IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS AND APPARATUS FOR UTILIZING THE FORCE OF THE WAVES
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Francis Ellershausen, of Ellershouse, Nova Scotia,
but at present of No. 20, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE MEANS AND APPARATUS FOR UTILIZING THE FORCE OF THE WAVES."
Sealed the 4th March 1870, and dated the 7th September 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Francis Ellershausen
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 7th September 1869.
I, FRANCIS ELLERSHAUSEN, of Ellershouse, Nova Scotia, but at
present of No. 20, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS AND APPARATUS FOR UTILIZING THE FORCE OF
THE WAVES," to be as follows:-
It is well known that when water or other fluids are forced into a
cylinder or chamber from which the water can escape only through a
small orifice it will be ejected from such orifice with a comparatively
great velocity, the relative velocities of the water passing through the

page_text: orifice and of that in the chamber being in fact in inverse proportion to
the relative sectional areas of such orifice and of the chamber.
Now my present Invention has for its object to apply this principle of
action to the utilization of the force, momentum, or vis viva contained
in the waves of the ocean or other large body of water; it consists in
forcing such waves to raise their own body or another body of water to
a considerable height by causing them to enter the open end of a
chamber, funnel, or spout, from which chamber the water so forced in
can only escape during the influx of the wave through a comparatively
small orifice leading if necessary into a tube, through which the water
is conducted to wherever required. The arrangement, form, and mode
of applying such "wave elevator," as I term it, may be variously
modified according to different circumstances; thus I prefer to make the
chamber of a funnel or trumpet mouth shape, and I arrange, if necessary,
several such chambers to communicate with one single exit, orifice, or
pipe, which may or may not be provided with stop back valves; or such
chamber may be fitted with a piston, which in being forced forward by
the force of the waves drives out a body of water through the small
orifice, such body of water having previously entered the chamber behind
the piston through one or more lateral openings provided with valves.
The exit opening or pipe may, if necessary, conduct the water into an
elevated reservoir, where it may be made available for producing motive
power or a current of water or jets of water for ornamental purposes;
or the jet of water rising from the pipe of the "wave elevator" may itself
be employed simply as a fountain.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Francis Ellershausen in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 5th March 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, FRANCIS
ELLERSHAUEN, of Ellershouse, Nova Scotia, but at present of No. 20, 3
Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of September, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the thirty- a

page_text: third year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Francis Ellershausen, Her special licence
that I, the said Francis Ellershausen, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Francis Ellershausen, 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 Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN-
THE MEANS AND APPARATUS FOR UTILIZING THE FORCE OF THE WAVES," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Francis Ellershausen,
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 Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and im-
mediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Francis Ellershausen, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement thereof, reference being had to the accom-
panying Sheet of Drawings, and to the figures and letters marked
thereon, that is to say :-
It is well known that when water or other fluids are forced into a
cylinder or chamber from which the water can escape only through a
small orifice it will be ejected from such orifice with a comparatively
great velocity, the relative velocities of the water passing through the
orifice and of that in the chamber being in fact in inverse proportion to
the relative sectional areas of such orifice and of the chamber.
Now my present Invention has for its object to apply this principle
of action to the utilization of the force, momentum, or vis viva contained
in the waves of the ocean or other large body of water; it consists in
forcing such waves to raise their own body or another body of water to
a considerable height by causing them to enter the open end of a
chamber, funnel, or spout, from which chamber the water so forced in can
only escape during the influx of the wave through a comparatively
small orifice leading if necessary into a tube, through which the water
is conducted to wherever required. The arrangement, form, and mode

page_text: of applying such "wave elevator," as I term it, may be variously
modified according to different circumstances; thus I prefer to make the
chamber of a funnel or trumpet mouthed shape, and I arrange, if necessary,
several such chambers to communicate with one single exit, orifice, or
pipe, which may or may not be provided with stop back valves; or such
chamber may be fitted with a piston, which on being forced forward by the
force of the waves drives out a body of water through the small orifice,
such body of water having previously entered the chamber behind the
piston through one or more lateral openings provided with valves. The
exit opening or pipe may, if necessary, conduct the water into an elevated
reservoir, where it may be made available for producing motive power
or a current of water or jets of water for ornamental purposes, or the
jet of water rising from the pipe of the "wave elevator." may itself be
employed simply as a fountain.
Figures 1 and 2 on the accompanying Drawing shew respectively a
longitudinal section and a plan of one of the various arrangements of
apparatus by means of which. my Invention may be carried into
practice.
A is a strong funnel-shaped chamber opening towards the sea, and
secured firmly to the foundation B. The small end of the chamber has
an aperture a communicating with the vertical pipe C, in which is
formed a valve chamber D containing a stop back valve Ę for preventing
the water that has once passed into the pipe from passing back again.
The chamber A being by preference fixed below low water line and being
full of water, it will be seen that on the advance of a wave the force,
momentum, or vis viva of the latter will cause the water contained in
the chamber to be forced out through the small aperture a thereof into
the pipe C, such propelling of the water being effected at a velocity
which is greater than that at which the wave enters the chamber in
about the same proportion as the area of the inlet aperture of the
chamber is greater than that of the outlet aperture. The water will
consequently be raised in the pipe to a height due to such velocity, and
it may there be either stored in a reservoir to be utilized as a head of
water, or it may be otherwise made use of as herein-before mentioned.
If desired two or more of the chambers A arranged in different positions
may be connected to one and the same vertical pipe, as indicated in
dotted lines in Figure 2.

page_text: manner the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that
I in no way limit myself to the arrangement of apparatus herein-before
described with reference to the accompanying Drawing, as this only
serves by way of example as one of the numerous ways in which my
Invention may be carried into effect; but what I claim is,-
First. Utilizing the force of the waves by causing them to enter a
chamber, funnel, or spout, and to propel the water contained therein
through a comparatively small opening, thereby raising such water to a
considerable height, substantially as set forth.
Second. Constructing apparatus for utilizing the force of the waves
consisting of a chamber, funnel, or spout having a large aperture into
which the waves enter, and a comparatively small aperture through
which the water inside the chamber is forced out, and which small
aperture is in communication with a pipe or conduit for conducting the
water to wherever required, substantially as set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Francis Ellershausen, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Second day of March, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy.
F. ELLERSHAUSEN. (L.S.)