AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR OBTAINING MOTIVE POWER."
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Starkey, of Yeadon, near Leeds, in the
County of York, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR
OBTAINING MOTIVE POWER."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Starkey at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 30th
November 1867.
I, WILLIAM STARKEY, of Yeadon, near Leeds, in the County of York, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED APPARATUS
FOR OBTAINING MOTIVE POWER," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists of a self-moving revolving wheel or engine acting
by gravitation and which is applicable for driving or propelling machinery for
various purposes. Upon a strong framework of wood or iron I mount three
horizontal shafts in the same axial line and supported so as to be capable of
revolving in suitable bearings, an open space, being left between the ends of
the centre shaft and the inner ends of the outer shaft. On the extremities of
the central shaft I key or otherwise fix two massive discs or wheels of large
diameter, and on the inner ends of the outer shafts I key or fix two similar
discs or wheels facing the former. On the outer ends of the outer shafts I
key or fix two balance wheels or driving pulleys from which the power is to
be transmitted by bands or otherwise. Each pair of discs or wheels (that is

page_text: one on the end of the central shaft and the one facing it on the inner end of
the outer shaft) is connected together at two diametrically opposite points by
two coupling shafts running parallel to the central shafts or axes and supported
in lugs attached to the periphery of the said discs, the lugs and their coupling
shafts being so arranged that when those of one pair of discs or wheels are
perpendicular to the axis, one above the other, those of the other pair of discs
or wheels are horizontal and in the same horizontal plane as the axis, so that
they exactly counterbalance each other. Hung from each of these coupling
shafts is a disc or wheel (or a pair of discs or wheels) of smaller diameter
than the before-mentioned discs or wheels, so that as each coupling shaft
passes over the centre the smaller disc or wheel hans in the space between
the two larger discs or wheels above and clear of the other coupling shaft which
is then at the lowest point below the axis. These smaller discs or wheels are
hung from the coupling shafts by means of links, the discs not being mounted
directly in the lower end of the links but in shorter links or cranks which are
jointed thereto. As each of these smaller discs (or pair of discs) descends by
the revolution of the larger discs it falls onto and rolls down a curved or
concave way which supports it, taking the weight off the links and con-
sequently off the larger disc or wheel. The impetus which the smaller disc or
wheel gains on descending the curved way carries it partly up a movable
incline on the opposite side of the centre where it is held by a catch. The
other smaller disc on the opposite coupling shaft is at the same time descending
and comes in contact with a lever connected to a massive balance beam above,
the other end of which beam is attached by a connecting rod to the outer end
of the movable incline. The movable incline being mounted on a fulcrum at
its lower or inner end is tilted up by the action of the beam and raises the
smaller disc still higher, thus keeping its weight off the coupling shaft until
the latter has passed over the highest central point of the larger discs, when
the smaller disc immediately swings across the space between the two larger
ones and brings its full weight to bear on the descending side of the latter.
'Thus it will be seen that the weight of each smaller disc or wheel acts upon
the descending side in succession, the said weight being taken off-the-said
larger discs and supported on the concave way and the incline whilst it is being
raised on the ascending side; and hence, there being always a preponderating
weight on one side of the axis, the machine will revolve by the action of
gravitation which is confined to one side of the centre only.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Starkey in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
30th May 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
STARKEY, of Yeadon, near Leeds, in the County of York, send greeting..
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen, Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirty-first year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said William Starkey, Iler special licence that I, the said William
Starkey, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as 1, the
said William Starkey, my 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 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 "AN IMPROVED APPARATUS
FOR OBTAINING MOTIVE POWER," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said William Starkey, my executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should par-
ticularly 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 tho
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 William Starkey, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manuer the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement in writing, and on reference to the accompanying Sheet of Drawings,
that is to say-
Upon a strong framework of wood or iron I mount three horizontal shafts in
the same axial line and supported so as to be capable of revolving in suitable
bearings, an open space being left between the ends of the centre shaft and
the inuer ends of the outer shaft. On the extremities of the central shaft I
key or otherwise fix two massive discs or wheels of large diameter, and on the
inner ends of the outer shafts I key or fix two similar discs or wheels facing
the former. On the outer ends of the outer shafts I key or fix two balance
wheels or driving pulleys from which the power is to be transmitted by bands
or otherwise. Each pair of. discs or wheels (that is, one on the end of the
central shaft and the one facing it on the inner end of the outer shaft) is

page_text: connected together at two diametrically opposite points by two coupling shafts
running parallel to the central shafts or axes, and supported in lugs attached
to the periphery of the said discs, the lugs and their coupling shafts being so
arranged that when those of one pair of discs or wheels are perpendicular to
the axis, one above the other, those of the other pair of discs or wheels are
horizontal and in the same horizontal plane as the axis, so that they exactly
counterbalance each other. Hung from each of these coupling shafts is a
disc or wheel (or a pair of discs or wheels) of smaller diameter than the
before-mentioned dises or wheels, so that as each coupling shaft passes over
the centre the smaller disc or wheel hangs in the space between the two
larger discs or wheels above and clear of the other coupling shaft which is
then at the lowest point below the axis. These smaller discs or wheels are
hung from the coupling shafts by means of links, the discs not being mounted
directly in the lower end of the links but in shorter links or cranks which are
jointed thereto. As each of these smaller discs (or pair of discs) descends by
the revolution of the larger discs it falls into and rolls down a curved or con-
cave way which supports it, taking the weight off the links and consequently
off the larger disc or wheel. The impetus which the small disc or wheel
gains on descending the curved way carries it partly up an incline on the
opposite side of the centre where it is held by a catch. The other smaller
disc on the opposite coupling shaft is at the same time descending and comes
in contact with a lever connected to a massive balance beam above, the other
end of which beam is attached by a connecting rod at the outer end of the
movable portion of the incline. The movable part of the incline being
mounted on a fulcrum at its lower or inner end is tilted up by the action of
the beam and raises the smaller disc still higher, thus keeping its weight off
the coupling shaft until the latter has passed over the highest central point of
the larger discs, when the smaller disc immediately swings across the space
between the two larger ones and brings its full weight to bear on the descend-
ing side of the latter. Thus it will be seen that the weight of each smaller
dise or wheel acts upon the descending side in succession, the said weight
being taken off the said larger discs and supported on the concave way and
the incline whilst it is being raised on the ascending side; and hence, there
being always a preponderating weight on one side of the axis, the machine
will revolve by the action of gravitation which is confined to one side of the
centre only.
Such being the nature and object of my said Invention for "An Improved
Apparatus for Obtaining Motive Power" I will now proceed to describe more
in detail the manner in which the same is to be or may be performed or

page_text: carried into practical effect, and in order that the same may be distinctly
understood I have annexed hereunto a Sheet of Drawings illustrative thereof,
and have marked the same with figures and letters of reference corresponding
with. those in the following explanation thereof, that is to say :-
In the annexed Drawings Figure 1 is a vertical section, and Figure 2 a
front elevation of my improved apparatus. a, a, represents the framework
which may be of iron, wood, or other suitable material strongly braced together
and supported on a firm foundation. This framing carries in suitable bearings
three horizontal shafts b, b, c, c, and d, d; all mounted in the same axial line
and capable of revolving in their respective bearings, an open space being
left between the outer ends of the central shaft c, c, and the inner ends of the
outer shafts b, b, and d, d. On the extremities of the central shaft c, c, are
keyed or fixed two massive discs or wheels e, e, and f, f, of large diameter
(say about 18 feet), and-facing or opposite to the same on the inner ends of
the outer shafts 6, b, and d, d, are also keyed or fixed two similar discs or
wheels g, g, and h, h. Each pair of wheels g, e, and f, h, is connected together
at two diametrically opposite points by two coupling shafts i, i, and k, k,
running parallel to the shafts b, c, d, and supported in lugs 1, 1, 1, 1, projecting
from the peripheries of the discs or wheels e, f, g, h, respectively, the relative:
positions of the lugs and their coupling shafts being so arranged (as seen in
the Drawing) that when the coupling shafts i, i, are in the horizontal plane
or on a level with the shafts b, c, d, the coupling shafts k, k, will be in a
vertical plane or at right angles thereto and vice versâ, so that they act as a
counterbalance one to the other. Hung from each of the coupling shafts i, i,
and k, k, respectively is a pair of discs or wheels m, m, n, n, o, o, and p, p,
(or one or any other number of discs or wheels might be attached to each.
coupling shaft,) the said discs or wheels being hung therefrom by means of
It will be seen that the discs or wheels,
long links q, q, and short links r, r.
m, n, o, p, are smaller in diameter than the discs or wheels e, f, g, h, so that
as each coupling shaft passes over the centre its pair of dises or wheels will.
hang in the space between the two larger discs or wheels, passing over and.
clear of the other coupling shaft which is then at its lowest point below the
axis. As each pair of smaller or inner discs or wheels descends. by the.
revolution of the larger or outer discs or wheels in the direction of the arrow,
they fall on to and roll down a curved or concave ways, s, which supports them,
taking their weight off the links q and r and consequently off the larger or
outer discs or wheels. The impetus or force which the smaller or inner discs
or wheels gain in descending and in rolling down the curved way s, s, carries
These
them partly up an incline t, t, where they are held by two catches u, u.

page_text: catches are attached to two springs fixed to the movable raised sides t*, t*, of
the incline t, t, which spring catches open out sideways to let the discs or wheels
pass and then spring in again to support and prevent them from returning, as
seen at m, m, in Figure 1. At this moment the pair of dises or wheels m, n,
hung from the opposite coupling shaft as they are descending come in contact
with a lever or treadle v, v, connected by a link w, w, to one arm of a massive
balance beam x, x, hung on a fixed centre y, y, above. The other
arm of this
balance beam is connected by a similar link z,, to the cross piece j, j, which
connects the movable sides of the incline t, t, the inner or lower end of which
is supported on pivots at 1, 1. The movement of the balance beam x, x,
caused by the action of the descending pair of dises or wheels n, n, on the
lever or treadle v, v, tilts the movable sides of the incline t*, t*, raising the
discs or wheels m, m, still higher, supported by the cross piece j, j, and
catches u, u, and keeping their weight off the coupling shaft until the latter
has passed over the highest central point, when the discs or wheels m, m,
immediately swing across the space between the pair of outer discs or wheels g
and e, and bring their full weight to bear on the descending side of the latter,
the reaction of the balance beam x, x, at the same time restoring the cross
piece j, j, and the movable part t*, t*, of the incline t, t, to their original
position. Each pair of smaller or inner discs performs this evolution in
succession, and in its turn brings its weight to bear upon the descending side
of the outer discs or wheels e, g, and f, h, whilst the weight is taken off the
latter and supported by the concave way s, s, and incline t, t, and afterwards
by the cross piece j, j, and spring catches u, u, whilst they are being raised
on the ascending side; and hence, as above described, there being always a
preponderating weight on one side of the axis, the machine will revolve by the
action of gravitation which is confined to one side of the centre only, the
power exercised by the machine depending principally upon the weight of
the inner discs or wheels and the diameter of the outer discs or wheels, that
is to say, the length of leverage at which the former act. q, q, are balance or
fly wheels fixed or keyed on the outer ends of the shafts b, and d, d, which
may be employed as driving wheels to transmit the power to any machinery
to be driven either by means of endless belts or otherwise.
Having now described the nature and object of my said Invention for "An
Improved Apparatus for Obtaining Motive Power," together with the manner
in which the same is to be or may be performed or carried into practical
effect, I would remark in conclusion that I claim as my Invention the
construction of a machine or apparatus for obtaining motive power substantially
as herein-before described and represented on the Drawings annexed, or any

page_text: mere imitation or modification thereof, constructed and operating in sub-
stantially the same or a similar manner.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Starkey, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight.
WILLIAM STARKEY. (L.S.)