US 5,855,470 AGranted

Wind wheel with rotationally faced plates

OwnerAlan G. Holmesinventor

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Abstract

This invention accomplishes these and other objectives with a wind wheel (1) having at least one planetary gear wheel (10) affixed rigidly to a wind-wheel axle (2) from which gear trains for each of a plurality of wind-wheel plates (9) are rotated to maximum plate frontage in wind flow (30) by gear belts (21) intermediate the gear trains and axes of the plurality of wind-wheel plates. The gear trains each have a second gear wheel (12) with a 0.50-to-1.0 gearing ratio to the planetary gear, a third gear wheel (15) with a 2.0-to-1.0 gearing ratio to the planetary gear, a first gear-belt wheel (18) extended concentrically from a side of the third gear wheel and having a 0.60-to-1.0 gearing ratio to the planetary gear and, a second gear-belt wheel (20) having a gearing ratio that is equal to the first gear-belt wheel. The plurality of wind-wheel plates with corresponding drive trains is preferably six but can be any number appropriate for design preferences. The wind wheel can be structured with either a horizontal axis or a vertical axis with appropriate structural modifications. Directional control can be provided by eccentric positioning of the wind-wheel axis in order for the wind-wheel plates to have a weather-vane effect.

Claims15

Dependent claims

A wind wheel comprising:

at least one planetary gear wheel affixed rigidly to a wind-wheel axle that is affixed to a wind-wheel base;
at least one wind-wheel hub that is rotational on the wind-wheel axle;
a plurality of wind-wheel spokes extended outward radially from the wind-wheel hub;
the plurality of wind-wheel spokes each having a plate axle and comprising a plurality of plate axles proximate plate ends of the wind-wheel spokes;
a plurality of wind-wheel plates that are positioned centrally on the plate axles;
each of a plurality of wind-wheel plates being rotatable on a plate axle;
a plurality of first gear-belt wheels that are rotatable on first belt-wheel axles proximate an outside-circumferential portion of the wind-wheel hub in line with the plurality of plate axles on the wind-wheel spokes respectively;
a plurality of second gear-belt wheels that are affixed to the plurality of plate axles respectively;
a plurality of gear belts positioned on the plurality of first gear-belt wheels and on the plurality of second gear-belt wheels;
gear-belt teeth of the plurality of gear beIts being meshed with gear-belt wheel teeth on the plurality of first gear-belt wheels;
the gear-belt teeth of the plurality of gear belts being meshed with gearbelt-wheel teeth on the plurality of second gear-belt wheels;
a plurality of gears in gear trains having design gear ratios intermediate the planetary gear wheel and the plurality of second gear-belt wheels respectively for rotating the plurality of wind-wheel plates to face wind in down-wind rotational travel of the plurality of wind-wheel plates and for rotating the plurality of wind-wheel plates to avoid facing the wind in up-wind rotational travel of the plurality of wind-wheel plates on the wind wheel;
and
a wind direction follower attached to the wind-wheel base.

11 more elements

A wind wheel comprising:

at least one planetary gear wheel affixed rigidly to a first wind-wheel axle that is affixed to a first side of a wind-wheel base;
at least one planetary gear wheel affixed rigidly to a second wind-wheel axle that is affixed to a second side of the wind-wheel base;
a first wind-wheel hub that is rotational on a first wind-wheel axle on the first side of the wind-wheel base;
a second wind-wheel hub that is rotational on a second wind-wheel axle on the second side of the wind-wheel base;
a plurality of first wind-wheel spokes extended outward radially from the first wind-wheel hub;
a plurality of second wind-wheel spokes extended outward radially from the second wind-wheel hub;
the plurality of first wind-wheel spokes and the plurality of second wind-wheel spokes each having a plate axle and comprising a plurality of plate axles proximate plate ends of the first wind-wheel spokes and the second wind-wheel spokes;
a plurality of wind-wheel plates that are positioned centrally on the plate axles;
the plate axles being rotatable on wind-wheel spokes;
a plurality of first gear-belt wheels that are rotatable on first belt-wheel axles proximate outside-circumferential portions of the first wind-wheel hub and the second wind-wheel hub in line with the plurality of plate axles on the first wind-wheel spokes and on the second wind-wheel spokes respectively;
a plurality of second gear-belt wheels that are affixed to the plurality of plate axles respectively;
a plurality of gear belts positioned on the plurality of first gear-belt wheels and the plurality of second gear-belt wheels;
gear-belt teeth of the plurality of gear belts being meshed with gear-belt wheel teeth on the plurality of first gear-belt wheels;
the gear-belt teeth of the plurality of gear belts being meshed with gear-belt-wheel teeth on the plurality of second gear-belt wheels;
a plurality of gears in gear trains having design gear ratios intermediate planetary gear wheels and the plurality of second gear-belt wheels respectively for rotating the plurality of wind-wheel plates to face wind in down-wind rotational travel of the plurality of wind-wheel plates and for rotating the plurality of wind-wheel plates to avoid facing the wind in up-wind rotational travel of the plurality of wind-wheel plates on the wind wheel;
and
a wind direction follower attached to the wind-wheel base.

14 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.