IMPROVEMENTS IN ENGINES TO BE OPERATED BY GUNPOWDER OR OTHER EXPLOSIVE MATERIAL
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine,
Lake, & Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN ENGINES TO BE OPERATED BY
GUNPOWDER OR OTHER EXPLOSIVE MATERIAL."-A communication from
abroad by Joseph Symonds Foster, of Salem, Massachusetts, United
States of America.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said William Robert Lake
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition
and Declaration, on the 6th February 1872, pursuant to the 9th
Section of the Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London, send greeting.

page_text: 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 it has been communicated
to me from abroad by Joseph Symonds Foster, of Salem, Massachusetts,
United States of America.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Robert Lake, do hereby
declare that the following Complete Specification, under my hand and
seal, fully describes and ascertains the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawing forming a
part of this Specification:-
My Invention relates to obtaining motive power in an engine to be
operated by the gases liberated by the explosion of gunpowder, gun-
cotton, or other analogous explosive material, and consists in an
arrangement of devices whereby two vibrating arms, which also act as
hammers to explode a cartridge, are simultaneously opened and closed,
communicating through proper devices a rotary motion to a shaft and
fly wheel

page_text: to be filled with water for the purpose of cooling the cylinders B and
extinguishing any fire which may be left after each explosion. The
cartridges for explosion are placed in the hopper I. and fall into the
horizontal tube H, which is opposite one of the cylinders B of the wheel
A. The tube H is provided with a plunger K, operated to throw the
cartridge into the cylinder by the spiral spring c, and returned to its
former position by means of the cam e, which has projections corre-
sponding with the number of chambers in the, wheel A. This cam is
placed on the shaft a and is rotated at, the same time as the wheel A. by.
means of another cam e fastened to the shaft a.
When the arms D are driven out by the explosion of the cartridge the
slider i which is attached to the lower end of the arm D presses down
the guide bar L, and through a system of levers and connections rotates
the cam e a quarter of a revolution at each explosion. When the arms.
D return the guide bar L is lifted by the spring f to its former position,
and sets the catch for another revolution of the wheel. The arms D
are suspended from the top of the frame E from a common centre; to
the lower ends of these arms are attached the hammers F. These
hammers correspond with the chamber B in the wheel' A. The
outer end of the hammers F are provided with cylinders G which.
are made to enter the fixed plungers b, and by the resistance of the
air cushion thus formed to adjust the effect of the explosion upon
the arms D. The guide bar L is pivotted on a standard at M. The
other guide bar N is pivotted on the buffer standard at one end O, the
other end resting in a slotted standard P. This guide bar is intended to
be raised by the lever R to stop the return of the arms into the cartridge
chamber when it is desired to stop the engine. To the arms D are
attached the rods S at one end; the other end is connected to the pawls
T which work in the ratchet wheel U. The pawls T are pivotted to the
straps V moving on the shaft W as a centre. By means of these devices
when the arms D are driven out by the explosion of a cartridge in the
cylinder B a rotary motion is given to the shaft W. The fly wheel Y is
placed on the shaft W, and the momentum given it by the action of the
arms D continues the rotation of the shaft W while the arms D are
returning to the cartridge chamber.
My Invention consists substantially in the arrangement of the devices
set forth, by which two vibrating arms carrying hammers are
simultaneously swung or driven out by the explosion of a charge of

page_text: gunpowder or other explosive material in a suitable chamber; also in
the conversion of the motion thus derived into a rotary motion through
the devices shown, and by these means obtaining a constant power
through the intermittent discharge of the explosive material used.
I do not consider it necessary to describe any special explosive
material in connection with this Invention. Any of the well-known
explosives may be used, and it may be desirable to use such a com-
bination of materials that the power of the explosion may be under such
regulated control as may be obtained from a proper combination of the
explosive mixtures well known to those skilled in the art.
The ignition of the cartridge may be effected by compressing the air
in the cartridge chamber by the action of the hammers, or by the use of
percussion caps, or wafers, or fulminates, or in any other desirable
manner.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Sixth day of February,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
Witness,
W. J. LOWE.
WM ROBT. LAKE. (L.S.)