IMPROVEMENTS IN HORIZONTAL WATER WHEELS
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Edward Newton, of the Office for Patents;
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN HORIZONTAL WATER WHEELS."- A
communication from abroad by Jacob Luther, of Anamosa, in the State
of Iowa, United States of America.
Sealed the 21st June 1864, and dated the 12th January 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edward Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 12th January 1864.
I, WILLIAM EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN HORIZONTAL WATER WHEELS," to be
as follows:-
This Invention relates to improvements in horizontal water wheels of that
class in which power is designed to be obtained both from the direct and
reacting force of the water in its passage through the wheel. To this end the
Invention consists in the employment or use of a series of buckets attached
to the verge of the wheel, so that power is obtained from the direct action of
the water against the buckets, and also by its reacting force as it escapes
through the issues. The case which encompasses the wheel is composed of
two separate parts of semicircular form, and so disposed or arranged as to
have an excentric position relatively with the wheel. There are also two
induction passages at opposite points of the case as well as two curved water
passages at opposite sides of the wheel. These passages gradually diminish

page_text: in width from the induction openings to their inner ends, the latter being close
to the buckets. The excentric parts of the case are covered by a lid, through
the centre of which the wheel shaft passes vertically, the lower end of the
shaft being stepped on a point placed in a cross bar which is attached to the
under side of the penstock. The wheel is formed of a circular head or body,
the thickness or height of which is equal to the desired height or length of
the buckets, and the latter are attached to the verge or periphery of the head
or body of the wheel, which is fitted in a circular opening made in the bottom
of the penstock. The buckets may be described as being formed of three
parts, the central part being in a vertical position and tangential with the
shaft. The upper parts of the buckets are curved so as to have a concave
face side, and the lower parts are also curved so as to have concave face
sides. The lower parts are much longer than the upper parts, and extend
from the centre of the height of the wheel all along the space between the
buckets, the lower end of this part of one bucket extending under the back
part of the bucket immediately in front of it.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Edward Newton in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 12th July 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-seventh year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said William Edward Newton, Her special license that I, the said
William Edward Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said William Edward Newton, 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 Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN HORIZONTAL WATER WHEELS," being a communication
to him from abroad, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
William Edward Newton, by an instrument in writing under my hand and
seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Inven-

page_text: tion, 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 I, the said William Edward Newton, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
This Invention relates to "Improvements in the Construction of Horizontal
Water Wheels" of that class in which power is designed to be obtained both
from the direct and reacting force of the water in its passage through the
wheel. To this end the Invention consists in the employment or use of a
series of buckets attached to the verge of the wheel, so that power is obtained
from the direct action of the water against the buckets, and also by its reacting
force as it escapes through the issues.
Fig. 1 in the accompanying Drawing is a vertical section of the improved
water wheel taken in the line x, x, Fig. 2; Fig. 2 is a plan or top view of
the same, the lid or cover of the case of the wheel being removed that the
construction of the interior may be more clearly seen; Fig. 3 is an inverted
plan of the wheel detached from the case.
A represents a penstock in which the wheel B is placed. The case C,
which encompasses the wheel is composed of two separate parts a, a, of semi-
circular form, and so disposed or arranged as to have an excentric position
relatively to the wheel. There are also two induction passages b, b, at oppo-
site points of the case as well as two curved water passages c, c, at opposite
sides of the wheel. These passages gradually diminish in width from the
induction openings to their inner ends, the latter being closed to the buckets as
shewn in Fig. 2. The excentric parts a, a, of the case are covered by a lid d,
through the centre of which the vertical wheel shaft D passes. The lower end
of this shaft is stopped on a point E, placed in a cross bar F, which is attached
to the under side of the penstock A. The wheel B is formed of a circular
head or body e, the thickness or height of which is equal to the desired height
or length of the buckets, an the latter are attached to the verge or periphery
of the head or body e of the wheel. The wheel including the buckets is
fitted in a circular opening f made in the bottom g of the penstock A. The
outer edges of the buckets G just clear the edge of the opening fas see more
particularly in Fig. 1. The buckets G may be described as being formed of
three parts h, i, j, the central part h being in a vertical position, and tangential
with the shaft D. The upper parts i of the buckets are curved so as to have

page_text: and
a concave face side, and the lower parts j are also curved so as to have concave
face sides. The lower parts are much longer than the upper parts
extend from the centre of the height of the wheel all along the space between
the buckets, the lower end of the part j of one bucket extending under the
back part of the bucket immediately in front of it as shewn in Fig. 1. The
lower parts of the buckets have such a pitch that the space or issue formed
between the lower end j of one bucket and the upper end i of the bucket
immediately in front of it will be quite small in area, so that the induction
will be greater than the discharge, and thereby keep the case C full of water
at all times. The water acts directly or by impact against the central and
upper parts h, i, of the buckets, and reacts upon or against the lower parts j
in escaping through the issues or spaces between the lower parts j, the latter
force being obtained chiefly by gravity.
Having now described the Invention of "Improvements in Horizontal
Water Wheels," and having explained the manner of carrying the same into
effect as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent, I claim as the
Invention secured to me by Letters Patent as aforesaid, the mode herein set
forth of constructing the buckets G which are attached to the verge or peri-
phery of the head or body of the wheel, as and for the purpose herein set
forth.
I claim secondly, the mode herein set forth of constructing and arranging
the case C so as to form two water induction passages b, b, and two curved
taper water passages c, c.
Lastly, I claim, the combination of the buckets G of the wheel with the
case C, all constructed and arranged to operate as herein set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Edward Newton, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, the First day of July, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
W. E. NEWTON. (L.S.)