IMPROVEMENTS. IN. OBTAINING MOTIVE: POWER
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Jones, of Sheffield, in the County of York,..
Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS. IN. OBTAINING MOTIVE:
POWER."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by. the said John Jones at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with. his Petition, on the 18th June -
1855...
I, JOHN JONES, of Sheffield, in the County of York, Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN OBTAINING
'MOTIVE POWER" to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to a peculiar combination of steam or any other
power with hydraulic power, and to a peculiar construction and arrangement of
hydraulic engine employed therein, whereby the original power given off by the
steam engine or other prime mover may be increased to any desired extent in
a simple and economical manner.
In carrying out this Invention, it is proposed to employ a steam engine or
other similar prime mover, for the purpose of raising water from a lower into

page_text: an upper tank, and I employ for this purpose a rotatory pump engine of the
construction described by Edward. Myers in the Provisional Specification
accompanying his petition for Letters Patent "for Improvements in Raising
Water or other Liquids," deposited this Eighteenth day of June, in the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents. The water so raised is allowed to fall from
the upper tank into an endless chain of buckets, carried by or suspended over a
suitable carrier drum or wheel, having projections fitted on to its periphery,
which take into corresponding notches or eyes in the endless chain of buckets,
by which arrangement the chain is prevented from slipping over, the surface of
the drum or wlieel. As this chain of buckets is allowed to hang considerably
below the carrying drum or wheel, it follows that it will hold a greater effective
quantity of water, and be contained in a less horizontal space, than if the same
number of buckets were fitted into an ordinary water wheel, as the buckets
will not begin to discharge themselves so soon when they are travelling in an
oval course as when their course is circular, and therefore a greater number
of full or effective buckets will be descending at one time than in an ordi-
nary water wheel' containing the same number of buckets. The power given
off by this first chain of buckets will be found to be considerably greater
than the original power of the engine employed in raising the water, and this
increase of power is derived from the peculiarity of construction of the
hydraulic engine which I have just described. Should it be requisite to
increase the power still further, this first hydraulic engine may be made to
work another set of rotatory pumps, similar to the one I have herein-before
referred to, for the purpose of supplying a 2nd but larger and more powerful
hydraulic engine, and this may be made to supply a 3rd engine of greater size
and power, and so on to any extent, the original power being considerably
multiplied at each transmission from one hydraulic engine to another. The
several hydraulic engines are supplied from tanks placed above them, and
discharge their water into tanks placed below the chains of buckets, from which
latter tanks the water is pumped up into the overhead supply tanks. The power
may be given off from the last hydraulic engine of the series to a pulley or
drum, over which is passed an endless chain or cable, which also hangs over a
wheel or drum, similar to those of the hydraulic engines.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Jones in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 18th
December 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, Joun
JONES, of Sheffield, in.the County, of York, Engineer, send greeting;
1. !
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighteenth 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 Jones, Her special license that I, the said John Jones, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Jones, my
executors, administrators, or 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN OBTAINING MOTIVE POWER," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Jones, by an instrument
in writing under my hand and scal, 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 John Jones; do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described, and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:-
:
My said Invention relates to a peculiar combination, of steam or any other
power with hydraulic power, and to a peculiar construction and arrangement
of hydraulic engine employed therein, whereby the original power given off
by the steam engine or other prime mover may be increased to any desired
extent in a simple and economical manner.
In carrying out this Invention, I propose to employ a steam engine or other
similar prime mover for the purpose of raising water or other fluids from a
lower into an upper tank, and I employ for this purpose a rotatory pump or
engine of the construction herein-after described, or any other suitable appa-

page_text: ratus capable of raising a large body of water or other fluid in a short space of
time may be employed: ..
The water or other fluid so raised is allowed to fall from the upper tank
on to an endless chain of buckets, carried by or suspended over a suitable
carrier drum or wheel, having projections formed or fitted on its periphery,
which take into corresponding notches or eyes in the endless chain of buckets,
by which arrangement the chain is prevented from slipping over the surface of
the drum or wheel. As this chain of buckets is allowed to hang considerably
below the carrying drum or wheel, it follows that it will hold a greater effective
quantity of water or other fluid, and be contained in a less horizontal spance,
than if the same number of buckets were fitted on to an ördinary water wheel,
as the buckets will not begin to discharge themselves so soon when they are
travelling in an elliptic course as when their course is circular, and therefore a
greater number of full or effective buckets will be descending at one time than
in, an ordinary circular water wheel containing the same number of buckets.
The power given off by this first chain of buckets will be found to be con-
siderably greater than the original power of the engine employed in raising the
water or other fluid, and this increase of power is derived from the peculiarity
in the construction of the hydraulic engine which I have just described..
Should it be required to increase the power still further, this first hydraulic
engine may be made to work, a larger number of rotatory pumps, 'similar to the
one I have herein-before referred to, for the purpose of supplying a second but
larger and more powerful hydraulic engine, and this may be made to work a
much larger number of pumps, so, as to supply a third engine of greater size
& power, and so on to any extent, the original power being considerably
multiplied at each transmission from one hydraulic engine to another. The
several hydraulic engines are supplied from tanks placed above them, and
discharge their water or other fluid into other tanks placed beneath the chains
of buckets, from which latter tank the water or other fluid is pumped up into
the overhead supply tank. The power may be given off from the last hydraulic
engine of the series to a pulley or drum, over which is passed an endless chain
or cable, which also passes over a wheel or drum similar to those of the
hydraulic engines, the last wheel of the series working the machinery required
to be driven.
And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood, I shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the saine, and for that purpose I shall
refer to the Sheets of Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the figures and
letters of reference marked thereon.

page_text: "
t: Figure 1; on Sheet of the Drawings, represents a side elevation of my
improved apparatus: A, A, is the upper tank, supported upon suitable masonry.
or iron work B, B. The lower tank is represented at C; C; this tank is made
in separate compartments, connected together by pipes a; a D'is a small steam'
engine, which, by a series of pullies b,b,'on-its crank shaft and straps c, c, works
a series of rotatory pumps E, in connection' with the main supply pipes F, F..
One arrangement of pump which I intend to employ. is represented in
sectional elevation and plan at Figures 1 and 2, on Sheet 2 of my Drawings.
A; A, are two cylinders or rollers (made partly of hard india-rubber, gutta
percha, or a mixture of either, or of india-rubber and cork mixed together, or
any other smooth material suitable for the purpose,) with corrugated or undu-
lated surfaces, the projections on one cylinder taking into the hollows or spaces:
of the other; the axes of these cylinders are geared together by the pinions
B, B, and are driven or rotated at a high speed by the driving pullies CA
packing or lining D, of gutta percha, vulcanized-india-rubber, or other suitable
material is fitted inside the chamber in which the cylinders rotate, whereby
the necessity for accurate fitting and grinding to obtain a good water-tight
junction is avoided. These cylinders are rotated in the direction shewn by the
arrows, and carry up the water or other fluid which is contained between the
packing or lining D' and the hollows of the cylinders, as shewn at E, E; suit-
able stuffing boxes F, F, are used for preventing leakago at the parts where the
spindles pass through the sides of the chamber containing the cylinders... G,'G,
áré four brass nuts screwed into the metal' case 'to form the stuffing boxes; and
His the outer case, made of metal and screwed together by bolts...
I
I inay here observe, however, that I lay no claim to this or any other par-
ticular form of water-raising mechanism. As the supply pipes and their.
respective pumps are placed side by side and parallel to each other, only one is
seen in the Drawing on Sheet 1; but there should be as many pumps as will
raise a sufficient quantity of water from the lower tank C, C, into the upper
tank A, A, to turn the first hydraulic engine G, G, and a larger number to.
work the wheel H, and a still larger number to work the wheel I, and so on.
This hydraulic engine is composed of a series of bucketts d, d, (see Figure 2;
side view,) hinged upon an endless chain e; e, which passes over a drum fif,
furnished with projections 9, 9, which take into corresponding notches or eyes
in the chain e, e, by which means the chain is prevented from 'slipping over
the surface of the drum.
The lower portion of each bucket projects or enters to a certain extent
inside the mouth of the next lower one of the series-in order to economise:

page_text: space. As the chain of buckets hangs considerably lower than the drum, it
follows that there is a much greater preponderence of weight upon the
descending side than in an ordinary water wheel with the same expenditure
of water only, and consequently I obtain a great increase of power, by which
I am enabled to raise sufficient water to act upon the second and larger
hydraulic engine H, H, by means of rotatory or other pumps driven by
the first hydraulic engine G, G. The second hydraulic engine H, H, is similar
in construction to the first, but with wider buckets, and consequently takes
a greater quantity of water to drive it; but owing to the peculiarity of
this form of hydraulic engine, as herein-before described, the first engine G,
although only requiring a small quantity of water to drive it, will be enabled
to raise sufficient to drive the larger engine H, and if this second hydraulic
engine is connected to another series of rotatory or other pumps, it will be
enabled to lift sufficient water to turn the 3rd or largest hydraulic engine I, I.
The water or other fluid is admitted to the several hydraulic engines through
sluices h, h, h.
It will be evident from the preceding description, that by increasing the
number and size of the said engines, the power may be increased to any
desirable extent, and as the water or other fluid is worked over and over
again, only a few gallons per day will require to be added to compensate for
evaporation and waste.
power engine
This I propose
In some cases I propose starting my improved hydraulic
without the aid of a steam engine or any other prime mover.
to effect by allowing a sufficient quantity of water to fall from the upper tank
on to the first wheel to start it, and work the pumps requisite for starting the
second wheel, and so on. Thus, supposing that 200 gallons per minute run
out of the tank on to the first, or No. 1 wheel, and that the power of that wheel
throws up 600 gallons, 400 gallons could be allowed to work No. 2 wheel,
reserving 200 gallons out of the 600 to pay back the tank for the constant
supply of No. 1 wheel, and so on.
"
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect, I would observe, in conclusion, that I do not confine or restrict
myself to the precise details or arrangements which I have had occasion to
describe or refer to, as many variations may be made therefrom without
deviating from the principles or main features of my said Invention; but what
I consider to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention
secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is,―

page_text: First, the general construction and arrangement of apparatus for obtaining
motive power, as shewn in the Drawings, and herein-before described, and more
especially the use of one or more chain wheels, whether employed separately or
combined with each other.
Second, the transferring of the power from one wheel to another, not only in
connection with my improved power wheels or endless chains of buckets, but
with the ordinary water wheels, or any other wheels wherein the power can
be so transferred and increased, as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Jones, have hereunto set my hand.
and seal, the Fifteenth day of December, One thousand eight hundred
and fifty-five.
JOHN JONES. (L.S.)