AN IMPROVED MODE OF AND APPARATUS FOR OBTAINING MOTIVE POWER
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Rowland Jay Browne, of Kidwelly, in the County
of Carmarthen, Gentleman, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED
MODE OF AND APPARATUS FOR OBTAINING MOTIVE POWER."
.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Rowland Jay Browne
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 5th March 1874.
I, ROWLAND JAY BROWNE, of Kidwelly, in the County of Carmarthen,
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for “AN
IMPROVED MODE OF AND APPARATUS FOR OBTAINING MOTIVE POWER," to be as
follows:-
-
The object of this Invention is to utilize the vertical motion of a
floating vessel (whether moored or not) in a seaway for the compression
of air, which may be employed in any desired manner as a motive power.
To this end I fit to the sides of the vessel just above the line of flotation
one or more chambers, which are closed at bottom by reticulated plates
that will allow of the access of air and water to the interior. Rising

page_text: from the upper parts of these chambers are pipes, one or more, which
lead to a syphon-shaped pipe of any suitable height, standing say twenty
feet above the deck of the vessel, and connected by its short limb with
an air-tight case or reservoir.
The chamber I prefer to make adjustable vertically to suit the varying
line of flotation, and the pipes leading therefrom I cause to dip a short
distance into the chambers for the purpose to be presently explained.
As the floating vessel rises and falls by the action of the waves the
chambers will be caused to dip into and rise out of the water, and thus
air will be alternately admitted into the chambers, and imprisoned and
compressed therein by the admittance of the water. The compression
of the air will have the effect of forcing a certain amount of air at each
depression of the vessel through the pipes before mentioned and into the
reservoir, where it will be stored for use.
To prevent the return of the air through the pipes they are fitted with
suitable valves, which may be slightly weighted, and to avoid as far as
possible the admission of water into the air reservoir the chambers are
provided with the reticulated bottom before mentioned, and the syphon-
shaped pipe is furnished with a means for checking the ascent of the
water. For this purpose I may enlarge the diameter of the pipe for a
given length, and pack the enlargement with balls
or with
porous screens
which will allow of the free passage upwards of the air, while offering a
suitable obstruction to any sudden rush of water.
The compressed air reservoir will have an exit pipe for the supply of
the compressed air to any suitable engine, and fitted with a weighted
valve for governing the discharge of the air. The reservoir will also be
fitted with a safety valve, a gauge, and a means of drawing off from
time to time any water that may have come over with the air.
The pipes of the chambers are arranged with a dip to prevent the
incoming water from at any time displacing all the air in the chambers,
and thereby forming a vacuum in the chambers.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Rowland Jay Browne in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 6th August 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ROWLAND
JAY BROWNE, of Kidwelly, in the County of Carmarthen, Gentleman,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of March, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the thirty-
seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Rowland Jay Browne, Her special
licence that I, the said Rowland Jay Browne, my executors, admi-
nistrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Rowland Jay
Browne, 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
"AN IMPROVED MODE OF AND APPARATUS FOR OBTAINING MOTIVE POWER," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Rowland Jay Browne,
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 Rowland Jay Browne, 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 following statement, reference being had to the Drawing
hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is
to say) ::
:-
The object of this Invention is to utilize the vertical motion of- a.
floating vessel (whether moored or not) in a seaway for the compression
of air, which may be employed in any desired manner as a motive power.
To this end I fit air-compressing chambers to the sides, or to the end or

page_text: ends, or to both the sides and end or ends of the vessel just above the
line of flotation, which chambers are furnished at bottom with reti-
tulated plates that will allow of the access of air and water to the
interior. Rising from the upper parts of these chambers are pipes, one
or more, which lead to a syphon-shaped pipe of any suitable height,
standing say twenty feet above the deck of the vessel, and connected
with a closed casc or reservoir.
As the floating vessel under the action of the waves rises and falls,
the chambers will be caused to rise out of and dip into the water, and.
thus air will be alternately admitted into the chambers, and imprisoned 1
and compressed therein by the admittance and upward pressure of the
water. The compression of the air will have the effect of forcing a
certain amount of air at each depression of the vessel through the
pipes before mentioned and into the reservoir, where it will be stored
for use.
In the accompanying Sheets of Drawings I have given two illus-
trations of the application of my Invention to the hull of a vessel.
Fig. 1 represents in partial longitudinal section a vessel fitted at the
stern with one or more air-compressing chambers, the same being
brought into communication with an air reservoir situate below the deck:
and near the middle of the vessel.
Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the hull of a vessel fitted at the sides
with air-compressing chambers, which communicate by syphon pipes
with a central air reservoir.
Referring to Fig. 1, A is one of say two, three, or more air-com-
pressing chambers set abreast of each other, and so shaped as to fit
snugly under the stern of the vessel. These chambers A are composed
of sheet iron, or other suitable material, and they are set a little above
the line of flotation when the vessel is in seagoing trim. They are
secured by bolts and stay rods, and are closed at bottom by pierced :
plates, or it may be grids, to prevent solid matters entering the
chambers, while the water is allowed to enter and retire with the
fall and rise of the vessel. From the closed top of these chambers rise
pipes B, which are open at top to the atmosphere, but are fitted with
stop-cocks for closing them. These pipes B are connected to one or
more horizontal pipes C, fitted with stop-cocks c, and leading to a
syphon pipe D, supported by stays. This pipe D stands up from a

page_text: reservoir E, situate between decks, and furnished with an an outlet
pipe F, and it is through this syphon pipe that the reservoir E is
supplied with compressed air. G is a pipe leading down to a cistern H
for the purpose of running off any water that may collect in the
reservoir.
To prevent the return of the air through the pipes D, C, and B, they
are fitted with suitable valves, which may be slightly weighted. To
avoid as far as possible the admission of water into the air reservoir E the
syphon pipe D is furnished with a means for checking the ascent of the
water. For this purpose I enlarge one limb of the pipe for a given length
as at D', and pack the enlargement with balls, which. I retain in place
by reticulated plates or discs; (or instead of balls I may use porous discs
or screens) to allow of the free passage upwards of the air, while offering.
a suitable obstruction to any sudden rush of water.
The exit pipe F for supplying the compressed air to any suitable
engine is fitted with a weighted valve for governing the discharge of the
air. The reservoir E I provide with a man-hole, a safety valve, and a
gauge, as well as the means already noticed for drawing off from time to
time any water that may have come over with the air and accumulated
in the reservoir.
The pipes B of the chambers A are arranged with a dip or projection,
as shewn, to prevent the incoming water from at any time displacing
all the air in the chambers, and thereby forming a vacuum in the
chambers.
As the same letters of reference are used to indicate the like parts in
Figures 1 and 2, the preceding description will apply alike to the two
arrangements of my apparatus. It will only be necessary therefore
further to remark that the air chambers A at the opposite sides of the
vessel are cach connected by a pipe C to a twin-limbed syphon D or
syphon with a duplicated limb for the ascending air, each limb being
provided with boxes D¹ for arresting the ascent of water to the descending
limb of the syphon.
It will now be understood (the stop-cocks c being opened and the stop-
cocks 6 being shut) that as the vessel rolls or rises and falls in the water
one or more or all of the chambers A will become wholly or partially
immersed, and the air contained therein will be compressed and forced
through the system of pipes into the reservoir. The repetition of

page_text: this action will serve to maintain a supply of compressed air in the
reservoir E, which air may be utilized as a propelling power by the aid
of a suitable engine.
It should be remarked that by opening the stop-cocks b and closing
the stop-cocks c the air compressed in the chambers A, instead of passing
into the reservoir E, will pass off into the atmosphere, and the apparatus
will consequently be thrown out of action.
Chambers A may be fixed at different levels on the vessel to suit a
varying line of flotation (owing to the vessel being more or less loaded)
should it be deemed expedient.
When the Invention is applied to a moored vessel, such as a pontoon
or light ship, the power obtained may be utilized in any approved
manner.
J
Having now set forth the nature of my Invention of "An Improved
Mode of and Apparatus for Obtaining Motive Power," and explained the 1
manner of carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be understood that
under the above in part recited Letters Patent I claim, the application
to floating vessels of apparatus for compressing air, constructed and
operating substantially as above described.
In witness whereof, I, this said Rowland Jay Browne, have 2
hereunto set my hand and seal, the Twenty-ninth day of July,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
seventy-four.
SAYTHY
ROWLAND JAY BROWNE.
(L.S.)