Improved Water-Wheel. Page: 2 of 2
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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.
C. V. LITTLEPAGE, OF AUSTIN, TEXAS.
IMPROVED WATER-WHEEL.
Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 22,SSO, dated February 8, 1859.To all whom it may concer:ta:
Be it known that I, C. V. LITLLEPAGE, of
Austin, in the county of Travis and State of
Texas, have invented a new and Improved
Water-Wheel; and I do hereby declare that
the following is a full, clear, and exact de-
scription of the same, reference being had to
the annexed drawings, making a part of this
specification, in which-
Figure 1 is a vertical central section of my.
invention. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of
the same, taken in the line x x, Fig. 1.
Similar letters of reference indicate corre-
sponding parts in the two figures.
This invention relates to an improvement
in horizontal water-wheels; audit consists in
having the wheel provided with curved buck-
ets and fitted or placed over a spiral water-
passage, into which the water passes from
the penstock and acts upon the bucket as it
passes through said passage, the water being
discharged at the outer ends of the buckets
above the spiral water-passage.
The object of the invention is to relieve
the step or lower bearing of the wheel of the
weight of the wheel and shaft and the conse-
quent friction attending the working of the
same; also to apply the water to the wheel
in such a manner as to obtain a large amount
of power from a given supply or volume.
To enable those skilled in the art to fully
understand and construct my invention, I
will proceed to describe it.
A represents a penstock, and B is a chute
which communicates at one end with the
lower part of the penstock A and at the other
end with a spiral passage C, formed in a suit-
able bed or block D, said passage gradually
diminishing in depth from its junction with
the chute B to its opposite end, as shown
clearly in Fig. 1, the water-passage extending
around the bed or block one turn.
E is a vertical shaft, thelower end of which
is stepped in the block D at its center, as
shown at a. The upper end of the shaft has
a journal b formed on it, said journal being
placed in a bearing c in a framing F, and hav-
ing a set-screw d bearing against its upper
end, as shown clearly in Fig. 1.
On the shaft E the wheel G is placed. This
wheel is formed of a circular block e, to the
under surface of which the buckets f are at-tached by means of bolts g, or by any proper
means. The buckets fare formed of plate-
iron of any proper thickness proportionate to
the size of the wheel. The buckets are of
curved form, the shape being shown clearly
in Fig. 2, and their lower edges work directly
over the upper surface of the block D, as
shown clearly in Fig. 1.
The water passes from the penstock A
through the chute B into the spiral passage
C and acts against the buckets f, all the buck-
ets being acted upon simultaneously, the wa-
ter passing upward under the pressure of the
water in the penstock, and by this upward
pressure relieving the lower bearing a of the
shaft E of the weight of the wheel, thegravity
of the wheel and the pressure of the water
being nearly counterpoised. The water is
discharged from the outer ends of the buckets,
and the screw d at the upper end of the shaft
is so regulated or adjusted as to prevent the
wheel being raised sufficiently to allow the
escape of water between the lower edges of
the buckets f and the top surface of the bed
or block D. The water acts equally upon all
the buckets f and has a free discharge from
the wheel, the water acting upon the buckets
at first by impact and then acting as it leaves
the buckets by reciprocal reaction without
producing any drag upon the wheel.
The within-described invention has been
practically tested and has been found to ans we r
remarkably well. It maybe constructed ata
very reasonable cost and applied in all cases
where any of the ordinary horizontal wheels
may be advantageously employed.
I do not claim separately the curved buck-
ets f; but,
Having thus described my invention, what
I do claim as new, and desire to secure by Let-
ters Patent, is-
The wheel G, provided with curved buckets
f and attached to the shaft E, stepped in the
block D, and otherwise arranged as shown,
in connection with the spiral water-passage
C in the block or bed D, the whole being ar-
ranged to operate as and for the purpose set
forth.
C. V. LITTLEPAGE.
Witnesses:
I. A. TAYLOR,
G. E. ROBINSON.
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Littlepage, C. V. Improved Water-Wheel., patent, February 8, 1859; [Washington D.C.]. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth165065/m1/2/?q=%22%22~1: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.