A NEW METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING AND CAUSING FORCE TO ACT ON A BODY OR BODIES FOR THE PURPOSE OF PERFORMING MECHANICAL WORK, AND ALSO FOR OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1871

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by George Wilson at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 14th
November 1871.
I, GEORGE WILSON, of No. 22, Parliament Street, in the City of
Westminster, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "A NEW METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING AND CAUSING
FORCE TO ACT ON A BODY OR BODIES FOR THE PURPOSE OF PERFORMING MECHANICAL
WORK, AND ALSO FOR OTHER PURPOSES," to be as follows:-
-
My Invention consists of a new method and apparatus by means of
which the force of unbalanced atmospheric pressure is produced and
caused to act on a body or bodies, in causing an inelastic fluid (such, for
example, as water or mercury) under pressure to be formed into a
compact and solid rectangular or other shaped stream or streams, each
of which stream of inelastic fluid so formed, and being of a sufficient
thickness or depth, is caused to flow along what I term a vacuum
channel, or along vacuum channels in succession, each of which vacuum
channels has steps, cavities, or indents made in what I term the surface

page_text: of its bottom part in such a manner that that stream of inelastic fluid
in flowing with a sufficient momentum or moving force along that
surface and over those steps, cavities, or indents made in it, will cause
by its inductive action and momentum or moving force vacuous or
partial vacuous spaces to exist at intervals between its inner or under
side and that surface of the bottom part of that vacuum channel,
inasmuch as the air is fully or partially exhausted out of those spaces
at intervals last mentioned, by the inductive action, and (the atmosphere
being allowed to act freely on the outer side of that stream of inelastic
fluid) the acting force of the atmospheric pressure is sustained over
or above them by the momentum or moving force of that stream of
inelastic fluid, and the air of the atmosphere being absolutely excluded
from obtaining access at the lateral sides of that stream of inelastic fluid
to those vacuous or partial vacuous spaces at intervals, or to those
partial vacuous spaces at intervals if the air of the atmosphere be
partially and not absolutely excluded as aforesaid, as the case may be,
consequently the force of unbalanced atmospheric pressure is produced
and caused to act on that vacuum channel at intervals of spaces on the
outside, underneath, or behind that surface of its bottom part, or on the
body or bodies to which the same may be closely fixed on superficial
areas of surface equal to and corresponding with the superficial areas of
those parts of that surface of the bottom part of that vacuum channel,
over or above which those vacuous or partial vacuous spaces are caused
to exist at intervals. The intensity and magnitude of the force of
unbalanced atmospheric pressure thus produced and caused to act on
each vacuum channel, or on the body or bodies to which the vacuum
channel may be closely fixed in the manner aforesaid, depend, as regards
that intensity, upon the degrees of vacuum effected in those spaces at
intervals, which are caused to exist between that surface of the bottom
part of that vacuum channel and the inner or under side of that stream
of inelastic fluid; and as regards that magnitude upon that intensity,
and also upon the length of that vacuum channel along which that
stream of inelastic fluid is caused to flow and effect the greatest
amount of superficial areas of vacuous or partial vacuous spaces on that
surface of the bottom part of that vacuum channel which is possible,
before the energy, compactness, and solidity of that stream of inelastic
fluid are sufficiently impaired by friction and disturbances.

page_text: act as herein-before described, on one vacuum channel, or on any desired
number of vacuum channels, or on the body or bodies to which the
vacuum channel or vacuum channels may be closely fixed, in the
manner aforesaid, for the purpose of performing mechanical work, as
understood to mean moving bodies through space against resistances,
and also for other purposes, particularly in the performing of mechanical
work in propelling bodies on the ground and on or through water,'
and also for the purpose of raising bodies from contact with the
ground and water and propelling the same or other bodies in or through
the atmosphere.
In the application of my said Invention for that last-mentioned
purpose I term the mass "an aerial," and when I herein-after use that
term, I mean the application of my said Invention for that last-men-
tioned purpose.
When desirable, I utilize the remaining energy of each stream of
inelastic fluid after flowing along its vacuum channel or vacuum
channels, among other purposes, as an auxiliary power in reforcing the
inelastic fluid along the vacuum channel or vacuum channels, by which
the same magnitude of the force of unbalanced atmospheric pressure is
produced and caused to act in the manner herein-before described with a
less expenditure of the power of the prime mover used.
In order that my said Invention may be clearly understood, I will
now give a general illustration of the same, shewing an arrangement
applicable for an aerial.
Referring to the Drawing hereunto annexed, Figure 1 shows a portion
of the longitudinal sections along two vacuum channels.
R is a
receiver into which the inelastic fluid water is forced to and main-
tained at the desired constant pressure, under which the water is caused
to issue with the necessary and required momentum. E, E, are two
nozzles connecting the receiver R with the vacuum channels, formed in
such a manner so as to cause the water under pressure to issue in two
compact and solid streams respectively out of their mouths A, A, and
flow along the surfaces of the bottom parts of the vacuum channels P, P,
and P¹, P', as shewn colored blue, over steps (in this illustration) made
in those surfaces. Each of those streams of water being of the desired
width and necessary depth or thickness, issues out of its nozzle E in a
direction parallel to the flat parts of those steps (if the same be not

page_text: formed waved) and by its inductive action exhausts the air fully or
partially from between its inner or under side and flat part of the first
step of the surface of the bottom part of the vacuum channel; con-
sequently the force of the atmospheric pressure acting freely on the
upper and outer side of that stream of water and also gravity in this
case will deviate and cause that stream of water to come in contact with
the flat part of that step, as at b, at a small acute angle. That stream
of water then flows along the flat part of that first step for a short
distance and off the same, and by its inductive action exhausts the air
fully or partially from between its inner or under side and flat part
of the second step, and is deviated by the force of the acting atmospheric
pressure, and also by gravity to the flat part of that second step, as at c,
in the manner aforesaid for that first step, and so on in a similar manner
for any number of steps, until the energy, compactness, and solidity of
that stream of water are sufficiently impaired by friction and disturb-
ances, thus causing vacuous or partial vacuous spaces at intervals
x, . . . . . x, to exist between the inner or under side of that stream of
water and the surface of the bottom part of that vacuum channel,
inasmuch, as aforesaid, the air is fully or partially exhausted out of
those spaces x, . . . . x, by the inductive action, and the force of the
atmospheric pressure acting over or above them is sustained by the
momentum of that stream of water; consequently the force of un-
balanced atmospheric pressure is produced and caused to act at intervals
on the outside and underneath that surface of the bottom part of that
vacuum channel, or on the body or bodies to which the same may be
closely fixed (as for example, to girders, for obtaining the necessary
rigidity and strength to resist the strains), as shewn in direction by the
arrows v, . . . . v, and that produced acting force of atmospheric pressure
will move or tend to move the mass in that same direction.
The reacting forces of those streams of water issuing out of that
receiver and each nozzle E will be equal in intensities and opposite in
the same straight line, therefore those forces will be neutralized and
have no effect in moving or tending to move the mass.
The intensities of the force of unbalanced atmospheric pressure pro-
duced and caused to act, as herein-before described, in the direction of
the arrows v,
v, depend upon the degrees of vacuum effected in
those spaces at intervals x,
x. For example, if full vacuums be
effected in any of them that intensity under such would be. 15 lbs. on
..

page_text: the square inch or whatever may be the atmospheric pressure at the
time, and if the degree of vacuum effected in any of them be equal to
half a full vacuum that intensity under such would be half the atmo-
spheric pressure, or 7lbs. on the square inch, and so on for any other
degree of vacuum effected in any of them, and that intensity or inten-
sities, whatever it or they may be, would be the intensity or intensities
of the acting force produced in moving or tending to move the mass,
less, however, the necessary deductions due to each of those streams of
water striking or gliding against the surface of the bottom part of its
The
vacuum channel at small acute angles after each deviation.
distance through which each of those streams of water is deviated each
time, or the height which each of those steps is made, is by preference
small, in order that that stream of water may be caused to flow by
preference with a moderate instead of with a great momentum (by
which the power of the prime mover is economized) and to come in
contact with the surface of the bottom part of its vacuum channel after
each deviation at a small acute angle, by which its reacting forces
against the surface of the bottom part of its vacuum channel will be of
small magnitude, and its compactness and solidity will be disturbed and
broken up as little as possible; and thus that stream of water will flow
along its vacuum channel or vacuum channels of the greatest possible
length or lengths, and effect the greatest possible superficial areas of
vacuous or partial vacuous spaces on the surface or surfaces of the
bottom part or parts of its vacuum channel or vacuum channels, before
its energy, compactness, and solidity are sufficiently impaired by friction
and disturbances.
....
When the mass is moving by the action of that produced force of
unbalanced atmospheric pressure in the direction of the arrows v, . .0,
the force of the atmospheric pressure sustained by the momentum of
each of those streams of water over or above those vacuous or partial
vacuous spaces x, . . . . x, is not forced back, the air being merely dis-
placed; consequently, whether the mass be stationary or moving at a
slow velocity, the quantity of mechanical work performed by the prime
mover is practically the same, and is nearly equal to the quantity of
3 mechanical work performed in forcing the water through the nozzles
E, E, along those vacuum channels when the mass is not moving, inas-
much as the force required in displacing the air of the atmosphere in
moving bodies of small bulk and surface, though it is practically of no
appreciable importance at slow velocities.

page_text: Those two streams of water after flowing along their respective
vacuum channel or vacuum channels may be deviated in such a manner
so as to neutralize their reacting forces as much as possible, and the
remaining energy of them utilized, among other purposes, as an auxiliary
power, by means of a turbine or other suitable wheel or wheels working
either an auxiliary pump or pumps, or in connection with the prime
mover, the pump or pumps used for the purpose of forcing and reforcing
the water along the vacuum channels.
The momentum of each of those streams of water may be caused to
be sufficiently great, and the distance of deviation at each step made
sufficiently small, until each stream of water can be caused to flow along
its vacuum channel, having the surface of its bottom part made flat,
smooth, and even, with cavities or indents made in it at intervals in
place of steps, over or above which cavities or indents vacuous or partial
vacuous spaces can be caused to exist by the inductive action and
momentum of that stream of water flowing along that vacuum channel
over those cavities or indents, thus producing and causing the force of
unbalanced atmospheric pressure to act, as in the case of the steps, on
the outside and underneath that surface of the bottom part of that
vacuum channel, or on the body or bodies to which the same may be
closely fixed on superficial areas of spaces, at intervals equal to and
corresponding with the superficial areas of those cavities or indents over
or above which those vacuous or partial vacuous spaces are caused to
exist, providing, on the one hand, that each cavity or indent is shaped in
such a manner and made sufficiently narrow in the direction of the flow
of that stream of water, so that the same will flow over each cavity or
indent, and be deviated by the acting force of the atmospheric pressure,
and also by gravity in this case through such a small distance as will
not greatly impair its energy and destroy its compactness and solidity
in coming in contact with and striking against the edges or inclined
surfaces of each cavity or indent; and on the other hand, that each
cavity or indent is not made so small in superficial area in the surface of
the bottom part of that vacuum channel, and narrow in the direction of
the flow of that stream of water, so as to greatly prevent the proper
deviation of the same in flowing over that cavity or indent, which is due
to the action of the force of the atmospheric pressure, and also to
gravity in this case, by reason of the resistances or friction of the
particles of that stream of water among themselves, or from other
disturbing causes.

page_text: In any case, whether steps, cavities, or indents are made in the surface
of the bottom part of each vacuum channel, the distance between the
inner or under side of the stream of inelastic fluid flowing along the
same, and that part of the surface of each step or bottom part of each
cavity or indent over or above which the vacuous or partial vacuous
space of the air is effected, ought not to be so minute as to prevent a
clean practical separation from being effected between that part last
mentioned and the particles of the inner or under side of that stream of
inelastic fluid. The height of each step may however be made as
minute as may be desired in sinking that part of its surface over or
above which the vacuous or partial vacuous space is effected, so as to
separate the same a sufficient distance from the particles of the inner
or under side of that stream of inelastic fluid, which, if the height of
each step be made minute, would be practically the same as making a
cavity or indent, although that arrangement in reality is a combination
of a step and cavity or indent.