IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING MOTIVE POWER
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Melville Clark, of 53, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING MOTIVE POWER."- A communication from
abroad by William C. Stiles, of Nevada City, Nevada County, State of
Sealed the 21st January 1868, and dated the 2nd November 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Melville Clark
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
* 2nd November 1867.
I, ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of
Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING MOTIVE POWER," to be as follows:-
The nature of this Invention consists in arranging a series of hydraulic
bellows around the perimeter of a vertical wheel, and operating them by
means of cams on the spindle upon which the wheel runs, so as to force the
water from one bellows into another at certain points of the wheel's revolution.
The weight of the water thus transferred from one point of the perimeter
to another rotates the wheel and furnishes the motive power.

page_text: In the accompanying Drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation of this Inven-
tion; Figure 2 is a vertical axial section through the same; Figure 3 is a
similar elevation, showing the side opposite to that exhibited in Figure 1;
Figure 4 is a detached view of a different form of bellows arranged upon a
polygonal wheel.
In the Drawings A indicates the wheel turning upon a fixed spindle B,
which is provided with two cams C and C¹. Instead of this construction a
revolving shaft may be used, and the cams fixed to the journal boxes or frame.
Around the perimeter of the wheel a series of triangular hydraulic bellows D,
D', D2, D3, D, D³, are arranged as shown. These bellows open at the end c,
their sides working upon a hinge c¹ at the opposite end; a narrow channel e
inside of the periphery of the wheel affords a communication from the interior
of one bellows to that of the adjoining one of the series. This passage may
be closed by a valve in large machines, though in small ones none will be
needed in practical working. The valves when employed will operate as cut-
offs to prevent the water in one bellows from escaping into another in the
direction from c¹ to c and at the proper point, when any one of the bellows D
has been filled from the next one D in advance of it, and the latter has
ceased to operate any more on this revolution of the wheel the cut-off valve
will close, severing the communication between D and D', and preventing the
escape of any more water from the latter to the former should any be left to
escape. The operating mechanism of these valves is shown in Figures 1 and 2,
• consisting of a bent arm v¹ connected with the hooks h, h, by means of a
pitman ², in such a manner that the unlatching of the hook shall open the
valves, and the closing of the hook upon the bellows shall close the valves.
The valves will thus be always opened and closed at the required point.
Instead of a circular perimeter the wheel A may have a polygonal perimeter,
as shown in Figure 4, and the bellows may be made in parallelopiped form,
and attached as there represented. An independent polygonal perimeter or
ring A¹, Figure 4, may be constructed and attached to the wheel in order to
carry the bellows, or two such rings may be used, one on each edge of the
wheel's perimeter, with a deep channel between them. The wheel itself may
be composed of two discs with the arms a, a¹, and their connected machinery
between them, the bellows uniting their outer edges. The bellows being thus
constructed and attached, a number of them sufficient to occupy about one-
third of the periphery of the wheel are filled with water and then closed
water-tight. All the others are water-tight, and there is no communication to
or from any of them in any direction save from one to another through the
passages e, e, above described. From the expanding end c of each bellows

page_text: a chain passes in towards the axis of the wheel a short distance, and then
around a pulley p, after which it is attached to the outer extremity of a radial
arm a, which slides in sockets u, u, back and forth to and from the axis B,
and is operated by the cam C, closing the bellows whenever the arm a is
forced out by the cam, and allowing it to open when the arm a is not thus
thrown out. On the other side of the wheel shown in Figure 2 is a series
of similar arms a¹ operated by a similar cam C¹, and pressing with their outer
end against a short arm or lever l, which actuates a hook h. The object of the
hooks h, h, is to close upon the bellows, as shown in connection with D, D³,
D', D, and fasten them down until they arrive at the proper position to be
opened and filled with water again, when the cam C¹ throws the arms a¹, a¹,
out, forcing the hooks back from the plates o, o, over which they had latched,
and leaving the bellows free to expand again. The hook is fastened upon the
plate just at the moment the bellows is completely closed and before the
arms a, a, escape from the cam c. When the bellows have been thus fastened
down by the action of cam C', the force of cam C is no longer needed to act
upon them, and it abruptly terminates. Springs s, s, are employed to assist in
working the hooks h, h, in a manner which will be clearly shown by reference
to the Drawings, throwing the hooks forward upon the plates and forcing the
arms a, a, in towards the axis, so that they will be ready to operate again
when by the revolution of the wheel they come round. to the cam. The inner
end of all the radial arms on both sides of the wheel are provided with
friction rollers r to assist them in travelling easily over the cams.
The operation of a wheel thus constructed is as follows:-The bellows D, D,.
on one side being filled and all the others. empty, the wheel is eccentrically.
weighted and immediately begins to rotate on its axis by the gravity of the
water in the bellows. As the bellows D, however, reaches the position shown.
in Figure 1, the cam C operates the rod a and chain i and closes the bellows,
forcing all its water through the passage e into the next bellows D above,
where it continues to actuate the wheel till that bellows arrives where D¹
now is, when in its turn it will give up its water to D³, and so-on-perpetually.
The principle of the machine consists in perpetuating the eccentricity of the
wheel A by means of the bellows, thereby causing it to revolve on its axis,
and in using the power thus generated in working the arms a, a¹, and the
valves, whereby the water is caused to operate the bellows. This is effectually
accomplished in the manner above described, forming a simple and practical
motive power which can be used anywhere and with greater economy and
convenience than any other hitherto employed.

page_text: 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 27th April 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALEXANDER
MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Second day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirty-first year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Alexander Melville Clark, Her special licence that I, the said Alexander
Melville Clark, my executors, administrators, 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 "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING MOTIVE POWER," a communication to me
from abroad by William C. Stiles, of Nevada City, Nevada County, State of
California, United States of America, upon the condition (amongst others).
that I, 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 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 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 by the
following statement, reference being had to the Sheet of Drawings hereunto
annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say)
This Invention consists in arranging a series of hydraulic bellows around
the perimeter of a vertical wheel, and operating them by means of cams on
the spindle upon which the wheel runs, so as to force the water from one
bellows into another at certain points of the wheel's revolution. The weight
of the water thus transferred from one point of the perimeter to another
rotates the wheel and furnishes the motive power.

page_text: Figure of the Drawings represents a side elevation of the apparatus of
this Invention; Figure 2 is a vertical axial section through the same;
Figure 3, a similar elevation, showing the side opposite to that exhibited in
Figure 1; while Figure 4 is a detached view of a different form of bellows
arranged upon a polygonal wheel.
A is the wheel turning on a fixed spindle B, which is provided with two
camis C and C¹. Instead of this construction a revolving shaft may be used,
and the cams be fixed to the journal boxes or frame. Around the perimeter
of the wheel a series of triangular hydraulic bellows D, D¹, D², are arranged
as shown. These bellows open at one end c, their sides working upon a
hinge cat the opposite end. A narrow channel e inside of the periphery of
the wheel affords a communication from the interior of one bellows to that of
the adjoining one of the series. This passage may be closed by a valve in
large machines, though in small ones none will be needed in practical working.
The valves when employed will operate as cut-offs to prevent the water in one
bellows from escaping into another in the direction from c¹ to c, and at the
proper point when any one of the bellows D has been filled from the next one
D' in advance of it, and the latter has ceased to operate any more on this
revolution of the wheel, the cut-off valve will close, severing the communication
between D and D³, and preventing the escape of any more water from the
latter to the former should any be left to escape. The operating mechanism
of these valves is shown in Figures 1 and 2, consisting of a bent arm v³ con-
nected with the books h, h, by means of a pitman ², in such a manner that
the unlatching of the hook shall open the valves and the closing of the hook
upon the bellows shall close the valves; the valves will always thus be
opened and closed at the required point. Instead of a circular perimeter the
wheel A may have a polygonal perimeter, as shown in Figure 4, and the
bellows may be made in parallelopiped form, and attached as there represented.
An independent polygonal perimeter or ring A, Figure 4, may also be con-
structed and attached to the wheel in order to carry the bellows, or two such
rings may be used, one on each edge of the wheel's perimeter, with a deep
channel between them. The wheel itself may be composed of two discs with
the arms a, a, and their connected, machinery between them, the bellows
uniting their outer edges. The bellows being thus constructed and attached,
a number of them sufficient to occupy about one-third of the periphery of the
wheel are filled with water, and then closed air-tight. All the others are

page_text: water-tight, and there is no communication to or from any of them in any
direction, save from one to another through the passages e, e, above described.
From the expanding end of each bellows a chain i passes in towards the
axis of the wheel a short distance, and then around a pulley p, after which it
is attached to the outer extremity of a radial arm a, which slides in sockets u, u,
back and forth to and from the axis B, and is operated by a cam C closing
the bellows whenever the arm a is forced out by the cam, and allowing it to
open when the arm a is not thus thrown out. On the other side of the wheel,
shown in Figure 2, is a series of similar arms a¹, operated by a similar cam C³,
and pressing with their outer end against a short arm or lever, which
actuates a hook h. The object of the hooks h, h, is to close upon the
bellows, as shown in connection with D2, D3, D4, D5, and fasten them down
until they arrive at the proper position to be opened and filled with water
again,, when the cam C¹ throws the arms a', a', out, forcing the books back
from the plates 0, 0, over which they had latched, and leaving the bellows
free to expand again. The book is fastened upon the plate just at the moment
the bellows is completely closed and before the arms a, a, escape from the
cam C. When the bellows have been thus fastened down by the action of
cam. C¹ the force of cam C is no longer needed to act upon them, and it
abruptly terminates. Springs s, s, are employed to assist in working the
hooks h, h, in a manner which will be clearly shown by reference to the
Drawings, throwing the hooks forward upon the plates, and forcing the
arms a¹, a', in towards the axis, so that they will be ready to operate again
when by the revolution of the wheel they come round to the cam. The
inner end of all the radial arms on both sides of the wheel are provided with
friction rollers r, r, to assist them in travelling easily over the cams.
The operation of a wheel thus constructed is as follows:-The bellows
D, D', on one side being filled and all the others empty the wheel is excen-.
trically weighted, and immediately begins to rotate on its axis by the gravity
of the water in the bellows. As the bellows D', however, reaches the position
shown in Figure 1 the cam C operates the rod a and chain i, and closes the
bellows, forcing all its water through the passage e into the next bellows D
above, where it continues to actuate the wheel till that bellows arrives where
D now is, when in its turn it will give up its water to D³, and so on,
perpetually. The principle of the machine consists in perpetuating the eccen-
tricity of the wheel A by means of the bellows, thereby causing it to revolve
on its axis, and in using the power thus generated in working the arms a, a¹,
and the valves whereby the. water is caused to operate the bellows. This is

page_text: effectually accomplished in the manner above described, forming a simple and
practical motive power, which can be used anywhere and with greater economy
and convenience than any hitherto employed.
Having described the nature of this Invention, and the manner of per-
forming the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be protected
by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,―
First, the, arrangement on the perimeter of a wheel A of a series of
hydraulic bellows D, D¹, communicating with each other through channels e, e,
substantially in the manner and for the purpose set forth.
Secondly, I claim the arrangement on a wheel having the bellows above
described of a series of sliding arms a, a, connected with the bellows by a
chain i passing over a pulley p, and operated by a cam C, substantially as
and for the purpose specified.
Thirdly, I claim the arrangement on a wheel having the bellows above
described of a series of sliding arms a¹, a', operated by a cam C¹ and a
spring s, and working a hook h by means of an arm l, substantially as and
for the purpose specified.
Fourthly, I claim the valves v¹, v, operated by the hooks h, h, by means of
the arms v², v², substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
Fifthly, I claim the machine above described, consisting of the wheel A,
bellows D, D, valves ¹, v¹, rods a, a¹, cams C, C¹, hooks h, h, springs s, s.
arms 1, 1, pulleys p, p, chains i, i, and rollers r, r, all combined and arranged
substantially as and for the purpose specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of April, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight.
OL TADIZ
A. M. CLARK. (..)