Patent ID: 8373297

Claim:
A turbine assembly for converting fluid flow into rotational movement for useful work, including: a central drive shaft assembly rotatable about a central axis; a plurality of pivot shafts, each extending transversely to said central axis and supported on said central drive shaft assembly by bearing means, each of said pivot shafts having a respective pivot axis extending longitudinally therethrough; a plurality of wings secured to said pivot shafts, said plurality of wings comprising a pair of wings secured to opposed ends of each of said pivot shafts, each pair of wings extending in planes that pass through the respective pivot axis and diverge 90° from each other about the respective pivot axis; said plurality of pivot shafts comprising paired pivot shafts extending in parallel relationship and spaced in diametrical opposition with respect to said central axis, said paired pivot shafts having opposed end portions that are parallel and closely adjacent, two of said wings extending from said adjacent end portions and defining an opposed pair of wings; said paired pivot shafts being rotatable about their respective pivot axes from a drive position in which said opposed pair of wings extend generally parallel to said central axis and transverse to incident fluid flow to maximally impinge on said fluid flow, to a glide position in which said opposed pair of wings extend generally transverse to said central axis and parallel to incident fluid flow to minimize drag.