IMPROVEMENTS IN HYDRAULIC MACHINERY
Year: 1866

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Alfred Arthur and Benjamin Davis
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their Petition, on the
29th January 1866.
We, ALFRED. ARTHUR,. of Brighton, in the County, of. Sussex, Civil
Engineer, and BENJAMIN DAVIS, of the same Place, Civil Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN HYDRAULIC
MACHINERY," to be as follows:-
Our Invention consists in apparatus for raising water or fluids, extin-
guishing fire, measuring water and time, propelling machinery by sea or land,
improving water wheels, and is also applicable to rotary engines impelled by
steam.
It consists, firstly; of a circular or elliptical drum, with another drum of a
circular form turning on an axle fixed therein, and so placed as that one of its
sides, shall touch the interior part of the periphery of the exterior or larger
drum. Through this interior drum and axle from four to ten or more holes
are pierced, and sliding, bars are inserted, in these holes which touch the
periphery of the larger drum on both of, its sides; on to these are attached
straight pieces of metal or boxes, which occupy one half of the space between
the smaller drum. and the larger, one; four, six, or eight pieces of metal are
fixed to the smaller drum, on which these rods and picces of metal slide; these

page_text: rods and boxes when the smaller drum is turned cause a constant vacuum,
whereby water is raised in a continuous stream. This part of the engine can
be used as a pump fire engine as occasion may require, and being constructed
of larger dimensions forms a mill wheel of great power.
The second part of our Invention consists of a circular fixed drum with a
hollow cylinder fixed to one of its sides passing through to the other side, and
open on the upper side of its periphery; on this another hollow cylinder
revolves open at four or more parts of its periphery; between these openings
pieces of metal are fixed and made to fit the exterior drum closely. In revolving
water is now raised in a continuous stream, and to prevent its being carried
round by centrifugal force a donkey pump is attached, the working of which
causes the water to discharge itself rapidly through the hollow cylinder fixed
in the centre of the large fixed drum.
The third part of our Invention consists of a hollow cylinder with a tube
fitting into it externally in the form of cap or piston (without valves), internally
moving by means of rods attached thereto, with a retention valve as in
ordinary pumps; two or three of these are placed under water in a box, by
which means the water is raised under water without weight, and discharged
by means of a second opening placed just above the retention valve into a
second box full of water by means of a pipe with a valve at the end of it.
The action of this part is either single, triple, or quadruple; in the first case
by means of a pulley, in the second by means of a triple crank attached to the
rods that lift the rods or pistons.
The fourth part of our Invention consists of an hydraulic revolving press,
which is composed of a circular fixed drum, with another drum inside of it
and fitting closely. On the periphery of the interior drum notches or spaces
are cut out, which receive water pressing on water contained in these notches,
and causing the said drum to revolve. This small pipe is fixed on one side of
the periphery of the large fixed drum; opposite it underneath is the opening
of discharge of the spaces or notches of the interior drum. These boxes are
instantly replenished from a tube on the other side, and water is thus carried
round to be alternately pressed; by this means great hydraulic centrifugal
pressure is obtained and little water used.
The fifth part of this Invention consists of a fixed external drum, with a
wheel moving on a hollow axis and nearly touching its internal periphery.
This internal wheel has hollow arms of a curved or bent form at the part
nearest the periphery, and ten or more times larger at the part nearest
the periphery, so as to form cylinders inside of which pistons are placed with
friction pulley attached thereto, which press against the external fixed

page_text: periphery and cause the arms and internal wheel to revolve with great power
and equal to the number of presses or cylinders employed.
Lastly, our improvements consist in using the first described part of our
Invention as an hydraulic revolving press, by using small pressure pipe or
force pump as mentioned in the fourth part of our improvements, with
discharge and replenishing pipe; by this application hydraulic pressure and
leverage are combined.
All of the aforesaid parts may be used in lifting water, extinguishing fire,
and when combined and used, one in lifting a column of water as in part 1,
2, and 3, and again receiving a descending column as in parts 1, 4, 5,
and 6, constant power is produced for mills and engines. If mercury be
used the parts are diminished in size.