A New or Improved Water Motor.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 16th June, 1894
Complete Specification Left, 16th Apr., 1895-Accepted, 15th June, 1895
A New or Improved Water Motor.
We, GEORGE ROBERT ROLLASON, CHARLES ARTHUR ROLLASON, both of
50 Goldhurst Terrace, South Hampstead in the County of Middlesex, Engineers,
and WESTLEY HENRY FLETCHER. of 13 Berners Street, in the County of
Middlesex, Architect, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
Our invention has for its object a new or improved water motor or wheel
especially applicable for obtaining power from running water where no fall is
obtainable.
For the purposes of our invention we use a wheel of any suitable construction
mounted upon a vertical spindle and provided with a fixed or movable shield so
arranged and constructed that it may be brought to cover or partially cover those
floats of the wheel moving in the opposite direction to the flow of the water in which
the whole is submerged.
The floats of this wheel are so curved that they present a concave surface to the
flow of water on that side of the wheel unprotected by the shield and may be
provided on these concave surfaces with a number of ridges or bars so secured as
to lie at a small angle with the horizontal:
Deted this 16th day of June 1894
CASTLE SMITH,
Invention" Office, 54, Fleet Street, London, E.C.,
Agent for the Applicants.
A New or improved water motor.
We, GEORGE ROBERT ROLLASON, CHARLES ARTHUR ROLLASON, both of
50 Goldhurst Terrace, South Hampstead, Engineers, and WESTLEY HENRY
FLETCHER, of 13 Berners Street, in the County of London, Architect, 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 :-
Our invention has for its object a new or improved water motor or wheel
especially applicable for obtaining power from running water where no fall is
obtainable.
For the purposes of our invention we use a wheel of any suitable construction
mounted upon a vertical spindle and provided with a fixed or movable shield so
arranged and constructed that it may be brought to cover or partially cover those
floats of the wheel moving in the opposite direction to the flow of the water in which
the whole is submerged.
The floats of this wheel are so curved that they each present a concave surface
to the flow of water on that side of the wheel unprotected by the shield, and may

page_text: be provided on these concave.surfaces, with a number of ridges or bars.so secured
as to lie at a-small angle with the horizontal to enable the water to better act
upon them.
And in order that our invention may be more readily understood and carried
into practice we will now proceed to describe the same with reference to the
accompanying drawings, of which Fig. 1 is a plan, and Fig. 2 a side elevation of a
water motor. embracing the principal features of our invention.
This motor is shown as employed for utilizing the power of a stream or river at
a point where the flow is always in one direction, but the application of our
invention is not, as will be perfectly understood, limited solely to this one particular
arrangement, as it may be adapted for use under various other conditions; such for
-instance, as where the direction of flow changes periodically.
As illustrated the motor is formed of a rectangular frame a mounted upon the
bed of the river, supported by piles or otherwise arranged as circumstances may
dictate.
Mounted to revolve in this frame is a central vertical spindle 6'having attached
thereto a number of curved floats c of wood, metal, or other material, connected
together and supported by braces d, d', and so arranged that an opening-remains
between them and said spindle, which may be filled or not, as found desirable. The
upper bearing of this spindle b is designed to carry the weight of the spindle and
the parts attached to it, and is formed of an annular trough e containing a number
of tapered radial rollers e¹, held in position by a loose ring and carrying a block
or sleeve keyed to the spindle, and supported laterally by rollers e³mounted on
spindles projecting from a loose ring running. on rollers. e-the lower bearing f
acts merely as a guide to prevent lateral movement of the lower end of the spindle.
Below the annular trough e a collar g is keyed to the spindle, to prevent this
and the floats rising, and on this and the exterior of the lower bearing swings
a frame hi having secured to its outer end a segmental shield & supported by rollers
running on a ring attached to the frame.a.
The stream on which this motor is arranged is diminished in width by the aid
of piles n, brick, or stone work, or by other means, and suitable deflector o intro-
duced so that the water will normally follow the course indicated by arrows, and
so operate against those floats presenting concave surfaces to which the part or
parts to be operated may be connected by bevel gearing p or the like, as to cause
the spindle to revolve constantly in one direction. When, however, it is not
required that the water should operate the motor, the shield is moved into the
position shown in dotted lines, so causing the water to flow over walls n, the tops
of which are lower than that of the shield.
In some cases where the normal course of the water cannot well be changed or
altered, or where the current changes its course periodically, the parts n, o, may
be partly or wholly dispensed with, or modified, as required, whilst the shield' may
be either permanently fixed or connected to or operated by a float, rudder, or
other means, so that it will always cover those floats moving in the opposite direction
to the current.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we, claim is
-
(1.) A water motor composed of a wheel with curved floats arranged, with, its
axis in a vertical plane and a shield which may be arranged or operated to cover
or partly cover those floats of the wheel moving in the opposite direction to that
of the water in which the whole is submerged.
(2) A water motor consisting of a frame a a vertical spindle b. mounted in
bearings therein and having attached thereto a number of curved floats c,. and a
segmental shield attached to a revoluble frame the whole arranged constructed
and operating substantially as described with reference to the accompanying
drawings.

page_text: (3.) In a water motor composed of a wheel having curved floats and a shield
which may be arranged to cover or partly cover those floats moving in an opposite
direction to that of the water in which the whole is submerged, the arrangement
and construction of the bearings of axle of said wheel so that the weight of said
wheel is carried by the upper bearing, and the lower bearing acts merely as a guide
substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
(4.) A water motor constructed arranged and operating substantially as described
and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 11th day of April 1895
CASTLE SMITH,
"Invention" Office, 54, Fleet Street, London, E.C.,
Agent for the Applicants.