USING VACUUM AS A MA " PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Carl Barthélemy, of Number 27, Bush Lane, in the
City of London, for the Invention for a mode of "USING VACUUM AS A
MA
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Carl Barthélemy, at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 28th
March 1860.
I, CARL BARTHÉLEMY, of Number 27, Bush Lane, in the City of London, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for a mode of "USING
VACUUM AS A MOTIVE POWER, AND OF THE MEANS BY WHICH THE SAME IS
EFFECTED," to be a follows:-
I suspend in water or any other suitable fluid a machine constructed in the
following way: A number of straight iron tubes are fixed in an axle, and the
ends of which, for explanation, I will number 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8; but I
wish it to be distinctly understood that I do not confine myself to any parti-
cular number of tubes, their size, or the material of which they are to be
made. These tubes are provided at each end with a flange and an extensible
cap; the precise material of which the same is to be made is immaterial, so
long as it is of a suitable nature, and in the interior of the tubes are iron bars
or pistons as much longer than the tube as is required for extending the caps
to which they are attached, both at top and bottom by the sinking of which

page_text: the lower caps are extended by the weight of the bars or pistons. When the
machine is brought into action, four of the caps are extended, and as soon as
one comes into perpendicular direction, or before that if necessary, the
descending bar or piston is unlocked, and in dropping it draws in the upper
cap, and extends the lower one, which is in the water or whatever fluid you
may use instead of water. Those of number 2, 3, and 4 are the drivers,
which are forced by the water or fluid up, and brings number 1 at once into
a diagonal direction, which by that direction becomes a driver also, and so
they continue ascending and dropping in rotation, and thus forms a motive
power, which I claim as my Invention.
EXPLANATION OF ACCOMPANYING SKETCH.
a, a, a, a, are the iron bars or pistons, which extend through the whole
length of the tubes, the ends of which are attached to the top of the extensible
caps, and each tube only contains one bar or piston; b, b, b, b, are the exten-
sible caps extended and in action; c, c, c, c, are the descending ends of the
tubes where the extensible caps are drawn in; d, d, d, d, are the tubes, which
contain the bars or pistons; e, e, e, e, are the holes in the tubes where the
air is drawn off in the usual way, when the machine is manufactured, and then
the holes are hermetically shut so that neither air nor water can get in, as
nearly the whole wheel is under water.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Carl Barthélemy in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
28th September 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CARL
BARTHÉLEMY, of Number 27, Bush Lane, in the City of London, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-fourth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Carl Barthélemy, Her special licence that I, the said Carl Barthélemy,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Carl
Barthélemy, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time.
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter
during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,

page_text: exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "A MODE OF
USING VACUUM AS A MOTIVE POWER AND OF THE MEANS BY WHICH THE SAME
IS EFFECTED," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Carl
Barthélemy, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe
and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great
Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after
the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Carl Barthélemy, 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 follow-
ing statement, that is to say:-
The machine which I am about to explain is one, I believe, that has never
been attempted before, although its structure is so simple that when explained
a mechanic of ordinary ability might construct one of the machines, without
the necessity of any Drawings or further explanation.
It consists of a motive power produced by means of bars and tubes
with waterproof extensible caps acting in still or running water.
I construct my machine in the following way :-I fix in an axle a certain
number of straight iron tubes, say, eight in number; but I do not confine
myself to any particular number, their length, size, or the material of which
they are to be made. And each tube may consist of one or more pieces; to
each end of these tubes I fix an iron flange; I then make iron bars to move
in the tubes, one bar in each tube, and made to work with as little friction
as possible. These bars are as much longer than the tubes as is necessary to
extend one of the caps (which cap I shall hereafter describe). One cap is
fixed at each end of the tube; and in the centre of the flange, that is, on the
top of the tube, are fixed bearers, the holes in the centre of which are smaller
than the holes in the tubes. Each end of the bars is reduced in size, so as to
pass through the hole in the bearers a given length just sufficient to extend the
cap. The axle in which the tubes are fixed, as I have before mentioned
is supported upon a powerful stand or rest; and at each end of the tubes,.
large iron flanges are fixed, to which I attach the caps by means of screws.
These caps are made of an oval or any other suitable shape, and must be
made of a strong waterproof material. If the caps are of an oval or round
form, an oval or round flange is fixed both inside and outside of the top of the
cap, and secured on to the end of the bar, so that when the bar drops, it draws

page_text: in the top cap, and forces out the bottom cap. If necessary, I support the
body of the cap with rings, and round the bottom of the cap is fixed a flat
iron ring, which is screwed on to the flange, and made air and water tight;
but I wish it to be understood that I do not confine myself to the shape of
the above-mentioned caps, or the material of which the same is to be made,
because according to the size and strength of my machine so must my
caps be.
I could give a great many more descriptions of caps; but the above will, I
think, sufficiently explain how they are constructed.
The flanges that are screwed on to the tube, and to which are fixed the
extensible caps, can be made of any metal, and so made as to be connected one
with the other, and thus made to form a ring round the tubes to strengthen
and give solidity to the framework of the machine. The axle, tubes, and
flanges may be cast in one piece or separately. On the flanges are fixed two
or more uprights, meeting together above the extensible caps, and allowing
room for these caps to act freely. These uprights meet in a ring at the top,
in which an apparatus is fixed for holding the extended bar, to which is
attached a conical knob, but where a different mode of locking the machine
is adopted, these uprights are not required. The apparatus in the ring at the
top of the uprights for holding the knob of the bars consist of a pair of pliers,
and on each side of the catching part of the pliers is fixed a roller, which
enables the knob at the top of the bar to slip into the catch with greater
freedom. Above these pliers, and apart from the wheel, are circular rods, on
which are screwed moveable oval pieces of iron to unlock the pliers at the
proper time. The opening of the pliers is produced by the oval irons passing
through the tops of the said pliers, and by this means the knob of the bar is
freed from the catch. In the bottom of the flanges, which are screwed on to
the tubes, I drill two holes, one on each side of the tube; the holes in the top
and bottom flange must correspond with each other; into these holes I screw
small iron tubes running alongside the principle tube. I adopt this plan in
order to get rid of obstructions; but I do not consider myself bound to make
use of these tubes. I also drill another small hole underneath each of the flanges
just mentioned, in which I insert a small cock to enable me to draw off the
air and water, if requisite, should water by accident get into the machine.
Having now described the construction of one of my machines, I will now
proceed to explain its working.
These machines must stand in water up to the axle, or higher, according to
the power you wish to obtain.
When the machine is brought into action, I must in the first place lower

page_text: the frame of the circular rods above alluded to, and then unlock one or more
of the bars nearest to the perpendicular, and as soon as the lower cap, which
is extended under the water, is forced up by the action of the water, the next
tube is forced over the unlocker, the bar unlocked, and in dropping extends
the lower cap, which again being forced up by the water brings the succeeding
tube to the unlocker, and so continues to act in rotation, and thus produces a
motive power.
The stopping of the machine is done by raising the rod
frame.
Having described the way in which I make my machines and the mode
of working the same, I will now proceed to describe another description of
my "bar wheel."
This machine is made on the same principle as the one I have just
described; but with the addition of two bars to each tube; the tube is
the same as before described, but instead of the bar working inside the tube,
as above mentioned, I fix two bars outside, one on each side of the tube
working through guides, which may be made to form part of the axle, which
bars are secured to the cap at top and bottom, and I can, if deemed necessary,
retain the centre bar, and have a larger cap worked by three bars, and thus I
construct a machine of greater power.
I therefore call this machine a "bar wheel," and claim as my Invention, the
above-described machinery, with its bars, tubes, caps, and rods; and I further
claim as before explained the principle of its action, by the bars extending
and closing the attached caps, which extending caps may be made to contain
either gas of any kind, air, or vacuum being created by the air being drawn
off by means of an air pump being attached to the before-mentioned
cocks.
In witness whereof, I, the said Carl Barthélemy, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-seventh day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
CARL BARTHÉLEMY,
27, Bush Lane, City, Merchant.
(L.S.)
CARL BARTHÉLEMY,
27, Bush Lane, City, Merchant.
(L.S.)