IM- PROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS OR MEANS FOR OBTAINING MOTIVE. POWER
Year: 1863

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by William Darlow and Robert
Henry Lawson at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their
Petition, on the 17th October 1863.
We, WILLIAM DARLOW, of North Woolwich Road, in the County of Essex,
and ROBERT HENRY LAWSON, of Victoria Terrace, Victoria Docks, in the
County of Essex, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS OR MEANS FOR OBTAINING MOTIVE. POWER," to be as
follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the means or apparatus
employed for obtaining motive power, the power so obtained being applied by
ordinary well-known mechanism to various useful purposes.
For the purpose of making the nature of our Invention clearly understood
we will describe one arrangement of apparatus which we propose to employ in
carrying the same into practice, but we would here remark that the forms.
and arrangement of the various parts may be greatly varied without departing
from the true character or spirit of our Invention.
The main body of the apparatus consists of a tubular box, vessel, or
receptacle, which acts as an alternating balance lever, supported at the centre
or thereabouts on axes or pivots, upon which, when in action, it partially
rotates. This box or vessel is by preference of cylindrical form in parts of its
length, and is divided into several chambers or compartments by partitions,.
the outer ends being closed in any convenient manner. The axes or pivots of
the box or vessel are supported and move in bearings (having as little friction.

page_text: as possible), carried by a fixed framing. At the centre and at one end (or,
if requisite, at other parts) of this balanced box or vessel, rectangular or other
suitably shaped chambers are formed, by preference of greater depth than the
adjoining tubular chambers. These several chambers are filled with a fluid
(by preference mercury), which is caused to act on a series of pistons as here-
after described. Inclined tubes or chambers are arranged in combination
with the tubular compartments of the combined chambers before referred to,
these inclined tubes or chambers having about the same internal capacity as
the compartments with which they are in communication by suitable passages
connecting them together. The ends of the inclined tubes or chambers project
beyond the ends of the chambers or compartments over which they are placed
and in communication, and pistons are arranged to move freely from end to
end or from top to bottom of these inclined tubes or chambers by the action
of the mercury or other fluid when it is caused to flow into these inclined
chambers froni the compartments below and in communication therewith.
Pistons are also arranged to move up. and down within the rectangular
chambers or compartments before referred to, the rods of the pistons passing
through openings in the covers, and suitable valves and air passages are applied
to the several chambers or compartments to permit or arrest the flow of the
mercury or other fluid contained therein as required, a vacuum being formed
below the pistons at each successive movement of the apparatus. The outer
ends of the piston rods attached to the pistons are connected by suitable
mechanism with a rolling or travelling weight (or weights) supported upon a
platform moving on pivots attached to the apparatus; we prefer to mount
the moveable weight upon an arni connected at one end to a pivot or centre,
the other end of the weight or roller attached thereto moving upon the plat-
form in the are of a circle, although we do not confine ourselves to this
arrangement of the moving weight, as it may move in straight lines if desired.
The several compartments of the apparatus (except the inclined chambers)
The
is filled by preference with mercury, and is then ready for action.
apparatus is pulled over on its pivot or axis to a certain point by power being
applied thereto, and the rolling or travelling weight is moved so as to over-
balance the lever apparatus in one direction. The mercury then enters the
inclined tubes, the piston rods are forced outwards, and by means of the
mechanism by which they are connected to the rolling or travelling weight (or
weights) they cause the weight to move into such a position upon the platform as
to come within the influence of an electro-magnet, which by suitable mechanism
assists in carrying the weight over the centre and thus overbalances the apparatus
on its pivots in the opposite direction (to which it had previously moved) into

page_text: its original horizontal position, where its downward movement is arrested by
a fixed stop or support. A spring or other buffer may, if desired, be applied
to the fixed stop or support to reduce the concussion and react in the opposite
direction. The mercury then commences to flow from the inclined chambers
back again into the compartments or reservoirs below, the pistons return to
their former position, tilting the platform and causing the rolling or travelling
weight to pass back again over the centre so as again to actuate the apparatus
or balance lever on its pivots or axes, and thus repeat the rocking or oscillating
movements thereof in continuous succession. Suitable mechanism may be
readily applied to the apparatus to transmit the motion thus obtained and
apply the same to various useful purposes. Auxiliary apparatus may be
arranged to work in combination with the lever apparatus previously described
in order to impart impetus thereto or to equalize the motion thereof if
desired.