Year: 1886

page_text: I, ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of the firm of A. M. and Wm. Clark, of 53,
Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Fellow of the Institute of Patent
Agents, do hereby declare the nature of this Invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to apparatus for automatically compressing air. The invention
is more particularly designed for the production of motive power for working
pneumatic clocks, but it is not limited to this.
The apparatus which is extremely simple both in its construction and working is
represented by way of example in the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 of which is a
part sectional elevation of the apparatus taken through the compressing cylinder and
Figure 2 a top plan of same. It will however, be understood that the construction
and arrangement of the apparatus may be varied according to the purpose to which it
is to be applied.
The apparatus consists essentially in the combination with an air compressing
cylinder a of mechanism for automatically operating the water cock b and the air
cock C, each of which is a three way cock, and is connected to cylinder a by flexible
tubes d, so as to permit of the apparatus working in the manner hereinafter described.
During the period of compression, the water enters the cylinder through the
tubulure 1 of cock b, the passage 2 of which is closed; the compressed air escapes
from the cylinder through the tubulure 3 of cock c, whose passage 4, is also closed.
The arrows in Figure 1. shew the circulation of the air and water in the apparatus.
When a certain quantity of water has been admitted to cylinder a, its weight will
preponderate over that of the counterbalance e which is properly calculated, and is
connected to the top of cylinder a by a lever f pivoted at g, upon the uprights rising
from the base of the apparatus.
The lever carries a toothed sector h, in gear with a pinion to which is rigidly
connected a weight i, and this weight i is caused to revolve around the axis of the
pinion, immediately the weight of the water in the cylinder exceeds that determined
by the weight or position of counterbalance e.

page_text: As soon as the weight i has passed the vertical, the action of gravity tends to cause
it to return suddenly to its original position, and hastens the fall of the cylinder. At
this moment the cocks b and c are suddenly closed by means of the rod k connected
with lever from which it results that the admission of water through tubulure 1 and
exit of air at 3 are cut off, and the passages 2 and 4 are opened, and the water in
cylinder a escapes through passage 2 of cock b and air enters the cylinder through
the passage 4 of cock c. When the water in the cylinder has been replaced by air,
the counterbalance weight e returns cylinder a to its original position, the weight
acting in a similar manner, but in the reverse direction to that before described. The
rod k also returns the cocks b-c, to their original position and the air compression
proceeds as before in an entirely automatic manner without the aid of any delicate
mechanism, liable to get out of order.
A. MELVILLE CLARK.
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London,
Patent Agents.

page_text: I, ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of the firm of A. M. and Wm. Clark, of 53,
Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Fellow of the Institute of Patent
Agents, do hereby declare the nature of this Invention (a communication to me
from abroad by Victor Alfred Pilloud of Paris, France,) and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
This invention relates to apparatus for automatically compressing air, and is more
particularly designed for the production of motive power for working pneumatic
clocks, but it is not limited to this application.
An example of the apparatus which is extremely simple both in its construction
and working is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, but it will be understood
that the construction and arrangement of the apparatus may be varied according to
the purpose to which it is to be applied without departing from the invention.
Figure 1 is a part sectional elevation of the apparatus taken through the compressing
cylinder, and Figure 2 a top plan of same. Figure 3 is an end view showing the
application and mode of operating the weight i hereinafter referred to.
The apparatus consists essentially in the combination with an air compressing
cylinder a of mechanism for automatically operating the water cock b and the air
cock each of which is a three way cock and is connected to cylinder a by flexible
tubes d, so as to permit of the apparatus working in the manner hereinafter described.
During the period of compression, the water enters the cylinder through the
tubulure 1 of cock b, the passage 2 of which is closed, the compressed air escapes
from the cylinder through the tubulure 3 of cock c whose passage 4, is also closed.
The arrows in figure 1 show the circulation of the air and water in the apparatus.
When a certain quantity of water has been admitted to cylinder a, its weight will
preponderate over that of the counterbalance e which is properly calculated and is
connected to the top of cylinder a by a lever f upon a cross shaft g mounted in the
frame of the apparatus. -
The lever carries a toothed sector h in gear with a pinion ¹ on a shaft to which
is fixed a weighted arm i, and this weight i is caused to revolve with the shaft and
pinion by the sudden descent of the cylinder immediately the weight of the water in
the cylinder exceeds that determined by the weight or position of counterbalance e.
As soon as the weight i has passed beyond the highest point, the action of gravity
tends to cause it to fall suddenly and accelerates the descent of the cylinder. At this
moment the cocks b and c are also suddenly closed by the action of the rod k connected
with lever whereby the admission of water through tubulure 1 and exit of air at 3
are cut off, and the passages 2 and 4 are opened, the water in cylinder a escaping
through passage 2 of cock b and air entering the cylinder through the passage 4 of
cock c.
When the water in the cylinder has been replaced by air, the counterbalance

page_text: weight e returns cylinder a to its original position, the weight i acting in a similar
manner to that before described but in the reverse direction, and the rod k also
reversing the position of cocks b c whereby the air compression proceeds as before in
an entirely automatic manner without the aid of any delicate mechanism, liable to get
out of order.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is -
The herein described apparatus for automatically compressing air, consisting in the
combination with an oscillating compressing cylinder a counterbalanced by a weighte,
and into which a liquid is admitted for producing the downward movement of said
cylinder, of a weight i whereby the water cock b. and air cock c are suddenly opened
and closed at the proper times by means of rod k as hereinbefore described and
illustrated in the drawings.
1
.