IMPROVEMENTS IN HYDROSTATIC ENGINES
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Burrowes Willcocks Arthur Sleigh, of Langham
Place, Portland Place, in the County of Middlesex, a retired
Lieutenant-Colonel in Her Majesty's Colonial Service, and formerly
of the 77th Regiment of Foot, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN HYDROSTATIC ENGINES."
Sealed the 28th August 1868, and dated the 3rd March 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Burrowes Willcocks
Arthur Sleigh at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with his Petition, on the 3rd March 1868.
I, BURROWES WILLCOCKS ARTHUR SLEIGH, of Langham Place, Portland
Place, in the County of Middlesex, a retired Lieutenant-Colonel in Her
Majesty's Colonial Service, and formerly of the 77th Regiment of Foot,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
HYDROSTATIC ENGINES," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to improvements on an Invention for which
Letters Patent were granted to me on the 23rd day of September 1864
(No. 2335), and consists in an improved mode of applying the augmen-
tation of hydrostatic pressure, whereby a rotatory motion is obtained,

page_text: by means of which all manner of machinery may be driven, worked,
and propelled.
The improvements in my hydrostatic engine consist in retaining but
one series of hydrostatic rams and pump plungers, the pressure of the
former delivered direct upon cams keyed on a main driving shaft without
any intermediate intervention of levers, and the after driving initiatory
power being applied to the pump plungers by direct strokes, removing
all necessity for the use of four-throw cranks, grooved wheels, levers,
bell cranks, vertical and forked levers, forked connecting rods, centre fly
wheels, glass cups with self-acting valves, hanging brackets, crossheads,
slotted lugs. The hydraulic element used to generate, produce, and aid
in communicating the augmentation of hydrostatic pressure, having
performed this office by pressing upon the rams which drive onwards
the acquired increase of power passes out and backwards from the ram
cylinders, which become emptied by the pistons of the rams driving
them to the bottoms or ends of their chambers or cylinders into the
cylinders of the pump plungers ready to be forced and ejected forward
again; nor is a fresh supply of water required, for when once the
cylindrical mechanism of this engine is charged with the required
amount of fluid no further replenishment is necessary, except to make
up for evaporation or leakage, and thereby each series of rams and pump
plungers having delivered their strokes no fresh supply is required from
an outside source, as the bases of the rams and pump plungers are
never while in work removed from contact with the hydraulic element.
There is a bed plate or platform of metal which rests upon and is sup-
ported by a metal frame. The various parts of the engine are bolted
down, and the action is horizontal and forward. In the first place there
are placed upon the platform or bed plate in a horizontal position four
rams, behind which are attached their respective series of pump plungers
and cylinders. The ram and pump plunger cylinders are placed with
spaces between each parallel to each other. In each cylinder duly bored
out for its reception is a ram of metal, and each cylinder is grooved out
at its mouth for the reception of a stuffing box or hydraulic packing,
through which the rams pass outwards in giving their respective strokes
and then retire inwards after delivering the same. The sets of ram
cylinders with their rams face the main driving shaft, which revolves
through plummer boxes or bearings which are cast or bolted upon the
bed plate with caps and metal brasses. Four cams bolted and keyed
on main shaft are set at right angles to each other, and each cam being

page_text: alternately driven its division of a circle the series of cams by their
action complete an entire circle of revolution of shaft. The ends of the
main shaft project at either side of the bed plate, and in rotating work
or drive machinery. The rams are hollowed out to receive connecting
rods which drive direct on the cams of the main shaft, thus conveying
the hydrostatic pressure to rotate the shaft. As the first of the cams
receives its power of propulsion from the first ram it performs a pro-
portionate circle of revolution of the main shaft, and then another ram
moves forward in like manner, and as it does so the first ram begins to
retire into its cylinder. The forward pressure of the second ram drives
its cam its portion of a circle in manner as described of the first ram,
thus causing the second portion of revolution of the main driving shaft,
and completing its portion of the circle of revolution of the shaft, and
the same alternate movement of the third and other rams completes an
entire circle of revolution of the shaft; at the base or ends of the ram
cylinders are the pump plunger cylinders before referred to. The pump
plunger cylinders consist of hollow cylindrical tubes of the necessary
thickness of metal and interior diameter and bore. In these cylinders,
moving through hydraulic stuffing, work in and out the solid metal pump
plungers.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Burrowes Willcocks Arthur Sleigh in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 2nd September 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, BURROWES
WILLCOCKS ARTHUR SLEIGH, of Langham Place, Portland Place, in the
County of Middlesex, a retired Lieutenant-Colonel in Her Majesty's
Colonial Service, and formerly of the 77th Regiment of Foot, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Third day of March, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the thirty-
first year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Burrowes Willcocks Arthur Sleigh, Her
special licence that I, the said Burrowes Willcocks Arthur Sleigh, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said

page_text: Burrowes Willcocks Arthur Sleigh, 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 HYDROSTATIC ENGINES," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Burrowes Willcocks
Arthur Sleigh, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and scals, 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 immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Burrowes Willcocks Arthur Sleigh,
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, that is to say :-
This Invention relates to improvements on an Invention for which
Letters Patent were granted to me on the 23rd day of September 1864
(No. 2335), and consists in an improved mode of applying the augmen-
tation of hydrostatic pressure whereby a rotatory motion is obtained, by
means of which all manner of machinery may be driven, worked,
and propelled.
The improvements in my hydrostatic engine consist in retaining but
one front series of hydrostatic rams and pump plungers, the pressure
of the former delivered direct upon cams keyed on a main driving
shaft without any intermediate intervention of levers and the after
driving initiatory power being applied to the pump plungers by direct
strokes, removing all necessity for the use of four-throw cranks,
grooved bands, and straps wheels, levers, bell cranks, vertical and
forked levers, forked connecting rods, centre fly wheels, glass cups
with self-acting valves, hanging brackets, crossheads, or slotted lugs.
The hydraulic element used to generate, produce, and aid in com-
municating the augmentation of hydrostatic pressure having performed
this office by pressing upon the rams which drive onwards the acquired
increase of power upon the cam shaft passes backwards from the ram
cylinders, which become emptied of the fluid by the rams returning to
the bottoms of their chambers or cylinders, the fluid passing into the

page_text: cylinders of the pump plungers, as the plungers retire the fluid is
ready to be forced and ejected forward again; nor is a fresh supply of
water required, for when once the cylindrical mechanism of this
engine is charged with the required amount of fluid no further
replenishment is necessary except to make up for evaporation or leakage,
and thereby each series of rams and pump plungers having delivered
their strokes no fresh supply is required from an outside source, as
the bases of the rams and pump plungers are never while in work
removed from contact with the hydraulic element. There is a bed
plate or platform of metal which rests upon and is supported by a
metal frame. The various parts of the engine are bolted down, and the
action is horizontal and forward. In the first place there are placed
upon the platform or bed plate in a horizontal position four or more rams,
behind which are attached their respective series of pump plungers and
their cylinders. The ram and pump plunger cylinders are placed with
spaces between each parallel to each other. In each ram cylinder duly
bored out for its reception is a ram of metal, and each cylinder is
grooved out at its mouth for the reception of a stuffing box or hydraulic
packing, through which the rams pass outwards in giving their respective
strokes and then retire inwards after delivering the same. The sets of
ram cylinders with their rams face the main driving cam shaft, which
revolves through plummer boxes or bearings which are cast or bolted
upon the bed plate with caps and metal brasses. Four or more cams are
bolted and keyed on main shaft and are set at right angles to each other,
and each cam being alternately driven its division of a circle the series
of cams by their action complete an entire circle of revolution of shaft.
The ends of the main shaft project at either side of the bed plate and
in rotating work or drive machinery. The rams are hollowed out
to receive connecting rods, which drive direct on the cams of the main
shaft, thus conveying the hydrostatic pressure to rotate the shaft. As
the first of the cams receives its power of propulsion from the rod of
the first ram it performs a proportionate circle of revolution of the
main shaft, and then another ram moves forward in like manner, and
as it does so the first ram begins to retire into its cylinder. The
forward pressure of the second ram drives its cam its portion of a
circle in manner as described of the first ram, thus causing the second
portion of revolution of the main driving shaft, and completing its
portion of the circle of revolution of the shaft, and the same alternate
movement of the third and other rams completes an entire circle of

page_text: revolution of the shaft. At the base or ends of the ram cylinders are the
pump plunger cylinders before referred to. The pump plunger cylinders
consist of hollow cylindrical metal tubes of the necessary thickness of
metal and interior diameter and bore. In these cylinders, moving
through hydraulic stuffing, work in and out the solid metal pump
plungers, which eject the fluid out of their cylinders upon the base of the
To ensure the direct forward pressure of the rods attached to the
rams which press upon the cams the rods have attached underneath to
each one a spiral spring which acts as a guide in keeping said rods in
position. Each ram having delivered its stroke passes inwards, acted
upon by the pressure of a series of springs fixed at the mouth of each
ram, which causes the rams to retire when the pump plungers are with-
drawn which had pressed upon the fluid in their respective cylinders.
In witness whereof, I, the said Burrowes Willcocks Arthur Sleigh,
have hereunto set my hand and seal, this First day of Sep-
tember, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred
and sixty-eight.