MACHINERY FOR FACILITATING THE WORKING OF MINES, AND FOR FACILITATING THE EXTRACTION OF DIAMONDS AND OTHER PRECIOUS STONES, GOLD,. SILVER, AND OTHER METALS, FROM THE ORE, THE EARTH, OR THE SAND, WHICH MACHINERY IS LIKEWISE APPLICABLE TO OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1826

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
HARSLEBEN, of Great Ormond Street, Queen Square, in the County of
Middlesex, Esquire, send greeting.
WHEREAS His present most Excellent Majesty King George the Fourth,
by His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Thirteenth day of December, One thousand eight hundred
and twenty-six, did, for Himself, His heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Charles Harsleben, His especial licence that I, the said Charles
Harsleben, my exors, admors, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Charles Harsleben, my exors, admors, or assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times during the term
of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,
and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed,
and also in all His said Majesty's Colonies and Plantations abroad, my
Invention of "MACHINERY FOR FACILITATING THE WORKING OF MINES, AND FOR
FACILITATING THE EXTRACTION OF DIAMONDS AND OTHER PRECIOUS STONES, GOLD,.
SILVER, AND OTHER METALS, FROM THE ORE, THE EARTH, OR THE SAND, WHICH
MACHINERY IS LIKEWISE APPLICABLE TO OTHER PURPOSES;" in which said Letters
Patent is contained a provisoe obliging me, the said Charles Harsleben, by
an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, particularly to describe
and ascertain the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, and to cause the same to be inrolled in His Majesty's
High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately.

page_text: after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the
same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully-and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Charles Harsleben, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention
and improvements consist in the following particulars, videlizet :-
First, a new apparatus for separating diamonds and precious stones, and
the ores of gold, silver, and other metals, from the earth, sand, stones, or other
matrix which they may be found.combined,.by. a process of washing never
before attempted, and which said apparatus and process may be applied to the
separation of any other solid substances which are of different specific gravities,
and are not soluble in water; and, secondly, in the construction and use of a
new kind of apparatus, by the means of which the power of any steam engine,
fall of water, animal force, or prime mover of any description, may be carried
or transferred from the situation where it may be placed or must work to any
distant situation where such power may be required, without the elaborate
and expensive machinery usually adopted; both which said Inventions and
contrivances are herein-after particularly set forth and described, as well as
the means of using and carrying the same into effect, as follows, videlizet :-
In the first place, I shall describe my aforesaid new apparatus and process
for separating diamonds, precious stones, and the ores of gold, silver, and other
metals, from the matrices which contain them. If such matrices are of a hard
and stoney nature, they must in the first instance be reduced by hammers, or
the operation of an ordinary stamping mill, to a state of powder or dust, for
the smaller the particles are and the more effectually will they be separated
by my machinery' and process. 'Having so reduced' them, they are ready to
be operated upon by my machine, in which I avail myself of centrifugal
motion in whirling the materials so prepared in a deep conical or cylindrical
tub, with a sufficient quantity of water to permit the whole of the ore, soil, or
other powdered materials to float about in a perfectly free and liquid state
whenever the water is stirred round, which it must be by my agitators'
herein-after described, with such force and velocity as to drive the water up
the sides of the tub in such manner that a hollow space in the shape of an
inverted cone may be formed in the water within the tub. Fig. 1 of the
annexed Drawings is a side view of the apparatus I make use of for this
purpose; Fig. 2, a plan or bird's-eye view of the same; and Fig. 3, a
section of the tub, to show the form of the agitator, and the means that I
make use of to suspend and move it; and the same letters of reference
are used to denote the same parts in all the said Figures. A, A, is
the tub aforesaid, which should be made quite smooth on its inside; it
is supported upon a platform B, B, which is part of the frame of the machine,

page_text: from some part of which the two perpendicular posts or standards C, C, arise
for the purpose of supporting the horizontal cross frame D, D, which carries
the agitator F, G, H, I.. This agitator may be made of wood or iron, accord-
ing to the magnitude of the machine, and consists of four double arms F, F,
F, F, which support and. carry the stirrers. I, I, I, I, &c., which hang down
from them vertically.... These stirrers may be screwed. or morticed into the
double arms F, F, F, F, which are in like manner screwed or morticed into the
strong central block G. Through the centre of this block (which is also the
centre of the agitator) the. iron spindle. H passes, being fixed by a nut and
screw beneath the block, and terminating at its upper end in the winch or
handle K for turning the agitator round, on which account the. spindle. has
two turned necks or bearings in its length which turn or run in brass boxes
or bearings a, a, one being placed in each of the rails of the cross frame D, D;
and as the power and velocity of the winch.K. would not be sufficient in large
machines I also hang a rigger,,as at L, upon the iron spindle H, so that the
agitator may be turned by. a leather strap or band passing round it, and round
a larger rigger moved by a horse wheel, or any sufficient power, as shewn in
Figs. 1 and 2; where M is the leather band or strap, and N the large rigger
fixed upon the vertical shaft O, the level pinion of which at P takes into the
teeth of a large horse wheel, not shewn in the Drawings because it constitutes
no part of my Invention; but I adopt this mode, of working because by its
means any required, number of my said machines can be placed round one
such horse wheel according to its size, and be worked at the same, time, or
they may be worked in any other manner that will, give sufficient power and
velocity to them to produce the effects herein-after mentioned. The tub A, A,
in which the agitator works should be very little more in its bottom or smallest
diameter (if made,tapering, as in the Drawing,) than the width of the bottom
of the agitator, so that the external stirrers I,.I, &c. may, come very nearly
in contact with its sides: The lower ends or extremities of the stirrers should
likewise come very near to the flat bottom, of the tub, so as to insure the
agitation of the whole quantity of material that may be mixed with the water,
and prevent as far as possible, the deposition of any part of the same, either
on the bottom or round the sides of the tub; and the better to insure the due
adjustment of the ends of, the stirrers. to the bottom of the tub I cause the
horizontal cross,frames D.:D. to be moveable up and down in the slots, along
morticed grooves, made for that purpose, at. Q, Q, near the tops of the two
standards C, C, as, distinctly seen in Figs. 1. and 6, and as are likewise.shewn
at Q, Q, in the plans, Fig. 2. The horizontal cross frame, D, D, (and,. con-
sequently, with it the entire agitator, is maintained at any required height..by

page_text: the iron screw bolts R, R, which pass into any of the holes dotted on the
sides of the standards, Fig. 3 and 5, and thus the stirrers can be brought into
actual contact with the bottom of the tub, or raised to any convenient height
above it, or be removed entirely from the tub for cleaning it out or repairs,
by applying a rope and pullies, or any other mechanical power, to the cross
frame D, D, and drawing it upwards. Such a temporary elevation of the
agitator may at times be necessary on first setting the machine to work if the
powdered ore or sand put into the water is of a dense or heavy nature, as in
that case it might prevent the agitator from moving, while by lifting it in the
first instance, and then setting it in motion, and afterwards lowering it gently
while in motion, it will gradually lay hold of the materials and soon put them
into whirling motion. The more distinctly to show the form and construction
of my agitator, Fig. 4 is a perspective view of it, showing its iron spindle
bearings, and its rigger or winch, as the same would appear if detached from
the other parts of the machine, and for the purpose of so detaching it I
make the horizontal cross frame D, D, together with its brass boxes or
bearings, in two pieces, which take asunder longitulinally in the direction
of the line b, b, Figs. 1 and 2, but are firmly bolted together while the
machine is in use. S is a cock or spiggot and faucet, for drawing off
the water from the tub whenever it may be necessary, but in addition
to this the centre of the bottom of the tub is furnished with a peculiar
valve, the use and construction of which forms one of the leading features
of my said Invention. This valve admits of different constructions, as will
appear when its use has been described; thus one form of it is shewn in section
at Fig. 3, and another form at Fig. 5.
In Figure 3, c, c, is a brass or other metal cylinder, which must be bored
on its inside like a pump barrel, in order that the piston d, which is packed
with hemp, leather, or other fit material, may move in a water-tight manner
within it. e, f, is an iron or other lever turning on the pivot or fulcrum f, for
the purpose of moving the piston with which it is connected by the sling or con-
necting rod g; and h is an iron loop or guide which not only causes the
lever e, f, to move up and down without lateral action, but also regulates and
restrains its quantity of motion, which is necessary, because when the end e of
the lever is drawn up to its highest possible elevation, or stops against the
bottom of the wooden frame of the machine, the piston d should be at the top
of the barrel c, c, with its convex upper surface just projecting into the tub, as
shewn by the curved dotted line. And when the end of the lever is at its
greatest depression, the piston must be at the bottom of the said barrel, but
must never move out of it; and when the said piston is in this its lowest

page_text: situation, as shewn in the Figure, its upper surface must be just below a row
of large holes, which are formed round the said barrel, as at f, f; consequently,
while the piston is in this position, any fluid that may happen to be in the tub
will flow out of it through these holes into a shallow tube E, placed underneath
to receive it; but if the piston is raised rather more than its own thickness,
it will cover all the said holes f, f, and prevent the discharge of anything from
the tub, although it will leave all the upper part of the barrel c, c, open as a
well or receptacle to receive anything that may fall into it; and this well or
receptacle may in a moment be annihilated by pushing the piston upwards. The
other form of valve, shewn in Fig. 5, is similarly placed in the centre of the
bottom of the tub, and is for the same purpose, though rather more simple in its
construction. It consists merely of a conical brass or other metal stopper d
turned and ground so as to fit tightly into the hole of the metal plate or
scat t, t, which is let into the bottom of the tub. This stopper is moved, as in
the former valve, by the iron or metal lever e, f, now turning on a pivot or
fulcrum at f, and attached to the plug or stopper by the iron rod g, so that the
valve may be opened or shut at pleasure by applying the hand to the end c of
the lever. It will be observed in all the above Figures, and particularly in the
perspective view of the agitator at Fig. 4, that there are no stirrers I, I, I, &c.
in the centre of the agitator, but that a certain space, fully equal to the size of
the central valve, is left free from them, not only for the purpose of permitting
the valve to rise between the stirrers, but also to prevent the same degree of
motion being given to the central part of the contents of the tub that is given
to the sides of it.
Having so far described the general form and construction of my ap-
paratus, I shall next proceed to describe the manner of using it for the
purpose of extracting the gold, silver, or other metals or materials from the
sand, earth, or other matrices with which they may happen to be mixed.
For this purpose the tub A, A, must be about half filled with water, or
what will be better, may be made to communicate by a pipe, shoot, or trough
with water, which can at pleasure be permitted to run into the tub or may be
stopped, the cock S and central valve being of course closed at this time.
The necessary quantity of water being so introduced, the ore and matrix, or
other material to be operated upon, (having been first reduced to a state of
powder, as aforesaid, must be thrown in in such quantity that it will not
occupy a height greater than about two or three inches from the bottom of
the tub at any one time. The agitator is then to be put into motion,
beginning slowly at first, but quickening it until the whole quantity of water,
and the materials that have been thrown into it, are got into rapid

page_text: motion, and the whole of the ore or other material, however heavy,
has become completely incorporated with and swings in the water. It
will soon be found that the water, by its centrifugal force, will risc against
the sides of the tub, and leave a hollow space in the middle of it, in
the form of an inverted conc, as shewn by the dotted lines k, k, k, k, in the
section at Fig. 3. This effect takes place to such an extent if the height of
the tub and the size of the agitator are properly proportioned to each other
and the motion is sufficiently rapid, that the central valve at the bottom of
the tub can be distinctly seen from above, and may even be opened without
danger of discharging much of the water; and if, after continuing this rapid
motion for from two to three minutes, it is gradually abated, and the agitator
is brought to a state of rest, it will be found that all the gold or silver ore,
or heaviest part of the materials so mixed with the water as aforesaid, will be
deposited in a small heap in the center of the tub and immediately over the
said central valve, with very little admixture of the sand, earth, or soil with
which it was previously mixed and incorporated, and consequently, if the
piston d of the tubular valve in Fig. 3 is lowered so as to form the chamber
or cavity before mentioned in that valve at the same time that the motion of
the agitator is slackened, such beavy material will be deposited in the said
chamber or cavity, and may be drawn off, with a little of the sand, earth, and
water accompanying it, into a lower receiving. tub E, by lowering the said
piston below the holes herein-before described-at-f, f, f, in the said Figure;
but if the discharge should be followed by two much sand, earth, and water,
it may instantly be stopped by raising the piston above the said holes. Should
the ore or other material not be sufficiently heavy to deposit itself in the
center of the tub, then I prefer the stopper valve sliewn in Figure 5, which
is not to be opened until the fluid in the tub has been moved for a few
minutes, and the central hollow cone is formed in the middle, when the
stopper may be raised, and the speed of the agitator: diminished until the
water begins to flow. gently from the valve; when in running it will bring the
ore or other heavy materials with it, and must be permitted to run as long
as this is the case. The valve is then to be closed, and the agitator again
put into rapid motion, after which the valve is to be again opened, and so in
succession until the whole of the ore or other heavy material is obtained, which
will be known by its ceasing to run from the lower central valve, when the
remaining refuse is to be drawn off-by opening the valve and spiggot 5, having
previously placed another tub, called the waste tub, under the machine for the
purpose of receiving it, and while so running off the agitator must be kept
in motion to stir up and wash out the contents of the tub. When empty, the

page_text: waste: tub with its contents must be removed, aud the tub A, A, must be
supplied with a fresh quantity of water and. ore, or other heavy material, to
resume the operation... From the above description of my machine in its
most simple state it will plainly appear that a much less proportionate quantity
of, motion takes place near the centre of the. agitator, than near its outside,
particularly when the machine is made on a large scale, on which account I
find it necessary in large machines to construct a double agitator, that is to
say, one in which the central part turns or moves with greater velocity than
the external part, as shewn in section at Fig. 5, where II; II, F, F, shows
the agitator constructed,as before, except that its arms and stirrers are more
extended from the center so as to make room for the smaller central agitator
i, ii, i, which may be constructed in the same way as before described, or
may have its stirrers fixed into the circular block of, wood, or metal j,j, and
the iron axis instead of being fixed into the central. block G, now passes
through it and is fixed to the small or internal agitator. For this purpose the
central block G of the agitator, should be lined by a brass box, or have
proper bearings upon its ends, so that it may revolve freely upon..the iron
spindle H., It, has also a bearing at n in the lower part of the cross frame
D, D, to assist in supporting it, and, on account, of the greater weight that
now bangs on the said iron spindle, I apply two friction rollers to its upper
end as at o, o. These rollers run upon the top of the brass bearing.h,
and materially diminish the friction. When the double agitator is used
two riggers will be necessary, as at Land W, and I make the one at W,
which communicates with the large external agitator, double the diameter
of the smaller, one L, which is fixed upon the iron axle H, in order that
the small. internal agitator may move with double, the velocity of the large
external one. In every other respect this machine is the same as the
one already described.
Fig. 6 is an elevation of a machine with a double agitator intro-
duced merely to show how such a machine on a small scale, may be moved
by hand.
L and W are the two riggers of the internal and external
agitators, as in the last Figure, and motion is communicated to them by the
leather bands or straps M, M, which pass round the, two riggers V. and U,
both of the same diameters, and both fixed on the upright iron shaft.or
spindle X, X, which also carries the bevil, wheel x, which is driven by the
larger wheel Z, hung upon the main shaft, which also carries a heavy fly wheel
2,2, and the winch or handle y, by which, the whole is turned. The timber
framing. T, T, for carrying the said wheels and riggers is too, obvious to need
description, and may be varied in form to suit the convenience of the place in

page_text: which the machinery is fixed, but in all cases I prefer the horse wheel to
hand motion. for machinery of magnitude, and when a horse wheel is adopted
it will be almost needless to observe that it must take into and drive the
wheel, which for this purpose may be fixed higher on its shaft, when the
wheel Z, with its fly wheel shaft and handle, will be unnecessary. In the use
of my aforesaid machine and Invention, it is in vain that we should expect to
get the ore or other heavy material seperated from the sand, earth, or other
materials with which it may mixed in a clean and perfect state by one
operation, as herein-before described, because a considerable portion of sand,
dirt, and earth will inevitably run off with it in the water. The mode in
which I propose working is therefore to save all the first portions that run off
from the central valve at the first washing in a tub or other receptacle by
themselves, and when a sufficient quantity is thus accumulated it is to be
again put into a machine, which may be smaller for this purpose, and it is to
be treated precisely in the same manner as the crude materials in the first
instance, when it will become much further cleansed and purified; but if not in
a sufficiently clean state after this second washing, it must undergo a third or
even a fourth in the same or smaller hand machines, according to the purity
required, which by due and attentive care to the directions and instructions
herein-before given, and a little practice, may be carried to any extent that
may be required. It is also necessary to observe that the operation of
washing and separating ores or other heavy materials by the machinery above
described may be effected, though in a less convenient manner, without the
use and adoption of either of the bottoms, central valves, or any valves at all,
because such heavy materials, if not permitted to escape by the said valves,
will accumulate in a heap in the center of the tub, and will be then found
upon carefully removing the sand or other earth or matrix from round about
it; or another process may be used, such as the apparatus at Fig. 7 is
adapted for; that is to say, instead of carrying on the washing in a deep tub,
as before described, it may be carried on in a shallow tub without a valve, as
at A, A, in Fig. 7, such shallow tub being set within a deeper and larger
one T, T, either with or without the blocks or legs e, e, to raise it above the
bottom of the exterior tub or the inner tub in a running stream, or a stream
may be made to run continually into and out of the tub A, A. When the
apparatus is arranged in this form, the revolving motion of the agitator F, F,
I, I, I, will have the effect of throwing most of the water that is introduced
with the ore into the shallow tub A, A, over its edges into the external
tub T, T, or into the running stream, as the case may be, or into a reservoir,
and with it nearly all the sand, soil, earth, or other matrix will also be thrown

page_text: over, so as to leave the ore or other heavy material in a nearly clean state at
the bottom of the inner tub, particularly if a sufficient quantity of water has
been used during the process. The whole agitator is now to be raised in
manner aforesaid for taking out the clean ore, and when an accumulation of
refuse has taken place in the outer tub, if such a one is used, the inner one is
to be removed, and the agitator being lowered into the other large tub for
stirring up the said refuse and water, while it is drawn off by the plug or
spiggot and faucet at S, after which such refuse and water are to be again
passed through in one of my aforesaid machines, by way of examination, to
ascertain if any ore or other heavy material had passed over with it, and
if so it will be obtained back again at this second washing.
It may
likewise happen in some cases that the ore or other heavy materials
cannot conveniently be broken down and reduced to powder as aforesaid,
but may contain diamonds, precious stones, lumps, or fragments which
would be too large and heavy to be put into motion with the water as above
described, and whenever this is the case I recommend the construction
of agitator shewn in Fig. 7, which in effect is the same as those already
described; but instead of inserting the arms F, F, which carry the stirrers
I, I, I, I, into the central block of wood, as before described, I construct a
circular kind of funnel or hopper, as shewn in section at q, q, q, q, of cast or
plate iron, or other fit material, and I fix the iron spindle H, H, upon which the
agitator revolves, as aforesaid, into one or more crosses or transverse pieces m, m,
within the said hopper, such pieces being placed with their thinnest dimensions
upwards, so as to cause as little obstruction as possible to the passage through
the said hopper, which hopper is to be fed with ore previously broken as small
as convenient by means of the shoot or trough n, n, which trough may be shook
by joggles at ŕ, like a corn mill, or be fed by any more convenient method.
Fig. 7 also shews another form of my aforesaid agitator, because although
I have hitherto described it as having a double set of arms to carry
the stirrers, still this is not essential to the perfection of my Invention, all
that is necessary being that it should possess sufficient strength and substance
to put the whole of the water and heavy materials that may be mixed
therewith into a sufficiently rapid motion to produce the conical hollow
space k, k, k, k, Fig. 3, herein-before described, and therefore, whether the
same be made of wood, as represented in the Drawings, or of iron or other
materials, and whether it be of the form and proportions shewn in the
Drawings or of any other form and proportions, is quite indifferent; and is
equally included in my aforesaid Invention. And I hereby further declare that
in addition to the several modes of working and using my aforesaid apparatus

page_text: and machinery, as herein-before described, I also work the same in streams or
ponds, where gold dust; ores, or other heavy materials may be found or
suspected to exist, without a tub, at'all, in which case the agitator only is to be
used, and must be supported as before by its cross beains D, D, and standards
C, C, Figs. 1, 2, 3, 5, and 6, either fixed to: the bottom of a boat or punt, or
supported between two boats or punts, the same being, immoveably moored or
fixed to one spot upon the water, or the machinery may be placed upon a
stage with legs: adjustable to the depth of the water, so that the agitator may
be put into rapid circular motion, as before described, as near as possible to
the bottom of such river or stream, when it will be soon by such motion
remove the soil, and wash itself into a circular hollow, space equal to its own
diameter, and into which space it is to be gradually lowered as the earth is
.washed away, when if. any gold dust, ore; or heavy, materials existed within
such space; they will be brought to the center thereofas, effectually as if the
said agitator had been worked in a tub, as herein-before described; which
done, the position of the central spindle of the agitator is to be; marked as
accurately as possible either upon the stage which supposts it, or by placing
upright straight rods in the ground around it, when a light metal tube of tin
or plate iron, open at both its ends; and offa diameter equal to about one
fourth of the agitator that has to be used, is to be lowered over the said
central spot; for the purpose of covering and confining. whatever may have
been so brought to the center, and which may then be raised up such tube by
inserted. a pump therein, or by means of 'proper ladles, augurs, screw worms,
or some or one of the implements used for boring earth, and bringing the
same up through tubes for well-sinking and other. well-known processes; or
the implement shewn at Fig. 8 may be used to advantage. It consists of an
hexagonal or other polygonal pipe of plate iron or other material, made. nearly
to fit and fill up the inside of the light pipe aforesaid directed to be lowered
for covering and securing the materials, and its lower end is to be formed into
as many points as. the said polygonal pipe has sides, as, at a, a, a, a, &c.,
Fig. 8. These points should be of steel, not only for durability, but that they
may bend inwards and spring open again. into the: form shewn at X, in
which state the pipe is to be lowered into the tube above-mentioned, and it
must be pushed into the soil, or whatever the agitator may have brought to
the center, by shaking and turning it round, while at the same time the
central chain which communicates by branch chains with each of the said
points, as seen at Y, is to be strained with sufficient force, either by the
lever or in any other way, to bring all the said points a, a, a, &c., together;
in which state they are to be retained until the contents thus confined in

page_text: the pipe are brought up out of the water, and discharged into the boat or
platform.
The second object of my aforesaid Invention consists in a certain - means
of transferring or removing the force or power of a water wheel, steam
engine, or any other prime mover of machinery, from the situation in
which the same may happen to be placed' to any distant situation where
such power may be required for use, without the expence, and loss of
time attendant upon the removal of such prime mover, which in many cases,
such as a natural fall of water, will not admit of being moved at all. This
removal or transfer of power from one place or situation to another is of great
importance in many mining operations, as in pumping, distant shafts or
ventilating the same, or in performing the like or other operations in several
distant shafts at one and the same time, and the means by which I effect the
said purpose is simply as follows:-I attach one or more truly bored cylinders
of metal, having pistons within them in the nature of pumps, in such manner
that they may be effectively worked by the said prime mover, whether it be a
power obtained from wind, water; steam, animal: labour, or in any other way,
such piston or pistons being so attached by cranks, levers, beams, or any of
the usual and accustomed means. The pistons so attached have no valves,
but are made to work in a completely air and water tight manner within the
said cylinders, which must vary in number or magnitude according to the
amount and velocity of the power to be transferred. If the power is to be
transferred in the simplest form of which my said Invention is susceptible, I
effect it by placing a single water-tight metal or other sufficiently strong and
close pipe or tube, to the bottom of the cylinder or. cylinders, so connected with
the prime mover as aforesaid, and having laid or conducted such pipe to the
other situation, to which I am desirous of transferring the said power, I there
cause such pipe to terminate in the bottom of another truly-bored cylinder,
with a piston in every respect similar to the one at the other end of the pipe,
or to several such cylinders with pistons if more convenient; this done, the
entire length of the pipe is to be completely filled and the cylinders half filled
with water or any other incompressible fluid, and the pistons being put in
their proper situations upon the water, the machine will be ready for action.
In order to let the pistons come into actual contact with the water in the
cylinders, each piston must have a small hole in it for the escape of the air
when fixing the apparatus, which holes are afterwards to be closed by air-
tight screws; and in the above-described modification of my apparatus, both
the cylinders may have open tops, because the atmospheric pressure will be
equal on both of them, and whenever the piston of the cylinder nearest to the

page_text: aforesaid prime mover is depressed, it will press upon the incompressible water,
below it, and by driving it into the close pipe, will fill the cylinder or cylinders
at the extreme end, thereby elevating its piston or their pistons, and trans-
ferring the power, while a motion of the power piston in the other direction
will produce an opposite effect or depression of the piston at tlie opposite end.
An apparatus, constructed as above described; may be used for transferring
motive power to short distances; but when the distance is great, and it is
necessary to convey the power as perfectly and completely as possible, I use
two seperate pipes or tubes instead of one, and I also use cylinders with close
tops instead of open ones, and let their piston rods work through water-
tight packing or stuffing boxes, the one pipe or tube serving to connect
the two bottoms or lower parts of the cylinders together, and by means
of the other pipe I join and unite the tops or upper parts of the said
cylinders, which, together with the said second pipe, are to be wholly filled
with water or any incompressible fluid. The consequence of this arrangment
will be, that while the first or power cylinder is forcing water by the descent
of its piston into the lower part of the distant or extreme cylinder, so it
will likewise be drawing off the water from above the piston in the said last-
mentioned cylinder by the same motion, and will not only thus remove all
resistance to motion in the distant piston, but will promote it by the vacuum
made on one side of the piston always taking place at the very moment when
the force is accumulating to operate against the other side of it.
I also,
when transferring the power by the above-described apparatus to considerable
distances, connect a strong but small air vessel to each end of the pipe of com-
munication aforesaid, or to each end of each pipe when two pipes of commu-
nication are used, and place such air vessels as near to the said cylinders
as I conveniently can, in order that the motion of the piston or pistons
may not be too suddenly communicated to the confined water, which will
make its way into such air vessels when pressed upon, thereby condensing the
air before it, which reacts by its elasticity and produces a more equable action
than could be otherwise obtained. In the construction and use of the afore-
said apparatus the pipe or pipes of communication between the cylinders need
not be kept truly level, although it will be more advantageous to the working
of the machine if this can be effected. The said pipes of communication
must likewise be of cast iron metal, or other suitable material, that is, quite
air and water tight throughout its whole length, and strong enough to resist
the force or pressure of the power that is to be transferred, and the said pipes
should also be of sufficient bore or capacity to allow of the free and uninterrupted
motion and passage of the water within them without friction or impediment,

page_text: as upon this circumstance, and the whole of the apparatus being perfectly air
and water tight, will its equable and certain action in a great measure.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Harsleben, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and twenty-seven.
CHARLES (L.S.) HARSLEBEN.