Patent ID: 7959404

Claim:
A wind turbine, comprising: a housing being adapted for securement atop a support; a wheel being mounted within said housing and being rotatable about a horizontal axis when struck by winds passing over the front of said housing, said wheel including: an axle assembly having a tube with sealed ends and a pair of spindles each of which extending laterally from a respective one of said sealed ends of said tube, said axle assembly also having a pair of peripheral flanges being affixed to said tube and each being positioned adjacent a respective one of said sealed ends; a plurality of blade assemblies being affixed to said axle assembly, each of said blade assemblies having a frame with a spaced-apart pair of uprights radiating outwardly from said tube and a crosspiece connecting said uprights together at a distance away from said tube, each of said blade assemblies also having a pair of movable blades positioned within said frame with each of said blades being hingedly fastened to a respective one of said uprights; a plurality of brake actuator assemblies for relieving the pressure imparted by strong winds on said blades, each of said actuator assemblies having a blade actuator with an actuator body being affixed to a respective one of said blades and an actuator arm being slidably engaged with said actuator body and being pivotally connected to a respective one of said peripheral flanges, and said blade actuator further having a spring disposed within said actuator body and being engaged with said actuator arm for extending said actuator arm from said actuator body, a brake operator assembly for synchronizing the pivoting movement of said blades, said brake operator assembly including a pair of gear boxes being affixed within said tube and being operatively connected together by a connector shaft also being positioned within said tube, each of said gear boxes being connected to said blades positioned adjacent a respective one of said sealed ends such that the pivoting movement of one said blade is transmitted to all of said blades through said gear boxes; and, an electrical current generator being connected to said wheel so as to be powered thereby.