AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF FIRE ENGINES
Year: 1832

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, ROBERT
CATTLE, of Grove House, in the County of York, Esquire, and WILLIAM GREAVES
NORTH, of the Suburbs of the City of York, Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS this present Majesty King William the Fourth, by His Letters
Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Fourth day of December now last
past, did give and grant unto us, the said Robert Cattle and William Greaves
North, His especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that we,
the said Robert Cattle and William Greaves North, our executors, admini-
strators, and assigns, and such others as we, the said Robert Cattle and William
Greaves North, our exccutors, administrators, 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 expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-
Tweed, our Invention of "AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF FIRE
ENGINES;" in which said Letters Patent there is contained a proviso obliging
us, the said Robert Cattle and William Greaves North, by an instrument in
writing under our hands and seals, or under the hand and seal of one of us,
particularly to describe and ascertain the nature of our said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, and to cause the same to be inrolled
in His said 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 thereunto had, will more fully appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, we, the said
Robert Cattle and William Greaves North, do hereby declare that the nature
of our said Invention, and how the same is to be performed, is particularly
described and ascertained by the Drawings hereunto annexed, and as follows,
that is to say-
'
2
Drawing 1, Figure 1, represents a perspective representation of an im-
proved combination of mechanical apparatus, forming, when so combined, an
engine peculiarly applicable for extinguishing fires. In this view the external
case is supposed to be removed, and also the wheels upon which it is moved,
in order to shew the combination of the parts more clearly. a, a, are two
pistons attached by joints to the lever b, b; c, c, are two connecting rods
attached by joints to the external ends of the lever b, b; the lower ends of these
rods are combined with the cranks d, d; each crank arm passes through the
case of the engine on both sides, where they project sufficient to receive a
cranked handle, by which means the whole apparatus is set in motion; e, e, are
two cog wheels fixed on each crank arm; these gear into the pinion f, fixed on
the axis of the fly wheel g, the bearings of which are attached to the case of
the engine. The water enters at i, and is drawn along the suction pipe v into
the vessel k, and from it into the working barrels I, I, and is forced from, them
into receiver m, passing through the passages n, n, and from the receiver it is
forced into the discharging pipes o, o. Each barrel has a valve fixed at the
bottom to prevent the return of the water into the vessel k, when it is, being
forced into the receiver m; there are also two valves at the bottom of the
receiver m, which perform a similar office. s, s, are two air vessels, by the use
of which a constant stream is effected in the usual manner; is, the suction
cock, and is a tap, which permits the water to enter the suction pipe from
the body of the engine; p is the feeding trough. The wheels are enclosed in
boxes or cases of either wood or metal, by.which means they are prevented
from working in the water, which would retard their action considerably. x, x,
are two standards, upon the upper ends of which are fixed the brasses in which
the axis or cross arm of the lever b, b, moves; y, y, y, y, are four winches or
handles, each of which being turned by one man will set the whole in motion
with, considerable advantage and effect, a great saving in power when compared
with any of the fire engines now in use.
Drawing 1, Figure 2, represents the engine complete, with the external
case inclosing the parts before described; two of the handles or winches arc
seen at y, y, two others being placed in a similar manner on the opposite side
of the machine; and as it is impracticable to apply a scale to Drawings in per-
spective, we have chosen to explain the dimensions of the principal parts in the
";'

page_text: following manner :-Diameter of the fly wheel g, five feet ten inches and an half.
Diameter of large cog wheels e, e, three feet six inches and an half. Diameter
of the small cog wheel, or pinion f, one foot seven inches and an half. Length
of the lever b, b, five feet six inches. Length of the cross arm-z, two feet
four inches. Height of the standards x, x, four feet six inches." Diameter of
the working barrels.l, l, six inches. The pistons have a stroke of ten inches.
Length of pistons a, a,- including rods, three feet seven inches. Diameter
of large air vessels, ten inches; height of ditto from the bottom of engine,
three feet. Diameter of small air vessel s, seven inches; height of ditto, from the
bottom of the engine, two feet nine inches. Feeding trough, from t to u, nine
inches. These proportions or dimensions have been found to answer well in
practice, but they may of course be varied to suit particular occasions.
Drawing 2, Figure 1, represents a perspective view of another combination of
similar apparatus, in which the use of a connecting pinion is obviated, and a
single air vessel is substituted for the two before described. a is a fly wheel, fixed
on one end of the axis of the crank b. cis a cog
og wheel fixed on the opposite
end of the same axis, geering into the cogs of the wheel d, fixed on an axis, e,
which passes through the engine, and on each end of which are fixed the two
winches ff. g is a suction pipe, through which the water passes into the
working barrels h, h. i is the discharging pipe, which branches at k to each.
side of the engine. I is an air vessel. Figure 2 represents a perspective view,
of the two working barrels h, h, the pistons m, m, and also the frames n, n,
combined therewith. o, o, represents two cam wheels, combined with the two
cranks p, P;
each of the cam wheels moves within one of the frames n, n, and
lifts or depresses them alternately, and also the pistons when the cranks are
set in motion by means of the handles q, q, attached to the axis of the cranks as
seen at 7.. s, s, are two guides which serve to keep the piston perpendicular in.
every part of its ascent or descent. By carefully comparing Figures 1 and 2,
it will be seen that as the winches are turned round the piston rods will be made
to ascend and descend alternately by the action of the cranks. p, p, the cam
wheels o, o, rolling along the frames n, n, and thereby reducing the friction in a
very great degree. Figure 3 represents the same engine, enclosed in its case
and placed on wheels in the usual manner.
The dimensions of the principal parts are as follows:-Diameter of the fly
wheel a, four feet six inches; diameter of the cog wheels cand d, two feet eight
inches; diameter of the cam wheels o, o, ten inches; top of piston frames n, n,
inside, one foot seven inches and three quarters; length of the working barrels
h, h, one foot one inch; diameter of ditto, seven inches. The dimensions here
given are such as we have found to answer the intended purpose, but they may

page_text: be considerably varied, so as to suit them for particular purposes, provided the
combination and arrangement be the same.
And we hereby further declare that our Invention consists,-
Firstly, in the peculiar application of the wheels and pinion, as shewn in
Drawing 1, Figure 1, which, being combined with the cranks d, d, Figure 1,
and also the lever b, b, in the manner and way we have described, will be found
more effective and requiring less power than such engines as are in general
use.
Secondly, we also claim as our Invention the peculiar combination of
wheels and cams, or cam wheels, as shewn in Figures 1 and 2 of Drawing 2,
by the application and combination of which, in the manner and way we have
described, great advantages will be gained, and less power will be required to
effect the discharge of any given quantity of water.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Cattle, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twentieth day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and thirty-three.
ROBT (L.S.) CATTLE.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the same Twentieth day of May, in
the year above mentioned, the aforesaid Robert Cattle came before our Lord
the King in His Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification aforesaid, a
and all and every thing therein contained, in form above written. And also
the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the tenor of the Statute