CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN OBTAINING AND APPLYING MOTIVE POWER
Year: 1856

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by David Jones at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 23rd February 1856.
I, DAVID JONES, of Green Hill Villa, Ragland, in the County of Monmouth,
Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN OBTAINING AND APPLYING MOTIVE POWER," to be as
follows:
This Invention consists in obtaining motive power by the combined action
of air, water, or, other fluids on each other, by vacuum or pressure in apparatus
of the construction hereafter described. An important feature in this Inven-
tion consists in so constructing and operating with the apparatus that there is
no appreciable friction of the principal parts thereof; and, consequently, no
wear of the material of which they are made, thereby effecting economy in
the expense of the apparatus; the power generated and maintained in the
apparatus for an indefinite period is also attended with no expense.
The nature of these improvements will be better understood by the follow-
ing explanation of the means by which they may be effected. For example, I
take an open vessel, of any convenient shape and size, into which I place
water, I then take a cylindrical-shaped vessel, and having discharged the air
therefrom I fill it with water, and place it upright or nearly so with the open
end downwards, taking care to keep this end immersed in the water which is
in first-named vessel; I then take a hollow collapsible sphere to which is affixed
one end of an elastic tube formed with two outlets or branches, one of which
is fitted with a cock opening to the external atmosphere, and the other also
fitted with a cock is connected to a hollow vessel or cylinder, the upper end of
which is closed and fitted with a cock, and the lower end of said hollow vessel

page_text: which is open dips into water contained in any suitable shaped open vessel.
The top of the above-mentioned hollow vessel is connected by a rod to the
short arm of a vibrating lever or beam placed over the same, a weight being
attached to such short arm to assist the descent of the hollow vessel beneath.
To the other arm of the aforesaid lever or beam one end of a cord or chain is
attached, and passes under pulleys affixed to the bottom of the first-named
vessel, the other end of said chain or cord being affixed to the before-mentioned
hollow sphere.
The mode of operating with the above apparatus is as follows:-
The upright vessel being filled with water, and suspended in any convenient
manner in the water of the lower vessel, the collapsible sphere charged
with atmospheric air is then introduced into the upright vessel, thereby
displacing an equal bulk of water therefrom. The air cock in the tube being
closed, as also the cock in that part of the said tube situate between the
suspended reciprocating hollow cylinder and the collapsible sphere, and the
cock at the top of the said cylinder being also closed, and a partial vacuum
formed therein by the raising of the said cylinder in the water in which it is
immersed. The cock in the tube being then opened, the air from the hollow
sphere will rush into the vacuum in the cylinder, and thereby lift such said
cylinder and weight connected therewith as before stated, the water supplying
the place of the air in the upright vessel before the cylinder has reached the
extent of its upward movement. The cock in the top thereof is opened and
the other cock is shut, and the air-cock opened to again charge the sphere
with atmospheric air. The effect of which is to allow the air contained in
the cylinder to escape therefrom, and the cylinder and weight to descend by
the gravitating power thereof, the long arm of the lever pulling down the
hollow sphere until the cylinder has reached the extent of its downward move-
ment, by which time the cock thereof must be closed, and the air-cocks in the
tube be opened to allow the air to pass from the sphere into the cylinder as
before stated; and in this manner, and by these means, I produce and maintain
at no expense whatever reciprocating movement of the cylinder, so long as
water is in the aforesaid vessels; and I employ such motive power as a prime
mover in any convenient manner.
The alternate opening and closing of the cocks of the apparatus is rendered
self-acting, by the vibrating movement of the lever or other suitable means.