The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Feb. 08, 1983
Filed:
Sep. 02, 1981
Kenneth L Austin, Lompoc, CA (US);
Other;
Abstract
A thermal-gravity engine is driven by a changing of the temperature of a vaporizable working fluid (55) in a closed-loop fluid system and the force of gravity operates on a reciprocating lever (12). One or more weight chambers (21), a storage chamber (24), and flow lines (25 and 26) therebetween are arranged in a closed-loop fluid flow system through which the working fluid is pumped. A temperature differential is produced between the two chambers to pump liquid from the storage chamber into each weight chamber in an up position to increase the weight of the weight chamber on an end of the reciprocating lever to move it down in response to the increased weight. The storage chamber is located below each weight chamber. A valve (28) in one flow line for each weight chamber operates to equalize the pressure in an upper portion of each weight chamber and the storage chamber when the weight chamber is in the down position and, when opened, the working fluid drains by gravity from each weight chamber back to the storage chamber to unload each weight chamber. Then the associated counterweight (18) moves each operating end back to the up position and the cycle is repeated to continuously oscillate the lever up and down. The oscillating motion of each lever is connected by a ratchet assembly to rotary motion and a flywheel is used to store the energy.