AN IMPROVED MACHINE OR APPARATUS FOR OBTAINING POWER FROM FALLS AND RUNNING STREAMS OF WATER
Year: 1828

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
NEVILLE, of New Walk, Shad Thames, in the County of Surry, Esquire,
send greeting.
WHEREAS His present most Excellent Majesty King George the Fourth
did, by His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing
date at Westminster, the Twenty-fifth day of September, in the ninth year of
His reign, give and grant unto me, the said James Neville, His especial
licence, that I, the said James Neville, my executors, adiñors, and assigns,
and such others as I, the said James Neville, my executors, adñiors, 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 mentioned, should and lawfully
might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and Town
of Berwick-upon-Tweed, and also in all His Majesty's Colonies and Plan-
tations abroad, my Invention of "AN IMPROVED MACHINE OR APPARATUS FOR
OBTAINING POWER FROM FALLS AND RUNNING STREAMS OF WATER;" in which
said Letters Patent is contained a proviso that I, the said James Neville, shall
cause a particular description of the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be inrolled in His Majesty's High
Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately 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
James Neville, do hereby describe the manner in which my said Invention is

page_text: to be performed, by the following description thereof, (reference being had to
the Drawing hereunto, and to the figures and letters marked thereon (that is
to say)-
Figure 1 represents
side elevation of an overshot' water wheel, which is
constructed in the following manner :-a, a, is a hollow wooden trunk, which
must be made of sufficient strength to bear the internal pressure of the water,
and should be secured by bolts or straps of iron. The interior of this trunk
is to be made quite parrallel, and the upper mouth or entrance to be bevelled
off in the form of a hopper to facilitate the entrance of the buckets that
are to work therein. b, b, is a foundation of masonry, which is sunk below
the level of the tail water. This foundation is built hollow, and the bottom is
curved, as shown by the dotted lines and dark shading marked thereon; it is
surmounted by a strong frame of timber on which the trunk a, a, rests, and
which is supported in an upright position by the shores d, d.
c, c, shew the
head of the water and the shute or trough for conveying the same to the trunk
a, a. e, e, are wheels at top and bottom of the trunk, the lower one being
immersed in the water contained in the hollow part of the foundation. These
wheels are three feet in diameter, and each have six bars or trundles on which
the double chains f, f, revolve or act. These chains are made in a peculiar
manner, and the joints or links are of a proper length to suit the bars or
trundles of the wheels e, c. To that part of the chain and of the trundles
which come in contact are fixed small blocks or riders of cast iron, which can
be renewed with facility as they wear out.
the chain from slipping over the bars of
wheels and chains from unnecessary wear. 9, 9, 9, are three buckets or square
pistons, which are attached at equal distances to the revolving chains f, f,
which pass through their centres. These buckets are made of wood and fit
loosely into the trunk a, a. The corners of each bucket are notched in and
shod with brass, as shown by the plan Fig. 4, by k, k, k, k. And in the
internal angles of the trunk a, a, are four guide rods of square bar iron, which
run the whole length of the trunk, as shown by the section Fig. 3, where
i, i, i, represent the guide rods on which the buckets g, g, g, travel with little
friction. These guide rods are tapered off at the top or entrance of the trunk,
so as to lead the buckets gradually in their proper position. The sides of the
buckets g, 9, 9, are shod with leather, or what is better, with thin sheet copper
or brass, the elasticity of which renders them water without much friction.
Figure 2 represents a front elevation of said water wheel, which is kept in a
perpendicular position by the shores d, d. Figure 5 represents an under-
shot water wheel on this principle, and the same letters represent the-same
They are so formed as to prevent
the wheels e, e, and preserve both

page_text: parts in all these Drawings, h, h, being the shafts or axles for communicating
the motion. Figure 6 is an elevation of a stream or tide mill, which may be
applied with advantage and economy in most situations where there is a
moderate current. l, m, n, o, shew the sides of a floating platform or raft;
p, p, p, a curved bottom, under which the chains and float boards pass. In the
plan of Fig. 6, 9, 9, 9, 9, represent stream boards for collecting a greater
body of water. These move on joints or hinges, and may be set at any angle by
means of the chains or bars r, r, r, r. The dotted lines 8, 8, show the position
of 1, 1, 7, 9, when closed in order to stop the mill.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Neville, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Twenty-fifth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and twenty-nine.