Patent Number
GB177641
Title
A METHOD OR DEVICE FOR CONTROLLING AND MAKING
USE OF GRAVITATION AS A MOTIVE FORCE
Complete Specification
We, William Alfred DAWSON, 132, Woodcock Street, Hull, George DAWSON,13, Floral Avenue, Edinburgh Street, Hull, and Walter CLARK., 11, Westbourne Avenue, Hull, Engineers, British subjects, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following' statement:-
Our invention relates to a gravity wheel of the kind comprising weights arranged to work inwards and outwards from Its centre.
In constructing a device in accordance with our invention we preferably employ a wheel (a), drum, or the like, Figs. 1 & 2, the said wheel being mounted and revolving in a frame (b), bed, or the Iike; the aforesaid wheel is provided with two or more suitable arms (c), slots, or the like, into which are placed movable weights, rollers (d), or the equivalent, of any suitable design, the said weights being free to move upwards on the one side of the centre, towards and past the centre of the wheel (a), and downwards on the other side of the centre away from and past the centre of the aforesaid wheel, and regulated as to their proximity to the centre of the wheel (a) by one or more independent elliptically shaped guide rails (e), races (e1 ), or the like, which are formed or otherwise secured in an eccentrical position to a rotatable centre movement or motion shaft (f), or the like.
The guide rails (e) may, where desired, be formed as one or more eccentrically placed discs (e2) Figs. 3 & 4, the said discs being fitted with rings (g) or the equivalent, which are connected by connecting members (h) to the weights (d), or the like; the aforesaid rings (g) connecting members (h) and weights (d) being free to revolve with wheel (a) round the aforesaid eccentrically placed disc (e2) of the rotatable centre motion shaft (f), the said centre motion shaft and disc (e2) being locked in the required position when the wheel (a) is working. Another form of guide rail (e) may be utilised in the shape of a crank (e3) the pin (i) of the aforesaid crank being fitted with one or more rings (g) and connecting members which act in a similar manner upon the aforesaid weights (d) as shown in Figure 6. In case of the two later examples we prefer to pivot the weights to the side or arms of the drum or wheel, the relative position of the weights being regulated by the eccentrically placed rings through the medium of the connecting members. By the aforesaid means the weights are so distributed as to throw the wheel (a) drum, or the like out of balance and
thereby cause the said wheel (a) to rotate, the slots or arms (c) of the wheel (a) then act as levers with the centre or the wheel (a), drum, or the like, act as a positive or imaginary fulcrum, the short ends acting on the lift and the long ends on the fall; the surplus leverage thus obtained is stored as power in the kinetic wheel {a) and may he transmitted from it in any suitable manner, all the actions repeating themselves.
By rotating the guide rails (e) a quarter turn from the full power position the wheel (a) is stopped by reason that the weights (d) arrive at a balance relative to the kinetic wheel (a), drum, or the like; by continuing the rotary motion of the aforesaid guide rails a further quarter turn the kinetic wheel is again rotated at full power position but in the reverse direction, the turning and locking in position of the guide rails is effected by a hand wheel (j) or any other suitable turning and locking device connected to or acting upon the movable centre motion shaft (f) or its equivalent.
Reference To Drawings
Figures 1 to 6 show a variation of the proposed adaptation of the principles of our invention. Figures 7 and 8 show a side elevation and plan of proposed design of weights (d) which may be, when desired, cast or otherwise provided with a chamber or cavity, the said chamber or cavity of the said weights may be part filled with any suitable liquid to give added momentum to the aforesaid wheel (a).
Figures 9 and 10 show a side elevation and plan of the eccentric disc and ring type of guide (e2) for controlling the movement of the weights (d).
Figures 11 and 12 show a crank type with ring (g) for aforesaid control purposes.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we claim is:
1. In a gravity wheel of the kind comprising weights arranged to move inwards and outwards from its centre, the method of mounting it independently and free to revolve round a stationary centre movement shaft.
2. In a gravity wheel having free weights or the like, the use of elliptically shaped guide rails, as described.
3. In a gravity wheel of the kind specified the use of pivoted weights connected to floating guide rings revolving round, either eccentrically placed discs or the gudgeon or a web crank, as described.
4. In a device as in Claims 2 and 3 the central control arrangement for starting, stopping, and reversing the mechanism.
5. The construction and arrangement of the device substantially as described.
Dated this 24th day of August, 1921.
