A NEW METHOD FOR OBTAINING MOTIVE POWER BY ROTATION
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Johann Ernst Friedrich. Lüdeke, of No. 96, New
Cross Road, New Cross, in the County of Surrey, Gentleman, for
the Invention of "A NEW METHOD FOR OBTAINING MOTIVE POWER BY
ROTATION."
Sealed the 4th August 1871, and dated the 2nd May 1871.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Johann Ernst Friedrich
Lüdeke at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 2nd May 1871.
I, JOHANN ERNST FRIEDRICH LÜDEKE, of No. 96, New Cross Road,
New Cross, in the County of Surrey, Gentleman, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "A NEW METHOD FOR OBTAINING MOTIVE
POWER BY ROTATION," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to certain improvements in the means and
apparatus for obtaining motive power by rotation.
I propose to arrange on standards, framing, or foundations within
suitable bearings supported thereon a vertical tubular shaft to which is
fixed or keyed a horizontal plate or disc of metal or other suitable

page_text: material and of such thickness as may be necessary; this plate or disc
is perforated or bored with two or more radial or curvilinear channels or
grooves, forming conduits from a central aperture in the plate or disc
to its periphery. Near the periphery of the plate or disc, say at one,
two, or more parts, spaces are made or allowed for the reception of
toothed or paddle wheels, which may be made to gear or otherwise, some
of which are connected by their pivots or shafts to horizontal toothed
wheels beneath the plate or disc, such toothed wheels running in the
teeth of a horizontal toothed wheel which is fixed in a stationary position
on the bearing of the hollow shaft so that the rotation of the toothed or
paddle wheels is communicated to the main shaft and they revolve with
the plate or disc round the fixed toothed wheel; to this plate or disc
I apply a cover fitting tight, on the periphery or extremity of which are
two or more curved openings.
Or I propose to make use of a base plate or disc having a rim or flange
the interior of which is filled up with solid segments, leaving only spaces
between them for the channels or grooves and also for the toothed or
paddle wheels as may be required, and the same having a cover also
fitting tight with curved openings on the extremity or periphery. This
I term the centrifugal plate or disc.
.
On the top of the above I propose to place a thinner horizontal plate
or disc fixed to a solid vertical shaft which passes through the vertical
hollow shaft above referred to, on the top of which are placed one,
two, or more semicircular, cycloidal, epicycloidal, or differential curved
vertical plates as may be required extending from the periphery to, at,
or near the centre, in which there are openings or a well communicating
with the centrifugal plate or disc, on the periphery are also one, two, or
more openings. This I term the centripetal plate or disc. To the lower
part of the vertical shafts I apply or adjust pinions and toothed wheels
so as to connect the various parts of the apparatus and also to transfer
and regulate the power from the plates or discs to the vertical shafts,
on which may be placed a pulley for the purpose of communicating
motion to other machinery. It is essential however that the top plate
or disc, which I term the centripetal, should be in a slower speed than
the centrifugal one, consequently some of the gearing of the pinions
and wheels will be arranged for this purpose.
The apparatus being thus constructed as above mercury or other fluid
is put into an opening at or near the centre of the centrifugal plate or

page_text: disc made for that purpose, and by a slight motion being given to the
machine or apparatus the mercury or fluid will in obedience to centri-
fugal motion pass through the radial or curvilincar channels or grooves
and be pressed against the toothed or paddle wheels in the interior of
the centrifugal plate or disc and cause them to rotate, passing or flying
off through the openings on the extremity or periphery, and so be caught
or taken up through the openings of the centripetal plate or disc by the
semicircular, cycloidal, epicycloidal, or differential curves constructed
so as to receive it, and against which it will press on their outer
extremities, gradually being carried to the centre, causing the centripetal
wheel to revolve or rotate, it then falls through the opening and
openings and is again taken up by the centrifugal plate or disc.
By these arrangements I effect a combined rotating motion, first by
centrifugal power, and secondly by centripetal force, storing up and
utilizing the first to effect the second, which being inducted to the
centre is capable of resumption of power by centrifugal action, and so on
ad infinitum.
In lieu of mercury or fluids I may employ spheres of metal or other
substances capable of easy rotation or revolution, this depending on the
dimensions or purposes of the machine, for inasmuch as mercury or
liquids of small component particles or atoms would be applicable to
small as well as large machines, a substitute for large machines might
consist of solid bodies and fluids combined..
The principle of the Invention will thus be rendered clear, but it is
evident that many modifications may be made in the construction and
arrangement of the perforated radial or curvilinear channels or grooves
and also the toothed and paddle wheels. The grooves, channels, or
conduits instead of being bored or formed in a casting may be made in
sections or divisions, in fact the disc may be made in segments and
bolted together, but it is unnecessary to define such constructions more
particularly, as experience will suggest the best forms in accordance with
the limits of the machine and the purposes and power required.
I have described the above apparatus, that is, the plates or discs, as
being set horizontally, but the same may be placed vertically or in any
other position if so required.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Johann Ernst Friedrich Lüdeke in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 2nd November 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHANN
ERNST FRIEDRICH LÜDEKE, of No. 96, New Cross Road, New Cross, in
the County of Surrey, Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Second day of May, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the thirty-
fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors," ]
give and grant unto me, the said Johann Ernst Friedrich Lüdeke, Her
special licence that I, the said Johann Ernst Friedrich Lüdeke, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Johann Ernst Friedrich Lüdeke, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to l
time and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed,
should and lawfully might make, usc, exercise, and vend, within the:
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands,
and Isle of Man, an Invention for "A NEW METHOD FOR OBTAINING MOTIVE
POWER BY ROTATION," upon the condition (amongst others), that I, the
said Johann Ernst Friedrich Lüdeke, my executors or administrators,
by an instrument in writing under my, 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 Scal Patent Office within six. :
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters,
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Johann Ernst Friedrich Lüdeke,
do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :—
My Invention relates to certain improvements in the means and
apparatus for obtaining motive power by rotary action.
I propose to arrange on standards, framing, or foundations within
suitable bearings supported thereon a vertical tubular shaft, to which

page_text: is fixed or keyed a horizontal plate or disc of metal or other suitable
material, and of such thickness as may be necessary. This plate or
disc is perforated or bored with two or more radial or curvilinear
channels or grooves, forming conduits from a central aperture in the
.plate or disc to its periphery. Near the periphery of the plate or disc,
say at one, two, or more parts, spaces are made or allowed for the
reception of toothed or paddle wheels, which may be made to gear or
otherwise, some of which are connected by their pivots or shafts to
horizontal toothed wheels beneath the plate or disc, such toothed wheels
running in the teeth of a horizontal toothed wheel which is fixed in
a stationary position on the bearing of the hollow shaft, so that the
rotation of the toothed or paddle wheels is communicated to the main
shaft, and they revolve with the plate or disc round the fixed toothed
wheel; to this plate or disc I apply a cover fitting tight, on the periphery
or extremity of which are two or more curved openings.
Or I propose to make use of a base plate or disc having a rim or
flange, the interior of which is filled up with solid segments, leaving
only spaces between them for the channels or grooves and also for the
toothed or paddle wheels as may be required, and the same having a
cover also fitting tight with curved openings on the extremity or
periphery. This I term the centrifugal plate or disc.
On the top of the above I propose to place a thinner horizontal plate
or disc fixed to a solid vertical shaft, which passes through the vertical
hollow shaft above referred to, on the top of which are placed one,
two, or more semicircular cycloidal, epicycloidal, or differential curved
vertical plates as may be required extending from the periphery to, at, or
near the centre in which there are openings or a well communicating with
the centrifugal plate or disc. On the periphery are also one, two, or
more openings. This I term the centripetal plate or disc. To the
lower part of the vertical shafts I apply or adjust pinions and toothed
wheels, so as to connect the various parts of the apparatus and also
to transfer and regulate the power from the plates or discs to the vertical
shafts, on which may be placed a pulley for the purpose of communi-
cating motion to other machinery. It is essential, however, that the
top plate or disc, which I term the centripetal, should be in a slower
speed than the centrifugal one, consequently some of the gearing of the
pinions and wheels will be arranged for this purpose.

page_text: I have described the above apparatus, that is, the plates or dises, as
being set horizontally, but the same may be placed vertically or in any
other position if so required.
In order that my said Invention may be completely understood I
annex the accompanying Drawings, in which Fig. 1 represents an
elevation of the best example of machine with which I am acquainted;
Fig. 2 being a vertical section of the same; Fig. 3 being a top plan
view; Fig. 4 an under plan view, part of Fig. 3 removed; Figs. 5,
6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 being separate views of portions of the machine,
all defined by the same letters of reference.
.
In Figs. 1 and 2, a, a, shew the standards or pillars set on base
plates or foundations, and secured thereto by screws or other fastenings;
b, b, shew the top girders or tie pieces, in which the main shaft c of
the machine takes its bearing, regulated by the set screw d; e is the
pan or receptacle set on the vertical shaft r; fis the cup into which the
mercury or fluid is poured, whence it flows to the paddle wheel g; and
thus by centrifugal force being carried to the periphery of the pan or
disc, is again caught up by the channels h, as shewn in Figs. 3 and 6,
and reconveyed by centripetal motion to the centre of the machine
or cup. The rotation of the pan or disc e actuates the toothed wheel i
gearing with the fixed pinion j surrounding the shafts c and r, whereby
motion is communicated. K is a pulley for transferring power to another
machine, but a drum may be used or any other convenient equivalent
appliance. This pulley may be set at any desired position on the shaft
by means of the adjusting screw shewn. The screw is for the purpose
of more readily taking to pieces the parts of the machine referred to by
the letters m, n, for the purpose of repairs or cleaning; o and p shew
respectively the toothed wheels in connection with the driving shaft
or axle and the tubular shaft r, the wheel o being set on the hollow
shaft, and p being set on the solid shaft c; these wheels work into
corresponding wheels q, 8, as shewn in Figs. 1 and 2.
In Fig. 3 a plan view of the top of the machine is shewn with
a tripod bearing within the standards, but of course any other form of
bearing will answer, whether. composed of four, five, or other number
of arms.
In Fig. 4 the paddle wheel is shewn.

page_text: machines, all substantially as and for the purposes herein specified and
shewn by the Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Johann Ernst Friedrich Lüdeke,
have hereunto set my hand and seal, this First day of November,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
n e.
Witness,
A. J. Thorman,
8, Lime Street,
London.
J. E. F. LÜDEKE. (L.S.)