A PRINCIPLE BY WHICH AN HORIZONTAL WHEEL MAY BE SO MOVED ABOUT ITS AXIS BY WATER AS TO GIVE IT A POWER CONSIDERABLY GREATER THAN CAN BE OBTAINED BY THE APPLICATION OF WATER TO A WHEEL IN ANY OTHER POSITION
Year: 1815

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ADAMSON, of the Parish of St. George, Hanover Square, London, in the
County of Middlesex, do send greeting.
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty King George the Third, by His
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Twenty-second day of December,
in the fifty-sixth year of His reign, did give and grant unto me, the said
William Adamson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, His especial
licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said William
Adamson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, during the term of years
therein expressed, should and might lawfully use, exercise, and vend, within
England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, a certain Invention
or discovery of "A PRINCIPLE BY WHICH AN HORIZONTAL WHEEL MAY BE SO
MOVED ABOUT ITS AXIS BY WATER AS TO GIVE IT A POWER CONSIDERABLY GREATER
THAN CAN BE OBTAINED BY THE APPLICATION OF WATER TO A WHEEL IN ANY
OTHER POSITION;" in which Letters Patent there is contained a proviso obliging
me, the said William Adamson, under my hand and seal, to cause a particular
description of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be enrolled in His Majesty's Court of Chancery within two
months next and immediately after the date of the said recited Letters Patent,
as in and by the same (relation being thereunto had) may more fully and at
large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
William Adamson, do hereby declare that the nature of my Invention, and
manner of performing the same, are fully described in the Drawing hereunto
annexed and manner following, that is to say:-
A circular wall is built in form of a hollow cylinder, standing in a perpen-
dicular position on a horizontal plane. Through the side of the cylinder, at
the bottom, several equal rectangular passages or cuts are made, the sides
of which are perpendicular to the base or bottom of the cylinder, and the
length of each within is something more than three times the width. These
passages or cuts are made quite round the cylinder, and so near to each other
that the sections meet within, where they form an acute angle, and leave
between each two a solid part in the form of a wedge, the edge of which is
within the cylinder and perpendicular to the base, so that a line drawn from
the centre of the circle within to the edge of the wedge will make a right
angle with that side of it which faces the centre. Within the cylinder is
placed a horizontal wheel with floats and a perpendicular shaft or axis, which turns
on a point in the centre. The floats are planes perpendicular to the plane
of the wheel, their heighth may be something more than the heighth of a cut,
and their number about twice the number of cuts; but for the most regular
motion it will be better to make the numbers prime to each other; thus, if the
number of cuts be 15, the number of floats may be 29 or 31. The cylinder is
surrounded by a reservoir of water equal in heighth to the depth of the fall, and.
supported by a circular or square wall, but a circular one will be the strongest
to support the water. The reservoir is filled by the steam flowing from the
canal or river through a head or slit at the top of the wall, and at the bottom
the water flows through the cuts and turns the wheel. The width of the
cylinder within is continued downwards below the floats to a depth sufficient
for permitting passages to be made in one semicircle of a sufficient capacity to
take away the water as fast as it flows through the cuts. To find what the
capacity of these passages or cuts ought to be, find the area of the perpen-
dicular section or slit through which the water flows from the canal into the
reservoir; and as the same quantity must pass through the bottom passages in
the same time, make the sum of the areas of the perpendicular sections of all
the bottom passages where the water enters about greater than that found
at the top. The wheel to answer best in this place ought to have a double rim
of cast iron, and the distance between the two rims must be equal to half the
heighth of the float, so that when it is fixed, one half of it may be between the
rims, one fourth above the top rim, and one fourth below the bottom one;
this will give the float the greatest power to resist any force without breaking.

page_text: While the radius of the wheel and depth of the cuts remain the same, the
greater their number is, the less will be their width; and as the sum of the
areas of all their perpendicular sections will also be less, consequently the less
water will pass through them, but it will act nearer the extremity of the radius
or float, and, consequently, in proportion to its quantity, will produce a greater
effect; hence, the greater the quantity of water, the less the number of cuts
ought to be; in practice, however, their number can hardly be less than 8 or 9,
but with a large wheel may possibly amount to near 40, for the only limit is,
when the passage becomes too straight for permitting the water to pass freely
through. With respect to the velocity which the wheel may have, it is only
necessary to avoid extremes, as the velocity multiplied by the resistance will
always produce the same effect; and as it may move with any velocity less than
that of the water, it will give it a great advantage over the other wheel, as
will clearly appear in this instance, that if a millstone be fixed on the top of
the axis of a small horizontal wheel it may be turned with a sufficient velocity
without the intervention of any other wheel or machinery. To give motion
to or to stop the wheel, the best way seems to be to fit each passage with a
valve, which, turning on a joint at the top, may be drawn up with a strong
wire, and when let go, will drop with its own weight and stop the passage.
It will also have this further advantage, that when a small power is wanted,
any number of passages may be stopped, and the water, when scarce, saved.
When the principles of the motion of this machine are attentively considered,
it will clearly appear-1st, that the water can receive no check in any part of
its passage for the want of air. 2d, that the floats being open on the side
next the centre, will prevent any reaction against the water coming in. 3d,
that there being a sufficient space below the floats to receive the water after its
force is spent upon them, the wheel cannot be impeded by any lodgement of
water between the floats. 4th, that the velocity of the wheel being always
less than that of the water acting against the floats, there can be no obstruction
by centrifugal force. 5th, that the water acts upon all the floats at the same
time. 6th, that the force of the water against the floats arises from its perpen-
dicular pressure from the surface to the centre of force in the passage or cut
at the bottom of the cylinder. 7th, that the water acts against the floats as
nearly perpendicular to their surface, and as near to the extremity as it is pos-
sible to make water act against the floats of a wheel. Sth, that no part of the
water can be lost, and that therefore the whole of it acts against the floats.
And, 9th, that no water-wheel can be made to move with less friction. Hence
it must appear evident that on these principles a horizontal wheel will act
with the greatest power that can possibly be obtained by the application of

page_text: water to the circumference of a wheel. Its power, when compared with that
of the overfall wheel, acting under the same quantity of water and fall, is
greater in the ratio of about three to two.
Fig. 1 in the plate annexed shews the bottom of the circular wall which
sustains the water within the reservoir and the wheel within the cylinder, with
the passages cut through its side, and the action of the several streams passing
through them upon the floats.
Fig. 2 shews a vertical section through the centre of the machine, and sup-
posed to pass through .one of the streams of water which flows from the
cylinder at the bottom. F, F, two floats fixed to a double rim; P, P, the
passages or cuts through which the water passes from the reservoir into the
cylinder, and. turns the wheel. The rest is evident.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Adamsan, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Tenth day of February, in the year of our Lord
water to the circumference of a wheel. Its power, when compared with that
of the overfall wheel, acting under the same quantity of water and fall, is
greater in the ratio of about three to two.
Fig. 1 in the plate annexed shews the bottom of the circular wall which
sustains the water within the reservoir and the wheel within the cylinder, with
the passages cut through its side, and the action of the several streams passing
through them upon the floats.
Fig. 2 shews a vertical section through the centre of the machine, and sup-
posed to pass through .one of the streams of water which flows from the
cylinder at the bottom. F, F, two floats fixed to a double rim; P, P, the
passages or cuts through which the water passes from the reservoir into the
cylinder, and. turns the wheel. The rest is evident.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Adamsan, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Tenth day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight
hundred and sixteen.
WM ADAMSON. (L.S.)
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the same Tenth day of February, in
the year above mentioned, the aforesaid William Adamson came before our
Lord the King in His Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification aforesaid,
and all and every thing therein contained, in form above written. And also
the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the tenor of the Statute