IMPROVEMENTS IN OBTAINING MOTIVE POWER."
Year: 1852

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Crowther, of Huddersfield, Contractor,
and William Teall, of Wakefield, Engineer, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN OBTAINING MOTIVE POWER."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Crowther and
William Teall at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 80th October 1852.
WC, JOHN CROWTHEB, of Huddersfield, Contractor, and WILLIAM
TEALL, of Wakefield, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN OBTAINING MOTIVE POWER" to be
as follows:-
A cylindrical or other shaped vessel, fitted with proper flanges at its
base, is to be bolted down to a strong framing of iron or wood. This
vessel is to be made of metal and of sufficient strength to resist pres-
sure from within or without. On the upper surface of this vossel two
pipes communicating with the interior are to be fitted; one of these
pipes having an air-tight valve opening to admit the air or gas into the
interior of the vessel, and the other having a similar valve to permit
the egress of the air or gas from the vessel. When the vessel is of

page_text: use.
cylindrical form it is to be perforated along its surface and parallel to
its axis, and also at the top, which perforations open to the interior of
the vessel. In the side of this perforation a friction roller is to be
fixed, the upper part of the circumference of which will be slightly
elevated above the surface of the lower edge or side of the perforation.
The cylindrical vessel will be perfectly closed, except at the entrance,
by the valves and perforation aforesaid. Through the centre of this
cylinder, in the line of its axis, will be inserted an axle, varying in
diameter with the size and power of the intended engine, and fitted in
a proper bearing in the interior of one end of the cylinder, and in a
similar bearing at the other end of the cylinder, but projecting through
and made air-tight by means of a stuffing box and glands, as in common
On the projecting end of the axle will be fixed a bevel or spur
wheel, according to the direction of the power applied to drive the said
axle along the centre, and through this axle a slot or opening is to be
cut, corresponding in all dimensions with the perforation in the cylinder;
and exactly parallel to it, within the slot of the axle, and fastened by
bolts, will be inserted a flexible strap of leather, gutta percha, or metal
chain, having its interstices filled with caouchouc, or any woven or
textile fabrics. The size of this strap will be such as to nearly fill the
perforation in the cylinder, being inade slightly less to prevent friction
by rubbing. The length of this strap will be such as, when wound on
the axle in the cylinder, that the last portion wound shall be in contact
with the inner and upper part of the circumference of the said cylinder.
The other end of this flexible strap or chain is to be attached by bolts
to a metallic bar or piston, packed in the usual manner, and made slightly
larger than the perforation in the cylinder, and traversing in a metal
box made air-tight by having its inner surfaces reduced to true planes.
The dimensions of this metal box in the inside being (with respect to
its transverse section) such as to accurately fit the metal bar or piston.
and with respect to its length equal to the length of the chain or strap
used, added to twice the width of the metal bar or piston. This metal
box has flanges at each end, and is to be bolted (lying in an horizontal
position on the framing of the engine) on and over the perforation in
the cylinder, so that when the bevil or spur wheel before described is

page_text: caused to revolve and wind up the metallic chain or strap, the metal bar
or piston will traverse the metal box in an air-tight manner. Now at the
other end of this metal box, and resting on the framing before named,
is to be fixed an apparatus in every respect the same as herein-before
described, so that when the metallic chain or strap is unwound or with-
drawn from one cylinder it will be wound into and occupy the other
cylinder, and this will be effected by connecting the bevel or spur wheels
of each cylinder by a shaft extending between them and having similar
wheels; the last-mentioned shaft being connected with the main shaft
of the engines as in common use, and now driven by steam. Attached
to the ingress and egress valves will be pipes leading to strong metallic
air vessels, one of these vessels receiving compressed air, and the other
delivering it into the cylinders by the ingress valves at cach stroke of
the metallic bar or piston. One of these air vessels receives a quantity
of highly compressed air at the same time the other delivers a certain
amount of highly attenuated air into one of the cylinders, viz., into that
from which the metallic chain or strap is at that instant being withdrawn.'
The compressed air, in case of working at high pressure, will be con-
ducted to ordinary engines now in use, in the same manner as steam
is at present conducted from the boiler, and in the case of atmospheric
engines by attaching the vacuum air vessel with the engine in the
ordinary manner. Now the engine in the first instance being moved a
few strokes of the piston so as to charge one and empty the other air
vessel (nearly), a communication between these vessels and the cylinder.
of the ordinary engine is to be opened, when the compressed air will
act on the piston of the engine propelling in the usual manner; or by.
connecting the vacuum vessel alternately with the top and bottom of
the engine's cylinder, and exposing the opposite sides of the piston to
the pressure of the atmosphere, the motion will be continued as in the
ordinary atmospheric engine. In this latter case the air drawn from
the vacuum vessel being driven into the atmosphere by the metallic
chain or strap before described, and in the former case the air having
propelled the piston will escape into the vacuuni vessel, to be again with-
drawn by means of the metallic chain or strap, and compressed as
herein-before described.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Crowther and William Teall in the Great
Scal Patent Office on the 30th April 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we,
JOHN CROWTHER, of Huddersfield, Contractor, and WILLIAM TEALL, of
Wakefield, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of October, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-two, in the sixteenth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Iler heirs and successors, give
and grant unto us, the said John Crowther and William Teall, Her
special licence that we, the said John Crowther and William Teall, our
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said
John Crowther and William Teall, our 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 night 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 we, the said John Crowther
and William Teall, by an instrument in writing under our hands and
seals, 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 we, the said John Crowther and William
Teall, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement (that is to say):
A cylindrical or other shaped vessel, fitted with proper flanges on its
base, is to be bolted down to a strong framing of iron or wood. This
vessel is to be constructed of metal, and of such thickness or strength
of metal as fully to resist the intended pressure from within or without,

page_text: which will depend upon its capacity. On the upper surface of this
vessel two pipes communicating with the interior are fitted; one of
these pipes having an air-tight valve opening to admit the air or gas into
the vessel, and the other having an air-tight valve opening to admit the
egress of the air or gas from the vessel. In the case of a cylindrical
vessel being used, then along its surface and parallel with its axis, and
also near its tops, a perforation is to be made leading to the interior.
In the side of this perforation is fixed a friction roller, the upper part of
the circumference of which is slightly elevated above the surface of the
lower edge or side of the said perforation. The cylindrical vessel will
be perfectly closed, except the entrance, by the valve and the perforation
before described. Through the centre of this cylinder, in the line of its
axis, an axle is inserted, varying in diameter with the size and power
of the intended engine. This axle is fitted in a proper bearing in the
interior of one end of the cylinder, and in a similar bearing at the
other end of the cylinder, but projecting though and made air-tight by
On the
means of a stuffing box with glands, as in common use.
projecting end of this axle aforesaid a bevel or spur wheel is fitted,
according to the direction of the power applied to drive the said axle
along the centre, and through this axle is cut a slot or opening corre-
sponding in all dimensions with the perforation in the cylinder before
described; and exactly parallel to the said perforation, within the slot of
the axle aforesaid, and fastened by bolts, is inserted a flexible strap of
leather, gutta percha, or a metal chain impregnated with or having its
instertries filled up with caoutchouc (or any woven or textile fabrics).
The size of this strap will be such as to nearly fill the perforation in the
cylinder aforesaid, being made slightly less to prevent friction by
rubbing. The length of this strap will be such as, when wound on the
axle in the cylinder aforesaid, that the last portion wound shall come
and be in contact with the minor and upper part of the circumference
of the cylinder. The other end of this flexible strap or chain aforesaid
is attached by bolts to a metallic bar or piston packed to ensure its
being air-tight in the usual manner, which bar or piston is made slightly
larger in its dimensions than the aforesaid perforation in the cylinder;
and this bar or piston traverses in a metal box made perfectly air-tight.

page_text: by having all its minor surface reduced to the true planes. The dimen-
sions of this metal box in the inside being, with respect to its transverse
section, such as to accurately fit the metal bar or piston aforesaid, and
with respect to its length equal to the length of the chain or strap used,
added to twice the width of the metal bar or piston before described.
This metal box has flanges at each end, and is bolted (laying in a
horizontal position on the framing first described) on and over the
opening or perforation to the cylinder aforesaid, so that when the bevel
or spur wheel attached to the axle before described is caused to revolve
and wind up the metallic chain or strap aforesaid, the metal bar or
piston traverses the metal box in an air-tight manner. Now at the
other end of this metal box, resting on the framing aforesaid, is fixed
an apparatus in every respect the same as herein-before described, so
that when the metallic chain or strap is unwound or withdrawn from
one cylinder it is wound into and occupies the other cylinder, and this
is effected by connecting the bevel or spur wheels of each cylinder
by a shaft extending between them having similar wheels; the last-
mentioned shaft being connected with the main shaft of the engines
as in common use, and now driven by steam. Or in case of the metal.
box aforesaid being of a circular form in its cross section, then on the
periphery of the piston, in the line of its diameters, are fixed semi-
circular projecting studs to traverse grooves formed to receive them in
the opposite sides of the metal box or cylinder. These studs are bored
to receive piston rods, which rods are attached to the cars or studs at
their centres, and are of such length that when the piston is at one end
of the metal box or cylinder the one half of the piston rods will be
drawn into the metal box, and the other half projecting on each side
the vessel first described. These piston rods work in and pass through
proper gland stuffing boxes fixed in the end of the cylinder first
described, and have their ends united together by a cross-head or
beam, which beam is connected with the crank or connecting rod of
the engine as in common use (and now driven by steam). This circular
piston has straps of a convenient thickness (and as before described)
passing through it, and of shape varying with the interior of the cylinder
or area of the piston, so as entirely to fill the area. One half of these

page_text: straps are attached to an axle, and alternately drawn into and out of n
vessel as before described, the other half of these straps passing into n
similar vessel. The shape and capacity of these vessels in the interior
are to coincide with the shape and contents of the straps when fully
wound round the axle before described. The bevel wheels attached to
and connecting (by similar wheels and shaft) the two axles as before
described are in this case covered with an air-tight metal casing, instead
of such axles working in stuffing boxes as before described. Attached
to the ingress and egress valves herein-before described are pipes
leading to two strong metallic air vessels, one of these vessels receiving
the compressed air, and the other delivering its air into the cylinders
beforo named, by the ingress valves, at each stroke of the metallic bar
or piston aforesaid, namely, into that which the metallic chain or strap
is at the moment being drawn. The compressed air, in case of working
at high pressure, is conducted to ordinary engines now in use as afore-
said in the same manner as steam is at present conducted from the
boiler, and in case of atmospheric engines by attaching the vacuum air
vessels with the engine in the ordinary manner. Now the engine being
in the first instance moved a few strokes of the metallic piston so as to
charge one and empty the other air vessel (nearly), a communication
between these vessels and the cylinder of the ordinary engines now in
use is to be opened, when the compressed air will act on the piston of
the engine, propelling it up and down in the usual manner of steam; or
by a connecting vacuum vessel alternately with the top and bottom of
the engine cylinder, and by exposing the opposite sides of the piston to
the pressure of the atmosphere, the motion will be continued as in the
ordinary atmospheric steam engine. In the latter case the air drawn
from the vacuum vessel being driven into the atmosphere by the
metallic chain or strap before described, and in the former case the air
having propelled the piston will escape into the vacuum vessel before
described, to be again withdrawn by means of the metallic chain or
strap, and compressed as herein-before described.
Having now described the nature of our Invention, and how the
same is to be performed, we would have it understood that we do not
confine ourselves to the precise details herein-before set forth; but we

page_text: claim the construction and arrangement of apparatus for producing
motive power herein-before described; and, secondly, the mode herein-
before described of introducing aëriform or gascous matters into closed
vessels, and compressing or partially expelling such matters from closed
vessels, as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Teall, for myself and the
said J. Crowther, have hereunto set my hand and seal, this
Twenty-eighth day of April, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and fifty-three.
WILLIAM TEALL. (L.S.)