IMPROVEMENTS IN OBTAINING MOTIVE POWER, AND IN THE APPARATUS OR MEANS EMPLOYED THEREFOR
Year: 1872

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Robert Samuel Wright at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
5th April 1872.
I, ROBERT SAMUEL WRIGHT, of the Inner Temple, London,
Barrister-at-Law, do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN OBTAINING MOTIVE POWER, AND IN THE APPARATUS OR
MEANS EMPLOYED THEREFOR," to be as follows :--
This Invention relates to a mode of applying the principle known as
the "hydrostatic paradox" to the obtainment of motive power for
raising water or other purposes.
According to this Invention I combine a cylinder and piston with
self-acting valves and with a supply pipe of sufficient height to give
the fall of water required according to the desired power of the engine.
The cylinder is open at the top and within it works fluid tight a piston
the rod of which works through any convenient guide. to prevent the
piston from jamming. In connection with this cylinder there are two
valves or a single slide valve controlling two passages or openings, viz.,
the inlet opening for the admission of the pressure of the column of
water underneath the piston, and the outlet or escape opening for the

page_text: outflow of the water from below the piston after it has done its work
by elevating the said piston. These valves are made to open and close
alternately just before the commencement and termination of each
stroke of the piston, the requisite sudden motion of the valves being
obtained from the piston itself through a weighted tipping lever or other
suitable or well known mechanical arrangement, such for example as
are employed for insuring the sudden opening and closing of the valves
of what are known as hydraulic or water pressure engines. The power
may be taken off direct from the piston or its rod and will be exerted
at each alternate stroke only of the piston, that is to say, at each
up-stroke thereof. This intermittent rectilinear motion of the piston
may be converted either into a continuous or intermittent rotatory or
other motion as may be required by any of the well known mechanical
contrivances for that purpose, or it may be applied direct or otherwise
to the lever of a pump for forcing water. This engine may be combined
with the water elevating apparatus known as the "hydraulic ram,'
whereby the efficiency of the ram would be more than doubled and
the proportion of waste water greatly reduced. This may be accom-
plished by substituting the herein-before described hydraulic engine
for the ordinary valve or plunger and escape pipe at the foot of the
ram, the other parts of the ram being introduced immediately in front
of the supply valve of the engine. In this combination of apparatus
the engine would first make its stroke and then the sudden closing
of the supply valve would work the ram and the engine together, being
thus worked with only the one waste otherwise requisite for either of
them alone.
"
In cases where no natural fall exists the engine may be worked by
sinking it to any convenient depth in a shaft or chamber below the
surface of the water in a river, lake, or reservoir, or in the carth at any
place adjoining a supply of water, thereby creating an artificial fall of
water of sufficient height to work the engine effectually, the waste
water being conveyed away from the bottom of the shaft by a double or
Wurtemburg syphon.
The improved hydraulic engine herein-before described may be made
either stationary or portable as preferred.