US39690A - Improvement in wind-wheels - Google Patents

Description

- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES TOMLINSON, OF RACINE, WISCONSIN.

IMPROVEMENT IN WIND-WHEELS.

Specification forming partof Letters Patent No. 39,690, dated August 25, 1863.

To aZZ'whom/ it may concern:

Be it known that l, J AMES TOMLINSON, of Racine, in the county ot' Racine and State of Wisconsin, have invented a new and Improved Wind-Wheel and I do hereby declarethat the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying,` drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which- Figure l representsa vertical central section of my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan or top view 0f the same.

Similar letters of reference in both views indicate corresponding parts.

This invention consists in the 'arrangement of a movable shield7 in` combination with a wind-wheel and with the vane, and connected to the same by suitable rods in such a manner that by the action of the vane on the shield more or less ofthe fans of the Wind-wheel are covered up or protected against or exposed to the action of the wind, and the power of the wheel is thus rendered seltreg'ulating, according to the greater or smaller i'orce ofthe Wind.

To enable those skilled in the artto make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe it.

A represents a wheel, made of sheet-iron or other suitable material, with six (more or less) scoop-shaped fans, a, similar to those of pinwheels, which are usually made of paper and fastened by means of pins to sticks to whirl round by the action of the wind. This wheel is secured to a shaft, B, which rises from a standard, O, and it is protected'by a shield, D, that protects three of' the fans on one side ot' the wheel against the action of the wind.

The shield D connects with the upper end of the shaft B in such a manner that it can he freely rotated on the same in either direction. It rests on a collar7 a, on the shaft, and it is steadiedA by braces b, or it may be attached to the shaft in any other desirable manner producing the same eii'ect. Said shield connects by means of a rod, c, with a lever, E, the. up-

per portion of which forms a wingl or scoop,

c, and which is fulcrumed on la pivot, d, projecting from the side ofthe vane F. A weight, d, suspended from the lower end of'this lever, has a tendency to throw the same in a vertical position, and at the same time the position ofthe shield is so regulated that those fans of the wind-wheel which move with the wind are exposed to the full force of the wind, and those fans which move against the wind are protected. lf the wind changes, the shield rotates with the vane, and the motion of the Wheel is Ilot interrupted, and it' the force ot' the wind increases beyond a certain point its action on the wing c at the top of the lever E causes said lever to swing back in the direction of the arrow marked near it in Figs. l and 2, and the shield D is caused to move in the direction of the arrow marked on it in Fig. 2.

By these means the eii'ective surface of the wind-wheel is diminished, and its power is regulated according to the power of the wind.

This wheel is very simple in its construction, audit can be entirely iliade of sheet-iron, so that it is of superior durability, and not liable to get out of order.

What I claim as new, and de sire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The arrangement of the shield D, in comhiy nation wit-h the wheel A, weighted lever E, and vane F, constructed and operating as and for the purpose shown and described.

JAMES ToMLINsoN.

Witnesses M. B. ERSKINE, STEPHEN BULL.

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