Wind motor

• US 3,897,170 A
• Filed: 01/09/1974
• Issued: 07/29/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/1974
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Arthur Darvishian
• Original Assignee: Arthur Darvishian
• Inventors: Darvishian, Arthur
• Primary Examiner(s): Powell, Jr., Everette A.
• Application Number:
  US05/432,031
• Time in Patent Office: 566 Days
• Field of Search: 416/111,119,140,197
• US Class Current: 416/119
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 3/067 Cyclic movements
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2240/211 with vertical axis
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2250/141 circular
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2260/72 by turning around an axis parallel to the rotor centre line
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/74 Wind turbines with rotation axis perpendicular to the wind direction

Abstract

A wind motor for the conversion of wind power to mechanical or electrical power or other form thereof comprises a vertical rotatable shaft having cup-shaped wind receptors connected to it and extending horizontally from it, which receptors are so mounted at the ends of arms extending from a central rotatable shaft as to move from positions of maximum resistance to the wind when moving with the wind to positions of minimum wind resistance when moving against the wind, and in positions of maximum wind resistance conform in shape with and bear against said arms. In modifications of the invention the receptors may be modified to asymmetric shapes and the cups may be flattened or otherwise changed, as desired, the shaft may be positioned other than vertically and the receptors may rotate in a plane other than the horizontal, but in such cases the plane of rotation of the receptors will be parallel to the wind. The movements of the receptors so as to maintain wind resistance or absence thereof at certain times during shaft rotation are desirably maintained by tethering and cushioning means connected to them, as well as by a pivoting mounting of the receptors so as to take advantage of centrifugal forces. Preferably, the wind power transmitted to the rotating shaft is converted to electrical power, which may be stored for future use as chemical power, as in batteries or as mechanical power in magnetically suspended, high speed flywheels, or it may be used directly, as in powering transportation means, pumps or other mechanical equipment.

Claims

1. A self-adjusting wind motor with a wind receptor that moves substantially in a plane of the wind, which automatically presents the wind receptor to the wind in a position of high wind resistance when moving in the direction of the wind and moves it into a position of low wind resistance when moving against the wind, said automatic self-adjustment of position or feathering being caused by the action of the wind and centrifugal force on the receptor, which comprises a rotatable shaft, an arm operatively connected to said shaft and extending from it and a wind receptor of curved or hollowed shape with the open face of the curve or hollow facing the wind in the position of high wind resistance, said wind receptor being held to the arm by pivot means at or near an end of said arm away from the shaft and said arm being of a shape to conform with the shape of the receptor when the receptor is in said position of high wind resistance and against the arm.

2. A wind motor according to claim 1 wherein a plurality of such wind receptors is operatively connected to the shaft.

3. A wind motor according to claim 2 wherein the shaft is vertical, the receptors rotate horizontally, are of cup-like or similar shape and are pivoted on the mounting arms, with the pivot locations being on outer portions of the cups or similar shapes, so as to present concave surfaces of the receptors to the wind when they are moving with it and sides of the receptors to the wind when they are moving against it.

4. A wind motor according to claim 3 wherein the receptors are of depths less than one-half the widths thereof and the arms are curved to fit the receptor shapes when the receptors are against the arms, thereby helping to steady them in position during operation.

5. A wind motor according to claim 4 wherein the receptors are tethered to the arms and spring or cushion means are provided on the arms, in locations facing the back surfaces of the receptors to prevent shocking contacts thereof with the arms during operation.

6. A wind motor according to claim 5 wherein the receptors are flat cups and curved portions of the arms facing the cups contain recesses for the tethers in which the tethers fit when the cups are against the arms, thereby allowing conforming of the shapes of the cups to those of the arms.

7. A wind motor according to claim 6 wherein each of a plurality of arms is removably held to a collar which is removably fastened to the shaft.

8. A wind motor according to claim 7 wherein a plurality of collars, each holding a plurality of arms and receptors, is removably held to the shaft and is interfitted with each other.

9. A wind motor according to claim 6 wherein the receptors and arms contain stops which contact each other at maximum desired feathering position to prevent over-feathering which might otherwise occur due to centrifugal force.

10. A wind motor according to claim 1 wherein the arm on which the wind receptor is mounted is removably held to a collar which is removably fastened onto the rotatable shaft.

11. A wind motor according to claim 26 wherein a plurality of such collars, each holding a plurality of arms and receptors, is held to the shaft.

12. A wind motor according to claim 3 wherein the shaft is vertical, rotates within a central bearing and has a plurality of cups or similarly shaped receptors mounted on arms held to the shaft above and below said bearing.

13. A wind motor according to claim 1 wherein the receptor is a thin, strong, light-weight material and has the inner curved or hollowed surface thereof coated with a hydrophobic coating to prevent sticking thereto of snow, soot and other deposits and thereby aid in maintaining the receptors properly balanced.

14. A wind motor according to claim 13 wherein the hydrophobic coating is polytetrafluoroethylene (Teflon).

15. A wind motor according to claim 14 wherein the receptors which are flat cups are curved or otherwise constructed so as to drain any water therefrom in normal operating position.

16. A wind motor according to claim 1 wherein four arms, each curved to fit the wind receptors, are positioned at 90* from each other on a collar held to the shaft, with the curves of the arms and the positions of the receptors being such that the open ends of the receptors are facing in the same direction when each of the receptors is in its position of high wind resistance.