Year: 1882

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Walter Herbert Avis at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 24th October 1882.
WALTER HERBERT AVIS of Pulegate in the County of Sussex
IN MOTIVE POWER APPARATUS."
"IMPROVEMENTS
My Invention relates to gravity motive power apparatus to be employed for
imparting motion to any desired number of shafts from which power may be
taken to drive machines located in different parts or floors of a manufactory or other
building. The shafts may be driven in the same or in reverse directions, and the
Invention consists in the employment of wheels which are keyed to the shafts to
be driven and provided with buckets to receive a constant stream of shot, water, or
other suitable substance or body, which substance is raised or returned to a point
above the wheel or wheels after having performed work by chain or bucket
elevators, so that the shafts may be revolved without intermission.
The axes of the wheels are horizontal and the wheels are placed one above
the other. The buckets are made of sheet metal or other material stamped up or
brought to the desired shape and attached to a central disc or body portion from
which they project at either one or both sides. The shot or other substance is fed
to the upper wheel if a number aro employed, from a shoot supported above the
wheel and delivering the stream of shot or other substance to the buckets the
moment that the bottom of the bucket comes into such a position as to form a
continuous plane with the face of the shoot. The buckets are so arranged that the
stream of shot will flow from the shoot down the surface of the bucket to the
outer edge which projects from the edge of the wheel and is curved upwards so as
to form a pocket to retain the shot until the wheel has accomplished a portion of a
revolution whereupon it is transferred to an inclined plane from whence the
stream is either delivered to another wheel or passes to a reservoir or to the
elevators. There are a pair of elevators one for raising the material to the upper
shoot and the other for raising it to an upper reservoir both being driven by band
from one of the shafts with the aid of a small gas or other engine. The second
reservoir is located above the upper wheel and delivers the shot to the shoot, and
both the reservoirs are furnished with valves to control the supply and the
Consequent working of the apparatus. To stop the apparatus the valve of the

page_text: lower reservoir is opened and that in the upper reservoir shut whereupon the
stream of shot or other substance instead of being delivered to one of the elevators
and thereby raised to the upper wheel to continue the movement will fall into the
lower reservoir. Meanwhile the other elevator will have carried up a sufficient
quantity of the material to the upper reservoir to restart the apparatus when
necessary. There is a roller driven from the main shaft of the elevator furnished
with a loose belt so made as to hold a quantity of shot which comes in contact
with a large drum on the shaft of one of the bucket wheels whereby the motion of
the apparatus is assisted the roller to this end being driven at a greater surface
speed than the drum.