NEW & IMPROVED CERTAIN METHODS OF APPLYING THE POWER OF WATER, OF AIR, & OF STEAM, EITHER SEPERATELY OR TOGETHER AS CIRCUMSTANCES MAY REQUIRE, TO THE PURPOSES OF MILLING & GIVING USEFUL MOTION OR EFFECTS TO VARIOUS KINDS OF MACHINES, & FOR THE ADVANTAGEOUS MANAGEMENT OF SHIPPING, AND VES- SELLS OF ALL DESCRIPTIONS USED IN & UPON WATER OF ALL KINDS, IN VARIOUS CIRCUMSTANCES & SITUATIONS
Year: 1790

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
RUMSEY, of the Parish of Saint Margaret, in the County of Middlesex,
Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty King George the Third did, by
His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Twenty-fourth day of March, in the thirtieth year of His
reign, give & grant unto me, the said James Rumsey, His special licence,
full power, sole priviledge & authority, during the term of years therein
expressed, to make, use, exercise & vend, within that part of Great
Britain called England, the Dominion of Wales, the Town of Berwick-upon-
Tweed, and also in all our Colonies & Plantations abroad, my Invention
of "NEW & IMPROVED CERTAIN METHODS OF APPLYING THE POWER OF WATER, OF
AIR, & OF STEAM, EITHER SEPERATELY OR TOGETHER AS CIRCUMSTANCES MAY REQUIRE,
TO THE PURPOSES OF MILLING & GIVING USEFUL MOTION OR EFFECTS TO VARIOUS
KINDS OF MACHINES, & FOR THE ADVANTAGEOUS MANAGEMENT OF SHIPPING, AND VES-
SELLS OF ALL DESCRIPTIONS USED IN & UPON WATER OF ALL KINDS, IN VARIOUS
CIRCUMSTANCES & SITUATIONS;" in which said Letters Patent there is contained
a proviso or condition obliging me, the said James Rumsey, by an Instrument
in writing under my hand & seal, particularly to describe & ascertain the
nature of my said Invention, & in what manner, the same is to be per-
formed, & to cause the same to be inrolled in His Majesty's High Court
of Chancery within two months after the date of the said Letters Patent,
as in & by the same, relation thereto being had, may more fully & at large
appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in pursuance of & compliance with the said proviso
or condition, I, the said Jaines Rumsey, do hereby declare that the nature
of my said Invention, & the manner in which the same is to be performed,
are herein-after particularly described & ascertained, that is to say :-
My New & Improved certain Methods of Applying the Power of Water, of
Air, & of Steam, either seperately or together as Circumstarices may require
to the Purposes of Milling, & giving usefull Motion or Effects to various Kinds
of Machines, & for the advantageous Management of Shipping, & Vessells of all
Descriptions used in or upon Water of all Kinds, in various Circumstances &
Situations, consists of the following general principles :-
First, in giving powerful motion to vessells, machines, & engines by
means. of the reaction occasioned by projecting, discharging, or forcing of
water or other matter from them, by the power of steam or other agents
applyed so as to exert their force between the vessell or machine to be moved
& a column of water, or some other body that is independent of such vessell
or machine (as powder exerts itself between a cannon & the independent
ball). by which means the vessell or machine will be impelled with a force
proportionate to the power of the steam (or agent employed instead thereof,
& the vis inertia of the water or other matter opposed thereto. The existence
of this resistence, or disinclination that matter has to move, may not only bo
demonstrated, but also its quantity ascertained, by comparing it with a heavy
body that is let fall near the earth; it is the weight or gravity of a body that
causes it to descend; from which it is evident, that if the same body was
acted upon in an horizontal direction by an impulse equal to its weight or
gravity, that it would move it in that direction about fifteen feet in one second
of time; from which datum it follows, that the sum of reaction occasioned by
the resistence or vis inertia of any known quantity of matter put into motion,
may be easily estimated by knowing the distance that such matter has or was
intended to be moved in a given time, as the power necessary to give such
matter any degree of motion will always be the amount of its reaction.
Secondly, in giving motion to vessels, machines, or engines, by putting
water or other matter into motion by the force of steam or other power, and
thereby causing it to vibrate in tubes, or otherwise confined between the
power of the agent that first produced the motion and some other power
distinct from and independent of the vessel or machine to be moved, in such
manner as to cause both the action and reaction of the vibrating water or
other body to propell the vessel or machine in one and the same direction.
This effect can only be produced by and between elastic body's, such as nir,
steam, springs, &c., &c., between which, bating friction, a body once put into
motion would continue to vibrate with all the power with which it first sat out.

page_text: Thirdly, in giving powerful motion and other useful effects to vessels,
machines, or engines, as well as to water or other matter intended to be
moved or otherwise managed, by causing water, steam, or air to act either
mediately or immediately, separately or together, above, beneath, or against
the weight, vis inertia, or resistence of water or other matter intended to be
raised or moved in any direction whatever, or against pistons moving in
cylinders, tubes, or trunks, or against cylinders, tubes, or trunks moving
within or between each other, or by themselves or stationary pistons, or
against wheels connected with moveable boxes, tubes, trunks, cranks, car-
riages, weights, springs, or poles, or against one or more of those varieties
combined, so as to produce useful motion or effects.
Fourthly, in explaining and improving, and thereby making useful, the mill
or revolving tube first proposed by Doctor Barker, by laying down the
principles or action of the centrifugal force impressed upon water revolving in
a tube or wheel, and also the causes that have hitherto prevented that Inven-
tion from coming into advantageous use, by which means great advantages may
be derived from a power that has hitherto layed concealed, or been over-
looked in the attempts which have been made to bring that Invention into
practice.
Having laid down the general principles of my said Invention, I shall now
procced to explain the distinct principle and form of each machine necessary
for carrying my aforesaid general principles into effect. As several of the
following machines or engines are improvements on others of the same
nature invented by myself, for which I obtained His Majesty's Royal Letters
Patent, on the Sixth day of November one thousand seven hundred eighty-
eight, the Specification whereof was enrolled in His Majesty High Court
of Chancery on Sixth day of December the same year, it will be noces-
sary in the course of the following explanation to make some references
thereto :-
First, my new invented progressive and retrograde water-niill or machine for
giving useful motion or effects in all directions, and in the most advantageous
manner possible to all purposes to which the power of wator can be applyed,
consists of cylinders either moveable on pistons that are stationary, or within
each other, or that have pistons moveable within them from one end to the
other, with but little friction, which are made tight with leather or otherwise.
These cylinders in which the pistons move have an open communication from
both their ends into trunks or tubes, which are screwed or otherwise fastened
to their ends at right angles with the cylinder; one part of each of these
tubes or trunks communicate with the water intended to work the machine,

page_text: another part with the back or wast water. There are four apertures that are
occasionally opened and shut by gates or valves that are so connected by levers
or other mechanism as to movo all at once and in such a manner as to let but
two of said apertures bo open at a time, one of which gives passage for the
water to descend from the reservoir and enter the cylinder at one end, while
the other opens a passage from the contrary end of the cylinder to the wast
water. By this means the weight of the water from the reservoir acts against
and pushes the piston to the contrary end of the cylinder from that at which the
water enters it, while the water on the contrary side of the pistou (that is, the
water between the piston and the wast or back-water), draws the piston in the
same direction with that in which it is pushed with a power in proportion to
its perpendicular height above the aforesaid back or wast water. When the
piston arrives at the contrary end of the cylinder to that from which it sat out,
by a machinery connected with it, it suddenly changes the position of the gates
or valves, whereby the water from tlie reservoir is admitted to act against the
contrary side of the piston, which forces it back to that end of the cylinder from
whence it sat out, while the water contained within the cylinder is discharged
into the waste water at the contrary end of the cylinder to that from which
it was discharged with the first movement of the piston, when the gates again
return to their first position. Thus the piston, by the alternate opening and
shutting the gates or valves, continues to be alternately moved from one end of
the cylinder to the other, while a strong bolt connected with the piston, which
moves thro a collar in one of the trunks that crosses the end of the cylinder,
and gives motion or effects to the mechanism or purposes to which the power of
the machine may be applied.
The advantage of this method of applying the power of water over all others
is very obvious; first, because water thus applied cannot escape faster than the
piston moves, and by causing the piston to move slow, almost the whole statical
weight of the water may be brought into action, while in under shot wheels
not more than one eighth part of the power of the water expended can bo
effectually brought into use.
Another great advantage peculiar to this machine is, that it will work in any
direction or depth of back water without inconvenience, & with a power always
proportionate to the difference between the height of the head & back water,
even until the back & head water camo nearly to a level. It is therefore
excellently calculated to work by the tide.
Secondly, my improvement of Doctor Barker's mill consists in causing tho
water that works the machine to descend thro' a fixed tubo (or whatever may
be used instead thereof), & in general to enter the revolving tube at bottom,

page_text: from which three material advantages are derived, while three great difficulties
which took place in the former application are avoided; first, the whole height
of the water is hereby preserved to act on the machine; secondly, it takes the
weight off from the pivot of the spindle or axis of the machine proportionate to
the height of the column of water & passage into the cross tube; and lastly, it
avoids the action of the centrifugal force that must be impressed upon water
descending thro' a whirling tube to the great diminishment of its natural gravity:
The principles of this mill are obscure & complicated; & it is evident from the
erroneous explanation of the centrifugal machine published in a late celebrated
work, that its principles have not yet been publickly known. I shall therefore
attonipt an explanation of the centrifugal force, so far as it relates to my improve-
ment of the Doctor's mill, on which, & the advantageous application thereof, I
shall principally rest the merits of my improvements of said machine. Thero
are four things absolutely necessary to be known & taken into consideration,
otherwise it would be quite accidental to forin a machine (with which centri-
fugal force is concerned) of such dimensions & to give it such motion as to ensure
success, which are as follow:-First, the perpendicular height of the water
above the apertures by which it is to escape; secondly, the velocity in feet
with which water would move from under that or any other given height or
pressure in a second; thirdly, the quantity of centrifugal force generated or
impressed upon water revolving in an horizontal tube with any known or given
velocity; and fourthly, the power which is necessary to put any known quantity
of water or other matter into a given motion in a certain time. One peculiar
property of this machine is, that it will do as much work or more than it can
with any other motion, when the issues in the revolving tube move round with
as much velocity as water would escape with from an aperture beneath tho
height or head of water intended to drive the machine, as will appear, from
considering the four things already mentioned as necessary to be known pre-
vious to the constructing this machine. Suppose that a mill was to be erected
where there is a head of water of ten feet, The velocity of water issuing thro'
an aperture from under the pressure of such a column is found to be nearly
twenty-five feet & thirty-five one hundredths parts of a foot in one second,
which ought to be the velocity of the horizontal tube at that part from whence
the water issues (be the length of the tube whatever it may), which velocity
will produce a centrifugal force acting from the center towards the ends of the
revolving tube precisely equal to the pressure of the aforesaid column of water
of ten feet high; consequently the internal exertion or action of the water
within the tube will be found equal to that of a column of water of twenty-feet
high; of course the velocity of the water escaping from the apertures of such

page_text: whirling tubo would be nearly thirty-five feet & eighty-six one hundredth parts
of a foot in a second. It follows then that if both apertures thro' which the
water escapes from such tube wero equal to soventy-two square inches, that
the total re-action or power exerted within the tube opposite the apertures
thereof, when moving with the velocity aforesaid & under the height of water
before observed, would be nearest to six hundred & thirty pounds, from which
must be deducted (according to the fourth thing observed as necessary to be
known) the quantity of power required to impress on all the revolving or
expended water, the horizontal motion of the tube, the amount of which will
be found nearly about four hundred & forty-five pounds & four tenth parts of
a pound, which, deducted from six hundred & thirty pounds (the whole re-
action), leaves one hundred & eighty-four pounds & six tenth parts of a
pound, which would be the neat force that the ends of the revolving tube would
have when moving with all the velocity with which water would issue forth
from under a column of ten feet high, or in other words, with about twenty-
five thirty-fifth parts of all the velocity of the water expended from the apertures
of the tube, which is something more than one half of the whole statical weight
of a column of water of ten feet high, whose base was of the same size of the
issues in the revolving tube. This machine may go a little slower & much
faster than the motion proposed under the same height of water without
thereby losing much of its power, especially by the increase of motion; but
great care must then bo taken that the revolving tube & aperture thro' which
the water enters it be of such a size as not to let the water move too quick
thro' the machine, which would greatly lessen its power, and has been in some
instances the cause of failure in the attempts that have been made to bring
this machine into use. It would be well if the water moved into & along
the revolving tube but about two feet in one second, but by no means to exceed
four; therefore the tube ought to be as many times larger than the apertures
thro' which the water escapes as half the number of feet that the water moves
with in one second thro' the said aperture.
Before 1 close this description of this machine it may be necessary to point
out a method by which the centrifugal force exerted within a tube moving with
any velocity may be easily known, to do which, observe, that if an horizontal
tube mounted upon a vertical axis (in the form of Doctor Barker's mill) was
filled with water having no head above, & then whirled round till its ends
moved with any known velocity, that then the centrifugal force acting against
the ends of the tube would be equal to the weight of a perpendicular column
of water the size of said tube, & of such a height as to cause water to escape
from under it with a velocity equal to that of the ends of the revolving tube.

page_text: It would be easy from the data laid down to calculate the power & give the.
proper motion to this machine; but those who do not choose to take that
trouble may be assured of success by observing to make that part of the
revolving tube from which the water issues move with the same velocity as
water would escape from under the head they intend to apply.
2.
Another simple mode of applying the power of water to work saws to cut
either wood or stone, or for any other purpose, especially such as require
progressive & retrograde motion, is by means of a tube suspended under a cistern
of water in form of a pendulum. This suspended tube, besides the metal
hinges it moves upon, is joined to the cistern by leather or some plyable
substance that will keep it tight & at the same time allow it to vibrate freely.
At the lower end of this tube are fixed two valves or gates that open & shut
apertures alternately that are in the sides & near the lower end of the sus-
pended tube, & opposite to each other. This machine is made to operate
by letting the water descend thro' the suspended tube & discharge at one
of the said apertures at a time, the reaction of which against the other
aperture that is then closed up, causes the tube to move in a direction contrary
to that of the water discharged, until the tube strikes against spring fixed for
that purpose
that opens
its opposite aperture & shuts that one from which the
water was then issuing. By this means the tube is sent back against another
spring, which brings the gates of the apertures back to their first position, and
thus it will continue to vibrato like a pendulum so long as the water descends
thro' the tube. It is needless to point out how mechanism may be put in motion
by this simple machine; that will be obvious to every mechanic. My improve-
ment on my former applications of steam consists in detaching, arranging, &
disposing of my receivers, cylinders, hollow pistons, &c., (specified & enrolled as
above recited), so as to form two new & distinct kinds of engines that may work
when connected with my above described boiler or stills, or distinct from them
as occasion may require. The first of these engines I call "the invented
steam & forcing engine," for moving & pumping vessels at sea & upon
water of all kinds, and for raising, forcing, & moving water in all directions
to any required height without the interference of cranks, beams, wheels, or
levers. This engine consists of stationary cylinders of different (or the same)
bores as circumstances may require, which are screwed or otherwise joined
together end to end without any partition between them. In these cylinders
moves a cylindric piston, one end of which fills & moves in one of the
cylinders; the other end does the same in the other. In this moveable
cylindric piston (which is as long as one of the cylinders) is fixed a stationary
piston that causes the injected water to be thrown off by the motion of the

page_text: cylindric one. When this machine is at work the cylindric piston is pusho
one way by steam & the other way by the water to be moved & the surround-
ing atmosphere that acts upon its surface; the steam is condensed between
the extremities of the moving piston & within the steam cylinder. My other
new constructed engine, calculated for moving all kinds of mehanism, consists
of two or more cylinders, one stationary the other moveable within it. One
end of the moveable cylinder becomes a piston to the stationary one, while
itself moves thro' a collar in the cover of the stationary cylinder. The stenin
is condensed in one end of the steam cylinder as it endeavours to pass into the
moveable one along with the injected water, which water is thrown off by
mean of a stationary piston within the moveablo cylinder (as in the other
engino), which cylinder is pushed one way by steam & the other way by the
weight of the atmosphere. This engine, by making the cylinders bear a
proper proportion of bore to each other, will work both ways with an equal
power or with any proportion of power more ono way than another. My
new invented bydrostatic bellows to work without the friction of solids, by
either the power of water, or of steam, or any other agent, consists of two
cylinders one moving within the other; the stationary one is a common
strait cylinder filled about half full of water or some other fluid or substance
in a fluid state. The other cylinder, of the same length with the stationary
one, has a partition in its middle in which is a valve; this cylinder is of such
a size as only to move in the stationary one without friction. There is a tube
or pipe in the outer or stationary cylinder that rises just above the surface
of the water within it, from whence it leads to the fire to be blowed, to
a reservoir, or other machines of the saine kind. When this bellows is sett
at work it fills with air thro' the valve before mentioned which opens
downwards; when the moving cylinder ascends it admits air, which by the
descent of the cylinder is forced thro' the pipe before described, from whence
it is prevented from returning by a valve & from escaping upwards by the
rising of the water between the two cylinders, the length of which must
be in proportion to the force or strength of the blast that may be wanting. To
keep up a constant current of air two or more of these machines ought to be
used to force air alternately into a third, which being loaded with a proper
quantity of weight will blow a steady blast of any wanted strength.
My improvement on the application of steam to move vessells (specifyed
as before mentioned) consists, first, in having more trunks or tubes fixed
in my vessel than one, & in many enses without such trunks having valves
in them as before described in the above recited Specification; and, secondly,
in more fully pointing out the various methods by which the power of water,

page_text: of air, & of steam may be applied to move vessels by means of trunks, tubes,
boxes, valves, weights, springs, poles, carriages, wheels, cranks, levers &c., &c.
I apply my inverted steam & forcing engine to move vessells at sea & in
deep water by connecting it with (& forcing water thro') trunks or tubes
fixed within or layed parralel with the keel of the vessell to be moved, or
with those that are formed by building vessells with two or more keels. The
inverted forcing engine is fixed so as to have an open communication
with such tubes or trunks &. near to their foremost ends; when the engine
is sett to work it forces water thro' the trunks (if there be more than
one) alternately from the fore part of the vessell towards & out at the hinder
ends of the trunks at the stern of the vessell, the reaction of which water
against the foremost ends of the trunks, which are there closed up, will propell
the vessell forwards. As the water is discharged at each stroke from the
trunk and forcing engine, they must therefore be refilled either thro' valves fixed
in the bottoms of the trunks for that purpose, or by the waters returning
thro' & from the after ends of such trunks as have no valves in them, which
kind of trunks enables me to make useful both the action & reaction of the
water that is obliged to vibrate in them between the power of the steam
within the vessell & the weight of the surrounding atmosphere that is inde-
pendent of her, & which (bating friction & the necessary allowance for the
motion of the vessell, would return the water against the foremost ends of
the trunks from which it was ejected with as much force as the reaction first
given thereto by the power of the engine while discharging the tube aforesaid
of water. This alternation continued, the vessell will move with a velocity
proportionate to the power of the engine. In applying my inverted steam
& forcing engine to move vessells in shallow waters or against currents,
I connect it (besides trunks) with either levers, cranks, wheels, or quadrant
beams, so as to move carriages in grooves formed within or between timbers
layed within or fixed horizontally upon the vessell parallel to the top or keel
thereof. To these carriages are fixed poles that bang on an axis & reach
the bottom. They move back & forward in a mortice or slit formed vertically
thro' the vessell; when the engine is put to work the vessell is forced forward
by means of those poles holding against the bottom; they are suspended
to the carriage by a chain that prevents their dropping lower than an angle
of about forty-five degrees, so that when the vessell goes over water too
leep for them to reach the bottom in that position, the engine acts upon
the water in the trunks instead of the poles, in manner before described,
when by taking out a single pin the engine can be quite disconnected
from the poles. The same principles, with a different arrangement of the

page_text: parts, will apply to poles on the sides of vessells or between two vessells,
as also to the movement of carriages, waggons, &c., &c., by the power of
steam & assistance of the rotary motion by means of pinion & ratch wheels
being fixed upon the axis of the wheels in such manier as to prevent
the axis from turning forward without turning the wheels with it, but at the
same time will let the wheels move or turn forward without turning the axis
with them. The poles may be used to move carriages by themselves, as may the
ratch & pinion wheels in good roads, yet it may be better to have them both
fixed to the same carriage, and only use the poles when the wheels get into
gullies or are going up hill, at which times tho friction of the wheels upon
the ground may not be sufficient to cause the carriage to move forward; the
poles can be instantly put into motion by a lever that connects them with the
pinion wheels, when they will hold against the ground by turns, while the
engine forces the carriago forward to level road, when they can again with ease
be disconnected from the wheels. The same lever is made to lock the wheels
when going down hill, by taking hold of the hubs or spokes of the wheels.
In cities & towns it may be necessary to use a horse to steer such carriages,
but on the road it may be done with case by mechanism of various kinds.
My new invented method of giving vessells motion against the streams of
shallow rapid rivers by the power of their descending currents, is performed by
causing such opposing currents of water to act against wheels fixed at their
bow, on the sides, between, or before the vessels intended to be thus moved.
The wheels for this purpose may be made like mill wheels, the floats or paddlo
boards of which may hang on hinges, which will prevent them from rising
too high or holding wind, which they otherways would do when on the upper
part of the wheels. But a better method is to have two small wheels fixed
one before the other, round which moves a jointed chain like that of a chain
pump; to this chain is fixed the float boards, by joints that will keep them at
right angles with the horizon while in the water, but will suffer them
to fold on the chain while passing over the wheels, which wheels are con-
nected with cranks or other wheels that give motion to carriages moving
in grooves as above described, which carriages & their poles forco the
vessell forward by alternately acting against the bottom. The most advan-
tageous situation to fix these wheels is at the head of the vessell, for the ful-
lowing reason-If the head of vessell was opposed to a current that ran at
the rate of six miles an hour, & which opposed her with a constant power of
ninety pounds, then fix a wheel before her as wide and as deep as herself,
that should move with but one third of the velocity of the opposing current,
say two miles an hour, which would prevent the current from striking tho

page_text: vessell with more than that velocity, the force of which would be but ten
pounds. The wheels would receive all the rest of the shock or power of the
current, which they would throw against the bottom by means of the cranks
& poles with which they are connected. In employing my engine that works
with equal force (or any other agent) to produce effects that require a rotary
motion, I make use of ratch wheels (as described in the above-recited
Specification), the form and application of which I have since improved as
follows:
First, I apply the ratch & pinion wheel to give a rotatory motion to a
vertical axis, or to one fixed in any other direction.
Secondly, by having the ratch wheel fixed to moving round with the
shaft or axis that it is to turn, while the catches or stops that act against the
ratches that are fastened to the wheels that work back & forwards by the
sword or rack or first mover, in which are the coggs which give the motion.
Or, thirdly, in giving the rotary notion, by connecting with the engine or
first mover a lever that works or moves pieces without coggs, which either
mediately or immediately forces round an axis by the ratch wheels, they being
fastened upon the axis.
Or, fourthly, by segments of wheels that are fixed upon the axes, to which
are fastened the dogs or catches that turn the axes by forcing round the ratch
wheels. These segments of wheels are worked back & forward by coggs or
chains that connect with the progressive & retrograde movement before
described.
And lastly, by working a sheath or sword that has coggs on both or oppo-
site sides of it, that turn or move coggs & catch wheels, or segments of
such wheels fixed on the same or on different axes that move singly or con-
nected, so as to give a rotary motion to two, three, or any other number of
axes from the retrograde one.
My floating machine or dock for building, repairing, or moving vessells in,
is a large flat-bottomed strait-sided scow vessell or machine, built strong
& higher sided than the draught of the water of the vessell intended to be put
into it. One end of this machine has strong gates that open outwards,
which, when opened, lets the machine sink deep enough to slide it under
a ship which passes thro' the aforesaid gates; when the ship is in & shoared
up, the gates are closed, & the water pumped out of the machine or floating
dock by my steam & forcing engine, or otherwise, which will, as well as the
sails of the ship, move this floating dock in any direction, as over barrs, up or
down shallow rivers, thro' canals, or into harbors or ports to load, whither ships

page_text: could not otherwise get. They aro also excellent docks in places whore
there is little or no flow of the tide; large ships loaded may be moved in
these machines with great facility where there is but three or four feet of
water.
Having above layed down the principles upon which I apply the power of
water, of steam, & of air, as also a description of the form & a few applica-
tions of cach machine intended to be used, but as the application of water,
of steam, & of air, as well as the forms of the machines they may be applied
to, can be infinitely varied, it is therefore impossible to give descriptions or
Drawings of them all; but these Drawings which follow, with what has been
said, will sufficiently explain the nature of the principles, and the application
thereof intended liereby to be layed down, defined, or explained.
Fig. 1 represents my progressive & retrogade water mill, applied to work
two pair stones. A, B, C, D, E, F, is the frame on which the stones are fixed.
G, G, the hoops that inclose them. II, II, the tube thro' which the water
descends from the pond or reservoir. I, a cylinder, in which moves a piston
that gives motion by a bolt (seen at Y) to the rack K, K, which has coggs
on the contrary sides thereof that turn pinion & ratch wheels, that give
rotary motion to an horizontal shaft, one end of which is seen at L, which
shaft carries the vertical cogg wheels M, M, which turns the stones by work-
ing the spur wheels N, N. The tube II, FI, communicates with the tube or
trunk O, from which the water alternately enters thro' the gates at R&S,
into the trunks or boxes P & Q, which trunks have an open communication
with the ends of the cylinder I; there are two other gates to discharge the
water after it has performed its operation on the piston seen at T & U, which
aro connected with the gates R & S by a lever in the tube Q, that moves on
a center at V. If the gates at S & T were supposed to be open, & those at
R & U shut, the water would descend thro' the tube H, II, & O, & thro' the
gate at S, & would push the piston in the cylinder 1 towards its top, by
which mean motion would be given to the mill, while the water above the
piston would be discharged at the gate T; when the piston arrived at the
top of the cylinder I, the stud W would push against the lever X, X,
which moves on a center at g, until the spring Y changed the position of the
gates by moving up the gate stem Z, Z, by which operation the gates at S & T
would be shut & those at R & U opened, when the water from H, H,
would enter at R, & push the piston down the cylinder I, while the water
under the piston would be discharged at U; when the piston gets down to the
lower end of the cylinder, the stud at d will act on the lever X, X, & cause the

page_text: spring a to shift the gates to their first situation, when the piston would again
descend, and so on alternately, keeping the stones, or whatever machinery it
may be connected with, in constant motion.
Fig. 2 is a 'section of Fig. 1, which the above letters & description from G to
the end of Fig. 1 will explain, only observing, that the letters G, G, M, M, N, N,
are to be red single in this section. The remainder of the mechanism operates
as follows:-A, Fig. 2, represents the piston spoken of above. B, one of the
pinion & ratch wheels, which can move round the center at L in one
direction only, being prevented from turning the other way by the dogs, or
catclics, or stops, which are kept to the ratch wheel by the springs 8, s.
These dogs or stops are fastened to the wheel B, which is fixed open & turns
round the axis L, with it to the right by the ascent of the rack K, K; but
on the descent thereof, the ratch & pinion wheels would turn to the left
without interrupting the motion of the axis to the right. It is therefore
evident, that if another such ratch & pinion wheel was placed on the axis L,
& upon the opposite side of K, K, that it would force the axis to the right
by the descent of K, K, and would, as the other, return to the left without
interrupting the rotary motion of the axis L to the right, while K, K, is
acting upwards against the ratch & pinion wheels B, shewn in the section.
C & D are two pieces fixed in the post E, E, that stop the gates when down
or up untill the pin n in the lever X, X, unlocks them, as it has done the
piece C, by throwing it out of the notch t, to let the springs a & y alternately
& suddenly change the position of the gates; i, i, are small springs to throw
the pieces C & D into the notches t & in the gate stem Z, Z. f. ƒ, ƒ, ƒ,
are friction wheels, & p, p, screws to steady the stem of the gates R & S.
Fig. 3 represents my progressive & retrograde water mill & rotary motion
applied horizontally to work four pair of stones by turning the vertical axis A,
standing on a pivot at B, which axis carries upon it, besides the pinion & ratch
wheels as described in Fig. 1 & 2, the horizontal cog wheel C, which turns
the stones by their lantern or spur wheels D, D, D, D. E, F, G, & H
represent the frame that supports the works & mills stones. I, K, L, & M
are the tubes that convey the water into the cylinder N, which is screwed to
L & M by its ends, & has a lid stuffing box at O that can be taken off
when the piston wants repair. The stuffing box O, being filled with ocum,
prevents the water from leaking where the bolt P moves thro' it. Q is a thin
tube for the gates to move into as they alternately open a passage for the
water to be discharged from the cylinder N, as seen at R. The lower ends
of the tubes L & M must be fixed under the surface of the back water Z, Z,
to prevent the air from rising into them, by which mean the water between

page_text: the piston & the back water will act as powerful, according to its height, as if
it was added to the height of the lead acting in J, K, above the piston I. The
mechanism for opening & shutting of this machine differs a little from the
foregoing one. Here the bolt W enters the tube K, & is connected with the
gatos at S&T, which gates when moved shift the gates U & V by levers that
connect them, which levers move on centers seen at L, M. The bolt W is also
connected with a vertical lever at a, that moves on a center at d, & joins tho
chain or cord g at e, which chain passes between pullies thro' mortices at e &
ats, & has at its lower end the metal weight X; when the rack i, t, has moved
to the left till i gets near the ratch wheels, then the weight will be drawn
up against a spring fixed under the piece of timber Y, until the said spring
gets so bent by the action of the weight X ngainst it as for its strength to
overcome the friction of the gates, at which time it will suddenly push down
the weight X, which, from its connection with the chain g, will suddenly
change the situation of the gates by throwing the top of the lever that joins
the bolt W to the right when the lower end goes to the left. The gates
being thus shifted, the water will act on the contrary side of the piston, and
will return it to the contrary end of the cylinder, when the gates will again be
changed to their first situation, by which mean the inachine will be kept in
constant motion.
Fig. 4 is a section of the same kind of machine applied to work saws for cut-
ting timber, and will also apply to any other machine that may want a similar
motion to that of a saw mill. It is unnecessary here to be very particular in
describing the operation of all its mechanism, as that must appear very
obvious, after what has been said, by only viewing the Figure. It may, how-
ever, be necessary to observe that A, B, C, D, are a section of the frame of
that part of a saw mill that carries the saw. G, H, is the saw gate; E, F,
rabitted timbers in which it moves; Y, the saw or saws which are moved up
& down by the bolt Z from its connection with the piston O, that is driven by
tho water up & down alternately in the cylinder N. The lever P, moving
on a center R, assisted by the gate stem S, & springs. U, U, alternately
change the position of the gates I, K, & L, M. The water that works this
machine descends thro' the tube I, K. The cleats W, W, are to prevent the
lever P from drawing the gates too far.
Fig. 5 represents my improved Barker's mill applied to turn four pair of
mill stones. The form of the frame that carries or bears up those mill stones
is too obvious to need further description than to say that it is represented by
the letters A, A, A, A, A, A, A, A. The water that turns this machine
descends thro' the tube B, which lends into the horizontal tube C, from

page_text: whence it rises thro' the short cylinder D, D, into the rotary tubo E, E, &
there flies out at F & near G, on the contrary ends & sides of the tube, the
reaction of which within the tube E, E, & opposite to them will cause the
tube to move in an horizontal direction, & to turn with it the perpendicular
shaft II, which is connected to the tube by a strong bar, the ends of which are
seen near E, E. The shaft II carries the horizontal cogg wheel K, which
turns the mill stones by the spur wheels L, L, L, L. The cylinder D, D,
which is joined to & moves round with the tube E, E, enters a small
distance into the trunk C, & is there kept tight with ocum, leather, or any
other fit substance, which is held down by the ring of metal N, N.
Fig. 6 is a section of as much of Fig. 5 as is necessary to show the appli-
cation of the water to give the movement. The same letters represent the
parts in the section that they do in perspective, with the addition of the key
at M that goes thro' the shaft H to hold up the tube E, E, & its connec-
Lions, & the piece of metal O for the foot of the shaft or axis to turn in.
Fig. 7 is another of the same kind of machines, shewing the water some-
thing differently applyed to turn a single pair of mill stones; but it is not so
good a method as the one already described, principally on account of its
throwing too much weight on the foot of the spindle. Here the water
descends thro' the tube A, passes along B, & enters the revolving tube C, C,
thro' the short cylinder D, D, that turns in a collar of leather at E, E. There
is also another collar of leather or ocum at F, F, for the spindle G to turn in.
At H is a key & bolt of iron to support the revolving tube.
Fig. 8 represents the improved Barker's mill fitted up to grind corn,
differing in but few respects (besides that of its turning but one pair of mill
stones) from that described in Fig. 5 & 6. It may, however, be necessary to
describe the method of raising & lowering of the mill stones, which are turned
by the immediate application of the revolving or rotary tube D, D, to the
spindle C, which carries round the stones inclosed in the hoop E. The
bottom of the spindle is fixed on a lever within the tube B, supported at one
end on a center at F, and at the other end by the metal bolt G, which passes
thro' a collar at M, where it is made tight with leather, and then joins by
a pin the piece of timber H, which has liberty to move up or down in
mortices in the posts A, A. The rod K is connected with the end of the
timber H at I, & with the leaver L at N, which lever moves on a center
at O. By this lever the mill stones are raised or lowered at pleasure. The
tube D, D, is supported on the axis C by a key that goes thro' the collar &
spindle at P.
The section Fig. 9 will more fully shew the nature of the above-described

page_text: machinery, where the foot of the spindle C is seen standing upon the lever F, R,
within the tube B, to which lever the bolt G is connected at R. The wator
from the pond or reservoir enters at S. U is the upper, T the nether mill
stone; I', the key hole, before observed, to support the tube D, D, on the
spindle C.
Fig. 10 shows another method of letting water into & discharging it from
a cylinder with less friction than the foregoing one. A, B, C, D, is the
section of a cylinder in which moves the piston E, with its bolt F, to work
such machine or produce such effects as its power may be applied to. The
water descends thro' the tubo G, G, & circulates from it thro' the tubes H & I,
which may be closed up at the dotted lines fif, or may be (for uniformity)
connected with the tubo K, K. The tubes II & I cach incloso within them
one of the rows of holes uext to the ends of the cylinder. In each end of the
cylinder (at the breadth between the dotted lines 9, 7, & r, r) is a ring of
metal that fits within the cylinder as close as may be without having much
friction. To these rings of metal are connected the studs d, d, & c, e, that
pass thro' two opposite holes of each row farthest from the ends of the
cylinder, by which studs the rings q, q, & r, r, are connected by means of the
pieces K, K. The lower ring has a bar of metal that crosses within it, to which
is fastened the bolt L, made tight where it comes thro' the bottom of the
cylinder to join the lever M, which is moveable on a center at M & joint
at N, & connected with the rod O, P, at O, the lifting or depressing of which
moves both the rings up or down within the cylinder so far as to open &
shut alternately both the upper & lower rows of holes. In this Drawing the
rings are made to close the rows of holes nearest the lower end of the cylinder,
by which mean the water from the tube G, G, enters the cylinder at the
holes 1, 1, 1, 1, &c. to forco down the piston E, while the water below the
piston is discharged thro' the holes 3, 3, 3, 3, &c.; when the piston E gets nearly
down, the rod O, P, is lifted by a machinery connected with it, which changes
the position of the rings within the cylinder so as to close the contrary rows of
holes to what they at first did, by which means the water from the tubo I will
enter the holes 4, 4, 4, 4, &c., to push up the piston, while the water above it is
discharged thro' the holes 2, 2, 2, 2, &c.; when the piston arrives at the top of the
cylinder the rings are again changed to their first situation, which permits the
water again to push down the piston, by which means it will continuo to move
up & down so long as the rings are shifted. Similar effects may be pro-
duced by having holes in the rings & turning them back and forward, so as
to meet holes in the cylinder that will let the water pass thro both it &
the rings, and so as for the holes in the rings to meet the spaces between the

page_text: holes in the cylinder, thereby cutting off the communication of the water into
or out of it until the holes in each were again turned opposite to each other.
Fig. 11 is but a different view of the mills Fig. 3 & 4, to shew another
method by which the power of steam or of water may be applied by means
of the rotary motion produced by ratch & pinion wheels from the alternate
movement of the rack or mover (in this Figure) A, B, which is fixed on the
horizontal axis C, with its pinion & ratch wheels, as before described in
Fig. 1 & 2. On the axis C are placed the fly. wheel D, D, & the cogg
wheel E, E, which turns the horizontal spur wheel F, that gives motion to
the shaft G, that turns the mill stones, which may be sett into motion by
connecting the piston of my new constructed steam engine (or any other
power) with the rack A, B, by a strong bolt at H.
Fig. 12 is another method by which the water may be applied to turn a
mill without suffering many of the inconveniences of Doctor Barker's method.
A, B, C, D, represents a cistern receiving water from a pond or reservoir
thro' the trunk or tube E, in the bottom of which is a round hole F, F, thro'
which the upper end of tube G, G, is inserted, & made water-tight by a
collar of leather that is screwed or fastened round it at I, I, to the bottom of
the cistern C, D, from which the water descends thro' the whirling tube G, G,
into the horizontal tube H, H, that is connected with it, to which it gives
motion by the waters flying out in jetts, as before described, as also to the
spindle K & mill stones L. There are many other forms in which this
machine may be made to work without loosing any of the advantages of the
centrifugal force or height of the head of water that drives it, but it is
presumed that these laid down are the best, especially those expressed by
Figures 5, 6, 8, & 9.
Fig. 13 represents a boat or barge to which is fixed the necessary.
mechanism to force it up a river by the power of steam. A, B, the barge;
C, the boiler; D, the steam pipe leading to the steam cylinder E, E; F, F,
the forcing cylinder communicating with tubes or trunks laid in the bottom
of the vessell, the after ends of which reach & join the stern post at Z.
The manner that my steam & forcing engine operates to force, a vessell
forwards that is furnished with the apparatus above described is particularly
explained in Figures 15 & 16; but where the engine is applied to force barges or
other vessells against the current of shallow rapid rivers, I connect with it, besides
the trunks as described in the above-recited Figures, the following apparatus:-
The piece of metal W, which is joined to the bolts 8, s, that pass thro' the
lid of the cylinder E, E, & connect with its piston. The piece W can also
be connected at pleasure by a single pin to the bolt & chain L, the latter of

page_text: which connects L to the arch of the quadrant lever M, M, moveable on a
center at N, between the posts X, X, & joins the arm O, P, at P, which arm
moves thro' the guides at Y, & connects with the endless chain g at O, which
runs round the pullics I, I, & joins to a carriage moveable in grooves cut in
timbers, laid under the deck of the vessell, to which carriage is fixed on centers
the pole T, which moves in a mortice made vertically in the vessell for that
purpose; when the piston of the engine descends, the vessell will be powerfully
forced forwards by mean of the connexion which the engine has with the
polo T that holds against the ground while the vessel advances; but when
the piston ascends, the pole is drawn forward again to repeat the operation,
by which mean the vessell will be continued in motion.
The section, Figure 14, will more fully explain the operation of this
machinery, where the same letters will represent the parts they do in this
Figure.
Fig. 14 is a section of Figure 13, on which it will be unnecessary to observe
further than to describe the parts not seen in that Figure. G, H, is the
cylindric piston that works in the steam & forcing cylinders (the mechanism of
which is fully explained in Figure 16); Q&K is one of the trunks in the bottom
of the vessell, open at the end K; I, I, are the rollers, round which the chain g
turns to join the carriage R at its ends, in which are fixed friction wheels on
which the carriage moves backward & forward in the groove V, V; the
pole 'T' is connected to the carriage R by the strong iron pins, such as c, between
which it hangs on the center a; the pole is suspended to the carriage R
by the chain S, which prevents it from dropping lower than an angle
of about forty-five degrees (for the purposes before described); u, u, u, is
a vertical mortice (frequently mentioned before), thro' which the pole T
moves. In many cases it may be necessary to fix more poles to a carringo
than one, as also more carriages than one to a vessell.
Fig. 15 & 16 represent my inverted steam & forcing engine for raising
water, propelling vessells, &c. In Figure 15 is shown part of two trunks, & the
manner that it is connected with them to move a vessell, by forcing water thro'
them when fixed in the bottom of a vessell for that purpose. A, G, is the
steam cylinder; B, H, the forcing one; C, D, a strong box fixed within tho
bottom of the vessell, and as near her bow or fore part as may conveniently bo.
On this box the engine stands, & has an open communication with it the whole
size of the forcing cylinder; the front of the box C, D, is left open, to shew
the ends of the trunks E & F that are inserted into it, & that reach from the
box quite to the stern of the vessell, & nro there open. At the ends of the
trunks E & F there is a valve that hangs on a center between them, & that

page_text: opens & shuts them alternately. This valvo is formed of a piece of flat
metal, bent in the middle till its ends stand at right angles with each other, &
which has the appearance of a thin book opened to an angle of ninety degrees.
The trunk E being closed with one leaf of this valve, the trunk F would be
left open, and that part of the valve which in turn will close F will stand in a
right line with the partition between the trunks. Being thus situated, suppose
one end of a cylindric piston to be in the steam cylinder at A, & the other end
to be in the forcing cylinder at B, the trunks, box, & forcing cylinder up to B
being full of water, when a valve is opened within the tube I, that lets the steam
come from the boiler thro' the pipe K, which powerfully pushes down tho
piston from A & B until its situation is G & II, during which time the
reaction of the water forced thro' the trunk F (E being closed by the
before-described valve) against the end D of the box C, D, will force the
vessell forward. The steam being now shut out from the cylinder A, G,
& that the above piston condensed, the atmosphere, from its action upon the
surface of the water at the stern of the vessell, will force the water violently
thro' the trunk E, the valve of which it would open as it came by turning it
on its hinge so as to close the trunk F with its other leaf. The power of this
returning water will also be spent against the end D of the box C, D, which
will again force the vessell forward. It will also push the piston up to its
first situation to A & B, when the steam, being again admitted to press down
the piston, will force the water from the cylinder B, H, thro' the trunk E,
against the piston gets down this second time, & the steam abovo it gets
condensed. The atmosphere, from its action on the surface of the water at
the stern of the vessel, will have checked the violence of the water first
discharged thro' the trunk F, through which it will again return with violence,
untill the piston is pushed up to its first situation at A & B; on its way it will
turn the valve from off the trunk F, which will shut the trunk E, and thus the
engine will continue to force the water alternately thro' the trunks E & F, while
the steam is permitted to act within it.
Fig. 16 is a section of Figure 15, intended to assist in explaining the
mechanism & operation of this machine. In Fig. 16 (as in 15) A, G, repre-
sents the steam cylinder; B, H, the forcing cylinder; L, L, O, O, & N, N, the
cylindric piston; the ends L, L, fitting the steam cylinder; the end N, N, the
forcing one, 0, 0, representing the cylindric part of the piston. M is a piston
made stationary by the hollow bolt P, which has a cock at Q; R is the injec-
tion pipe, with a sliding cock at S to let the water enter the holes near; T is
a hollow bolt that makes a passage from the part 0, 0, of the cylindric piston
thro' the valve b; c, is a weight & lever to keep up the valve a, a; V, V, is a

page_text: stud, of which there are two, between which the bolt which moves with the
piston carries a piece of metal guided in grooves that are in the aforesaid
studs V, V. In this picco of metal is fixed the valve b. It also carries tho
pieco y, seen in the section endways; y hangs upon a center, & its situation is
horizontal. It has got a stop that keeps the end made use of from turning
up higher than its level, but will turn down with ease. e, c, is a stuffing box,
to keep tight round the bolt T, as isf, f, for the like purpose to P. Atc, c, are
small holes for the injected water to pass from between the forcing cylinder &
the cylindric piston, thro' the valve W, from whence it gets carriel thro' the
pipe X. d,d, shows a picco of iron screwed to the stud V, V, forming a mortice
for the lover p to move in. i, t, is a piece of iron fastened to the back of the
stud V, V, by a pin at f, & which is held in its present position by a slight
spring not shown. 1, 2, 3, 4, is the stuffing that keeps the piston tight; r is
cover of the tube I, in which is the moving pin h, round which runs the chain O
to lift the valve 9 by the crank k & rod l.
The perspective view of Figuro 15 is turned contrary to the section 16, in
order to shew more of the mechanism than could be shewn if both were stand-
ing in the same position. The parts that can be seen in both are represented
by the same letters, & the parts not yet described will be represented by other
letters. The operation is as follows:-The piston in the Drawing is supposed
to be descending from the spiral spring 9 (which is kept to a sufficient strength
by the nut & screw a), having lifted the steam valve 9 by means of the
chain O, having ropes round the pin h, from turning up the crank & by the
rod, which admits the steam to come from the boiler thro' K, & pushes
down the piston. The first operation in its descent is performed by the little
lever y, which presses on the lever p until it throws it under the notch at t, in
the piece it, which shuts the steam valve 9 by the lever p having drawn
down u, g, s, 1, &k, thereby letting the chain O unfold from round the pin h, until
the valve g falls into its scat. By the time the piston gets quite down the
air in 0, 0, will be blown thro' T, & out at b, the sliding valve S will have
struck the bottom of the trunk E, & lifted its slide so as to let water pass
thro' the holes at Z, into the pipe R, thro' which it will rise & condense the
steam then coming from above the piston thro' the valve m, which valve was
opened by its stem striking at v, at the same time with the injection; when
the steam is condensed the piston will ascend by the force of the water that
will come thro' the trunks, as before described; as soon as it leaves the
bottom the injection will shut by its weight. On its way up, the end of y will
turn down & pass with ease the lever p, which it had before forced into
the notch, and when it gets nearly up, the valve m is shut by means
.

page_text: of the spring n being pushed down by striking near w, immediately after
the stud 2 (Fig. 15) bears against the piece i, t, & unlocks the lever p,
from the catch t, when the spiral spring will lift the steam valve from its seat
as at first. To repeat the operation, at the second descent of the piston
the injected water (first thrown in) will pass thro' the holes c, c, & valve W
at the ascent it will pass the valve M, & on the third descent it will be thrown
thro' the pipe X & valve a, a, except what may be let thro' the bolt P by the
cock Q to feed the boiler. There must be a valve between the cock & the
boiler to keep the water from returning again thro' said cock & bolt. There
is so little difference between the application of this machine to propel a
vessell or to raise water, that it is scarcely necessary to point it out; I shall there-
fore only just observe, that if the horizontal trunks E, F, Fig. 15, were but one
single tube standing perpendicularly, as represented by the dotted lines Fig. 16,
& leading to the cistern into which the water should be raised, in which near
its bottom should be a valve to let the water pass upward only; the dotted lines
beneath the box C, D, represent a tube, the lower end of which must stand
in the water to be raised, while its upper end is fixed into the bottom of the
box C, D; on this tube & within the box is placed a valve (but which, if
the tube be long should be near its bottom), that opens upward. One side
of the box C, D, comes off by means of screws to examine & repair the valves.
When the engine is at work the atmosphere pushes the water to be raised
up the dotted tube Fig. 15, until the piston of the engine is thereby forced
up to A, G, when the steam being admitted (in manner described for pro-
pelling a vessell) will cause the piston to descend, which will force the water
from the cylinder B, H, up the dotted tube Fig. 16; when the piston gets
down the injection is struck open by the bottom of the box, as in the case
of the vessell, when the water will again push up the piston & continue the
operation; by varying the proportion of size that the steam & forcing cylin-
der bear to each other, water may be raised by this engine to any necessary
height, without the expence of chains, beams, pumps, or pistons, except those
of the engine. Where water is to be raised very high, I fix my valve seats
& valves or pistons without valves, upon strong iron bolts that stand upon
springs without & under the tubes thro' which the water ascends, the valve
scat fits the tube as a piston, & has liberty to move up & down within them
as the spring that supports the bolts give way or expand, by which means
valves may be made to open & shut without any stroke that will injure them
or the tubes in which they are fixed. In some cases I make use of air instead
of springs, and support my valves by connecting the bolt that supports them
to a cylinder turned the open end downward into water or other fluid

page_text: confined in a vessell but little wider than the said cylinder. The principle
of this method will be fully explained by supposing that the bolt W of my
hydrostatic bellows, Fig 17, was to enter a tube standing perpendicularly
over it, & became a supporter to the seat of a valve fixed within such tube.
Fig. 17 represents my new invented hydrostatic bellows; A, B, C, D, is
the section of a cylinder, with its bottom screwed or otherways fastened
on at C, D. This cylinder is filled with water up to G, G, & has the
pipe H, I, fastened to its bottom, & rising above the water G. In this pipe
is a valve, at K; L shows a piece of the pipe that leads to the fire to be
blowed; M, N, O, P, represents another cylinder, moveable within A, B, C, D,
that has a partition or head R, S, in its center, in which is the valve T
held up by the spiral spring U; V, V, is a bar of iron or of wood fastened
to the inside cylinder to move it up & down by the bolt W; when the
cylinder M, N, O, P, ascends, the air passes thro' the valve K, at which
time the valve T will shut, but when the cylinder descends, the valve K will
shut, & the air will be blown thro' the pipe H, I, & valve T, & into the
fire thro' L; the water X, X, that rises between the two cylinders when the
inner one descends, prevents the air from escaping that way.
Fig. 18 is a perspective view of my steam engine for working all kinds
of mechanism; A, A, the steam cylinder, fixed or stationary; B, D, the
working cylinder, which is turned smooth on the outside to move thro' a
collar of ocum in the part C of the cover S, S, of the cylinder A, A; D, D, is
larger to hold water on the ocum, to prevent the air from passing thro' the
collar C, C; E, part of the steam pipe (leading from a boiler); F, the injec-
tor cock; M, a cistern of water; II, a part of a pipe for leading water into
the cistern M, which descends thro' the pipe I, when the cock F is open
for injection; K, K, a cover larger than the cylinder B, B, held on by the
screws 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6; N, a waste pipe thro' which the injected water is
discharged; L, a bolt to connect the engine to the mechanism to be put into
motion, as it would the mills, Fig. 11, if connected to its rack or mover A, B,
at II. If the cylinder A, A, of this machino was thirty inches diameter,
& the cylinder B, B, twenty, the action up & down would be about equal,
allowing the cylinder's weight to be between 7 & eight hundred.
Fig. 19 is a section of the engine Fig. 18, to shew its internal parts. It is
unnecessary to shew the working geer for opening & shutting of cocks, valves,
&c., which are not very different from those of Figures 15 & 16, & may be varied
at the pleasure of the engineer. The letters from A to N represent the same
parts in the section as in the perspective view of this engine; those that follow
after N represent parts in this not seen in Figure 18. O, O, Fig. 19, is the

page_text: lower end of the cylinder B, B, which is piston to the cylinder A, A, made
tight by the stuffing a, a; P is a hollow bolt thro' which the injected
water rises, part of which will be thrown horizontally out thro' holes at i, i,
& part will pass thro' the valve b; d, d, are valves in the stationary piston S, S,
fixed on the bolt or tube P; 9, a valve in the piston O, O, supported by the
spring n; c, c, a stuffing box that moves up & down upon the bolt P to keep
the steam from passing the piston O, O; s, a pipe & valve for such water or air
to rise thro' as may pass the collar C, C; Q, a valve thro' which the injected
water will rise at each descent of the cylinder B, B. The piston O, O, is
here seen at the top of the cylinder, at which time the steam valve g,
& injection cock F, are opened & the steam condensed by the jetts of water
issuing from holes at i, i; and should any pass the valve d, d, it will be con-
densed by the water issuing thro' the valve b. When the steam is all con-
densed the valves d, d, b & s will shut, & the cylinder B, B, will descend by the
weight of the atmosphere upon its partition or head R, R, & valve Q. When
the piston O, O, arrives at the bottom of the cylinder A, A, the valve g will
be shut by the end of the spring n striking against the bottom of the
cylinder near T, at which time the injected water will be pushed up thro'
the valve Q to pass thro' e, e, & other holes not seen, from which it falls
from under the cover K, K, into the cup D, D, from which it will be wasted
thro' N. The steam being again admitted thro' the pipe E, the piston will be
again raised up to its present situation, when the same operation will be
repeated, & the motion continued.
Fig. 20, A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, represents my floating dock, built very
strong. Her bottom is perfectly flat, her sides perpendicular; her ends from
C to D, & from A & B, are semicircles. The parts A & B at the end E are
fastened with hinges near A & B, and open at E to receive the ship, after
which they are closed, & the water is pumped out of the dock at F by my
steam & forcing engine, manual labor, or the tide. In this dock a ship may
be repaired or carried into harbor, thro' canals, over bars, or up a shallow river
or creek. If the extream length of this machine was one hundred & twenty
feet, its breadth thirty feet, & depth sixteen, it would draw, when empty,"
about one foot of water, & would sink about one foot more for every hundred
tons put into it. This dock or vessell can be made very strong by fixing
braces from her bottom to her side timbers, & can have such mechanism fixed
to them & her side as would bear up a ship as equally almost as if she was
afloat.
Fig. 21 is a side view of a boat or barge representing one of my new
methods of causing vessells to ascend against rapid currents by means of the

page_text: nction or power of such current against mechanism that is fixed to & upon
such vessell. A, B, represents the fore part of a boat built wider in that part
than is common, to each side of which is fastened pieces of timber, such as
L, L, M, on which timbers are fixed the wheels I, I, & K, K, round which
runs the endless chain II, G, that carries upon centers at a, a, a, a, the float
boards C, D, E, & F, which reach across the vessell (the other side of which
has the same appearance as A, B); S is a crank fixed on the shaft of the
wheel K, K; N & O aro poles connected with carriages which move in
grooves & vertical mortices made thro' the vessell, such as have been already
described in Figure 18 & 14. These poles & carriages move close together,
& are connected by an endless chain, which runs round wheels laid horizon-
tally between them, by which mean one pole & carriage is forced to move
forward while the other moves back, & so on, always moving contrary to each
other. P&Q represent the bed of the river, & R the surface of its water.
Y, Z, is an arm connected with the crank S at T, & joins a piece of timber that
crosses the deck of the vessell at 2. The piece of timber is fastened where
it crosses the center of the vessell to the carriage connected with the pole O.
Being thus fixed, the operation will take place as follows:-The current of
the river, as it moves from Q towards P, will carry with it the float board C,
kept perpendicular by the chain d (as also are in turn D, E, & F). The
pole O, now having hold on the bottom of the river, forces the end T of the
crank S (from its connection with the polo) to remain for a while stationary
with respect to the bed of the river, during which time T becomes the
fulcrum or center of motion between the center L of the wheel K, K, &
that part which is carried by the float board C towards the vessell, which
moves the vessell by the center L against the current untill the end T of the
crank S gets horizontal with its center at L, at which time the pole N will
have passed O, & be seen nearest to B the fore part of the vessell, by which
time the float board F will have turned round K, K, & taken the situation of
C, when C will be rising out of the water as at present D is, & D will be
found lying on the top of the wheel I, I, which is the present situation of E.
The crank S during the operation of the water upon F will rise above its
center at L, & draw the bont & pole O forward, while the pole N in turn holds
against the bottom by mean of the connections of the carriages before
described; and thus the boat is continued in motion by means of the poles O
& N alternately acting against the bottom. There are many other methods
of producing similar effects by means of wheels, levers, &c. In some cases
I use two vessells joined together by timbers that cross them. In these
vessells the poles work in a passage between them, instead of the mortices
.

page_text: before described.
I also fix wheels & chains, similar to those above
described, between two vessells joined together & moored or otherwise con-
fined in strong currents of water, by which wheel I turn mills or any other
mechanism, or raise water for cities or other purposes.
Besides the method above described of moving vessels by the power of
steam, I fix my steam cylinders horizontally within the vessell intended to be
moved, & connect their pistous to bolts or rods that immediately give motion
to carriages & poles fixed within the vessell as before described; and where I
do not use trunks in the bottom of the vessell, I apply by themselves, or con-
nected with the carriages & poles, large boxes such as are described in
Figure 18 of my before-recited Specification, which boxes answer the purposes
of trunks in smooth water, and in depths where the poles cannot reach bottom
I pump the vessells in which my engines are fixed by a simple tube that
leads the water from the vessell either into the trunks in her bottom, or the
forcing cylinder of the engine, from whence it is discharged. This tube has
no other apparatus than a cock & a valve.
The engine may also be applied to work chain or other pumps occa-
sionally; fly wheels are necessary in most cases to regulate the motionof such
axes as are turned by my progressive & retrograde water mill. When I
apply the steam or vapor arising from stills to work engines, I cause the
liquor to be received into a vessell exhausted of air, from which it is pumped
by the engine or otherways.
My improvement on the steam wheel represented in Figure 16 of my
former Specification consists in forming such wheels of but one single tube
or rim, or of several that are connected, but not wound spirally round the
wheel.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Rumsey, do hereunto set my
hand & seal, this Twenty-second day of May, in the thirtieth year
of our Sovereign Lord George the Third, by the Grace of God
of Great Britain, France, & Ireland King, Defender of the
Faith, &c., &c., and in the year of our Lord One thousand seven
hundred & ninety.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Twenty-second day of May, in
the year of our Lord 1790, the aforesaid James Rumsey came before our
said Lord the King in His Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification
aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form
above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stampt according to
the tenor of the Statutes made for that purpose.
Inrolled the Twonty-second day of May. in the year of our Lord One