IMPROVEMENTS; IN THE DISTRIBUTION OF MOTIVE POWER
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Gedge, of No. 4, Wellington Street South,
Strand, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS; IN THE DISTRIBUTION OF MOTIVE POWER."-A communica-
tion from Emile Grill, of Beziers, in the Empire of France...
Sealed the 5th December 1855; and dated the 5th June 1855.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John, Gedge at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 5th June
1855.
Cate
DIRE
I, JOHN GEDGE, do hereby declares the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE DISTRIBUTION OF MOTIVE POWER," a communication from
Mr Emile Grill, of Beziers, in the, Empire of France, to be as follows:-
I propose to effect the distribution so that, as gas or water, the motive power
can be laid on or forwarded to any distance where it may be required to
employ it.. I propose a powerful-pneumatica machine, put in motion, say, by
an hydraulic wheel,, and effecting a vacuum in a cylinder, from whence diverge
many pipes, of any length required, such pipes being furnished at their
extremities. with an apparatus composed, of a cylinder in which a piston is to
operate, and a drawer, which alternately puts this piston. into communication
with the atmosphere, and with another, pipe, similar, to the communication in a
steam engine with the boiler and condenser. By the fact that when one of the
two faces of the piston shall be submitted to the atmospheric pressure the
other will be found opposite and in connexion with the aforesaid pipe, it will
be found that the piston will acquire a force proportionate to the inequality of

page_text: the pressure
which will impinge on its two faces, and thence will arise a come
and go-motion, which by the disposition of the above-mentioned drawer will
continue until the face in connexion with the pipe shall have a less density
than the atmosphere. Thus, if a suflicient force is given to the pneumatic
machine to draw up the air which shall have been injected into the pipes by
the working of the pistons of the cylinders with which these pipes are in com-
munication, it will be evident that the power which puts the pneumatic
machine into operation will also put into play the apparatus at the end of the
connecting pipes.
'
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Gedge in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 5th
December 1855:.;
+
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
GEDGE, of No. 4, Wellington Street South, Strand; in the County of Middlesex,
Patent Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Gracious 'Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the eighteenth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs, and, successors, give, and, grant unto me, the
said John Gedge, Her especial license that I, the said John Gedge, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John
Gedge, 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 makė, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man; an Invention for: "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE DISTRIBUTION
OF MOTIVE POWER," a communication from. Emile Grill, of Bezieres, in the
Empire of France, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John
Gedge, by an instrument-in writing-under my hand and seal, should parti-
cularly 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 Eetters Patent
NOW. KNOW YE; that I the said John 'Gedge, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described ad ascertained in and by the following statement,
reference being had to the annexed Drawing::

page_text: Suppose a powerful pneumatic, machine, worked either by steam or water
power, causes a vacuum. in the cylinder A; Figure 1, from whence diverge
divers pipes t, t, t, t, of any length, but each furnished at its end or extremity
with the apparatus represented by Figure 2. This apparatus is composed of a
cylinder in which works a piston, and of, a drawer, which alternately place
cach of the two faces, of the said piston in communication with the atmo-
sphere and with the pipe t, as in the steam engine takes place with the boiler
and condenser. When one of the two faces of the piston is submitted to
atmospheric pressure the other will be found in communication with the
middle, shut in the pipe t; thus, the piston will acquire a force in proportion
with, the inequality of pressure which will take place on each of the said two
faces; a come-and-go movement will then manifest itself, which, by the dis-
position of the drawer aforesaid, will be maintained as long as the middle
contained in the pipe t shall possess, a less density than the atmosphere. Now,
if a sufficient power be given to the pneumatic machine to raise the pipes
t, t, t, t
the air which will be injected by the working of the piston from the
various cylinders with which they (the pipes) are in communication, it is
evident that the motive power which works the air machine will put in motion
all the pistons before mentioned, and which are at the extremities of the pipes t.
From the foregoing short description it will be seen that if a powerful
pneumatic machine (worked by any power) creates a vacuum in a network of
diverging pipes whose extremities abut in divers workshops in a town, and in
each of which workshops. is placed an apparatus such as shewn at Figure 2,
each of these machines or apparatus (Figure 2) will be animated by a motive
power capable of being employed on any description of work therein usually
carried on. Instead of the double-action pneumatic pump,, the rotatory.
machine shewn at Figure 3, 4, and 5.. This machine is composed of a fixed
drum, in which a smaller cylinder is so disposed as to permit.its turning tan-
genticaly to the curved partition. This cylinder, which is hollow, and cleft to
allow.two blades (k, k, Figure 3, which are as long as the drum,) to lodge
themselves completely therein when they sliall arrive at the tangent point, as
shewn at k, Figure 3. The clefts by which these blades enter the cylinder
are furnished with elastic pads of india-rubber or other suitable material, made
as regularly as possible, and inflated with air. The direction of each of the
blades k, k, is governed by the cleft just mentioned, and by two small moveable
cylinders i, i, ', ', between which they work. These blades impinge interiorly
on the elastic cords c, c, c, c'; which force them continually against the opposite
side and against the partition of the. drum. This side is furnished with a
small roller r, running its whole length; this roller is carefully covered with

page_text: greased flexible leather, and thus works with little friction on the partition as
the blade is worked by the motion of 'the cylinder. The sinall slit or cleft
which exists between the roller and the blade is closed by means of a small
elastic tongue 7. 'A'slope or hollow, cut to receive the roller when the blade
arrives at tangent point, is cut in the entire length of the outer wall of the
cylinder; this wall or frame is made of somewhat elastic, so that perfect con-
tact may be maintained throughout the tangent line. The system of pullies and
cords, as shewn at Figure 3, is established within the cylinder, being fitted both
to the bottom and top of the moveable cylinder. In f is a valve to allow the
air to pass by the pipe T to the chamber e. g is another valve, through which
the air is forced from the chamber e. This valves is best seen at Figure 5.
It is constructed of an oblong and rectangular opening o, o, furnished with a
grating, and covered with a band of supple leather s, s, a little larger than the
opening, supported by a sufficient number of india-rubber cords n, n, n, n, fixed
to the outer framing of the drum by means of a frame m, m, secured by screws,
the whole being finally secured by an outer casing (Figure 3). That part of
the cylinder marked a, x, x; (which is the same on the other side) projects and
slides in a well lubricated groove cut in the bottom of the drum. Now, put
the cylinder in motion in the direction of the arrow (Figure 3), which will be
effected by turning the axle b, the blade k draws by this motion the air con-
tained in the chamber e towards the valve g, whence it goes out; this blade
will itself be forced up by the partition of the drum in the interior of the
cylinder, and will naturally after a half revolution take the place of k¹; during
this time the blade e carries the air contained, in the chamber e into e¹, and
will take up the position first occupied by , and a certain quantity of air
passes by the valve f into the chamber e. Suppose the cylinder to continue
turning as just described, it follows that at each rotation a volume of air equal
to that contained in the chambers e, e¹, will be drawn from the drum.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Gedge, have heretofore set my hand
and seal, this Fourth day of December, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
Witness,
FRED KEENE,
Ayliff Street,
New Kent Road.
JOHN, GEDGE. (L.S.)