Improvements in Apparatus for Obtaining Motive Power from Running Water.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Mar., 1892-Accepted, 25th Feb., 1893
Improvements in Apparatus for Obtaining Motive Power from
Running Water.
We, FREDERICK PURDON and HARRY ERNEST WALTERS, both of 2 Great
George Street, Westminster in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineers, 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 consists of improvements in apparatus for obtaining motive power
from running water.
For the purposes of better illustration we will refer to the Specifications of
Letters Patent granted to us numbered respectively 10962 of 1888 and 10845
of 1891.
In both our earlier Specifications the motor consisted of two pontoons rigidly
connected together and forming a floating structure intended to be moored in
running water. The floats or blades upon which the water acted passed between
the pontoons from one end to the other, then left the water and returned through
the air, guided by an endless track of rails, to be again acted upon by the water as
before. These floats were arranged in echelon so that one float might not hinder
the water from effecting the next float. The motor was designed to be anchored
that the line of floats made approximately an angle of 45 degrees with the direction
of flow of the stream. We have found however that in practical use when the
machine was developing several horse power, that with flat blades so arranged we
obtain only a relatively small percentage of the energy contained in the flowing
water, we therefore arrange our present invention upon a different system.
Our present invention consists of a single pontoon carrying at each end a hori-
zontal shaft to which is keyed at each end a wheel having its circumference suitably
arranged with flat divisions for the better working of the chain. The endless chain
consisting of links carries a series of blades, the chain being kept in position and
carried by the herein before mentioned wheels. The blades in their lowest position are
entirely covered by the flowing water and return through the air above the pontoon.
We thus obtain a system by which approximately half the blades are affected by
the flowing water. The circular motion produced upon the said wheels may be
transferred to any other suitable shaft by means of gearing or belting or any of the
well known methods for the transmission of power. In our present invention the line of
direction of movement of the blades is at right angles to the direction of the current
and the pontoon is so formed as to cause a large body of water to act upon the blades
by direct impact by means of guide vanes.
It has been found that in a running stream a converging mouthpiece (to be herein-
after called "intake") will discharge a larger quantity of water than would be
discharged through a parallel intake, having dimensions of the same sectional area
as the smaller end of the converging intake. The apparatus employed to effect
this result is arranged so that the impact of the current on the blades and the
discharge may be as perfect as possible. For this purpose we have placed in the
intake guide vanes of a curved form so contrived as to cause the water to strike
the blades at the most effective angle and we have formed the intake itself with
four converging walls in order to increase the quantity and velocity of the water
passed through.
In order to make our invention more clearly understood we will describe it with
reference to the accompanying drawing which represents two alternative designs of
our water motor. The two designs differ only in the shape and arrangement of the
blades chain and water intake.

page_text: Figures to 10 represent one arrangement of our motor and the remaining
figures represent the arrangement of the alternative design.
Figures 1 and 2 together form an elevation of the motor partly in section.
Figures 3 and 4 are plans of the motor, Figure 4 being partly in section.
Figure 5 is an end elevation, and
Figure 6 a transverse vertical section with the blades and wheels removed.
Figures 7 and 8 are two views of one of the blades and Figures 9 and 10 represent
the means by which the blades are attached to the chain.
Figures 11 and 12 together represent an elevation of our second arrangement of
motor.
and
Figures 13 and 14 together represent a plan of this motor.
Figure 15 is an end elevation.
Figure 16 is a transverse section.
Figures 17 and 18 represent the method of fixing the blades to the endless chain,
Figures 19, 20, 21 and 22 represent the method of forming and supporting the
rollers which guide the endless chain.
The direction of the current and direction of movement of the blades is shown by
arrows in Figures 3 and 13.
Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the different views.
In Figure 1, a, a is the framework of the pontoon and a covering a¹ is shown in
dotted lines. Upon the pontoon are mounted the shafts, b¹ which respectively
carry the large wheels C, c¹. The shaft b works in plummer blocks which are
adjustable horizontally by means of a screw, as represented. The endless chain d
composed of a series of links is held in position and carried by the hereinbefore
mentioned wheels c and c¹; it supports a number of blades e, the construction of
which are more clearly shown in Figures 7, 8, 9, and 10. The chain is supported
at its lower part by means of rollers so placed as to cause it to run in a straight
line from one wheel to the other. The blades are so constructed as to take the
pressure of water in one direction while feathering during the action of leaving the
water.
с
Figure 3 shows the method by which the power may be transmitted from the
first motion shaft b to the countershafts f, f. The direction of motion of
the blades is at right angles to the direction of flow of the stream.
The water
enters the intake g shown most clearly in Figures 4, 5 and 6. The sectional area
of this intake diminishes as it approaches the line of blades. Guiding vanes of a
curved form are fixed in the intake g and serve the purpose of directing the water
at a suitable angle upon the face of the blades e." The sectional area of the
chamber formed between one guide vane and the next guide vane diminishes as it
approaches the blades.
Figure 6 which is a transverse section of the pontoon clearly shows the form of
the intake g; the water after acting upon the blades leaves the motor at the point i.
We will now refer in detail to the mechanism of the blades.
l
Figure 7 represents a plan, and Figure 8 an elevation of one of the blades. The
blade e is preferably constructed of a bent steel plate; to the top of the plate is
attached a barj carrying a roller k; a pin passes through the hole and through a
similar hole in the links of the chain d. It is obvious therefore that the blade e is
free to rotate about the point as the pin is left slack in the hole 1. The blades e
thus retain at all times an approximately vertical position and the rollers & compel
the blades and links to take their right position by coming in contact with the
path m. Figures 9 and 10 represent the arrangement of endless chain. It consists
of separate links of a suitable form to engage with the cross bars of the blades e. The
part n of the chain d supports the part o of the blade bar Figure 8. The correct
distance between the two sides of the chain d is kept constant by means of the cross
bars P and suitable cottars.

page_text: We will now proceed to describe our alternative method of forming the blades..
Figures 11 and 12 together represent an elevation of our second type of motor.
As before, the pontoon is lettered a; the shafts and wheels are similar to those.
represented in Figures 1 and 2 with variation in detail to suit the different form of
blades. Figures 13 and 14 together, form a plan of the complete machine. The
course of the water is shown by an arrow and the course of the dotted blades is
shown by a second arrow.
It will be understood that the blades e represented by
full lines are those returning through the air, while those shown dotted are being
acted upon by the water. The end elevation, Figure 15, represents the blades
descending into the water. The difference in the form of pontoon between that
represented in Figures 11 to 16 inclusive, and that shown in Figures 1 to 6.
inclusive, is that while in Figure 6 the intake a delivers the water into an
open space 7, in Figures 11 to 16 inclusive a wooden floor or covering 2
Figure 16, is placed above the line of blades upon which the water is acting thus.
the blades e move through the water in a chamber which is enclosed top and
bottom. Figures 13 and 14 show an arrangement of guide vanes h quite similar to
that described in Figures 3 and 4. The variation in form of blades is shown in.
Figures 17 and 18. In place of supporting the blades by means of a cross bar at.
the top, the blade bar is now placed across the middle of the steel plate:
forming the blade; this blade bar is shown rivetted to the blade and attached at
its end to two links in the endless chain d. The two sides of the chain are kept at.
a suitable distance apart by means of tubes s through which cottars are driven..
The chain d is therefore flexible but the blades do not maintain a vertical position.
when out of the water as they do in the first motor described. The difference is
clearly indicated in Figures 1 and 11. The lower part of the chain is guided by
means of rollers attached to supports ; these are shown more clearly in Figures 19.
to 22 inclusive. The supports t carry flanged wheels u which prevent the chain
We also use another arrange--
from sagging and also prevent lateral displacement.
ment shown in Figures 19 and 20 in which a wheel v carries the weight of the chain.
while a separate wheel w prevents lateral displacement of the chain. The actual
arrangement of the rollers and wheels is best shown in Figure 16. The pontoon.
may be constructed without guide vanes h, and may then be moored at such an angle.
that the direction of the current upon the blades is the same as when the guide:
vanes are used.
.
The ironwork comprises the stays, chain, wheels, &c., of Figures 1 to 11 can be.
fitted to the pontoon shown and described with reference to Figures 11 to 22.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven--
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. In apparatus for obtaining power from flowing water a floating structure so-
arranged as to receive a quantity of flowing water into an intake provided with
guide vanes, the latter of such a form and size as to direct the water at a suitable
angle upon a series of blades attached to an endless chain, substantially as herein-
before described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
2. In apparatus for obtaining power from flowing water the combination of a
floating structure so arranged as to direct a stream of water at a suitable angle,.
with a series of blades of special form attached to an endless chain in such a way
that they travel in a path at right angles to the direction of flow of the current,
first in the water itself and then in a contrary direction out of the water, substan--
tially as and for the purposes hereinbefore described and as illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.
3. In apparatus for obtaining power from flowing water a structure so arranged
as to deliver the water upon a series of blades each of which is attached at the top.
to a flexible chain in such a manner as to maintain an approximately vertical
position the said chain being guided by means of rollers permanently fixed to the:

page_text: floating structure, ensuring the travel in a horizontal line and preventing lateral
displacement, all substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
4. In apparatus for obtaining power from flowing water a structure so arranged
as to deliver the water upon a series of blades each of which is attached at its centre
to a flexible chain the latter being guided by means of rollers permanently fixed to
the floating structure, ensuring the travel in a horizontal line and preventing lateral
displacement, substantially as herein before described and as illustrated in the accom-
panying drawings.
5. In apparatus for obtaining power from flowing water a structure arranged to
direct the water upon a series of moving blades with two wheels so constructed that
one obtains a movement of rotation which may be transmitted to machines by any
known means while the other may act either for the same purpose or merely as a
guide wheel, substantially as hereinbefore described and as illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.
6. In apparatus for obtaining motive power from running water the combination
of a special pontoon provided with a special form of intake, guide vanes, blades,
endless chain, guiding rollers and gearing, all substantially as herein described and
as illustrated on the accompanying drawings for the purposes specified.
Dated this 29th day of March 1892.
JOHN P. O'DONNELL,
2, Great George Street, Westminster, London, S.W.,
Agent for the said Applicants.
JOHN P. O'DONNELL,
2, Great George Street, Westminster, London, S.W.,
Agent for the said Applicants.