IMPROVEMENTS IN OBTAINING MOTIVE POWER, PARTS OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE APPLICABLE TO THE COMPRESSING OF AIR AND GASES
Year: 1865

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Valentine Baker at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 24th March
.1865.
I, VALENTINE BAKER, Lieutenant-Colonel of Her Majesty's 10th Regiment
of Hussars, of Cahir, in the County of Tipperary, Ireland, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN OBTAINING MOTIVE
POWER, PARTS OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE APPLICABLE TO THE COMPRESSING OF
AIR AND GASES," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates partly to an improved system or mode of supplying
water to hydraulic motive-power engines worked by a head pressure, and
consists in bringing the water from lakes, reservoirs, streams, or rivers in
elevated localities by means of syphon pipes of increasing strength in pro-
portion to the depth of fall, and causing such water to operate upon suitable
hydraulic motive-power engines situate at a lower level. In the longer leg of
the syphon pipe, at a point just below the lowest level to which the water at
the source may fall, I propose in some cases to place an air-tight valve, and a
branch pipe and cock or valve, to which an air pump may be fitted for the
purpose of exhausting the air from the upper part of the syphon, the first-
mentioned valve being closed during such exhausting action. A stop valve
is also placed at or near the end of the pipe nearest to the engine for the
purpose of regulating or arresting the flow of water through such pipe accord-
ing to the requirements of the engine.

page_text: According to one form of engine, which constitutes another portion of the
Invention, two cylinders are combined together, each being furnished with a
single-acting reciprocating piston, which pistons work in opposite directions,
and are alternately subjected to the head pressure of the water by means of
two-way valves or cocks provided for that purpose. These valves or cocks
may be worked either by the water pressure which supplies the engine, or by
weights or by springs acted upon by any convenient moving part of the engine
itself, or by means of compressed air. The motion of the pistons may be
transmitted in any well-known. manner to machinery of all kinds for the
purpose of driving the same. The valves or cocks are so arranged that when
the one opens to allow of the water pressure acting upon one piston, the other
is simultaneously closed to the water pressure, but opened to an escape pipe,
which allows the water which has previously done its work and been cut off
to escape from the cylinder, and allow of the back or return stroke of the
piston, which is produced by the stroke of the other piston, and vice versa.
Or in lieu of the reciprocating motion of pistons in cylinders a continuous
rotatory motion may be obtained by causing the water to flow through a
mouth-piece directly into the buckets of an overshot or of a breast water wheel,
such mouth-piece being of a corresponding shape to the mouth of the buckets,
but of slightly smaller area; or the water so obtained may be used for driving
turbines of any well-known construction, by bringing it through a pipe in
connection therewith.
According to one mode of working the valves of hydraulic engines by
means of compressed air, it is proposed to cause each working cylinder to
actuate an air pump, such air pump being in connection with a chamber
within which a piston attached to the valve spindle works. One of these
pistons and compressed air chambers is situate at each end of the valve spindle,
and the valve is driven alternately to and fro by the sudden action of the
compressed air on one or other of the two pistons in connection with the
valve. When the valve has been forced in one direction one of its pistons is
caught by a self-acting catch, and there retained until the piston or plunger of
the air pump, having compressed the air in the chamber, releases the catch by
coming in contact therewith, whereupon the compressed air instantly moves
the valve and drives the piston on the opposite side of the valve back to its
original position, where it is retained by a similar catch in readiness to be
acted upon by the piston of the second air pump, the operations being repeated
at each stroke of the engine.
Another part of this Invention relates to a mode of compressing air to be
employed either for the working of motive-power air engines, or the valves for

page_text: hydraulic and other engines, or for other purposes where compressed air is
required, and consists in compressing air by the impact of a body either
directly or indirectly upon the piston of an air pump, in lieu of employing a
steady pressure as heretofore. In carrying out this part of my Invention
the impact may be given by a hammer, or by a falling body acting by
gravity only, or by a moving body acted upon by expansive gases or other
propelling power. The blow thus imparted to the piston of the air pump
produces a certain amount of compression of the air under the piston, and
this compressed air is allowed to enter through a self-closing valve into an air
receiver or magazine, where it may be stored and used as required. The
impact or force of gravitation produced by a moving or falling body may be
made to act upon a spring, pulley, lever, or other mechanical contrivance for
transmitting or retaining motive power, the force or power transmitted to
such appliances by the blow or impact of the moving body being afterwards
employed for various useful purposes, as may be required.