Gravity powered rotational machine and method

1. A gravity powered rotational machine, comprising:

a support frame;

a pivot bar supported by said support frame, said pivot bar having a first end section at a first end, a second end section at a second end and a center section interconnecting said first end section and said second end section;

a plurality of first swingarm sets rotatably attached at a first end to said pivot bar so as to rotate around said pivot bar, each of said first swingarm sets comprising a leverage railing arm and a weight member slidably engaged with said leverage railing arm, said weight member configured to move generally between said first end of said first swingarm sets and an outwardly extending second end of said first swingarm sets during the rotation of said first swingarm sets around said pivot bar;

one or more stationary railings defining a path around said pivot bar, said path having a drop zone and a lift zone, said stationary railing engaging each of said weight members so as to guide said weight members along said path and direct said weight members inwardly and outwardly on said first swingarm sets, said path configured to place said weight members in an extended torque position in said drop zone and in a reduced torque position in said lift zone;

force transfer means for transferring the rotational torque in said drop zone to said lift zone by cooperatively engaging each of said plurality of first swingarm sets; and

an output shaft operatively connected to said force transfer means so as to power a work machine connected thereto,

wherein during the operation of said gravity powered rotational machine said first swingarm sets in said drop zone have said weight members in the extended torque position while said first swingarm sets in said lift zone have said weight members in the reduced torque position to produce rotational torque that is transferred by said force transfer means from said drop zone to said lift zone and to said output shaft.

2. The gravity powered rotational machine according to claim 1, wherein said first end section and said second end section are axially aligned and said center section is axially offset to said first end section and said second end section.

3. The gravity powered rotational machine according to claim 2, wherein said first end section, said second end section and said center section are generally parallel.

4. The gravity powered rotational machine according to claim 1, wherein each of said first swingarm sets are rotatably attached to said center section of said pivot bar and configured to rotate independently of each other around said center section.

5. The gravity powered rotational machine according to claim 1, wherein each of said leverage railing arms has a rotating connector at said first end of said first swingarm sets.

6. The gravity powered rotational machine according to claim 5, wherein each of said first swingarm sets comprises a pair of said leverage railing arms.

7. The gravity powered rotational machine according to claim 6 further comprising at least one rail roller bearing wheel on each of a first side and a second side of said weight member, each of said roller bearing wheels rotatably engaging one of said pair of leverage railing arms of said first swingarm sets.

8. The gravity powered rotational machine according to claim 6 further comprising an end crossmember bar at said second end of said first swingarm sets that interconnects said pair of said leverage railing arms.

9. The gravity powered rotational machine according to claim 1, wherein said path is configured to be off-center around said center section.

10. The gravity powered rotational machine according to claim 1 further comprising a pair of said stationary railings defining said path and a weight crossmember bar engaged with each of said weight members to interconnect said pair of said stationary railings and dispose said weight members between said pair of stationary railings, said weight crossmember bar having a roller bearing wheel at each of a first end and a second end thereof that engage one of said pair of said stationary railings.

11. The gravity powered rotational machine according to claim 1, wherein said force transfer means comprises a rotational structure and a plurality of second swingarm sets, said rotational structure rotatably attached to said pivot bar, each of said second swingarm sets interconnecting said rotational structure and one of said first swingarm sets.

12. The gravity powered rotational machine according to claim 11, wherein said rotational structure is rotatably attached to one of said first end section and said second end section.

13. The gravity powered rotational machine according to claim 12, wherein said force transfer means comprises said rotational structure at each of said first end section and said second end section.

14. The gravity powered rotational machine according to claim 11, wherein said second swingarm sets comprise a second swingarm having a first end rotatably attached to said rotational structure and a second end rotatably attached to said leverage railing arm of said first swingarm sets.

15. The gravity powered rotational machine according to claim 1 further comprising driving means engaged with said force transfer means for rotatably driving said output shaft.

16. The gravity powered rotational machine according to claim 1, wherein said force transfer means is configured to generally group two or more of said first swingarm sets together in said drop zone and generally spread two or more of said first swingarm sets apart in said lift zone to increase the rotational torque in said drop zone relative to said lift zone.

17. The gravity powered rotational machine according to claim 1 further comprising a braking means for braking the rotational movement of said first swingarm sets.

18. The gravity powered rotational machine according to claim 1 further comprising a lubricating system configured to deliver lubricating fluid throughout said gravity powered rotational machine.

19. A gravity powered rotational machine, comprising:

a support frame;

an elongated pivot bar supported by said support frame, said pivot bar having a first end section at a first end, a second end section at a second end and a center section interconnecting said first end section and said second end section, said first end section and said second end section axially aligned, said center section axially offset and generally parallel to said first end section and said second end section;

a plurality of first swingarm sets rotatably attached at a first end to said center section of said pivot bar, each of said first swingarm sets configured to rotate independently of each other around said center section of said pivot bar, each of said first swingarm sets having a weight member slidably engaged on at least one leverage railing arm so as to move generally between said first end of said first swingarm sets and an outwardly extending second end of said first swingarm sets during the rotation of said first swingarm sets around said center section of said pivot bar;

one or more stationary railings defining an off-center path around said center section of said pivot bar, said path having a drop zone and a lift zone, said stationary railings configured to guide said weight member along said path and direct said weight members inwardly and outwardly on said first swingarm sets so as to place said weight members in an extended torque position in said drop zone and in a reduced torque position in said lift zone;

force transfer means for transferring the rotational torque in said drop zone to said lift zone by cooperatively engaging each of said plurality of first swingarm sets, said force transfer means comprising a rotational structure rotatably attached to at least one of said first end section and said second end section of said pivot bar and a plurality of second swingarm sets interconnecting said rotational structure and one of said leverage railing arms of said first swingarm sets; and

an output shaft operatively connected to said rotation structure so as to rotate said output shaft and power a work machine connected thereto,

wherein during the operation of said gravity powered rotational machine two or more of said first swingarm sets are grouped together in said drop zone with said weight members in the extended torque position while one or more of said first swingarm sets are spread apart in said lift zone with said weight members in the reduced torque position to produce rotational torque that is transferred by said rotational structure from said drop zone to said first swingarm sets in said lift zone and to said output shaft.

20. The gravity powered rotational machine according to claim 19, wherein each of said first swingarm sets comprises a pair of said leverage railing arms, each of said leverage railing arms having a rotating connector at said first end of said first swingarm sets, said weight member slidably engaged with each of said pair of leverage railing arms.

21. The gravity powered rotational machine according to claim 20 further comprising at least one rail roller bearing wheel on each of a first side and a second side of said weight member, each of said roller bearing wheels rotatably engaging one of said pair of said leverage railing arms.

22. The gravity powered rotational machine according to claim 19, wherein each of said second swingarm sets comprises a second swingarm having a first end rotatably attached to said rotational structure and a second end rotatably attached to said leverage railing arm.

23. The gravity powered rotational machine according to claim 19 further comprising driving means engaged with said rotational structure for rotatably driving said output shaft.

24. The gravity powered rotational machine according to claim 19, wherein said force transfer means is configured to generally group two or more of said first swingarm sets together in said drop zone and generally spread two or more of said first swingarm sets apart in said lift zone to increase the rotational torque in said drop zone relative to said lift zone.

25. A gravity powered rotational machine, comprising:

a support frame;

an elongated pivot bar supported by said support frame, said pivot bar having a first end section at a first end, a second end section at a second end and a center section interconnecting said first end section and said second end section, said first end section and said second end section axially aligned, said center section axially offset and generally parallel to said first end section and said second end section;

a plurality of first swingarm sets rotatably attached at a first end to said center section of said pivot bar, each of said first swingarm sets configured to rotate independently of each other around said center section of said pivot bar, each of said first swingarm sets comprising a pair of leverage railing arms having a rotating connector at said first end of said first swingarm sets, a weight member slidably engaged with each of said pair of leverage railing arms, and at least one rail roller bearing wheel on each of a first side and a second side of said weight member, each of said roller bearing wheels rotatably engaging one of said pair of leverage railing arms of said first swingarm sets to allow said weight members to move generally between said first end of said first swingarm sets and a second end of said first swingarm sets during the rotation of said first swingarm sets around said center section of said pivot bar;

a weight crossmember bar engaging each of said weight members, said weight crossmember bar having a channel roller bearing wheel at each of a first end and a second end thereof;

a pair of stationary railings defining an off-center path around said center section of said pivot bar, said path having a drop zone and a lift zone, one of said channel roller bearing wheels rotatably engaged with one of said stationary railings to guide said weight member along said path and direct said weight members inwardly and outwardly on said first swingarm sets, said path configured to place said weight members in an extended torque position in said drop zone and in a reduced torque position in said lift zone;

force transfer means for transferring the rotational torque in said drop zone to said lift zone by cooperatively engaging each of said plurality of first swingarm sets together, said force transferring means comprising a rotational structure rotatably attached to each of said first end section and said second end section of said pivot bar and a plurality of second swingarm sets interconnecting one of said rotational structure and one of said leverage railing arms of said first swingarm sets, said second swingarm sets comprising a second swingarm having a first end rotatably attached to said rotational structure and a second end rotatably attached to said leverage railing arm; and

driving means engaged with said rotational structure and rotatably supported on at least one of said first end section and said second end section of said pivot bar for rotatably driving an output shaft, said output shaft operatively connected to a work machine,

wherein during the operation of said gravity powered rotational machine a plurality of said first swingarm sets are grouped together in the drop zone with said weight members in the extended torque position while one or more of said first swingarm sets are spread apart in said lift zone with said weight members in the reduced torque position to produce rotational torque that is transferred by said rotational structure from said drop zone to said first swingarm sets in said lift zone and to said output shaft.

26. A method for rotating an output shaft of a gravity powered rotational machine for powering a work machine, said process comprising the steps of:

a) rotating a plurality of first swingarm sets around a center section of a pivot bar supported by a support frame, a first end of said first swingarm sets rotatably connected to said center section, said center section interconnecting a first end section at a first end of said pivot bar and a second end section at a second end of said pivot bar, said center section axially offset and generally parallel to said first end section and said second end section, each of said first swingarm sets comprising at least one leverage railing arm and a weight member slidably engaged therewith;

b) sliding said weight member between said first end of said first swingarm sets and an outwardly extending second end thereof as said first swingarm sets rotate around said center section of said pivot bar;

c) guiding the rotation of said swingarm sets around said center section while directing the movement of said weight members between said first end and said second end of said first swingarm sets on a path defined by one or more stationary railings attached to said support frame, said path having a drop zone with said weight members in an extended torque position and a lift zone with said weight members in a reduced torque position to produce rotational torque; and

d) transferring the rotational torque from said drop zone to said lift zone and to said output shaft by cooperatively engaging each of plurality of said first swingarm sets with a force transfer means rotatably attached to at least one of said first end section and said second end section.

27. The method according to claim 26, wherein each of said first swingarm sets comprises a pair of said leverage railing arms, each of said leverage railing arms having a rotating connector at said first end of said first swingarm sets.

28. The method according to claim 26 further comprising at least one rail roller bearing wheel on each of a first side and a second side of said weight member, each of said roller bearing wheels rotatably engaging one of said pair of leverage railing arms of said first swingarm sets.

29. The method according to claim 26, wherein said path is configured to be off-center around said center section.

30. The method according to claim 26, wherein a pair of said stationary railings define said path and a weight crossmember bar engages each of said weight members to interconnect said pair of said stationary railings and dispose said weight members between said pair of stationary railings, said weight crossmember bar having a roller bearing wheel at each of a first end and a second end thereof that each engage one of said pair of said stationary railings.

31. The method according to claim 26, wherein said force transfer means comprises a rotational structure and a plurality of second swingarm sets, said rotational structure rotatably attached to one of said first end section and said second end section, each of said second swingarm sets interconnecting said rotational structure and one of said first swingarm sets.

32. The method according to claim 31, wherein said force transfer means comprises said rotational structure at each of said first end section and said second end section.

33. The gravity powered rotational machine according to claim 31, wherein said second swingarm sets comprise a second swingarm having a first end rotatably attached to said rotational structure and a second end rotatably attached to said leverage railing arm of said first swingarm sets.

34. The method according to claim 26 further comprising driving means engaged with said force transfer means for rotatably driving said output shaft.

35. The method according to claim 26, wherein said force transfer means is configured to generally group two or more of said first swingarm sets together in said drop zone and generally spread two or more of said first swingarm sets apart in said lift zone to increase the rotational torque in said drop zone relative to said lift zone.