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US 4,055,956 AGranted
High torque solar motor
OwnerMitchel J. Matovich, Jr.inventor
Life of this patent
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OwnerMitchel J. Matovich, Jr.inventor
Estimating the term…
A frame having two or more thin elongate vanes mounted thereon and a shaft for supporting the frame for rotation so that each of the two opposite surfaces of the vanes is sequentially exposed to heat energy from the sun or the like. One surface is an absorbtive surface, exposure of which effects heating and expansion of the vane. The other surface is reflective surface, exposure of which permits cooling and contraction of the vane. When the vane contracts, the contraction sets up substantial tensile forces within the vane, and the invention includes a linkage interlinking the vane and the shaft so that the tensile force is converted to rotative force to sustain rotation of the frame. The frame has a power takeoff so that useful work is produced. Two mechanisms for interlinking the tensile force in the vanes to rotative motion are disclosed. One mechanism includes a spring which urges the vane to a deflected condition and when the vane contracts during cooling the tensile force is transmitted through a gear train to store energy in the spring and to effect rotation through a first overrunning clutch mechanism. When the vane heats and expands due to exposure to solar energy, the vane expands and the spring moves the linkage in the opposite direction, such movement being coupled to the shaft through a second overrunning clutch of opposite orientation to the first one. The second mechanism converts the tensile force in the vane through a lever to a roller and cam arrangement which produces rotary movement.
A motor for converting to mechanical energy heat energy which radiates from a source and travels along a path, said motor comprising a base, a non-rotatable shaft secured to said base for defining an axis of rotation oriented transversely of said path, a rigid frame and means for supporting said frame for rotation on said shaft, first and second thin elongate vanes having ends rigidly fixed to said frame, said vanes being supported at circumferentially spaced points on said frame, each said vane having a heat energy absorbtive surface and an oppositely disposed heat energy reflective surface so that in response to rotation of said frame on said shaft the respective said surfaces of each said vane alternately and sequentially move through an exposed position at which the vane surfaces are exposed to said source, said vanes being formed of material having a thermal coefficient of expansion and contraction so that upon movement of the absorbtive surfaces of respective said vanes to a position nonexposed to said source said vanes contract to produce a tensile force, means interlinking said vanes at a site substantially medially of said ends and said shaft for converting said tensile force to a rotational force on said frame, and output means connected to said frame.
A motor for converting to mechanical energy heat energy which radiates from a source and travels along a path, said motor comprising a base, a non-rotatable shaft secured to said base for defining an axis of rotation oriented transversely of said path, a rigid frame journaled for rotation on said shaft, first and second thin elongate vanes each having first and second opposite surfaces and means for rigidly fixedly mounting the ends of said vanes in circumferentially spaced apart sites on said rigid frame so as alternately to expose said surfaces of respective said vanes to heat energy in response to rotation of said frame, said mounting means mounting said vanes so that said first surfaces are radially outward of said second surface, said first surfaces being heat energy absorbtive surfaces and said second surface being heat energy reflective surfaces, said mounting means supporting said vanes so that upon movement of respective said vanes to a position at which said first surface is unexposed to said source said vane contracts to produce a substantial tensile force therein, first and second means associated with respective said vanes for directly converting said tensile force to a rotational force on said frame relative to said shaft, each said force converting means having a rigid rod supported in said frame for movement radially of said axis of rotation at a site medially of said vane ends, a pressure bar secured to the outer end of said rod for bearing upon the second surface of the associated vane, means for resiliently biasing said rod outward so that said pressure bar maintains continuous contact with said second vane surface, a gear rack rigid with said rod inward of said pressure bar, a pinion journalled in said frame so as to mesh with said rack and to rotate in response to radial movement of said rod, means including an overrunning clutch for operatively connecting rotation of said pinion in response only to inward movement of said rod to said shaft to effect rotation of said frame and said vanes thereby to expose said vane surfaces alternately to said source, said biasing means maintaining tension in said vane upon movement thereof to the expanded position in response to exposure of said first surface to said source and output means connected to said frame.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.