Wind-driven generator

Claim 2

In a wind-driven generator: (a) a frame; (b) a plurality of forwardly-facing wind-intercepting rotors, each having a hub, a circular rim coaxial with said hub and a plurality of blades extending radially from said hub to said rim; (c) a power take-off drum rotationally mounted on said frame, said drum having a peripheral surface, the rims of all of said rotors being in frictional engagement with said peripheral surface at points spaced equidistantly therearound; (d) means for rotatably mounting said rotors on said frame and for pressing the rotor rims against said drum in response to presence of force exerted upon the upwind side of said rotors and with a reduced force that varies as a positive function of said wind force.

Claim 3

Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said means (d) for each rotor includes a rotational bearing member for the hub, said bearing member being axially movable with said hub, and includes means mounting said bearing member on said frame for forward and rearward movement of said bearing member relative to said frame.

Claim 4

Apparatus as set forth in claim 2 wherein said means (d) further includes damper means connected between said bearing and said frame for yieldably retarding forward movement of said bearing relative to said frame.

Claim 5

Apparatus as set forth in claim 2 wherein each rim has a side surface therearound engageable with said peripheral surface of said drum, wherein at least one of said surfaces is inclined from its axis of rotation, and wherein at least part of the pressure on said drum by said rotor rims imposes an axial thrust on said drum.

Claim 6

Apparatus as set forth in claim 4 wherein said inclined surface is inclined at approximately 55° relative to the axis of said drum.

Claim 7

Apparatus as set forth in claim 4 wherein the axis of said rotor bearings are inclined relative to the axis of said drum by approximately 3°.

Claim 8

Apparatus as set forth in claim 4 wherein the axes of said rotor bearings are skewed relative to the axis of said drum by approximately 1°.

Claim 9

Apparatus as set forth in claim 4 wherein said frame comprises a central frame portion having a plurality of sockets fixed thereto and a plurality of elongated rotor-support arms, each arm being mounted in one of said sockets for adjustable rotation therein about the axis of said arm, said arms each extending outwardly from said central frame portion and supporting the rotor bearing of one of said rotors thereon, means for locking said arms in said sockets to prevent relative rotation therebetween, and means restraining each rotor bearing against twisting movement relative to the rotor-support arm on which it is mounted.

Claim 10

Apparatus as set forth in claim 4 wherein each said rotor bearing is pivotally mounted on said frame at a pivot point spaced outwardly from the axis of said drum and also spaced from the axis of said bearing.

Claim 11

Apparatus as set forth in claim 9 wherein said pivot point is spaced from said bearing axis in a direction away from said drum axis whereby wind force on said rotors will impose a rearward thrust on said drum.

Claim 12

Apparatus as set forth in claim 10 wherein said rims are circular in radial cross-section and wherein said peripheral surface of said drum is inclined outwardly and rearwardly.

Claim 13

Apparatus as set forth in claim 11 wherein said peripheral surface of said drum is inclined by approximately 55° relative to the axis of said drum, wherein the axes of said rotor bearings are inclined by approximately 3° and skewed by approximately 1° relative to the axis of said drum.

Claim 14

Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein each said rim has a smooth outer periphery and said rim is circular in radial cross-section.

Claim 15

Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein the hub of each rotor extends substantially forwardly of the plane of the rim associated therewith and wherein said hub has wind-deflecting means on the forward end thereof for deflecting wind substantially outwardly from said means to impinge upon said blades.

Claim 16

Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein the hub of each rotor extends substantially forwardly of the plane of the rim associated therewith, and wherein said rotor includes rigidifying and truing means connected to and extending from the forward end of said hub outwardly and rearwardly thereof to outer portions of said rotor to restrain said rim against rearward deflection relative to said hub.

Claim 17

Apparatus as set forth in claim 15 wherein said rigidifying and truing means comprise a plurality of streamlined struts, one for each blade.

Claim 18

Apparatus as set forth in claim 15 wherein said rigidifying and truing means extend outwardly and rearwardly and connect to said blades at the center of pressure thereof.

Claim 19

Apparatus as set forth in claim 15, and further including wind-deflecting means on the forward end of said hub for deflecting wind outwardly from said means to impinge upon said blades.

Claim 20

Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said frame comprises a central frame portion supporting said drum and located therebehind, and a plurality of elongated rotor-support arms extending outwardly and forwardly from said central portion, each said rotor bearing being mounted on one of said arms, and tension means interconnecting the outward ends of said arms to restrain said arms from rearward movement.

Claim 21

Apparatus as set forth in claim 19 and further including means restraining each rotor bearing against twisting movement relative to the rotor-support arm on which it is mounted, a plurality of sockets fixed to said central frame portion, said rotor-support arm being mounted in one of said sockets for rotation of said arm therein about the axis of said arm, and means for locking said arms to said sockets to prevent such rotation.

Claim 22

Apparatus as set forth in claim 19, wherein the hub of each rotor extends substantially forwardly of the plane of the rim associated therewith, and wherein said rotor includes rigidifying and truing means extending from the forward end of said hub outwardly and rearwardly thereof to outer portions of said rotor to restrain said rim against rearward movement relative to said hub.

Claim 23

Apparatus as set forth in claim 19 and further including: a support cradle, means for mounting said central frame portion for pivotal movement on said cradle about a horizontal axis lying in a plane normal to said drum axis, interengageable stop members carried by said frame and said cradle for limiting pivotal movement of said frame such that the center of said drum is always at a level above said horizontal pivot axis and the center of gravity of said frame and elements carried thereby is always forward of said horizontal pivot axis.

Claim 24

Apparatus as set forth in claim 22 and further including damper means connected between said frame and said cradle for allowing free upward pivotal movement of said frame relative to said cradle and for yieldably retarding downward pivotal movement of said frame relative to said cradle.

Claim 25

Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein for each rotor, each blade comprises a metal spar tube and a thin-gauge, metal, airfoil-shaped sleeve secured thereto, said tubes being connected at one end to said rim and at the other end to said hub at a position thereof offset from the axis of said hub, and wherein a line passing through said hub axis and parallel to said spar tube passes through said blade approximately half the distance between the leading and trailing edges of said blade.

Claim 26

Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein each rotor has six blades, each blade comprising a metal spar tube and an airfoil-shaped sleeve secured thereto, said spar tube being centered one-fourth of the chord distance of said blade from the leading edge thereof, wherein said hub has an outwardly extending radial flange thereon provided with six bolt holes equidistant from each other and from the axis of said hub, said spar tubes each being bolted to said flange by bolts passing through two adjacent of said holes, and wherein a line passing through said hub axis parallel to any one of said spar tubes is spaced from the axis of said spar tube by approximately one-fourth the chord distance of said blade.

Claim 27

Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, and further including: (e) an electric generator mounted on said frame and driven by said power take-off drum, (f) a vertically disposed elongated outer support tube, (g) a vertically disposed elongated inner tube depending from said frame and mounted within said outer tube for rotation therein and relative thereto about a common vertical axis, (h) means responsive to changes in wind direction for rotating said frame and inner tube about said vertical axis to maintain said rotors facing into the wind, (i) an electric cable connected to said generator and extending downwardly through and beyond said inner tube, said cable being loosely coiled aout said vertical axis throughout a substantial portion of its length.

Claim 28

Apparatus as set forth in claim 26, wherein said cable is coiled throughout a substantial length of said inner tube, and wherein the outer diameter of the coils of said cable is slightly less than the inside diameter of said inner tube, and further including means for clamping said cable to the upper end of said inner tube and to the outer tube at a point below said inner tube.

Claim 29

In a wind-driven generator: (a) a frame, (b) a plurality of forwardly facing wind-intercepting rotors mounted on said frame, (c) an electric generator mounted on said frame, (d) means for driving said generator in response to rotation of said rotors, (d) a vertically disposed elongated outer tube, (f) a vertically disposed elongated inner tube mounted within said outer tube for rotation therein and relative thereto about a vertical axis, (g) means mounting said frame on the upper end of said inner tube for rotation therewith about said vertical axis, (h) means responsive to changes in wind direction for rotating said frame about said vertical axis to maintain said rotors facing into the wind, (i) an electric cable connected to said generator and extending downwardly through said inner tube, said cable being loosely helically coiled about said vertical axis throughout a substantial portion of its length.

Claim 30

In a wind-driven generator: (a) a frame, (b) a plurality of forwardly facing wind-intercepting rotors mounted on said frame, (c) an electric generator mounted on said frame, (d) means for driving said generator in response to rotation of said rotors, (d) a vertically disposed elongated outer tube, (f) a vertically disposed elongated inner tube mounted within said outer tube for rotation therein and relative thereto about a vertical axis, (g) means mounting said frame on the upper end of said inner tube for rotation therewith about said vertical axis, (h) means responsive to changes in wind direction for rotating said frame about said vertical axis to maintain said rotors facing into the wind, (i) an electric cable connected to said generator and extending downwardly through said inner tube, said cable being loosely helically coiled about said vertical axis throughout a substantial portion of its length.

Claim 31

Apparatus as set forth in claim 28, wherein said cable is coiled throughout a substantial length of said inner tube, and wherein the outer diameter of the coils of said cable is slightly less than the inside diameter of said inner tube, and further including means for clamping said cable to the upper end of said inner tube and to the outer tube at a point below said inner tube.

Claim 32

In a wind-driven generator: (a) a frame; (b) a forwardly-facing wind-intercepting rotor having a hub, a circular rim coaxial with said hub and a plurality of blades extending radially from said hub to said rim; (c) a power take-off drum rotationally mounted on said frame, said drum having a peripheral surface, the rim of said rotor being in tangential driving engagement with said peripheral surface of said drum; (d) means for rotatably mounting said rotor on said frame and for pressing the rotor rim against said drum in response to presence of force exerted upon the upward side of said rotor and with a reduced force that varies as a positive function of said wind force.

Claim 33

In a wind-driven generator: (a) a frame; (b) a forwardly-facing wind-intercepting rotor having a hub, a circular rim coaxial with said hub and a plurality of blades extending radially from said hub to said rim; (c) a power take-off drum rotationally mounted on said frame, said drum having a peripheral surface, the rim of said rotor being in tangential driving engagement with said peripheral surface of said drum; (d) means for rotatably mounting said rotor on said frame and for pressing the rotor rim against said drum in response to presence of force exerted upon the upward side of said rotor and with a reduced force that varies as a positive function of said wind force.