AN INVENTION OF IMPROVED APPARATUS AND METHODS FOR RAISING WATER AND OTHER FLUIDS
Year: 1797

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, MATTHEW
BOULTON, of Soho, in the County of Stafford, Esquire, send greeting.
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty King George the Third, by His
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at West-
minster, the Thirtieth day of December, in the thirty-eighth year of His reign,
did give and grant unto me, the said Matthew Boulton, my exors, adiñors, and
assigns, His especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I,
the said Matthew Boulton, my exors, adiñiors, and assigns, during the term of
years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend a certain Invention therein described, viz", "AN INVENTION OF IMPROVED
APPARATUS AND METHODS FOR RAISING WATER AND OTHER FLUIDS," within that
part of Great Britain called England, the Dominion of Wales, and Town of
Berwick-upon-Tweed, and also in His Majesty's Colonies and Plantations
abroad, in such manner as to me, the said Matthew Boulton, my exors,
adiñors, or assigns, should seem meet, to hold, exercise, and enjoy the said
licence, powers, privileges, and advantages therein granted or mentioned to be
granted unto me, the said Matthew Boulton, my exors, admors, and assigns,
for and during and until the full end and term of fourteen years therein
expressed; in which said Letters Patent there is (among other things) con-
tained a proviso that if I, the said Matthew Boulton, should not particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same was to be performed, by an instrument in writing under my hand and
seal, and cause the same to be inrolled in the High Court of Chancery within

page_text: one calendar month next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent, that then the said Letters Patent, and all liberties and advantages
whatsoever thereby granted, should utterly cease, determine, and become void,
as in and by the said recited Letters Patent, reference being, thereunto had,
will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Matthew Boulton, do hereby describe and ascertain the nature of the said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is to be performed, as follows,
that is to say:-
For the more clear description of the said Invention it is proper to state its
physical principle of action as followeth :-First, when water moves or runs
through a pipe or close channel or tube, if the end at which the water issues
be suddenly stopped, the water will, by its acquired motion, momentum, or
impetus, act upon the sides or circumference of the pipe, which, being supposed
strong enough to resist that impetus, the water will issue with violence or
velocity at any aperture which may exist in or near the shut end of the pipe,
and if to that aperture an ascending pipe be joined a portion of water will.
rise in it..
Secondly, if a pipe open at both ends, with an ascending pipe, such as has
been described, be moved along through standing water in the direction of
its length, upon shutting the hinder part of the pipe a portion of the water
will rise in the ascending pipe in the manner which has been stated in the
former case, because the water is relatively in motion in respect to the pipe.
Thirdly, if in either of the cases recited a pipe communicating with water
at any lower level be joined to the main pipe at or near the end at which
water enters into it, and if, when such water has acquired motion relatively to
that pipe (by the pipe being put in motion), the mouth or end at which the
water enters is suddenly shut, the water continuing its motion relatively to
the pipe will draw or suck up water from the lower level through the ascending
pipe, in order to fill up the vacuity occasioned by the water in the main pipe
perservering in its previous motion. What has been said respecting water is
also true in respect to other fluids.
The several cases above stated are resolvable into the general principle of
-the-resistance-which-water-and-other-fluids (and-in-general-all-bodies)-make
to a change of their state of rest or motion, whether absolute or relative;
and this principle has heretofore been applied to the raising of water only in
But the
a comparatively small and weak degree, and in a defective manner.
improved apparatus I am about to describe in the several methods herein-after
specified (excepting the several cases of the sixth method herein-after men-
:

page_text: tioned) continue their own action when once set agoing, unless some accident
should stop or derange them, and are capable of raising water in great quan-
titys and to great heights, except as to great heights in some few of the cases
herein-after specified and explained, and also differ in other respects from any
thing which has been executed hitherto. The nature of the said improved
Invention consisting in using valves of various constructions instead of cocks to
open or shut the end or ends of a main pipe, as herein-after described, and in
the application of mechanism or contrivances to assist in opening and shutting
the valves at proper times, whereby and by the methods herein-after specified
water is raised independently of any power other than a current of water
through the main pipe, (and the mechanism aforesaid, (except the sixth method
as aforesaid,) in which latter method some power is necessary to put the
water in the main pipe in motion (absolutively or relatively) as herein-after
described, and also in using proper materials for constructing the pipes (as
herein-after mentioned), in order to prevent the shock arising from the resist-
ance aforesaid from causing the pipes to burst, which latter circumstance is
essentially necessary to be attended to.
The manner in which the said Invention is to be performed, and the said
improved apparatus and methods carried into effect, is as follows; viz, the
first and most simple method is shewn in Figure 1st in the annexed Drawing,
in which C, C, is the main pipe; D, the ascending pipe; A, the valve of exit
for the water to be raised; B, the stop valve; E, a weight, which, by the lever
F, attached to the axis G of the stop valve B, opens it at the proper time.
The said apparatus acts in the following manner :-The main pipe being
situated or fixed in a current or stream of water, either produced by the
natural current or declivity of a river or other stream, or (which is preferable)
by penning up water by a damm, weir, or bank, and by inserting the end of
the main pipe through the said damm, weir, or bank, so as to obtain the
greatest head or current of water the natural circumstances admit of; the stop
valve being opened to the position shewn in the Drawings, the water will run
through the main pipe until, by its action upon the stop valve in its reclined
position, it raises the weight and shuts the stop valve, and the water, by its
impetus or momentum, opens the exit valve, and a portion of it rises in the
ascending pipe, after which the last-mentioned valve shuts, the water in the
main pipe recoils, the weight descends and opens the stop valve, and the water
in the main pipe regains its velocity. The like operations are repeated, and
the water gradually rises in the ascending pipe until it reaches its summit,
and a quantity issues from thence every stroke, which quantity is more or less
according as the height to which it is raised is less or greater. This first

page_text: method is not eligible where the water is to be raised to any considerable
height, for the natural fragility or imperfection of even the best materials
that can be procured for forming the pipes, causes a great danger of the
rupture of the pipes in this form of construction, unless the raising of the
'water be limited to the height of a few feet, or unless the pipes be made of
an extraordinary thickness, disregarding expence. This'danger of bursting the
pipes is to be regarded in every case of applying this Invention to practice.
The second method is shewn at Figure 2 annexed, and is adapted to the
raising of water to great heights as well as small. It differs from the former
in having an air vessel or reservoir of air J, whereby the bursting of the pipes
is prevented or the danger thereof much diminished. Into this air vessel the
water from the main pipe enters through the exit' valve and compresses the air
in the vessel, which again, by its expansion or elasticity, acts upon the water,
(the regress of which is prevented by the shutting of the exit valve,) and the
water rises through the ascending pipe, and by repeated strokes acquires the
desired height. The dimensions of the air vessel; as well as its form and
position, whether above or laterally affixed to the main pipe, are in great
measure arbitrary; but its contents of air ought not to be much less than' ten
times the quantity of water to be raised through the ascending pipe each stroke,
and if very much larger still, the better, the principal boundary being expence.
The stop valve may be opened and shut, as has been described in the first
method, by the mechanism shewn in' the second Figure, or by any of the
mechanism herein-after described, as adapted to the opening of valves.
The third method is shewn at Figure 3d and 4th annexed, and is applicable
in cases where the water to be raised is below the level of the main pipe, and
is to be discharged at that level, which cases occur in the drainage of marshy
lands, where the action of the current of water of an embanked river or other
stream or source of water on a higher level can be employed, or this method
can be applied in raising water out of the holds of ships or other vessels' by
the motion of the vessel through the water. This is explained by. Figures 3
and 4, where C, C, the main pipe; A is the receiving valve; B, the stop
valve opening outwards; D, the ascending or sucking pipe; J; the air vessel;
and E, the weight. The water in the main pipe having acquired a proper
velocity, the stop valve shuts, the water in the main pipe.continuing its motion
for a time draws air out of the air vessel. Then the momentum of the water
in the main pipe being expended, the receiving valve shuts and the stop valve
opens, the water regains its velocity, and the operation is repeated; and thus,
in a few strokes (the exhaustion encreasing) the air vessel sucks up water from
below by the ascending pipe, and this being continued the latter pipe fills by

page_text: degrees to the top, after which; at every successive stroke, a portion of the
water from below passes into the main pipe, and is carried off with the upper
water to the place of delivery.
f
The fourth method is shewn at Figures 5 and 6, in which cases the tide or
other alternating current is employed as the power; and applied to the raising
of water for the use of salt works or for other uses. This is done in two ways,
either by applying a stop-valve, air vessel, &c. to each end of the main pipe,
as in Figure 5, to be used alternately, according as the. tide sets in the one
direction or the other, or by applying two main pipes to our air vessel, as in
Figure 6, and to be used alternately as aforesaid.
•
The fifth method is shewn in Figures 7 and 8, in which the main pipe
C, C, C, is bent in forin of a syphon to pass over some obstacle, such as a low
hill or eminence not higher then thirty feet above the source. In Figure 7
the water raised is supposed to be delivered at the exit valve A, on a level with
the upper part of the bend of the syphon, and the stop valve B is placed at
the entrance of the air vessel. The air vessel is introduced, because, without
it, the water in the leg C, X, would move only by starts, and by being suddenly
stopt in its motion would act violently in shutting the stop valve; but by the
intervention of the air vessel the water will run in C, X, nearly in a continued
stream, while it runs in an interrupted one in the leg C, C. It is necessary
in this form of construction that. the exit valve should be placed under water,
contained in a box or cistern, lest air should enter. In the syphon, Figure 8,
the stop valve is fixed at the bottom or lower end of the delivering leg C, X,
and when that valve shuts, the water is discharged into the air vessel J, from
whence it ascends by the pipe D to the desired height. The syphon may be
set to work either by pumping out the air, or by shutting both its ends and
filling it with water (as is usual in such cases); when the ends being opened
it will immediately set to work.
The sixth method relates to such applications of the above-mentioned general
principle of resistance (or vis inertia) as require the co-operation of some
independant or extraneous power to put the water of the main pipe in motion
absolute or relative. Figure 9, 10, 10 (a), 11, and 11 (a), shew, some appli-
cations of this method in lieu of pumps for raising water. Figure 9. C, C, is
the main pipe bent in a spiral form round the air vessel J, which may either
touch it or be kept at a distance from it, and makes one or more revolutions
round the said vessel. The whole of the main pipe is immersed in the
external water to be raised; one end is open to it and the other has a valve.
opening inwards, and near this latter end a communication is made by a side
pipe and exit valve with the air vessel. The whole turns on a pivot K, and

page_text: the ascending pipe D serves as an axis, which is kept upright by a collar, in
which it turns at L. Upon this axis is fixed a toothed wheel M, which is put
in motion by another wheel N, turned by a winch crank or other contrivance.
At the top or upper end of the ascending pipe the water is discharged into a
trough which surrounds it, and conveys it to the place of its destination.
This apparatus is made to raise water by a continued rotative motion, the
open end moving first, for whenever by that motion the main pipe has attained
a proper velocity, the stop valve shuts and water passes into the air vessel, and
the regress of the water is prevented by the shutting of the exit valve; the stop
valve then opens by means of a spring; the apparatus continuing to revolve in
the same direction more strokes are made at intervals, proportioned to the
velocity with which it moves. The spring should be adapted so as not
to prevent the relative motion of the water in the main pipe from shutting the
stop valve at proper intervals. Figures 10 and 10 (a) shew two constructions
of this apparatus, in which the main pipe is made to vibrate round an axis
backwards and forwards, the limits of the vibration or stroke being determined
by a detent T striking against a stiff spring S. In Figure 10 the main pipe
and air vessel are placed not only out of the water to be raised, but at
the height to which the water is to be raised, and the ascending pipe has its
foot immersed in that water, but this construction should not be applied in
cases where the water is to be raised much more than twenty feet. C, C, is
the main pipe bent in a circular form round the air vessel J, at or near each
end of which is a stop valve B opening outwards, and also a pipe of communi-
cation to the air vessel, with a receiving valve A opening towards the main
pipe D is the ascending pipe; at O is a valve opening upwards, in order that
when the ascending pipe is filled with water it may be retained. The perpen-
dicular section of the main pipe is drawn circular, but may be square or
any other convenient form, and a horizontal section of it, with its stop and
receiving valves, is shewn in the plan and side view annexed. Upon the
ascending pipe or axis D is fixed a double pulley P, about which are wound
the ropes Q, R, by the pulling of which alternately the apparatus may be made
to revolve in either direction. The main pipe and the ascending pipe being
filled with water by hand or otherwise, if the ropes Q, R, are pulled alternately
with sufficient velocity, that is, if the apparatus makes about thirty_vibrations in
cach direction in a minute, it will act well. At Figure 10 (a) the main pipe
and air vessel are placed near the bottom of the ascending pipe, so as that the
main pipe may be wholly immersed in the water to be raised. Stop valves
are placed at each end of the main pipe, as in the last Figure, only they
open inwards, and pipes or openings are made to communicate between each

page_text: end of the main pipe and the air vessel, having exit valves opening towards the
air vessel. The same letters in this Figure are put on parts that bear the
same name, as in Figure 10, except that A in this is an exit valve,' and
the apparatus may wrought by the same means. At Figure 11 the main
pipe C, C, is made in form of the segment of a circle, of which the ascending
pipes D, D, are radii, or it may be simply a straight tube, pipe, or trough
forming the chord to such segment. The whole is moveable upon an axis U,
at the centre of the segment. S, S, are two stiff springs, which regulate the
length of the stroke, which, if it wrought by the power of men acting at the
circumference of the segment, may be about three feet in each direction. At
O, O, are valves opening upwards to retain the water in the ascending pipe
when filled. The main pipe C, C, and the ascending pipes D, D, being filled
with water, if the apparatus is pulled forcibly, first in one direction and then in
another, it raises water from below, because, when it strikes either of the
springs, the water in the main pipe persisting in its motion, is partly thrown
out into the trough placed to received it, and more water ascends through the
ascending pipe to supply the vacuity which would otherwise be formed. In
Figure 11 (a) is represented an apparatus wherein the principal parts are in
a position inverted in comparison with those of Figure 11, and the letters
in this Figure are placed on parts bearing the same name, except A; which in
this case is an exit valve. The whole of the main pipe should be immersed
in the water to be raised, and then it may be made to raise water by such like
means as are mentioned for the apparatus Figure 11. Every apparatus
before described as belonging to the sixth method admits of being put in
motion by fire or steam engines, or by water wheels or windmills, as well as by
men or horses, or other animals, and their sizes and dimensions are in such
cases proportioned to their use and to the nature of the power which works
them.
The first, second, and third methods above described may be employed to
raise water by the motion of the waves of the sea, or of any large piece of
water, in which case the mouth or receiving end of the main pipe should
be formed like a speaking trumpet, and placed opposite to the direction in
which the waves beat upon the shore at the place. The water of the wave
will enter the main pipe and rush through it until the stop valve shuts, when
5 the contained water will in part enter the air vessel, as has been described,
and the next wave will produce another stroke. When this apparatus is to be
actuated by the waves of water, or the open
forms of the main pipe are shewn at X, in Figure 1 and 2, in the annexed
Drawings.
current of a river, eligible

page_text: The dimensions of ther several parts of the apparatus inteacli of the severa
methods herein described must vary according to the velocity and quantity o
water passing through the main pipe; the height to which the water is required
to be raised; and the quantity wanted to be raised in any given time: Proper
materials for the main pipes and air vessels are cast iron, hammered iron, or
copper or brass, or other hard and strong metals or mixtures of metals; for
moderate heights and bores wooden pipes would answer, and, the better
if strongly hooped: Strong earthen pipes. of moderate-bores would answer for
small heights.
a
The valves, and their mechanism are described as follows:B, Figure 1, is
a common stop-valve! moving supon an axle or hinge, and assisted to. open
at the proper time by a weight-attached to a lever fixed to its axis at the
proper angle(which construction has been delineated as applied to the several
varieties of the apparatus. herein-before explained,) though the following kinds
are also applicable. The weight must be adjusted by experiment. so. as: to
open the valves. at the due times; according to circumstances, which may be
done either. by. sliding the weight nearer to or further from the centre of
motion, or by increasing or diminishing the weight. itself. The inconvenience
of this method is, that the weight being generally under water, it is troublesome
to adjust.it, therefore the mechanism in Figure 12 is adapted to the stop valve.
The weight E is fitted upon a lever. F, connected with the spindle J, to which
the arm or lever G is also fixed; and, that is connected by the rod. H with the
arm K fixed to the valve: The rod H may be prolonged to any necessary
length, and the weight and its mechanism: may be always placed above water
so as to be easily come at for adjustment: Valves of this kind are hinged
either, upon their lower or upper edge; or upon one of the perpendicular sides,
as a common door, according as conveniency requires, and the mechanism is
connected accordingly.
Figure 18. is another construction of the stop valve, which is circular, and
instead, of being, hinged, upon one side is fixed upon a spindle in its centre,
which slides in a socket or sockets, and at the proper time is opened by mecha-
nism similar to the former here delineated, only in place of the weight E-a
spring is employed which is also applicable in other cases.
In cases where. the shock. from shutting the stop valve might derange the
machine, some of the following valves are preferrable to those before described.
Figure 14.is.a,stop valve.which opens in two leaves, like the gates of a canal
lock; the leaves may shut upon one another in the midele, or may shut
upon an upright .bar; placed there, as represented in the horizontal section
& front view, and they are opened by the same kind of mechanism as

page_text: hath been described before, only there must be two connecting rods,' one
to each leaf of the valve. The aperture for this valve is of a rectangular
figure. A valve in two leaves may also be hinged in the middle of the
opening, but would too much obstruct the waterway. When the main pipe
is of a large diameter (two feet or upwards) the stop valve may be made in
three, four, or more leaves, connected together by mechanism, as in Figure 15,
where an iron-grating or frame is represented for supporting the valves, (and
mechanism of the same kind as that described for the more simple valves) is
applied to open them. At Fig. 16 is delineated a valve turning upon an
axis, like a common fire stove chimney damper; the axis does not
26
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pass through
its centre but divides it into two unequal segments. The valve is not opened so
far as to stand in the line of the current of water, but stands when open
inclined to that current, so that the larger segment being placed towards the
stream the latter may by its action shut it at the proper time, and it is opened
by similar mechanism to that described. Any other species of valve which is
capable of being shut by the current and opened by mechanism, or opened and
shut by mechanism solely at the proper times, will answer, I
this purpose.
When the stop valve is required to open so compleatly that the current of
water in the main pipe cannot act upon it so as to shut it; a small stream of
water is led from the head which supplies. the main pipe, or from some other
source, in a pipe or trough, which is furnished with a cock, shuttle, or other
contrivance to regulate the quantity. This pipe or trough pours its water into
the bucket E of the contrivance Figure .17, which causes. the bucket to pre-
ponderate, and by means of the lever fixed to its axle, and the rod attached to
it, shuts the stop valve; the bucket then empties its water, and the weight F, as
soon as the recoil of the water in the main pipe takes place, preponderating in
its turn, opens the valve, and restores the bucket to its place. By opening
the cocks more or less, and by the capacity of the buckets in proportion to the
weight F, the number of strokes to be made in any given time is regulated.
Excepting the last-mentioned stop valve, Figure 17, all the stop valves before
described should be prevented from opening to such a degree that the action
of the current of water could not shut them. This may be done by some fixed
resistance behind the valves, as shewn at Figure 1, and several other Figures,
or by any other convenient means.
When this Invention is made use of in an open river which does not admit
of having its water penned up by a weir or damm head, the main pipe ought
to be laid so as to be covered by the low waters of the river, and it ought to be
parallel to the surface of the river, so as to have the greatest possible declivity
that can be obtained in the length of the main pipe. Its mouth or receiving

page_text: end should be shaped like that of a trumpet or bell. In all cases whatsoever
the valves ought to be compleatly under water, otherwise some air will enter at
every stroke, and derange the operations of the apparatus.
In witness whereof, I, the said Matthew Boulton, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of January, in the year One thousand
seven hundred and ninety-eight.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Thirtieth day of January, in the
year of our Lord 1798, the aforesaid Matthew Boulton came before our said
Lord the King in His Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification aforesaid,
and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form above written.
And also the Specification aforesaid was stampt according to the tenor of
the Statutes made for that purpose.
Ten in the roar of our Lord One thou-