CENTS IN OBTAINING MOTIVE POWER
Year: 1852

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Weems, of Johnstone, in the County of
Renfrew, North Britain, Tin Smith, for the Invention of
CENTS IN OBTAINING MOTIVE POWER."
"IMPROVEMENT
Scaled the 21st May 1853, and dated the 22nd November 1852.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Weems at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 22nd November 1852.
I, JOHN WEEMS, of Johnstone, in the County of Renfrew, North
Britain, Tin Smith, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN OBTAINING MOTIVE POWER" to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to the obtainment of motive power by
means of the alternate effects of heat and cold upon an exhausted
or partially exhausted chamber or hollow wheel. According to
one form of rotatory engine on this principle, the apparatus takes
the form of a hollow annular chamber or wheel divided into several
sections by means of a series of valves, all opening in one direc-
tion. This hollow wheel is set to revolve upon a horizontal shaft,

page_text: and has no opening whatever to the atmosphere, but is par
tially filled with mercury or other ponderous matter, and is
exhausted of air as far as practicable. Such a wheel has on one
side of it a fixed heater or fire, contrived for the purpose of heating
a short section of the wheel, whilst a little further forward is a cold
water or other condensing apparatus available for similarly cooling
a short section of the wheel. The effect of this contrivance is, that
the heater first expands the air in its section of the wheel, a little
air being always left after exhaustion, and this expansion is continued
until the contained air is expanded, say to atmospheric pressure.
Then, as the wheel' is turned round, this section of the wheel passes
to the condenser, and the air is again cooled down just at the very
moment that the succeeding section behind is being heated by coming
close to the heater. In this condition the wheel has its two upper
sections in the two opposite conditions of plenum and vacuum, so
that the vacuum on one side is brought into play to suck or force up
the mercury or other ponderable in the lower part of the wheel.
This of course produces a derangement of the wheel's balance, and
the wheel consequently turns round. The same effects occur as cach
section passes round, and the motion is thus regular and continuous.
In addition to the condenser on one side of the upper part of the
wheel, it is also proposed to let the wheel dip more or less into cold
water, to cool it properly. Or instead of merely using a heavy body,
as mercury, water or a heavy piston or weight, in conjunction with
a partial vacuum, it is clear that any easily vaporised fluid may be
used in conjunction with the expansive and condensing power of
the air. For example, a little volatile spirit may be enclosed in the
wheel, to assist the action by its speedy expansion and contraction;
various mechanical arrangements may be employed for carrying this
system of working into effect, the essential feature being the obtain-
ment of motive power by the alternate heating and cooling of a.
fluid in a close chamber; without in any way commingling with any
external matter.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters
Patent, filed by the said John Weems in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 21st May 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
JOHN WEEMS, of Johnstone, in the County of Renfrew, North Britain,
Tin Smith, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty second day of November,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty two,
in the sixteenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said John Weems, Her
special license that I, the said John Weems, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Weems, my
executors, administrators, or assigns, should at any time agree with,
and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during
the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN OBTAINING MOTIVE POWER," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said John Weems, by an instrument in
writing under my hand and scal, should particularly describe and
ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the
Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and im-
mediately after the date of the said Letters Patent..
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Weems, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement; reference being had to the accompanying
Drawings, and to the Letters and Figures marked thereon (that is
to say):
My said Invention relates to the obtainment of motive power by
means of the alternate effects of heat and cold upon an exhausted
or partially exhausted chamber or hollow wheel. According to one

page_text: form of rotatory engine on this principle, the apparatus takes the
form of a hollow annular chamber or wheel, divided into several
sections by means of a series of valves all opening in one direction.
This hollow wheel is set to revolve upon a horizontal shaft, and has
no opening whatever to the atmosphere, but is partially filled with
mercury, or other ponderous matter, and is exhausted of air as far
as practicable. Such a wheel has on one side of it a fixed heater
or fire, contrived for the purpose of heating a short section of the
wheel; whilst a little further forward is a cold water or other con-
densing apparatus available for similarly cooling a short section of
the wheel. The effect of this contrivance is that the heater first
expands the air in its section of the wheel, a little air being always
left after exhaustion, and this expansion is continued until the con-
tained air is expanded, say to atmospheric pressure. Then as the
wheel is turned round this section of the wheel passes to the con-
denser, and the air is again cooled down just at the very moment
that the succeeding section behind is being heated by coming close
to the heater. In this condition the wheel has its two upper sections
in the two opposite conditions of plenum and vacuum, so that the
vacuum on one side is brought into play to suck or force up the
mercury or other ponderable in the lower part of the wheel. This
of course produces a derangement of the wheel's balance, and the
wheel consequently turns round. The same effects occur as each
section passes round, and the motion is thus regular and continuous.
In addition to the condenser on one side of the upper part of the
wheel, it is also proposed to let the wheel dip more or less into cold
water to cool it properly. Or instead of merely using a heavy body
as inercury, water or a heavy piston or weight, in conjunction with
a partial vacuum, it is clear that any casily vaporised fluid may be
used in conjunction with the expansive and condensing power of the
air. For example, a little volatile spirit may be enclosed in the
wheel to assist the action by its speedy expansion and contraction.
Various mechanical arrangements may be employed for carrying
this system of working into effect, the essential feature being the
obtainment of motive power by the alternate heating and cooling of

page_text: a fluid in a close chamber, without in any way commingling with
any external matter.
Figure 1, on my sheet of Drawings is a complete front external
clevation of one modification of my improved motive power machine.
Figure 2, is a sectional elevation of the saine corresponding. Figure 3,
is a sectional plan of the machine. Figure 4, is a separate vertical
sectional detail, looking on the door of the furnace; and Figure 5, is
a longitudinal section of one of the pipe joints with the valve in elc-
vation within. The framing of the apparatus consists of the main
base plate A, set on a stone foundation B, and carrying a set of eight
pillars C, supporting an entablature D, running all round the
machine. This entablature carries two pedestals E, as the main
bearings of the horizontal first motion shaft F, on which the motive
wheel is placed. Close up to the back pedestal E, a large boss G, is
keyed upon the shaft, and from this boss, the eight powerful arms
or wheel spokes H, radiate outwards to carry the tubular wheel rim.
Each of these arms terminates at its outer end in a flat palm piece,
to which is bolted the metal rim I. This rim has at intervals all
round it bracket plates J, standing out at right angles to the arin's
length, and in a line coincident with the axis of the shaft F.
cach of these pieces J, two other parallel side pieces K, are attached,
one on each side of the main central piece J, and through the two
lines of junction so produced holes are drilled to receive two rows
of annularly disposed tubes L, which tubes form in the aggregate
the working chamber of the wheel. These tubes form a double ring
all round the wheel, each tube being inade up of a series of lengths
jointed together by screwed union pieces M, which answer as the
receptacles for clock valves N, the whole set of such valves being set
to open in one direction. Each tube is exactly the same throughout,
and all the valves coincide in their circumferential position. The
tubes so placed upon the arms form a species of dished or over hung
wheel, the whole being supported from the single boss G; and
the tubular rim of this wheel is covered in all round, down to the
level of the base plate A, with a double annular sheet iron casing
O, P, of rectangular section, the wheel working just clear within
At

page_text: this casing. This casing rests upon the foundation plate, where it
is supported by bracket-pieces Q, being steadied at the level of the
entablature by other brackets R, bolted down on the entablature.
Beneath the level of the base plate A, the wheel dips into a cold
water reservoir S, sunk in the base plate; the wheel working freely
through the opening into this reservoir, which is covered in by a
platform T, carried on brackets U, bolted to the inside of the reser-
voir. At V, is a small brick furnace supported on cross stays passed
through the two sides of the iron plating W. This furnace is
supplied with fuel by the end door X, and the heat, smoke, and gases
generated in it pass out from the body of the furnace Y, either
through the end passage Z, leading into the interior of the part O,
of the annular casing, or through the lateral thoroughfare a, into
the vertical branch b. These two passages are respectively governed
by the two dampers c, d, working in concert, being suspended from
the two ends of a chain passed over suspension pulleys, on an over
head cross beam e. In this way, whichever of the dampers is shut,
the other is open. It is to be understood that in the regular order
of the working of this engine, the heat passes, as indicated by the
arrow, through the port Z, formed in the inner side of the fixed
annular casing O, and the heated current thence passes up the curvi-
linear fluef, at this part, so as to completely envelope a considerable
segment of the wheel's tubular rim. This part O, of the casing is
formed with a double cold water casing g, to prevent the burning
of the case by the heat, such cold water space being supplied with
water from any suitable overhead reservoir. After traversing this
portion of the casing, the heat passes off through the discharge flue
h, above; but when the operation is to be stopped, the damper c, is
shut down, so as to open the other one d, when the furnace heat
will flow through the side pipe b, and so obtain clear access to the
chimney without in any way acting upon the wheel. On the
other side of the wheel's centre overhead, is a cold water reservoir i,
having a flat "gridiron" valve plate j, upon its bottom actuated by
the segmental rack action k, this movement being workable from
the hand wheel Z, on the platforın below. This hand wheel is fast

page_text: on the lower end of the vertical spindle m, which has a worm n, on
its upper end in gear with a second segmentally toothed lever o, fast
on the shaft of the movement k. The gridiron ports of the reser-
voir valve are each in communication with the inclined water ways p,
which slope downwards, and enter the exterior shell of the fixed
case O, P, at the port q. In this way the attendant can at
pleasure shower down a quantity of cold water upon the tubular
wheel rim as it passes that part of the casing. Each of the tubes L,
of the wheel, is partially filled with mercury or other dense mass
capable of easy motion through the tubes. This heavy body is
represented by the dark colouring at r, in the front sectioned tube,
Figure 2. It is the action of this heavy material which gives the
direct movement to the wheel, through the indirect agency of the
furnace heat. As the heated current passes up through the casing at
O, circulating in its passage on all sides of the portions of the tubes
L, which are in this part of the casing for the time being, these
portions of the tubes become highly heated; whatever air or gaseous
body is in this section of the wheel is thus expanded, and the wheel
being then made to revolve to a certain extent, this heated section
comes beneath the cold water shower at q. The cold water action
now condenses whatever there may be in the heated section of the
tubular rim at that part, at the very instant that the section
immediately behind is being heated by coming up to the heated
flue. This produces a vacuum at the cooled portion, and this
vacuum acting in conjunction or concert with the now heated and
expanded contents of the section behind, obviously elevates the
ponderous matter r, to the side of the wheel, where I have repre-
sented it; all the valves in the tubes being set to open in this
direction, and thus permit the heavy matter to pass. As each valve
approaches the centre line t, it closes down and forms a stop between
the plenum and vacuum sections, all the other valves in the circle
being open. In this way, as the wheel revolves and presents every
part of its rim to the heat and cold alternately, this section is
repeated between every pair of contiguous valves, and thus the
contained weight in the rim is constantly drawn up to one side, and

page_text: keeps up a perpetual revolution of the wheel; the motion from
which is conveyed away by the spur wheel u, on the main shaft.
To aid the full cooling down of the wheel rim prior to submitting
the sections again to the furnace heat, the rim is made to dip into
the bottom cold water reservoir. And as it is a point of importance
to prevent the furnace heat from acting upon the heavy matter,
some non conducting matter, such as glass balls, v, may be laid upon
the mercury as a shield.
In constructing such wheels, I wish it to be understood that I
exhaust the tubular rims as far as is practicable, so that there may
be as little air or gaseous matter left in as possible, the motive
power being in reality derivable from the pure heat supplied to
the interior of the sections through an external agent, this heat
affording the means of readily obtaining a pressure from expansion
and a vacuum from condensation.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of
my said Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be
used or carried into effect, I may observe, in conclusion, that I do not
confine or restrict myself to the precise details or arrangements
which I have had occasion to describe or refer to, as many variations
may be made therefrom without deviating from the principles or
main features of my Invention, but what I consider to be novel and
original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by
the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is,-
First, the general arrangement and construction of machinery,
apparatus, or means for obtaining motive power as herein-before
described.
Second, the system or mode of obtaining motive power by the
alternate heating and cooling of an exhausted or partially exhausted
close chamber having no communication with the external atmo-
sphere.
Third, the application and use of a rotatory motive power: machine
wherein a heating and cooling medium are combined to work in
concert upon an enclosed chamber for producing an expansive
pressure and a vacuuin alternately.

page_text: Fourth, the application and use of a sectioned rotatory chamber,
containing a heavy body in combination with a heating and cooling
apparatus for obtaining motive power.
Fifth, the system or mode of raising ponderable matter by the
continuous alternate expansion and contraction or condensation of
the contents of a revolving chamber hermetically sealed from the
atmosphere.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Weems, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twentieth day of May, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty three.
JOHN WEEMS (L.S.)