I- PROVEMENTS IN WATER ENGINES AND PUMPS
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co,
Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for the Invention of "I-
PROVEMENTS IN WATER ENGINES AND PUMPS" A communication from abroad
by George Wells, of Montreal, Canada, Engineer
Scaled the 10th July 1877, and dated the 9th February 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 9th February 1877
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co, Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London "IMPROVEMENTS IN WATER ENGINES AND PUMPS "
A communication from abroad by George Wells, of Montreal, Canada, Engineer
This Invention has reference to improvements in engines in which a pressure of
water is the moving power instead of steam, as in the steam engine, and the said
Invention enables the water to act upon the piston or pistons of the engine with a
very small amount of friction, and the said engine is arranged to work without
back pressure
It is also constructed to cause the pressure of the water to act in
reducing the friction of the moving parts of the engine
The said Invention may also be used as a pump by the application of suitable
power to cause its rotation
The said engine has a suitable béd or framework for securing the valve plate
This plate is provided with a concave recess extending nearly the whole length of
the plate This concave recess is divided into a number of parts, in three of these
parts the radius of the concavity is taken from the centre of the trunnion of the
cylinder, while the other parts are formed from a somewhat larger radius, so that
there are clearance spaces on each side of the concave faces A cylinder is provided
for each of the first three parts or surfaces with convex under surfaces agreeing
with the said concave surfaces Each of these concave surfaces is provided with two
ports, one for the inlet, and one for the outlet In each of the surfaces of the said
cylinders a port is formed, this port, which I call the cylinder port, is made very
slightly smaller in width than the bridge piece between the ports
The ports are so arranged that when the crank comes to the bottom centre the
edge of the cylinder port will come exactly fair with that of the outlet port By

page_text: this arrangement the said ports are "open," that is to say, in communication with
After the cank
each other until the piston has arrived at the end of its stroke
has passed the centre the port cylinder comes in communication with the inlet port
with which it remains in connection until the crank has almost reached the top
centie It will be observed that the outlet port and cylinder port are larger than
the inlet poit
The valve plate has a passage joining all the inlet ports together, so that the
supply of water may be connected with them all by one pipe attached to the said
valve plate
The outlet ports pass through the valve plate, and are connected by a trough o
vessel extending longitudinally and attached on the under side of the said valve
plate, this vessel is made with such an area that it will allow a free space for the
discharge from the cylinder A pipe is attached to the bottom of the vessel for
conveying the water away, the areas of this pipe and the said vessel are such that
the water is free to discharge by its own gravity and need not be forced away, I
thus avoid impeding the piston and causing back pressure upon the same.
Openings are made in the recesses, so that any leakage of the water between the
aforesaid convex and concave surfaces and any water that may escape past the
piston may be carried off by them and by pipes The said cylinders are each pro-
vided with trunnions carried in brackets provided with only one upper bearing,
The pressure of the water upon the convex surface more than counterbalances the
weight of the cylinder, and renders under bearings for the trunnions unnecessary
For keeping the aforesaid surfaces in the proper relation to each other, the
bearings of the trunnions are made adjustable by screws in the caps of the brackets
A casing is formed round the sides of the valve plate, and attached thereto with a
water-tight joint
Each of the aforesaid cylinders is provided with a cap having an opening through
which the piston rod passes, these caps are made to give a long bearing for the rod
and to steady the piston in the cylinder
A passage or port is made on the outer upper end of the cylinder for the passage
of the au as the piston moves in the cylinder, it also answers as a conduit for any
water that may pass the piston A bracket is erected on each end of the bed for
carrying the crank shaft with which the piston rod is connected
This Invention may also be advantageously used as a pump by revolving the
ciank shaft by suitable steam or other power applied for this purpose, the pump
being rotated in such a direction that the aforesaid pipes serve as the suction pipe
and delivery pipe for the water
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Lotters Patent filed by
the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 8th
August 1877
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Fum of Haseltine, Lake, and Co, Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London * IMPROVEMENTS IN WATER ENGINES AND
PUMPS" A communication from abroad by George Wells, of Montreal, Canada,
Engineer
This Invention has reference to improvements in engines in which pressure of
water is the moving power instead of steam, as in the steam engine The said
Invention allows the water to act upon the piston or pistons of the engine with a
very small amount of friction, and the said engine is arranged to work without
back pressure It is also constructed to cause the pressure of the water to act in
reducing the fiction of the moving parts of the engine
The said Invention may also be used as a pump by the application of suitable
power to cause its rotation

page_text: DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
Figuro 1 is a vertical transverse section of an engine embodying my Invention
Figure 2 is a plan of the valve plate for a thice cylinder engine according to the
said Invention, Figure 3 is an end elevation of the same
a is a bed or frame for securing the valve plate b This plate is provided with a
concavo 1ocess c extending nearly the whole length of the plate, as shown in
Figure 2, and it will be seen that thus concave 1ocess consists of three parts & and
four parts o
In the parts & the radius of the concavity is taken from the centre ƒ
of the trunnion of the cylinder, while the parts e have a somewhat larger radius, so
that they form clearance spacos on each side of the concave faces d
In Figue 1 at g is shewn a cylinder, one of which is provided for each of the
surfaces d, they are provided with convex under surfaces h agreeing with the
concave surfaces d Each of the surfaces d is provided with two ports, one port i
for the inlet, and one port k for the outlet In each of the surfaces h of the
cylinders g a port is formed, this port is made very slightly smaller in width than
the bridge piece m between the poits & and k
These poits are anlanged, as shown in Figure 1, so that when the crank comes to
the bottom centic the odgo of the port will come exactly fair with that of the
port By this arrangement the ports and uo "open," that is to say, in com-
munication with each other until the piston has arrived at the end of its stroke;
after the crank has passed the centic, the port 7 comes in communication with the
port i, with which it remains in connection until the cıank has almost reached the
top centre, but when the piston has reached the top of its stroke the ports will
have come to the same position, as shown in Figure 1 It will be observed that the
outlet port and cylinder port 1 are larger than the inlet port i
In the valve plate b a passage n is formed joining all the inlet ports i, so that the
supply of water may be connected with them all by one pipe o attached to the
valve plate b
h
The outlet ports & pass through the valve plate b, and are connected by a trough
or vessel extending longitudinally and attached on the under side of the said
valve plate b
This vessel is inade with such an area that it will allow a free space
for the reception of the discharge from the cylinder, q is a pipe attached at the
bottom of the vessel p for conveying the water away The areas of this pipe and
of the vessel pale such that the water is free to discharge by its own gravity and
need not be forced away, I thus avoid any impediment or obstruction of the piston
and back pressure upon the same, ?, r, are openings made in the recesses e, so that
any water leakage between the aforesaid convex and concave surfaces, and any water
that may escape past the piston may be carried off by the said openings and by pipes
attached thereto either connected with the vessel p or pipe q, as desired The
cylinders garo provided with trunnions carried in brackets s fitted with only one
upper bearing The pressure of the water acting on the convex surface h more than
counterbalances the weight of the cylinder, and renders under bearings for the
trunnions unnecessary
For keeping the surfaces h and d in proper relation to each other, the bearings of
the trunnions are adjustable by screws in the caps of the brackets 8, t is a casing
formed round the whole of the sides of the valve plate b, and attached thereto with
a suitable water-tight joint to prevent the leakage of water and its overflowing the
place on which the engine stands, this casing also serves to protect the lower
working parts from dust and other matter
Each of the cylinders g is provided with a cap or cover u, having an opening
through which the piston rod c¹ passes, these caps are made of considerable height
to furnish a long bearing for the rod and a steady support for the piston in the
cylinder when the crank is passing the centres, vis a passage or port made on the
outer upper end of the cylinder for the free inward and outward passage of the air
as the piston moves in the cylinder, it also answers as a conduit into the casing t

page_text: for any water that may pass the piston a¹ is a suitable fiame or bracket erected
on each end of the bed a for carrying the crank shaft b¹ with which the piston
rod is connected in any usual manner
The engine above described is represented as having three cylinders, the crank
shaft therefore will have three cranks set at three equally distant points in then
circle of revolution, and at a distance from each other corresponding with the
distance between the centre lines of the cylinders, which distance is governed by the
distance from centre to centre of the ports 2 and k, but although I have more pai-
ticularly described a three cylinder engine, I do not confine myself to constructing
these engines with three cylinders, as this Invention may be embodied in a single
cylinder engine in which a fly wheel will be required to carry the crank shaft
round through one half of each of its revolutions.
The said Invention may also be carried into effect in a double cylinder engine, a
fly wheel being used to advantage to carry the cranks (which will be set opposite
each other in then cucle of revolution) past their dead points or centres.
The said Invention may also be advantageously used as a pump by a suitable
application of steam or other power for revolving the crank shaft In this case the
crank shaft must be rotated in the duection indicated by the arrow, Figure 1, so
that the pipe o becomes the suction pipe, and the pipe q the delivery pipe
Having thus fully described the said Invention, as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent, and the manner of performing the same, I wish it under-
stood that I claim,―
First The cylinder having the convex surface and the port 7 in combination with
the concave surface with ports i and h, as above described, and for the purpose
specified
Second The cylinder in combination with brackets & provided with adjustable
bearings, as above described, and for the purpose specified
Third The cylinder, the cover, and the port v, constructed and combined as above
set forth, and for the purposes specified
Fourth The combination of the casing, the discharge openings, and the oscillating
cylinder, as above described, and for the purpose specified
Fifth. The cylinder having the port in combination with the concave surface
having the port k and the vessel p, as above set forth, and for the purposes
specified.
Sixth The improved engine to be used either as a motor or as a pump, and con-
sisting of the parts constructed and combined as shewn in the accompanying
Diawing, and operating as above set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eighth day of August, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven
WM BORT LAKE