A NEW AND IMPROVED MOTIVE-POWER MACHINE."
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Worssam, of Commercial Wharf, Kings-
land Road, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer, for the Inven-
tion of "A NEW AND IMPROVED MOTIVE-POWER MACHINE."

page_text: machine will be in proportion to its size, therefore I will for the pur-
poses of this present example describe the general features of the
machine without any particular reference to its size or power.
Within a tank or cistern I immerse or place a series of endless straps,
bands, or sheets mounted upon carrier pulleys, and so disposed within &
the cistern that two of the endless straps, bands, or sheets, supposing
there are three, will traverse in a vertical or perpendicular direction up
and down at a given distance apart, and the remaining or third strap,
band, or sheet will traverse in a horizontal direction in a position imme-
diately underneath and in the space between the bottom of the lower
pulleys of the vertical straps. Each one of these straps, bands, or sheets
are provided equidistantly throughout their entire external surface in a
transverse position to their length with projections of exactly similar
size and form, which are so arranged that when in the position these
straps, bands, or sheets are designed to assume in the cistern or tank
they will gear into each other, that is, the projections on one of the
perpendicular endless bands at its lower extremity will gear into the
projections on the horizontal band, which in turn will at its opposite end
gear in the projections on the opposite perpendicular endless band, so
that the continuous movement of one will be transmitted to all alike.
Having thus shown the arrangement of the traversing endless bands,
the projections of which must be accurately formed, so as to gear into
each other with the greatest precision, I will proceed to explain the
manner in which I am enabled to produce therefrom a motive power.
The projections on one of the vertical endless bands, straps, or sheets
are made hollow, so as to compose a continuous series of air vessels, or
other buoyant medium; and the projections on the other band, strap, or
sheet are composed of solid matter, as also are those on the horizontal
strap, bearing in mind that the gearing of the projections are made per-
fectly water tight. Within this tank outside the surfaces of the vertical
and horizontal straps containing the said hollow and solid projections
water is placed, so as to entirely submerge the same up to a point near
the axes or centres of the top carrier pulleys, the inner space embraced
between the vertical straps being left purely as a capacity for air, flanked
on all sides by the inner external surfaces of the traversing straps. Thus
it will be evident that the buoyancy of the hollow air projections, or
other buoyant medium, on one of the vertical straps immersed in the

page_text: water will have a continuous tendency to rise to the surface, and the
counterbalance solid projections on the opposite endless strap by their
weight will have a continuous tendency to sink. The communication
between the vertical hollow projections on one strap, and solid pro-
jections on the other, being effected by the lower immersed endless
horizontal strap will give a continuous motion, the power of which will
be in proportion to the buoyancy or capacity of the hollow projections,
air vessels, or other buoyant medium.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Charles Worssam in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 4th July 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
WORSSAM, of Commercial Wharf, Kingsland Road, in the County of
Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of January, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four,
in the thirty-seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said Charles Worssam, Her
special licence that I, the said Charles Worssam, my executors, admini-
strators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Charles Worssam,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and 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 "A
NEW AND IMPROVED MOTIVE-POWER MACHINE," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Charles Worssam, my executors or admini-
strators, 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Charles Worssam, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement and accompanying Drawings, that is to
say:―
The Invention is designed for the purpose of producing a continuous
motive power or revolving motion by a novel arrangement of mechanism,
the power of which will be in proportion to its dimension. I will
therefore for the purpose of this illustration of its arrangement and
construction describe the general features of the machine without
reference to its size or power.
The peculiarity of the Invention consists in the construction, arrange-
ment, and adaptation of a series of endless travelling air vessels placed
within a cistern or tank of water in such a manner that their disposition
(which may have various forms) will enable one series of air vessels,
forming one side of each endless chain, to be constantly descending in a
free air space, whilst their opposite sides are ascending, by reason of
their buoyancy in the water space of the tank.
In order that the Invention may be well understood, and explained in
detail, I have hereunto attached a Sheet of Drawings, shewing an
example of one arrangement of mechanism that will enable the principal
of the Invention to be reduced to practice in a simple and effective
manner, letters of reference being marked on corresponding parts on all
the Figures alike.

page_text: depth in the cistern a, which will admit of their undulating surfaces
when gearing just to clear the bottom of such cistern, and the upper
drums c, c, over which the air wheels b, b, pass are supported in
bearings above water line. The end surfaces of the air vessels b, b, are
made to bear and slide against the inner side surfaces of the cistern a
with a minimum amount of pressure. The width of the cistern accurately
corresponds with the length of the air vessels composing the endless
chain. c, c, are diagonal stops which are placed transversely in the
cistern a in a position that will extend between each pair of drums c, c¹,
c, c³, so as to form barriers when bearing with water-tight accuracy
against the peripheries of the lower drums c¹, c¹, that will prevent, in
conjunction with the continuous gearing surfaces of the endless chains b, b,
water entering the central space B.
In order to put the machine in motion it is necessary to fill the
space W, W, W, W, with water up to a level below the top carrier
drums c, c, such water space being confined to the space formed between
the inner surfaces of the stops e, e, and the gearing of the undulating
air chambers near the bottom of the cistern a, the combined surfaces of
which prevent water getting into the inner or central air space B, which
is kept clear for the free descent of the air vessels.
It will now be readily understood that so soon as the cistern a is filled
with water the buoyancy of the air chamber or vessels b, b, b, b, im-
mersed in the water space W, W, will cause them successively to rise to
the surface by the power of their buoyancy, and consequently by reason
of their endless arrangement a corresponding immersion will take place
at the lowest depth of the cistern, the effect of which generates a
powerful continuity of motion, which is transmitted to the shaft k
through the wheel i for any purpose or class of driving desired.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, together with
the method of carrying the same into practical effect, I would wish it to
be distinctly understood in conclusion that I do not confine myself to
the particular arrangement and construction of the machine herein
described, as the same may be modified and re-arranged without
departing from the essential features of the Invention; therefore
what I claim is, the novel and peculiar construction and disposition of
two or more endless series of air vessels arranged within a cistern or
tank to gear with water-tight accuracy, so that when water is placed in

page_text: such cistern or tank it will be confined to a space submerging the outer
or inner sides of the endless chain of air vessels, and their inner or outer
sides moving in a free air space as required to the lowest depth of the
cistern to a point where the water is excluded by reason of the gearing
of the air vessels and intermediate stops, the whole of the apparatus 5
being arranged in the manner and for the purpose of obtaining a motive-
power machine, as herein-before substantially described, set forth, and
fully illustrated in the Drawings annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Worssam, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of June, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
four.
CHARLES WORSSAM. (L.s.)
Witness,
WILLIAM ASHCROFT.