IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR ⚫ OBTAINING AND APPLYING MOTIVE-POWER
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Daniel Woollatt, of Burton-on-Trent, in the County of
Stafford, Coal Merchant, for an Invention of "IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR
⚫ OBTAINING AND APPLYING MOTIVE-POWER."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Daniel Woollatt at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 4th May 1881.
DANIEL WOOLLATT, of Burton-on-Trent, in the County of Stafford, Coal Merchant.
"IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR OBTAINING AND APPLYING MOTIVE POWER."
.
This Invention relates chiefly to a novel construction of wheel or drum to be
driven by the action of water or other fluid, the object in view being economy in
the use of the said water or other fluid.
This wheel or drum consists of two discs united by a central boss, and is provided
at its circumference with a series of blades arranged radially to the axle upon
which the said wheel is mounted.
The said blades are provided with hooked extensions or fingers which engage
with the surface of a collar or disc, placed obliquely to the plane of rotation of the
wheel and excentrically to the axle thereof. This oblique excentric collar or disc
serves as the wheel rotates to gradually draw outwards or backwards the blades
above referred to until upon reaching a certain point, say, for instance, the upper-
most point of their circuit (being one of the intersections of the two circles formed
by the excentric position of the oblique disc and drum axles respectively); the
fingers or hooked extensions of the said blades are liberated, whereupon a spring
with which each of such blades is provided will cause each of the said blades in
succession to be thrust forward.
In the case of a wheel to be driven by water as an example in which the wheel
turns upon a horizontal axle, this movement of liberation is preferably effected at
the moment when each of the radial blades in succession reaches the vertical
position.
The nozzle of a pipe conveying water or other fluid from a height or under
suitable pressure is placed in such a position with reference to these radially
disposed blades that fresh bearing surfaces are offered to the stream of fluid in

page_text: rapid succession, each blade being thrust forward by its spring immediately in
front of the nozzle of the said pipe. These blades serve in succession to receive a
fresh impetus from the stream of fluid, and occupy the space which would
otherwise have been filled with water (in the case of an overshot water wheel) to
maintain the rotary motion of the wheel.
In cases where a sufficient power from an elevation is not at hand, then water
from any convenient source is forced by any suitable mechanical means, such as a
pump or injector into a cylinder, thereby forcing back a piston and compressing a
spring or springs situated behind such piston, and from which a regulated supply
is furnished to the wheel or drum by a pipe or other suitable means. In such cases
the rotation of the drum is made by suitable mechanical arrangements to assist in
working the pump or pumps used for charging and maintaining the charge of the
cylinder, and for returning any waste water from the drum for re-use.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Daniel Woollatt in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
4th November 1881.
DANIEL WOOLLATT, of Burton on Trent, in the County of Stafford, Coal Merchant.
"IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR OBTAINING AND APPLYING MOTIVE POWER."
This Invention relates chiefly to a novel construction of wheel or drum to be
driven by the action of water or other fluid, the object in view being economy in
the use of the said water or other fluid.
This wheel or drum consists of two discs or plates united by a central boss, and
provided at its circumference with a series of blades arranged radially to the axle
upon which the said wheel is mounted.
The said blades are provided with 'hooked extensions or fingers which engage
with the surface of a moveable ring or collar or its equivalent, placed obliquely to
the plane of rotation of the wheel and excentrically to the axle thereof. This
oblique excentric disc or its equivalent serves as the wheel rotates to gradually
draw outwards or forwards the blades above referred to until upon reaching a
certain point, say, for instance, the uppermost point of their circuit, the fingers or
hooked extensions of the said blades are liberated, whereupon a spring with which
each of such blades is provided will cause each of the said blades in succession to
be shot forward in front of the stream of fluid used to propel the wheel or other
moveable body.
In the accompanying Drawings I have shown as an example this method of
obtaining motive power applied to a wheel driven by water. The said wheel turns
upon a horizontal axle, the liberation of the blades being in this case effected at the
moment when each of the radial blades in succession has passed slightly beyond its
uppermost vertical position.

page_text: Fig. 1. is a longitudinal vertical section; Fig. 2 is a front view; and Fig. 3 is a
plan view of a water wheel, constructed and driven according to my Invention.
In these Figures, A is the wheel formed of two circular plates of metal or equivalent
material, and provided with a hollow central boss A¹ for the sake of lightness.
The front plate is flanged at its periphery, as shewn in the Drawing at a, for the
purpose of partially enclosing the annular passage A² surrounding the hollow
central boss A'. The said annular passage A² is only partially enclosed at its
periphery by the flange a, in order to allow of the nozzle of the pipe B entering
within it. The wheel A is mounted fast upon the axle A³, which has its
bearings in the end plates of the frame C. The periphery of each plate of the
wheel A is enclosed by a circular ring or casing D, formed in two halves bolted
together; as shewn in the Drawing at d, d. The interior surface of this ring or
casing D is grooved for the reception of corresponding ribs or projections, formed
on the periphery of each of the side plates of the wheel A. for the purpose of
steadying its rotation, and a waste outlet E is formed at the lower part of the
wheel-casing.
The annular space or passage A2 is fitted with a series of blades F (best seen in
Fig. 1) arranged radially to the axle of the wheel A, and each provided with a
hooked arm or finger passing through a radial slot in the front plate of the
wheel A; Fig. 4 shews one of these blades detached.
These blades are intended to be drawn outwards or forwards by the ring or
collar G, which is mounted so as to be capable of rotation in a fixed boss G' in the
manner to be hereafter explained, and when released from the ring G the blades
will be shot inwards or backwards by the action of the spiral springs for their
equivalent with which they are each fitted. The fixed boss G' is carried by
bracket arms bolted to the frame D in front of the wheel A, and is mounted
obliquely to the vertical plane of rotation of the wheel A, and excentrically around
the axle A³ thereof, as clearly seen in Figures 1 and 2. The fixed boss G¹ is deeply
grooved circumferentially for the reception of the moveable ring or collar G,
antifriction bowles g or their equivalent being provided to support and guide the
moveable ring or collar G. The moveable ring G is so placed as to pass behind
and engage with the hooked extremities of the fingers of the blades F when at
their lowermost and inward position, as shewn in Fig. 1. It will be understood
that the axle As passes through the boss G¹, and rotates freely therein as in a
bearing.
The wheel A as it rotates in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 3, will carry round
with it the blades F, the hooked ends of which engaging with the ring or collar G
will cause the said blades to be gradually drawn outwards as they near the top of
the wheel, and by the time they reach the fixed nozzle B they will be drawn out
to their fullest extent, and will then just clear the said nozzle as they pass by it.
The hooked ends being released from the ring or collar G exactly at the moment
when their rear faces coincide with the plane of the mouth of the pipe or nozzle B,
the blades will be shot forward in front thereof and receive the full force of the
impelling fluid discharged from the said tube. Thus in continuous succession the
several blades will be projected closely in front of the mouth of the pipe, and a
great economy of fluid will result.
The fixed ring or casing D it will be understood fits closely around the pipe or
tube B and prevents the Huid escaping in that direction, while at the same time it
allows of the free rotary movement of the wheel A, which motion may be com-
municated by suitable gearing to any desired machinery.
In this manner the water, steam, or other power is economized, such power being
in a great measure absorbed by continuously causing the blades to thrust
themselves between the impelling fluid and the load to be moved or work to be
performed, and so to partly fill up the space which such power would otherwise
occupy in following up the rotary movement of the drum.
In the foregoing description the wheel has been described as rotating upon a
horizontal axle, but it may be and in some cases preferably is made to rotate upon

page_text: '
a vertical axle in which case the weight of the blades will co-operate with the
springs, and the blades may therefore be proportioned accordingly. This might
necessitate some modification of the parts but nothing beyond the most ordinary
mechanism, which will not therefore require description.
In some cases, especially where water power is limited, I provide a cylinder into
one end of which I convey by a pipe or pipes the water at command, which meeting
with a piston properly formed and fitted for working in the said cylinder forces it
back, and in so doing charges a spiral spring situated on the shaft of and behind
the said piston thus preparing a reserve of pressure, which by a valve at any
suitable part of the said cylinder can be admitted at pleasure into the drum to be
driven.
Having now set forth the nature of my said Invention of "Improved Machinery
for Obtaining and Applying Motive Power," and having explained the manner in
which the same may be carried into effect, I would have it understood that I do not
confine myself to the precise arrangement and details of the apparatus above
described, but what I consider to be novel and hereby claim is,-
First. The successive presentation of; a series of blades or their equivalent
immediately in front of thic stream of fluid used for imparting motive power to a
wheel or other moveable body, substantially in the manner herein described, whereby
the said fluid is economized.
Secondly. A wheel for transmitting motive power, constructed and arranged
substantially as herein shewn and described, such wheel being rotated by the
direct impact of fluid upon a series of blades, operated as and for the purpose above
set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Daniel Woollatt, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, the Third day of November, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty one