IMPROVEMENTS IN OBTAINING MOTIVE POWER
Year: 1876

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Joseph Durham Erskine Huddart at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 23rd August 1876.
JOSEPH DURHAM ERSKINE HUDDART, of Anerley. "IMPROVEMENTS IN OBTAINING
MOTIVE POWER."
This Invention has for its object the lifting of various kinds of weights, chiefly
those of clockwork and other sunilar machinery by means of atmospheric pressure
and heat, which I propose to utilize by availing myself of any variation, however
slight, either in the pressure or temperature of the atmosphere. For this purpose I
construct an air cylinder of any suitable shape, or instead thereof I may use a
column of mercury or a vacuum chamber, and on one side thereof in a suitable
position I provide a piston rod or other suitable contrivance working in any
suitable manner, which rod I connect to an endless band passing over any suitable
pulleys; such pulleys are connected to a ratchet wheel fixed in suitable bearings,
which wheel gear into ratchet teeth formed on the upper end of a second piston
and rod; this second piston and rod is the main governor or motor of the machine,
and its base is attached to a piston placed at the top of the air cylinder first
described.
.
When the pressure of the atmosphere is at a maximum, say, 15 lbs. to the square
inch the main piston is depressed to the lowest point, but upon the slightest
variation the spindle revolves, and thereby raises any fluid, such as mercury or
water to a reservoir provided for its reception. By this means I accumulate a store
of motive power, which I am enabled to use continuously or otherwise, as occasion
may require, and in order to obviate the disadvantages arising from the intermittent
nature of the motive power thus obtained I propose to proceed as follows:-I
provide a suitable helical tube having a spindle passing through its centre, such
spindle being inclined at a suitable angle, and connected with the ratchet wheel
attached to the main piston, and upon the slightest variation of such piston the
air contained in the interior of the air cylinder expands, and thus imparts motion to
the ratchet wheel, which then works the truncated pulleys to which the weights
required to be lifted are attached, when such weights are at once caused to rise.
In order to counteract the tendency of the air piston to rise at every slight
pressure, and to control its action until the maximum atmospheric pressure is
Drinn 971

page_text: obtained, I provide a case similar to that of an aneroid barometer, and to its upper
surface I attach a rod jointed to a metal brace, having a suitable slot therein to
permit of a pin taking into it, such pin is fixed to a metal arm, which is attached
by means of a pivot to a suitable bearing, the lower end of which arm gears into
the teeth of a cog wheel, which is fixed on the same axle as the ratchet wheel :
before described. By this means the piston is arrested in its motion until the
atmospheric pressure has attained its minimum, and is about to increase, thus
avoiding any unnecessary and useless expenditure of the motive-power before
described.
The amount of motive power to be obtained from the atmospheric pressure may 1
at any time be easily approximately ascertained from an ordinary barometer chart.
In order to ensure the ratchet teeth formed on the top of the main piston rod
gearing with the ratchet wheel, when such piston rod ascends to the requisite
height I provide a roller fixed in suitable bearings, and which is pressed forward
by any suitable spring against the main piston rod, and so keeps it in position.
1