IMPROVEMENTS IN OBTAINING MOTIVE POWER BY MEANS OF WATER."
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Wigzell Knocker, of Bushy Ruff, Dover, in
the County of Kent, Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
OBTAINING MOTIVE POWER BY MEANS OF WATER."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Wigzell Knocker
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
10th October 1854.
I, GEORGE WIGZELL KNOCKER, of Bushy Ruff, Dover, in the County of
Kent, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN OBTAINING MOTIVE POWER BY MEANS OF WATER" to be as
follows:-
It consists of an engine having two tanks in communication with a reservoir
containing water. The reservoir is placed sufficiently high above the tanks to
produce a suitable hydrostatic pressure. With the two tanks is connected
four cylinders, fitted with pistons, two to each tauk on opposite sides. The
cylinders are all of the same diameter, and they act reciprocally on each other
by means of cranks set at angle of 180°. The hydrostatic pressure being on
an equilibrium, the design of this Invention is to produce a greater pressure
in one direction, in a great measure, if not wholly, self-acting, still retaining the
hydrostatic pressure in that direction; and it is in contemplation to effect
this by the application of centrifugal force or by other means found adequate
upon trial.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,-filed.
by the said George Wigzell Knocker in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 10th April 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
WIGZELL KNOCKER, of Bushy Ruff, Dover, in the County of Kent, Gentleman,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date, the Tenth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the seventeenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said George Wigzell Knocker, Her special licence that I, the said
George Wigzell Knocker, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said George Wigzell Knocker, my executors, admi-
nistrators, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN OCTAINING MOTIVE POWER BY MEANS OF
WATER," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said George Wigzell
Knocker, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, 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 George Wigzell Knocker, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement and accompanying Drawings:-
Figure 1 is a ground plan; Figure 2 is a front elevation; Figure 3 is a
left-side elevation. The same letters refer to the same parts in all the Figures.
There are two tiers, as seen in Figures 2 & 3. The upper tier is midway in
the hydrostatic column, supposed in the plan to be twenty-four feet. The
ground plan represents the lower tier. The two tiers are alike in their leading
features. A, A, two rectangular tanks with water-tight partitions, two compart-
ments to each. B, B, two cylinders of the same diameter, lying in the same
horizontal plane on the lower tier, fitted with pistons suitable for water. The
pistons have heads attached to them, either conical, spherical, or cylindrical in
shape. C, C, two cylinders in the upper tier, lying on the same horizontal

page_text: plane, exactly like those in the lower tier with similar pistons. L, reser-
voir, communicating with the tanks A, A, by means of the pipes F, F.
G, G, G, G, four slide valves, one over each cylinder, and when shut cut off
the communication of the reservoir with their respective cylinders. H, hori-
zontal shaft in the lower tier, with two cranks h, h, moved by the piston rods
and slings b, b. T, horizontal shaft, upper tier, with two cranks i, i, worked in
the same manner as the lower ones. The cranks are set at angle of 180° to
cach other with regard to those on the same shaft, and also with regard to
those over one another in the two tiers, so that the two immediately over
and under one another act reciprocally, and, in working, one takes up what the
other gives out, and vice versa. K, vertical shaft connecting the two horizontal
shafts with bevil wheels; c, c, two mitre wheels, one on each end of the two
horizontal shafts, over one another; they gear into the pinions d, d. L, L, two
fly wheels on the same shafts f. f, as the pinions d, d. The fly wheels have
iron cogs, and gear into the mitre wheel M, with wooden cogs, placed on a
separate shaft. The power is taken from any convenient position directly from
one of the horizontal shafts. With this disposition of the several parts, it is
obvious, supposing the reservoir, pipes, cylinders, and tanks filled with water,
the hydrostatic pressures would when at rest be in a state of equilibrium.
The design of this Invention is, by putting the engine into motion, momentum
may be obtained with such advantage, as, by its reaction, continuous motion
will ensue with effect. A force pump is set up at any convenient place, as at w;
it is worked by a band and drums v. v, when the engine is going to supply
any waste; when not wanted, the band is thrown off. It is fitted to receive
a lever handle removeable at pleasure; it is in connection with a well, and
has a pipe ascending up to the reservoir E. With a force pump of a three-
inch barrel, and a lever as one to five, one person can throw up water thirty
or forty feet in height. By this means the reservoir E is filled with water.
The slide valve, the piston of whose cylinder in the upper tier is not in position,
that is, at the furthest end of the cylinder from the tank, as it is in Figure 2,
is left open; the other three remain shut until the reservoir is supplied;
then the two valves in the upper and lower tiers whose pistons are in position
are opened simultaneously, and the bydrostatic pressure in one direction
being equivalent to the entire height of the hydrostatic column, the engine
will be put into motion. When the two pistons arrive at the end of their
respective cylinders, the remaining lower valve is instantly opened, the piston
of the cylinder with which it is in connection being then in position, this
cylinder having been hitherto empty. Now, the momentum generated by this
initial power will, if carried out to a sufficient extent, be accompanied with

page_text: such mechanical advantages, as, by its reaction, to maintain the disturbance in
the equilibrium, thereby producing continuous motion with power.
Firstly, there is advantage in putting into motion the hydrostatic pressures
on the heads of the pistons.
Secondly, there is mechanical gain obtained in momentum and centrifugal
force generated by fly wheels, owing to the equipoise of the ascending and
descending metal.
Thirdly, there is advantage resulting from the application of power to the
circumference of a fly wheel which alternately takes place in the working of
the mechanism described; and since the initial power is equal to the pressure
of the whole hydrostatic column, it is plain that these gains may be raised to
any amount within moderate limits, attended with power proportionable to such
amount, by heighthening the hydrostatic column, enlarging the diameter of
the cylinders, lengthening the stroke, increasing the velocity and weight of
metal of the fly wheels, &c. O, crank with weighted lever for retarding the
engine; it is struck out of gear when not wanted by the clutch p. r, crank
for accelerating the engine by hand. The connecting rod is carried upwards
and attached to the end of a lever s, and worked by a descending rod from the
other end of the lever. The engine is stopped by shutting the two upper
valves and letting off the water from the lower tank by the taps z, z.
The claim is for the improvements, connected with the obtaining of self-
acting initial power in the production of motive power by means of a column
or columns of water constant and permanent, not requiring supply, save that
which arises from waste. This refers to the placing of the tanks and two
cylinders in two tiers at different heights, and the system of slide valves with
the application of them. And the claim is likewise for all methods identical
in principle, irrespective of modifications and alterations of machinery.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Wigzell Knocker, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Tenth day of April, in the year of
our Lord 1855.
GEORGE WIGZELL KNOCKER. (L.s.)
GEORGE WIGZELL KNOCKER. (L.S.)