IMPROVE- MENTS IN THE MEANS OF AND APPARATUS FOR OBTAINING AND APPLYING MOTIVE POWER
Year: 1868

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Arthur James Thorman, at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 27th July 1868.-A communication from abroad by Johann
Ernst Friedrich Lüdeke, of Dransfeld, Hanover, in the Kingdom of
Prussia.
I, ARTHUR JAMES THORMAN, of No. 8, Lime Street, in the City of
London, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE MEANS OF AND APPARATUS FOR OBTAINING AND APPLYING MOTIVE
POWER," communicated to me from abroad by Johann Ernst Friedrich
Lüdeke, of Dransfeld, Hanover, in the Kingdom of Prussia, to be as

page_text: For this purpose I use a tank or box or other suitable vessel marked in
the accompanying Drawing a, a, a, a, at the bottom of which are fastened
two upright pieces marked b, b, at such an angle from each side of the
box as may be necessary; between these two pieces I use two wedge or
-trapezium shaped pieces marked c, c; these are made so as to move to
and fro against the sides of the upright pieces b, b. I use also another
wedge or isosceles triangle shaped piece marked d, which fills up the
-space between c, c; this is also made to move to and fro, and these three
pieces c, c, and d are constructed so that as they move forward or in one
-direction they are air-tight or water-tight at the sides in contact with
one another and also on the sides in contact with the upright pieces b, b,
but having reached the distance that they have to move two small plates
or valves between c, c, and d, marked h, shift or open, which causes the
- contact between the wedge pieces to be broken, and allows them to return
freely, when the two small plates or valves again occupy their places or
are shut. Adjoining d is placed another wedge-shaped or right-angled
triangular piece marked e, which is also made to move to and fro with d,
having at the same time a movement from side to side; this piece e has
a stud or pin marked i, which works in a groove of a slide piece
marked ff, and this slide piece is fastened at the top and bottom of the
inside of the tank or box, the effect of which is that when e is driven
by d it will give the former a side to side motion as well as to and fro,
-causing the resistance of e to be materially diminished; but any other
mechanical contrivance to this end can be used in lieu of the slide.
The three wedge pieces marked c, c, and d have rods marked g, g, g,
which are connected to cranks, and the cranks to an axle, the end or
ends of which lead outside the tank or box properly packed, and thus
can be made to drive any machinery; any other mechanical arrangement
however can be used to connect the wedges with the machinery that has
to be driven. The tank or box is now to be securely closed and filled
with compressed air or other fluids, and it will be found that the greatest
pressure is on the side marked x, x, and is less at y, y, and the pressure
at, will cause the wedge pieces to move forward, and the contact
being broken they will return freely as described.
i
The tank, box, 'or vessel; and wedges, can be made of such size,
thickness, breadth, and depth, and of such materials as power is required,
and can be varied in their wedge or triangular shape according as more
or less power or speed is required; and the wedges can be made hollow
and constructed so as 'to move on wheels, rollers, rails, or slides, or in

page_text: any mechanical manner, so as to maintain them in the direction that
they have to move. In lieu of the piece e an eccentric, drum, or roller
may be used. I do not confine myself to the number of wedge pieces
used, or to the exact form of the machine as herein described and shewn
by the accompanying Drawing, but to the principle.