A SELF-MOVER OR MACHINE WHICH CAN KEEP ITSELF IN MOTION
Year: 1809

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
PLEASANTS the elder, Bachelor of Arts, of Abby Street, in the City of Dublin,
send greeting.
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty King George the Third, by His
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of that part of the United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Ireland called England, bearing date at Westminster, on
the Nineteenth day of April, in the forty-ninth year of His reign, gave and
granted unto me, the said William Pleasants, my executors, admors, and
assigns, His special licence, full power, and sole privilege and authority, that
I, the said William Pleasants, my executors, adñiors, and assigns, and every of
them, by himself and themselves, and by my and their deputy and deputies,
servants and agents, or such other as I, the said William Pleasants, my exe-
cutors, adññiors, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no other
person, from time to time and at all times during the term of years therein
expressed, should and might lawfully use, exercise, and vend my Invention of
"A SELF-MOVER OR MACHINE WHICH CAN KEEP ITSELF IN MOTION," in that part of
the said United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland called England, the
Dominion of Wales, and the Town of Berwick upon Tweed, as also in His
Majesty's Colonies and Plantations abroad; in which Letters Patent there
is contained a proviso, obliging me, the said William Pleasants, to cause a
particular and exact description of my said Invention, and of the manner of
making and using the same, in writing under my hand and seal, to be inrolled

page_text: in the Rolls of His Majesty's High Court of Chancery in that part of the said
United Kingdom called England within six calendar months next immediately
ensuing the date of the said Letters Patent, as in and by the said Letters
Patent, relation being thereunto had, may more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in pursuance of and compliance with the said
recited proviso, I, the said William Pleasants, do hereby make the following
particular and exact description of my said Invention, and of the manner of
making and using the same, that is to say: -
My Invention consists in causing water to ascend through inclined pipes in
consequence of the centrifugal force communicated to it by the whirling of the
vessel (partly filled with water) whereinto these pipes are inserted, which
whirling motion is occasioned by the same fluid in its descent turning a wheel
on the axle which passes up through and is fixed to that vessel, as is explained
in the accompanying Figures to shew the machinery.
Fig. 1 in annexed draft is an upright section of its principal parts, wherein
A represents a circular trough with nigh half a foot deep of water therein,
from which the fluid descending through tube B into side of tunnel T plays
against the pallets of a small water wheel W, affixed to upright axle X,
thereby keeping that axle in rapid motion, from which pallets the fluid
descending through bottom of tunnel falls into bason N, fixed also to X; N is
thereby kept in constant whirl, which motion communicated to the water
makes it ascend through pipes P (inserted into N) to be thrown into A again,
to come round in like manner as before. M is a cross beam, supported by
walls, in the middle whereof the top gudgeon of X plays, as its bottom does,
on a spindle and ink. A is fixed to M, and another similar beam, crossing M
at right angles; S, S, are supporters of T, fixed to top beams; B is inserted
into A, and attached to S and T, as will be explained; consequently A, B, S, T,
the parts in red, remain always fixed, X, W, P, N, G, the parts in black,
constantly whirling while the machine is at work; B seems as if it would
interrupt the water flowing in a jet from P into A, for the breadth of B 'twill
do so, but that intercepted small portion falling into a kind of shoe J (such
as to spouts), is conveyed into receiver outside of trough. A syphon
thence carried behind A and along M may have its lower end terminating
about half a foot above W, as (shewn by dented line in described direction
at right side of Figure). In bottom of O is a hollow wherein syphon's
upper end remains immersed; on this end is a float, with a hole in its
centre, so that it can pass up or down that end of syphon. To this float is
fixed a slight chain, which goes over pullies in the direction of syphon,
suspending a cup beneath that tube's lower end. This cup may be an inch

page_text: diameter more than syphon; it will remain full of water, and when O is
nigh full should stand at an inch below syphon's end, so will let it discharge;
when, tho' O is nearly empty, float descending will close bottom of cup to
syphon to stop the water. flowing thence, and thereby keep syphon con-
stantly full. At Z and Y are hoops of wire, about one-third inch diameter,
to which each pipe is bound, so as to keep them steady in their places.
If towards its lower end P be divided, and the two parts joined by a strong
leather casing three or four inches long, with coiled wire on the outside tacked
to it and gripping each joint, the pipes may be bent in towards the top,
the binding hoops to be then slipped up, and trough also raised. The
perpendicular part of B should be also lengthened then, which may be
effected if its top joint goes deep into the next (like the sliding tubes of a
telescope); the lower joint should be outside to prevent leakage better, as will
also leather tied round the joint. N is a tub with a square mortise in bottom
through which X passes; cross piece nailed under its bottom with like
mortise will make it firmer; it must be water-staunch at mortise, &c. A
horizontal circular rim, whose breadth is the distance between N's upper edge
and the part of P at that height, should be fixed between N and P, fitting
tight on mouth of N, and with an indenting at where it meets P, for the pipe
to be bedded in, and wired to it to be kept firmer together. An upright hoop
(like that of a sieve) tight down on the bottom of N within side for pipe's
ends to fit in will keep them firmer, N bevelling out a little towards the top
will make it hold more.
At back of A about a foot deep of baize may hang
down half an inch before hind board of A, that the water dashing against A
need not spatter back. Trough may be in two semicircles, hinged together, so
doubled bottoms against each other will be easier for carriage, which some-
times may be requisite, as in removing for watering land. An octagon framing
instead of walls to be then used for supporting the cross beams: A couple of
hoops may be nailed on bottom of each half trough to strengthen it, since. it
will be in two or three pieces; such hoops should have taken a bevel (to
answer sweep of A better) by having been on a hogshead. The front and
back boards of it are easily bent by nicking this board nigh half through at
each three or four inches distance; bridgings between front and back will
strengthen both; it is to be water-staunch. The aperture B into A should
have a plug valve over it of such form as at V, Fig. 6, (which is an upright
section of it,) raised by a string over a pully will let the water flow into B.
"Tis better to have pipes master of tubes, otherwise the quantity of water
flowing down would exceed that thrown up and N would overflow. The
discharge of fluid thro' B may be regulated by a slide at lower extremity,

page_text: such as to telescope ends, but answering the bevel of B's mouth, which must
be concave, to answer the round of water wheel. This slide should be raised
like a sluice gate, by an upright angle, whose top is taken by an horizontal
lever supported from M, as represented by H, H, on left side of Fig. 1; if
these slides are nearly water-staunch, the valve plug in upper end of B being
perfectly so, B will remain full of water I think, tho' carried over M like a
syphon, and may be left so when machine is stopped, whence there would be
no occasion for J, O, and their accompanying apparatus. However, should
syphon tube B become empty then by leakage of its slide, taking plug or
drop valve out of its mouth in A, and fixing therein a tunnel which fits it
tight, with its upper end reaching above M, B may be filled through it when
slide is shut. The mouth of B in A should have a strong rim about half an
inch broad soldered on it to secure it better from slipping down and keeping
it staunched. Fig. 2 represents a horizontal view of the bason pipes, trough,
tubes, tunnel, &c., marked with same letters as in first Figure. The mouth of
B projects nigh half a foot within side tunnel, and to within two or three
inches of pallet's extremity; the water will thus flow down better into N ; for
similar reason the pallets are to be bound together only by a narrow horizontal
hoop underneath; their upper side may be secured by a broader flat casing;
B's inner end to be supported by a hoop going round and fastened to upper
part of S, S. A rim with cogs in its lower side is to be fixed to the under
part of table leaf, which supports N (as represented by G, Fig. 1), these cogs
taking the teeth of an upright wheel Q, Fig. 3, which is on one end of an
horizontal axle, that has on its other end a second similar wheel; F will
thereby turn the machinery, which self-mover is to keep at work. On inter-
mediate part of horizontal shaft is a grooved wheel E (like a jack-chain one),
with a larger similar whee L, on a like axle over it, and higher than A, in
Fig. 1, which wheel's communicating by a chain (like that of a jack) turns
upper shaft, and with it a double-grooved wheel D on same axle. On D a
double chain winds with small buckets or cans affixed, which cans (the lower
end of D's chain dipping into a well) will bring up water and deliver it
into a trough, whence it flows into A, of Fig. 1, to supply any waste of
fluid therein when there is no other way of making good such deficiency.
Nibs of the cans are to project beyond D, to deliver better into conducting
spout. Their upper end being fastened to one chain, their lower end to
another, will give them a requisite slope. These fastening chains to be long
enough to prevent cans being confined tight to projecting rims of D's grooves.
In places where there is pipe water, a cistern may be supplied thence by a
floating cock therein communicating with A; its ball floating on A's surface,

page_text: it will when water is too low in A let in a stated supply. Where no such
supply from pipes is, a cistern may be generally kept full enough by receiving
the rain water of the house which the machinery is in; or the self-mover
might be made to raise such cistern full occasionally by working a pump by
means of wheel F, instead of turning the machinery; then, for the gradual
supply of such waste probably a pair of cans will be sufficient on D's chain.
If the water intercepted by B flows into well (instead of into J, Fig. 1), two
or three pair of cans may be requisite. 'Tis better to raise too much than
otherwise, as that would only occasion some water to flow over A. Preceding
method of making the descending water act may answer for lighter works, and
where the noise of wheels would be an objection; but for heavier work the
following construction of part of the machinery may be preferable, probably.
Fig. 4 shews an oblique view of the substituted machinery for this method.
K represents a toothed belt, whose form with its wheel as it would appear
from end of its axis is shewn in Fig. 5. This belt has cans thick on its out-
side, into which cans, the water falling from horizontal joint of B, Fig. 1,
fills them, consequently makes one side of chain descend, thereby turning
wheel V on same axle with wheel U, which, communicating by cogs in its
side with a trundle head R on X, keeps that axle whirling the cans to empty
into tunnel. There are to be similar K, U, V, on the other side to take
opposite part of trundle in like manner. The axle passing through U, V, may
be supported as represented in Fig. 4. "Twill be steadier if the upright sup-
porting inside end be braced to the similar upright at other side of X by
cross stays at front and back of X, leaving room for X to turn freely between
those stays; such cans or buckets should be somewhat like those of an over-
shot water wheel, their top not inclined to either side or projecting beyond
belt, and on each side of wheel should be a kind of cheek to prevent belt
slipping off. A similar bucket chain or belt is described in Repertory of
Arts, Vol. 7. In Fig. 6, P represents a side view of pipe, as W does a hori-
zontal view of the water wheel in Fig. 1. The pipe's inclination may be from
one-third to one-fourth of a right angle from the perpendicular; I have tried
them of three quarter of an inch and double so much diameter; the former I
found to answer better; their length between four and five feet threw up the
water to nigh five feet perpendicular height, whirler turning with a velocity of
almost a round in a second. I believe that three inches diameter may be
sufficient for tubes B. When there are thirty or forty pipes of three quarters
of an inch diameter, or double so many, as in Fig. 2, I had them made of tin.
Their being joined by a leather casing, as described, will make machine's
removal easier by separating the two parts then; for like reason the short

page_text: joint of B in A may go tight down into a like short one at that end of B;
leather under the rim of inside joint will keep it staunch. This out end of B
may be supported by a hoop strap passing under it, the upper end of that
strap being tacked to A's front board. One foot high I presume enough for
back board of A, its front one and bottom half so much each; self-mover's
force may be augmented by increasing the number of its pipes. Tube B's
aperture must then have its slide drawn up higher. I presume if X goes up
thro' a loft, there may on second floor be like machinery as on the lower one
accompanying it, so it will double, probably, self-mover's force. If three or
four such double machines surround a central shaft, the wheel F, Fig. 3, of
each taking the same wheel on the central shaft, I imagine a vast force may
be communicated to it where a very strong power is requisite. There may be
a quantity of salt mixed with the water to prevent the machine being stopped
by frost.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Pleasants, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eleventh day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and nine.

page_text: in Fig. Fipes appear of wider Dore than according to scale (in order to shew their open plainer). In that figure the full
length of Pipe is represented. In Fig. 2 the horizontal distance of its extremity from N. The dotted line in Figure 5
7