CERTAIN NEW IMPROVEMENTS ON THE STEAM ENGINE, AND ALSO THE METHOD OF ADAPTING AND CONNECTING THE COPPERS OR BOILERS EMPLOYED IN THE OPERATION AND FOR THE PURPOSES OF BREWING TO ANY ENGINE OR ENGINES THAT ARE WORKED BY THE POWERS OF STEAM AND AIR, SO AS TO RENDER THE STEAM PRODUCED FROM THE BOILING WORKS AND THE STEAM PRODUCED DURING THE OPERA- TION OF BREWING CAPABLE OF WORKING THOSE ENGINES COMMONLY KNOWN BY THE NAME OF FIRE OR STEAM ENGINES
Year: 1784

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, SUTTON
THOMAS WOOD, of the City of Oxford, Brewer, send greeting.
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty King George the Third, by His
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date the
Twentieth day of August, in the twenty-fourth year of His reign, did give
and grant unto me, the said Sutton Thomas Wood, my exors, admors, and
assigns, His especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that
I, the said Sutton Thomas Wood, my exors, adiñors, and assigns, should
and lawfully might for the term of fourteen years therein expressed, make,
use, exercise, and vend, within that part of His Kingdom of Great Britain
called England, the Dominion of Wales, and Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed,
my Invention for "CERTAIN NEW IMPROVEMENTS ON THE STEAM ENGINE, AND
ALSO THE METHOD OF ADAPTING AND CONNECTING THE COPPERS OR BOILERS EMPLOYED
IN THE OPERATION AND FOR THE PURPOSES OF BREWING TO ANY ENGINE OR ENGINES
THAT ARE WORKED BY THE POWERS OF STEAM AND AIR, SO AS TO RENDER THE STEAM
PRODUCED FROM THE BOILING WORKS AND THE STEAM PRODUCED DURING THE OPERA-
TION OF BREWING CAPABLE OF WORKING THOSE ENGINES COMMONLY KNOWN BY THE
NAME OF FIRE OR STEAM ENGINES;" in which said recited Letters Patent is
contained a proviso, obliging me, the said Sutton Thomas Wood, by an instru-
ment under my hand and seal, to cause a particular description of the nature
of my said Invention, and the manner in which the same is to be performed,
to be inrolled in His Majesty's High Court of Chancery within four calendar

page_text: months after the date of the said Letters Patent, as by the said recited
Letters Patent, relation being thereunto had, may more fully and at large
appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Sutton Thomas Wood, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention,
and the manner in which the same is to be performed, is herein and in the
Figures hereunto annexed particularly delineated, described, and ascertained,
that is to say.
My first improvement, is the method of working those engines commonly
called or known the name of steam or fire engines, by means of the same
coppers, pans, kettles, or boilers as are necessarily used and employed in
the carrying on and for the several purposes of trades and manufactures, so
as to cause the various operations of grinding, pumping, pounding, pulverising,
hammering, slitting, and raising weights, and every other operation which may
be required by the various trades and manufactures in which coppers or boilers
are used or employed, and which are generally performed by men or horses,
water or wind, to be effected by the power of steam or fire engines without any
extra consumption of fuel, which consists of the following principle, namely,
in causing the same. steam which: arises from the water, liquor, or solutions
heated or boiled in the coppers, pans, kettles, or. boilers for the several uses and
purposes of such trades and manufactures, to be rendered capable of working
the steam engine; but as. there. is a material difference in the nature and
process of those trades and. manufactures in which coppers or boilers are used
and employed, and it might appear contradictory and absurd to apply the same
principle to all, to some it being essentially requisite that a quick evaporation
of the steam should take place and that none of the condensed particles should
return into the liquor, whilst to others the evaporation. being retarded or the
watery particles of the steam mixing themselves again with the liquor, is not in
the least injurious.
my
In order to be as clear and intelligible as possible, I shall describe methods
of applying steam or fire engines under those two heads, and shall first shew in
what manner I connect or apply steam or fire engines to the coppers or boilers
of those trades and manufactures to which a quick evaporation of the steam is
in no wise essential, and where. the return of the condensed particles into the
liquor or solutions is not particularly injurious; such as, for instance, to those
coppers or boilers used and employed in the breweries. My method of adapting
and connecting the coppers or boilers used and employed in the operation and
for the purpose of brewing, so as to render the steam produced from the water
and works during the process of brewing, or which are heated and boiled for

page_text: -
.
the purposes of the breweries, capable of working the steam or fire engine, is as
follows:-I cover over all or any of such coppers or boilers with copper, iron,
lead, wood, brick, stone, or any other substance, so as to render them steam
and air tight, at the top of which covering I affix a dome or cupola made of
copper or any other materials; and by means of pipes, tubes, or other hollow
bodies I cause a communication to be made between the copper or boiler and
the steam engine. A (Figure 1) represents the top or covering of the copper,
B the dome or cupola, and C the pipe or tube which forms a communication
with the steam engine; but as many inconveniences may be thought to arise
by thus rendering the coppers or boilers steam and air tight, in order to
remove every objection and to forward the process of brewing as much as
possible, I make use of the following method:-First, to remedy any incon-
venience or danger which may arise either from the too great strength of the
steam within or from the pressure of the air without, I apply two kinds of safety
valves which act in contrary directions. The one which I call the steam valve,
Figure 2, and which is generally applied to the coppers or boilers of steam
engines, but never before applied to the coppers or boilers used and employed
for the purpose of brewing, opening upwards so as to suffer the steam to pass
out of the copper when it arises or is generated in too violent a degree; and
the other, which I call the air valve; Figure 3, opening downwards, so as
to permit the outward air or atmosphere to pass into the copper or boiler
and restore the equilibrium whenever a vacuum might by any means be
formed within or any danger likely to ensue therefrom, both of which
valves may be hung, if convenient, upon the steel-yard principle, or by any other
means, and made to act with any given weight or power. To the first of these,
namely, the steam valve, I generally apply a pipe, tube, or funnel to convey
the waste or superabundant steam out of the house, as is represented, Figure 2,
A, A, part of the copper or boiler to which the valve is applied. B, the lever
with its weight a turning upon the fulcrum b, to which the plug or valve dis
attached or suspended by means of the rod c, which is connected to the leaver B;
whenever the valve is forced up by the steam, or is opened by any other power,
the steam is suffered to pass out of the house thro' the pipe or funnel C.
Figure 3 is the same kind of valve, only reserved in order to permit the air,
by its own pressure, to pass into the copper when required.
Secondly, it being necessary in the breweries frequently to examine the copper
or boiler, I make use of doors, lids, or coverings, some of them made not unlike
the covering or lids of common pots, either with single or double rims,
which I cause to shut either within grooves or over projections in the copper or
boiler, and into which rims or grooves I put oakum .or other substances that
2

page_text: readily yield to impression, and by means of weights, bars, screws, or wedges,
or any other means, I render them steam and air tight; but I sometimes
apply doors, shutters, or lids in form of valves, without grooves or rims, the
surfaces of which I grind and make fit, or polish steam and air tight. I make
them of various shapes and forms, either square, round, oval, or any other form
as I find convenient to the situation of the copper or boiler, and I hang them
in hinges, pins, or eyes, or suspend them by means of chains or otherwise, and
and I render them steam and air tight by means of soft substances, or by any
other means. As it is impossible to describe and delineate all of them, I have
therefore only delineated one of the best. Figure 4, No. 1, represents the
outside of the door or lid in an oval shape or form, with its two handles d, d,
and the cross bar 6 which presses or fastens it to the copper by means of the
hinge c, and pin and eye a. No. 2 represents the inside of the same door or
lid with its groove or double rim E, E. No. 3 represents part of the copper-
A, A, with its projection or rim F, F, over which the door with its groove
shuts. No. 4 represents the section of the door or lid, with its groove to shut
over the projection F, F, of the copper A, A. No. 5 represents the door or
lid, with its fastenings when shut on the copper A, A.
Thirdly, as great inconvenience and danger might arise from the violent
ebullition of the worts or solutions when confined or closed in, I make use of
a back or vessel, which I call a check back, made of copper, lead, iron, wood,
or any other substance that will hold water or worts, or other solutions, any
part of which may be exposed to the open air, and into which the worts are
suffered to boil by means of a communication formed by pipes, tubes, or other
hollow bodies, with the copper or boiler; but I form the communication below
the surface of the liquor or worts, so as that the steam cannot be wasted or
evaporated thereby, and the working of the steam engine is not in the least
impeded, which method of forming the communication below the surface of the
liquor was never, to the best of my knowledge or belief, before used or applied.
This check back, with the pipe or tube that forms the communication, are
delineated Figure 5: A, A, the copper; B, the check back; C, the pipe form-
ing the communication below the surface of the liquor D; e, the plug or valve
which may occasionally be applied to cut off the communication, and is opened
by means of the chain F, or otherwise.
Fourthly, to prevent any of the hops or other light substances which may be
mixed with the liquor or worts from being carried up by the steam and
causing any inconvenience or obstruction to the working of the engine, I
make the entrance or passage from the copper or boiler to the dome or cupola,
(which is placed at the top of the copper, and from which there is a communi-

page_text: cation to the steam engine), proportionably smaller than the dome itself, over
which entrance, and at a little distance therefrom, I hang or suspend a kind of
cap or cone inverted, made of copper or any other substance, which I call a
blow plate, as delineated Figure 6. a, the passage or entrance from the
copper A, A, to the dome B. D, the blow plate. E, E, the cross pieces of
iron or brass by which it is suspended. d, d, the aperture for the steam to pass
to the engine. C, the pipe forming the communication with the engine. Now,
as the steam naturally passes quickly thro' the small passage or entrance a, it
throws or forces up the hop or any light substance which may occasionally
have been carried up with it into the cap or blow plate D, when, upon the
stroke of the engine, the steam recovering itself and loosing its velocity, passes
slowly and gradually thro' the aperture d, d, to the engine, whilst the hop
or other light substance that it may have carried up with it, by its own specific
gravity falls again into the copper, and I sometimes cause the steam to pass
thro' net or wire work to the steam engine, which I place in any part of
the dome B or entrance a.
Fifthly, as it is sometimes of use, as well for the purpose of the steam
engine as for the purposes of the breweries, to keep a certain given quantity of
water or liquor in the copper or boiler, and to produce a supply of that which
is wasted in the boiling, I make use of the following method: I apply a hollow
ball or piece of copper, brass, wood, or any other substance made in any shape
or form whatever, which is specifically lighter than the liquor in the copper or
boiler, and which may be made to float upon the surface of the same, such
as represented a, Figure 7, No. 1. To this ball I affix or attach one end of
the rod B, made of any metal or wood, the other end of which rod passing
thro' a collar of oakum c, in some part of the top or covering of the
copper or boiler A, A, is attached or connected to one end of the leaver D,
which turns upon the fulcrum F, but is so attached as to be lengthened or
shortened as occasion requires by means of the holes b, b. The other end n
of the leaver is connected to the valve E, immersed in the vessel of water or
liquor G, from which vessel a communication is formed with the copper or boiler
by means of the pipe or tube m. The water or liquor being now let into the
copper or boiler to the height at which it is required to stand, and the length
of the rod adjusted accordingly, as soon as any part of the water is wasted,
carried off, or evaporated by the steam, and it sinks or falls in the copper or
boiler, the floating ball a consequently descends, and pulling down the end of
the leaver to which the rod is attached, the other end n of the leaver naturally
rises, and in its ascent pulls up the valve E. The water or liquor is then
permitted to flow from the vessel G thro' the pipe m, and will continue so

page_text: to do till the liquor in the copper has arisen to its original height; and by its
action on the ball a causes the end n of the leaver to descend, and suffers the
valve E to shut. I call: this. the regulator, which may be rendered useful not
only to those coppers or boilers used and employed in trades and manufactures
to which I apply the steam or fire engine, but also to all coppers or boilers to
which the steam or fire engine is or may be applied. But I have various
other ways of producing this effect. Instead of a leaver I make use of chains or
ropes, which move round pullies or friction wheels, as represented, Figure 7,
No. 2 d, d, the two pullies or friction wheels; round which the chain or rope c
connected to the rod B moves and acts upon the valve E, or I sometimes
apply cocks instead of valves and plugs, which are opened and shut by means
of chains or leavers. The regulator or ball I cause to move in a kind of box
made in the copper by means of the division O, which prevents it' from being
too much agitated by the ebullition of the liquor. Having thus delineated the
different valves, doors, pipes, or tubes, which I make use of and apply to the
coppers or boilers of the breweries, I shall here observe that it is not of any
essential consequence in what part of the copper or boiler they are placed or
connected, so as they are applied in such a manner as to answer the respective
ends required thereby, and which I have above described. But in order to be
as clear as possible, I shall here delineate one representation of a copper or
boiler, together with the door, valves, dome, check back, and regulator,
connected to the same. Figure 8: A; A, the copper, with the door H; B, the
dome or cupola; D, the blow plate; C, the pipe or funnel forming the communi-
cation with the engine; E, the safety valve, with the pipe or tube I, which
suffers the steam to pass out of the house; F, the air valve; K, the check
back, with its valve or plug and pipe O communicating with the copper;
L, the regulator, with its ball a and vessel or back of water G, and pipe or
tube m; p, the pipe or cock that discharges the liquor from the copper or boiler.
Upon the same principle and in the same method above described, I apply
steam or fire engines to the copper or boilers used and applied for the purposes
of brewing or heating water or liquor in distilleries and the making of vinegar,
as also to the coppers, kettles, or boilers used and applied to the purposes of
dying, bleaching, and callico printing, and to all or any of the coppers or
boilers used and employed in every other trade or manufacture to which a
quick evaporation of the steam is not essentially requisite, and where the
return of the condensed particles into the liquor or solutions is not particularly
injurious.
"
I shall now proceed to describe my methods of applying steam or fire engines
to the coppers, pans or boilers used and employed in such trades and manu-

page_text: factures, the nature and process of which essentially require a quick evaporation,
and where it might be greatly injurious for any of the condensed particles to
return into the liquor or solutions, such as the coppers, pans or boilers used
and applied to the purposes of the salt manufactures. My method of applying
steam or fire engines to the pans or boilers used and employed in the salt
manufactures, so as to cause the same steam which arises from the brine or
salt water during the process of making salt to be rendered capable of working.
the steam engine, at the same time that no inconvenience or impediment arises
to the trade or manufacture, is as follows:-I cover over the pan or boiler with
iron, lead, wood, or any other materials, but in such a manner as 'not to
suffer the watry particles, which may be produced by the condensed steam, to
return or fall into the pan or boiler, so as to prevent or check the evaporation
of the brine, which I do by a variety of methods, two of which I shall more
particularly describe and delineate. My first method is by causing a rim,
groove, furrow, or channel, to project from or be affixed to either the inward
or outward sides of the pan or boiler, to the edges or rims of which groove or
channel I connect or affix the top covering or head of the pan or boiler, so as
to make it steam and air tight, which groove, channel, or furrow, is made to
receive the condensed particles of the steam as they flow or roll down the sides
of the top or covering, so as to prevent the same from returning into the pan
or boiler, which they would otherwise do. To these grooves or furrows I
either apply valves which are made to open by their own weight or by any
other power, or I apply cocks, or I make holes or apertures exposed to the
open air, or I use other means to cause the water or liquor to pass out of the'
grooves or furrows above mentioned. Figure 9, A, A, the pan or boiler;
c, c, the projection, rim, furrow, or channel, to which the top or covering
B, B, is affixed or attached; D, D, the doors, lids, or shutters, made in any
shape or form, and fastened by means of weights, bars, or other means, as above
described and delineated in my description of the brewers coppers. C, the pipe
forming the communication with the steam engine; G, the pipe or funnel which
conveys the steam out of the house, with its safety valve a, made proportionably
large to the size of the pan or boiler. Now, as the steam which arises in great
quantities from the brine in the pan A, A, during the operation of making
salt, by coming in contact with the top or covering B, B, may in some little
degree be condensed, the watery particles which are produced thereby,
instead of falling or returning into the pan or boiler, roll down and flow into the
groove, furrow, or channel c, c, and are carried off by means of the valve, plug,
or cock g, or by any other means; and thus the evaporation of the brine is not
in the least impeded. My second method is by causing the top or covering of

page_text: the pan or boiler to slip, pass into, or rest upon grooves or furrows, instead
of being fixed or fastened to the edges or sides of the same; which grooves
or furrows I partly fill with water or liquor, so as to render them sufficiently
steam and air tight for the purpose of the steam engine, one side of
which grooves or furrows I make lower than the side of the pan or boiler
to which they are connected, and by forming a communication by means
of notches or holes made in that part of the covering B, B; which is so
immersed in the water, or by any other means, I suffer the watry particles
which roll or flow into the same to overflow or discharge themselves by
their own weight, a representation of which method is delineated, Figure 10; c, c,
represent the groove or channel with its outward side lower than the side
of the pan or boiler A, A, upon the bottom of which groove or channel
the top or covering B, B, of the pan or boiler stands or rests. I have also
various other ways of producing this effect. I place the groove or furrow in
any part of the top or covering of the copper, pan or boiler above the surface
of the liquor, and by catching the watry particles as they roll or flow down, I
cause them, by means of valves or other means, immediately to be conveyed
away and to be applied to the purposes of the trades or manufactures, or to
run to waste, or I place and apply the grooves, furrows, or hollow spaces to any
part of the copper, pan or boiler, unconnected or connected with the top or
covering; or I produce this effect without grooves or furrows, and I make the
top or covering of the copper or boiler, as also the grooves, channels, or fur-
rows of any shape, form, or dimensions, and I either render them steam and
air tight, or not; or I cause them to be fixed or moveable, and I apply such
valves, lids, and check backs as may be found suitable to the particular trade
or manufacture to which they are adapted, and which I have above described
and delineated in my method of adapting brewers coppers; which valves or
lids I place or situate in such a manner as may best suit my purpose. But let
it be here remembered that it is not of any essential consequence in what form,
shape, or situation the top or coverings, valves, doors, grooves, furrows, chan-
nels, or hollow spaces are made or applied, provided they are so made and
applied as to produce the effects above mentioned; that is to say, either of pre-
venting the condensed steam from returning and mixing itself with the liquor or
solutions in the copper, pan or boiler, or of confining the steam for the purpose
of the steam engine, without occasioning any impediment or inconvenience to
the necessary evaporation of the liquor or solutions. Upon this principle, and
by the method above described, I apply steam or fire engines to the coppers,
pans, or boilers used and employed for the several purposes of the allum manu-
factures, copperas manufactures, sugar manufactures, soap manufactures, and

page_text: potash making, or to all or any of such coppers, pans, or boilers used and
employed in every other trade or manufacture to which it is useful or neces-
sary that a quick evaporation should take place, and that none of the condensed
steam should return into the coppers, pans, or boilers. But let it be here
remembered that, altho' for the sake of brevity and perspicuity I have only
mentioned and described such methods of applying steam or fire engines to the
coppers, pans, or boilers used and employed in trades and manufactures as
appear to me the best both to produce the effect required and to remedy
every inconvenience which might otherwise ensue, not only to the coppers or
boilers but also to the process and operations of such trades and manufactures,
yet I have various other ways of working steam or fire engines by means of the
same steam which arises from the water or solutions heated or boiled during
the process, and for the several purposes of such trades and manufactures in
which coppers, pans, or boilers are used and employed; that is to say, I either
hang or suspend lids, coverings, domes, pipes, tubes, or other hollow bodies
over and above the coppers, pans, kettles, or boilers, so as to collect the steam
and convey it to the steam engine; or I make the tops, lids, or coverings of
the coppers, pans, or boilers to take on and off; or I cause them to open
upon hinges, or I make them steam and air tight, or not, as occasion may
require. I also apply the steam engine to two or more of such coppers, pans,
kettles, or boilers, as I may find convenient, and by means of pipes or tubes I
cause a seperate communication to be made with the steam engine between all,
any, or either of them, and by means of valves or sliders I cut off the commu-
nication and suffer the steam to pass from all or either of them as may best
suit my purpose. I likewise have various ways of applying the valves, doors,
check backs, lids, and pipes, to the coppers, pans or boilers, and I use all or any
of them or such a number of them as may best suit my purpose in adapting
them to the several trades or manufactures to which they may be applied, and
I make the tops or coverings of the coppers, pans, kettles, or boilers, in various
shapes and dimensions, all of which methods it is impossible to describe or
delineate, as they must necessarily vary with and be made suitable to the
shapes, dimensions, constructions, and situations of the coppers, pans, kettles,
or boilers, to which they may be applied and adapted. I shall here, how-
ever, observe, that it is not of any essential consequence in what form or
shape the coppers, pans, kettles, or boilers are covered in and confined, or in
what manner the valves, lids, doors, pipes, or tubes are applied, provided they
are constructed upon the above-mentioned principle and are adapted in such a
manner as to cause the same steam which arises from the water, worts, liquors,
or solutions heated or boiled in all or any of the coppers, pans, kettles, or boilers,

page_text: used and employed in trades and manufactures to be rendered capable of
working those engines commonly called and known by the name of steam or
fire engines.
My second improvement is, the method of working those engines commonly
called or known by the name of steam or fire engines by means of applying
seperate and detached coppers or boilers, for the purpose of the steam engine,
to the same fires or furnaces as are used and employed in all such trades and
manufactures to the carrying on and for the purposes of which coppers, pans,
or. boilers are necessarily required, which consists of the following principle;
namely, in placing or applying coppers, vessels, or boilers for the purpose of
the steam engine near to or in contact with the same fires or furnaces and
underneath or on the side of the same coppers or boilers which are necessarily
used and applied to the purposes of the trade or manufacture so as to cause that
heat which is generally absorbed and lost to be communicated to the water
or liquor contained in such coppers, vessels, or boilers, and to heat and boil the
same for the purpose of the steam engine. I have delineated, Figure 11, one of
the best of my methods to produce this effect in the application of a copper or
boiler for the purpose of the steam engine to the same fire or furnace used and
employed in breweries. A represents the fire or furnace; B the copper or
boiler, supposed to be used for the purposes of the brewery; d, d, the sides of
the furnace, which, together with the back, I make of iron or any other
substance, and cause them to be in contact with or form the sides of the hollow
vessel or boiler C, C, which entirely encompasses the back and sides of the
fire or furnace A, and is filled with water or liquor for the purpose of the
steam engine or for other purposes. To any part of this copper or boiler I
apply the door or lid E, the safety valve G, and the pipe, tube or funnel K,
which conveys the steam to the steam engine, (which door, valve, and pipe or
tube are upon the same principle as the doors, valves, and pipes above described
in my application of the steam engine to the brewers coppers, and are de-
lineated Figures 1; 2, 3, 4), by which means the heat of the fire or furnace A,
instead of being absorbed or lost, is communicated to the liquor in the vessel
or boiler C, C, and heats or boils the same for the purpose of the steam engine
or for other purposes as occasion may require. Upon this principle, and by
the method above mentioned, I apply steam or fire engines to the same fires
or furnaces used and applied for the several purposes of the breweries, dis-
tilleries, vinegar making, dying, bleaching, callico printing, salt manufactures,
allum manufactures, copperas manufactures, sugar manufactures, soap manu-
factures, and to the same fires or furnaces used or employed in all such trades
and manufactures in the carrying on and for the purposes of which coppers,

page_text: pans, or boilers are necessarily required. But I have various other ways of
applying and adapting coppers, boilers, or vessels for the purpose of the steam
engine to such fires or furnaces. I either connect or apply them to the sides
and back, or to both or either of them; or I cause a division to be made in the
same coppers or boilers which are necessarily used and employed in the trade
and manufacture, one part of which I apply to the purpose of working the
steam or fire engine, or I place seperate and detached coppers, upon the
principles above mentioned, underneath or on the sides of the coppers or
boilers applied to the purposes of the trade or manufacture, and I make them
in any shape or form and place the doors or valves in any situation which I
find most convenient, all of which methods it is impossible to describe or
delineate; I have therefore only represented one of the best, as it must be
obvious to every one conversant in these matters that the shapes, dimensions,
constructions, and situations of such coppers, vessels, or boilers must neces-
sarily vary with and be made suitable to the shape, dimensions, constructions,
and situations of the fires or furnaces to which they are applied; but let it be
here remembered that it is not of any essential consequence in what manner
they are constructed or applied, provided they are constructed upon the above
principle, and are applied in such a manner as to cause the water or liquor
contained therein to be heated or boiled for the purpose of the steam engine
by means of the same fires or furnaces used and employed in such trades and
manufactures to the carrying on and for the purposes of which coppers, pans,
or boilers are necessarily required.
My third improvement is, the method of working steam or fire engines
by means of applying coppers, vessels or boilers for the purpose of the steam
engine to the same fires or furnaces used and empolyed in all such trades and
manufactures to the carrying on and for the purposes of which fires or
furnaces, but no coppers, pans, or boilers are necessarily required, which consists
of the following principle, namely: in placing or applying coppers or boilers for
the purpose of the steam engine to the top, bottom, sides, or back of such
fires or furnaces, so as to cause the heat which arises therefrom to boil the
water or liquor contained therein for the purpose of the steam engine, at the
same time that the fire or furnace answers every purpose of the trade or
manufacture. I have various methods of producing this effect, and shall
delineate one of the best, in the application of a copper, vessel or boiler for the
purpose of the steam engine to the stove, fire or furnace used and applied to
potteries. A, Figure 12, the stove, fire or furnace; a, a, a, the bars or grate of
the same; C, C, C, the copper vessel or boiler encompassing or placed over the
samo in the form of an arch or bridge, the top and sides of which contain the

page_text: water or liquor for the purpose of the steam engine; B, the door or lid of the
copper or boiler; E, the safety valve; F, the pipe or funnel forming the
communication with the steam engine, which door, valve and pipe or tube
are upon the same principle as the doors, valves and pipes above described in
my application of the steam engine to the brewers coppers, and are delineated
Figures 1, 2, 3, 4. Upon this principle I apply steam or fire engines to the
same fires or furnaces used and employed in the glass, earthen and china-
ware manufactures, as also to such fires or furnaces as are applied to all
kilns, stoves, or ovens, such as malt kilns, hop kilns, lime kilns, coke ovens,
and other kilns, stoves, or ovens, and to all such fires or furnaces which
are used and employed for the purposes of all or any of those trades or
manufactures where fires or furnaces, but no coppers, pans, or boilers, are
necessarily used or required. I have various other ways of adapting and
connecting coppers or boilers for the purpose of the steam engine upon
this principle. I place them on the top, sides or back of the fires or
furnaces, or near to or in immediate contact with the same, and I make them
of any shape or form, and I use such of the valves, lids, or doors above described
and delineated, Figure 1, 2, 3, 4, as may best suit my purpose, and I place
or apply them in such a manner as may be most convenient; all of which it is
impossible to describe and represent, as the shape, dimensions, and situation of
.the copper, boiler, valves, doors, and pipes, must necessarily vary with and be
made suitable to the shape, dimension, and situation of the stoves, fires, or
furnaces to which they are applied and adapted. But let it be remembered,
that I (the said Sutton Thomas Wood) do hereby declare that nothing herein
contained is meant to extend to prevent, hinder, or preclude any person or
persons from using or applying steam or fire engines upon the principle and in
the manner in which they are generally used and applied, that is to say, with
seperate and distinct coppers or boilers and seperate and distinct fires or
furnaces, for the sole use and purpose of working the same, but that they shall
not make use of any of my means or inventions, nor apply steam or fire
engines in any manner whatsoever, either to the same coppers, pans, kettles,
or boilers, or to the same fires or furnaces which are used and employed in
the carrying on or for the various purposes of trades and manufactures.
My fourth improvement is, the method of generating or increasing the quan-
tity or force of steam for the use of steam or fire engines, which I do by means
of mechanical operations, and which consists of the following principle, namely,
in moving, stirring, or agitating, by means of wheels, leavers, rods, or other
mechanical powers, the water or liquor in the copper or boiler, so as to expose
a greater surface of the heated liquor to the rarer medium, and by opening the

page_text: pores of the water or liquor to cause the weaker steam to be freed from that
weight or pressure which before confined it, and so enable it to rise and mix
itself with that steam above the surface of the water or liquor, and thereby
increase the quantity thereof; and this I do in a variety of methods, one of
which is as follows:-To the main beam or leaver of the steam engine, or to
any other beam or leaver connected thereto, I attach or suspend the chase rod
or connecting rod E (Figure 13), which by means of a rotative motion being
applied, I cause to act upon or turn round the perpendicular cog or spur wheel
B, the cogs or teeth of which, passing within the cogs or teeth of the horizontal
wheel C, give motion to the same; to this horizontal wheel the perpendicular
axis D is applied, which passes thro' the aperture a, rendered steam and air
tight, and is either supported on the top or turns in a groove, or upon the pivot
or bearing brass m at the bottom of the boiler or copper A, A. To some part
of the axis D is affixed or attached the vanes, bars, or rods e, e, e, e, or any other
wheels, cross bars, leavers, or framework, which, during its revolution, stirs,.
seperates and agitates the water or liquor contained in the copper or boiler,
and thus generates or increases the quantity or force of steam upon the prin-
ciple above mentioned. But let it be here remembered, that I have various
other ways of generating or increasing the quantity or force of steam by means.
of mechanical operations. I produce this effect not only by using and applying
a rotative motion, but also by beating or agitating the water by means of
weights or heavy bodies attached or suspended to rods, bars, or chains, which
are made to move up and down in the coppers or boilers either perpendicularly
or obliquely, or by applying leavers, rods, or rakes which are moved backwards
and forwards in order to stir, agitate, or rake the same; all of which methods
it is needless particularly to describe or delineate, as they are easy to be
understood, and are all applied upon the same principle. I shall here, however,
observe, that I use or apply mechanical operations for the purpose above
mentioned, not only by causing them to be connected to or to receive their
motion from steam or fire engines, but also by causing them to be moved and
acted upon by the power of men, horses, or any other power; and that I use
or apply them not only to those coppers, pans, kettles, or boilers used and
employed in the trades and manufactures herein-before mentioned, and to
which I apply steam or fire engines, but also to all coppers or boilers as are or
may be used for the purpose of working steam or fire engines. I likewise
apply a mechanical power upon the above principle to coppers, pans, or boilers,
for the purpose of promoting a quick evaporation, which the nature and..
process of some trades essentially require. Moreover, let it be remembered that
it is not of any essential consequence in what form or manner the mechanical

page_text: power is made or applied, or by what means it is moved, provided it is made,
applied, or moved in such a manner as to generate or increase the quantity or
force of steam for the purpose of the steam engine, or in order to promote a
quick evaporation.
My fifth improvement is, the application of steam or fire engines to the
raising of ballast, that is to say, to the raising, hauling, or pulling up gravel;
sand, or stones, for the several purposes of ships, lighters, barges, and other
vessels, and also for any other uses that occasion may require; as also to the
the cleansing of docks and the removing of banks, and to every other pur-
pose where the power of a steam engine can be applied to the raising
of dirt, mud, stones, sand; gravel, or any other materials; and this I do
in a variety of ways, by means of leavers, chains, ropes, pullies, or rack
and wheel work, all of which methods it is impossible to describe and
delineate, but I shall represent two upon different principles, which appear
to me the best and most simple. A, Figure 14, No. 1, represents the chase
or connecting rod attached or suspended to the main beam or leaver of the
engine B, and which by means of a rotative motion, either one of those hereinafter
described or by means of a crank or any other rotative motion being applied,
causes the cog or spur wheel D, with its bearings a, a, to revolve, the cogs or
teeth of which wheel, being inserted or falling into the teeth or cogs of the
wheel F, give motion to the same. To one end of the axis or bearing S, S,
of the wheel F, is affixed the cross bar n, n, which slides or slips into
the crooked or projecting cross bar 0, 0, and forms a gripe, as is now repre-
sented, and by pressing against the projecting ends or arms of the cross bar o, o,
gives motion to the ratchet or pole wheel v, and roller or windlass I, with the
bearings T, T. This wheel F, with its bearings and cross bar n, n, is made to
slide backwards and forwards, or to shift sideways by means of the leaver R,
so as to disengage itself from the crooked arms o, o, and the windlass I, at the
same time that it continues to revolve together with the wheel D. G is the
chain or rope made to wind round the roller or windlass I, and which, passing
over the pulley E, (No. 2, Figure 14,) is fastened or affixed to the bag or
hollow body H, that receives the gravel or sand, and which is moved, shifted,
and acted upon by means of the pole or leaver L, which ballast bag and pole
or leaver are generally used for the raising of ballast. P is the click or catch
made to fall in the teeth of the ratchet wheel v. Upon the raising of the
ballast the cross barr n, n, being locked in the crooked or inverted ends of the
cross bar o, o, in the same manner as is now represented, Figure 14, No. 1, the
roller or windlass I, with the pole wheel vand bearings T, T, are made to
revolve, and by means of the chain or rope G, to pull up the weight or ballast

page_text: in the bag H;. but as soon as it has arrived to the height required, the wheel
and cross bar n, n, by means of the leaver R, which may be moved by the
power of men or by the engine, is shifted sideways and is unlocked or released
from the arms of the gripe o, o, when the click or catch p falling into. the
teeth of the ratchet wheel v, stops or supports the weight or ballast till it is
discharged or delivered. The click being thus lifted, up by the string F, the
weight or bag H runs down by its own gravity, and the. pole. L being pressed
or kept down either by the power of men, as is the usual way, or by any other
power, the wheel F, with its bearings and cross bar n, n, is again. locked
within the arms of the cross bar o, o, and forms the gripe. The windlass. I is
then made to revolve, and the weight or ballast is raised or pulled up as before.
Figure 14, No. 12, represents a front view, and Figure 14, No. 1, a side
view of this method of raising ballast. I make the bag or hollow body which
receives the gravel, sand, or ballast, of any shape or form, and I press it down
either by means of poles or weights. But I sometimes apply the steam engine
to the raising of ballast, by causing the weight or burthen to be pulled up
by means of bars or rods attached or suspended to the main beam or leaver of
the steam engine, or to any other beam or leaver connected thereto, the ends
of which bars or rods I cause to pull, push, or press round wheels or trundles,
which give a rotatory motion to the rollers, wheel, or windlass, upon which the
chain or rope is caused to wind as represented, Figure 15, No. 1. B, the
main beam or leaver of the steam engine, to which I attach or suspend the
chase or connecting rod A, the crooked end of which I cause to traverse over
the teeth or notches of the wheel D, and to pull round the same; to the axis
of the wheel D the roller or windlass I is connected, upon which the chain or
rope G winds, to the end of which chain or rope is fastened the bag or weight
H. F is the click or catch which falls into the teeth of the wheel D, upon
the raising of the ballast, as soon as the weight is pulled up to the height
required. The crooked end of the bent bar A being disengaged or removed
from the teeth of the wheel D by pulling the string a, which is fastened
thereto, the bag or weight is stopped or supported by means of the catch F,
until it is discharged or emptied, when by pulling up the click F by its
string f, the bag or weight falls again into the water by its own gravity, and
having arrived at the depth required, the crooked bar or rod A, together with
5 the catch F, are suffered to fall and act upon the teeth of the wheel D, the
bag fills and the burthen or ballast is raised as before.
'
No. 2, Figure 15, represents a view of the roller or windlass upon which
the chain or rope winds. But I produce this motion in a variety of ways,
which I have herein-after more fully described under the head of the fourth

page_text: principle, whereby I effect a rotative or circular motion from the perpen-
dicular or vibrating motion of the main beam or leaver of the steam or fire
engine, and which is delineated, Figure 21. Let it be observed that in all
these cases I apply a fly or brake, such as the brake of a windmill, the appli-
cation of which is easily understood by all conversant in mill or engine work,
to check, regulate, or equalize the motion or power of the engine.
My sixth improvement is, the application of steam or fire engines to all
ships, lighters, barges, boats, or vessels, to answer every purpose of rowing,
pushing, punting, towing, hauling, or navigating the same, without the labour
of men or horses or the assistance of wind, current, or tide, and my method
is as follows: To the end or to any part of my working beam I attach
or suspend my connecting rod, to which I apply a rotative motion, either one
of my own herein-after described, or a crank, or any other rotative motion; or
I apply a rotative motion to the piston rod itself, by which motion a wheel and
axis is made to revolve, which in its revolutions carry with it vanes, leavers,
or paddles, that are fixed to the extremity of the axis, or a wheel or wheels
similar and like unto a ground shot wheel, the paddles or vanes of which
striking, pressing, and acting upon the surface of the water, cause the ship,
boat, or vessel to pass along. A, the chase or connecting rod, which causes the
wheel B to revolve, the cogs or teeth of which wheel press round the wheel C.
E, E, E, E, E, E, E, E, the staves, spokes, or leavers affixed to the axis of the
wheel C, to the ends or any part of which I place or apply vanes or paddles, such
as n, n, n, n, n, n, n, n, or I make them in any other shape or form, but I so
apply them as to cause them to act in such a manner that in their descent
they shall strike or press against the water with sufficient power; whilst in
their asscent they cut or pass out of the water inclined or edgeways, as I have
endeavoured to represent them, Figure (16). But I place my vanes or paddles
in any direction which may best suit my purpose, either parallel, inclined, or
perpendicular, or I put them either on one or both of the sides of the ship,
lighter, or vessel, as occasion may require, and I cause them to turn and shift
themselves in such a manner as to act upon the water, when immersed therein,
with a greater or lesser surface as may be required, which method answers the
same end as feathering the oars in rowing. But I likewise apply steam or
fire engines to ships, lighters, or vessels for the purposes of pumping and raising
weights, or for any other use or purpose which may be required thereby, which
I either cause to work by means of the same fires or furnaces used and
employed in ships or vessels, or by means of seperate and distinct fires or
furnaces.
My seventh improvement is, the application of that water which is produced

page_text: by the condensed steam, and which flows from the steam or fire engine, to the
various purposes of cleansing and scalding utensils in the breweries, distilleries,
and other trades and manufactures, or of supplying or furnishing with warm
water other coppers, vessels, or boilers, or to any other use or purpose for
which it may be required. But I do hereby declare that I do not wish or
intend to exclude any person or persons from using the water produced by
condensed steam, which flows from the steam engine, provided they do not
use or apply it to the uses or purposes of any or either of such trades and
manufactures in which coppers, or boilers, or fires, or furnaces are necessarily
used and employed, and to which I apply the steam or fire engine.
My eighth improvement of the steam or fire engine consists in the construc-
tion or application of the steam valve, or of that valve which admits the steam
from the copper to the cylinder or condenser. A, Figure 17, the handle or
leaver which turns upon the fulcrum or prop f, and to which is attached or
suspended the rod B, which passing through the stuffing box D, stuffed with
oakum or any other soft substance, so as to render it steam and air tight, lifts
up the plug or valve c and suffers the steam that comes from the copper or
boiler, by means of the pipe or tube G, to pass to the cylinder or condenser
through the pipe or tube C. Now, as the plug tree K of the engine descends,
the projection pin or friction wheel I, placed on the side thereof, strikes against
the end o of the handle or leaver A and causes that to descend likewise, which
consequently makes the other end m of the leaver to rise and to lift up the B
with its valve or plug c, which end of the leaver m in its ascent forces itself
above the catch or latch n of the crooked leaver F, which is made to move easily
upon the pin or hinge H and there rests, at which time the steam is suffered to
flow from the copper or boiler by means of the pipe G, thro' the pipe or tube C,
to the cylinder or condenser; but upon the return of the stroke of the engine,
the plug tree K rises, and by means of such another projection pin or friction
wheel placed on either side thereof, strikes or forces up the arm or crooked
leaver F, which causes the end m of the leaver A to be freed and dislodged
from the catch or latch n, and suffers it to fall by means of weights or by its
own gravity. This is a leaver of the first kind, where the fulcrum or centre of
motion is placed between the weight and the power, but I sometimes make
them upon the above principle, or by applying a leaver of the second or third
kind; (that is,) either by placing the weight between the fulcrum and the
power, or causing the power to act between the weight and fulcrum, upon the
same principle as the steam valve, and by applying leavers of any of the three
kinds above mentioned, and by making the valves to open downwards or
B

page_text: upwards as may best suit my purpose. I likewise make, construct, and apply,
if convenient, my injection valve, or that cock or valve which permits the cold
water to flow to the cylinder or condenser of the engine, and condense the
steam.
My ninth improvement is, the method of causing. the perpendicular or
vibrating motion of the steam or fire engine to produce or effect a circular or
rotative motion, which I do upon the following principles:-My first principle
is by causing loops, chains, girdles, or braces to be thrown over plates or pieces
of iron, brass, or any other substance made in any form or shape whatever
which are affixed or fastened to the axis of my primary wheel, and by means
of hinges or eyes I connect bars or leavers to such loops or girdles, at the
extremity of which bars my chase or connecting rod is attached or suspended,
the end of which is connected to the main leaver or working beam of the
engine, whereby a rotative motion is or may be produced..
Figure 18, a, represents the axis of the primary wheel, to which is affixed
the plate of brass or iron B, B, made in any shape or form, at the edges of
which are two grooves or notches c, c. D is the loop, chain, girdle, or brace
thrown over the plate B, and which falls into the notches or grooves c, c. d, d,
are the hinges or eyes connecting the bent bar or leaver F to the loop or girdle
D, to the extremity of which bar or leaver, by means of friction wheels, coupling
brasses, or any other means, the chase rod or connecting rod M is attached
or suspended, the end of which rod is connected to the main beam G of the
engine; o is a loop affixed to the plate B to keep the bent bar or leaver Fin its place.
Now, upon the stroke of the engine the connecting rod M being carried up by the
motion of the main beam or lever to which it is suspended, causes the crooked
or bent bar F to clasp, press against, or embrace the plate B, and by means of
the loop or girdle D to pull round the same, and thereby a rotative motion is
effected. The loops, chain, or girdle, together with the hinges or eyes, and bent
bar or leaver, I cause to take on and off at pleasure, and I place them to any
part of the plate B, and cause the loop or girdle to fall into grooves or not; &
and I make the loop in any shape or form, either as a circle or ring, or as a
broken link or bar with its ends projecting, or in any other manner so as to
cause it to pull round the plate B, which plate, likewise together with the bent
bar or leaver, I make in such form or shape and of such materials as may best
suit my purpose. Moreover, I cause a rotative motion to be effected-upon the s
above principles, without such loops, girdles, or braces, namely, by means of
rods or pieces of iron, brass, or any other substance, slipping into holes, slits,
or grooves made in the plate B, B, and thus causing the same to revolve.

page_text: My second principle, whereby I cause a rotative motion to be effected, is by
means of applying to steam or fire engines that mechanical power or instrument
which is commonly called or known by the name of a gripe, and which, though
frequently used for various other purposes, hath never, to the best of my know-
ledge or belief, been before applied to effect a rotative motion to steam or fire
engines. It consists of two cross bars or pieces of iron, brass, or any other
substance, one of which is fixed to the axis of the primary wheel, and has its
ends turned up, crooked, or projecting, whilst the other bar, which is placed
across the first, moves and turns round upon the same axis; and to some part
thereof, either by means of moveable wheels or pullies, or by means of coupling
brasses, or by any other means, the connecting rod of the engine is attached or
suspended. Figure 19, No. 1, A, represents the axis or bearing of the primary
wheel; B, B, one of the cross bars fixed to the axis A, with its two ends c, c,
turned up, crooked, or projecting; D, D, the other cross bar which moves or
turns round upon the axis A, and to some part of which I, the connecting rod
F is attached or placed. Now, as the connecting rod upon the stroke of the
engine rises or falls with the main beam or leaver to which it is suspended, it
consequently pushes and gives motion to the moveable cross bar D, D, to which it
is attached; but the cross bar D, D, in its course or revolution necessarily meet-
ing with the crooked or projecting ends c, c, of the fixed bar B, B, is prevented
from turning further round upon its own axis without causing the fixed bar B, B,
with its axis and bearings to revolve with it, and thus a rotative motion is or may
be effected. Figure 19, No. 2, represents a full view of this motion, but I have
various other ways of producing a rotative motion upon this principle. I make
the ends or extremities either of my fixed or moveable cross bar to be crooked
or projecting, or I use and apply any number of bars, which I place either
parallel to or lying across each other, or in any other direction; and I make
my bars of iron, brass, or any other materials, or I use instead of bars or rods,
wheels, plates, or pieces of iron, brass, or any other substance, made in any
shape or form whatever, in which are grooves, notches, or projections, so as
that in all these cases a rotative motion may be produced upon the above
principle, namely, by causing a bar or bars, wheel or wheels, plates or pieces
of iron, brass, or any other substance of whatever shape or form they may be,
to which the connecting rod is attached or suspended, and which are made to
move or turn upon the axis of the primary wheel, to pull, push, press against,
or act upon, by means of grooves, notches, projections, or any other means, other
bar or bars, wheel or wheels, plates or pieces of iron, brass, or any other sub-
stance, and made in any shape or form, which are fixed or fastened to the same

page_text: axis, so as to give a rotative motion to the same, and thereby cause the axis of
my primary wheel to revolve; all and every of which methods of producing a
rotative motion by means of a moveable bar, wheel, or piece of iron, brass, or
any other substance in any shape or form, having the same axis as the primary
wheel, pulling, pushing, or pressing round fixed bars, wheels, or plates, I look
upon to be upon the above principle of the gripe.
My third principle, by which I obtain a rotative motion, is upon the principle
of the leaver, that is, by applying bars or leavers of any shape or form moving
upon their own props or fulcrums, which I cause to pull, push, or press against
fixed plates, bars, or pieces of iron, brass, or any other substance, and by giving
motion to the same cause the axis of the primary wheel to revolve. Altho' this
may seem to approach nearly to the principle last above-mentioned, by causing a
moveable bar or piece of iron to press against or act upon a fixed bar or plate,
and thereby give motion to the primary wheel, yet there is this essential
difference between them, namely, that upon this my third principle the move-
able bar or leaver does not move or turn upon the same axis as the primary
wheel, but upon its own proper fulcrum, distinct, seperate, and detached there-
from. Figure 20, No. 1, A, represents the axis of the primary wheel; B, the
plate or piece of brass, iron, wood, or any other substance, and of any shape or
form, affixed or connected to the same; C, the bar or leaver which moves upon
the fulcrum or drop, d, o, are the coupling brasses or friction wheels at the
end of the leaver to which the connecting rod F is attached. Now, upon the
stroke of the engine, as the connecting rod rises with the motion of the main
beam to which it is suspended, it causes the leaver C to turn upon the fulcrum
or prop d, and to pull round the weight or burthen B, by pressing against the
staple or catch I, affixed thereto, in which the arms of the leaver has liberty to
move, and thus a rotative motion is or may be produced; but I obtain this
motion by applying either of the three kinds of leavers. This above described
is one of the first kind, where the fulcrum is placed between the power and
weight. Figure 20, No. 2, represents one of the second kind, where the weight
is placed between the power and fulcrum. Figure 20, No. 3, represents one of the
third kind, where the power is applied between the weight and fulcrum. I some-
times place these leavers in grooves or notches, and I make them of any shape
or form, as I do the plates or pieces of brass or iron upon which they act, and
also of any substance or materials as may best suit my purpose. I also lengthen
or shorten the stroke of the engine by means of holes or eyes in the bar or
leaver, as are represented E, E, E, No. 1, 2, 3, Fig. 20.
My fourth principle, whereby I effect a rotative or circular motion, is by

page_text: means of my chase rod or connecting rod, pulling, pushing, pressing against or
acting upon wheel or wheels, or plates or pieces of iron, brass, or any other
substance made in any shape or form whatever, so as to cause the same to
revolve, but so pulling, pushing, or acting upon the same as not in any wise to
be attached or fixed thereto, but to be entirely seperate or distinct therefrom.
A. Figure 21, represents the chase rod or connecting rod attached or suspended
to the main beam or leaver of the engine; the end of which rod I cause to be
crooked or projecting, and to fall into, press against, or pull round the cogs or
teeth of the wheel D. F is the catch or click which stops or supports or
hinders the wheel D from running back, whilst the rod A, upon the descent of
the main beam, is traversing over the teeth of the wheel D, in order to lay
hold of and pull up the same; but I have various other ways of producing a
rotative motion upon this principle. I make the chase rod or connecting rod
either crooked or projecting, or I apply a pin to the end of the same so as to catch
hold of the teeth of the wheel D, or I, cause a loop or eye to be applied to the
same into which cogs or teeth of a wheel or wheels may fall or slip and be
made to revolve, or I cause my chase rod or connecting rod to be straight or
crooked, or I make it in any other direction or shape so as to push, pull, or
But it is of
press against a wheel or wheels and give motion to the same.
no essential consequence in what form or shape the chase rod or connecting rod
or rods, or the wheel or plate upon which it acts are made or applied, provided
they are so made and applied as to cause the chase rod or connecting rod to
pull, push, or press against the same, and thus effect a rotative motion without
revolving or being carried round with it. I find this method useful and ser-
viceable in raising great weights and burthens, and it is one of the means
which I make use of in the raising of ballast as before described and delineated,
Figure 15.
My fifth principle, by which I effect a rotative motion, is by means of plates
or pieces of iron, brass, or any other substance made in the shape or form
of a square or triangle, or any other form, affixed to the axis of my primary
wheel, into any part of which I place or apply a wheel revolving on its own
axis, and in the centre of which I place the pin of my connecting rod a, the
axis of my primary wheel, to which the solid plate or piece of iron or other
substance B is affixed. c, c, a square rim of iron attached or fastened to the
same, which is made to pass in grooves or otherwise, but it is so applied as
to cause its four corners to form the triangles b, b, b, b, in either of which I
place the friction wheel or pulley e, revolving on its own axis, to which
I attach or suspend the pin of my connecting rod F, and thus effect a rotative

page_text: motion. I sometimes apply bars or rods in any shape or form, in which I
cause friction wheels to revolve, and which I tighten or make fast by means of
screws or coupling brasses. No. 2, Figure 22, represents one upon this principle,
of a triangular form; B, B, the rods or bars attached or fixed to the axis of my
primary wheel a, in which the friction wheel c revolves, to which the pin of the
connecting rod D is applied, and is tightened and kept fast by means of the
cross bar F, with screws, hinges, or wedges g, g.
¡
My sixth and last principle, by which I effect a rotative motion, is by means
of wheels or pullies made to revolve without fixed axes, which wheels or pullies
I cause to pull, push, or act upon the axis of my primary wheel by means of
wheels or other means, and so cause the same to revolve. A, a wheel without
any fixed axis, kept in its proper direction by means of the friction wheels or
pullies c, c, c, upon which the rims or edges of the wheel A revolve or turn
round; B, the chase rod or connecting rod attached or connected to any part of
the same; the cogs or teeth of which wheel A fall into, press against, or act
upon the cogs or teeth of the wheel E, which is affixed to the axis B of my
primary wheel and give motion to the same, and thus a rotative motion is or
may be effected. But I have various other methods of obtaining a rotative
motion upon the same principle. I sometimes cause the wheel A to revolve in
rings with or without furrows or channels; and I insert a single or double row
of teeth in the same, and I make it either solid, hollow, or in any other form
or shape; and I cause it to pull, push round, or act upon the axis of my
primary wheel, either by means of cogs, teeth, or rough surfaces, or other
means; nor is it of any consequence in what manner it is effected, provided a
wheel or wheels without fixed axes are made to revolve and give motion to the
axis of the primary wheel.
Altho' I have not in the course of this Specification described or delineated
any steam or fire engine which I particularly apply to the above purposes, and
to which the improvements above mentioned and chiefly adapted, let it be
hereby known that the steam or fire engine, the principle of which from its
simplicity I prefer, and which by means of my improvements thereon herein-
before mentioned and described is rendered more simple and perfect in its
construction, is that which is commonly called or known by the name of the
Newcomen engine, the principle and construction of which must be too well
known to all who are in anywise acquainted with or conversant in the principles
or constructions of steam engines to need any description or delineation; but
let it be remembered that all and every one of the improvements or applications
herein-before mentioned and described may be rendered useful and advan-

page_text: tageous, not only to such engines as are made or constructed upon the
Newcomen principle, but also to all engines that are worked by the power of
steam and air, in whatever manner they may be constructed, and upon whatever
principle they may be formed.
In witness whereof, I, the said Sutton Thomas Wood, have hereunto
hand and seal, the Eighteenth day of December, in the year of
our Lord One thousand seven hundred and eighty-four.
set my
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Eighteenth day of December,
in the year of our Lord 1784, the aforesaid Sutton Thomas Wood came before
our said Lord the King in His Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification
aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form above
written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stampt according to the
tenor of the Statutes made for that purpose.
Inrolled the Eighteenth day of December, in the year of our Lord One
thousand seven hundred and eighty-four.