Improvements in or relating to Wave Mills or Apparatus for the Utilization of Surf Power.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Dec., 1889-Accepted, 12th July, 1890
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Wave Mills or Apparatus for the
Utilization of Surf Power.
We, HENRY EDWARD THOMAS of 2215 Mason Street, Inventor and FREDERICK
HENRY HAUSMAN, of 328 Montgomery Street, Merchant, both in the city and county
of San Francisco, State of California, 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 :-
Our invention relates to an improved apparatus for utilizing the inflow and out-
flow of waves on the shore or beach of a river, ocean or bay for the purpose of
compressing air to be used as a motive power or other purpose for which a current or
blast of air can be utilized.
Our invention contemplates the location of a water operated pump for pumping and
forcing air at a point in the surf or tide water where it will be operated by the
pulsation of the waves, and also the location of an accumulator or pressure apparatus
at some point between said water operated pump and the place where the forced air is to
be utilized, all as hereinafter more fully described.
Referring to the accompanying drawings which Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of
surf pump. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of the accumulator. Fig. 3 is a plan view
of the surf pump and Fig. 4 is a plan view of the accumulator.
Let A represent a rectangular tank or box of any desired size, the top and sides
of which are closed while the bottom is open. In or near the top of this box is an
opening B, covered with an inward opening valve C, which will open and admit air to
the interior of the box, but will close against its egress.
This tank or pump as we shall hereafter call it I place in the surf of the ocean or
near the shore of any other body of water with its open body downward, and mount
it upon legs D, so that the mesne level of the water will cover its sides to the depth
of a foot, more or less. The water will then stand inside the pump at a corresponding
mesne level.
Inside of this tank or box we place a float or loose piston E, which is guided on a
vertical rod F that extends from the top to the bottom of the tank, and passes
loosely through a hole in the center of the float. This float or piston is made of
some light substance or material such as wood, so that it will float and rest upon the
surface of water in the tank, and be moved up and down by the pulsation or rise and
fall of water as the level in the tank is raised and lowered by the incoming and out-
going wave, and by this action the tank becomes an air pump because as the float
or piston descends air is drawn into the tank through the valve opening B, and as
it rises the air thus drawn in is forced out through a pipe G, which connects the
upper part of the tank with an accumulator or pressure tank H, which is
located at some point between the air pump and the place where the air is to be
utilized.
This accumulator or pressure tank is constructed similar to a gasometer. The outer
tank I is an open top tank which is partially filled with water, and H is an inner tank,
the bottom of which is open and sets down into the water in the tank I. A pipe J
having a series of perforations at its lower ends extends from the center of the top of
tank H, down vertically as far as its lower end extends and serves as an exhaust for
the over pressure of air, and a float K rests upon the water in tank H. The pipe G,
which conducts the air from pump A passes through the side of tank I, and up inside
of pressure tank H, and terminates above the float K. An outward opening valve L,
at the end of this pipe permits the air which is forced into and through the pipe from
pump A to flow out into the space above the water in tank H, and prevents it from
returning from the tank back through the pipe into the pump, so that the continued

page_text: operation of pump A forces air in small quantities at each stroke into tank H, causing
a pressure to accumulate in the tank corresponding to the weight of the tank in the
manner of accumulating pressure in gasometer. A pipe M leads from above float K
in tank H to the place where the air is to be utilized for power or other
purposes, a cock O serving to regulate or cut off the supply through the tank when
required.
This apparatus can be used for supplying a continuous forced current of air through
long distances. The pumping apparatus can be placed in the surf of the ocean or at
any other point where the swell or pulsation of waves will operate the floating piston
while the pressure apparatus or accumulator can be located at any distance from it.
Branch pipes can be connected with and led from the main pipe M, to various places,
and thus simultaneously supply air for driving air engines for power purposes. The
apparatus is especially adapted for ventilation and cooling purposes as it takes the
fresh and cool air from off the water and delivers it in an uncontaminated condition
at the place of discharge, for this reason it is specially applicable for supplying fresh
air to dwellings in cities and to hospitals and places where fresh cool air is a
necessity.
Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure
protection in by Letters Patent is―
1. The combination with a pump having an inward opening valve near its upper
end and provided with a float cr piston operating within its interior by tidal power,
of an accumulator or pressure tank located above said pump and connected therewith
by means of a pipe the extremity of which is located within said tank and is provided
with an inwardly opening valve, and a piston operating within said tank, all substan-
tially as described,
2. The combination with a pump having an inward opening valve near its upper
end and provided with a float or piston operated by tidal power of a tank or
accumulator consisting of an outer tank having an open top and partially filled with
water and an inner tank having an open bottom, a float or piston within said inner
tank, and a pipe connecting said pump with said inner tank, all substantially as shown
and for the purposes set forth.
3. The combination with a pump having an inward opening valve near its top
and provided with a float or piston operated as described, of a pressure tank or
accumulator consisting of an outer tank having an open top and provided with an
inward opening valve, the said tank being partially filled with water, and an inner
tank having an open bottom, a float or piston operating within said inner tank and
formed with an opening near its side, and a pipe connecting said inner tank and pump
together, the said pipe extending through and above said float or piston in the inner
tank of the accumulator and provided with an inwardly opening valve at its extremity
within said tank, all substantially as shown and for the purposes set forth.
4. An air forcing apparatus consisting of the open bottom tank A with its valve
opening B, and floating piston E, supported on legs D, in the surf of the ocean or
other body of water and connected with an accumulator or pressure tank H, by the
transmitting pipe G, having the valve I, in the pressure chamber, and the conducting
and distributing pipe M, all combined and arranged to operate substantially as
described.
Dated this 23rd day of December 1889
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents for the Applicants.