Patent ID: 7677862

Claim:
A wind engine, comprising: a support structure; a rotor mounted on the support structure for rotational movement about a vertically extending rotational axis and pivotal movement about a horizontally extending pivotal axis, said rotor including a plurality of mounting portions that are disposed radially from the rotational axis in circumferentially spaced apart positions about the rotational axis, and said plurality of mounting portions including at least a first mounting portion and a second mounting portion; first rotor-powering means responsive to oncoming wind for causing the rotor to rotate about the rotational axis and pivot about the pivotal axis, said first rotor-powering means including a first airfoil element mounted on the first mounting portion of the rotor, said first airfoil element having a first longitudinally extending axis that extends through the first mounting portion of the rotor; second rotor-powering means responsive to oncoming wind for causing the rotor to rotate about the rotational axis and pivot about the pivotal axis, said second rotor-powering means including a second airfoil element mounted on the second mounting portion of the rotor, said second airfoil element having a second longitudinally extending axis that extends through the second mounting portion of the rotor; first pitch-varying means for varying a pitch of the first airfoil element according to variations in the alignment of the first airfoil element with the oncoming wind as the first airfoil element orbits the rotational axis, said first pitch-varying means including a first mechanical linkage that couples the first airfoil element to the support structure; and second pitch-varying means for varying a pitch of the second airfoil element according to variations in the alignment of the second airfoil element with the oncoming wind as the second airfoil element orbits the rotational axis, said second pitch-varying means including a second mechanical linkage that couples the second airfoil element to the support structure; wherein the first longitudinally extending axis of the first airfoil element extends vertically from the first mounting portion of the rotor and the second longitudinally extending axis of the second airfoil element extends vertically from the second mounting portion of the rotor; wherein the first airfoil element is adapted to cause the rotor to pivot on the pivotal axis as the first airfoil element orbits the rotational axis so that the first mounting portion of the rotor and the first airfoil element move upwardly and downwardly together according to variations in the alignment of the first airfoil element with the oncoming wind; and wherein the first mechanical linkage is adapted to vary the pitch of the first airfoil element as the first airfoil element orbits the rotational axis in response to the first airfoil element moving upwardly and downwardly.