IMPROVEMENTS IN SELF-ACTING GATES OR SLUICES FOR PREVENTING THE OVERFLOW OF WATER FROM RIVERS OR WATERCOURSES.
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Goldsmith and James Dilkes, both of
Leicester, in the County of Leicester, for the Invention of
“IMPROVEMENTS IN SELF-ACTING GATES OR SLUICES FOR PREVENTING THE
OVERFLOW OF WATER FROM RIVERS OR WATERCOURSES.'
"
Sealed the 22nd May 1874, and dated the 26th November 1873.
:
·PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Goldsmith and
James Dilkes at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 26th November 1873.
We, GEORGE GOLDSMITH and JAMES DILKES, both of Leicester, in the
County of Leicester, do hereby declare the nature of said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SELF-ACTING GATES OR. SLUICES FOR PREVENTING THE
OVERFLOW OF WATER FROM RIVERS OR WATERCOURSES," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in constructing on each side of the stream or
watercourse a wall of brickwork or masonry, which also extends across
and is raised a short distance above the bed of the stream. Should the
width of the stream require it a pier or piers are built intermediate to
the two walls on each side of the river, and between the walls or

page_text: between the walls and piers are fixed frames of iron, each having a
projection or ledge of brass of about an inch and a half, more or less, in
width. This ledge is planed or faced, so that an iron door, gate,. or
sluice, also faced, may work against it and maintain a water-tight joint.
The sluice is made somewhat narrower than the extreme width of the
frame, so that it may slide freely and avoid the possibility of sticking,
suitable guides being provided to keep it in proper position when rising
, and falling. On the walls on each side of the watercourse a column or
columns are erected for the purpose of supporting a girder, which
stretches from one to the other.
If necessary the girder may be furnished with additional supports
erected on the intermediate piers or otherwise. At or near the centre of
the girder a grooved wheel is pivotted, so that a chain or chains, one
extremity of which being fastened to the upper part of each door or
sluice, may pass over it and be attached at the other extremity to a
trough large enough to contain a quantity of water that will more than
counterbalance the weight of the doors or sluices. In the pier or wall
on one side of the stream a recess or well is constructed sufficiently large
and deep to admit of the trough sinking entirely below the bottom of
the bed of the lower stream. An open guard is provided to prevent weeds
or other solid matter from entering the trough or well.
The action of the apparatus is as follows:-The water in the upper
stream having risen above a particular height, to which the top of the
well has been adjusted, will overflow and fall into the suspended trough,
which on becoming full will descend and draw up the sluice, thus
allowing the water in the upper stream to flow into the lower one. So
long as the water overflows into the well so long will the trough remain
at the bottom, the weight of water contained in it, and the velocity of
the overflow into the well which is in communication with the lower
stream, keeping the trough there, but as soon as the overflow ceases it
becomes necessary to close the sluice, and this is effected by providing
the trough with an orifice, the size of which may be regulated by a
valve or other well known means. When the flow of water into the
well has stopped the water in the trough will run out through the orifice.
just mentioned, and as it becomes empty the greater gravity of the door
or sluice will preponderate, and consequently it will fall and close the
communication between the upper and lower streams.
"

page_text: In lieu of one wheel, as mentioned above, several may be employed,
or as many as there are gates to open, or instead of a wheel a lever or
levers having quadrant ends may be used.
Wells or recesses such as described above may be also constructed on
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said George Goldsmith and James Dilkes in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 26th May 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, GEORGE
GOLDSMITH and JAMES DILKES, both of Leicester, in the County of
Leicester, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty. Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of November, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the
thirty-seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors; give and grant unto us, the said George Goldsmith and James
Dilkes, Her special licence that we, the said George Goldsmith and
Janies Dilkes, our executors, administrators, and assigns; or such others
as we, the said George Goldsmith and James Dilkes, our executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,
from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein
expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend,
within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SELF-
ACTING GATES OR SLUICES FOR PREVENTING THE OVERFLOW OF WATER FROM RIVERS
OR WATERCOURSES," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said
George Goldsmith and James Dilkes, our executors or administrators,
by an instrument in writing under our, or one of our, or their, or one of
their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to
be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date
of the said Letters Patent.

page_text: Dilkes, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement, reference being had to the
accompanying Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon,
that is to say :-
This Invention consists in constructing on each side of the stream or
watercourse a wall of brickwork or masonry; which also extends across
and is raised a short distance above the bed of the stream. Should the
width of the stream require it a pier or piers are built intermediate to
the two walls on eacli side of the river, and between the walls or between
the walls and piers are fixed frames of iron, each having a projection or
ledge of brass of about an inch and a half, more or less, in width. This
ledge is planed or faced, so that an iron door, gate, or sluice, also
faced, may work against it and maintain a water-tight joint. The sluice
is made somewhat narrower than the extreme width of the frame, so that
it may slide freely and avoid the possibility of sticking, suitable guides
being provided to keep it in proper position when rising and falling. On
the walls on each side of the watercourse a column or columns are erected
for the purpose of supporting a girder, which stretches from one to the
other.
If necessary the girder may be furnished with additional supports
erected on the intermediate piers or otherwise. At or near the centre of
the girder a grooved wheel is pivotted, so that a chain or chains, one
extremity of which being fastened to the upper part of each door or
sluice, may pass over it, and be attached at the other extremity to a
trough large enough to contain a quantity of water that will more than
counterbalance the weight of the doors or sluices. In the pier or wall
on one side of the stream a recess or well is constructed sufficiently large
and deep to admit of the trough sinking entirely below the bottom of
the bed of the lower stream. An open guard is provided to prevent
weeds or other solid matter from entering the trough or well.
In order that the foregoing may be more easily understood Drawings
are attached hereto, of which the following is a description :-
Fig. 1 is a section through C, D, Fig. 3, and shows the sluice open;
Fig. 2 is a section through A, B, Fig. 3, and exhibits the sluice shut t;

page_text: Tig
Fig. 3.
is a plan, and Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section througn E, F,
G, G, G, is the wall on each side of the stream R; I, I, are the iron
frames; and J, the door, gate, or sluice; K, K, are the columns which
support the girder L. To this girder the wheel M is pivotted, and over
the wheel the chain N passes, one end of it being fastened to the sluice J,
while the other end is attached to the trough O. P is the well;
and Q,
the guard. In all the Figures similar letters refer to the same parts:"
The action of the apparatus is as follows:-The water in the upper
stream R, Fig. 4, having risen above a particular height to which the
well has been adjusted will overflow, pass through the opening S, Fig. 4,
and fall into the suspended trough O, which on becoming full will
descend and draw up the sluice J, thus allowing the water in the upper
stream R to flow into the lower stream T. So long as the water over-
flows into the well P so long will the trough O remain at the bottom of
the well, the weight of water contained in the trough and the velocity of
the overflow into the well, which is in communication with the lower
stream, keeping the trough there; but as soon as the overflow ceases it
becomes necessary to close the sluice, and this is effected by providing
the trough with an orifice in any convenient position, the size of which
may be regulated by a valve or other well known means.
When the
flow of water into the well P has stopped the water in the trough O will
run out through the orifice just mentioned, and as it becomes empty the
greater gravity of the door or sluice J will preponderate, and consequently
it will fall and close the communication between the upper stream R
and the lower one T.
In lieu of one wheel, as mentioned above, several may be employed,
or as many as there are gates to open, or instead of a wheel a lever or
levers having quadrant ends may be used.
Wells or recesses such as described above may be also constructed on
each side of the watercourse, each having a corresponding trough so
arranged as to act and be acted upon as before mentioned.
Instead of the overflow taking place at the point S a pipe or conduit
leading from any convenient spot in the upper_stream may be used to
convey the overflow water into the well and trough.
Having now described and particularly set forth the nature of this
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or

page_text: carried into effect, we would observe in conclusion that we do not
confine or restrict ourselves to the precise details or arrangements. which
we have described or referred to, as variations may be made therefrom
without deviating from the principles or main features of this Invention,
but what we consider to be novel and original and therefore claim as the
Invention secured to us by the herein-before in part recited Letters
Patent is,