Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Mar., 1887
Complete Left, 30th Jan., 1888
Complete Accepted, 2nd Mar:, 1888
I, WILLIAM HENRY SLEEP, of St. Germans, in the county of Cornwall. Implement
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to improvements in apparatus or motors for utilizing the force
of water.
In carrying out my invention I support in suitable bearings, a shaft carrying a
drum; or cylinder with tongues or flanges extending from end to end of the said
drum or cylinder, for the purpose of carrying an endless cbain of buckets hereinafter
described.
I employ an endless chain or chains, which passing over the said drum or cylinder,
may be extended downwards, to any suitable distance, to the lower water level,
according to the power required. To the said endless chain or chains I attach buckets
of an elongated or other convenient shape, by means of rivets or bolts. When
two or more chains are used, a bolt or rod of iron is passed from one chain to the
other or others or from link to link, or from side to side, and thus before the buckets
are attached the chains form an endless flexible ladder or ladders, according to the
length of the drum or cylinder. The links of the said chain are formed of a suitable
shape with an eye at each end, to receive the end of the bolt, rod, or rivet. The
tongues or flanges of the drum or cylinder, as above described, take the whole of the
bearing of the bolts or rods of iron, from one side to the other, or from link to link,
the whole length of the drum or cylinder.
I may make the buckets of steel, iron, wood, or paper, and inclined or bevelled
towards the bottoms, so that each bucket may pass into the mouth of the one below it,
and the buckets are so formed that the overflow from one bucket shall fall into the
one next below it for the purpose of starting and driving my motor.
At a suitable distance downwards from the above described drum or cylinder,
I provide a roller or rollers placed in such a position outside the ascending buckets as
to keep the buckets which are forced downwards by the inflowing water from above
in a vertical position right down to the lower water level, and in order to do this the
said roller or rollers revolves or revolve against the ascending buckets, the said roller
ΓΟ... 011

page_text: or rollers also cause the buckets to turn round abruptly when arriving at the bottom
instead of moving over a large curve or sweep, allowing of dispensing with the use of
a second shaft and drum or wheels inside, or between the chains, and I am thus
enabled to employ a loose band or chain, which adds considerably to the power obtained
as I utilize the power which would otherwise be required to drive the said second
shaft and drum or wheels. By effecting the abrupt turning of the buckets at the lower
water level, I secure the full benefit of the weight of the fall, and the motion of the
cylinder or the chains is not in any way impeded by the action of drawing a number
of empty buckets through the dead water or tail water. Thus a less quantity of
water is required to work my motor, and small streams of water can be utilized to
the greatest advantage, as the fall is vertical. By means of the bolts, rods, or stays
passing from chain to chain or from link to link, and which work in conjunction
with the long flanges, or tongues of the drum or cylinder as above described, the
buckets are always kept running parallel one with another, consequently there is no
waste of water. My motor can be driven as an overshot wheel, or as a breast shot
wheel, whichever is suitable to the position of the motor to be operated. I provide
bush bearings for the links of the endless chains where required.
Dotad the 20th day of March 1887
G. F. REDFERN,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London,
Agent for the Applicant.

page_text: Improvements in Apparatus or Motors for Utilizing the Force of
Water.
I, WILLIAM HENRY SLEEP, of St. Germans, in the County of Cornwall, Implement
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement :-
My invention relates to apparatus or motors for utilizing the force of water, and
it comprises the improvements hereinafter described.
In the accompanying drawing
Figure 1 is a sectional side elevation of a motor constructed according to my
invention.
Figure 2 is a sectional front elevation of the same, and
Figures 3 and 4 are rear and side elevations respectively, drawn to an enlarged
scale, showing one of the buckets hereinafter described.
Figure 5 is a view illustrating a modification hereinafter described.
a is an endless chain of buckets and b, b are drums upon which the said chain is
carried and from which it depends, the said drums being mounted upon a shaft e
supported in bearings d on the walls e, the said shaft serving also to transmit the
motion.
The said chain of buckets as shown is composed essentially of two wire ropes, f
adapted to run in the grooves b¹ of the drums 6 and having the buckets g secured
thereto at equal distances apart. In order to attach the buckets to the ropes, the said
buckets have upon their rear sides blocks as shown in figures 3 and 4, in which
blocks semicircular grooves are formed to receive the ropes and upon these blocks are
secured other blocks or plates i also having grooves formed therein, the rope being
clamped between the two plates or blocks h, i.
Or the ropes may be held in position in the blocks by bent plates placed over the
ropes and clamped in position by staples as shown in figure 5.
The backs of the plates or blocks i have ribs j formed upon them and designed to
enter the notches in the pulleys b, b, the said notches being arranged at equal
distances apart according to the distances between the buckets. These ribs and
notches serve to prevent the chain from slipping upon the pulleys. ³, k², are cushions
or buffers which enable the chain to run with little noise upon the pulleys.
To maintain an uniform distance between the ropes so that they will always run in
the grooves of their respective pulleys 1 employ bars or stretchers which pass
through the blocks h and project from the outer sides of the same as at m for a purpose
hereinafter described.
n, n are vertical guide bars which are fixed to the cross bars o, o behind the chain a.
These guides serve as a surface against which the projecting ends m of the stretchers /

page_text: can bear in order to maintain the downwardly moving side of the chain of buckets in
a vertical position.
Instead of employing the guides m I can use guides m* screwed or otherwise secured
to the buckets as shown in dotted lines in figures 3 and 4.
p is a leat or channel by means of which water is conveyed to the motor.
The operation of my improved motor will be well understood by reference to
figures 1 and 2 where it will be seen that the water fills the buckets having their open
sides uppermost, the weight of water causing the chain to move in the direction of the
arrows, figure 1. As the buckets successively reach the lowest point of the chain they
are emptied and pass upwards.
I may make the buckets of steel, iron, wood, or paper, and inclined or bevelled
towards the bottoms, so that each bucket may pass into the mouth of the one below
it and the buckets are so formed that the overflow from one bucket shall fall into
the one next below it for the purpose of starting and driving my motor.
It is obvious that instead of employing wire ropes as herein before described I can
use a hemp rope or a band of flat steel or any other suitable material.
I wish it understood that I do not limit myself to the details of construction herein-
before described as it is obvious that the same may be considerably varied without
departing from the nature of my invention, for instance the buckets instead of being
connected to wire ropes may be connected to chains or by means of links; also
instead of using the guides I can employ a roller or rollers placed in such a position
outside the ascending buckets as to keep the buckets which are moved downwards by
the inflowing water from above in a vertical position right down to the lower water
level, the said roller or rollers revolving against the ascending buckets and also
causing the buckets to turn round abruptly when arriving at the bottom.
My motor can be driven as an overshot wheel or as a breast shot wheel, whichever
is most suitable to the position of the motor to be operated.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed 1 declare that what I
claim is
1. An apparatus or motor for utilizing the force of water comprising an endless
chain of buckets supported upon and depending from a drum or pulleys, the buckets
upon one side of the chain being adapted to be filled with water at or near the upper
end of the said side and to discharge the same at the lower end, so that the
weight of water in the said buckets will cause the motion of the chain, substantially
as described.
2. The combination with a motor comprising an endless chain of buckets of guides
or a roller or rollers adapted to maintain the downwardly moving side of the said
chain in a vertical position, substantially as described.
3. The improved apparatus consisting of the parts constructed and combined
substantially as hereinbefore described, and operating as, and for the purpose, set
forth.
D
1
T
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London,
Agents for the Applicant.