CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN OBTAINING MOTIVE POWER, AND IN APPLYING IT TO PROPEL CARRIAGES AND VESSELS. AND TO THE DRIVING OF MACHINERY
Year: 1846

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, 1, Sir JAMES
CALEB ANDERSON, of Buttevant Castle, in the County of Cork, Ireland,
Baronet, send greeting
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty. Queen Victoria, by Hei
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, bearing dato at Westminster, the Twenty-ninth day of
June, in the tenth year of.ller reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and succes-
sors, give and grant unto me, the said Su James Calob Anderson, my eñois,
adiñois, and assigns, Hei especial licence, full power, sole privilege and
authority, that 1,the said Su James Caleb Anderson, my exors, adñiors, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Sir James Caleb Anderson, my exors,
,adñiors, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time
to timo and at all times during the term of years therein expressed, should
aud lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and
the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, and in all Her said Majesty's Colomes
and Plantations abroad, and in the Islands of Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney,
Saik, and Man, my Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN OBTAINING MOTIVE
POWER, AND IN APPLYING IT TO PROPEL CARRIAGES AND VESSELS. AND TO THE
DRIVING OF MACHINERY," in which said Letters Patent is contained a provis0
that I,the said Su James Caleb Anderson, shall cause a particular description
of the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be inrolled in Hei said Majesty's High Court of Chancery within
sia, calendar mouths next and immediately after the date of the said in part
[Price 8d 1

page_text: recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto nad,
will more fully and at large appear
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I. the said
Su James Caleb Anderson, have ascertained and set forth the nature of my
said improvements, and the manner in which the same is to be carried into
effect, in and by the following description thereof, reference being had to the
Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked thereon, in
which Diawings, where the same letters occur in different Figures of the saine
object, they indicate the same parts in each Figure
-
My first improvement consists in certain methods of transfering water to one
side of a wheel, so as to cause that side constantly to preponderate, and in the
application of such wheels (which I dominate "power wheels") to propel
carllages and vessels, and to dive machinery
Figure 1 is a side elevation of one ai rangement of a power wheel (partly in
section), and Figure 2 is a transverse section of the saine. a¹, a², a³, a³, a³, nª,
a', a³, represent cight cylinders attached to the um of the wheel b, which as
fixed to the axle c These cylinders are fitted with pistons d,d, each two oppo-
site pistons being connected together by piston rods e, e, and each two opposite
cylinders are connected together by pipes f, f. proceeding from the cylinder
covers Four contiguous cylinders and all the pipes are filled with water or
other fluid To the inside of the flame which supports the wheel are fixed
two pear-shaped cams g, g, and to the piston rods are attached eight cross
heads h, h, carrying at their extremities the antifunction rollers 2, 2 If the
wheel be caused to revolve in the direction of the aurow by the application of
power to the shaft c, as each cylinder arrives at the position a", the antifunction
rollers unmediately beneath that cylinder will come in contact with the pear-
shaped cam at the point 3, and in the ascent to the apex of the cam will
cause the pistons in the cylinders at a³ and a to ascend in the said cylinders,
and will thereby transfer the water from the lower to the upper cylinder, and
thus the cylinders on the descending side of the wheel are kept constantly full
and the preponderance is therefore constantly maintained on the descending
side of the wlicel Wheels of this description may be fixed upon the axles of
the several carriages in a train, and thus the bite" of any number of wheels
along a tram of carriages may be obtained By this arrangement, inuch
steeper gradients may be ascended than in the case where the advance of the
train depends wholly upon the "bite" of the engine wheels
"
Figures 3 and 4 represent another altangement of a "preponderating "o
"power" wheel, Figure 3 being a side elevation with some of the parts in

page_text: section and Figure 4, a transverse section of the same The general arrange-
ment of the wheel and cylinders are the same as in the first arrangement, and
therefore the coresponding parts in each plan are marked by the same
letters of reference The ascent of the water is, however, produced by different
means, namely, by the pressiue of the atinosphere beneath the piston of the
lower cylinder, whilst a partial vacuum is created above the piston of the uppe
cylinder For this purpose, the cylinders are fitted with covers at each end,
and from the outer cover of each cylinder proceeds a pipe la, k, which is con-
nected to corresponding apertures in a drum m, fixed on to the shaft of the
wheel, and evolving with it, which apertures open into the periphery of
the drum The periphery is turned tiuly cylindrical, and to it is secured by
clips a box or slide valve n, somewhat resembling a Dshdo, which is ground
an-tight upon the periphery of the drum, and is connected by the pipe o, with
the condenser of a steam engine or with any suitable exhausting apparatus,
the slide extends over the space of three apertures, the laps at each end being
each equal to the width of one aperture, and the hollow part of the slide
As the wheel revolves, the space above
covering the intervening distance
the pistons in the upper cylinders is put in communication with the interior
of the slide valve, and a partial vacuum is thereby established above those
pistons, whilst the atmosphere has access to the underside of the pistons of the
lower cylinders, and by the pressure it exerts, foices the water into the upper
cylinders
This kind of wheel is better adapted to drive machinely than to
locomotive purposes, but in many situations will be found to be of great utility,
as, for instance, in the case of a factory situated upon a 11sing ground, and
An au pump
having a small stream of water running at the foot of the hill
connected to the pipe o, and worked by a small water wheel, will produce tlie
equisite vacuum at any distance, and thus at little expence will produce an
available motive power by means of this wheel.
My second improvement consists in a mode of obtaining pneumatic pressure
as an auxiliary motive power for propelling caniages on railways. For this
purpose, in place of a level line, I construct the line with a succession of undu-
lations, whereby I avail myself of the gravity and momentum of the tiain to
propel the tiam through each descent and a portion of each ascent, and then
apply the pneumatic pressure to aid in surmounting the summit of the ascents
in the manner I shall now proceed to describe
a, Figure 5, is the locomotivo carriage, having in lieu of a boiler a long
cylinder vesselb charged with compressed an, c is one of the driving cylinders,
in which the compressed an operates, and from which the pressure is trans-

page_text: mitted to the propelling wheels d by the connecting rod e, f is an injecting
an pump worked by the rotation of the propelling wheel through the medium
of the connecting 1ody, and forcing an into the reservoir b Figure 6 iepie-
sents the manner in which the power is applied on the undulating railway.
The train isstarted by pneumatic pressure, and then runs down the first incline
solely by the power of gravity, the communication between the diving
cylinders and the au reservoir being closed During the descent, the air
pumps are at work, and force an into the reservoir, thereby increasing the
compression of the air contained therein. The momentum acquired by the
train by the time it arrives at the bottom of the descent (aided by my power
wheel applied to the axles of the wheels, as before described,) would suffice to
carry it nearly to the summit of the next ascent, but when the train has
aived at a certain distance from the summit, an antifriction roller g,evolving
ou a pin in the lower arm of the lever ½, encounters the tail of a rail ? laid
between the running rails, and thereby opens the valve, which admits the
compressed an to the diving cylinders, and the additional power thus given
out carries the train past the summit When the engine reaches the termi-
nation of the intermediate ail, the antifriction lever falls into a vertical
position, as shewn atm, thereby closing the valve k The air is thus cut off
from the driving cylinders, and the train actuated by gravity,
and the powei
wheel will, during its descent down the next incline, supply the reservon with
a fresh portion of air to replace that expended in surmounting the ascent
My third improvement consists in an arrangement for a locomotive cauiage
for railways and common roads a, Figure 7, is the boiler, which I prefer to
be of the improved form herein-after described, b, steam pipe which conveys
the steam to a pan of oscillating engines c, c, working the crank d of the
shaft e, on which the power wheel is fixed. On each end of the shaft e is
fixed a crank g, which transmits the power from the shaft to a crank h on the
axis of the diving wheel by a connecting rod As the power wheel is equal
in diameter to the propelling wheels of the carriage, it will in equal times go
through the same space as the propelling wheel, and the power being trans-
mitted to the propelling wheels by the connecting rods 2, it will be clear that
anyweight applied to the periphery of the power, will produce the same tractive
effect as if applied to the periphery of the propelling wheels
The power
wheel is made to act as a blower, being enclosed in a casing communicating
with the ash-pit, and furnished with a suitable aperture for admitting the air.
My fourth improvement consists of a boiler of an improved construction for
furnishing steam as a motive power. Figure 7* is a vertical section of the

page_text: boiler upon the line y, y, Figure 8, a vertical section upon the lines,, and
Figure 9, a horizontal section. a, a, a, are the water compartments of the
boiler, consisting of a series of rectangula hollow trays or plates formed of
sheet iron well stayed together, and ranged as shewn in the Figures, b, b, the
fine bars, c,c, the spaces by which the smoke and heated air pass off to the
chimney, d, the steain chamber bolted to the top of the boiler, the steam
entering the chamber by the pipes c,e, which communicate with the ends and
side plates of the boiler To the plate, on which the chimney (g) stands, 19
fixed a vessel, through which the exit steam is caused to pass, in order to
arify it, and thereby to render it transparent
My fifth improvement consists in a node of applying motive power to pro-
pelling a train of caruiages on common roads a, Figure 10, is the locomotive,
and b, b, the passenger carriages composing the train. The locomotive and
the several carriages are connected together by poles c,c,having at the hinder
end a piuwhich works in a slotted fiame attached to the succeeding calliage
By this arrangement the engine and several cannages composing the train
are not brought simultaneously, but successively, into motion at starting, the
engine being free to move singly until the pin in the end of its pole comes in
contact with the stop at the end of the slot fiame of the first carriage, when
that carriage begins to move, and so on with the other carriages in succession
On the hind axles of cach of the carriages (except the locomotive) 1 fixone of
my power wheels, and with the view to enable the train to pass round corners
and curves with safety, I place on the second carriage a steering apparatus, by
means of which the conductor can direct the carriages with perfect facility
My sixth improvement consists in a mode of applying steam as aņotive
power to propel ploughs a, Figure 11, is a steam carriage, b, the boiler,
which I prefer should be of the construction herein-before described, c,the
steam engine, which, by means of the crank d, tuins the shaft e, on which is
fixed one of my power wheels A drum f' is likewise fixed to the shaft and,
rope g, passes 1ound the drum and under the guide roller. To each end of
this rope is attached a plough anchor, which is constructed in the following
manner -On an axle an aim turns, to which is attached the fluke h
which turns upon the pin in the end of the aim, having a stop mat the back,
7 is a lever, by means of which the fluke can be tripped out of the ground
It turns upon a twist in the head of the standard o, and is connected to the
fluke by the link p is a beam supported on the axis, and having at one end
of it another fluker, and at the other end a rings, to be used in drawing the
plough anchor forward.

page_text: To the back of the carriage is connected a number of ploughs,proportioned
to the power of the engine The plough anchor having got hold of the ground,
the engine, by means of the rope,warps the cartage and ploughs up towards
the anchor, and in proportion as the other end of the 1ope to which the second
anchor is attached is unwound from the drum,that anchor is diagged forward
by men or horses When the engine has arrived at the first anchor, the
anchor is raised out of the ground by the lever n. and the action of the engine
being reversed, the second anchor takes hold of the ground, and the cantage is
warped towards it, whilst the first anchor is being carried forward, and thus
the operation can be repeated as often as necessary
The nature of the seventh part of my said Invention consists in the applica-
tion of the explosive properties of vegetable fibre, prepared with acids in the
manner now used to produce what is called gun cotton, for the purpose of
obtaining motive power, to be applied to machinery generally. Figure 12
represents one arrangement for canying this part of my Invention into effect
a, a', are two cylinders, closed at one end and firmly bolted together, or they
may be formed in one piece with a solid partition midway These cylinders
are truly bored,and have each a piston b. b which pistons are caused to move
together by means of side rods which connect the cross heads c,c, of the piston
rods, and the reciprocating motion of these pistonsiscaused toimpai taiolatory
motion to a shaft by any of the usual methods
b
The motion of the piston is produced as follows Atd, d, is a narrow shit,
into which is fed by the rollers e, e, the end of the web or woven band, com-
posed of yarn, cotton, or other vegetable fibre, similarly prepared and wound
upon the roller, 9, 9, are a pan of wires connected with a galvanic battery,
and the piston b being in the position shewn, the cotton is exploded by an
electrio spark, and the piston 6 is thereby driven to the outer extremity of the
cylinder a, and the piston 6' is brought up to the inner end or breach of the
cylinder a¹, when the same operation is repeated in the cylinder, and so on
alternately In each piston is one or more conical valvesh,h, which striking
against stops h, k, are thereby opened, and allow the gases generated by the
explosion to escape during the return stroke, and, in addition, the cylinders
are enlarged or bellm outhed at the outer extremity. The motion of the
feeding rolleis is produced by a ratchet wheel fixed upon one of the spindles
of each pan of 1olleis, and worked by an excentric on the shaft, and by
varying the point of attachment of the eccentric 1od to the lever of the ratchet,
the length of web for each dl.scharge may be varied The successive con-
nections and disconnections of the galvanic wies may be eflected by means of

page_text: n disc, fixed upon the shaft and fitted with insulating pieces, as is common in
various arrangements of galvanic apparatus In lieu of exploding the web by
means of the electric spark a small percussion ball may be introduced at each
revolution by a revolving lock into a small passage communicating with the
slit d, and theu propelled against the web by a plunger worked from the shaft,
whereby the wob will be fine, and will explode
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I hereby claim in respect thereof,-
First, the methods described with reference to Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4, of
throwing the weight of water upon one side of a wheel, so as to cause that
side to predonderate,and the application of such wheels to propel vessels and
carriages, and to drive machinery
Secondly, I claim the mode of obtaining and applying pneumatic pressure to
the propelling of carriages on railways, as described under the second head of
my Invention
Thirdly, I claim the arrangement for a locomotive calliage for railways and
common roads, described under the third head of my Invention
Fourthly, I claim the construction of boiler for furnishing steam as a motive
power, described under the fourth head of my Invention
Fifthly, I claim the mode of applying motive power to propel trains of
camages on common roads, whereby the carriages are put in motion, not
simultaneously, but in succession, and the mode of guiding the train, as
described under the fifth head of my Invention
Sixthly, I claim the improved mode of applying steam as a motive power
to the diving of ploughs,as described under the sixth head of my Invention.
And I would observe, that as regards my seventh head of claim, it is evident
the modes by which the explosive power of the prepared vegetable fibre used
may be applied to the motion of machinery are endless, and also that the
methods used to cause the explosion may be varied in a great variety of ways,
but as the exploding of the said prepared fibro has never before been applied
in any way to the purposes aforesaid, and I have herein described a mode of
accomplishing the same, I therefore hereby claim as my seventh head of
Luvention, the application of vegetable fibre, prepared as aforesaid, to the
obtaining of motive power for the giving of motion to machinery generally.
In witness whereof, 1, the said Sir James Caleb Anderson, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of December, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and forty-six.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED that on the 'I wenty-ninth day of December,
In the year of our Lord 1846, the aforesaid Sir James Caleb Anderson
Baronet, came before our said Lady the Queen in Let Chancery, and acknow-
ledged the Specification aforesaid, and all and everything therein contained
and specified, in form above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was
stamped according to the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Enrolled the Twenty-ninth day of December, in the year of our Lord One
thousand nicht luindred and forty-six