Abstract: A light weight vacuum maintained structure, especially useful when cylindrical, includes a plurality of hollow wall members made of a thin, normally flexible material and internally pressurized so as to be form-retaining, preferably of keystone-like shape, which are positioned with respect to each other so as to form an external wall of such structure, exposed to atmospheric pressure, with a vacuum in the interior of the structure, the difference in pressure holding the wall members together to seal off the interior of the structure and prevent loss of vacuum.

Abstract: A wave energy generator produces electric power from wave motion by means of a distortable underwater section thereof which has a plurality of flexible compartments containing liquid and gas and equipped with flexible internal one-way flow walls separating the compartments, so that in response to wave motion the internal liquid flows in one direction through the compartments and through a fluid flow-powered motor-generator combination. The underwater distortable flexible structure described is the lower portion of a body which also has an upper portion above water so that the combination thereof is useful as a breakwater or dock, when anchored, or as a barge.

Abstract: Radiant heat is converted to electricity by a heat pipe - turbogenerator combination. Specifically, a heat pipe having heat-sorbing wicking or other material in an evaporation section thereof from which the heat pipe liquid in contact with or adjacent said wicking may evaporate, has such wicking heated by radiant heat, as by solar heat, vaporizing the liquid to a gas, which passes through a turbogenerator to a condensation section wherein it is condensed to the liquid, which is returned to the evaporation section. The heat pipe - turbogenerator assembly is suitably externally insulated, as by a vacuum shield, to prevent heat losses and heat is recovered from the condenser portion of the heat pipe and returned to the evaporator portion.In an application of the generic invention it is employed in a building, such as a house, where it is utilized on wall and roof portions thereof and serves as at least a partial supporting structure for these.

Abstract: A horizontal windmill includes a vertical tubular internal baffle member, a plurality of vanes responsive to the wind, mounted and positioned so that they revolve horizontally when the wind blows, partially rotating to resist the force of the wind in some positions during such revolution and being feathered with respect to it in other positions, and a vertical baffle located outside the path of rotation of the vanes, for increasing the wind speed as the wind is directed against the wind-resisting vanes. To secure the benefits of low cost of the structure for supporting such a windmill it is mounted on a building, with the vertical tubular member surrounding the building and being transparent to allow entry of light. In preferred embodiments of the invention various portions of the windmill are of light weight plastic material, such as the vanes and external baffles, and thin light weight tension members are employed to strengthen compression members and hold them in position.

Abstract: A buoyant ram motor comprising a hollow buoyant ram element movable within a housing into which liquid such as water is admitted in a manner applying a buoyant force to the ram and moving or lifting it up along the interior of the housing. After each power stroke, the liquid is removed from the housing to lower or return the ram to an initial or starting position for the next power stroke. The liquid for moving the ram can be obtained from natural water bodies. The force applied to the ram during each power stroke is augmented by providing a vacuum in the housing on and exposed to the surface of the ram opposite the surface to which the buoyant force is applied. During each return stroke, liquid is removed from beneath the ram in a manner preserving the vacuum over the ram. This is accomplished by an arrangement including a chamber communicating with the liquid below the ram and containing a weighted cylinder supported on a flexible container filled with compressed air.