AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR THE MULTIPLICATION OF MOTIVE POWER
Year: 1861

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Marc Antoine François Mennons
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
23rd November 1861.-A communication from Eugène Constant Marie
Bonnier, residing at Île Bourbon (Indian Sea).
I, MARC ANTOINE FRANÇOIS MENNONS, of the British and Foreign Patent
Offices, 39, Rue de l'Echiquier, Paris, in the Empire of France,. do. hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR THE
MULTIPLICATION OF MOTIVE POWER," to be as follows:-
The Invention communicated to me consists in the construction and appli-
cation to motive engines of an auxiliary lever apparatus, the object of which
is to multiply the working power by correcting the too feeble radius of the
cranks, and the reduced effort exerted thereon by the direct action of the
driving pistons.
In supposing that a given amount of force could be applied to a crank of
increased radius without loss of the speed acquired, it is evident that the
working power obtained would be augmented in proportion to this increased
radius, compared with that of the cranks ordinarily employed. If, on the other
hand, it were possible to augment by one, two, three or more times the
amount of primary force before applying it to this enlarged crank, the working
power would further increase in the same proportion... This end is attained by
means of the apparatus hereafter described, which forms the medium of com-
munication between the prime mover and the machine to be set in motion,
as shewn in the accompanying Drawing..

page_text: A, B, C, A, B, C, are the main levers set in motion by means of the
connecting rods A, M, and A', N, articulated to the beam M, O, N, which is
moved, either by the piston P, Q, of an ordinary beam or other engine, or by
a rod acting on a crank placed at the extremity of the shaft of an hydraulic
wheel. When the piston P, Q, has completed its up stroke, the point M of
the beam passes to M', the point N to N¹, and the points A, A¹ of the main
lever to a and a. On the completion of the down stroke, the point M of the
beam is carried to M", the point N to N", and the points A, A¹, of the main
levers to a and a¹.
The levers A, B, C, and A¹, B, C', revolve at the point B on a fixed axle,
carrying forward successively in their movement the points C and C¹ to
c and c', and to k, k¹. At the points C, C, are mounted on two small axles
the levers C, D, E, and C¹; D, E¹, to the extremities E and E¹ of which are
adapted another series of levers E, F, G, and E, F, G, connected in their
turn at the points G, G', to a further set of levers G, H, and G¹, H, as seen in
Figure 1, or to a longer series of successive levers, as in Figures 4, 5.
All these levers mounted by couples, open and close in succession under the
action of the main levers, in revolving in their axles D, F, H, which slide in
grooves R, S, and are carried to the points D', D", F; F", and H, H",
according to the resultant of the forces developed at C, C, E, E, and G, G¹.
It will be understood that all the articulations, such as A, A, B, C, C¹,
D, E, E, F, are provided with bearings, and that the dimensions of the
complete apparatus should be proportioned to the force to be exerted on the
crank I, L.
:
The force produced at the extreme point of the levers, as at H, Figure 1,-
is in direct, ratio to the length of the arms A, B, and A', B, of the levers
A, B, C, and A, B, C, compared with the resultant of the forces acting at H
by the levers G, H, and G¹; H. On the other hand, the range of the point H
in the grooves R, S, is equal to the distance of H' from H, which allows the
action of the connecting rod H, I, on the machine to be set in motion (say,,
the fly wheel V) by means of the crank I, L, the radius of which is equal to
half of the range of the point H on the slides R, S.
By means of this apparatus, we first obtain at the point H-a-certain-number-
of times the primary force of the driving piston, and this increased force
reacting on a crank, two, three, four, or more times larger than that at
present employed, these forces are multiplied one by the other, and propel the
machine to be moved with two, three, four, or more times greater energy than
by the direct action of the prime motor...
The position of the beam by which the action of the engine is transmitted to

page_text: the levers A, B, and A, B, should be such that the chords of the segments
of the circles traversed by the points M and N may approach as nearly as
possible the parallels of the prolonged chords of the arcs described by the.
points A and A¹ of the levers A, B, and A', B. This result is obtained by
means of cranked levers and beams (as seen in Figure 1,) the angles of which
are calculated according to the intended dimensions of the mechanism.
In the apparatus represented in Figure 1, the beam has been adopted as a
means of giving the required to-and-fro movement to the two levers A, B, C,
and A, B, C. Straight levers have also been adopted as standard, with the
exception of the main levers which are shewn cranked to the required angle,
but it should be observed that the curvilinear or other form may be employed
according to the nature and position of the engine to which the combination
is applied. In the same way the beam may be replaced by any other mecha-
nical means of producing the double movement.
Figures 1, 2, 3, represent the multiplying apparatus in section, plan, and
elevation; in Figures 1, 2, the slide ways are indicated by a simple groove
R, S. If so required or rendered necessary by want of space, and especially
in large sized engines, the main levers A, B, C, and A¹, B, C², may be cranked
over on themselves towards C and C³, as seen in Figure 4.
Figure 5 represents a force multiplier composed of a series of levers which
decrease progressively in size as they approach the point H, care being taken
that the long arms of the second pair be always equal to the short arms of
the first; that those of the third be equal to the small arms of the second,
and so on.
As before stated, the general construction and arrangement of the apparatus
above described may be varied according to the nature, dimensions, and
position of the machinery to which it is applied. Thus, for instance, the
crank I, L, instead of acting directly on the machinery to be set in motion,
may drive another crank equal (for instance) to half the stroke of the piston,
this second crank communicating by a connecting rod with a second beam,
working a second series of levers by which the movement is transmitted to the
machinery. In this case the effect produced will be the result of the multi-
plication by each other of the forces developed by the two series of levers.
'