WO1981000284A1

WO1981000284A1 - Wave driven generator

Info

Publication number: WO1981000284A1
Application number: PCT/US1979/000539
Authority: WO
Inventors: A Paolucci
Original assignee: A Paolucci
Priority date: 1979-07-24
Filing date: 1979-07-24
Publication date: 1981-02-05
Also published as: EP0032897A1

Abstract

A wave driven generator comprising a float assembly for suspending a rotary motion generating device (1) above the waves of a body of water and in contact therewith, which includes a rotatable shaft (2) and a drive mechanism (8, 14), the drive mechanism including a pair of ratchet sprockets (8a, 8b) mounted in closely spaced apart relationship on said shaft (2) to drive said shaft in one direction of rotation and a rack drive assembly (14) including a floatable member (18) at one end in surface contact with the body of water to drive said rack drive assembly (14) upward with the crest of a wave, said rack drive assembly being sufficiently weighted to move said rack drive assembly downward as the floatable member drops into the trough of the wave, driving one of said ratchet sprockets (8a) when moved upwardly by a wave and driving the other of said ratchet sprockets (8b) when moved downwardly by gravity and the weight of the assembly (14), to rotate the rotatable shaft (2) in the same direction of rotation continuously as the rack drive mechanism (14) is reciprocated upwardly and downwardly by the force of the waves in one direction and gravity in the other direction. The rotatable shaft (2) may be connected to drive an electric generator (6) or other machine. A plurality of drive mechanisms (8, 14) of the type described are connected at spaced apart locations along the rotatable shaft (2).

Description

Wave Driven Generator

Technical Field

This invention relates to the field of devices which utilize the energy generated by waves on a body of water to drive a machine, such as an electrical generator to generate electricity.

Background Art A number of attempts have been made to harness the power of the seas to provide an alternative energy source. However, the search is still on, and a practical solution to this problem has not been found prior to the invention disclosed herein. One of the problems in effectively harnessing this potential source of power is that waves form and move unpredictably. When the seas are calm, the waves are small and gentle. During stormy weather, they become large and wild. Waves also rise and fall in random, unpredictable fashion, in both calm and stormy weather.

One wave may rise to a certain height within a given time, and the following wave may do the same. However, the next wave may rise substantially higher and within a shorter period of time, or it may do the opposite. Furthermore, waves may be of different lengths as well as heights. Conventional driving mechanisms known to the prior art have a difficult time in making full and efficient use of the inherent energy in the waves of a body of water be¬ cause they are designed for a more or less uniform and predictable power source, such as the precisely timed firing of internal combustion engines. A piston driven crankshaft of the type used in internal combustion engines would not work well if at all if the power source were ^' waves on a body of water. Floats could be substituted for

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- _?, ipo ^ pistons and the assembly inverted with the crankshaft suspended above the surface of the water. -However, one wave may be pushing upwardly against one float (piston) to apply power stroke force to the crankshaft at the same time another wave, unpredictably is also pushing upwardly against a second float (piston) which is in position rela¬ tive to the crankshaft for a return stroke. The forces against the two floats (pistons) would cancel each other out preventing the crankshaft from turning at all.

Disclosure of Invention

In the invention disclosed and described herein, each rack and pinion drive assembly mounted along the rotatable shaft provides a completely independent power stroke to the drive shaft regardless of what any of the other drive assemblies are doing, if anything at all, and furthermore each drive assembly provides such power stroke to the drive shaft in both directions, upwardly by the force of the wave against the float and downwardly by the force of gravity provided by the weight of the drive assembly. If for example a wave driven generator in accordance with this invention had say twenty rack and pinion drive assem- blies engaging twenty pairs of ratchet sprockets spaced apart along the rotatable drive shaft, and say an unpre- dictably long wave came along to force all twenty drive assemblies upwardly at the same time, they would each make full utilization of the full force of such wave in apply¬ ing full power to rotate the drive shaft in the same direction of rotation. Then assume that the next wave was only half as long, pushing only ten of the drive assem¬ blies upwardly while the other ten were moving downwardly by the force of gravity, again all twenty of the drive assemblies would each make full utilization of the full forces applied to each, the wave force applied to ten and the gravity force applied to the other ten, to again con¬ tinue to rotate the drive shaft in the same direction of rotation. In addition, the drive assemblies of the present inven¬ tion do not have to move any given distance to complete a power cycle as for example a piston drive crankshaft of an internal combustion engine must do. If the seas are relatively calm and the waves small, the drive assemblies will be moved upwardly and downwardly relatively small distances. Yet they will transmit power of the wave on the up-stroke and of gravity on the down-stroke to the drive shaft, to substantially the same percentage when the waves and distance moved is small as when the waves and distance moved is large.

Turbine drives have also been attempted in .efforts to harness the energy generated by waves on open bodies of water. Turbines have some advantages over prior art crankshaft drives powered by reciprocating piston rods, in that turbines do not have to be precisely timed. How¬ ever, a turbine whose vanes are designed to deliver maxi¬ mum driving force or torque upon application thereto of a rapidly moving large volume of fluid will be very inefficient and deliver only minimum driving force or torque when a slowly moving or small volume of fluid is applied. Again, as pointed out above, the surface action of waves is unpredictable and random, as is the volume of water which may be delivered to any generating device positioned at or above water level.

The generator in accordance with the present invention overcomes the disadvantages inherent in reciprocally driven crankshafts of the prior art type, such as used in internal combustion engines, and of turbines known to the prior art, in that uniform and maximum force can be transmitted from wave action whether rapid or slow, large volume or small, to continuously rotate a drive shaft by use of a generator which incorporates the invention described in this specification.

__ OMPI iS y, WIPO Λ, It is an object of the invention to provide a wave driven generator which is able to transmit maximum wave energy to a driven member whatever the velocity and dimen sions of each wave. It is an object of the invention to provide a wave driven generator which is able to transmit a uniform rate of wave energy to a driven member relative to the total energy of the wave regardless of the velocity and dimen¬ sions of each wave. It is an object of the invention to provide a wave driven generator having a reciprocating drive mechanism in which power is continuously applied to a drive shaft during movement in both directions of reciprocation. It is an object of the invention to provide a wave driven generator, including an elongated drive shaft for rotation in one direction, a plurality of reciprocating drive assemblies mounted along said shaft at spaced apart intervals, said reciprocating drive assemblies being in surface contact with the waves of a body of water on which said wave driven generator is positioned, said re¬ ciprocating drive assemblies being able to drive said rotatable drive shaft in said one direction of rotation by movement of said drive assemblies in both directions of reciprocation and independently of each other. It is an object of the invention to provide a wave driven generator for use on any open body of water, havin an elongated rotatable drive shaft of any desired length and _reciprocating drive assemblies mounted along said drive shaft at spaced apart intervals, said reciprocating drive assemblies being of any desired length, float mem¬ bers at one end of said drive assemblies in surface con¬ tact with the water to drive said drive assemblies upward ly with the crest of each wave, the weight of said drive assemblies forcing said drive assemblies downwardly by gravity as their respective float members drop into the trough of each wave, and ratchet sprocket members on said drive shaft in driving engagement with respective ones of said reciprocating drive assemblies to apply driving force in both the upward and downward directions of reciprocation to said drive shaft to rotate in the same direction of rotation.

Brief Description of Drawings

Fig. 1 is a side elevation view of a wave driven gene- rator in accordance with this invention, with one side wall of the mounting enclosure removed.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged side elevation view of one of the reciprocating double rack and pinion, ratcheted driving assemblies of this invention. Fig. 3 is a side elevation view of one of the ratchet sprockets in accordance with this invention.

Fig. 4 is a section view taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a section view taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the wave driven gene- rator in accordance with this invention shown in operation on an open body of water, the walls of the enclosure shown as transparent for purposes of illustration.

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention A wave driven rotary motion generator 1, includes an elongated rotary drive shaf 2, supported at one end in journal bearing 3 which is secured to end wall 4 of an enclosure 5. The other end of the drive shaft 2 is con¬ nected through appropriate connecting devices to an electrical generator 6 which is mounted on end wall 7 of the enclosure 5.

It is understood that the wave driven rotary motion generator in accordance with this invention may be con¬ nected directly to any type of machine having a rotary drive to provide the power to operate such machine. For purposes of simplification in describing the invention as briefly as possible, the rotary motion generator is shown and described as driving an electrical generator. A plurality of ratchet sprocket wheels 8 are mounted in closely spaced apart pairs or set of two or more, designated 8a and 8b in the case of pairs of closely spaced sprocket wheels, and designated 8a, 8b and 8c in the case of a set of three closely spaced sprocket wheels as shown in Fig. 1.

The ratchet sprocket wheels 8 include an annular body portion 9, teeth 10 projecting outwardly from around the circumference of the body portion 9, and a plurality of pawls or pivotable lugs 11 pivotally mounted in an annul recess 12 of the body portion 9 at circumferentially spaced apart locations. The pivotal lugs or pawls 11 of the ratchet sprocket wheels 8 are aligned with inclined teeth 13 positioned around the rotary drive shaft 2, to drive the shaft 2 in one direction of rotation when the ratchet sprocket wheels 8a, 8b and 8c are rotated in that direction but to pivotally cam over the inclined teeth 13 in non-drivi relationship when the ratchet sprocket wheels 8a, 8b and 8c are rotated in the opposite direction.

A plurality of elongated driving assemblies 14 are provided, each in ratchet driving engagement with at least one pair of ratchet sprocket wheels 8a and 8b. The driving assemblies include a pair of elongated drive members 15a and 15b, having notch means such as gear teet 16 to mesh with the teeth 10 of the sprocket wheels 8a, 8b respectively, when said drive members are mounted in driving engagement therewith. Elongated drive member 15a is positioned on one side of rotary drive shaft 2 in driving engagement with sprocket wheel 8a on that side, while elongated drive member 15b is positioned on the opposite side of rotary drive shaft 2 and slightly offset to be in driving engagement with sprocket wheel 8b on tha side. Thus, elongated drive members 15a and 15b are offset sufficiently for respective engagement with the closely spaced apart ratchet sprocket wheels 8a and 8b, with the^' respective toothed sides of said drive members 15a and 15b facing in a direction inwardly toward the rotary drive shaft 2 and toward each other.

A spacing member 17 is bolted or otherwise secured at each end between the elongated drive members 15a and 15b, to space them apart axially of the rotary shaft 2 the proper distance for alignment with their respective ratchet sprocket wheels 8a and 8b, and to space them apart laterally of the rotary drive shaft 2 the proper distance for driving engagement of the gear teeth 16 of drive members 15a and 15b with the teeth 10 of the sprocket wheels 8a and 8b respectively.

A float member 18 is secured to the lower end of each driving assembly 14, for contact with the surface of the open body of water on which the wave driven generator 1 is placed. As a wave begins to rise, the float member 18 forces the driving assembly 14 upward causing the ratchet sprocket wheels 8a and 8b which are engaged therewith to rotate in opposite directions, in one of which the pawls 11 of the sprocket wheel catch against the teeth 13 of the rotary shaft 2 to rotate the shaft in that direction and in the other of which the pawls 11 cam over the inclined surface of the teeth 13 in non-driving relationship. When the wave has crested and begins to fall, the float member 18 and driving assembly 14 begin to move downward by force of gravity which also causes the ratchet sprocket wheels 8a and 8b to rotate in opposite directions. How¬ ever, each sprocket wheel 8a and 8b rotate in different directions when driving assembly 14 moves upward than they do when it moves downward. Thus, sprocket wheel 8a may rotate clockwise and sprocket wheel 8b may rotate counter-clockwise when driving assembly 14 moves upward, and sprocket wheel 8a would then rotate counterclockwise while sprocket wheel 8b would rotate clockwise when driving assembly 14 moves downward. In the upward direc tion of driving assembly 14, if the pawls 11 of sprocket wheel 8a are in driving engagement with the teeth 13 of rotary shaft 2 to rotate shaft 2 in the clockwise direction when driving assembly 14 is moved upwardly, then in the downward direction of driving assembly 14 th pawls 11 of sprocket wheel 8b come into driving engageme with the teeth 13 of rotary shaft 2 to continue to rotat it in the clockwise direction. The driving assemblies 14 of this invention are mounted to all drive the rotary drive shaft in the same direction of rotation when the driving assemblies 14 are moved in both directions of reciprocation.

Each driving assembly 14 is able to rotate the rotary drive shaft 2 independently of what any of the other driving assemblies 14 may be doing. All may be moved upwardly together at the same time and the driving mechanism described above will enable all of the driving assemblies 14 to drivingly rotate the shaft 2 in the same direction. One may be moved upwardly, while anothe -or all of the others- are moved downwardly, and again all of them will apply driving force to rotary shaft 2 in the same direction of rotation. One driving assembly 14 may be moved upwardly a short distance by a low wave while another may continue upward for a longer distance by a higher wave, and yet both will continue to apply driving force to rotary shaft 2 in the same direction of rotation without one driving assembly 14 working against or opposing another. The same is true on the downward stroke.

While the driving assemblies 14 of this invention are operable in any two directions of reciprocation, includi back and forth, side to side, or up and down, a preferabl _g_

orientation is substantially vertical with upward and downward movement. The rotary drvie shaft 2 and driving assemblies 14 are mounted within the enclosure 5 which is open at the bottom to the surface of the water, and which is supported above the water by support legs 19 having buoys or floats 20 at their opposite ends floating at the surface of the water. The buoys may be anchored to the bottom of the lake or sea to hold the enclosure 5 in a relatively fixed location. To keep the driving assemblies 14 in substantially vertical position within such enclosure, two sets of roller guide assemblies 21 and 22 are provided. Roller guide assembly 21 is mounted to extend along one side of the row of driving assemblies 14, the side on which elongated drive members 15a are located, and roller guide assembly 22 is mounted to extend along the opposite side on which elongated drive members 15b are located. Each roller guide assem¬ bly is on the outboard side of the respective elongated drive members 15a and 15b. Each roller guide assembly 21 and 22 includes an elongated shaft 23, one end of which is anchored to compartment wall 24 by bracket 25, the other end of which is anchored to an opposite compartment wall 26 by bracket 27. Guide rollers 28 are mounted on the shafts 23 at spaced apart locations in alignment with respective elongated drive members 15a or 15b on the outboard side, and in rolling contact therewith.

The roller guide assemblies may be mounted above or below the level of the rotary drive shaft 2. As shown in the drawings, Figs. 1 and 6, they are mounted below the level of rotary drive shaft 2 and each roller guide assembly 21 and 22 is equidistant from a vertical plane through the axis of rotary drive shaft 2. The guide rollers 28 of roller guide assembly 21 are spaced apart laterally from corresponding guide rollers 28 of roller

__ OMPI , wipo . _j guide assembly 22 a distant substantially equal to the distance between the outboard surfaces or oppositely fac ing sides of the drive members 15a and 15b of each driv¬ ing assembly 14, whereby guide rollers 28 bear against and are in rolling contact with both sides of each driving assembly 14 to keep each one channelled between such guide rollers in substantially vertical orientation for substantially up and down reciprocal motion in res¬ ponse to action of the waves. The driving assemblies 14 are weighted in accordance with a preselected weight to transmit driving force to the rotary drive shaft 2 on the downward stroke by force of gravity. The preselected weight may vary depending o the body of open water on which the wave driven generato is to be used, the size of the waves, their velocity, th size of the generator and other variable factors of this kind, but the parameters for determining such preselecte weight are between (1) the weight at which the driving assembly would be too heavy to move upward with a rising wave applied to the float member 18, at one end of the scale and (2) the weight at which the driving assembly would be too light to move downward with a falling wave, at the other end of the scale. The ideal preselected weight is that which enables each driving assembly 14 to move upwardly with substantially the same velocity as th rising waves, and to move downwardly with substantially the same velocity as the falling waves.

The driving assemblies 14 may include more than two elongated drive members 15a and 15b in driving engagemen with ratchet sprocket wheels 8a and 8b. As shown in Fig 1, a third elongated drive member 15c may be included in a driving assembly 14, in driving engagement with a thir ratchet sprocket wheel 8c mounted on rotary drive shaft Additional drive members 15 may be provided for each driving assembly 14, including fourth, fifth and sixth

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^*• , WIF members if desired, with additional corresponding ratchet sprocket wheels 8 on rotary drive shaft 2. The addition¬ al drive members 15 in a driving assembly 14 increase the stability of the driving assembly 14. As mentioned previously, the rotary motion generator in accordance with this invention may be connected to drive a number of different machines, but for purposes of showing and describing one practical application the rotary motion generator in this specification is shown connected to an electrical generator 6, which is mounted in a waterproof compartment 30. The rotary drive shaft 2 is connected at one end to a flywheel 31 in a waterproof compartment 32, and to a second flywheel 33 at the opposite end in compartment 30. The flywheel 33 is in turn con- nected to a transmission 34 which changes the speed of rotation as desired. Transmission 34 is connected to the electrical generator 6 through connecting shaft 35.

The wave driven rotary motion generator is shown here as being mounted in an enclosure 5, having top and side walls and being open to the surface of the water at the bottom. The enclosure could be substantially sealed against the entrance of water into the- interior by providing a bottom wall having apertures for the driving assemblies 14 to extend outwardly and downwardly for con- tact with the water surface, and sleeves having water sealing characteristics could be provided for such aper¬ tures to sealingly surround the driving members 15a and 15b as they reciprocate up and down in response to motion of the waves. Pumps could be provided for the interior of such an enclosure to remove any water which may seep in. Conversely, the wave driven motion generator in accordance with this invention may be mounted on a substantially open frame, being completely open to the elements. In such case, materials would be chosen for the driving assemblies, ratchet sprocket wheels and other parts which are rust resistant and which resist the corrosive effects of salt water if used on the oceans, including neoprene, rubber, plastics and the like.

To assist in holding the enclosure^' 5, or other mount- ing framework relatively stationary while the floats 18 and driving assemblies 14 are free to move up and down with the waves, anchor chains 36 are attached to the buoys 20 for securing to stakes driven into the bottom of the body of water or to other anchoring devices. Thu the enclosure 5 or other mounting framework does not ris and fall with the waves to the extent that it materially prevents the waves from causing the driving assemblies 14 to move up and down. The weight of the enclosure 5 and of the operating mechanism itself acts to prevent such enclosure and mechanism from rising and falling wit the waves to the same extent as the driving assemblies 14.

In operation, the wave driven rotary motion generator 1, connected to a machine such as an electrical generato 6, is placed on the surface of an open body of water suc as the Atlantic or Pacific Ocean, or one of the Great Lakes, or the like. The buoys 20 may be anchored to the bottom at a desired location, and allowed to float withi such anchored area, supporting the generator 1 above the waves and with the floats 18 of the driving assemblies 1 in contact with the surface of the water. The length of the rotary drive shaft 2, and number of driving assem¬ blies 14 spaced apart along the drive shaft 2, are pre¬ ferably sufficient to span the distance of several waves For use on the oceans, where the waves are relatively far apart and rise and fall relatively large distances, the generator 1 and driving assemblies 14 will be pro¬ portionately larger than one which is to be used on smaller bodies of open water. When the buoys 20 have been anchored and the generato 1 is in position on a selected body of water, the drivin

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_ OMPI ^■ V>. WIPO ΛV T assemblies 14 begin to rise and fall, in response to the action of the waves in contact with the floats 18 secured to the bottom end of the driving assemblies 14 on the upward stroke, and to the force of gravity on the down- - ward stroke. As they move upwardly, the notch means or. teeth 16 on the elongated drive members 15a and 15b ro¬ tate the corresponding ratchet sprocket wheels 8a and 8b in opposite directions of rotation. If we assume that drive member 15a drives ratchet sprocket wheel 8a in the clockwise direction on the upstroke, then sprocket wheel 8b is driven in the counterclockwise direction by its corresponding drive member 15b on the upstroke, and visa versa on the downstroke. If we assume that the pawls 11 of the ratchet sprocket wheels 8a and 8b driv- ingly engage the teeth 13 of the rotary drive shaft 2 when they rotate in the clockwise direction, and cam over the teeth 13 in non-driving relationship when rotated in the counterclockwise direction, then on the upstroke, each drive member 15a of each drive assembly 14 in mesh with respective ratchet sprocket wheels 8a drives rotary drive shaft 2 in the clockwise direction, and each drive member 15b of each drive assembly 14 in mesh with res¬ pective ratchet sprocket wheels 8b rotates such sprocket wheels 8b in counterclockwise non-driving engagement with rotary drive shaft 2. On the downstroke, each drive member 15b of each drive assembly 14 in mesh with respec¬ tive ratchet sprocket wheels 8b drives rotary drive shaft 2 in-the clockwise direction, while each drive member 15a of each drive assembly 14 on the downstroke rotates its respective sprocket wheel 8a in free wheeling or non- driving relationship to rotary drive shaft 2.

In this manner, rotary motion force is continually applied to the drive shaft 2 in the same direction of rotation by each drive assembly 14 when moved in both of their directions of reciprocation by the combined action of waves and gravity. Each of the drive assemblies 14 act independently of the others. As long as there is some wave motion on the surface of the water to cause the drive assemblies 14 to move up and down even a small amount, or to cause jus one of the drive assemblies to do so at any given time even though the others at such time are not being moved, the rotary drive shaft will continue to rotate in the on direction of rotation.

The flywheels 31 and 33 are provided as stored energy means to help keep rotary drive shaft 2 rotating at a more uniform rate even though the wave action may be somewhat variable. The transmission 34 is provided to increase or decrease the speed of rotation of connecting shaft 35 to whatever rate of rotation the driven machine requires. If a more or less constant speed of rotation is required, speed sensing and control apparatus can be provided to shift the transmission ratio from higher to lower, or vice versa, as the rotary drive shaft 2 rotate faster and slower depending on the velocity and dimensio of the waves, so the rotation speed of connecting shaft 35 remains relatively constant.

The wave driven rotary motion generator has been show and described herein with only one rotary drive shaft 2. However, a plurality of rotary drive shafts 2 may be mounted in a single unit in parallel spaced apart rela¬ tionship, each having a plurality of driving assemblies 14 mounted thereon in mesh with corresponding ratchet sprocket wheels 8. In a large unit for use on the ocean for example, the length of each rotary drive shaft 2 may be as much as a quarter of a mile or more, between 1,000 and 1,500 feet long. Such a unit may also be the same distance wide, covering say a quarter square mile of the ocean, in which case some two hundred to three hundred rotary drive shafts having drivers 14 thereon could be mounted therein in spaced apart intervals of about five feet. Such dimensions are given by way of example, and do not limit the size of units in which

' OM this invention may be used. In extremely large units, light weight materials such as aluminum may be used, and of course the size and number of supporting buoys and other floats would be adjusted accordingly. The amount of energy that could be harnessed and generated by this invention is tremendous, and is virtually unlimited as to size in view of the vast surface areas of bodies of water covering the surface of the earth. The invention has been shown and described with an electrical generator mounted in the floating unit itself. However, the electrical generator, or other machine being driven may be on land and connected by drive shafts to the wave driven rotary motion generator out on .the body of water. While the unit has been shown and described as float¬ ing on a body of water supported by buoys 20, it is also within the scope of the invention to support the rotary drive shaft 2 (or multiple drive shafts 2) with associated driving assemblies 14 on a framework or en- closure supported on pillars driven into the ocean floor, or into the bottom of whatever body of water may be involved.

Industrial Applicability The wave driven rotary motion generator in accordance with this invention has numerous industrial applications. One of the most obvious is to generate electricity by connecting to electrical generators either mounted on the unit itself at sea or located on land and connected to the wave driven rotary motion generator by drive shafts. It may also be used to directly drive any other machine requiring a rotary drive power source, which may be connected to the wave driven rotary motion generator at sea, or located on shore and connected by drive shafts. Rotary drive shafts having reciprocating drivers moved up and down by wave action in accordance with this inve tion may also be mounted alongside of ocean going barges and other vessels for movement of such vessels by con¬ necting the rotary drive shafts to propellers for propel ling the vessels forward as the propellers are rotated by the harnessed energy of the rising and falling waves. The industrial application of this invention is parti¬ cularly significant as other sources of energy become exhausted, and the need for harnessing renewable energy sources becomes increasingly important. Also, harnessin a renewable energy source by means- of this invention is virtually pollution free and does no harm to the environ ment, which in itself is a significant industrial advan¬ tage. Furthermore, it would enable moving huge power generating centers far out to sea away from populated areas which increasingly object to power generating and other industrial installations in their immediate vicin¬ ity. In fact, floating factories could be built for location at sea, whose machinery could be driven by wave driven rotary motion generating equipment in accord ance with this invention, to manufacture a wide variety of products. The industrial application of this inven¬ tion is very extensive as shown by the foregoing example and illustrations which are not exhaustive. Many additional industrial applications and advantages of thi invention could be given.

Claims

Clai s

1. A wave driven rotary motion generator, comprising a structure supported on the surface of an open body of water, including a rotary drive mechanism, and driving apparatus mounted on said structure responsive to wave action of said body of water to rotate said rotary drive mechanism, characterized in that said driving apparatus includes a recipro¬ cating drive assembly to rotate said rotary drive mechanism in the same direction of rotation during movement of said reciprocating drive assembly in both directions of reciprocation, a water contacting mem¬ ber connected to said reciprocating drive assembly for contact with waves on the surface of said body of water to move said reciprocating drive assembly in at least one direction of reciprocation in res¬ ponse to wave action of said body of water.

2. A wave driven rotary motion generator as set forth in claim 1, characterized in that said rotary drive mechanism includes an elongated rotary drive shaft, and said driving apparatus includes a plurality of said reciprocating drive assemblies in spaced apart relationship along said rotary drive shaft, each of said reciprocating drive assemblies rotating said rotary drive shaft in the same direction of rotation during movement of said reciprocating drive assem¬ blies in both directions of reciprocation, and a plurality of said water contacting members, respec- tive ones of which are connected to respective ones of the reciprocating drive assemblies for contact with waves on the surface of said body of water to move said respective reciprocating drive assemblies in at least one direction of reciprocation in res- ponse to wave action of said body of water.

3. A wave driven rotary motion generator as set forth in claim 1, characterized in that said rotary drive mechanism includes a first set of first and second ratchet members, said first ratchet member being - spaced apart from said second ratchet member longitudinally of the axis of said rotary drive mechanism a first preselected distance, said reciprocating drive assembly including a first elongated drive member on one side of the axis of 0 said rotary drive mechanism, a second elongated drive member on the opposite side of said axis of said rotary drive mechanism, said first elongated drive member being spaced apart from said second elongated drive member longitudinally of the axis o 5 said rotary drive mechanism a second preselected distance substantially equal to said first preselec ed distance, said first elongated drive member bein aligned with said first ratchet member and in drivi engagement therewith, said second elongated drive 0 member being aligned with said second ratchet membe and in driving engagement therewith, whereby said rotary drive mechanism is driven in the same direc¬ tion of rotation during movement of said reciprocat¬ ing drive assembly in both directions of recipro- cation.

4. A wave driven rotary motion generator as set forth in claim 3, characterized in that said rotary drive mechanism includes an elongated rotary drive shaft, 0 a plurality of said sets of first and second ratchet members, said sets of ratchet members being spaced apart at first preselected intervals along said rotary drive shaft, said driving apparatus including a plurality of said reciprocating drive assemblies spaced apart at said first preselected intervals along said rotary drive shaft for driving engagemen with respective ones of said sets of ratchet members and a plurality of said water contacting members, respective ones of which are connected to respective ones of the reciprocating drive assemblies for con¬ tact with waves on the surface of said body of water to move said respective drive assemblies in at least one direction of reciprocation in response to wave action of said body of water.

5. A wave driven rotary motion generator as set forth in claim 3, characterized in that said rotary drive mechanism includes a rotary drive shaft, said ratchet members include a sprocket having teeth projecting outwardly from the circumference thereof and being mounted coaxially on said rotary drive shaft, said ratchet members including at least one pawl member operably associated with said sprock¬ et, said sprocket and pawl member being freely rota¬ table in a first direction of rotation relative to said rotary drive shaft, and inclined teeth members spaced apart around the circumference of said rotary drive shaft in fixed relation thereto aligned with said pawl member of said ratchet member and for driv¬ ing engagement therewith in the opposite second direction of rotation when said sprocket is rotated in said second direction of rotation.

6. A wave driven rotary motion generator as set forth in claim 5, characterized in that each of said elongated drive members include corresponding notch means to mesh with said teeth of said sprocket and to drive said rotary drive mechanism as said reciprocating drive assembly is moved in both directions of reciprocation.

7. A wave driven rotary motion generator as set forth in claim 3, characterized in that said first set of first and second ratchet members includes at least one additional ratchet member, and said reciprocati drive assembly comprising said first and second elongated drive members includes at least one additional elongated drive member, said additional elongated drive member being aligned with said additional ratchet member and in driving engagement therewith.

8. A wave driven rotary motion generator as set forth in claim 3, characterized in that said generator includes a guide assembly to maintain said recipro¬ cating drive assembly in a substantially vertical ^■ position relative to said rotary drive shaft and th surface of said body of water on which said rotary motion generator is located, said guide assembly including a pair of spaced apart guide members de¬ fining a channel therebetween to receive said reci¬ procating drive assembly therethrough and to hold against substantial lateral movement as it moves reciprocally in both directions of reciprocation.

9. A wave driven rotary motion generator as set forth in claim 8, characterized in that said spaced apart guide members each includes a roller, one of said rollers being in rolling frictional contact with said first elongated drive member of said recipro¬ cating drive assembly on the outboard side thereof, the other of said rollers being in rolling friction contact with said second elongated drive member of said reciprocating drive assembly on the outboard side thereof.

10. A wave driven rotary motion generator as set forth in claim 4, characterized, in that said generator includes a guide assembly to maintain said recipro¬ cating drive assemblies in a substantially vertical position relative to said rotary drive shaft and the surface of said body of water on which said rotary motion generator is located, said guide assembly including a pair of spaced apart elongated guide means defining an elongated channel therebetween to receive said reciprocating drive assemblies therethrough and to hold against substantial lateral movement as they move reciprocally in both directions of rotation, said elongated guide means being spaced apart from and substantially parallel to said elongated rotary drive shaft, said elongated guide means being located relative to said rotary drive shaft so that a vertical plane through the longitudinal axis of said rotary drive shaft will bisect the said elongated channel between said elongated guide means.

11. . A wave driven rotary motion generator as set forth in claim 10, characterized in that said guide assembly is located between the level of said rotary drive shaft and the surface of said body of water.

12. A wave driven rotary motion generator as set forth in claim 4, characterized in that said generator includes a plurality of said elongated rotary drive shafts, said plurality of elongated rotary drive shafts being in spaced apart substantially parallel relation¬ ship, each of said elongated rotary drive shafts in¬ cluding a plurality of said sets of ratchet members thereon at said spaced apart intervals, each of said elongated rotary drive shafts having a plurality of said reciprocating drive assemblies thereon for driving engagement with respective ones of said sets of ratchet members, each of said reciprocating drive assemblies including a water contacting member for contact with waves on the surface of said body of water to move said respective drive assemblies in at least one di¬ rection of reciprocation in response to wave action of said body of water.

13. A wave driven rotary motion generator as set forth in claim 1, characterized in that said driving apparatus is weighted at a preselected weight to move said reciprocating drive assembly in one direction of reciprocation by the force of gravity, said preselect weight being chosen between the parameters of that weight at which the said reciprocating drive assembly would be too heavy to move in an upward direction of reciprocation with a rising wave applied to said water contacting member at one end of the scale and that weight at which the said reciprocating drive as¬ sembly would be too light to move in a downward direction of reciprocation with a falling wave at the other end of the scale.

14. A wave driven rotary motion generator as set forth in claim 13, characterized in that said preselected weight is that which enables said reciprocating drive assembly to move in an upward direction of reciproca- tion with substantially the same velocity as the rising waves and to move in a downward direction of reciprocation with substantially the same velocity as the falling waves.

15. A wave driven rotary motion generator as set forth in claim 1, characterized in that said driving appara tus includes auxiliary means to move said reciprocati drive assembly in the opposite direction of reciproca tion.

16. A wave driven rotary motion generator as set forth in claim 15, characterized in that said auxiliary means is weight means incorporated in said driving apparatu to provide said driving apparatus with a preselected weight to move said reciprocating drive assembly in a downward direction of reciprocation by force of gravi at a preselected velocity.

OMPI * WIPO

17. A wave driven rotary motion generator as set forth in claim 1, characterized in that said water contacting member connected to said reciprocating drive assembly for contact with said waves is a float member.

18. A wave driven rotary motion generator as set forth in claim 3, including an electrical generator, charac¬ terized in that said electrical generator is connected to said rotary drive mechanism for rotation thereby to generate electricity by wave action of said body of water_..

19. A wave driven rotary motion generator as set forth in claim 4, including an electrical generator, character- ized in that said electrical generator is mounted on said structure which is supported on the surface of an open body of water, said electrical generator being connected to said elongated rotary drive shaft for rotation thereby to generate electricity by wave action of said body of water.

20. A wave driven rotary motion generator as set forth in claim 12, including a plurality of electrical genera¬ tors, characterized in that said plurality of elonga- ted rotary drive shafts are connected to respective ones of said plurality of electrical generators for rotation thereof and generation of electricity by wave action of said body of water.

21. A wave driven rotary motion generator as set forth in claim 2, characterized in that said elongated rotary drive shaft is a preselected length, said preselected length being substantially equal to the distance spanned by at least a plurality of waves on said body of water, said plurality of reciprocating drive assemblies are spaced apart along said elongated rotary drive shaft a preselected distance, said pre¬ selected distance being such that at least one of said reciprocating drive assemblies is in substantial alignment and registration with one wave at a given point in its wave cycle when a second one of said reciprocating drive assemblies is in substantial alignment and registration with a following wave at the same point in its wave cycle.

OMPI