DOUBLE-ACTING ATMOSPHERIC ENGINE
Year: 1874

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by Paul Nolet at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition and Declaration,
on the 7th December 1874, pursuant to the 9th Section of the
Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, Paul
NOLET, of Number Twelve, Huntley Street, Bedford Square, in the
County of Middlesex, Student of Engineering, send greeting.
WHEREAS I am in possession of an Invention for a "DOUBLE-ACTING
ATMOSPHERIC ENGINE," and have petitioned Her Majesty to grant unto
me, my executors, administrators, and assigns, Her Royal Letters
Patent for the same, and have made solemn Declaration that I am
the true and first Inventor thereof, and that the same is not in use by
any other person or persons, to the best of my knowledge and belief.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Paul Nolet, do hereby declare
that the following Complete Specification, under my hand and seal,
fully describes and ascertains the nature of the said Invention, and

page_text: in what manner the same is to be performed, in and by the following
statement, that is to say :-
.
Struck with the immense loss of water power, and with the difficulties
experienced up to the present time in utilising it, I have proposed to
myself the question of the transformation and transmission of this 5
force, with the view to its extended employment in the interests of trade
and manufacture.
The solution of this problem led me also to the solution of another
problem not less important, that is to say, the possibility of supplying
thousands of small manufacturers in towns with machines of any 1
required force, free from danger, requiring no attendant, and obtaining
their motive power from a distance.
Figure "I." on the accompanying plan shows an elevation of the 1
machine. I have indicated by means of dotted lines all the parts con-
nected with the circular motion, since they are the same as all other
movements of that nature, and are not of the essence of my Invention.
The part marked "G" is the ordinary guide for the piston "A¹.”
Figure "Ia" shows the guide (S, S, S,) for the piston "A."
Figure II. represents a horizontal section of the machine, and shows its
action. The machine is composed of two cylinders coupled ("P and P'")
hermetically separated by a disc "R." The two cylinders are of equal
length and diameter, and consequently of equal capacity. The ends of
both cylinders (opposite to the separating disc) are open.
In these
cylinders two pistons act (A. and A'). These two pistons are connected
by the rods B, B, C, C, which form a parallelogram, so that both
pistons are in action at the same time. The rods B, B, move in the
grooves D, D. At the bottom of each cylinder is an opening marked
respectively "O" and "O¹."
2

page_text: the cylinder P underneath the piston A is brought into communication
with the atmosphere by means of the opening O, the atmospheric
pressure will act in the direction indicated by the arrows, on the lead
of the piston A'. This piston will descend to the bottom of the
cylinder P¹, whilst the piston A, freed from the resistance of the
atmosphere, will at the same time ascend to the top of the cylinder P.
If this operation be repeated, that is, if a vacuum is produced below
the piston A. (now at the top of the cylinder P) by means of the opening
O, and if at the same time the cylinder P¹ below A¹ is placed in com-
munication with the atmosphere by means of the opening O¹ the pistons
will return to their original position. I have thus realised a movement
identical with that of the piston of a double-acting or high-pressure
steam engine, and as the atmosphere alone produces this alternative
movement I have given my Invention the name of "Double-acting
Atmospheric Engine."
Figure III. shows the mechanism by means of which the cylinders
are placed in alternate communication with the atmosphere, and with
a vacuum. It is shown as detached from Figure "Ia," in order to
facilitate the explanation. (In Figure, "Ia," "V" is the stop-cock
O for the vacuum; "M," the mechanism; "O," the pipe corresponding
with the opening "O" in Figure II.
The rod T is put in motion by an excentric and system of levers
designed to make the change of communication simultaneous, and
resembling other systems of the like nature as used for this purpose
3 in steam engines, &c., and which are not of the essence of my
Invention.
The pipes O & O' correspond with the openings O and O¹,
indicated in Figure II., as shown on the Drawing O' is in com-
munication with the vacuum, whilst O is in communication with tho
O atmosphere. .
When the piston A¹ has reached the end of its stroke the rod "T"
(moved by the system of levers, &c., before mentioned) follows the
direction of the arrow, and the change of communication necessary for
the change of the motion of the pistons takes place, that is, O¹ is
5 placed in communication with the atmosphere, and ○ with the

page_text: vacuum. The repetition of these movements produces naturally a con-
tinued horizontal motion, which can be transformed by the ordinary
methods into circular motion.

page_text: each particular case may require I simply note the possible necessity of
such modifications.
As witness, my hand and seal, this Seventh day of December,
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four.
Signed, scaled, and delivered
by the above-named Paul
Nolet, in the presence of
PASCO DAPHNE,
University Coll.,
London,
Student.
PAUL NOLET. (L.s.)