CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN OBTAINING MOTIVE POWER
Year: 1846

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
EATON, of Newington, in the County of Surrey, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS He present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Seventeenth day of November, in the tenth year of Her
reign, did, for Heiselt Ife 'hens and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said William Eaton, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege, and
authority, that I, the said William Eaton, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, and such others as I, the 'said William Eaton, my executors, adminis-
trators, or assigns, should at any time agice with, and no others, from time
to time and at all times during the term of years therein mentioned, should
and lawfully might' make, usc, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales,
and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, and in all Пer Majesty's Colonies and
Plantations abroad, and in the Islands: of Guernsey, Jersey, Alderney, Sark,
and Man, my Invention of " CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN OBTAINING MOTIVE
POWER." in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso, obliging me, the
said William Eaton, by an instrument in writing under my hard and seal,
particularly to describe and ascertain the nature of my said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, and to cause the same to be enrolled
in Her Majesty's High. Court of Chancery within six calendar months next
and immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as
in and by the same, reference. being thereunto had, will more fully and at
large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, 1, the said
William Eaton, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, is particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following description thereof, reference being
had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked
thereon (that is to say)
-
My improvements in obtaining motive power consist, in the first placo, in a
novel arrangement of machinery or known mechanical agents by which fluids,
being subjected to pressure of force from an hydraulic press or other powel
applied in a suitable manner, are caused to work or operate perpetually, or so
long as the parts of the said mechanical agents are in a working condition for
the purpose of actuating other machinery, as a substitute for a steam engine,
water wheel, windmill, or other fust mover.
In the accompanying Diawings, Figure 1 represents a plan of the engine,
Figure 2, a vertical section of the same, taken transversely in the dotted line
(a, b) of Figure 1, and Figure 3 is a like section, taken longitudinally in the
line (c, d) of the first Figure, the same letters indicating corresponding parts of
the machine in all these Figuies. A is the bed plate supporting the machinery
and resting on masomy, buckwork, or other substantial beaning, B, B, ane
erect frammgs or standards (seen in Figures 1 and 3,) on which the crank
shaft C is mounted; D, D, are large upright cylinders bolted fumly to the
bed plate, and E, E, are bracket standards bolted below to the flanges of the
large cylinders, carrying at their upper ends small vertical cylinders F, F,
which communicate with each other by a transverse pipe or tube G, the centie
of this tube being open to a small vertical cylinder II. Upright rods I, I,
bolted to the flanges of the large cylinders D, D, support a vessel K above,
placed concentrically over the small vertical cylinder II; and to the side of
this vessel Ka bent tube is attached by a flange and bolts, or other wise.
The working cylinders of the engine. shewn at L, M, in Figure 3, are erected
one upon the other concentrically, and are separated by a horizontal block
or partition N, having a central aperture and a stufung box within it for
the free passage of the piston 10d. From the upper part of one of the
large cylinders D, a lateral tube O forms a free communication with that
cylinder and the upper working cylinder I, as seen in Figure 3, and from
the lower part of the other large cylinder D a similar tube P forms a fiec
communication with that cylinder and the lower working cylinder M, also seen
in Figure 3 Qis the fly wheel of the engine upon the crank shaft C, and
to the reverse end of this shaft the crank R is affixed This crank is
attached by a pin to the upper end of the connecting rods S, S, which are

page_text: Jointed at the lower parts to slides working vertically in grooves on the sides
of the cylinder L, as shewn in Figure 1 These slides are connected by 1ods
and a cross head to the piston 1od T in the working cylinders L, M On the
crank shaft C there is also affixed a toothed wheel U, taking into a smaller
wheel V upon a horizontal shaft that tuins in brackets at the sides of the
erect frames or standards B, B, and this wheel takes into another toothed
wheel W on a shaft X, which carries the cams Y, Y, and hence the rotation
of the fly wheel communicates rotary motion to the cam shaft and to the cams,
in order that they may act upon the pistons in the large cylinders D, D, for
the purposes to be hereafter explained In order to prepare the engine for
operating, the cylinders and tubes must be supplied with water
As respects
the large cylinders D, D, the tubes O and P, and the working cylinders
L, M, the water may be conducted by a lateral pipe or otherwise, by which
means those chambers may be charged, as shewn in Figures 2 and 3, the
pistons in the cylinders D, D, and the pistons c and d in the cylinders Land
M, limiting the flow of the water requned, which must be then confined in
those chambers by turning a stop-cock so as to cut off any further supply.
As respects the small cylinders F, F, their connecting tube G, and the upper
small cylinder II, the water may be introduced at the top of the cylinder II
before the pistone is inserted, and the quantity supplied will be limited by
the pistons fand gm the small cylinders F, F, and confined from escaping
by the piston e pressing upon the water The chamber or cylinder K above
may be filled with water (after the large piston h has been introduced into
that chamber) by means of the lateral bent tube J, and the water will be
confined in the chamber by the piston 2 pressed down by the weighted lever
In setting this engine to work the fly wheel must be first moved round by
hand, by which the wheel U will cause the wheel V to turn, and that will
give rotary motion to the wheel W, the shaft of which wheel carnes the
cams or excenties, one of these cams as they revolve will, as its largest
radius conies 1ound, act upon the antifriction wheel at the top of the 1od k
of the piston b, in one of the large cylinders D, and by so acting the
cani Y will depress the piston in the cylinder, and force the water there-
from through the tube O into the working cylinder L. By these means the
pressure of the water will be made to raise the piston c in the cylinder L, and
of course simultaneously the lower piston d on the same 10d T will 1ise, and
the water displaced by its rising in the cylinder M will be made to flow through
the tube P into the further cylinder D The piston in the cylinder D
will hence be raised, the position of the camn Y at that time allowing the rud
The rising of the pistons c. d, with then 1od T in the working
kto ascend

page_text: cy linders L, M, operating through the connecting rods S, S, will move round
the crank R, and with it the shaft C, through which shaft the active power
derived is to be communicated to dive other machinery The difference
between the area of the piston band the operating portion of the area of the
piston c being six to one, and the volumes of water in the cylinders D and L
having the like proportions, it will follow that the descent of the piston b (say
four inches) will cause the piston c to use twenty-four inches, and in so doing
to drive the crank round half of its cucuit By these incans the other cami Y.
will be brought to act in a like manner to the former, and to depress the piston
in the cylinder D, and to force the water from the cylinder D through
the tube P into the lower chamber M of the working cylinder, and thereby
to depress the piston d, and by means of the rods T and S to bung the crank
through the other half of its rotation, the water from the working cylinder as
the piston c descends flowing back though the tube O into the cylinder D,
and raising the piston & therein Thus a reciprocating action and reaction of
the water from one cylinder to the other is produced, and the pistons c and d
in the cylinders L and M made to ascend and descend for the purpose of giving
rotary motion to the crank and its shaft in the same manner as the clank shaft
of an ordinary steam engine
Having so far described the manner in which the pistons reciprocate,
and, consequently, the crank shaft is made to evolve, I now proceed
to explain the means by which I acquire that increased power requisito
for keeping the engine in a continuous action, in order to exert such force
as may be desued for diving other machinery. Any assumed power or
pressure may be applied by the weight upon the lever 3, for the purpose
of pressing the piston down upon the surface of the water or other non-
clastic fluid confined in the vessels J and K, which pressure becomes
increased upon the upper surface of the pinion h, in a ratio proportioned
to the difference of the areas of the pistons and h At the under side
of the piston h there is a 1od 7, on the lower end of which is the piston e,
pressing upon the water or other non-elastic fluid confined in the cylinder H,
the tube G, G, G, and the cylinders F, F; the increased pressure, therefore,
accumulated on the piston h will be communicated through the rod l, and
pistone to the surface of the fluid in the chambers I, G, and F. Now, the
non-elastic pressure of the fluid acting upon the pistons for 'g, (with an
accumulated power proportioned to the difference of the area of the piston e,
to that of for g) will cause that power or pressure to be conducted through
the forked aims m or n, to the upper surface of the cam shaft X. It will
here be necessary to point out that the ends of the shaft X turn in lateral

page_text: bushes p, p, inserted into slots in the standards, and is partially supported by
springs q, q. The object of this construction is, that when other of the cams
Y is not exciting its pressure upon the piston rods k, that end of the shaft
shall be held up by the force of the sping, in order to preserve at all times
the horizontal position of the shaft X The accumulated power described as
exerted upon the pistons for y, being transmitted at the proper times through
the forked aims m or to the shaft X, will cause the cam Y, as its largest
radius comes round, to press with the accumulated force upon the antifunction
roller at the top of the rod of the piston b, by which combined arrangement
the great power of the engine is obtained In order to produce a recipro-
cating action of this accumulated power, by throwing it exclusively upon one or
the other Yo Y alternately, I cause one of the small apertures 1 or s, in the
tube G, through which the non-clastic fluid passes to the pistons for g, to be
alternately closed, leaving the other aperture open This I effect by means of
sliding valves connected to 1ods t, t, which by excentics u, u, upon the 10taly
shaft X, work those sliding valves, and cause the aperture r to be closed when
the accumulated force is to be exclusively thrown upon the piston g, and the
aperture s to be closed when such force is to be exclusively thown upon the
piston A modification of the same principles as those above detailed is shewn
in the Diawings at Figure 4, which is a horizontal section of the machine,
and Figure 5, a section of the same taken vertically By these it will be
perceived that a series of the large cylinders are placed in a cucular range,
and acted upon by travelling 1otary cams The horizontal section, Figuio-4,
is taken in the line e, f, of Figure 5, which Figure 5 is a vertical section
taken about the middle of the machine Upon a substantial base A, A, three
strong non standards B, B, B, are erected, which meeting at top constitute
a fiame that supports a cylindrical vessel C, containing a piston a, correspond-
ing in use with the vessel K and piston h. described at Figure 2. In the
centre of this frame B below, and securely fixed upon the base A, there is a
large cylindrical vessel divided into two chambers E, F, by a honzontal parti-
tion g, and around this there are six large cylinders D, D, D, D, D, D., also
fixed upon the base with pistons & within then, corresponding in use with the
cylinders D and pistons in the former machine The water contained in
the three cylinders D, D, D, is enabled to flow into the upper chamber E of
the cential vessel by the connecting tubes G, G, G, and the water contained
in the other thice cylinders D, D, D, flows into the lower chamber F of
the cential vessel by the tubes II, H, H From the upper chamber E of the
central vessel a tube O communicates with the upper working cylinder L of
the engine, as in the former machine, and the lower chamber F of the central

page_text: vessel communicates with the lower working cylinder M, by a tube P, as before
descubed In the working cilinders of the engine two pistons c and d are
inserted, afhxed to one long central piston rod T, T, as in the former machine
These parts being explained, I now proceed to point out the consti uction
and arrangement of the 1otary parts, by which the power is created and
transmitted to the crank shaft I There are two honzontal rings K, K,
one within the other, which are securely bolted together and to the stan-
dards B, B, B, by strong bolts e, e To lugs at the under parts of these
rings a senes of six paus of cross levers f. f. f. f. f. f. are attached by Joints
2. 1, 2, 1, 2, 2, which levers act as parallel supports to a cucular series of
six segmental platforms Q, Q, Q, severally connected to the outer ends
of the levers, and these segments are made to 11sc and fall between the
ngs by the action of the travelling rotary cams Y, Y, Y, about to be
described The levers t, f, are connected to the piston rods h, k, h, in paus
by joint pins, as shewn in Figure 5. and the separate descent of each of the
segments Q, as it becomes acted upon by one of the cams Y, causes the
piston to be depressed in the cylinder D, and the water to be partially
expelled therefrom through its lateral tube, for the purpose of acting upon one
of the pistons c or d in the working cylinders L, M, as explained in icference
to the inst-desenbed anangement of machinery There are in this modifica-
tion of the machine thicc rotary cams having double excentric peripheries
Y, Y, Y, which are fixed upon the outer ends of three radial axles 1, 1, 1
These axles are projections extending from the under side of a horizontal
wheel R, R, the inner ends of the arms beaung in sockets in the nave or
central boss of the said wheel This wheel R turns horizontally upon a vertical
shaft S, S, which shaft has its bearing below in a step m placed on the top of
the central chamber E, and is guided above m a socket in the centic of the
tangular bacing n fastened to the outer standards B, B, B The upper sui face
of the horizontal wheel R has a cucle of bevilled teeth p, p, taking into a
bevel pinion on the inner end of the crank shaft I, in which aangement it
will be perceived that when the crank shaft is turned by means of the 11sing
and falling of the pistons in the working cylinder, actuated in the manner
explained in reference to the fust-descnbed machine, the horizontal wheel R
will be diven round The 1otary motion of the wheel R thus produced will
cause the cams Y to travel round the cucle upon the faces of the segmental
platforms Q, and as the cams roll onwards, then excentric surfaces, that is, the
larger radius of each cam Y, coming upon the segmental pieces severally,
will at such times depress the segment piece so acted upon, and cause the
rod k connected theicto with its piston 6 to be depressed in the cylinder D for

page_text: t
the purpose of expelling the water, the three cams Y acting simultaneously
upon those of the segmental platforms Hence, at this tune the water
expressed from the three cylinders D, D, D, will in the absence of the cams
from the other thicc segmental platforms, cause the increased volume of water
in the three cylinders D, D, D, to raise the segmental platforms connected
to their pistons, when they will assume their clevated positions By these
means the travelling of the cams 1ound the circle of segmental platforms will
successively depress the platform and then pistons in the cylinders D and D',
and produce that recipiocal action of the water upon the pistons in the working
cylinders L and M which keeps the machinery in motion, as described in
reference to the first construction Now, the power of this engine is obtained
by weighting the rotary cams, so as to cause the cams to press with gicat foice
upon the segmental platforms, which, through the agency of the non-elastic
fluid in the cylinders, communicate the power to the rotary cam shaft, and
this weighting of the cams is effected in the latter modification of my Inven-
tion by the resistance of water or other non-clastic fluid confined in the
cylinder o vessel C at top. The piston a in the cylindrical vessel C is
afhxed to a stem r, which has descending arms s, s, connected to a ning t, t.
This ng tis maintained in its position by small aims u, u, inserted into
grooves in the standards B, B, and the under surface of the ring bears upon
antifriction rollers v, v, upon the radial axles 6, 7, that carry the cams. As the
laige adius of each cam Y comes into operation upon one of the segniental
platforms Q, the radial axle with its cam is prevented from sing by the
resistance of the non-elastic fluid in the cylindrical vessel C, above which
resistance is communicated through the piston a, the aims s, s, and the ring t,
the under surface of the ing beating upon the periphery of the anti-friction
1oller v, upon the axle of the cam. Hence the only part of the apparatus
which can give way to the pressure produced by the larger radius of the cam
coming into action upon the segment Q is the piston 6 below, to which the
seginent Q is connected, and the piston being thus depressed in the cylinder
D, the water is expelled therefrom into the upper part of the working cylinder,
as before described, and when the cain Y has rolled off the one segmental
platform on to the next segmental platform, the piston in the cylinder D then
is depressed, and the water flowing back again acts in the opposite direction in
the lower part of the working cylinder, and so on alternately, thus keeping the
crank shaft in a continuous rotary motion, which, by the powerful resistance of
the non-clastic fluid in the vessel C, may be made to exert an unlimited diving
power, restrained only within the limits of the strength of materials of which
the engine is constructed
b

page_text: Having now described the parts and operations of my improved means of
obtaining motive power, I would remark that
I would remark that although I prefer to employ
hydraulic apparatus to obtain the pressure desned, I do not confine myself
thereto, as it will be evident that if like pressure be obtained to the cam shaft
by other means than what is shewn in the Diawings, a like result would be
obtained in the working of the engine
And I would further remark that the pinciple point in my Invention is,
that the cam shaft shall be alternately but continuously (so long as the engine
is allowed to work) giving its force or pressure to depress and raise the large
pistons 6 and 6, Figures 1, 2, and 3, and 6 in Figures 4 and 5, and thereby
work all the parts of the engine, and communicate motion to machinery without
the small pistons f, g, in Figures 1, 2, and 3, or a in Figures 4 and 5, or the
cam shaft descending from then positions
It will therefore be seen that a principle heretofore not used in any engine
or machinery is brought into action in my engine, that is to say, a pressure,
weight, or force is pressing or acting ou a mechanical agent, the mechanical
agent moving through a predetermined space, thereby giving motion and
power to keep my engine in motion, and so as to actuate machinery, the
pressure, weight, or force acting to produce this result not being required to
pass through space, and it is the combining of machinery so as to apply such
principle, and thereby to obtam motive power, which constitutes my Invention.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Eaton, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and forty-seven.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the same Seventeenth day of May,
in the year above mentioned, the aforesaid William Eaton came before our
Lady the Queen in 1er Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification afore-
said, 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 in that case made and provided
Inrolled the same Seventeenth day of May, in the year above written.