AN IMPROVED METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR ÚTILIZING THE EXPLOSIVE FORCE OF GAS AS A MOTIVE POWER
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Haseltine, of the Firm of Haseltine,
Lake, & Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for
the Invention of "AN IMPROVED METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR
ÚTILIZING THE EXPLOSIVE FORCE OF GAS AS A MOTIVE POWER.”—A com-
munication from abroad by William Augustus Leggo, of Montreal,
Canada, Gentleman.
Sealed the 23rd February 1872, and dated the 28th August 1871.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Haseltine
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 28th August 1871.
I, GEORGE HASELTINE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent
Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR
UTILIZING THE EXPLOSIVE FORCE OF GAS AS A MOTIVE POWER," a communica-
tion, to be as follows:-
This Invention has reference to the use of the explosive nature of

page_text: brought in contact with fire, as a motive power for propelling vessels
and driving machinery. The said Invention is designed to furnish the
means for bringing under control and utilizing this explosive power and
rendering what has been heretofore considered only a useless and
dangerous property a valuable, economical, and safe motor. For this
purpose I employ the oxygen of atmospheric air mixed in constant
proportions with a steady stream of hydrogen gas introduced into a
chamber, cylinder, tube, or any convenient and suitable receptacle,
and there caused to explode by ignition from a jet of lighted gas,
an electric spark, or any other means, the explosions being powerful,
more or less frequent as may be desired, and quite under control. The
appliances for rendering available as motive power the force of these
explosions will vary in almost every class of machines to which the
force is applied, but I will only describe those for utilizing it for
propelling a vessel. For this purpose I place near the stern, or in 1
any other convenient part of the vessel to be propelled, a gasometer
of any suitable size for producing the amount of gas required..
'
The hydrogen gas used may be generated in any way known to
chemists, but is procured preferably from acidulated water and zinc,
the oxygen of the water attaching itself to the zinc and freeing the 2
hydrogen, which fills the gasometer in a very short space of time. This
gas so made is conveyed from the gasometer by a pipe, the supply being
controlled by a. cock; the pipe which enters the exploding chamber is
connected with the other by any suitable flexible tube so as to avoid
any escape of gas whichever way the exploding chamber may be 2
turned.
The said exploding chamber may be made to serve also as a rudder.
In this case the said chamber is a cylinder of iron or any suitable metal,
attached to the stern post of the vessel in the same way as an ordinary
rudder; at its lower end it is turned in a quadrant curve, the gas pipe 3
being carried down inside it to within a short distance of the water line.
In the top of the chamber is an aperture for the admission of atmo-
spheric air to the chamber, the said aperture having a cover on the
inside secured on guides. A small aperture or touch-hole is also formed
in the top of the chamber for the ignition of the gas, which is effected 3
by means of a jet of burning gas springing from a gas burner, and
connected by a flexible tube with the main gas pipe, the supply being
regulated by a cock.`,

page_text: Should it be found necessary any suitable number of pipes may be
placed in any convenient position with relation to the vessel, so arranged
as not to interfere with each other, and connected with one or more
gasometers as found requisite.
In applying this discovery to the purpose of driving machinery the
exploding chamber may be the cylinder, the piston being acted upon by
the force of the explosion, and connected in any ordinary manner with
machinery to give rotary or other motion as desired.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Georgo Haseltine in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 26th February 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
HASELTINE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of August, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the
thirty-fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said George Haseltine, Her
special licence that I, the said George Haseltine, my executors, ad-
ministrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said George Haseltine,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter
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 METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR UTILISING THE EXPLOSIVE FORCE
OF GAS AS A MOTIVE POWER," a communication to me from abroad by
William Augustus Leggo, of Montreal, Canada, Gentleman, upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said George Haseltine, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument 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

page_text: 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 George Haseltine, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement reference being had to the accompanying
Drawing, forming a part of this Specification.
This Invention has reference to the use of the explosive nature of
hydrogen when combined in certain proportions with oxygen and
brought in contact with fire, as a motive power for propelling vessels
and driving machinery. The said Invention is designed to furnish the
means, for bringing under control and utilizing this explosivo power,
and rendering what has been heretofore considered only a useless and
dangerous property a valuable, economical, and safe motor. For this
purpose I employ the oxygen of atmospheric air mixed in constant
proportions with a steady stream of hydrogen gas introduced into a
chamber, cylinder, tube, or any convenient and suitable receptacle, and
there caused to explode by ignition from a jet of lighted gas, an electric
spark, or any other means, the explosions being powerful, more or less
frequent as may be desired, and quite under control.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 is a vertical section of the exploding apparatus employed in
practising my Invention; Figure 2 is a top view of the same. Like
letters indicate the same parts in both Figures.
t is a chamber preferably cylindrical, and made either of copper, or
for cheapness of iron, having a cap, plate, or cover, and terminating
in an elbow, the whole being of sufficient strength to resist the
explosive force of the gas. Into this chamber is led through a pipe ",
preferably perforated as shewn, the gas from the "exhaust" of any
engine worked by gas, or gas and steam mingled, or from the generator
itself to any convenient point of which it may be connected by a tube
of any sort u with a mouthpiece for supplying a flame for the
ignition of the gases rising through the touch-hole w. Valves x for the
admission of atmospheric air are provided, and there should be as many
of these valves as can possibly be conveniently placed in the apparatus.
The valve covers z¹ may be of any ordinary kind. The valve cover

page_text: shewn has been found by experiment to work very well, it is of a conical
shape, a rod terminating in a button projects from its upper end
the button serving to keep in place a spiral spring, the bottom of
which rests against a strap holding the valve lightly in place; a
strap prevents the valve from being sucked too far into the chamber.
In operating the apparatus for explosive purposes the bent part
of the chamber t is submerged, the upper part forming a chamber for
the mingling and exploding of the gases. The hydrogen gas entering
this chamber through the perforations in the pipe & mingles with the
atmospheric air already contained therein until it forms a proper
explosive compound, when rising through the touch-hole w it is ignited
by the flame through the pipe a¹ and explodes. This ignition may be
caused by means of an electric spark as above stated. It is apparent
that the effect of the explosion will be to expel the water from the lower
part of the chamber t, and drive the vessel to which the pipe is attached
in the opposite direction. The vacuum caused by the explosion is
destroyed by the atmospheric air rushing in through the valves, the
pressure of the atmosphere overcoming the spring, and forcing down
the cover as far as allowed by the strap below the plate (^; the
water returns again to its ordinary level, gas is supplied as before, and
the explosion is repeated. The more freely the atmospheric air can be
admitted to destroy the vacuum, the less violent will be the return
of the water, and the more rapid the explosion.
The appliances for rendering available as motive power the force
of these explosions will vary in almost every class of machines to
which the force is applied.
The hydrogen gas may be generated in any ordinary manner by
the operation of diluted sulphuric acid upon zinc, or iron, or both
together.
The exploding chamber may be made to serve also as the rudder
of a ship. In this case the said chamber is a cylinder of iron or
any suitable metal attached to the stern post of the vessel in the same
way as an ordinary rudder, at its lower end it is turned in a quadrant
curve, the gas pipe being carried down inside-it-to-within-a-short
distance of the water line. In the top of the chamber is an aperture
for the admission of atmospheric air to the chamber, the said aperture
having a cover on the inside secured on guides. A small aperture

page_text: or touch-hole is also formed in the top of the champer for the ignition
of the gas, which is effected by means of a jet of burning gas springing
from a gas burner and connected by a flexible tube with the main gas
pipe, the supply being regulated by a cock.
Should it be found necessary any suitable number of pipes may be 5
placed in any convenient position with relation to the vessel, so arranged
as not to interfere with each other, and connected with one or more
gasometers as found requisite. In applying this Invention to the
purpose of driving machinery the exploding chamber may be the
cylinder, the piston being acted upon by the force of the explosion, 1
and connected in any ordinary manner with mechanism to give rotary
or other motion as desired.
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 understood that I claim,-
First. The method of utilizing the explosive force of gas as a motivo
power as herein described.
1
Second. The explosion chamber t with cover a, elbow tº, gas pipe u,
ignition pipe u', and mouth piece u³, valves x, and valve covers xl, or
their equivalents, all arranged and operating together substantially in 2
the manner and for the purpose described.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Haseltine, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-sixth day of February, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two.
GEORGE HASELTINE. (L.S.) 2
Witness,
EDWARD C. JACKSON.