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US4455833A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Solar wheel

Assignee: AUTOMATED PRODUCTION EQUIPMENT CORPM
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Filing: 1981-05-12
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Granted: 1984-06-26
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Expires: 2001-05-12
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Abstract

Abstract A power system for utilizing solar energy, comprises a carrier, a converter for converting the heat of the sunlight into another form of energy, and mirrors for focusing sunlight onto the converter. The mirrors are mounted in a cylindrical frame which rolls about its horizontal axis on a plurality of rollers carried by a support on a circular table which is supported by an air cushion on a body of water within a basin. The table rotates about a vertical axis to cause the reflectors to follow the apparent horizontal daytime path of the sun; and the frame rotates about its horizontal axis thereby to make the reflectors follow the apparent daytime vertical movement of the sun.

Inventors

  • 👤 Janos Tiboldi

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-04 08:17
CPC Classifications
F; F03; F03D; F03D9/00; F03D9/007; F24; F24S; F24S23/00; F24S23/70; F24S30/00; F24S30/40; F24S30/45; F24S30/452; F03D9/20; F03D9/25; Y; Y02; Y02E; Y02E10/00; Y02E10/40; Y02E10/46; Y02E10/47; Y02E10/70; Y02E10/72

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim 150 words
A power system for utilizing solar energy, comprising a carrier, conversion means on the carrier for converting heat to another form of energy, reflector means on the carrier for focusing sunlight on said conversion means, means for rotating said carrier about a vertical axis in synchronism with the apparent daytime motion of the sun, means for rotating said carrier about a horizontal axis in synchronism with the apparent daytime motion of the sun, said carrier comprising a circular table having a substantially horizontal platform and a substantially vertical circular wall about the outer portion of the underside of said table, said table and wall being airtight, said wall being immersed in a basin which contains liquid and which has a greater free surface than the outer periphery of said table, there being an air cushion between the surface of the liquid and the underside of the table within said wall.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 150 words
A power system for utilizing solar energy, comprising a carrier, conversion means on the carrier for converting heat to another form of energy, reflector means on the carrier for focusing sunlight on said conversion means, means for rotating said carrier about a vertical axis in synchronism with the apparent daytime motion of the sun, means for rotating said carrier about a horizontal axis in synchronism with the apparent daytime motion of the sun, said carrier comprising a circular table having a substantially horizontal platform and a substantially vertical circular wall about the outer portion of the underside of said table, said table and wall being airtight, said wall being immersed in a basin which contains liquid and which has a greater free surface than the outer periphery of said table, there being an air cushion between the surface of the liquid and the underside of the table within said wall.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 57 words
Structure as claimed in claim 1, said carrier including a frame carrying said reflector means, said frame having a cylindrical outer contour, a base on the table, the base having an upwardly concave part-cylindrical supporting contour on which said frame rests for rotation of the frame about the axis of the outer cylindrical contour of the frame.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 12 words
Structure as claimed in claim 1, and a windmill on the carrier.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 33 words
Structure as claimed in claim 1, said carrier including a cage made up of a plurality of circular wheels secured in horizontally spaced parallelism to each other and having a common horizontal axis.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 19 words
Structure as claimed in claim 4, said conversion means being secured at the center of one of said wheels.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 14 words
Structure as claimed in claim 4, said reflector means being secured within said wheels.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 24 words
Structure as claimed in claim 1, and hold-down rollers and centering rollers carried by the basin and engaging the peripheral portions of the table.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 21 words
Structure as claimed in claim 2, and a plurality of anti-friction rollers carried by said base for rotatably supporting said frame.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US4030890A Cited
US4159427A Cited
US4159629A Cited
US4146015A Cited
US4206608A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1987-06-26 1987-12-26 1988-06-26 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1991-06-26 1991-12-26 1992-06-26 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1995-06-26 1995-12-26 1996-06-26 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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