Abstract: A multi-vane windmill rotating in a horizontal plane on a vertical shaft includes frame supported fabric type vanes with the frame hingedly attached at one end to support arms to swing closed and catch the wind in one position and to swing open under centrifugal and wind forces in another position when coming into the wind to reduce air resistance. Vanes are releasably attached in part to the frame for support in operating position and otherwise slidably secured thereto so as to release and collapse on the frame under extreme wind pressures when the frame is closed and thus spill the wind. Stops on the support arms provide a limit of movment of the vane frames. A second embodiment of the vanes includes two overlapping sections normally held in overlapped or closed position by yielding means that permit the sections to separate under high winds to provide an air passageway through the vane.

Abstract: A windmill structure including a mounting for supporting one or a large number of windmills in an elevated position above the ground so that the windmills can weathercock and align with the wind. The mounting arrangement limits movement continuously in one direction and returns the windmill to its original position after it has turned in the same direction a predetermined amount.

Abstract: The present invention is related to an improved wind turbine particularly with the provision of a strengthened network axle pivoted upon an elevated lattice steel tower; and a few upper and lower rotor arms horizontally fixed onto said strengthened network axle--respectively onto upper portion and lower portion thereof; and a few blades which, being V shaped in cross section, are provided between said upper and lower rotor arms; and a transmission mechanism; being thus constructed that wind power is liable to be converted into mechanical power therefrom.

Abstract: A wind turbine having a wing rotor with two rotor blades supported on a hub; to accommodate different wind velocities nearer and further from the ground and to accommodate the components of wind force transverse to the rotor blade plane of rotation, the pitch of the blade that is then higher above the ground is altered with respect to the pitch of the blade that is nearer to the ground; this can be done by appropriate swivel mounting of the rotor hub for allowing its reorientation to change the effective pitch of the blades as they rotate high and low; or it can be done by a blade swiveling means sensitive to wind conditions.

Abstract: Wind-driven power plant comprising a rotor with any desired number of blades and rotating during operation in an at least approximately vertical plane, the individual blades of the rotor being attached by means of articulations to a hub, which hub is fastened to the rotor shaft, the hub being mounted in a head of the plant which is carried by a tower at a height above the ground which is greater than the length of the rotor blades. The rotor is mounted in a head part, the latter swinging into a vertical position when the plant is at standstill; the rotor blades are swung around their articulations when the plant is at standstill up to a position which is at least approximately vertical; and the ends of the rotor blades are kinematically coupled for joint swinging motion with the swingable head part.

Abstract: To reduce drag in a lightweight windmill, a vertical centrally located frame has three vertical windmill-vane arrays extending radially outward therefrom spaced circumferentially 120 degrees from each other about the rotatable framework. Each vane array includes a plurality of flat flexible sails rigged one under the other between leading and trailing horizontal arms in the array with an upper leading edge of each sail being directly fastened to a different one of the leading arms and a lower edge of each sail being fastened by flexible cords to a different one of the trailing arms so that when the wind blows in the direction of the leading arm, the sail billows outwardly to turn the framework but when the wind blows in the opposite direction the sails are lifted flat to provide low drag. In one embodiment, the arms are cables, stretched radially from the central vertical framework by other cables so that the entire structure is easily disassembled for shipment.

Abstract: A spring-loaded pivoting end plate that is hinged such that it is deployed by centrifugal force into the airstream to thereby act as an aerodynamic brake for wind turbines in overspeed conditions. The brake has a stationary portion fixed on the tip of the turbine rotor and a pivoting portion hinged for movement with respect to the fixed portion. The longitudinal centerline of the brake coincides with the chord line of the turbine blade and the pivoting movement is about a hinge axis that is normal to the rotational plane of the turbine. The planform of the brake has a low aspect ratio shape with the ratio of the fore and aft chordwise length to the width being one or greater. The edges of the brake in the normal running condition extend beyond the contour of the turbine blade to serve as an end plate such that the aerodynamic efficiency of the blade is improved thereby.

Abstract: Airfoil blade construction utilizing a spar assembly consisting of a primary and secondary spar interconnected by a web. A tower supports a rotor structure with outwardly curved airfoil blades carried at the outer ends of rotor arm members. Aerodynamic blade sections are formed with irregular, transversely extending openings to permit sliding disposition onto the blade spar assembly. The aerodynamic sections are joined by a suitable bonding agent. A suitable exterior is applied to the joined aerodynamic sections to reinforce the airfoil construction as well as to protect same from the elements. Fittings on the spar assembly enable attachment of the airfoil to a supporting structure.

Abstract: A vertical axis wind turbine comprises one or more aerofoil section blades attached to a support structure. The blade has at least one part thereof which is acted on by centrifugal forces as the blade rotates with the support structure and thereby caused to increase its angle of inclination to the said vertical axis when the speed of rotation increases beyond the normal operating range, whereby the rate of increase of rotational speed with wind speed is reduced.

Abstract: The windmill includes a vertically positioned support shaft, a plurality of elongated, molded arcuate plastic vanes which are vertically positioned and operatively connected to the support shaft, which vanes are slightly flexible so winds engaging the vanes will flatten the arc of some vanes and will make the arc of other vanes tighter to provide unbalanced rotational forces on the vanes, and means operatively connect to the shaft to provide power therefrom on shaft rotation.

Abstract: A wind driven power plant has a vertical axis rotor which is rigidly connected to a center body in turn connected to a rotating base. The base is supported on a fixed pylon by means of a mechanical, or preferably fluidic bearing.The rotor blades are strongly bowed, soft in torsion and provided, near their tip region, with automatic pitch piloting means.

Abstract: A wind-driven rotor for generating power has a central normally vertical column mounted in a base structure for rotation about the column axis. In the preferred form of the invention, a plate is secured to the top of the column perpendicular to the axis of rotation, and functions both as a aerodynamic end plate and as a bracket supporting a group of articulating airfoils. These are rotatable about a pivot connection to the end plate with freedom of movement within a limited sector of articulation providing driving and feathering airfoil positions. The airfoils are preferably triangular, with an apex downward, and pivotally connected to a member fixed with respect to the column at a position relatively close to the column axis, so that one side of the triangular configuration approaches parallelism with the column.

Abstract: A wind driven electric power generator having a shroud arranged in a path of fluid flow. Within the shroud is disposed a stationary shaft supporting a wind generator assembly. The shroud can be the veil of a conventional cooling tower, with the wind generator assembly including a rotor connected to an electric generator arranged for converting rotary motion of the rotor to electrical energy, thus saving some of the energy created by the natural draft passing up the veil of the cooling tower. Space frame box trusses provided with airfoils provide lightweight arms for the rotor, with the rotor being arranged anywhere in the shroud. When a hyperbolic cooling tower veil is used as the shroud, the rotor will usually be positioned in the throat of the veil.

Abstract: A windmill blade that has a rigid leading edge, a rigid root portion and a movable blade tip. Control of the geometric twist of the windmill blade is accomplished through proper selection of the axis of rotation for the movable blade tip and by controlling the position of the windmill blade tip with a servo motor or by controlling the position of the windmill blade tip with a spring and a weight. The ability to vary the geometric twist of the blade enables the frequency of rotation of the blade to be controlled to reduce wind drags upon the blade. This improved windmill blade eliminates the need for current complicated and expensive rotor hubs which are used to vary the blade pitch angle at the root end of the blade to reduce wind drag upon the blade. Processes related to the windmill blade are also presented.

Abstract: A vertical axis wind-driven rotor which combines effective utilization of the energy in a strong wind with maintenance of effective torque at low wind speeds. In one embodiment, the rotor has a reservoir of liquid located near its base. A plurality of tubes radiate outwardly from the reservoir along the base, then rise upwardly along the outer edges of the rotor vanes. In another embodiment, a Savonius type rotor is modified so that the vanes are hinged, and the trailing edge of each vane weighted, whereby in a wind the rotor starts in a fully open condition and automatically feathers itself at high wind speeds.