CERTAIN FURTHER IMPROVEMENTS OF MY HYDROPNEUMATIC ENGINE, BEING A NEW OR IMPROVED METHOD OF CONSTRUCTING AND WORKING ENGINES OR MACHINES FOR LIFTING OR RAISING OF WEIGHTS, TURNING OF MACHINERY OF ALL DESCRIPTIONS, DRAWING CARRIAGES ON RAILWAYS, AND CAPA- BLE OF BEING APPLIED TO ALL PURPOSES WHERE MECHANICAL POWER IS REQUIRED
Year: 1816

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
RANGELEY, of Oakwell Hall, near Leeds, in the County of York, Gentleman,
send greeting.
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty King George the Third, by His
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, and bearing date the Fourth day of May, in the fifty-
sixth year of His reign, did, for Himself, His heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said John Rangeley, my exors, admors, and assigns, His
special licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, during the term of
fourteen years from the date thereof, by myself or themselves, or by mine or
their deputy or deputies, servants or agents, or such others as I, the said John
Rangeley, my exors, admors, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and
no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the said term,
to make, use, exercise, and vend, within that part of the United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Ireland called England, the Dominion of Wales, and Town
of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "CERTAIN FURTHER IMPROVEMENTS OF
MY HYDROPNEUMATIC ENGINE, BEING A NEW OR IMPROVED METHOD OF CONSTRUCTING
AND WORKING ENGINES OR MACHINES FOR LIFTING OR RAISING OF WEIGHTS, TURNING
OF MACHINERY OF ALL DESCRIPTIONS, DRAWING CARRIAGES ON RAILWAYS, AND CAPA-
BLE OF BEING APPLIED TO ALL PURPOSES WHERE MECHANICAL POWER IS REQUIRED," in
such manner as to me, the said John Rangeley, my exors, adiñors, or assigns,
or any of them, should in mine or their discretions seem meet; but subject

page_text: nevertheless to a proviso or condition contained in the said Letters Patent that
if I, the said John Rangeley, should not particularly describe and ascertain
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be per-
formed, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, and cause the
same to be inrolled in His Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calen-
dar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent,
then the said Letters Patent, and all liberties and advantages whatsoever
thereby granted should utterly cease, determine, and become void, as in and by
the said Letters Patent, recourse being thereto had, will more fully appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that my said Invention consists of or comprehends various
alterations and improvements in my hydropneumatic engine, for the lifting or
raising of weights, turning of machinery of all descriptions, drawing carriages
on railways, and is capable of being applied to all purposes where mechanical
power is required, namely, it consists of further improvements in my centri-
fugal pump of a rack motion to connect the piston to the fly wheel (or other
gearing), of a new method of constructing and working valves to remove the
pressure, which I denominate a double conical valve, and of a roller pump to
connect with the centrifugal pump, which, when wrought together, I denomi-
nate a combined pump, and of the further improvement of working the
centrifugal in a close cistern with a condensed (or compressed) atmosphere, so
that the construction of my said engine, and the mode or method of working is
now in manner following, as explained by the annexed Drawing, figures, and
letters, and the respective references thereunto, and the various improvements
(with their combined and separate uses), are severally described, hereafter;
that is to say--
The letter A represents the cylinder, the letter B represents a cistern covered
at top and made completely air-tight, containing the centrifugal pump C (con-
structed and fixed according to the explanation hereafter given), and the two
valves D and E communicating with the cylinder by the two short pipes un-
derneath; the letter F is the double rack connected to the piston rod, the
teeth of which work in the teeth of the cog wheels G, producing a reciprocating
motion as hereafter explained, together with its uses and advantages. The
letter H is another wheel fixed on the same axis as the wheels G, which works
in the smaller cog wheel I, fixed on the shaft of the fly-wheel K, in order to
produce a quicker motion of the latter by this multiplying wheel. The letter
L represents a rod which slides in a pulley in the top of the upright stay M,
in order to keep the rack steady. N, O, represents the two eduction valves.
connected with the cylinder by the pipes above them. The letter P is a box
in which is placed the roller pump (which is hereafter fully described with its

page_text: respective uses and advantages) connected to the centrifugal pump by the pipe
joining above it. The letter Q represents an air vessel, with the air pump R
connected to it, and communicating with the upper part of the cistern by the
pipe S, having a valve (a) at the top, opening upwards, and a stopcock at the
letter (6). The gearing to work the centrifugal and roller pumps consist of
bevil and mitre wheels connected to them, and to the fly wheel (from whence-
they take their motion) by shafts, as represented in the Drawing, and may be
otherwise done according to the convenience of the situation. The manner of.
working the valves is not shewn in the Drawing, as it may be done in various
ways to suit the place or the taste of the engineer, but it is in this instance,
by means of a crank or arm, connected to the shaft that carries the wheel H,
(being more convenient than the shaft of the fly wheel on account of its having
a double motion), having a pulley fixed to which works against two tappets
fixed on a sliding rod placed in an horizontal direction, so that the pulley comes
in contact with one of those tappets at the end of every stroke of the piston,
moving the slide rod and producing the alternate change or reversion of
the valves. To the slide rod is connected a cross shaft, one end of which is
brought into a parallel line with the front side of the cylinder, to which is fixed
two long rods working in a parallel or oblique direction, and each in an uni-
versal joint, from whence they are connected to the valves, the one to the
upper and the other to the lower, but it is not necessary to be confined to this
method, neither am I aware that it is the best way, only it is the one that I have
adopted, meaning to vary according to circumstances and inclination.
The manner of working this engine, or how to set it in motion, is as follows,
viz-The water is forced from the lower into the upper cistern by a small hand
pump connected with the pipe T, until it is raised to its required altitude, which,
is ascertained by having a cock for the purpose; the air is then condensed
in the air vessel, by means of the air pump, and admitted into the upper cis-
tern thro' the connecting pipe S being compressed to its proposed elasticity,
whether it be of one, two, or more atmospheres. The water being forced up
the pipe T by the hand pump, discharges the air out of the centrifugal pump
by a valve at the top of the centre piece or of one of the arms placed for the
purpose, and consequently occupies its place, and the valve in the box P being
opened, as the air in the cistern is so much more elastic (by being com-
pressed) than the outward or common atmosphere, the lids which cover the
orifices of the centrifugal arms (being hung on the upper side and falling upon
the faces (which are made a little bevel) are held closely shut by the greater
pressure, until the engine being set in motion (by opening two of the valves,
viz, N and E, to throw the pressure on one side the piston) the centrifugal

page_text: force of the water within the arms has (by its great velocity) acquired a supe-
rior power to the compressed atmosphere when they are burst upon, and the
water begins to discharge in a continued stream, and is supplied by the pipe T
from the lower cistern. (It may be necessary, and what I mean to adopt, to
have the lids fastened down until the arms have acquired the velocity that
is wanted, when they must be thrown open by a rod fixed for the purpose
passing into the cistern through the stuffing box); but as the water cannot enter
this pipe without coming in contact with the rollers (or roller pump) contained
in the box P, and the pressure of the compressed atmosphere in the top cis-
tern being removed from the upper surface by the velocity of the centrifugal
arms, their under surface becomes pressed by the full pressure of the out-
ward atmosphere (deducting the altitude of the column of water from its
surface in the lower to that of the upper cistern), putting them in motion so as
not only to raise the water, to give a supply to the centrifugal pump, but with
a spared power, proportionate to their dimensions and to the difference of a
column of water, equal to the pressure of the atmosphere, and to that betwixt
the two cisterns, and this spare power is brought into use by being connected
with the shafts, as shewn in the Drawing, and made to assist in turning the
centrifugal pump, so that not only the power of the compressed atmosphere,
acting upon the area of the piston, but the pressure of the outward atmosphere
also acting upon the rollers are combined in the working of the said pump.
Hereby is obtained the advantage of working the centrifugal in a close cistern,
with a compressed atmosphere, instead of raising a column of water to the
altitude of thirty-four feet; because, by this means, the power can be increased
to anything that the strength of the metal will resist, without the inconvenience
of a great length of pipes, which seriously retard the velocity of the water in
passing along their rough surface. Thus, for instance, suppose a close cistern
is made use of (connected by only a short branch to the cylinder) the air
within may be condensed equal to the elasticity of any number of atmospheres,
and so the power increased; but, for example, suppose it to be condensed
equal only to one atmosphere, that pressure is not only acting upon the piston,
but the rollers communicate also nearly an equal pressure to assist the working of
the centrifugal as before explained, and thus we have the power of two atmo-
spheres; but it is necessary for the centrifugal arms to be whirled with a
velocity sufficient to overcome two atmospheres, but although they are thus
obliged to be moved quicker, the issuing stream is so much the smaller, the same
quantity of water only being required. Another material advantage gained by
the use of the rollers is that they can work with greater velocity than the
piston, and thereby the gearing connected from them to the centrifugal is

page_text: required to be much less multiplied, and consequently there is less friction
to overcome. There is a catch box connected with the shaft Z to let the
centrifugal overrun the rollers, when the engine is first set to work, until
the water begins to issue from the arms, when the rollers are set in motion
and connect themselves. There is also another catch box on the horizontal
shaft, to let the centrifugal overrun the fly wheel. Instead of the piston being
connected to the centrifugal pump, as before represented, it may be con-
nected only to the rollers, by which the water being compressed within the
centrifugal arms will give its reaction against the back side of the orifices, and
by this pressure keep them in motion, and when their velocity is sufficient the
pressure will be removed from the rollers, or they will sustain a pressure only
equal to that required to react against the orifices to keep the arms in motion.
In some cases I may probably adopt this method, or I may, as suits my con-
venience or inclination, work the engine without the rollers.
The machine being set in motion as before described, the compressed atmo-
sphere within the cistern presses upon the piston with a power equal to its
elasticity and the area of the latter, which being forced to the end of the
cylinder, the two valves N and E become shut, the two reverse ones O and D,
open, and the pressure communicated to the contrary side of the piston, which
is again forced to the opposite end of the cylinder, and the movement in this
manner becomes constant and gives a rotatory motion to the fly wheel, as explained
in treating of the rack; and the centrifugal and roller pumps being connected
to it by shafts and wheels, as represented in the Drawing, they are kept at
work, and raise a constant supply of water into the upper cistern, so that the
air is maintained always in its condensed state, because the water being so
much heavier than the air, as it becomes evacuated from the centrifugal arms,
falls to the bottom of the cistern, and leaves the air at the top, and as the
supply is continued so that the water does not diminish in the cistern, the air
retains its uniform elasticity; but as it is not practicable to raise the exact
quantity of water (to work the engine), it is necessary to raise a little more than
is required, and that the air may not be compressed more than is wanted there
is a safety valve placed in the cistern that the spare water may be evacuated.
There is also a safety valve in the air vessel, that the elasticity of the air may be
at any time ascertained. There are also regulating valves placed in the
branches between the upper valves and the cylinder to regulate the velocity of
the engine, to which centrifugal balls may be attached and the speed regulated
as in a steam engine. On the top of the upper cistern is a manhole, against
the under side of which a valve shuts upwards against a leather face, and a
guard is placed across the hole through which the spindle of the valve projects,

page_text: and upon which is a nut to screw it tight against the leather, and the more
the air is compressed the firmer it is held, and thus -made completely air tight;
and when necessary to remove this valve the nut has only to be unscrewed,
and it can be let down into the cistern, and the guard being removed the
entrance thereunto is unobstructed. It is to be remarked that the same
air always remaining in the upper cistern, there needs no fresh supply, unless
a small quantity should escape through the water, or for want of being air
proof, in which case the air pump may be attached to the gearing, to supply
the waste.
The following is the construction of my further improved centrifugal
pump-The centre piece C, which is of iron, cast separately with flanches to
join to the centrifugal arms, and a brass bush or short pipe (d) is connected
to the bottom part, and to the upper part is connected what may be denominated
the top piece (e), which consists of a pipe with a small bore, so as to admit the
spindle about two feet long with a flanch, so as to fix it to the centre piece, and
this pipe projects through the centre piece to within a few inches of the bottom
of the short brass pipe; a brass bush is fixed firmly in the upper end of the top
piece, and is bored completely true with the bottom end, and it is then tapped
with a female screw, so as to admit the thread of a male screw near the top of
the spindle; to the bottom end of the top piece is fixed a brass stuffing box to
receive the lower end of the spindle, in order to prevent the introduction of
any air into the pipe or arms that may pass through the screw at the upper
end of the spindle, and thereby injure the vacuum; to the upper end of the
feeding pipe is fixed another brass bush (i) to meet the short brass pipe con-
nected with the centre piece, both of which are turned perfectly true and a
little conical, so as to fit each other, and across the feeding pipe is thrown a
guard with a stop (m) which is perfectly true in the centre to take the point of
the spindle, which being fitted into its place (the stuffing box being made com-
pletely air-tight) and the upper end of it fitted into a socket (h) which is firmly
fixed and exactly perpendicular; the two faces, viz', of the short brass pipe
and the brass bush, are nicely ground together with fine sand and water, so
to be quite true with each other, in order to make the joint perfectly true, and
the spindle being also equally true and directly in the centre, it will admit of the
upper part with the arms, &c., whirling round entirely free whilst the two faces
are very nearly in contact, yet so as not to cause any friction except upon the
point of the spindle, which is of hardened steel as well as the step in which it
runs; the centre piece is moveable on the screw passing through the top piece
at the top of the spindle, so that it can be raised or lowered at pleasure, (the
spindle remaining in its place), thus the two faces (or joint) can be made to

page_text: work nearer or more distant as is judged proper. . It is hereby evident that
when every thing is made correct and fixed true, as above described, that
it may be made to work with very little friction, although the joint runs so
close as to admit but little water through into the pipe, so as to prevent
its rising. The upper end of the spindle (which has been noticed before) is
fixed firmly in the socket (h), made moveable by a screw (o), to admit of its
being altered or regulated. The short brass pipe connected with the centre
piece projects only a few inches (say four or five) below the arms, to keep the
spindle as strong as possible, because the downward pressure of the atmosphere
acting upon the area of the centrifugal pipe (not being counterbalanced by the
same pressure underneath), causes so great a weight upon the upper part of
the pipe, that in case the spindle was long, or projected too far below the arms,
it would spring or vibrate, and thereby run untrue, causing much unnecessary
friction, without being made exceedingly strong. For the same reason, the
lower end of the top piece projects through the centre almost to the bottom of
the spindle, that it may be strengthened by not being far hollow or unsup-
ported. The guard which contains the step is also obliged to be made very
strong that it may not be subject to spring. It follows, from the pipe under-
neath the arms being so short that the joint will be immersed only very
shallow in the water, and as air will penetrate through water towards a
vacuum, unless there be a sufficient body of water to resist it, a difficulty
would arise here, as some air might pass through the water and find its way
into the pipe, but this is remedied by a tin cover (t) being put upon the short
brass pipe which projects nearly to the bottom of the cistern, and thereby
covers the joint, so that no air can penetrate into it without passing to the
bottom of the cistern and underneath the cover, which it will not do if the cistern
is sufficiently deep. The very great advantages of working the joint in water
are obvious (which is rendered practicable by the foregoing directions), namely,
that the joint is thus kept free, and having little friction, except upon the
point of the spindle, and yet, that so small a quantity of water will find its
way (through the joint) into the pipe as not to interfere with its rising,
because water being eight hundred times more dense or heavier than air, a
much less quantity will be admitted through the joint; besides, water being a
non-elastic fluid, will not impede the rising of the water in the pipe any
further than its actual quantity, but air being an elastic fluid, would expand
and prevent its using in a greater degree; therefore, the joint must either be
immersed in water or some other non-elastic fluid, or must work quite close
so as to prevent the introduction of air, and having the above-mentioned
pressure upon it, would cause a very great friction, requiring a greater power

page_text: to overcome it. The top piece and arms are connected to the centre piece by
a proper joint, and at the top of the centre piece or arms, is a small valve to
cause the escape of the air whilst the pump is charging, and another small
valve to cause the air to escape from underneath the tin cover as the water
rises in the cistern.
The rack motion consists of a double or striding rack F, connected
with the end of the piston rod, which works in the periphery of two cog
wheels G, fixed loose on the fly wheel shaft; against the shoulder of each
of those wheels is placed a catch box; the teeth of which on one side
is fixed to the wheel, and the other side upon the shaft (of the fly wheel) by a
slide. The diameter of those two wheels is such that the circumference will
exactly equal a double stroke of the piston, and they are placed close together
with only a thin washer between, in order to prevent friction. The racks are
coupled together by a strong bar at the outward end, and connected to an
horizontal rod L, which slides in a pulley, in order to keep the whole steady.
The two racks are a little out of the perpendicular line, in order for the teeth
of the top one to work in the cogs of the upper side of one wheel, and the teeth
of the bottom one to work in the cogs of the under side of the other. When
the piston is set in motion, the racks move in the same direction; but they
being connected, as above mentioned, viz, to the upper side of one wheel and
the under side of the other, they (the two wheels) move opposite or contrary
to each other, and consequently the teeth of one catch box come in contact,
whilst the other is at liberty and slides. By this means a constant rotatory
motion of the fly wheel is produced, because the driving wheel being locked in
the catch box, which is firmly fixed to the shaft by the pin on which it slides,
urges the wheel round to the end of the stroke; the contrary wheel being at
the same time moving loose or backward upon the shaft in an opposite
direction. When the piston makes the returning stroke, the same effect is
produced (contrary wise), and thus the motion becomes uniform and constant.
The fly wheel is prevented overrunning the piston by two cranks or arms,
also connected to the shaft with a pulley fastened to each at a proper distance
to work against a tappet, which is connected to the rack, so that the wheel
cannot overrun, but must take the piston along with it. The advantage of
this motion is the power gained by its constantly working at the extremity of
the lever, which is not the case with a crank motion; and the convenience of
allowing the cylinder to be placed in any position, whether perpendicular or
horizontal, without a parallel motion always working of itself in a parallel line.
Where the engines are large, I mean to have a single rack toothed on both
sides, and consequently the cog wheels in which they work (with the catch)

page_text: boxes, will have to be placed on separate shafts, which being connected by
another wheel to the fly wheel, will produce the effect as before mentioned.
The valves, which I denominate a double conical valve, consists of a box or
pipe, placed horizontally, with an orifice at each end, against each of which is
placed the seat of a brass valve, turned a little conical, to admit the lids being
turned a little conical also, to fit each other in the manner of the button valve;
the face of one of the seats is within the box, and the other without. Across
the former the guard is thrown to carry one end of the spindle; but at the
other end the guard is not connected with the seat, but is a short distance within
the box. The lids are connected together upon one stalk or spindle, and at exactly
the same distance from each other as the two seats, in order to fit properly; one of
the valves is a little smaller in diameter than the other, and the outward seat a
little larger in order for the smaller valve to pass through the box into its own
seat; the guard, which is thrown across the box, would prevent the valve passing
through, but this is remedied by the spindle being made to seperate, or so
as to take the lids asunder by one end of the spindle being made to fit into
a socket, by which means the inner one can be put in its place, and then the
smaller end of the spindle passes through the guard into its socket, where it
is permanently fixed by a pin through both; the two lids are afterwards ground
into the seats with fine sand and water, so as to make a waterproof joint.
The great advantage of this valve, or its superiority over every other hitherto
adopted for this purpose, is the removal of the pressure, so that it can be
wrought with perfect case, however large, whilst it is at the same time com-
pletely proof. Water being so much more dense than air, all valves made for
hydraulic purposes must of course be made proportionably larger than where
air or stream is used, consequently the valves for engines of great power are
required to be very large, and therefore sustain a very great pressure, as, for
instance, a valve of thirteen inches diameter, with a head of water of thirty-four
feet, will sustain a pressure of about a ton weight; but by means of this
double valve it is evident that the pressure is completely removed, because the
two lids (or valves) with the box which contains them, being placed in an
horizontal position within an outward box or cistern, the pressure coming
upon them (the valves) acts equally upon both, leaving them in equilibrium
and consequently perfectly easy to work, except so far as the one is larger
than the other, which need to be no more than is required to keep the valves
shut close. The manner of working them is by means of a crank fixed to
the end of the spindle at the outward valve, as shewn in the Drawing at the
letter (r) projecting the half diameter of the box, to which is connected a
parallel rod working in a slide, with a pin fixed at the end at right angles,

page_text: which takes the slide of a scoggin connected to the spindle coming through
the stuffing box. The lower valves need not be placed in another box, but
may be turned with the mouth upward to meet the eduction pipe (sec
Drawing.)
The roller pump consists of two brass (or of other metal that will not
corrode) fluted cylinders on rollers, represented by the letter U, having a strong
axis or spindle passing through their centres; those cylinders or rollers are
placed horizontal and parrallel to each other, their axis resting upon pedestals
adapted to the purpose, and the convex part of one roller fitting close into
the concave part of the other, and being fluted completely true, they move
round in this manner (the convex flute of one being always within the concave
of the other) perfectly at ease, and yet sufficiently proof against the loss of
water. The pedestals are firmly fixed upon an iron frame, and upon the
same frame are fixed the two halves or semi-circumference of a hollow
cylinder each fitted to the outward side of the rollers; and in order that
those demy-cylinders may be exactly fitted to the rollers, they are (after
each being cast from the same mould) screwed together by bolts to form
one complete cylinder, and bored together as truc as possible, so as
exactly to fit or contain one of the rollers when separated from each
other and put into their proper places; the rollers are thus inclosed in a
cylinder, or rather the half circumference of each in a demy-cylinder, as shewn at
the letter V, in which they work free and without friction. There are flanches
to the bottom edges of the cylinder, in order to connect them by bolts to the
frame, and there are flanches also to the upper edges, and connected to the
pedestals, and rising above the rollers is a strong iron bar placed horizontally
and passing in a line between the upper flanches and through those flanches,
and passing through the bar are bolts or screws which rest by a shoulder
against one side of the bar, and on the other side it is screwed fast by a nut,
and a nut is also made to screw on each side the flanch, by which the cylinders
are not only fixed firmly in their places but are made moveable that they can
be altered so as to be placed nearer or more distant from the rollers, and being
made to slide in the bolt holes of the flanches they can also be raised or low-
ered; the bolt holes in the lower flanches are also made for the bolts to slide
in them, in order to allow the cylinders to be regulated; the ends of the demy-
cylinders at the letter W, which are exactly in a line with the ends of the rollers, s
are connected together by a strong brass plate passing across the ends of the
rollers and jointed to the frame to make them water proof; those plates are
nicely ground and polished that they may neither cause friction (against the
rollers) nor suffer the escape of water. Thus the rollers are completely inclosed

page_text: in a frame and converted into a pump without friction, except upon the axis
or necks on which they rest, being at the same time (when the rollers are
moving with tolerable velocity) sufficiently proof against waste of water. This
pump is equally adapted for a sucking, lifting, or forcing pump; it is attached
to power, whether animal, mechanical, or manual, by a cog wheel X, fixed upon
the axis or shaft of one of the rollers, and being placed in a cistern or box
(through which the shaft works in a stuffing box) and immersed in water, and
one of the rollers being put in motion (the concave and convex flutes of both
working alternately into each other), the other must necessarily be moved
round in an opposite direction, so that both are turning upwards and bringing
up all the water that is lodged in the concave flutes or cavities, and by means
of a communicating pipe raises it to any required altitude, the quantity in pro-
portion to that lodged between the cylinder and the concavities of the rollers
and the velocity with which the rollers move. Thus it is a lifting or forcing pump,
and is converted into a sucking pump by placing it in a cistern upon a pipe
not more than thirty-four feet in altitude, having a clack or valve at the
bottom, and the rollers being set in motion (the air being previously expelled by
the pipe being filled with water and the cistern also until the rollers are im-
mersed) the water is raised as before mentioned, and the supply continued by
the pressure of the atmosphere impelling it up the pipe underneath. This
pump is also capable of being converted into a fire engine; for which purpose I
mean to apply it; and it is also capable of being constructed into a water mill
or bydraulic engine for the communication of power instead of a water wheel,
&c., to which purpose I mean to apply it also; to effect this the rollers may
be either placed upon the top or at the bottom of the pipe, according to con-
venience for communicating motion to the machinery, and the head or fall of
water thrown upon them, in the same manner as upon a wheel, when they
will sustain a pressure equal to the height of the fall, and consequently work
with or communicate a power in proportion to the same. Thus, we have a
water mill, more simple, much more convenient and less expensive, than a
water wheel, and to which it will be found infinitely preferable where the fall
is great. The advantage of this pump consists in its convenience and sim-
plicity, being wrought by a constant rotatory instead of a reciprocating motion
(as in the common pump), whereby it is constantly at work raising water with
a continued stream, and not subject to the loss of power and waste of water by
making a waste or returning stroke; and requiring no stuffing or packing, it will
seldom be out of order; but its pre-eminent advantages will be in the draining
of mines (particularly deep ones), consisting (as before mentioned) in having a
rotatory motion without being subject to make a waste stroke, and the still

page_text: greater advantage of being wrought by shafts resting upon their own case with
a rotatory motion, and consequently (being not to lift) but requiring little
power to work them, instead of being wrought (as the case is with the common
pumps now in use for this purpose) by a spear or rod connected from the
bucket to the engine beam, passing through the interior of the pipes, being in
length proportionate to the depth of the mine, and which where the same is
deep must require a large portion of the power of the engine to raise it.
It is also no small advantage to have the shaft work out of the pipes, because
in cases of misfortune the deficiency is more readily perceived without breaking
the joints of the pipe; the bore of which may also be considerably contracted,
on account of their not having to contain the rod, and of the water being con-
stantly rising (having no returning stroke), which will cause them to be less
expensive. This pump may be also most advantageously applied on shipboard
instead of the chain pump, on account of being capable of being constructed
with so much greater accuracy; the friction and loss of water in this will bear
but a small proportion to that in the latter pump. In order to work the
rollers in such a manner that they shall not sustain any material loss of water
(which there would be to work them with cominon wheels on their axis, as
there would always be an interval between the rollers, or to work them without
gearing, as the carrying roller would have a constant tendency to overrun the
other, and a certain quantity of water would be lodged between them, and
carried down and lost), I have applied a pair of fluted wheels Y, fixed on the
same axis, and fluted exactly to match, in the same manner as the rollers; the
flutes of which are made to cross the flutes in the rollers in such a manner
that when fitted into cach other, and the shoulders of the flutes filed off' on
one side, they are made to carry each other in rotation, and maintain the
rollers always close, so as not to waste the water.
The combined pump consists of an union or combination of the roller and
centrifugal pumps, the former placed in a box at the bottom, and the latter
in a cistern at the top of the vertical pipe, (less than the altitude of thirty-four
feet), whereby when the rollers are set in motion and the water forced up the
pipe and consequently compressed into the centrifugal arms, the pressure
reaching against the back side of the orifices, will put them in a whirling
motion, and when their velocity has become sufficient for the centrifugal force
of the water contained in the arms to overcome the pressure of the atmosphere
the rollers are relieved from their weight of the column of water, because the
upper sides of the rollers cannot be affected by the atmosphere, whereas their
under surfaces sustain its full pressure which counterbalances the weight of
the column of water, so that they are to move only against a weight or

page_text: pressure necessary to overcome the friction of the centrifugal and keep the
arms in motion with the requisite velocity, or the centrifugal may be geared
to the rollers so that when the latter are put in motion the former is put in
motion also, and receives its impetus from the rollers, instead of being impelled
by the reaction of the water at the orifices.
I mean also, by reversing the order of the above, to convert it into
a water or centrifugal mill, viz, by placing the rollers above the centri-
fugal nearly at the bottom of the pipe, and when they receive the fall
of water and it becomes forced into the centrifugal arms, it gives it
reaction at the orifices, forcing them into a whirling motion, and when
the velocity is sufficient to overcome the pressure of the atmosphere the
rollers will be acted upon by a double pressure, because they will have to
sustain the weight of the atmosphere as well as the weight of the column of
water; or the centrifugal may be connected to receive its impetus from the
rollers as mentioned above. The combined pump will be advantageous when-
ever the water is to raise to the altitude of nearly thirty-three feet.
In some cases, instead of working the hydropneumatic engine by means of a
piston and cylinder as before described, it may probably work it by means of the
roller or combined pump inverted, or what may be called the roller or centri-
fugal mill, namely, by placing the rollers in the upper cistern (with the condensed
atmosphere) and a pipe communicating therefrom with the lower cistern, at
the bottom of which pipe there will be a box containing a valve, so that when
this valve is opened, the air being previously condensed in the upper cistern
by the hand pump, as before explained, the compressed atmosphere acting
upon the rollers will set them in motion, and being connected to the roller
pump and centrifugal arms in the same manner as the piston is represented to
be, it will set them in motion also, but it will be necessary to have a catch-box
to let the centrifugal overrun the rollers until the water begins to discharge,
when they will be made to connect themselves, and the same effect produced
as when wrought with the piston, &c. Centrifugal arms may also be connected
to the bottom from the rollers, as may be found convenient and necessary.
The atmosphere or common air acting through the medium of water (or
any other non-clastic fluid) being the moving cause, power, principle, or
agency with which this engine is wrought, any other person making use of
the same principle, power, or agency, without the auxiliary and necessary
assistance of some other agent in nature for the purpose of working a similar
engine, or an engine upon the same principle and adapted to the same uses
and purposes, or whoever, without my leave authority, makes use of my
further improved centrifugal pump, my rack motion, my improved valves,

page_text: denominated a double conical valve, my roller, or my combined pump, or my
roller or centrifugal mill, will be infringing the rights and liberties granted
to me by His Majesty's before recited Letters Patent.