District of co

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Drawing sheet — no readable text.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY F. COTTLE, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OF Two

THIRDS TO WILLIAM CALVER, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF CO

LUMBIA, AND JOHN J. PRATT, OF REVERE, MASSACHUSETTS.

APPARATus FOR stoRING AND USING SOLAR HEAT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 608,755, dated August 9, 1898. Application filed December 11, 1897, Serial No. 661,471 (No model),

To all whom it may concern: When the sun's rays are reflected and con Beit known that I, HENRY F. CoTTLE, of stones d, the centrated from the mirror onto the pile of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of stones will become heated, and . Massachusetts, have invented certain new and with a fairly powerful mirror a red heat may easily be attained. As the sun travels around 55 5 useful Improvements in Apparatus for Stor ing and Using Solar Heat, of which the follow from east to west, the truck b upon which the mirror stands is moved, either by hand or by ing is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved ap c.suitable mechanical means, around the track paratus for storing and utilizing solar heat, isionThe doors e' are thrown open in succes as the mirror moves around the house,

O the invention consisting in concentrating the

Sun's rays and causing them to fall upon a and each is thereafter closed as the mirror moves along to a position opposite the next suitable heat receiving and retaining body, door. A clockwork mechanism may, if de such as a pile of stones, and then causing the.

stored heat from said body to fall upon a the sired, be used to move the mirror-frame along thermo-electric generator, which converts the Astrack c.

the stones immediately exposed to the energy of heat into energy of electricity, and finally utilizing the electric energy in any concentrated is communicated rays become heated their heat to the adjacent stones, and suitable

Of the manner.

accompanying. .drawings, forming a in time the whole pile, which preferably ex part of this application, Figure represents a tends some distance below the surface of the perspective view of an apparatus constructed ground, heated.

as shown in Fig. 2, becomes thor in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 rep oughly If properly insulated by a non-conducting housing, the stones will retain resents a sectional view of the same, together with a diagrammatic representation of an ap their heat for a considerable period of time. 75 as energy paratus for storing and utilizing the electric All generated.

of the doorse' are closed at night and at other times when the sun is obscured.

The same reference characters indicate the ated The heat from the pile of stones d is radi same parts in both the figures. through the apertures in the roof of the In the drawings the letter A designates a house upon the thermopiles f, which may be 3o reflecting-condenser composed of a number of provided with metallic collecting-plates f", and a current of electricity is generated, which roWs offlat mirrors a. a, arranged upon adjust in able curved bars a'a, which are mounted in the arrangement a frame a. The said frame is connected by conductors here shown is carried by g g to a storage battery or accu a universal joint a to a vertical standard a, mulatorupon h. h. and from said battery is then 35 mounted on a rolling platform or truck b, drawn to light a series of lamps or to which travels upon a circular track c. At perform other electrical work. - the center of the circle is a heat-reservoir, in The arrangement of the individual mirrors which, as here shown, consists of a pile of thatthetheframe a in practice is preferably such stones d, the upper portion of which is in does notgeneral need to inclination of the frame itself be changed throughout the 4O closed and covered by a heat-retaining house day, it being merely necessary to move the e, which has doors e'e' on three sides. The mirror as a whole around the track c to foll walls of the house are preferably composed of or lined with fire-brick or other fireproof lowAbody the movement of the sun from east to west.

of sand or merely a patch of ground material, and in practice other suitable ar may be used to store the heat instead of the 45 rangements may be made to prevent the es pile of stones, and various other modifica cape of heat to the outside air. A number of tions, as well, may be made without departing apertures are formed in the roof of the house from e, and above these apertures are mounted I have the spirit of my invention. thermopiles ff, which may be of any ap found by experiment that the in 5o proved construction. crustation formed in gas-retorts and comIo,

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monly known as 'retort-carbon' is an excel tranged to convert the energy of heat from the lent heat-retainer and that a heat-reservoir body into energy of electricity. 45 consisting of pieces of this material is well 5. An apparatus of the character specified, adapted for the practice of this invention. comprising means for concentrating the sun's Having thus explained the nature of my rays, a body of heat-retaining material adapt invention and described a way of construct ed to be heated by the concentrated rays, a ing and using the same, without, however, housing for said body, and a thermo-electric having attempted to set forth all the forms in generator occupying an aperture in said hous which it may be embodied or all the modes ing and adapted to convert the energy of heat O of its use, I declare that what I claim is from the body into energy of electricity. 1. An apparatus of the character specified, 6. An apparatus of the characterspecified, comprising a body of heat-retaining material, comprising a body of heat-retaining material, 55 a heat-insulating device or covering therefor, a heat-insulating housing therefor, and a con means for heating said body of material, a denser for concentrating the sun's rays upon 15 thermo-electric generator adapted and ar the body of material, the said condenser be ranged to convert the energy of heat from ing mounted upon a movable Support and said body into energy of electricity, and means adapted to act upon the body from different . . for2.utilizing the electric energy. directions.

An apparatus of the character specified, 7. An apparatus of the character specified,

comprising a condenser for concentrating the comprising a body of heat-retaining material, sun's rays, a reservoir such as a body of a heat-insulating housing constructed with . stones adapted to be heated by the concentrat a plurality of apertures and provided with 65 ed rays, a heat-insulating housing for said doors for said apertures, and a condenser reservoir, and a thermo-electric generator mounted upon a movable support and adapt 25 adapted and arranged to convert the energy ed to concentrate the sun's rays upon the body of heat from said reservoir into energy of of material through the several apertures in

3. An apparatus of the character specified, 8. An apparatus of the character specified, comprising a body of heat-retaining solid ma. comprising a body of heat-retaining material 3o trating terial in a divided state, means for concen occupying an excavation or recess in the the sun's rays upon said body to heat ground, means for heating the body of mate the same, and a thermo-electric generator rial, and means for converting the energy of 75 adapted and arranged to convert the energy heat from said material into energy of elec of heat from said body into energy of elec tricity. -

35 4. An apparatus of the character specified, name In testimony whereof. I have signed my to this specification, in the presence of comprising means for concentrating the suri's two subscribing witnesses, this 19th day of rays, a body of heat-retaining material adapt November, A. D. 1897.

ed to be heated by the concentrated rays, a HENRY F. COTTLE. 40 housing for said body, a door in said housing adapted to be opened to allow the concentrat Witnesses:

ed rays to fall directly upon the body, and a R. M. PIERSON, thermo-electric generator adapted and ar C. F. BROWN,