CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS FOR PRODUCING MECHANICAL POWER FROM CHEMICAL AGENTS
Year: 1830

page_text: PARKER'S SPECIFICATION.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, SAMUEL
PARKER, of Argyll Street, Oxford Street, in the County of Middlesex, Bronzist
and Lamp Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS His present Majesty King William the Fourth, in and by His
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at West-
minster, the Twenty-ninth day of June last, for Himself, His heirs and successors,
did give and grant unto me, the said Samuel Parker, His special licence, full
power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said Samuel Parker, my exors,
admors, and assigns; and every of them, by myself and themselves, or by my
and their deputy or deputies, servants or agents, or such others as I, the said
Samuel Parker, my exors, adñiors, or assigns, should at any time agree with,
and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term
of years therein unexpired, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my
Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS FOR PRODUCING MECHANICAL POWER FROM
CHEMICAL AGENTS;" in which said Letters Patent there is contained a proviso,
obliging me, the said Samuel Parker, by an instrument in writing under my
hand and seal, particularly to describe and ascertain the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, and to cause the
same to be inrolled in His Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said recited Letters
Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereto had, will more fully
appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Samuel Parker, do hereby describe and ascertain the nature of my said In-
vention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, by the Plan or

page_text: Drawing annexed to these Presents, and the following description thereof
(that is to say)-—
A, A, the oil chamber, which includes the centre tube rising from it; B, B,.
the chamber for the diluted acid; C, the tube through which the gas rises,
open at each end, and communicating thus with both chambers; D, the
stopper which covers the tube.C, and makes it and the oil chamber air-tight;
E, a tube inserted in the oil chamber, and communicating with the burner
F, F; F, F, the burner; G, the pencil. of zinc; H, H, the dotted line
shewing the level of the diluted acid; I, I, the tube or holder in which the
pencil is inserted; K, K, the waste chamber for the overflow of oil; L, the
holders for chimney; M, the handle to raise or depress the cotton; N, the
glass chimney; O, the glass. globe; P, the screw where the acid and oil
chambers separate; R, the rest for the point of the zinc action of lamp.
N.B. The oil is colored as though the action had just commenced. The
vessel B, B, being charged with acid, the oil chamber A, A, being filled with
oil, and the stopper D. being, firmly screwed down, the pencil G. is put into its
holder in the chamber B, B, and the two parts of the lamp screwed togetlier
at P, the action commences thus:-The zinc point entering the acid disengages
the hydrogen of the water, which expanding gradually fills the tube Cand
pressing on the surface of the oil forcing it through the tube-D. to the burner
F, F. This simple action continues till all the oil is ejected, out of the
chamber A, A.
:
My Invention consists in being able by chemical means to command an
equable, constant, and controulable power, applicable to raising fluids, or to
any purpose where expansive air or gas is used as a moving power. My
system consists in having one or more vessels made of a material found, to
be desirable for the agents used, in which is introduced sulphuric or other
acids mixed with with water to any desired degree. Within this chamber or
chambers one or more pencils (it may be here desirable to say, that by pencils
I mean pieces of any substance I require, having an equal-size in its length
from end to end, except its base, which is always to be coned, as-in Figure of
lamp, letter G, accompanying this, which in section may be circular, square, &c.)
of the required substance, coned or pointed--at their bases, of diameters and
lengths adapted to the power desired, are supported in perforated tubes at
such an elevation as to plunge into the diluted acid only the conical end or
point. The diluted acid dissolves the cone of the pencil in such a manner,
the pencil so falling by its own weight as the point or cone is dissolved, as
always to present the same extent of surface to the action of the acid, and
thus always to develope an equal and constant supply of gas destined to

page_text: become the motor or moving power. The modes of application of this power
are various. I shall give hereafter one as an example as applied to a lamp,
which being, perhaps, the most delicate machine in general use, will best
demonstrate the regularity and constancy of the power. I would only remark,
that machines requiring greater power, the dilute acid is stronger, the zinc
pencils larger, and the vessels encreased to any size. In a trial of the power
to be attained with a vessel containing about six gallons, with pencils of about
three-quarters of an inch diameter, and dilute acid of about 20 per cent. of
acid, I raised water to the elevation of eighty-five feet through a tube of three-
quarters of an inch bore. Many experiments make me prefer zinc pencils
and dilute sulphuric acid in vessels of copper or brass lined with lead, or of
brass tinned, for my purposes; but I do not confine my Invention to this
metal and this acid, as other substances and other acids are also applicable.
I claim as my Invention the conical form given to the base of my pencils,
and in exposing this conical part only to the action of the acid and water,
whereby 1 command a regular, constant, and controulable evolution of gas,
forming a power generally applicable where expansive gases are at present
used. The sulphuric acid used is of specific gravity one thousand eight hundred
and fifty, and for the lamp is mixed in the following proportions, (that is to
say), to two quarts of water add one ounce of sulphuric acid. I find twelve
ounces of this proportion, with a pencil the size of plan, raise sufficient oil for
the good supply of the lamp.
In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-
ninth day of December, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight