Pelton Wheel
THE PELTON WHEEL
According to legend, Lester Pelton got his idea for a more powerful
waterwheel from seeing a cow stick its nose into a stream of water.
Patented in 1878, the divided metal cups of Pelton's wheel worked much
the same way as the cleft between the cow's nostrils, enabling water to
flow out to the sides, instead of bounding straight back out of the cups.
The water-power wheel
sent compressed air through pipes to drive
pumps, drills, triphammers, and hoists in the
mines. This simple concept proved so effective in turning the wheel faster and
more efficiently that it is still used today in
modern turbines around the world.