Wave energy machine

Claim 1

In a wave energy device, the combination of a generally trough-shaped member having upstanding side walls, and an inclined ramp extending longitudinally between the side walls and having a terminal upper edge disposed inwardly of one end of the wall, a driven shaft rotatably mounted in said side walls adjacent the terminal edge of the ramp, a plurality of wheel means mounted on said shaft between said side walls, smoothly-rounded buckets secured on each of said wheel means, the open portions of said buckets when each is in its generally vertically uppermost position facing said inclined ramp, slots in said inclined ramp aligned with and receiving said buckets during rotation of the wheel means, curved deflectors secured to said inclined ramp, in front of each slot, the uppermost edge of each curved deflector extending generally horizontally and slightly above the periphery of said shaft, but below the periphery of each of said wheel means, generally triangularly-shaped deflectors disposed alongside each curved deflector, each secured to said inclined ramp, each extending vertically above the uppermost edges of the buckets, a plurality of turbine guards secured to the underside of said inclined ramp, generally surrounding each of said slots and each of said wheel means and buckets thereon.

Claim 4

A device for utilizing sea wave energy comprising a generally horizontally disposed, rotatably supported shaft, a plurality of buckets mounted on said shaft in radial relation thereto and in circumferentially spaced relation to each other, each of said buckets including a pocket in one surface thereof with all of the pockets facing in the same circumferential direction, trough means guiding sea waves into impingement with buckets on said shaft disposed above the shaft, and guard means partially enclosing the buckets disposed below the shaft for preventing impingement of sea waves against the buckets below the shaft, the pockets in said buckets above the shaft facing the sea waves for impingement of the sea waves against the pockets for rotating said shaft, said trough means including a ramp having a terminal edge disposed adjacent the shaft and including a slot receiving said buckets, a deflector on the upper surface of the ramp partially encircling the slot and terminating below the upper edges of the buckets extending upwardly from the shaft for guiding sea waves into engagement with those buckets which are at an angular position so that the outer end thereof is substantially above the terminal edge of the ramp.

Claim 5

A device for utilizing sea wave energy comprising a generally horizontally disposed, rotatably supported shaft, a plurality of buckets mounted on said shaft in radial relation thereto and in circumferentially spaced relation to each other, each of said buckets including a pocket in one surface thereof with all of the pockets facing in the same circumferential direction, trough means guiding sea waves into impingement with buckets on said shaft disposed above the shaft, and guard means partially enclosing the buckets disposed below the shaft for preventing impingement of sea waves against the buckets below the shaft, the pockets in said buckets above the shaft facing the sea waves for impingement of the sea waves against the pockets for rotating said shaft, said trough means including a ramp having a terminal edge disposed adjacent the shaft and including a slot receiving said buckets, a deflector on the upper surface of the ramp partially encircling the slot and terminating below the upper edges of the buckets extending upwardly from the shaft for guiding sea waves into engagement with those buckets which are at an angular position so that the outer end thereof is substantially above the terminal edge of the ramp.