AN IMPROVED HYDROSTATIC MOTOR
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Melville Clark, of 53, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for the Invention of
"AN IMPROVED HYDROSTATIC MOTOR."-A communication from abroad
by Paul Bontemps, of Paris, France.
Sealed the 2nd July 1875, and dated the 11th January 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Melville
Olark at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 11th January 1875.
勇
I, ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED HYDROSTATIC MOTOR," to be as
follows:-
This Invention relates to hydrostatic motors, and consists in an
improved mechanical arrangement for regulating the movement of
pistons, whereby the mere pressure or weight alone of a column of liquid
may be converted into motive power without any expenditure of the
liquid.

page_text: The motor is composed of a pair of cylinders whose pistons are con-
nected to a crank shaft.
The reciprocating motion of the pistons is obtained by causing a
column of liquid to exert its pressure on the liquid contained in a
chamber in connection with one end of each cylinder, and alternately
cutting off the said pressure. A regulator contained within the liquid
chamber, as hercin-after described, is caused, in the first instance, to
expand to replace the water passing into the cylinder on the outward
movement of the piston, and so prevent any expenditure of the liquid
column, and then to contract to allow the return movement of the
piston.
In order that the Invention may be more clearly understood, I have
illustrated it in the accompanying. Drawings, by way of example only,
in which a, a, are cylinders; b, pistons; and c, piston rods connected
by rods d to cranks e of shaft f, on which are mounted a fly wheel g
and rigger for transmitting motion; h, h, liquid chambers or receptacles
with which the cylinders communicate at one end, the whole being
hermetically closed water-tight; i, regulator or expanding and con-
tracting chamber, of which one is placed in cach chamber h, composed
of four plates hinged together in a rectangular or lozengo form so as to
open and close. One of these hinged joints is connected to the extremity
of the downward extension of the piston rod c, the opposite joint being
connected to the bottom of chamber h; j,j, two vertical plates placed
within chamber so as to enclose the regulator i tightly between them
while allowing of its free expansion and contraction. The size of the
regulator is so calculated that when expanded its volume shall be equal
to that of the cylinder a; k, k, are the columns of liquid, one for each
cylinder, and each provided with a cock l; m, slide valves actuated by
valve rods and eccentrics for alternately cutting off the com-
munication between the columns of water and their respective {
chambers /.
The whole being arranged as described the following is the action of
the engine-Suppose the valve m of the right-hand cylinder to be open
and the water to have filled the chamber, and by its pressure to have
raised the piston 6 to the position shown, the regulator i being at same {
time expanded and the whole water space below the piston filled with
the exception of the space within the regulator. The slide valve m is
at this moment closed, whereupon the pressure of the column of water

page_text: is cut off and that contained in chamber h therefore becomes inert.
The valve m of the other cylinder then opens in its turn, and the water
pressure is applied as before for raising its piston. During this
ascensional motion of the latter piston, that of the right-hand cylinder
effects its descent or return movement, which, as the pressure is cut off,
it is free to do by the collapse of the regulator allowing the contents of
the cylinder to flow back into the chamber h.
By increasing the height of the column of liquid, engines on this
principle may be constructed of from two to fifty horse power without
any consumption of fuel and without waste of water, except any small
loss due to leakage between the plates; and the regulator, which escapes
at p. The two plates; being connected by bolts are readily adjustable
to compensate for wear, so as to ensure a permanently water-tight joint
between the cheek plates and sides of the regulator.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Alexander Melville Clark in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 9th July 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALEXANDER
MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Patent Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of January, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the thirty-
eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,.
give and grant unto me, the said Alexander Melville Olark, Her special
licence that I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, my executors, admini.
strators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Alexander Melville
Clark, 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, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "Ar
IMPROVED HYDROSTATIC MOTOR," a communication to me from abroad by Paul.
Bontemps, of Paris, France, upon the condition (amongst others) that I,-
'

page_text: the said Alexander Melville Clark, 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 samo to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six 5
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and 1
by the following statement, reference being had to the accompanying
Sheet of Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that
is to say) :-
-
This Invention relates to hydrostatic motors, and consists in an
improved mechanical arrangement for regulating the movement of 1
pistons, whereby the mere pressure or weight alone of a column of
liquid may be utilized as motive power without any expenditure of the
liquid.
The motor is composed of a pair of cylinders, whose pistons are by
connecting rods coupled to the same crank shaft.
The reciprocating motion of each piston is obtained by causing a
column of liquid to oxert its pressure on the liquid contained in a
chamber in connection with one end of the cylinder, and cutting off the
said pressure to the two cylinders alternately. A regulator contained
within the liquid chamber, as herein-after described, is made in the first 2
instance to expand to replace the water passing into the cylinder on the
outward movement of the piston, and so prevent any expenditure of the
liquid column, the said regulator being afterwards made to contract to
allow the return movement of the piston.
In order that the Invention may be more clearly understood, I have 3
illustrated it in the accompanying Drawings, by way of example only,
in which a, a, are cylinders firmly bolted to a suitable framing ;
b, pistons; and c, piston rods connected by rods d to cranks e of shaft f,
on which are mounted a fly wheel 9 and rigger for transmitting motion.
The two cranks are as usual disposed at right angles to each other; 3
h, h, liquid chambers or receptacles, each communicating with one end
of one of the cylinders, as shown, the whole being closed water-tight;

page_text: i, regulator or expanding and contracting chamber. There is one of
these regulators in each chamber h; it is composed of four plates
hinged together in a rectangular or lozenge form so as to open and close.
One of these hinged joints is connected to the extremity of a downward
extension of the piston rod c, the opposite joint being connected to the
bottom of chamber h; j,j, two vertical plates placed within chamber h
so as to enclose the regulator tightly between them, while allowing it to
be expanded and collapsed freely by the movements of the piston with
which it is connected. The size of the regulator is so calculated that
when expanded its capacity shall be equal to that of the cylinder a;
k, k, are the pipes containing the columns of liquid, one for each
cylinder, and each provided with a cock 1; m, slide valves actuated by
valve rods n and eccentrics o for alternately cutting off the com-
munication between the columns of water and their respective
chambers h.
The whole being arranged as described, the following is the action of
the engine:-Referring first to the right-hand cylinder, suppose the
chamber h to be filled with water and the piston to be at the bottom of
the cylinder, and suppose the valve m to be then opened, the column of
water by its pressure will raise the piston 6 to the top of the cylinder at
the same time that the regulator i is expanded, as shown, the whole
water space below the piston being filled with the exception of the
space contained within the regulator. The slide valve m is at this
moment closed, whereupon the pressure of the column of water is out
off, and that contained in chamber therefore becomes inert. The
valve m of the other cylinder is then opened in its turn, and the water
pressure is applied as before for raising its piston. During this
ascensional motion of the latter piston, that of the right-hand cylinder
effects its descent or return movement, which, as the pressure is cut off,
it is free to do by the collapse of the regulator, thus allowing the con-
tents of the cylinder to flow back into the chamber h. The slide valve
of the right-hand cylinder is then opened and that of the left-hand
cylinder closed, and so on alternately.
By increasing the height of the column of liquid, engines on this
principle may be constructed of from two to fifty horse power without
any consumption of fuel and without any waste of water, except the
small loss due to leakage between the plates; and the regulator, which
escapes at p. The two plates j being connected by bolts are readily

page_text: adjustable to compensate for wear, so as to ensure a permanently water-
tight joint between the cheek plates and sides of the regulator.
Having described the nature of the Invention and the manner of per-
forming the same, I will have it understood, that I do not confine
myself to the exact arrangement herein-before shown and described, the t
same being given as one example only of the mode of carrying the In-
vention into effect, but that what I do claim as the Invention to be
protected by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, a hydro-
static motor or engine in which the pressure or weight alone of a column
of water is utilized as described (without any expenditure of the liquid) 1
by means of a regulator constructed and operating, substantially as
shown and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Melville. Clark, havo
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Ninth day of July,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and 1
seventy-five.