Wave driven engine

Claim 1

A process for converting water wave energy to a useful power form wherein said waves are of the type having a substantially periodic waveform including substantially constant wave length, wave height and direction, comprising the steps of: disposing on the surface of the water a substantially rigid horizontally oriented support structure having a length and two ends, three float bodies being disposed along the length of said support structure, a first float body residing substantially adjacent the first end of said support structure, a second float body spaced apart from said first float body and residing substantially adjacent the second end of said support structure, a third float body spaced apart from both the first and second float bodies and residing between said first and second float bodies along the length of said support structure; retaining a first portion of an energy converting means in said first float body, a second portion of said energy converting means being pivotably connected to said support structure substantially at the first end of said support structure and being in contact with the first portion of said energy converting means; rigidly connecting said second float body to the second end of said support structure, and rigidly connecting said third float body to the center of the length of said support structure intermediate said second float body and the second portion of said energy converting means, said second and third float bodies being support floats and said first float body with energy converting means not being a support float; spacing said first, second and third float bodies along the length of said support structure such that when said first and second float bodies are located respectively at the crests of different sequential waves, said third float body is located in a wave trough intermediate said wave crests, the first end of said support structure is oscillated vertically by the movement of the support structure as it follows the movement of said second and third float bodies which are spaced apart one-half wave length from each other, said second portion of said energy converting means moving against said first portion of said energy converting means because of the combination of the oscillation of the first end of said support structure with second portion of said energy converting means and the wave following movement vertically of said first float body, which combination multiplies the effect of said wave height; converting energy by the movement of said first and second portions of said energy converting means against each other.

Claim 7

An apparatus for use in converting the energy of water waves to a useful power form wherein said waves exhibit a substantially periodic wave form having a substantially constant wave length, wave height, and direction, wherein said apparatus acts to multiply the effect of said wave height; comprising: a first support float; a second support float spaced apart from said first support float; a first buoyant body spaced apart from said first and second support floats; means for converting energy moveably attached to said first buoyant body; a substantially rigid support structure having a length and two ends rigidly connected to said first support float substantially adjacent to the first end of and rigidly connected to said second support float at the center of the length between the two ends, said energy converting means also being pivotably attached to and substantially adjacent the second end of said support structure.

Claim 8

An apparatus for use in converting the energy of water waves to a useful power form wherein said waves exhibit a substantially periodic wave form having a substantially constant wave length, wave height, and direction, wherein said apparatus acts to multiply the effect of said wave height; comprising: a first support float; a second support float spaced apart from said first support float; a first buoyant body spaced apart from said first and second support floats; means for converting energy moveably attached to said first buoyant body; a substantially rigid support structure having a length and two ends rigidly connected to said first support float substantially adjacent to the first end of and rigidly connected to said second support float at the center of the length between the two ends, said energy converting means also being pivotably attached to and substantially adjacent the second end of said support structure.