IM- PROVED MEANS, APPARATUS, AND MACHINERY FOR OBTAINING AND APPLYING MOTIVE POWER
Year: 1871

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by William Henry Thompson at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 10th November 1871.
I, WILLIAM HENRY THOMPSON, of Bow, in the County of Middlesex,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IM-
PROVED MEANS, APPARATUS, AND MACHINERY FOR OBTAINING AND APPLYING MOTIVE
POWER," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object the utilization of the downward
pressure or gravitating power of a weight or load for propelling carriages
or other wheeled vehicles, or other heavy bodies upon common roads,
railways, tramways, suspended roads, or other ways. My improvements
are also applicable for propelling or aiding in the propulsion of vessels
or other floating bodies, and for actuating machinery.
For propelling carriages or other wheeled vehicles in accordance with
my improvements I suspend or hang the body of the carriage by means
of four or other suitable number of chains, ropes, or balts working over
or on guides or pulleys, fixed or moveable, attached or connected to
fixed and moveable brackets or blocks, by links, staples, or other suitable

page_text: thereby keeping the spur or other gear connected with the driving
wheels in continuous motion, whilst the said piston is in action.
The apparatus above described may be actuated either by a descending
weight, or by the momentum of a body in motion.
According to this part of my improvements the cylinders for forcing
fluids may be worked in pairs combined with blocks and tackle.
The chains or ropes employed are endless and make a turn or "bight"
around a barrel or drum instead of coiling the whole of the chain or
rope thereon. The tackle of both pistons is connected by the said
bight" around the drum, and the water or other fluid in this case is
only admitted to work the piston on one stroke each in its turn pulling
up or traversing the other, and forcing the water when water is used
back into the reservoir to be used over again by the pumps. By this
action of the pistons in drawing the chain or rope from one to the other
over the drum, they impart motion to the drum which is connected to
the propelling gear so as to impart motion to the carriage or give
motion to machinery.
Tanks are employed as rising and falling weights for transmitting
motive power according to my improvements, water or other fluids
being pumped into and discharged therefrom alternately as required.
Part or parts of the mechanism herein-before described may be
adapted according to my Invention to carriages or vehicles for the
purpose of applying power to assist in loading or unloading the same,
being also applicable to carriages employed for the transit of life boats,
and for hauling on or launching life boats on to or off such carriages.
Sewing machines may be actuated in accordance with my Invention
by a descending weight, a platform being arranged in combination with
the machine for the operator to sit upon, and thus utilize the weight of
the person for driving the machine.
Other descriptions of machinery may be actuated in this manner
according to my Invention.
In applying my improvements to propel or aid in the propulsion of
vessels or other floating bodies, I arrange platforms or receptacles within
the hull of the vessel for supporting or receiving the cargo or load, such
3 platforms or receptacles being so arranged as to be capable of rising and

page_text: falling to a given extent by means of apparatus of the character
previously described, to which motion is communicated to raise the
-weighted platforms, tanks, or receptacles, either by hand labour or by
the action of the currents produced by the passage of the vessel through
the water or by tidal action. The power obtained by the descent of
the platforms or receptacles is employed to actuate screw or other
falling to a given extent by means of apparatus of the character
previously described, to which motion is communicated to raise the
-weighted platforms, tanks, or receptacles, either by hand labour or by
the action of the currents produced by the passage of the vessel through
the water or by tidal action. The power obtained by the descent of
the platforms or receptacles is employed to actuate screw or other
propellers.
I also utilize the force of the currents produced by the momentum
or speed of railway engines and carriages to actuate machinery and