AN IMPROVED APPARATUS APPLICABLE AS A PUMP, WATER METER,. HYDRAULIC MOTOR, OR A STEAM ENGINE
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Clark, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the
}
County of Middlesex, Engineer and Patent Agent, for the Invention
of "AN IMPROVED APPARATUS APPLICABLE AS A PUMP, WATER METER,.
HYDRAULIC MOTOR, OR A STEAM ENGINE."-A communication from abroad
by William Foster and Robert Foster, both of the City of Brooklyn,
King's County, in the State of New York, United States of America.
Sealed the 1st May 1863, and dated the 1st December 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Clark at the'
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 1st
December 1862.
I, WILLIAM CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Engineer and Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion, for "AN IMPROVED APPARATUS APPLICABLE AS A PUMP, WATER METER,
HYDRAULIC MOTOR, OR A STEAM ENGINE," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to new and useful apparatus which may be applied
with great advantage for pumps, water meters, hydraulic motors, and for
steam engines, and the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the
construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the annexed

page_text: Drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, making a part
of this description.
Fig. I. is a vertical section, and Fig. 2 is a partial section through the axis
of the outer shell.
The said apparatus consists of the following parts:-First, the outer shell,
on which are cast the two opposite openings C, D, as respective inlet and
outlet in the manner fully shown in the Drawings, and which is furnished
with the supporting foot or feet, by which the apparatus is fastened to either a
wall or the floor. Next the two side pieces S, S, screwed on the shell by
four bolts b, b. These side pieces are screwed in the shell at c, c, and grinded
on it with the faces f, f, in order to secure a permanent and tight fastening on
the same. They are opposite each other bored out excentrical to the centre
of the outer shell at R to form bearings for the driving or driven shaft R,
which extends through one or both sides, so that cranks or pulleys can be
attached to it. The shaft being eccentric to the centre of the outer shell, and
being enlarged inside of it so much as almost to touch the nearest side of the
shell at c, leaves on the opposite side from a to a, a distance of about double
the eccentricity of the shaft between this and the shell. There are two slots at
right angles extending through the shaft. These slots are as wide as the shell
inside between the sides, so that their end faces are uniform with the inside
faces of the side pieces. In these slots are two sliding pieces. d, d, moving
lightly, which have the length of c, d, or the inside diameter of the shell in
their centre line; one of them may be made solid, and the other in two halves
put in separately in the shaft after the first one has been put in, and connected
together by means of pins t, so as to work as a solid piece; they are cut out on the
centre in the way as shewn in the Drawing, so as to allow their respective
reciprocating motions at right angles. The outer shell is bored out after a
certain irregular curve in such a manner that in turning round the shaft R
the slides d, d, always touch this bore on their opposite ends and are guided
by the same, so far as their reciprocating motion is concerned. This condition
is fulfilled by the bore shown on the Diagram, in reference to which it may be
seen that the curve differs only very little from the circle, more or less,
according to the larger or smaller eccentricity of the shaft R. The definition
of this irregular curve, as well as its 'construction, is given in the following
words:"It is an irregular curve, but distributed symmetrically on both sides
"of the line c, d, which therefore is its proper axis, and in which all lines between
" two opposite points in the curve, which can be drawn through one and the
same point O in the axis c, d, of this curve, having a certain proportioned
65

page_text: "distance from the centre O of the axis, are of equal length equal to the
"diameter c, d, of the curve."
The most prominent advantages of this construction are the following :-
By a boring apparatus, made for this purpose, the bore can be effected as easy
as regular wide bore, so that the work to be done be reduced to the minimum,
no filling in the cylinder as on other similar apparatuses being required.
There are no springs required for keeping the slides d, d, on the shell. An
absolutely uniform and smooth motion is obtained, and therefore all wear
reduced to the minimum, and all possibility of getting out of order prohibited.
The slides are packed along the slides, and on the opposite ends with leather,
gutta percha, or any other suitable material. The mode of packing, shewn in
the Drawing, where strips m, m, as put in corresponding grooves, may be
adopted for hand pumps and for other purposes; different modes may be
adopted as answering best to the purpose made for. Supposing the shaft to
be turned round it is immediately to be seen, in referring to Section 1, that at
every quarter revolution the area Q is delivered, and the area Q¹ is falling
back, provided the four apartments produced in the shell by the slides are
tight, so that nothing of the fluid can come out of them, nor air can come in.
These apartments are separated tightly from each other by the slides moving
tightly in the shaft and round their sides, being packed so as to go tight in the
shell. To prevent leakage between the two side pieces and the revolving
shaft, the leather or gutta percha rings p, p, are fastened on the shaft by means
of wrought-iron rings n; n, and are rounded in the sides, so as to be on their
inside face uniform with the side faces, and the end faces of the slots in the
shaft. This packing is a self-adjusting packing adjusted by the inside pressure
itself, and therefore keeping tight at any pressure. To prevent air from
leaking in the suction apartment between these leather rings p, p, and the
side pieces, the elastic packings e of hemp, or any other suitable material, is
set in the sides, no stopping boxes being required, because there is no pressure
on these packings. And, lastly, to separate inlet and outlet in the most
simple and effective way, the inlet and outlet springs are set so far from each
other that always one of the slides is between them, which slide therefore
effects a separation. To apply the apparatus as a steam engine it is simply
necessary to connect the inlet orifice C with a steam boiler, and so pass a
pressure of steam through it, the power being derived from the axis.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Clark in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 30th
May 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer and
Patent Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the First day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-sixth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs. and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said William Clark, Her special licence that I, the said William Clark,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
William Clark, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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 "AN
IMPROVED APPARATUS APPLICABLE AS A PUMP, WATER METER, HYDRAULIC MOTOR,
OR A STEAM ENGINE," a com". to me from abroad by William Foster and
Robert Foster, both of the City of Brooklyn, King's County, in the State of
New York, United States of America, upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said William Clark, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Clark, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
•
This Invention relates to new and useful apparatus which may be applied
with great advantage for pumps, water meters, hydraulic motors, and for
steam engines, and the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the
construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the annexed
Drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, making a part of
this description:-

page_text: Fig. 1 is a section through A, B; Fig. 2 is a partial section through C, D ;
the axis, Fig. 3, is a diagram, showing the curve of the bore of the outer shell.
This apparatus consists of the following parts:-First, the outer shell, on
which are cast the two opposite openings C, D, as respective inlet and outlet
in the manner fully shown in the Drawings, and which is furnished with the
supporting foot or feet by which the apparatus is fastened to either a wall or
the floor next the two side pieces S, S, screwed on the shell by four bolts b, b, b, b.
These side pieces are recessed in the shell at c, c, c, c, and ground on it at the
faces ffff, in order to secure a permanent and tight connection on the
same. They are opposite each other, bored out eccentrically to the centre of
the outer shell to form bearings for the driving shaft R, which extends through
one or both sides, so that cranks or pullies can be attached to it. The shaft
being eccentric to the centre of the outer shell, and being enlarged inside of it
so much as almost to touch the nearest side of the shell at c¹, leaves on the
opposite side from a to a¹, a distance of about double the excentricity of the
shaft between this and the shell. There are two slots at right angles, extending
through the shaft; these slots are as wide as the shell inside between .the
sides, so that their end faces are uniform with the inside faces of the side
pieces. In these slots are two sliding pieces d, d, moving tightly; which have
the length of c, d, or the inside diameter of the shell in their centre line, one
of them may be made solid and the other of them in two halves, put in
separately in the shaft; after the first one has been put in the two halves are
connected together by means of pins t, t, so as to work as a solid piece; they
are cut out in the centre in the way shown in the Drawing, so as to allow
their respective reciprocating motion at right angles. The outer shell is bored
out of a certain irregular curve, in such manner that in turning round the
shaft R the slides d, d, always touch this bore on their respective opposite sides,
and are guided by the same, so far as their reciprocating motion is concerned.
This condition is fulfilled by the bore shown in the Diagram Fig. 3, in reference
to which it may be seen that the curve differs only very. little from a circle
more or less, according to the greater or less excentricity of shaft R. The
definition of this irregular curve, as well as its construction, is given in the
following words :-It is an irregular curve, but distributed symmetrically on
both sides of the line c, d, which therefore is its proper axis, and in which all
lines between two opposite points in the curve, which can be drawn. through
one and the same point in the axis c, d, of this curve having a certain
proportioned distance from the centre 01 of the axis, are of equal length
equal to the diameter c, d, of the curve. The most prominent advantages of
this construction are the following:-By a boring apparatus made for this

page_text: purpose the bore can be effected as easily as a regular circular bore, so that the
work to be done is reduced to the minimum, no fillings in the cylinder as in
other similar apparatus being required. There are no springs required for
keeping slides d, d, on the shell, an absolutely smooth uniform motion being
obtained, therefore all wear is reduced to the minimum, and all possibility of
getting out of order prevented. The slides are packed along the sides and on
the opposite ends with leather, gutta percha, or any other suitable material.
The mode of packing shown in Drawing, where strips m, m, are put in corre-
sponding grooves, may be adopted for hand pumps, but for other purposes
different modes may be adopted as best answers the purpose. Supposing the
shaft to be turned round, it is immediately to be seen on referring to Fig. 1,
that at every quarter revolution the area Q is delivered, and the area Qis
falling back, provided the four compartments produced in the shell by the
slides are tight, so that nothing of the fluid can come out of them, nor even
air can come out. These compartments are separated tightly from each other
by the sides moving tightly in the shaft and round their sides, being packed
so as to fit tight in the shell. To prevent leakage in the two side pieces and
the revolving shaft, the leather or gutta percha rings p, p, are fastened on the
shaft by means of wrought-iron rings n, n, and are recessed in the sides, so as
to be on their inside face uniform with the side and the end faces of the slots
in their shaft. This packing is a self-adjusting packing, adjusted by the inside
pressure itself, and therefore keeping tight at any pressure. To prevent air
from leaking into suction compartment between these leather rings p, p, and
the side pieces, elastic packings e, e, of hemp or other suitable material is put
in the sides, no stuffing box being required because there is no pressure on
those packings.
And, lastly, to separate the inlet from the outlet openings, they are set in
such relation to each other that one of the slides is always between them,
which slide therefore effects a separation.
Having described the nature of this Invention, and the manner of per-
forming the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be
protected by the herein-before in part recited.Letters Patent is,-
•
First, the application of a curve, substantially as described above, for the
bore of the shell in connection with the eccentric position of the shaft, so that
solid slides of equal length moving in the shaft may, in leading it round,
always touch on the opposite ends the bore of the shell, which arrangement
may be applied to great advantage for pumps, water meters, hydraulic motion,
and steam or gas engines.
Secondl.. the hondoable and self-adjusting nacking rings
in the

page_text: application described, which may be used in pumps, water meters, and
hydraulic motors, and in connection with which no stuffing-boxes are
required.
Thirdly, the construction of the shaft extending through the side pieces in
connection with the slides, crossing at right angles, and extending through
the shaft, substantially as described, for pumps, water meters, bydraulic
motors, and steam or gas engines.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Clark, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.
Witness,
W. G. E. SwINNOCK,
53, Chancery Lane,
London.
W. CLARK. (L.B.)