IMPROVEMENTS IN WIND ENGINES OR MILLS
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Adams, of Great Sutton Street, Clerken-
"
well, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer, for the Invention of
'IMPROVEMENTS IN WIND ENGINES OR MILLS."
Sealed the 27th March 1874, and dated the 29th September 1873.

page_text: Also in the application of a shifting lever and apparatus to cause
the driving wheel and engine to wind itself round into such a position
that the wind will take no effect upon it either by day or night. The
engine is also so arranged that its action can be reversed.
Upon a brick, stone, or other foundation I place an iron or wooden
bed plate having holes for holding down bolts, the said bed plate
having a hole with a raised rim upon the upper side of it, and at
the lower side a concave seat in which are placed a number of round
metal balls. Upon these balls, and fitted into the concave seat, is
placed a revolving table with cogs or teeth overlapping the rim on
the bed plate.
An upright shaft works loose in the revolving table
and is fitted into a brass step below. Upon this upright shaft and
below the revolving table is fitted one, two, or three spur or bevil
wheels, .
.as may be required for driving machinery, and above the
revolving table on the same upright shaft a small spur wheel is
fitted, there being then upon this upright shaft one wheel above the
revolving table, and one, two, or three below it. Upon the revolving
table that is fitted into the concave seat four iron uprights or standards
are firmly fixed fitted with bridge trees and plummer blocks. Upon
these plummer blocks is fitted a horizontal shaft, upon which is fixed
a set of eight, ten, twelve, or other suitable number of screw blades
or a close fan wheel, and upon one side of this fan wheel, and upon
this shaft, is a worm or screw for obtaining a slow motion, and upon
the other side of the fan wheel is fixed upon the same shaft a mitre
or bevil wheel for obtaining a quick motion; either of these motions
are made to shift in or out of gear; this wheel and worm or screw
works into wheels adapted for them, and are fitted upon upright
shafts with spur wheels working into the wheel fitted upon the upright
shaft above the revolving table, which sets all the machinery in motion.
I also fix another wheel upon a horizontal shaft, which wheel works
into one of the wheels below the bed plate, and at the end projecting
beyond the foundation is fixed a spur wheel working into a similar
wheel that slides loose upon a pin, and is fitted with a lever, and by
shifting this lever it connects the wheels to a shaft having a worm
upon it working into the cogs upon the revolving table. By this means 3
the revolving table can be placed to any desired angle, according to the
power of the wind, or if required will work itself entirely out of the
power of the wind to affect it.

page_text: The revolving table can also be set to any angle when required for
work by means of a hand wheel. A governor is placed above or below
the bed plate to act upon the revolving table to keep the machinery
going at a regular speed.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said James Adams in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 28th March 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES,
ADAMS, of Great Sutton Street, Clerkenwell, in the County of Middle-
sex, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-ninth day of September, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three,
in the thirty-seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said James Adams, Her special
license that I, the said James Adams, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said James Adams, my executors, ad-
ministrators, and assigns, should at any time agree 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 'IMPROVEMENTS IN WIND
ENGINES OR MILLS." upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
James Adams, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same was to be 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 James Adams, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, that is to say:-

page_text: struction of wind engines or mills, whereby the speed of the engine can
be regulated so as to set the driving or fan wheel or screw blades to any
desired. angle.
Also in the application of a governor to keep the engine at a regular
speed, and in the means employed by which the engine can be worked 5
in heavy gales of wind from one up to forty or other number of horse
power.
Also in the application of a shifting lever and apparatus to cause
the driving wheel and engine to wind itself round into such a position
that the wind will take no effect upon it either by day or night. The 1
engine is also so arranged that its action can be reversed.
And in order that my improvements may be clearly understood, and
readily carried into practice, I will proceed to describe the same,
reference being made to the Drawings hereunto annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS..
Figures 1 and 2 are side elevations of a wind engine or mill arranged
and constructed in accordance with my improvements, Figure 3 being
a plan of the same with the upper part removed.
1
Upon a brick, stone, or other foundation I mount an iron frame
or bed plate a having suitable holes for holding down bolts, The .2
bed plate a has an opening with a raised rim a¹ upon its upper side
upon which a revolving table b is. mounted with cogs or teeth on its
periphery overlapping the rim a¹ on the bed plate; 61, 6¹, are friction
rollers upon and against which the table 6 revolves. An upright
shaft c works loose in the revolving table b, and is fitted into a brass 2
step below. Upon this upright shaft and below the revolving table b
is fitted one, two, or three spur or bevil wheels c¹, c², c³, as may be
required, for driving machinery, and above the revolving table on the
upper end of the upright shaft c a small spur wheel c' is fitted,
there being then upon this upright shaft cone wheel c* above the 3
revolving table, and one, two, or three below it. Upon the revolving
table four uprights or standards d, d, are firmly fixed, fitted with
bridge trees and plummer blocks d¹, d¹. Upon these plummer blocks d¹
a horizontal shaft e is fitted upon which is fixed a set of eight, ten;
twelve, or other suitable number of screw blades, or a close fan wheel f, 3
and upon one side of this fan wheel ƒ mounted on the shaft e there

page_text: is a worm or screw e¹ for obtaining a slow motion, and upon the
other side of the fan wheel ƒ upon the shaft e a mitre or bevil wheel &*
is fixed for obtaining a quick motion. Either or both of these motions
are made to shift in or out of gear. The worm or screw e¹ and wheel e³
work into wheels e³ and e' adapted for them, and are fitted upon upright
shafts e, e, with spur wheels & and e" working into the spur wheel c*
fitted upon the upright shaft c above the revolving table, which sets
all the machinery in motion. I also fix another wheel g' upon a vertical
shaft g, which wheel g¹ works into the wheel c³ below the top or bed
plate a. On the bottom of the axis g a bevil wheel g³ is fixed which
drives a bevil wheel g' on the axis 95, and at the end of the axis g³ pro-
jecting beyond the plate a is fixed a spur wheel 9" working into the
wheel g' that slides loose upon a pin g³, and is fitted with a clutch
lever g; and by shifting this lever g' it connects the wheel 9" and
wheel h¹ on the shaft h, having a worm ³ upon it working into the
cogs upon the revolving table b. By this means the revolving table b
and fan wheel ƒ can be placed to any desired angle according to the
power of the wind, or if required will work itself entirely out of the
power of the wind to affect it.
The revolving table 6 carrying the screw blades or fan wheel ƒ is set
when required for work at an angle so that the wind will drive the
machinery at the speed required.
When a friction or toothed wheel i that slides upon a shaft i¹ is
placed by means of a lever between two friction or toothed wheels
2,3, fitted upon the governor shaft i', so that if the wind drives the
machinery too fast the governor balls rise and cause the friction or
toothed wheel upon the governor shaft to press upon the toothed
or friction wheel i placed between them by the action of the lever,
thus acting upon the worm h³ working into the revolving table b,
) and thereby setting the table and fan ƒ more at an angle, so that
the wind has not so much power upon the fan wheel, and the governor
acts in the reverse way when the wind slacks thereby keeping the
machinery at nearly one regular speed.
The governor, as shown in the Drawing, is driven by the bevil
wheel c¹ taking into the bevil wheel j' on the axis ; which carries
the driving pulley 7* and endless band j³ to give motion to the axis j'
and governor axis i, as clearly shown in the Drawing.

page_text: .
Having thus described the nature of my improvements, and the
manner of performing or carrying the same into practice, I would
remark that I make no claim to any of the mechanical parts separately;
but what I claim is,—
First. The improved arrangement and construction of wind engines
or mills whereby the speed of the engine can be regulated so as to set
the driving or fan wheelf to any desired angle to the direction of the
-wind, substantially in the manner herein-before described and shown
on the Drawing hereto annexed.
1
Secondly. I claim the improved arrangement and application of the 1
governor to maintain the engine at a regular speed, substantially in
the manner herein-before described and shown in the Drawings hereto
. annexed.
Thirdly. I claim the application of a shifting lever and apparatus
for causing the driving or fan wheel of and; revolving table 6 to wind 1
round into such a position that the wind will not affect it, substantially
in the manner herein-before described and shown in the Drawings hereto
annexed.
Fourthly. I claim the general arrangement and combination of
mechanical parts constituting my improved wind engine or mill, sub 2
stantially in the manner herein-before described and shown in the Draw-
ings hereto annexed.
•
In witness whereof, I,' the said James Adams, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-seventh day of March, in the
1-year of our
Lord-One thousand eight. hundred and seventy- 2
four.
Witness,
J. G. TONGUE,
"
Patent Agent,
'
34, Southampton Buildings,"
Chancery Lane,
W.C.
JAMES ADAMS.
(L.S.)