AN IMPROVED METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR UTILIZING THE FLOW OF STREAMS, AND RIVERS, FOR POWER, IRRIGATION, AND OTHER USEFUL PURPOSES
Year: 1884

page_text: I DAVID CHAMPION of "The Post Office" Shepperton in the County of
Middlesex Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my said invention for "AN
IMPROVED METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR UTILIZING THE FLOW OF STREAMS,
AND RIVERS, FOR POWER, IRRIGATION, AND OTHER USEFUL PURPOSES, to be as
follows:
J
The object of my invention is to so arrange or construct an endless chain of
links that they pass over rollers and run slack when moving in one direction and
permit of buckets blades or like appliances fitted to them to lie flat or nearly so
and to become rigid while moving in the opposite direction and bring the buckets
or blades into a vertical position and retain them in that condition for the water of
a flowing stream or river to act upon or against, so that the axles of the rollers or
of one of them may serve as motors to any apparatus that may be put into con-
nection therewith. The chain is of the Vaucauson type composed of side plates
connected by transverse pins joining or articulating them in series but each
alternate side plate has in my invention a butt piece or wing the ends of which
bear against the ends of the other alternate plates and lock them rigidly when the
buckets or blades fall into a vertical position, at the same time fixing the buckets
by the joint edges which are of crank. shape abutting against the link plates at a
point a short distance from the hinge pins.
The rollers and chains are fitted in a kind of box or trough through which the
water is allowed to pass and press against the buckets or blades while in a vertical
position and carry or move said buckets along with it and cause the rollers to
rotate and produce the necessary motion to pumps in connection there with for
raising water or liquids or to actuate light machinery or mechanism, the buckets
or blades feathering themselves as they turn over the rollers in succession.
I have described the buckets or blades as assuming the vertical position the
trough being horizontal for this purpose, but by setting the trough at an angle or
vertically the blades for their working action would assume positions in accordance
therewith.

page_text: I DAVID CHAMPION of "The Post Office" Shepperton in the county of
Middlesex Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my said invention for "AN
IMPROVED METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR UTILIZING THE FLOW OF STREAMS
AND RIVERS FOR POWER IRRIGATION AND OTHER USEFUL PURPOSES" and in what
manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-
The object of my invention is to so arrange or construct an endless chain of
links that they pass over rollers and run slack when moving in one direction and
permit of buckets blades or like appliances fitted to them to lie flat or nearly so
and to become rigid while moving in the opposite direction and bring the buckets
or blades into a vertical position and retain them in that condition for the water
of a flowing stream or river to act upon or against so that the axles of the rollers
or of one of them may serve as motors to any apparatus that may be put into
connection therewith:
; The chain is of the Vaucauson type composed of side plates connected by
transverse pins joining or articulating them in series but each alternate side plate
las in my invention a butt piece or wing the ends of which bear against the ends
of the other alternate plates and lock them rigidly when the buckets or blades fall
into a vertical position, at the same time fixing the buckets by the joint edges
which are of crank shape abutting against the link plates at a point a short
distance from the hinge pins.
The rollers and chains are fitted in a kind of box or trough through which the
water is allowed to pass and press against the buckets or blades while in a vertical
position and carry or move said buckets along with it and cause the rollers to
rotate and produce the necessary motion to pumps in connection therewith for
raising water or liquids or to actuate light machinery or mechanism, the buckets
or blades feathering themselves as they turn over the rollers in succession.
I have described the buckets or blades as assuming the vertical position, the
trough being horizontal for this purpose but by setting the trough at an angle or
vertically the blades for their working action would assume positions in accordance
therewith.
My invention will be fully understood by the annexed drawings. Figures 1
and 2 of which show the apparatus complete and Figures 3, 4, 5 and 6 details of
same.
A, A, are the blades hinged loosely by straps B, B, to transverse bars C, C, which
form the tie bars between the two endless chains D, D, these being held at the
respective distance apart by the end rollers E, E, which rollers may be increased in
number to ensure steadyness of action to the blades A A as they travel.
9.
Each link D, D, on alternate sides or every alternate link on one side only has
a block F for the ends of the neighbouring link to abut against to form a rigid or
nearly so resistance, against the pressure of the water on the blade so that each
blade while travelling over the lower or power producing course is prevented
yielding further than that allowed by the "sag" of the chain, due to the distance
between the end or the intermediate rollers if more than the end rollers be used.
In the drawings Figures 1 and 2 I show the rollers at one end only as being the
converters of motion to any kind of machinery that could be driven by hand on
the pulley G or pullies G, H, one of which may be loosely fitted for the shift of the
strap by any known clutch or throw off mechanism a fly wheel I being on the
other end of the bar I¹ which by this method is the first motion or driving shaft.
17

page_text: The apparatus is shown in a water way J as the blades turn over the rollers ab
the back end rollers they fall flat on the chains and travel forward in a horizontal.
condition but in passing over the forward rollers, they topple over in succession and
assume a depending vertical position with their hollowed face to the flowing water
and act as buckets for pocketing the water within them.
The ends of the blades almost touch the side walls of the water way or channel
to prevent escape of the water except after exerting its pressure on the blades.
The ends of the blades outside the strap hinge plates are so shaped that when
they topple over to assume a vertical position the edges find an abutment against
the links and thus keep each blade at an incline to the direction of travel and thus
cause the water to flow well up the blades in order that each one shall pocket as
much water as possible, the weight and flowing action of the water combined with
the number of blades thus acted upon will enable heavy machinery to be operated
with facility and with great regularity of motion.
The blades can be of any desired depth and curvature and may have side or
intermediate wings or partitions for their efficient action according to the purpose
for which they are to be employed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I Claim is
The improved arrangement of appliances herein set forth and shown in the
annexed drawings for utilizing the flow of streams, water courses, or rivers for
the transmission of power for operating machinery, or mechanism for irrigation
for pumping.and other useful purposes for which the said invention is applicable.
Secondly The special construction of chain with a chock or stop F on the side or
sides of the links as and for the purpose described.