IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES, IN RAISING AND FORCING OF FLUIDS, IN IRRIGATING AND DRAINING LAND, AND IN MACHINERY FOR CUTTING WOOD FOR DRAIN PIPES, AND OTHER USES
Year: 1850

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
FOWLER, Junior, of Melksham, in the County of Wilts, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent, under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Seventeenth day of
October, One thousand eight hundred and fifty, in the fourteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said John Fowler, my exors, adñiors, and assigns, Her especial licence, full
power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said John Fowler, my exors,
adñiors, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Fowler, my exors,
adors, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time
to time and at all times during the term of years therein expressed, should and
lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the
Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, and in the Islands of Guernsey, Jersey,
Alderney, Sark, and Man, and also in all Her said Majesty's Colonies and
Plantations abroad, my Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES, IN
RAISING AND FORCING OF FLUIDS, IN IRRIGATING AND DRAINING LAND, AND IN
MACHINERY FOR CUTTING WOOD FOR DRAIN PIPES, AND OTHER USES;" in which
said Letters Patent is contained a proviso that I, the said John Fowler,
shall cause a particular description of the nature of my said Invention, and in

page_text: improvements are also applicable to engines and pumps used in the raising and
forcing of fluids.
Secondly, my Invention consists of improvements in the means and appara-
tus used for irrigating and draining land. And,
Thirdly, my Invention consists of improvements in machinery for cutting
wood for drain pipes, and for other uses.
My improvements in steam engines consists in the novel arrangements of
the slide valves, whereby they are caused to open and close the ports or apera-
tures to the steam cylinder, the steam passages in the slide being so arranged
that the steam may be admitted to and act alternately on each end of the slide,
in like manner to the piston, so as to reverse its position from time to time, as
required for the steam to act on the piston in the steam cylinder.
Figure 1 shews a plan of a steam cylinder with the cover and slide removed,
in order to show the steam passages. Figure 2 shews a section of the cylinder,
slide valve and steam chest, and Figures 3, 4, and 5 show a plan, a section,
and underside view of the slide valve detached. Figure 2 shows the position
of the parts at the time that the piston has reached one end of its stroke; the
steam is then entering behind it from the port F, to force it to the other end of
its stroke, the ports A and B being covered by a plane face on the slide are
thereby closed, the piston having travelled past the port B', which communi-
cates with the steam passage B, the recess H, in the face of the slide, cover-
ing the port B and a portion of the recess R. The steam passes out and into
the chamber G at the back of the slide, which is then forced over until the
recess H in the slide face places the port As in communication with the
recess R', when the steam passes out through that port As into the end of the
cylinder, which is then in communication with the exhaust passage. The

page_text: port F being then closed, the, piston is forced to the end of its stroke by the
expansive power of the steam. The piston having completed its stroke, and
having passed beyond the port A', which communicates with the steam passage A³,
the steam from the cylinder passes through the steam passage As and the recess H
in the slide, covering the port As and the recess R', it passes again into the
chamber G, and. forces the slide over the. remainder of its stroke, until the
port C, which communicates. with the exhaust passage E'; is over the recess R2
in the cylinder face, and allows the steam to escape into the exhaust passage.
The slide has now completed its stroke, and the steam is admitted to the oppo-
site side of the piston by the passage. F', the passage F.being then in com-
munication with the exhaust passages E and E', the piston commences its
returning stroke, and the action is repeated at the opposite end of the slide.
Figure 6 shows a longitudinal section; Figure 7 a transverse section. Figure 8
is a side elevation; Figure 9 à plan in section of a rotary engine, having slide
valves arranged to.act by the pressure and exhaustion of the steam in the slide
chamber. The piston P. is shown in the position for commencing its revolu-
tion in the direction of the arrow, the steam passing in through the port A,
and through the passage. B in the slide, acts on the end P' of the piston, and
forces it round until the end P. has passed the slide E, when a cam excentric,
or. other mechanical contrivance, but. which I have not thought it necessary to
show in the Drawings, opens a valve or cock in the passage which connects the
slide chamber G! with the exhaust port: F', and also places the slide chamber G
in communication with the steam port A¹. The steam in the cylinder then
forces the slide E into the empty chamber G', and the steam in the chamber G
forces the slide E inward; so that the steam port A' is then open, and commu-
nicates through the passage B, with the end of piston, and the steam then
acting upon it to complete its revolution, and the opposite exhaust port is
opened by the receding of the slide. It will be evident to engineers that the
mode of working valves may be applied to machinery for raising and forcing
fluids, in which cases the water will act on and move the slides in place of steam.
I will now. describe my improvements in apparatus for irrigating and draining
land. Figure 10 shows a side view of a plough or apparatus in the position
suitable for drawing pipes or tubes into land for the purpose of irrigating or
draining the same, or for conveying and depositing liquid manure. Figure 11
shows another side view of the apparatus in the position it is caused to assume
when travelling over the surface of the land; and Figure 12 is a plan of the
same. a, a, and b, b, are the wheels or rollers upon which the machine runs, when
in use; the axes of the wheels a, a, turn in bearings in the rectangular frame
a', and the frame a¹ supports one end, of the frame c, that end of the frame c

page_text: passing through the front and back parts of the frame a turning therein, by
which the wheels a, a, will be permitted to accommodate themselves to the
irregularities of the surface of the soil. The wheels or rollers b, b, turn upon
the shaft b', which is formed to receive the ends of the adjusting screws b², with
the capability of turning freely therein. The screws & pass through female
screws formed in the frame d, as shewn, so that by turning either of the
screws in one or the other direction the distance between the shaft and the
frame d may be varied to suit the irregularities or inclinations of the soil. The
frames c and d are connected together by the cross bar c', which, with the cross
bars c2, c², connect the sides of the frame c together, and c³, c³, are tie rods for
giving strength to the frame c. The framings c and d are also connected
together by the pin d', and the object of the outside frame is to prevent
the heel of the plough from rising by throwing a part of the weight thrown
by the draft on the pin d back on the pin c¹, and thus counteract the tendency
of the coulter to turn from its vertical position; e is the coulter to which is
attached the foot f, which has a slot formed therein with a dovetail end to
receive the dovetail edge of the end of .the coulter e, and it is made fast to
the coulter by means of the wedge f. The coulter e is guided in its
vertical position by means of the guide roller d², carried by the frame d and the
roller d² allows the share to move easily up or down when acted upon by the
pinion. The coulter is raised or lowered to the depth required by the pinion g
on the axis h, taking into the toothed rack formed on the back of the coulter,
and motion is communicated to the pinion g by the wheel i, on the axis h,
taking into the screw j', on the axis j, which carries the hand wheel, or the
screw may be thrown out of action by the forked lever ³, and motion given
to the axis h and pinion j by the wheel k, fixed on the axis h, and by this means
may the depth of working of the instrument f be varied, so that when the
plough is used to cut through level or nearly level land the pipes or tubes laid
thercin may have a gradual inclination given to them, or the coulter and instru-
ment may be raised out of the soil, as shown at Figure 11, and the inclina-
tion at which the pipes are required to be laid may be obtained by placing in
the line of draught two horizontal bars at the inclination required the one to
the other, so that the workman, by looking along the top of the coulter, and
keeping it and the two bars in a line with each other, will cause the tube or
pipe to be laid at the proper inclination. When the plough is being removed
from one place to another, one of the lower links of the chain o is connected
to the hook on the end of the carriage pole p, which being pulled into the
horizontal position shown at Figure 11, raises that end of the plough, so that
it can travel on the carriage wheels p', p', and the wheels or rollers a, a, and

page_text: when the plough is in action as shown at Figure 10 part of the weight of the
plough is sustained by the wheels p¹, p', of the carriage, and the weight on the
rollers b, b, is capable of being adjusted by the tension on the rope p³, which is
connected to the end of the pole p, and passes round the bar c', which connects
the ends of the frame c together, so that by turning the bar ps, the rope may
be tightened or slackened as required; 7 is an extra coulter, which is supported
at its upper end at the point on the frame d, as shown, and at its lower end
it is forked, and embraces the coulter e, which guides and retains it in its proper
position. The object of the supplementary coulter is, by its sharper edge,
first, to cut through the upper surface of the soil where the coulter e is formed,
with a blunted edge, to work against the roller dt; m is the draft bar, which
has a slot or eye at one end, through which the projecting arm m³, carried by the
frame d, passes, and the bar m is jointed to the bar m², and there is a screw on
the bar m², upon which the screw nuts m³, work, and may be adjusted to press
against the slotted plate m³, which is fixed to the front framing of the plough,
and there is a piece of vulcanized India rubber, m³, placed between the plate
m and the framing which receives the pressure exerted against the plate m',
and offers an elastic resistance thereto; the eye at the other end of the bar m
is connected with the hook n', on the frame n, which carries the pulley n² and
roller n³, as shewn, and a wire rope passing round pulley n³ connects the plough
to a windlass, or when the plough is required to go faster the pulley n² is dis-
pensed with, and the rope is connected to the plough and to the windlass, by
which draught is obtained to the plough, as I will now proceed to describe.
Figure 13 shows a side view of a windlass when in use for carrying out this
part of my Invention. Figure 14 is another side view of the same windlass
and carriage in a position to be removed from one situation to another; and
Figure 15 shows a plan of the windlass, the cross head being removed to show
the other parts more distinctly. A is an upright axis turning in bearings in the
bed plate A', and support A, which is affixed to the plate A¹. B is a windlass
barrel keyed on the axis A, and C is a cross head on the axis A for giving
motion to the windlass barrel, to which is attached a wire rope which
passes partly round the pulley n³, and is again attached to the barrel B, so that
when motion is communicated to the axis A the wire rope will be wound on to
the barrel B, and the plough will be drawn across the land to be drained or
irrigated towards the windlass. C¹ are levers or bars which enter the sockets
in the cross head C, to which horses are attached for giving motion to the
apparatus. D is a bar attached to the support A2 by a pin joint, the other end
of the bar being jointed to the plate. D' is connected to the bed plate A¹ by
chains A³, attached to the hook D as shewn. A is a plate which I call an

page_text: anchor, hinged to the bed plate A¹, which is lét into the ground when the
apparatus is in use, and the object of the bar D and anchor plate A' is to
support the axis A. and windlass in a vertical position, and prevent its being
pulled over when in use, and also to prevent the windlass being drawn towards
the plough. When it is required to remove the windlass from one locality to
another the levers must be removed from the cross head, and the bar D and
chains As must be disconnected, and the chains As are then attached to hooks
on the underside of the frame of the carriage at E, and the windlass barrel
supported on the other side of the carriage frame at F, being acted upon by
levers placed in holes F, the chains G attached to the bed plate are wound on
to the barrel F, and the bed plate, with the windlass, will be raised and suspended
by the chains As and G to the frame of the carriage, as shown at Figure 14.
The shoe f, shown separately at Figure 16, I prefer to be somewhat larger
than the diameter of the pipes to be laid in the trench formed by the instrument f,
and I introduce such pipes or tubes into the channel or hollow formed by the
instrument f, at the time of forming such channel in the following manner :--
The upper side of the instrument f, has a T shaped slot, formed in it to receive
the end of the instrument f, shown at Figure 17, (of the same shape as the
slot,) which is attached to a short chain f*, which is connected to the rope
which passes through the series of pipes or tubes to be drawn into the land by
instruments f,f4, and the other end of the length of rope has another instru-
ment f, shown at Figure 18, attached to it, which is formed to enter the end
of the instrument f*, Figure 18%, to connect it to another length of rope
carrying another series of tubes or pipes. The rope with the pipes or tubes
thereon, being connected to the foot f, I secure the last of the series to prevent
them coming off when being drawn into the land by placing the forked instru-
ment f5 over the instrument f³, I then drive the wedge f* through the slot or
opening in the instrument f³, and the last of the tubes or pipes coming against
the instrument f5, will be prevented from coming off by the wedge f" at the
back, all which will be readily understood on examining the Drawings. When
the windlass or other means used to draw the plough is set in motion, and the
plough is drawn through the ground, the tubes or pipes will be drawn in after
the instrument f, and thus by the one operation, be deposited in the subsoil.
The instrument, Figure 19, is suitable to be used when cylindrical drain pipes
or tubes are to be drawn into the land, but in many cases, I prefer to use pipes
or tubes, whose external figures in cross section is that of a square, or other
figure having angular sides or surfaces. Figures 20, shows a shoe or instru-
ment, suitable to be used when a pipe or tube, whose external sectional figure
is that of a square, is to be employed, and Figures 21, 22, and 23, show

page_text: different views of one of such pipes or tubes, made from wood which is sawn
and bored by machinery and apparatus constructed for that and other uses
which constitutes the third part of my Invention, which I will now proceed to
describe.
Figures 24, 25, and 26, shew a side view, an end view, and a plan of a
machine, suitable for cutting wood pipes for irrigating and draining land, and
for other uses. B, B, is the framing which is supported upon carrying wheels
C, C, in order to its being readily removed to or from the locality where the
timber is to be sawn up for drain pipes or other uses. B', B', are shafts to
which a horse can be attached to remove the machine from one situation to
another. When the machine is to be used the carrying wheels are to be
removed, and the frame allowed to rest on the ground or other suitable tem-
porary supports, and there be made fast in any suitable manner. D, E, are the
saws which are respectively fixed to the spindles D', E'. E, F, are tables by which
the wood to be cut is supported. G, G, are shifting guages to regulate the
width of the piece of wood to be cut off by the saws; these guages are capable of
being set to the position required by means of set screws G¹, G₁; motion is
given to the spindles on which the saws are fixed in the following manner :-
H is the main shaft or axle, which receives motion by means of a strap or band
from a steam engine or other power-passing partly round the drum I, fixed on
that axis; upon the axis H is fixed the drum or pulley J, which, by means of
the strap K, gives motion to the drum D, affixed to the spindle D'; thus
driving the saw D. The saw-E receives motion from the axis H, by means of
a band L passing over a pulley M on the axis H, and over a pulley N on the
axis N₁, which, by means of a band O, gives motion to a pulley E, affixed to.
the axis of the saw E. When cutting up timber, which is intended to be
made into pipes or tubes for draining or irrigating land, I use the saw. E to cut
the timber into thicknesses suitable for the diameter of the intended tube, and
when such pieces of timber are of shapes that would not be convéniently
guided on the apparatus, I prefer to affix them in any suitable manner on to a
separate frame or carriage, and then guide the carriage carrying such pieces of
timber, so that the pieces of timber may be correctly cut by the saw. The
other saw D I use to cut the pieces of wood, (suitably cut by the saw E into
the required thickness, into widths, for the intended tubes, so that when the
wood has been cut up by the two saws D, E, it will be of. the section of the
intended tube or pipe,and in order to cut the slots or openings A¹ in the side
of the pipes or tubes, for admitting, or discharging moisture, I rest one end of
the piece of wood to form the intended pipe or tube in the recess z, and press

page_text: the side to be cut against the revolving saw until the depth of the required cut
is obtained.
Figure 27 shows a side and end view of apparatus to be used for boring
wood pipes or tubes. P is a spindle, which is driven by means of a band
from any suitable power acting on the drum P', affixed on that spindle. The
spindle P carries a socket to receive the cutting instrument Q. A (shown by
red lines) is the piece of wood to be bored; it is supported in the carrier R,
which is capable of sliding on the bench S. R', R2, are two handles by which the
workman moves it and the piece of wood to be bored towards the cutting
instrument. The handle R is screwed into the carrier R, and by pressing
against the piece of wood A, is the means of retaining it in the carrier. Upon
the cutting instrument Q is fitted the series of cutters Q', which cut away the
wood to form the forcet of the pipe, and at the other end of the spindle P in a
socket to receive a cutting instrument T, by which the spigot is formed; this
cutting instruments T' also carries a small boring instrument T", by which small
holes A may be bored in the sides of the wood, pipe, or tube. The object of
the spigot and forcet ends on the tubes is, that when the pipes are drawn in by
the rope, they may be laid with greater breadth, and thus offer no obstacle
to the water, and also allow the rope to be easily drawn out. Figures 28
and 29 show two views of another arrangement of apparatus for cutting
and boring wood pipes or tubes. The cutting instrument in this case is
supported by a socket formed in the spindle P, to which motion is given by
means of a strap or band acting on the drum P R is the carrier, and R' a
lever by which the piece of wood is to be bored is held down in the carrier; by
this arrangement the cutting tool only passes rather more than half way through
the piece of wood at each operation, and the carrier is capable of turning round
on the centre pin R, so as to present each end of the piece of wood A to the
action of the cutting instrument. R³ is a lever with a slot in it for the passage
of the pin R², by which the carriage is borne towards the cutting instrument Q.
These boring instruments I sometimes set in motion by placing them at a
suitable distance from the sawing apparatus previously described, so that
motion may communicated from it to the boring instruments, as is well
understood.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Fowler, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Sixteenth day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-one.
JOHN (L.S.) FOWLER, JUN'.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Sixteenth day of April, in the
year of our Lord 1851, the aforesaid John Fowler came before our said Lady
the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification aforesaid,
and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form above written.
And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the tenor of
the Statute made for that purpose.
Enrolled the Seventeenth day of April, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and fifty-one.