An Improved Air-motor.
Year: 1893

page_text: COMPLETE
SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Air-motor.
I VICTOR ISIDORE FEENY, of 60 Queen Victoria Street, London, in the County
of London, Patent Agent, being in possession of an invention which has been
communicated to me by The Foulkes Accelerating Air-motor Company, a corpora-
tion duly organized and existing under and by virtue of the laws of the State of
Nevada, the principal place of business being in Reno, Nevada, one of the United
States of America 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:-
This invention relates to an improved air-motor and consists in the constructions
herein described by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which
Figure 1 is a front elevation of the air-motor,
Figure 2 is a horizontal section of the same,
Figure 3 is an enlarged vertical section of same,
Figure 4 is a detail perspective view of a portion of one of the wheels, and
Figure 5 is a horizontal section of the same.
The object of this invention is to provide for the unlimited application of the
force of the wind to drive a series of double-wheels, and apply the power to a
continuous shaft, so that the power may be increased by adding any number of
wheels and connecting them with it.
In the accompanying sheet of drawings A. is a tower made of any suitable or
convenient materials, such as wood or angle-iron, and suitably braced. Through
the centre of this tower runs a hollow vertical shaft B, turning in a step C, at
the base. At sufficient intervals apart in the length of this hollow shaft, are
connected stout hollow boxes D, having horizontal journals for the wind wheel
shafts E, and an interior chamber of sufficient size to contain the gears by which
the power of these wheels is transmitted as will be hereafter described.
The wind-wheels may be made of any suitable or desired form, but for lightness
and ease of repair, they are in the present case shewn as constructed of an exterior
circular hoop F, having stout tension rods G, extending radially from the rims
to the hubs of the wheels to which they are secured.
The sails H, are made of canvas or any flexible material and are stretched
between the hub and the rim upon the wires or rods G, so as to stand in an inclined
position, or if preferred the wheels may be made in any usual manner with inflexible
vanes. Two of these wheels are journalled upon opposite sides of the support D,
with the inclination of their vanes or sails in opposite directions as shewn in
Figure 4. As many pairs of these wheels may thus be journalled one above the
other as the length of the vertical shaft B, is designed for, and each pair of wheels
is surrounded by a casing 1, which confines the current of air passing through these
two wheels so that it acts first upon one of the wheels, the one facing the wind, and
being deflected from this wheel, it strikes the wheel in the rear, the vanes of which
are set at the opposite inclination and causes that wheel to revolve in the opposite
direction.
The inner ends of the shafts E, extend through the supporting casing D, and
carry upon them bevelled gears J. These gears both engage a gear wheel K,
which is fixed upon a vertical shaft L, journalled within the hollow shaft B, and
turning in a step M at the base, and below the step C of the hollow shaft as shewn
in Figure 3.
It will be manifest that the two wheels H, of each set turning in opposite
directions and standing upon opposite sides of the vertical shaft L, will act through
their bevelled gears J, upon the gear K from opposite sides, so that the power
of the two wheels will be applied to turn the shaft L in one direction.

page_text: It will be manifest from the construction here shewn that as many of these
wheels may be connected with the vertical hollow shaft B, as the beight of the
shaft and the diameter of the wheels will admit, and each set of wheels will add
something to the power which is applied to rotate the vertical inner shaft L, thus
concentrating upon this shaft the power of as many wheels as may be desirable.
The lower end of the shaft L, carries a bevelled gear N, which engages a corre-
sponding bevelled gear O, upon the horizontal shaft P, and from this shaft power
may be transmitted by belt pulleys, gears or other mechanism to any desired point.
If it is desired to increase the power beyond that which can be applied by the
set of wheels running in one of the towers A, it will only be necessary to erect as
many of these towers and sets of wheels as may be desirable, extending along the
line of the horizontal shaft P. and connecting with it in the same manner these,
towers being set sufficiently far apart so that each set of the wheels will be acted
upon by the wind. In this manner an almost unlimited amount of power may be
applied through the single shaft for any desired purpose.
As the vertical hollow shaft B, in each of the towers is stepped so as to turn
independently of the shaft L, it will be mauifest that by applying a tail or vane Q,
of sufficient size to the top of this shaft, the shaft will be turned so as to present
the wheels with their faces toward the wind. The tendency however of the gears J,
of the horizontal.wind wheel shafts turning upon the gear K of the vertical shaft L,
would be to turn the mill around this shaft, provided the shaft L, is held stationary
and this tendency will be strong in proportion to the friction and resistance, offered
to the rotation of the shaft L.
It will thus be seen that the tendency of the gears to cause the mill to rotate
around this vertical shaft will be resisted by the action of the wind upon the tail
vane, and by means of a suitable brake or other device so much. resistance can be
brought upon the main driving shaft as to turn the wheels out of the wind whenever
desired so that the mill may be easily regulated.
It will be manifest that the towers with their sets of wheels may if desired be
set upon a turn-table, so that they may be turned to face a wind from any direction.
They may also be set in any desired relation with each other either in straight
lines or circularly. Although the several wheels are here shewn as connected by
gears and central shaft, it is obvious that their power may be transmitted. by. chain
belts and sprocket wheels.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what. I
claim is,-
1. An air-motor consisting of wind-wheels, the vanes of which are set at opposite
angles, these wheels being carried by shafts mounted in journal-boxes on opposite
sides of a hollow turnable post, fixed cylindrical casings surrounding said wheels
and power transmitting mechanism connecting the several wheels and communicating
their joint power to a single shaft, substantially as described.
2. An air-motor consisting of a series or plurality of, wind-wheels. mounted in
pairs, each wheel having a thin rim and radial wires connecting it with a central
hub, and vanes secured to said wires, the vanes of one..member of each pair, being
set at an opposite angle to those of the other member, the said wheels, being carried
by shafts mounted in journal boxes on opposite sides of a hollow turnable. post,
fixed cylindrical casings surrounding said wheels and power-transmitting mechanism
connecting the several wheels and .communicating their joint power to a single
shaft, substantially as described.
Dated thie Fourth dow of Lale 1002