US4213737A — Wind engine

Claim 1

Independent Claim 230 words

Windmill apparatus for use in capturing the energy of the wind and converting it to power comprising a plurality of relatively narrow ring-like bands joined together in a generally concentric radially spaced relation to form a wheel adapted to rotate about means defining therefor a central axis, said wheel in use normally orienting generally perpendicular to a ground surface, a plurality of air foils positioned between successively adjacent bands, in a circularly spaced relation, each said air foil having means pivotally mounting it for adjustment about an axis which is radial to the wheel axis, the surfaces of said foils at their radial extremities being substantially flat, each said foil between its radial extremities being provided with an outer peripheral surface a substantial portion of which is flatted to define its operating face which in use of the foil is generally faced into the prevailing wind, the balance of the said peripheral surface being generally arcuate and departing sharply from said flatted portion to give the foil a generally bulbous configuration at its side opposite that defined by said flatted portion the peak of which has a substantial departure from said flatted portion and there being a relatively low ratio of the length of said flatted portion to the depth of said foil at the location of said peak in a sense transverse to the pivot axis of the foil.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 230 words

Windmill apparatus for use in capturing the energy of the wind and converting it to power comprising a plurality of relatively narrow ring-like bands joined together in a generally concentric radially spaced relation to form a wheel adapted to rotate about means defining therefor a central axis, said wheel in use normally orienting generally perpendicular to a ground surface, a plurality of air foils positioned between successively adjacent bands, in a circularly spaced relation, each said air foil having means pivotally mounting it for adjustment about an axis which is radial to the wheel axis, the surfaces of said foils at their radial extremities being substantially flat, each said foil between its radial extremities being provided with an outer peripheral surface a substantial portion of which is flatted to define its operating face which in use of the foil is generally faced into the prevailing wind, the balance of the said peripheral surface being generally arcuate and departing sharply from said flatted portion to give the foil a generally bulbous configuration at its side opposite that defined by said flatted portion the peak of which has a substantial departure from said flatted portion and there being a relatively low ratio of the length of said flatted portion to the depth of said foil at the location of said peak in a sense transverse to the pivot axis of the foil.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 77 words

Windmill apparatus as in claim 1 characterized in that said flatted portion of said peripheral surface of said foil being comprised of a pair of distinct planar surface portions one of which leads the other having regard for the facing of the foil into the prevailing wind in its environment in use, the trailing planar surface portion of said flatted portion of said peripheral surface being angled obliquely and outwardly from said leading planar surface portion thereof.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 51 words

Windmill apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the ratio of the length of said flatted portion of said peripheral surface of said foil to the maximum depth of said foil in a sense transverse to its pivot axis, as defined by said peak, is not appreciably greater than 2 to 1.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 58 words

Windmill apparatus as in claim 2 characterized in that said peripheral surface in transverse section has an angle defined between the end of said trailing planar surface portion of said flatted portion thereof joined by a portion of said generally arcuate peripheral surface portion in a manner to define therewith an angle therebetween in the neighborhood of 30°.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 36 words

Windmill apparatus as in claim 2 characterized in that said trailing planar surface portion of said flatted portion of said foil forms an angle with said leading planar surface portion thereof in the neighborhood of 160°.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 39 words

Windmill apparatus as in claim 1 characterized in that said air foils in each ring thereof have a common connection providing for their conjoint movement under the influence of a prevailing wind to which their operating faces are subjected.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 50 words

Windmill apparatus as in claim 6 wherein means are provided for a selective setting of the operating faces of the foils in each row thereof in a substantially simultaneous fashion to cause their operating faces to be similarly oriented to face a prevailing wind to which said wheel is subjected.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 79 words

Windmill apparatus as in claim 7 wherein said means for setting said air foils substantially simultaneously are constructed and arranged to limit the operating position of the operating face to each said foil so that the operating face of each said foil forms an angle with a radial plane of said wheel which extends through its pivot axis and perpendicular to the plane of the wheel which is not greater than about 35° and not less than about 10°.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 94 words

Windmill apparatus as in claim 1 characterized in that said air foils are pivotally mounted to said bands and portions of the connections therebetween to dispose their pivot axes in lines radial to said wheel and in each row thereof said foils are interconnected with a ring element adjacent their ends which position in use thereof remote from the prevailing wind into which said wheel is faced, and said ring elements serve as means through which said foils may be commonly pivoted in accordance with the force of the prevailing wind, within defined limits.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 34 words

Windmill apparatus as in claim 9 wherein means disposed radially of said wheel-like structure are operatively connected to rotate said ring elements to effect a selected disposition of said operating faces of said bodies.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 63 words

Apparatus as in claim 1 characterized in that said operating face of each said foil faced into the prevailing wind in use of said apparatus has in connection therewith control means which accommodate a pivoting movement of said foil within defined limits wherein the operating face of the foil will form an angle lying in a range between about 10° and about 35°.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 49 words

Windmill apparatus as in claim 11 wherein said control means are constructed and arranged to respond to a predetermined speed of the prevailing winds to which the wheel is subjected in use to cause said foils thereon to simultaneously pivot to dispose their operating faces in a feathered position.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 90 words

Windmill apparatus as in claim 11 wherein said control means include concentric shafts one of which is operatively connected to cause a simultaneous pivoting of said foils on rotation thereof to effect a selected inclination of the operating faces of said foils in their facing relation into the prevailing wind and the other of which is connected to be driven by the rotation of said wheel-like structure under the influence of the impact of the wind on said operating faces of said foils to convert the applied energy to power.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 233 words

Windmill apparatus providing an air foil comprising a body having means defining therefor a pivot axis, the surface portions of said body at the extremities of its pivot axis being substantially flat, the outer peripheral surface of said foil between said extremities being continuous as viewed in profile in a direction transverse to said axis, a substantial portion of the outer peripheral surface portion of said body being flatted to define thereon a section of said continuous peripheral surface defining the operating face of said body which in use thereof normally tends to face into the prevailing wind of its environment, said flatted portion of said peripheral surface being comprised of a pair of distinct planar surface portions one of which leads the other having regard for the facing of the body into the prevailing wind, the trailing planar surface portion of said flatted portion being angled obliquely and outwardly from the leading planar surface portion and, in profile, in a sense transverse to the foil axis, the balance of said peripheral surface being generally arcuate and departing sharply from said flatted portion to give the foil at its side opposite said flatted portion a bulbous configuration the peak of which has a substantial departure from said flatted portion having regards to the length of said flatted portion as viewing the profile of said body in a sense transverse to its pivot axis.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 233 words

Windmill apparatus providing an air foil comprising a body having means defining therefor a pivot axis, the surface portions of said body at the extremities of its pivot axis being substantially flat, the outer peripheral surface of said foil between said extremities being continuous as viewed in profile in a direction transverse to said axis, a substantial portion of the outer peripheral surface portion of said body being flatted to define thereon a section of said continuous peripheral surface defining the operating face of said body which in use thereof normally tends to face into the prevailing wind of its environment, said flatted portion of said peripheral surface being comprised of a pair of distinct planar surface portions one of which leads the other having regard for the facing of the body into the prevailing wind, the trailing planar surface portion of said flatted portion being angled obliquely and outwardly from the leading planar surface portion and, in profile, in a sense transverse to the foil axis, the balance of said peripheral surface being generally arcuate and departing sharply from said flatted portion to give the foil at its side opposite said flatted portion a bulbous configuration the peak of which has a substantial departure from said flatted portion having regards to the length of said flatted portion as viewing the profile of said body in a sense transverse to its pivot axis.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 48 words

Windmill apparatus as in claim 14 characterized in that said profile of said body is relatively short and stubby and distinguished by a length to depth ratio, having regard to the maximum depth of said body in said profile which is not appreciably greater than 2 to 1.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 127 words

Windmill apparatus as in claim 14 including a plurality of said bodies wherein said bodies are arranged in circular rows and in closely spaced following relation to each other in each said row and a frame formed as a wheel mounts said bodies so that said operation faces thereof commonly face into the prevailing wind, means being provided for an initial setting of said operating faces into the wind at a selected angle with respect to said frame providing that a drive of the wheel may be achieved when the impacting wind speed reaches a level of 3 to 5 miles per hour or more and said bodies have means in connection therewith to limit said selected angle and the speed of rotation of said wheel thereby.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 40 words

Windmill apparatus as in claim 16 wherein said bodies in each single row are commonly interconnected for a conjoint adjustment of said angle and thereby the positions of said operating faces with respect to the direction of the prevailing wind.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 60 words

Windmill apparatus as in claim 16 including control means for adjustment of the positions of said bodies within said frame operatively connected with at least one body in each circular row thereof, the bodies in each row being interconnected to provide for their simultaneous adjustment as to the position of said operating faces under the influence of said control means.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 48 words

Windmill apparatus as in claim 18 wherein said control means include means adapted for an automatic response to a need for the adjustment of said bodies operative to produce a movement of said bodies to establish their operating faces at a selected position with respect to said frame.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 109 words

Windmill apparatus as in claim 14 wherein a plurality of said bodies are embodied in a wheel-like frame, arranged in concentric rows, in each row of which said bodies are relatively closely spaced, said bodies being short and stubby in configuration in a sense transversely of their pivot axes, said bodies having in connection therewith means enabled by the movement thereof to an operating position to apply a yielding pressure to maintain said bodies in said operating position, said means applying a yielding pressure being arranged to be disabled automatically in response to a predetermined extent of movement of said bodies from their operating position towards a feathered position.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 66 words

Windmill apparatus as in claim 20 characterized by means provided for moving said bodies to present a selected operating position of said operating faces to the prevailing winds and means responsive to said operating faces of said bodies being impacted by a prevailing wind at a predetermined high speed to move said bodies to a feathered position operative to maintain said bodies in said feathered position.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 64 words

Windmill apparatus according to claim 21 wherein said means to apply a yielding pressure is part of a cocking mechanism including a spring stressed by operation of said moving means to move the operating faces of said bodies to an operating position and relieve the stress responsive to the movement of said bodies a predetermined distance, in a pivotal sense, toward a feathered position.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1983-07-22	1984-01-21	1984-07-22	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1987-07-22	1988-01-21	1988-07-22	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1991-07-22	1992-01-21	1992-07-22	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Wind engine

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