AN IMPROVED HYDRAULIC SYSTEM FOR PROPELLING ON RAILWAYS, OR OBTAINING MOTIVE POWER, AND DISTRIBUTING WATER
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Jean Panet, Gentleman, of Echenoz-la-Meline, near
Vesoul, Town in the French Enpire, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED
HYDRAULIC SYSTEM FOR PROPELLING ON RAILWAYS, OR OBTAINING MOTIVE
POWER, AND DISTRIBUTING WATER."
Sealed the 15th February 1856, and dated the 8th September 1855.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Jean Panet, at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 8th September
1855.
I, JEAN PANET, Gentleman, of Echenoz-la-Meline, near Vesoul, Town in
the French Empire, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"AN IMPROVED HYDRAULIC SYSTEM FOR PROPELLING ON RAILWAYS, OR OBTAINING
MOTIVE POWER AND DISTRIBUTING WATER," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists in a method of propulsion by hydraulic power, and in
the employment for various purposes of the water used for that object. The
power is obtained by forcing water through a large tube or series of tubes
laid below a road, from which tube the water is forced or rises through short
lengths of tubing or junction pipes into a series of supplementary pipes (parallel
to the large pipe below the road), in each of which supplementary pipes is
fitted a piston provided with rods on both sides, which are prolonged beyond
the extremities of the pipe and carry stops, and these stops, coming in contact
with suitably arranged levers fixed on the framework of a carriage, propel the
carriage either in a forward or backward direction, as may be desired. The

page_text: water is admitted into and shut off' from the supplementary tubes by valves
worked by arrangements connected with the carriage. The water which
serves for the purpose of propulsion may also, by sinking wells or other suitable
contrivances, be used for agricultural and other purposes.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Jean Panet in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 8th
March 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JEAN
PANET, Gentleman, of Echenoz-la-Meline, near Vesoul, Town in the French
Empire, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the nineteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Jean Panet, Her special licence that I, the said Jean. Panet, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as 1, the said Jean
Panet, 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 "AN IMPROVED HYDRAULIC
SYSTEM FOR PROPELLING ON RAILWAYS, OR OBTAINING MOTIVE POWER AND DIS-
TRIBUTING WATER," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Jean
Panet, 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 immediately after the date of
the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Jean Panet, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed,
that is to say:-
My Invention consists in a method of propulsion by hydraulic power, and in
the employment for various purposes of the water used therein,

page_text: The power is obtained by forcing water through a large tube or series of
tubes laid below a road, from which tube or series of tubes the water is forced
or rises through short lengths of tubing or junction pipes into a series of
supplementary tubes (parallel to the large tube or tubes below the road), in
each of which supplementary tubes is fitted a piston, provided on both sides
with rods, which are prolonged beyond the extremities of the tubes and carry
stops, and these stops, coming in contact with suitably arranged levers fixed on
the framework of a carriage, propel the carriage either in a forward or back-
ward direction, as may be desired.
The water is admitted into and shut off from the supplementary tubes by
valves worked by arrangements of mechanism connected with the carriage.
The water which serves for the purpose of propulsion may also, by means of
ducts and pipes connected with the main tube, or by sinking wells or other
suitable contrivances, be used for supplying towns, for extinguishing fires,
for agricultural and other purposes, or may be carried off by channels or
otherwise.
.
The Drawings annexed represent the manner in which my Invention is
carried into effect, as applied to the first carriage of a train, which acts as the
propelling or driving carriage.
Figure 1 is a plan of a carriage and propelling arrangement; Figure 2, an
elevation; and Figure 3, a transverse section, through the line X, X, of
Figure 1. 1 is a large tube (or part of a series of tubes) laid below the surface
of a road, and which I call the main tube. This tube or series of tubes is
placed under the centre of the road, and extends the whole length of the line.
Water is forced into it under pressure at the head of the line, and the
pressure varies according as the tube passes along slopes, valleys, or levels.
b, b, are junction pipes connecting the tube 1 to a series of supplementary
tubes 2, 2, parallel to the main tube. 12, are valves for admitting the water
from the tube 1 into the supplementary tubes 2, 2. These valves are so formed
or hollowed out that when raised they allow the water to pass into the tube 2,
and act on a piston a fitted therein, but when depressed they shut off the com-
munication between the pipes 1 and 2, and the water escapes through an opening
14 formed in the junction pipes b. In each tube 2 is fitted a piston a, provided
on each side with a rod 3, 3. The two rods on opposite sides of the same piston
are excentric with respect to the piston, and are not in a line with each other.
These rods are prolonged beyond the ends of the tubes, where they pass
through stuffing boxes c, c¹. The piston rods of each tube are independent of
those in the other tubes. e, e, are stops at the end of each piston rod. A, A,
is the framework of the carriage, mounted on carrying wheels B, B, which

page_text: travel on rails C, C, laid along the line. q, q', are levers centered on pins or
axes d, d, in the framework of the carriage. These levers move freely on their
axes in one direction, but are prevented from moving in another direction
beyond a certain point by stop pieces j, j'. The lever g' at the further
end of the carriages acts in a contrary direction to the lever q, and is
intended for the reverse action of the carriage. In the Figure this lever
is represented as raised up so as not to come in contact with the stops on
the piston rods; but when the action of the carriage is to be reversed, the
lever q¹ should be brought down, and the lever raised, which is effected
by turning a handle 8, which works a bolt h, which acts on the levers.
The valves 12, 12, are worked by levers 4, 4, provided with friction rollers 1, 1.
These levers are actuated by the pieces b, b, which are raised and lowered
in the guides t, t, by means of screws 5, 5, turned by handles m, m. 16, 16,
are guides in which the screws 5, 5, work. 10, 10, are levers which press in
the levers 4 in order to close the valves, and are afterwards brought back to
their original position by springs 11.
I now proceed to describe the manner in which my Invention works. The
carriage is pushed along the guide rails C until the first lever 9 comes in
contact with a stop e on the nearest piston rod, when the lever swings up and
allows the stop to pass under it, while at the same time the front lever 10
comes against the arm 4, and depresses it, whereby the valve 12 is raised, and
the water in the tube 1 flows through the orifice 13 into the junction pipe b,
up to the piston a in the tube 2, which it forces along the tube together with
the rod 3 and stop e connected therewith. The stop e again comes in contact
with the lever q, but a forward pressure only being now exerted in the lever
(which is prevented from moving back beyond a certain point by the resistance
of the stop pieces j, the lever, and with it the carriage to which it is fixed, is
carried forward by the stop e to the end of the stroke of the piston rod, to
which the stop is fixed, and then coming in contact with the next stop, the
action is repeated, the lever, and with it the carriage, again carried forward,
and so on to the end of the line. When the carriage has passed over. the
levers 4, 4, rise up and bring the valves 12 down, when the water in the tube 2
escapes through the orifice 14 formed on the outer surface of the tube, the
valve 12 being hollowed out on its outer surface, so that when closed it leaves
the orifice 14 clear, and opens a passage for the escape of the water through
it. The air required to assist in expelling the water is admitted through an
opening 11 formed in the piston rod 3, which is made hollow up to that
part. 11 are openings in the tubes 2, through which grease or other lubri-
cating material is introduced to lubricate the piston rod; these orifices are

page_text: closed by screw bolts on inclines. Two supplementary tubes 2, 2, may be
employed instead of a single tube. The supply of water in the main tube can
be replenished from time to time, as need be, from any natural source, or
from hydraulic machinery or tanks, which may receive their supply from the
water already expended in working the line.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim as constituting my
said Invention, the method of propelling by hydraulic power herein-before
described, and represented in the Drawings annexed, and the distribution
of the water employed in such method for agricultural and other purposes.
In witness whereof, I, the said Jean Panet, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twentieth day of February, in the year One thousand
eight hundred and fifty-six.
5 Wittness,
CH. ARMENGAUD, Je, Ing* Civil,
6, Rue Filles du Calvaire, à Paris.
J. PANET. (L.B.)