Wind powered machine

A wind powered machine for producing energy comprising

• a support frame,
• a rotor mounted on the frame for rotation about a substantially horizontal rotor axis, said rotor having a plurality of vanes spaced apart circumferentially about the rotor axis, said rotor having a wind gathering face side and an opposed rear side,
• an infeed funnel having a wide inlet mouth spaced outwardly from the rotor for receiving a wind at an infeed speed and sides which converge on progressing from the inlet mouth to a smaller wind directing opening adjacent the face side of the rotor to channel said wind to the rotor and increase the speed of the wind channeled to the rotor above the infeed speed,
• a rear wind deflector member overlying the rear side of the rotor to capture wind passing over the rotor and deflect it downwardly to vanes on the rear side of the rotor,
• a pivot mounting the rotor and the infeed funnel for rotation about a substantially upright axis,
• a positioning fin operatively coupled to the rotor and infeed funnel to be acted upon by the wind to direct the inlet mouth toward an incoming wind,
• at least one of said vanes has a first edge followed in the direction of rotor rotation by a radially inwardly facing concave surface adapted to be acted upon by said wind directed to the rotor by the funnel and a second edge led by a radially outwardly facing concave surface adapted to be acted upon by said wind directed to the rotor by the rear wind deflector.

A wind powered machine for producing energy comprising

• a support frame,
• a rotor mounted on the frame for rotation about a substantially horizontal rotor axis, said rotor having a plurality of vanes spaced apart circumferentially about the rotor axis, said rotor having a wind gathering face side and an opposed rear side,
• an infeed funnel having a wide inlet mouth spaced outwardly from the rotor for receiving a wind at an infeed speed and sides which converge on progressing from the inlet mouth to a smaller wind directing opening adjacent the face side of the rotor to channel said wind to the rotor and increase the speed of the wind channeled to the rotor above the infeed speed,
• a rear wind deflector member overlying the rear side of the rotor to capture wind passing over the rotor and deflect it downwardly to vanes on the rear side of the rotor,
• a pivot mounting the rotor and the infeed funnel for rotation about a substantially upright axis, said pivot mounting comprising a horizontally disposed annular first member having upper and lower face surfaces, a horizontally disposed second member contiguous said first member, and bearing means interposed between the second member and the upper and lower face surfaces of the first member to support the second member against vertical movement relative to the first member but allowing rotation of the second member relative to the first member about said upright axis, said bearing means including a plurality of upper rollers interposed between the second member and the upper face surface of the first member and a plurality of lower rollers interposed between the second member and the lower face surface of the first member, and biasing means urging at least one of said rollers into engagement with an associated surface of the first member, and
• a positioning fin operatively coupled to the rotor and infeed funnel to be acted upon by the wind to direct the inlet mouth toward an incoming wind.

A wind powered machine for producing energy comprising

• a support frame, comprising a plurality of upright supports, at least one of said supports comprising an elongate hollow post filled with cementitious material and having a reinforcing rod extending longitudinally therethrough, said post having a substantially horizontally disposed planar base plate secured to its lowermost end, and a sleeve secured to and extending upwardly from the base plate, and said reinforcing rod is received in said sleeve and coupled to the base plate,
• a rotor mounted on the frame for rotation about a substantially horizontal rotor axis, said rotor having a plurality of vanes spaced apart circumferentially about the rotor axis, said rotor having a wind gathering face side and an opposed rear side,
• an infeed funnel having a wide inlet mouth spaced outwardly from the rotor for receiving a wind at an infeed speed and sides which converge on progressing from the inlet mouth to a smaller wind directing opening adjacent the face side of the rotor to channel said wind to the rotor and increase the speed of the wind channeled to the rotor above the infeed speed,
• a rear wind deflector member overlying the rear side of the rotor to capture wind passing over the rotor and deflect it downwardly to vanes on the rear side of the rotor,
• a pivot mounting the rotor and the infeed funnel for rotation about a substantially upright axis, and
• a positioning fin operatively coupled to the rotor and infeed funnel to be acted upon by the wind to direct the inlet mouth toward an incoming wind.

A wind powered machine for producing energy comprising

• a support frame,
• a rotor mounted on the frame for rotation about a substantially horizontal rotor axis, said rotor having a plurality of vanes spaced apart circumferentially about the rotor axis, said rotor having a wind gathering face side and an opposed rear side, and further comprising a pair of laterally spaced opposed enclosing sides and at least one of said vanes extends between said sides and has a cross sectional configuration as viewed along a line parallel to the rotor axis which is sinusoidal,
• an infeed funnel having a wide inlet mouth spaced outwardly from the rotor for receiving a wind at an infeed speed and sides which converge on progressing from the inlet mouth to a smaller wind directing opening adjacent the face side of the rotor to channel said wind to the rotor and increase the speed of the wind channeled to the rotor above the infeed speed,
• a rear wind deflector member overlying the rear side of the rotor to capture a wind passing over the rotor and deflect it downwardly to vanes on the rear side of the rotor, said rear wind deflector comprising a plate member having a front part overlying a top portion of said rotor and remainder portions extending downwardly at an angle adjacent the rear side of the rotor,
• a pivot mounting the rotor and said infeed funnel for rotation about a substantially upright axis wherein said pivot mounting comprises a horizontally disposed annular first member having upper and lower face surfaces, a horizontally disposed annular second member contiguous said first member, and bearing means interposed between the second member and the upper and lower face surfaces of the first member to support the second member against vertical movement relative to the first member but allowing rotation of the second member relative to the first member about said upright axis, and
• a positioning fin operatively coupled to the rotor and said infeed funnel to be acted upon by the wind to direct the inlet mouth toward an incoming wind.

A wind powered machine for producing energy comprising

• a support frame,
• a rotor having a wind gathering face side and an opposed rear side mounted on the frame for rotation about a first axis of rotation, said rotor comprising a pair of laterally spaced opposed enclosing sides and a plurality of vanes spaced apart circumferentially about the first axis and extending substantially parallel to said first axis, and at least one of said vanes on the rotor extends between said sides and has a cross sectional configuration as viewed along a line parallel to the first axis which is sinusoidal,
• an infeed funnel having a wide inlet mouth spaced outwardly from the rotor for receiving a wind at an infeed speed and sides which converge on progressing from the inlet mouth to a smaller wind directing opening adjacent the face side of the rotor to channel a wind to the rotor and increase the speed of the wind channeled to the rotor above the infeed speed,
• a rear wind deflector member opposite said infeed funnel disposed to capture a wind passing over the rotor and deflect a portion thereof to vanes on the rear side of the rotor,
• turntable means supporting said rotor, said infeed funnel and said rear wind deflector on the support frame permitting rotation thereof about a substantially upright pivot axis and
• positioning means for turning the turntable to direct the inlet mouth toward an incoming wind.

A wind powered machine for producing energy comprising

• a support frame,
• a rotor mounted on the frame for rotation about a first axis of rotation, said rotor having a plurality of vanes spaced apart circumferentially about the first axis and extending substantially parallel to said first axis, said rotor having a wind gathering face side and an opposed rear side, and
• an infeed funnel having a wide inlet mouth spaced outwardly from the rotor for receiving a wind at an infeed speed and sides which converge on progressing from the inlet mouth to a smaller wind directing opening adjacent the face side of the rotor to channel a wind to the rotor and increase the speed of the wind channeled to the rotor above the infeed speed,
• a rear wind deflector member opposite said infeed funnel disposed to capture a wind passing over the rotor and deflect a portion thereof to vanes on the rear side of the rotor,
• turntable means supporting said rotor, said infeed funnel and said rear wind deflector on the support frame permitting rotation thereof about a substantially upright pivot axis, and
• positioning means for turning the turntable to direct the inlet mouth toward an incoming wind,
• at least one of said vanes has a first edge followed in the direction of rotor rotation by a radially inwardly facing concave surface adapted to be acted upon by wind directed to the rotor by the funnel and a second edge led by a radially outwardly facing concave surface adapted to be acted upon by wind directed to the rotor by the rear wind deflector.

A wind powered machine for producing energy comprising

• a support frame,
• a rotor mounted on the frame for rotation about a first axis of rotation, said rotor having a plurality of vanes spaced apart circumferentially about the first axis and extending substantially parallel to said first axis, said rotor having a wind gathering face side and an opposed rear side, and
• an infeed funnel having a wide inlet mouth spaced outwardly from the rotor for receiving a wind at an infeed speed and sides which converge on progressing from the inlet mouth to a smaller wind directing opening adjacent the face side of the rotor to channel a wind to the rotor and increase the speed of the wind channeled to the rotor above the infeed speed,
• a rear wind deflector member opposite said infeed funnel disposed to capture a wind passing over the rotor and deflect a portion thereof to vanes on the rear side of the rotor,
• turntable means supporting s aid rotor, said infeed funnel and said rear wind deflector on the support frame permitting rotation thereof about a substantially upright pivot axis, said turntable means comprising a horizontally disposed annular first member having upper and lower face surfaces, a horizontally disposed annular second member contiguous said first member, and bearing means interposed between the second member and the upper and lower face surfaces of the first member to support the second member against vertical movement relative to the first member but allowing rotation of the second member relative to the first member about said upright axis, said bearing means comprising a plurality of upper rollers interposed between the second member and the upper face surface of the first member and a plurality of lower rollers interposed between the second member and the lower face surface of the first member, and biasing means urging at least one of said rollers into engagement with its associated surface of the first member, and
• positioning means for turning the turntable to direct the inlet mouth toward an incoming wind.