A MACHINE FOR RAISING WATER, AND FOR VARIOUS OTHER USEFUL PURPOSES
Year: 1805

page_text: FLETCHER'S SPECIFICATION.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOSEPH
FLETCHER, of the Parish of Horsley, in the County of Derby, Needle Maker,
send greeting.
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty King George the Third did, by His
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Twenty-third day of January,
in the forty-sixth year of His reign, give and grant unto me, the said Joseph
Fletcher, my exors, admors, and assigns, His especial licence that I, the said
Joseph Fletcher, my exors, adñiors, and assigns, during the term of years
therein mentioned, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend,
within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention
of "A MACHINE FOR RAISING WATER, AND FOR VARIOUS OTHER USEFUL PURPOSES;"
in which said Letters Patent there is contained a proviso, obliging me, the said
Joseph Fletcher, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, to cause
a particular description of the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be inrolled in His Majesty's High
Court of Chancery within four calendar months next and immediately after
the date of the said recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, (relation
being thereunto had) may moro fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Joseph Fletcher, do hereby declare that my said Invention of a machine for

page_text: raising water, and for various other useful purposes, is described in and by the
Drawings and explanation thereof hereunto annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Fletcher, havo hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-third day of May, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and six.
Fig. 1, outside elevation of one end.-A represents the frame which is
made square, the width whereof is 10 ft. 6 in. in height, and may be varied
in proportion to the size the machine is intended to be made. The cross
beams must be placed at proper distances, in order that all the various im-
plements fastened to them may be in their proper places. The lower beam
may be placed at the distance of 2 feet from the bottom. The second is
6 feet 9 in. from that; the other two beams may be placed at any convenient
distance, as they are only for the purpose of fixing guides into for other parts
of the work. B, the solid bottom, which must be made of stout wood com-
pleatly water-tight, 7 feet 6 in. square, with a stout beam underneath in the
centre (C) Fig. 4. D, a frame or top, the same size made with cross bars, as
represented in the plate, in order to admit the air in and out with freedom;
the above frames are connected with stout leather on all sides fasten'd to them,
which forms a chasm, and must be compleatly water-tight; the depth of the
leather must be 5 feet. E, the upright shaft, 16 ft. in length, fastened in the
center of the bottom at E, Fig. 4. F, a piece of metal crossing the bottom at
right angles at E. There must be cross pieces of timber or metal over the top
of the outward frame near the centre just, to leave a space suflicient for the
upright shaft to move up and down with freedom. It is also necessary to put
or place friction wheels on all sides the space mentioned, at the top, as it is to
guide the shaft steady and free when it is in work. G, slides of wood or metal
firmly fasten'd to the bottom part of the chasm, 9 feet in length and in breadth,
convenient as they are to move up and down with the bottom part. Towards
the top of these slides are fix'il cog teeth, which project so as to catch the cog
teeth in the middle of the leavers, as at H; the cogs are to be placed on the
inside of the slide, as No. 10; the lowermost of these cogs are to ride upon an
axle, to be heavier in the back eul, in order to overbalance itself into a working
position again after it has been traped down by the other cog in the end of the
leaver, as at I, Fig. 2. The upright slides that are connected with the bottoni
part of the chasm, Fig. 1, marked G, with the cog teeth, No. 10, must be
placed in Fig. 2, in order that the teeth in the leavers marked II & I, may

page_text: connect themselves when the bottom of the chasm ascendeth towards the surface
of the water. K, leavers, which ride both upon one axle, and are in proportion
as 3 to 1. The proportion may be varied at pleasure, by adding or diminishing
the weights which are placed near the ends of the leavers, as at L, Fig. 2.
The shortest end of the leavers must be exactly such as to clasp in the cog
teeth fastened in the slide at G, Fig. 1. The slides must be coupled together,
in order to keep them steady (G) Fig. 1. M, stout metal upright firmly fix'd
at the ends of the beams that cross the bottom part at C, Fig. 4, which must
be 4 feet 6 in. in length from the top of the square at C to the top of the
friction wheel represented below the elbow joint at N. O, a piece of metal in
the form of an L, which hang upon an axle that is fastened to the top part of
the chasm, as at P. It is necessary to have a friction wheel at the top of the
metal upright, as N, in order that the piece of metal marked O may be
struck off when the chasm is sunk to its extremity in the water. The small pin
in the cross beam is fix'd in such a direction under the metal O as to strike it
off the friction wheel N, Fig. 1. Q, eight pillars fastened at the cross beam
at the bottom, and to the second beam from the bottom, Fig. 1 & 2. R, 8
pieces of timber near every corner of the bottom of the chasm, with friction
wheels to guide the same as it moves upwards and downwards. The friction
wheels are to be placed so as to ride free against the eight pieces of timber
marked Q, Fig. 1. S, a frame, the bottom of which ride upon each leaver,
Fig. 2. T, two pieces of metal hanging upon two centers upon the cross beam
of the frame S, Fig. 2, with an elbow joint in each. U, two axles fastened
to the cross beam of the outward frame. V, two pullies near each corner of
the frame:
N.B.--Fig. 1 is the outside elevation, the opposite side to which is exactly
similar. Fig: 2 is the inward elevation, the opposite side to which is also
similar.
Having described the different materials suitable for making the machine,
and also their proper situations, we shall now proceed to the method of working
it, which is as follows:-Explanation with respect to working the machine.―
No. 1 represents stays or hooks, with friction wheels, to stay the bottom part of
the chasm at the surface of the water. The top part of the chasm is then to
be drawn up or expanded by means of the metal weights. No. 2, Fig. 1, by
means of ropes fastened to the top part of the chasm and extended over the
pullies at the top part of the frame marked V. The metal at the letter O,
Fig. 1, then moves back upon the friction wheels at N, and becomes fast staid.
The weights No. 2 at the same time fall upon leavers which strike off the

page_text: friction wheel No. 1, Fig. 4. It is necessary to observe that a sufficient weight
must be laid in the bottom of the chasm. The chasm then sinks in the water
with all the velocity it contains, by means of which velocity a considerable
power is obtain'd, which velocity is continued till the top part of the chasm
falls upon firm basis at the surface of the water. The metal O then strikes
upon the pin in the cross beam A, and moves itself off the friction wheel N.
The bottom part of the chasm then being liberated, the sides of which being
composed of leather, gives way to the pressure of the water, and forces it with
violence towards the surface. The cog teeth in the slides then seize the cog
teeth in the middle of the leavers, as at II, and raise the leavers a considerable
height. The frame S, which stands upon the leavers, moves upward at the
same time, and becomes fast staid by means of the clasp No. 3, which clasp
into the friction wheel No. 4. The leavers then change their position, the
short end of which marked I, seize the cog teeth upon the slides G, and by
means of the weights Lat the end of the levers, continue to carry the bottom
part of the chasm nearer the surface of the water. The leavers then quit tho
slides; the slides at the same time strikes off the catch No. 8. The end of the
metal No. 5 at the same time catch in the top cog of the slides marked G; the
frame S, then being pressed down by means of the weights upon the top, as at
6, continue to carry the bottom part of the chasm to the surface of the water,
and rests itself upon the leavers as at first. The bottom part of the chasm is
then staid by means of the hooks No. 1, as before represented. The top part
of the chasm is again drawn up or expanded, as before represented, the metal L
again moves upon the friction wheel, the leavers strike the hook No. 1, Fig. 4,
the chasm then being disengaged as before, sinks in the water with all the
velocity as before represented; the metal O again strikes itself off the friction
wheel, and again repeats its motion of ascending, by means of which repititions
the chasm is kept in perpetual motion. No. 11, weight upon the ballance
beam, Fig. 1. It is also necessary to observe the cog teeth in the upright shaft
No. 7, Fig. 1, as it ascends connects itself with tho cog teeth opposite in the
balance beam No. 8, by which means water may be raised, or the power applied
to various purposes; No. 9 represents a pump for the purposes aforesaid.
By the help of the above machine cranks or fly wheels may be applied to
various purposes. It is likewise necessary to observe a lodge of water is
required, 7 feet deep, and 24 feet square. It will likewise be requisite to have
a surface of water of small depth to communicate with the lodge, that when
the machine is at work, nearly a level surface of water may be kept.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Twenty-third day of May, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and six, the aforesaid
Joseph Fletcher came before our said Lord the King in His Chancery, and
acknowledged the Specification aforesaid, and all and every thing therein
5 contained and specified, in form above written. And also the Specification
aforesaid was stampt according to the tenor of the Statute made for that
purpose.