TO BE EMPLOYED IN CONNECTION THEREWITH,"
This Invention consists in improvements in the construction of wheels and
appliances to be employed in connection therewith for utilising the motive power
and force of the flow of streams of water in rivers, brooks, tidal waters, water falls
and other sources, in a more perfect powerful and economical manner than that
object is effected by wheels as ordinarily constructed and arranged.
I will now proceed to describe the application of this Invention to an overshot
water wheel of any suitablo diameter and width of breast. The axle is arranged
to work in suitable bearings upon a floating raft, stage or vessel in which is a
suitable aperture for the admission of such portion of the water wheel as is
required to pass freely through below the deck. In some cases the float or other
vessel is constructed in two separate longitudinal parts which are secured together
by stays, braces or other contrivances as well as by the deck and the wheel is
suitably arranged between the said two parts. The end or ends of the hull or
hulls of the float or floats or other vessel or vessels, is or are constructed in a
similar manner to the bow of a ship. The buckets of the water wheel are to be
constructed and ventilated in any suitable manner to prevent the retention of
water in them by suction on their rising through the back or tail water. The
shrouding which is made continuous round each side of the circumference of the
wheel, forms the ends of the buckets and will project beyond the outside of the
said buckets and thus form an unbroken channel round the periphery to retain
within its boundary any surplus overflow of water from the overhead tank that
may not have entered the buckets.
A suitable tank or cistern is arranged above the top of the water wheel, and
water is elevated into the same by pumps, actuated by the mechanism connected
with the said water wheel or by any other suitable means, the water passes from
the said tank or cistern through a properly constructed channel to guide it into
the buckets by its own gravity thus operating as an overshot power of grent force.

page_text: In addition to the overshot power, the forces of a breast power and an undershot
power are, in some cases, employed conjoin ly with an overshot power and operate
on the buckets of the wheel with great rotating propulsive power, these forces are
utilised by the means and in the manner hereinafter described, or some modification
of the same
A tube corresponding in width with the buckets is arranged and is fixed on a
gradient to obtain a head of water. The said tube is provided with an oblong
hopper shaped mouth or with an enlarged inlet of other suitable form and the
delivery end of the said tube is curved downwards so as to conduct the weight
and force of water into the mouths or openings of the buckets on, or near, the
underside of the floor or deck of the float or other vessel, this will produce far
more effect and work than is produced by any ordinary low-breast wheel inasmuch
as in addition to the bare weight of water that is conducted into the buckets of
ordinary low-breast wheels there will be the propulsive power of a column of
water forced down a gradient through a tube or conducting channel by the stream
or tide entering the funnel shaped or other suitably formed mouth, and, as above.
stated, the delivery end of the tube being curved downwards a percussive effect
and power will be given the water against, and into, the buckets which are
thereby driven downwards, the water is forced onwards through the channel to,
and under, the bottom of the wheel thus giving the fullest effect to the undershot
action. The delivery end of the tube or channel is curved downwards and follows
the outline of the wheel to its lowest point. The bottom and the two sides of the
channel conducting the water continuously into, and against, the mouths of the
buckets, round to, and past, the lowest bucket thus in power and effect acting as
water through a sluice to drive an undershot water wheel. The said tube or
channel is suspended from, and thoroughly secured to, the underside of, or below,
the floor of the float or other vessel.
The area of the mouth of the tube being greater than that of the body, affords
the opportunity for a large quantity of water to enter thereby and to be driven:
therein by the speed or weight and force of the current or tide thus the water
will be propelled forward through the tube or conducting channel with much
pressure and velocity at its delivery end against, and into, the buckets greatly
increasing the motive power of the water wheel.
The weight and force of the water delivered under the centre of the wheel
through the conducting tube or channel by passing away in the same direction as
the course of the stream or motion of the tide will not retard the wheel from
revolving, but on the contrary will give impetus to its speed by helping to lift the
backs of the buckets upwards through that part of the lower ascending quadrant
described by the rotation of the wheel and it is further evident that the rush of
water discharged from the buckets will be drawn away from the bottom of the
wheel by, and into, the receding current or tide by the velocity and force of the
stream or tide each propelling the other away from the back of the buckets and
wheel in the same direction.
It is a well established fact that a water wheel similar to that hereinbefore
described can dip considerably into the water without any appreciable loss of
power inasmuch as the stream or tide will not impinge against the backs of the
buckets as they rise through the water, sufficient ventilation must be provided in
the buckets to prevent their sucking the water and retaining it within them as
they riso through the stream or current.
Apparatus for the generation of electricity or any other desired machines to be
worked by the water wheel may be placed under cover on the said float or floats
or other vessel or vessels.
In some cases, two wheels may be employed one at each side of the float or
other vessel. When the mechanism is to be actuated by tidal waters two wheels
are, in some cases, employed, one to be acted on by each tide.
In applying this invention to a turbine water wheel, the wheel and shaft or
axle thereof are arranged at an angle, that is to say out of the perpendicular, to

page_text: their usual position and water is conducted to the wheel by a tube with an
enlarged mouth constructed and arranged as herein before described and the said
water descending an incline to the lowest point of the wheel escapes through the
outlet tube which is, by preference, provided with a bell shaped mouth to admit of
the expansion of the water for its easy escape into the receding current or tide the
water being forced down a declivity will increase the power and momentum of the
turbine wheel
In the case of water wheels of large diameter I, in some cases, construct the
said wheels of greater width in the centre than at the periphery.