Rotor blade structure and mounting for vertical axis wind machines

Claim 1

In a vertical axis wind machine, a rotor drivingly connected to a vertical axis driven shaft, plural circumferentially spaced horizontal rotor arms fixed to said shaft and radiating therefrom, each rotor arm having a vertical through opening near its outer end, a vertical axis whip rod engaged in the through opening of each rotor arm and held therein against axial displacement at least in the downward direction and extending substantially equidistantly above and below the rotor arm, an approximately triangular flexible sail carried by each whip rod and being configured as a shallow isosceles triangle having its long base extending longitudinally of the whip rod and substantially coextensive therewith and having an obtuse angular apex substantially at the horizontal plane of rotation in which the rotor arms are disposed, each flexible sail being constructed to provide thereon a vertical axis tubular hem along said long base and loosely receiving the whip rod above and below the adjacent rotor arm, each sail having a reinforced notch through said hem loosely straddling the adjacent rotor arm, taut horizontal guy elements interconnecting the outer end portions of the rotor arms, and flexible equal length sail restraint elements attached to the guy elements near their centers and being connected to the obtuse angular apices of said sails.