IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR OBTAINING MOTIVE POWER BY THE ACTION OF THE WIND
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Francis Peabody, late of the United States of
America, but now residing in St. James' Street, in the City of West-
minster, for the Invention of "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR OBTAINING MOTIVE
POWER BY THE ACTION OF THE WIND."
Sealed the 15th May 1857, and dated the 1st December 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Francis Peabody at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
1st December 1856.
I, FRANCIS PEABODY, late of the United States of America, but now residing
in St. James' Street, in the City of Westminster, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR OBTAINING MOTIVE
POWER BY THE ACTION OF THE WIND," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to certain improvements upon windmills working on
the principle of the Invention for which Letters Patent were obtained on my
behalf, bearing date March 28th, 1855,
In the Specification of this Patent the force of the wind upon a rotating
wheel is described as governed and brought under control by a disc set behind
the wheel, the space between the wheel and the disce being contracted or
enlarged at pleasure, in order to open, contract, or close the passage for the.
wind that impinges on the vanes of the wind wheel. I now propose to
simplify the mechanism employed, and to adapt the novel principle of
governing wind wheels to circumstances and situations not hitherto con-

page_text: templated. Thus, instead of erecting an elevated turntable, as contemplated in
the before-mentioned Patent, I propose to set at the opposite ends of the mill
or other building, a wheel with its disc and other appurtenances, and to
mount the same in a swinging frame in such a manner that the whole
apparatus may turn bodily, and adapt itself to take the wind at one half of
the points of the compass. Instead of making the governing disc in one rigid
piece, I form it of hinged portions or gates, which may be folded back to
allow the air to pass freely in light breezes. For drawing the wheel up to
the disc or the governing surface, I fit the shaft on which the wheel slides
with the following contrivance:-The shaft. is made hollow, and tapped to
receive a screw, which carries a hand wheel. A loose collar or crosshead is
fitted to the neck of this screw, which forms its bearing or support, and from
it at opposite sides of the shaft proceed two rods, which connect the loose
collar with the hub of the wind wheel. The turning, therefore, of the hand
wheel in one direction will draw the wheel up to the disc or governing
surface, and check or stop the action of the wheel, and when by turning the
hand wheel in the opposite direction the wind wheel is free to move back,
a coiled spring surrounding the shaft will act upon it, and thrust it back to
the required position. I also propose to fit the boss of the wind wheel with
antifriction rollers working on the angles of a square axle, instead of allowing
it to slide over a feather; and instead of a spring, which is in many localities
difficult of replacement when broken, I propose to employ a weighted cord
for retaining the wheel in a working position. The traverse of the wheel
I effect by a cord attached to a capstan, and in order to steady the wheel I
connect guide rods to loose collars on the boss of the wheel, which rods work
in eyes on the framing that carries the shaft. Instead of traversing the wheel
on its shaft, the wheel. may be keyed thereto, and the disc in like manner
traversed.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Francis Peabody in the Great Seal Patent Offico on the
1st June 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE, PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, FRANCIS
PEABODY, late of the United States of America, but now residing in St. James
Street, in the City of Westminster, send greeting..
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the First day of December, in the year of our Lord

page_text: One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the twentieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Francis Peabody, Her special license that I, the said Francis Peabody,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Francis
Peabody, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any timo agreo
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the
term therein expressed, should and lawfully. might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR
OBTAINING MOTIVE POWER BY THE ACTION OF THE WIND," upon the condition.
(amongst others) that I, the said Francis Peabody, by an instrument in
writing under my hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascertain
the naturo of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to bo
performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Francis Peabody, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following:
statement, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-.
This Invention relates to certain improvements upon windmills working on
the principle of the Invention for which Letters Patent were obtained on my
behalf, bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of March, One thousand eight.
hundred and fifty-five.
In the Specification of of this Patent the force of the wind upon a rotating
wheel is described as governed and brought under control by a disc set behind-
the wheel, the space between the wheel and the disc. being contracted or
enlarged at pleasure, in order to open, contract, or close the passage. for the
wind that impinges on the vanes of the wind wheel. I now propose to simplify:
the mechanism employed, and to adapt the novel principle of governing wind.
wheels to circumstances and situations not hitherto contemplated.
In the accompanying Drawings I bave shewn the several improvements by
which these objects may be attained, and I will now proceed to describe
them.
In Sheet I., Fig. 1 is a plan view of a windmill constructed according to
my Invention. The whole of the machinery is moveable on a platform, which
serves as a foundation, the wind wheel (for reasons hereafter to be explained)
being placed at one of the angles of the building. Fig. 2 is a front elevation;

page_text: Fig. 3, a side elevation shewing the platform in section. Fig. 4 is a plan of
part of the main shaft, on which is shewn the hub of the wind wheel. Fig. 5
is a longitudinal sectional elevation of the same; and Fig. 6 shews the same
parts in front view.
a, a, is an octagonal platform serving as a foundation; b, b, is a ring of rack
teeth fastened on to the platform; c is the central axle of the mill; d is the
wooden framework, on which the whole mill, with wind wheel, stones, &c.,
rests; e, e, e, are rollers fitted to the underside of the wooden framework, and
running on a rail fixed to the wheel 6 when the mill is made to rotate. An
arrangement of driving gear is placed within the mill, as shewn at f, and set
in motion by a four-armed lever, for the purpose of driving a pinion f* in gear
with the teeth of the ring b, and causing the whole mill to turn on its central
axle c; h is the wind wheel or atmospheric turbine, made of metal or other
suitable material, and mounted on the main shaft i, so as to permit of its
sliding thereon; g is timber framework for supporting the extremity of the
main shaft; j is the hub or boss of the wind wheel; and, the external circle
of the wheel. It is between this circle and the boss j that the arms are
fixed at the best angle for obtaining the utmost effect from the power of the
wind.
The wheel h, although constantly imparting its rotary motion to the main
shaft i, is free to travel horizontally on the same. To facilitate this action
friction rollers k are mounted on the boss of the wheel, and made to bear
against the angles of the squared driving shaft i. 1, 1, are two ring followers,
one of which is adapted to each extremity of the boss j; they are provided
with long levers forked at one end to embrace the ring followers, in order to
prevent their revolving with the wheel, which they serve to conduct to the
required position on the shaft i. Attached by cords or chains to the outer
ring follower is a balance weight m, and above it are placed the weights m'
and m², which are supported on the framework 9 immediately over the
balance weight m, and are severally raised by it as it is drawn up by the
attaching cords or chains. By this arrangement it will be understood that
when the force of the wind is sufficient to push back the wheel h on its shaft,
and thus force it nearer to the wind gates (by which the passage of the wind
through the wheel, and consequently the speed of rotation of the wheel is
regulated), the ring follower, by means of the chains above mentioned, will
draw up the balance weight m until it encounters the balance weight m¹. If
the force of the wind be sufficient, this second weight will likewise be raised
until it comes in contact with the balance weight m². And should the
violence of the wind continue to augment, this weight will in its turn be

page_text: raised. As a series. of these balance weights can be arranged so as to come
into action successively, it will be readily seen that it will be possible to
oppose to the wind a certain calculated resistance, the effect of which will be
to maintain the wheel h at a given speed; n are the wind gates, placed at the
back of the wheel h to arrest the wind acting on the said wheel; the power
exerted by the wind on the wheel h is determined by the distance existing
between the said wheel and the wind gates n. Therefore when the wind is
violent, or it is requisite to diminish the velocity of the wheel, or even to stop
it completely, it must be drawn near to the wind gates n. Motion in the
opposite direction increases the speed more or less through offering a more
effective action of the wind on the wheel h. In tho Drawing four wind
gates are shewn, although the circle they form may be subdivided into
a greater number if required. They are made to open by swinging on vertical
axles o, in order to let pass more or less of the wind which is thus drawn
through the wheel.
In Figures 1 and 3 one of the wind gates is represented open. p, p, are
the cords or chains for opening and closing the wind gates n, or maintaining
them at the required position or angle of inclination to tho wheel. Placed
inside the mill is a windlass q, to which are attached ropes or chains coming
from the inner ring follower . The use of this windlass is to draw the
wheel h back against the wind gates n when the action of the machinery is
desired to be suspended. is the framework of the mill, and s is a weather-
cock for indicating the direction of the wind by means of an arrow placed
inside the mill.
It will be understood that the wind gates n act as regulators to the wheel h,
and that by the weights rising when the wind augments the wheel is allowed.
to yield to the pressure of the wind and approach the gates. As soon, how-
ever, as the wind abates the wheel h is drawn back by the action of the
weights, and allowed to adjust itself at a greater distance from the gates n;.
the effective power of the wind upon the wheel will then be greater, and thus
I am enabled to obtain from winds of varying intensity an uniform speed of,
rotation for the main shaft i...
A
In certain cases it is preferable to key the wheel h to the shaft i in close:
proximity to the wind gates n, as shewn in the side elevation at Fig. 7,.
Sheet II. The gates must in this case be made to open and close by means,
of the ropes p, as above explained, or by any other equivalent means. When
thus keyed on its shaft, the parts serving to regulate the sliding movements of
the wheel h may be dispensed with.
In order to adapt wind wheels to fixed buildings, and yet permit of the.

page_text: wheels being moved round to different points of the compass, I propose to
mount them them as shewn in plan view at Fig. 8 and side elevation at
Fig. 9, whereon two wheels are represented as applied to an oblong building,
and so arranged that the full circle of the horizon may be traversed, and one
or the other of the wheels may at any time be brought into a position to
receive the wind, whatever may be the direction from which it blows.
To enable others skilled in the art to understand this part of my Invention,
I will proceed to describe the manner of carrying it out.
A is the building, mill, or factory fitted with a pair of wheels B, B³. The
wind regulators, which in this example are not formed of hinged pieces, but
made in one piece, are shewn at C, C. Each wheel, with the parts im-
mediately connected therewith is secured to a platform or turn D, D³, which
is capable of being moved round a centre f, whereby cach wheel is enabled to
traverse an arc of one hundred and eighty degrees, and one or other of them
may be made to face the wind, whatever may be the direction from which
it blows, as indicated by the red lines in the Figure. The wheel B is
secured to its shaft (so as to be capable of sliding upon it) with a spline
and feather, and revolves with it, its motion being regulated by means
of the spring a and disc C; cords or chains 6 attached to a ring, which
plays in a groove in the hub pass through the disc C, and aro attached to
a lever E pivoted at C. This lever carries a weight F, by which means the
spring a is compressed with a force proportionate to the strength of the wind.
The shaft G2 of the wheel B' runs in boxes in the standard II and in the
disc C², and is connected with the machinery within the building by the bevil
wheels I and K; the latter being secured to a vertical shaft L, the axle of
which passes through the centre of motion of the turntable D. It will thus
be perceived that whatever inay be the position into which the wind wheel B²
is thrown, the wheels I and K will always remain in gear with each other,
and the motion of the wind wheel will be transmitted to the machinery
within. Tho wind wheel B is to be arranged in a similar manner.
details are not however represented in the Drawings.
The
I would remark that instead of employing the disc C hinged wind gates
may be employed as in the first-described arrangement, and that the wheels,
instead of receiving a sliding motion on their shafts to effect their regulation,
may be regulated by advancing or moving back the gates on their hinges.
Having now set forth the nature of my Invention of "Improved Apparatus
for Obtaining Motive Power by the Action of the Wind," and explained tho
manner of carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be understood that under
the above in part recited Letters Patent I claim,-

page_text: First, applying balance weights to wind wheels, as explained, for the
purpose of keeping them up to the wind or retaining them in a working
position, and yet allowing them to yield to any undue pressure of wind.
Secondly, forming the wind regulator of hinged portions, which will admit
of being folded back or advanced, in order to allow more or less wind to
traverse the wind wheel, as above described.
Thirdly, the mode above described of mounting the wind wheel loosely, and
traversing it on its shaft for the purpose of regulating its working and stopping
its action completely, as required.
Fourthly, mounting wind wheels at the opposite ends of a fixed and per-
manent building, in the manner and for the purpose above explained.
In witness whereof, I, the said Francis Peabody, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Twenty-fifth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
FRANCIS PEABODY. (L.9.)