IMPROVEMENTS IN OBTAINING POWER
Year: 1845

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOSEPH
FRANCOIS LAUBEREAU, of Paris, in the Kingdom of France, Gentleman, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her;
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date:
at Westminster, the Eighteenth day of September, in the ninth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto,
me, the said Joseph Francois Laubereau, my exors, admors, and assigns,
Her especial licence, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said Joseph
Francois Laubereau, my exors, admors, and assigns, or such others as I, the,"
said Joseph Francois Laubereau, my exors, admors, or assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times during the
term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,
and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, "
my Invention of " IMPROVEMENTS IN OBTAINING POWER;" in which said Letters
Patent is contained a proviso that I, the said Joseph Francois Laubereau,
shall cause a particular description of the nature of my said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be inrolled in Her said
Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and imme-
diately after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by
the same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.

page_text: The atmospheric air having the property to expand for each degree of the
thermometer (centigrade) of 000375 of its primitive volume, I have found a
mechanical principle which allows to make use of that expansion as motive
power, in order to be used very advantageously instead of steam in all appli-
cations in use; besides, as that motive power is very light, it can be employed
instead of horses for carts used on common roads, and which
may hereafter
be employed to aerial navigation at a small elevation. Sheet I. represents
four views. Figure 1, section; Figure 2, side view; Figure 3, section of the
air reservoir, shewing what takes place at every pulsation or stroke; Figure 4,
elevation.
Description of Figure 1:-A, A, frame; B, crank; C, axle, which carries
the crank, &c.; D, guide of the piston rod; E, ventilator (or blowing ma-
chine); F, Figures 1, 2, and 3, receiver of atmospheric air; G, cylinder, in
which the piston acts; H, pulley, which gives action to the ventilator; I,
large slide to allow the escape of hot air after each stroke or pulsation, and
serves at the same time as escape to the cold air that is admitted by the venti-
lator in its lower aperture; K, Figure 3, is a lever (cam) fixed upon a
moveable axle on the two bearings or framework A, A. This lever carries in
the upper part a small wheel, and in the lower part is connected to the slide I
by a small connection; spring J, Figure 3, is used to lower the slide; L,
Figures 1 and 2, connecting rod in connection with the piston rod; M, Figures
1 and 2, rod, at each end of which is fixed the slide N, N', which represents
two triangles; 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, openings closed internally by the slides,
except O", which always remains open; P, P', Figure 1, levers fixed in the

page_text: interior of the cylinder. They are used to raise or lower the two triangular
slides N, N', according to the up and down stroke of the piston. Q, Figures
1, 2, and 3, pully fixed on the axle C; X, double excentrics formed by two
equal wheels R, R', fixed on the axle C, and which serve when required to
push the cam so as to produce an opening by the slide I; S, pullies carrying
a strap or chain annexed to the pulley H, in order to give motion to the ven-
tilator E, Figure 4; T, Figure 2, fly wheel fixed on axle C, which facilitates
the action of crank B. This fly wheel might be put on another small axle,
placed below the one that now carries it, and by means of a pulley made to
produce any given velocity to the fly wheel; U, Figures 2 and 3, openings
allowing a passage to the tube of the lamp represented in Figure 3. When
the machine is at work a sheet-iron box is adapted at the end of the tube,
having three openings, one for employing the liquid, after which it is well
closed; the second opening carries a tube, which is introduced tightly; the
third opening carries a small cranked tube opened at both ends, one of which
is fixed in the small opening U¹, and the other in the box above the liquid, in
order that the pressure be always the same, as much on the interior of the
receivers as on the liquid in the exterior of the box. If gas be employed
to propel the machine, a cock will dispense with the use of the small apparatus
which encircles my lamp. V, piston. Figure 8, disposition of the motion for
the renewal of air described in small letters. a, wheel attached to the slide I ;
b, small lever forming a triangle, fixed strongly upon a partition of the receiver.
This small triangular lever bears a rod, at the lower extremity of which are
two small levers c, c', which are shewn in Figure 1. On the fire covers e, e¹,
are fixed two small pieces of triangular iron, the ends of which enter freely two
small holes x, x¹, in the middle of the levers c, c'. Figure 2, f, sheet iron
box, in the middle of which is a lamp. This box is pierced with holes
underneath to allow the air to introduce itself in order to feed the flame.
When the machine is in motion the action is thus:-The piston, Figure 1,
is almost at the bottom of its stroke, and presses P¹, which rises the slides
N, N'. The opening O is shut, O¹ is open, O is shut, Ou" is open, and
O is always open. Thus the air from the receiver F expands by the heat of
the flame, which is uncovered, and having no passage but in O, it rises the
piston. A little before reaching the height of its stroke it pushes the lever P,
which forces the slides N, N¹, to descend. O' is then shut, O is open, O is shut,
O is open, and O" is always open; but when that takes place the double excen-
trics, and wheels R, R', Figure 3, have pushed the wheel of the lever K, so that
the slide I may open itself a little, which movement depresses in the lever b, and
thereby rises the rod fixed to it, and communicates to the levers c, c', a motion

page_text: which shuts e, e¹. The two fire covers, Figure 1, are shut at the same time
by means of the slide I. The ventilator, Figure 4, throws in fresh air by the
lower opening n, Figure 3. As soon as one of the wheels R has passed the
wheel at the end of the lever K, the spring J shuts slide I, and the small
wheel a presses the triangular lever that carries the rod, which, descending,
opens the two fire covers, and the lamp heats that new volume of air, &c. In
order to prevent the lamp from being extinguished, there is always a small
wick burning outside of the sheet-iron apparatus.
Sheet II. represents two views of a machine of twenty horses power:
Figure 1, section; Figure 2, elevation. Figure 1: A, A¹, valves or fire covers;
B, frame; F, fly wheel; D, shafts of levers E and G, which communicate
motion to the slides R, R¹, and valves A, A¹; F, crank; H, connecting rod
communicating with the piston rod; I, guide of the piston rod; J, cylinder;
K, piston; L, stuffing box; M, piece which rises or falls two and three quarter
inches at each stroke of the piston. N, N¹, guides for the rod X, communi-
cating motion to valves A, A¹, and slide R, R', and P, 0, 0, 0, 0, rods,
which communicate action to the slides P, and R, R³, and valves A, A¹; S, S¹,
receivers for atmospheric air, divided into two chambers; T, fire-place under
the valves or fire covers A, A¹. The chimney of the said fire-place has no
communication with the interior of the receivers S, S¹; U, U, Figure 2,
stuffing boxes, through which pass the small rods, carrying the valves or fire
covers A, A¹. In order to put the machine in motion let us suppose that the
piston is down, as in Figure 1, the rod X, carried by the piece M, has met the
two guides N and N¹, and has forced them to descend, drawing with them the
two levers G and E (Figure 1); the valve or fire covers A is now opened, and
has uncovered the fire-place by the same motion. The valve A¹ is closed, the
slide P, led by the rod O", has closed the communication with the ventilator,
and the slides R, R¹, led by lever G, are put in the position as shewn in
Figure 1; that is, slide R¹ has cut off the communication with the exterior air,
and the slide R gives a passage to the air which has produced its action. The
air in the chamber S, being expanded by the heat which passes through the
space left by the open valve A, acts on all parts of the machine subject to its
action, and the piston being the only part that can give way, it forces it to
rise. Before reaching the other end of the cylinders it forces X to the other
end of the guides N, N¹, (always by the means of the part M. When the
contrary motion commences, the valve A shuts; A¹ opens; slide P closes all
communication with the chamber S of valve A¹ with the ventilator, the slides
R, R', descend, the slide R¹ opens it, then the piston descends, and so forth.
The furnace is made of bricks, or of double sheet iron, and the space is filled

page_text: with sand mixed up with charcoal dust, clay, or any material, clay, non-
conductor of heat, in order not to heat too much the receiver of air. The
partitions of that box do not touch those of the stove, and the two valves
or fire covers are covered with any material, non-conductor choloric, such as
incombustible timber, &c., in order to introduce the air into the receivers in
as cool a state as possible.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Francois Lauberau, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Eleventh day of March, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and forty-six.
JOSEPH FRANÇOIS (L.s.) LAUBEREAU.
Taken and acknowledged by Joseph
Francois Laubereau (party hereto),
at Paris, in the Kingdom of France,
this 11th day of March, 1846, before
A.
This is the Specification referred to in the affidavit of William Henry Ritchie,
sworn before me, this 18th day of March, 1846.
G. ROSE.
William Henry Ritchie, of Old Square, Lincoln's Inn, in the County of
Middlesex, Gentleman, maketh oath, and saith that he is acquainted with the
manner and character of the handwriting of Thomas Pickford, Her Britannic
Majesty's Consul at Paris, in the Kingdom of France. And this deponent
further saith that the signature "Tho' Pickford," set, subscribed, and written
in the margin of the Specification hereunto annexed, marked A, and dated
the Eleventh day of this instant month of March, and purporting to be executed
by Joseph Francois Laubereau, of Paris, Gentleman, whereby it is stated that
the said Specification was acknowledged by him, the said Joseph Francois
Laubereau, before the said Thomas Pickford, on the said Eleventh day of
March instant, at Paris aforesaid, is of the proper handwriting of the said
Thomas Pickford.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the oath of William Henry Ritchie,
the Specification aforesaid was enrolled, word for word, as above written. And
also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the tenor of the
Statute made for that purpose.
Enrolled the Eighteenth day of March, in the year of our Lord One!
thousand eight hundred and forty-six.