IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARratus FOR ORTAINING MOTIVE POWER BY MEANS OF HYDROSTATIC PRESSURE
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Wilkinson, of Louth, in the County of
Lincoln, Mariner, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARratus
FOR ORTAINING MOTIVE POWER BY MEANS OF HYDROSTATIC PRESSURE."

page_text: A hollow horizontal cylinder is placed in a sufficient body of water
contained in a suitable receptacle or reservoir, such cylinder being open
at one end and closed at the other, and having therein a disc capable of
working therein in an air-tight and water-tight manner. The open end
of the cylinder is provided with a collar or flange, by which the disc is
prevented from being ejected during the operation of the apparatus, and
the disc is kept in position by means of feathers or studs, which work in
grooves or guides provided for that purpose in the interior of the cylinder.
An inlet pipe or tube is inserted in or connected with the closed end of
the cylinder, and through which pipe or tube air is forced when desired
into the former for the purpose of actuating the before-mentioned disc,
and thereby elevating the surface of the water, as herein-after mentioned.
The said cylinder is attached by means of chains or other suitable appli-
ances to one end of a lever, which lever is pivoted by preference at the
centre to a shaft attached to the bottom or sides of the receptacle or
reservoir, or descending from above the surface of the water. To the
opposite end of the lever a buoy is attached in a similar manner.
For the purpose of supplying air to the interior of the cylinder, that
is to say to the space or chamber therein between the disc and the closed
end thereof, the following arrangement of apparatus is employed :-
A receiver open at one end is inverted whilst full of air, and the mouth
thereof placed under water contained in a reservoir in close proximity
to the main receptacle or reservoir. The receiver is connected by means
of a tube or pipe arranged in any suitable manner with the air chamber
of the cylinder so as to allow the latter to move freely with the varying
level or height of the water. When the water in the receptacle or
reservoir is at its lowest level the disc is near to the closed end of the
cylinder, thus leaving a small air chamber between the same, whilst the
open end of the cylinder is filled with water.
When it is desired to raise the level of the water contained in the
receptacle or reservoir air is forced through the before-mentioned inlet
tube or pipe into the air chamber by depressing the air reservoir by any
suitable means. By the pressure of the air thus introduced into the air
chamber of the cylinder the disc is forced towards the open end of the
cylinder, thus driving out the water previously contained therein, and 3
thereby causing the level of the water in the receptacle or reservoir to
be elevated, whilst the cylinder which has been lightened by the removal
of the water therefrom and the admission of air thereto will rise with

page_text: the increased height of the water, and thereby raise the end of the
before-mentioned lever to which it is connected and cause a corresponding
depression of the opposite end of the lever to which the buoy is attached,
thereby displacing a portion of the water and elevating the surface
thereof in accordance with the well known laws of hydrostatics. The
size of the buoy is regulated by that of the cylinder, which latter may
be of any suitable dimensions.
The pressure
of air is regulated and an alternate elevation and
depression of the water in the receptacle or reservoir produced by.
mechanical arrangements and appliances, such as are well known and
understood, and the motive power obtained, as herein-before described,
can be used by means which are well known to persons conversant with
such matters to actuate any machinery to which it is applicable.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Wilkinson in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 7th November 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
WILKINSON, of Louth, in the County of Lincoln, Mariner, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the thirty-seventh year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said John Wilkinson, Her special licence that I, the said
John Wilkinson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said John Wilkinson, my 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 King-
dom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man,
an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR OBTAINING MOTIVE POWER
BY MEANS OF HYDROSTATIC PRESSURE," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said John Wilkinson, my executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and scals,

page_text: should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Inven-
tion, 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Wilkinson, 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, that is to say:
My said Invention relates to the construction of improved apparatus
by means of which the surface of a body of water contained in a
receptacle or reservoir can be alternately raised and depressed, the power
obtained by such alternate elevation and depression being applicable
for the actuation of various kinds of machinery, as will be well under-
stood.
A hollow horizontal cylinder is placed in a sufficient body of water
contained in a suitable receptacle or reservoir, such cylinder being open
at one end and closed at the other, and having therein a disc capable of
working therein in an air-tight and water-tight manner. The open end
of the cylinder is provided with a collar or flange, by which the disc is
prevented from being ejected during the operation of the apparatus, and
the disc is kept in position by means of feathers or studs, which work in
grooves or guides provided for that purpose in the interior of the cylinder.
An inlet pipe or tube is inserted in or connected with the closed end of
the cylinder, and through which pipe or tube air is forced when desired
into the former for the purpose of actuating the before-mentioned disc
and thereby elevating the surface of the water, as herein-after mentioned.
The said cylinder is attached by means of chains or other suitable appli-
ances to one end of a lever, which lever is pivoted, by preference at the
centre, to a shaft attached to the bottom or sides of the receptacle or
reservoir, or descending from above the surface of the water. To the
opposite end of the lever a buoy is attached in a similar manner.
:-
For the purpose of supplying air to the interior of the cylinder, that
is to say, to the space or chamber therein between the disc and the closed
end thereof, the following arrangement of apparatus is employed:
A receiver open at one end is inverted whilst full of air, and the mouth
thereof placed under water contained in a reservoir in close proximity to

page_text: the main receptacle or reservoir before mentioned. The receiver is
connected by means of a tube or pipe arranged in any suitable manner
with the air chamber of the cylinder so as to allow the latter to move.
freely with the varying level or height of the water. When the water
in the receptacle or reservoir is at its lowest level the disc is near to the
closed end of the cylinder, thus leaving a small air chamber between the
same. The open end of the cylinder is filled with water.
When it is desired to raise the level of the water contained in the
receptacle or reservoir air is forced through the before-mentioned inlet
tube or pipe into the air chamber by depressing the air reservoir or
receiver by any suitable means. By the pressure of the air thus intro-
duced into the air chamber of the cylinder the disc is forced towards the
open end of the cylinder, thus driving out the water previously contained
therein, and thereby causing the level of the water in the receptacle or
reservoir to be elevated, whilst the cylinder which has been lightened by
the removal or expulsion of the water therefrom and the admission of
air thereto will rise with the increased height of the water, and thereby
raise the end of the before-mentioned lever to which it is connected, and
cause a corresponding depression of the opposite end of the lever to
which the buoy is attached, thereby displacing a portion of the water
and elevating the surface thereof in accordance with the well known
laws of hydrostatics.
As a modification of the arrangements herein-before described, but
coming entirely within the scope of the principles of my said Invention,
two discs may be placed in the cylinder instead of one, the space between
the same constituting the necessary chamber, into which air is forced
either from below or above by means of a suitable tube or pipe. In this
case the discs will respectively be forced upon the admission of air into
the chamber towards the respective ends of the cylinder, similar results
being thereby produced, as herein-before mentioned, in connection with
the use of a single disc.
It is unnecessary to describe the modifications in the mechanical
arrangements which may be necessary in the employment of two discs,
inasmuch as they will be well understood by persons conversant with such
matters.
The size of the buoy must necessarily be regulated by that of the
evlinder. which latter may be of any suitable dimensions.
The pressure

page_text: of air is controlled, and the consequent alternate elevation and depression
of the water in the receptacle or reservoir produced by means of
mechanical arrangements and appliances such as are well known and
understood, and the motive power obtained, as herein-before described,
can be used by means which are well known to persons conversant with
such subjects to actuate any machinery to which it is applicable.
Having thus déclared and ascertained the nature of my said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I would observe in
conclusion that I do not claim the several parts of the before-mentioned
mechanism and apparatus separately and apart from each other as being
of my Invention, but what I consider novel and original, and therefore
claim as constituting the Invention secured to me by the said herein-
before in part recited Letters Patent is, the combination and arrangement
of parts and mechanism, substantially as and for the purposes herein-
before set forth and described, or any mere modifications thereof.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Wilkinson, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Seventh day of November, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
four.