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US 4,379,235 AGranted
Wave action generator
OwnerJohn A. Trepl, IIinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A wave motion motor is disclosed with an impeller moved by a float. The float is coupled to a swivel arrangement to turn in the direction of wave current and has an inclined underside. Also disclosed are means to adjust to tide level and triangular coupling means between the float and a flywheel.
Claims16
Apparatus for producing electric power from wave motion, comprising:
- (a) support means arranged to be fixedly positioned in a body of water subject to wave motion;
- (b) generator means mounted on said support means;
- (c) flywheel means associated with said generator means to store rotational energy for driving said generator means;
- (d) impeller means movably mounted with respect to said support means for imparting rotational energy to said flywheel means;
- and
- (e) float means arranged to move said impeller means in response to wave motion in said body of water, said float means being coupled to a swivel arrangement for permitting the float means to turn into the direction of a wave current by a castering action;
- (f) said float body adapted to be partially submerged;
- generally parallel fin means depending from said float body;
- said float body having on its underside an inclined surface whose upper end is generally adjacent one end of said fin means and whose lower end is generally adjacent the other end of said fin means;
- means arranged to support said float for pivotal movement about a generally vertical axis.
7 more elements
Apparatus for producing electric power from wave motion, comprising:
- (a) support means arranged to be fixedly positioned in a body of water subject to wave motion;
- (b) generator means mounted on said support means;
- (c) flywheel means associated with said generator means to store rotational energy for driving said generator means;
- (d) impeller means movably mounted with respect to said support means for imparting rotational energy to said flywheel means;
- said impeller means comprising:
- (i) a pair of arms disposed at a fixed angle to each other and journalled for pivotal movement about their apex;
- (ii) a counterweight coupled to said apex to balance said pair of arms;
- (iii) chain means extending between said arms remote from said apex;
- and
- (iv) sprocket means associated with said generating means and arranged to be engaged by said chain means for rotation thereby upon pivotal movement of said arms;
- and
- (e) float means arranged to move said impeller means in response to wave motion in said body of water.
9 more elements
Apparatus for producing electric power from wave motion, comprising:
- (a) support means arranged to be fixedly positioned in a body of water subject to wave motion;
- (b) generator means mounted on said support means;
- (c) flywheel means associated with said generator means to store rotational energy for driving said generator means;
- (d) impeller means movably mounted with respect to said support means for imparting rotational energy to said flywheel means;
- said impeller means having a vertically limited range of movement;
- (e) float means arranged to move said impeller means in response to wave motion in said body of water;
- and
- (f) means arranged to compensate for tide height variations, said means comprising:
- (i) float shaft means associated with said float means;
- (ii) sleeve means surrounding said float shaft means, said sleeve means being coupled to said impeller means;
- (iii) motion impeding means associated with said sleeve means and normally biased into an engagement with said float shaft means such as to prevent longitudinal sliding movement of said float shaft means with respect to said sleeve means;
- and
- (iv) releasing means arranged to release said engagement when said impeller means reach the upper limit of their movement;
- (v) said motion impeding means being so arranged as to become disengaged by the weight of said float means when said float means are lifted out of said body of water by said float shaft means.
11 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.