RAISING WATER FROM WELLS OF ANY: DEPTH, UPON A VERY SIMPLE AND PERMANENT CONSTRUCTION, WHICH HAD NEVER BEFORE, BEEN DISCOVERED
Year: 1798

page_text: ASHLEY'S SPECIFICATION.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
ASHLEY, of Islington, in the County of Middlesex, Plumber, send greeting...
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty King George the Third, by His
Letters Patent.. under the Great Seal, of Great Britain, bearing date the
Seventh day of the month of August last, did give and grant unto me, the said
John Ashley, my executors,, administrators,, and assigns, His special licence,
full power,sole, priviledge and authority, that I, the said. John Ashley, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, and every of them, during the term of
years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend,
within that part of Great Britain called England, the Dominion of Wales,.
and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed; my. Invention of "RAISING WATER FROM
WELLS OF ANY: DEPTH, UPON A VERY SIMPLE AND PERMANENT CONSTRUCTION, WHICH
HAD NEVER BEFORE, BEEN DISCOVERED;" to have, hold, exercise,, and enjoy, the
same unto me, the said John Ashley, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
for and during and unto the full end and term of fourteen years from the date
of the said Letters Patent; in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso,
obliging me, the said John Ashley, by an instrument in writing under my
hand and seal, to cause a particular description of the nature, of my said
Invention, and in what, manner the same is to be performed, to be inrolled
in the High Court of Chancery within one calendar month next after the date
of the said Letters Patent, as in and by the said recited Letters Patent relation
being thereunto had will more fully and at large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance of the said proviso, and in pursuance
of the said statute, I, the said John Ashley do hereby declare that the merits
of this my Invention consists in a chain called the Ashleyn or tubical chain for
the purpose of raising water or other fluids. Is combining, adhering, or fixing
end to end together by chains jointed straps, hinges, or cords, any number of
tubes or buckets open at one end, and closed at the other, of any shape, size,
or dimention (their lengths being about three-fourths of their girth, but are
subject to variation according to their size) fixed together so as to be endless,
and in such a manner as to turn in a semicircular direction, over a sprocket,
crotchet, or other proper wheel, on an axis, which wheel may be turned by
winch with a fly, or the power may be encreased by spur face or other wheel,
or any given power applicable to be worked by man, horse, wind, water, steam
or tread-wheel, that may be worked by man, dog, horse, or other animal, or
any other force with which recited ways water may be raised, by the Ashleyn or
ubical chain, in any quantity required from any depth, in a continual stream.
The tubes or buckets to be fixed between chains, jointed straps, or cords, or fixed
to a chain, jointed strap, or cord, or the tubes may form part of the chain by joints
or hinges affixed to them either by solder, screw, rivet, or otherwise. The tubes or
buckets may be made of wood, cane, iron, or metal, wrought or cast, or composi-
tion, or leather, or earthenware, or any material proper for the purpose. The
chain, strap, or hinges, or joints may be made of iron or metal, wrought or cast, or
any material proper for the purpose. The said chain to be made. to form the
same semicircle (or nearly so) as it turns in the water, as over the wheel, for the
purpose of the tubes or buckets filling, which is done by a loop at the bottom,
and a stay in the top of each tube or buckett, as described by the Figure 2, or it
.may be done by the chain or jointed strap, as described by the Figure No. 3, or
the tubes or buckets will fill with water with common joints only, by reducing the
girth of each tube or bucket at the bottom or lower end, and also the said.joints,
hinges, straps, or cords are to be made with projectures or apertures, to answer to
and stop against the sprockets, pins, or logs of the wheel, to prevent the chain
from sliding back as the wheel turns round. The Ashleyn or tubical chain,
thus particularly described, is further explained in the Drawing and Figures
hereunto annexed; the Ashleyn or tubical is to be worked as before mentioned,
over a sprocket or other proper wheel fixed to an axis in a frame, having a
reservoir under to receive the water, which may be let out by spout or cock,
for any purpose required. In the reservoir is to be fixed two funnels perpen-
dicular, projecting from the bottom of the reservoir, the opening just enough
to receive the chain ascending and descending, with leather or other pliable
matter fastened to the tops of the funnels, to prevent as much as possible the

page_text: water returning to the well. The sprocket wheel as worked by a winch with
the reservoir and funnels is further explained by the Drawing annexed.
Figure 1st, A, A, represents the chain as it goes over the wheel, through the
funnels and semicircle in the water B; the sprocket wheel in the frame; C, C,
the two funnels; D, the trough; E, the winch. Figure 2d represents two tubes
joined together by hinge, and shewing the loop and stay to keep it in semi-
circular direction when turning in the water. Figure 3d represents two tubes
joined together by straps with screws or rivets. Figure 4th represents part of
the double strap with the pins, and shewing the joints which keep the wheel in a
semicircle when turning in the water, and the projectures which stop against
the sprocket or stay in the wheel, and prevent the chain from sliding back.
Figure 5th represents the water.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Ashley, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Fourth day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand seven hundred and ninety-eight.
Inrolled the same Fourth day of September, in the year above written.