Wave power energizer

Claim 1

A power generating apparatus comprising in combination, a stationary platform having an opening and supported over a body of water having a surface wave motion, at least one buoyant member floatingly supported on the surface of said body of water, a support member pivotally mounted at one end of the underside of said platform and connected at its other end to said buoyant member, a cylinder-piston assembly fixed in a stationary position on the upper side of said platform, said cylinder-piston assembly including a piston rod connected at its upper end to said piston and extending vertically downward through said cylinder and said opening in said platform, means for connecting the lower end of said piston rod to said support member intermediate the ends of said support member for vertical reciprocating movement of said piston and rod within said cylinder and for maintaining the axis of said rod in a vertically extending position during the pivotal movement of said buoyant member by said surface wave motion, inlet openings for atmospheric air adjacent the top and bottom of said cylinder, check valve means associated with each of said inlet and outlet opening, a compressed air storage reservoir, conduit means for communicating said outlet openings in said cylinder with said storage reservoir, said check valve means being arranged to admit atmospheric air into the lower portion of said cylinder and to discharge compressed air from the upper portion of said cylinder during the upward stroke of said piston and to admit atmospheric air into the upper portion of said cylinder to discharge compressed air from the lower portion of said cylinder during the downstroke of said piston during the rise and fall respectively of said buoyant member resulting from said wave motion, wherein said means for connecting the lower end of said piston rod to said support member comprises a lost motion coupling for maintaining the axis of said piston rod substantially vertical during said reciprocating movement and wherein said support member comprises a pair of arms arranged in spaced-apart parallel relationship and including a pair of spaced-apart bracket on the underside of said platform, a pin for pivotally connecting one end of each of said support arms to said platform brackets, a pair of spaced-apart brackets on said buoyant member, a pin for pivotally connecting the other end of each of said support arms to said buoyant member and wherein said means for connecting the lower end of said piston rod to said support member comprises a cross arm connected to the lower end of said piston rod and wherein the ends of said cross arm are connected to a respective one of said support arms by said lost motion coupling whereby motion of said buoyant member over a wide range is effected.