Improvements in winamus.
Year: 1898

page_text: I, WILLIAM JOSEPH STARKEY BARBER-STARKEY, of Aldenham Park, Bridg-
north, in the County of Salop, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
--
My invention relates to windmills and has for its object to construct an
improved vane or sail for this class of motor.
With windmills of the ordinary type the inclination of the vanes is altered
to suit the speed of the wind blowing on the mill by mechanical means, and
in variable and gusty weather it often happens that the vanes can not be regu-
lated in time and the sails are rotated at an excessive speed injuring the machinery
driven by the same. Various methods for avoiding this difficulty have been
suggested and these have met with varying amounts of success. In general,
however, these devices are expensive to manufacture and unreliable in practice.
According to my invention I secure to each arm radiating from the mill
spindle vanes of thin galvanized sheet steel or other suitable flexible and
elastic material, each vane being attached by one end to the arm, the other end
being free. In consequence of this construction the inclination of the plane
of the vane to the mill spindle will vary with the wind pressure and when a
strong wind is blowing the area of each vane projected on a plane normal to
the direction of the wind will be much smaller than when there is a moderate
breeze.
The vanes are of any suitable shape and may be strengthened by ribs where
necessary, means being provided, if desired, for determining the flexure of the
vanes under various pressures.
Windmills having vanes constructed in my improved manner are practically
self-regulating and do not race in a gale, they can therefore be left without
attention. At the same time the cost of construction is very little greater than
the cost of sails made in the ordinary manner.
i
W. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
322, High Holborn, London, W.C., Patent Agents for the Applicant:
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in winamus.
I, WILLIAM JOSEPH STARKEY BARBER-STARKEY, of Aldenham Park, Bridg
north, in the County of Salop, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this
Dine 871

page_text: invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:―
My invention relates to windmills and has for its object to construct an
improved vane or sail for this class of motor.
With windmills of the ordinary type the inclination of the vanes is altered
to suit the speed of the wind blowing on the mill by mechanical means, and
in variable and gusty weather it often happens that the vanes can not be regu-
lated in time and the sails are rotated at an excessive speed injuring the machinery
driven by the same. Various methods for avoiding this difficulty_have been
suggested and these have met with varying amounts of success. In general,
however, these devices are expensive to manufacture and unreliable in practice.
According to my invention I secure to each arm radiating from the mill
spindle, vanes of thin galvanized sheet metal or other suitable flexible and
elastic material, each vane being attached by one end to the arm, the other end
being, free. In consequence of this construction the inclination of the plane
of the vane to the mill spindle will vary with the wind pressure and when a
strong wind is blowing the area of each vane projected on a plane normal to
the direction of the wind will be much smaller than when there is a moderate
breeze.
In order that my invention may be clearly understood, I will proceed to
describe the same with reference to the accompanying drawing, which is an
elevation of a windmill of a well known type, and provided with my improved
vanes or sails.
A is the supporting framework, B the spindle, and C radial arms secured to.
the spindle carrying the vanes D.
The arms are preferably made of thin galvanized angle steel containing a
wooden strip to which the vanes are attached by screws or other suitable means.
As will be seen from the drawing the vanes are secured at one edge only,
the other being left free. Said vanes are made of flexible, elastic material,
such as celluloid, thin galvanized steel, or a suitable alloy of aluminium. I do
not restrict myself to any particular material in constructing the vanes, but I
have found celluloid give exceedingly good results, as it is extremely light,.
flexible and weather resisting. The vanes are set at an obtuse angle with the
direction of the wind, and their flexibility is so proportioned that in a fair breeze
they assume the most suitable angle for rotating the spindle. In a gale, how-
ever the vanes yield to the pressure and so present a smaller surface to the wind.
By this means the sails are rendered self-regulating, and the speed of the mill
is not dangerously increased by a gale. Furthermore, as the vanes yield very
readily to sudden gusts, the regulating power comes into play very quickly,
and sudden rises in the speed of the wind do not injure the mill.
The arms are preferably made so as to be readily removable separately from
the framework secured to the spindle so that in case of damage to the vanes or
arms, the faulty portions can be removed and repaired or if necessary a new
arm inserted.
Windmills having vanes constructed in my improved manner are practically
self-regulating and do not race in a gale, they can therefore be left without
At the same time the cost of construction is very little greater than
the cost of sails made in the ordinary manner.
attention.
-
Haying now particularly described; and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
1. In a. windmill, vanes. of flexible and elastic material secured to the radial
arms by one edge only, for the purpose specified.

page_text: 2. Windmills constructed substantially as described with reference to the
accompanying drawing.
Dated the 28th day of October 1898.
W. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
322, High Holborn, London, W.C., Patent Agents for the Applicant.