Im- PROVEMENTS IN OBTAINING AND APPLYING MOTIVE POWER."
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Raffaele Vagnolini, of Princes Square, Kennington,
in the County of Surrey, Gentleman, for the Invention of "Im-
PROVEMENTS IN OBTAINING AND APPLYING MOTIVE POWER."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Raffaele Vagnolini at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 16th December 1872.
I, RAFFAELE VAGNOLINI, of Princes Square, Kennington, in the County
of Surrey, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN OBTAINING AND APPLYING MOTIVE POWER," to be
as follows:-
This Invention consists in certain combinations and arrangements of
mechanism whereby atmospheric air is employed as a motive power
either for the propulsion of vehicles, for the conveyance of passengers or
goods on land, or for the purposes of marine propulsion in a much more
simple and effectual manner than heretofore. The whole of the
mechanism is supported by a suitable frame.

page_text: In the following description the application of this Invention to the
propulsion of vehicles on land will be referred to. An air-tight reservoir
formed of copper or other suitable metal is provided for the purpose of
containing a charge of atmospheric air which is employed as the primary
source of power. A cylinder with a piston capable of working therein
is placed in communication with the reservoir, the piston rod being
connected with a crank on the axle of a fly wheel which is mounted in
suitable bearings in juxtaposition thereto. The last mentioned fly wheel
is in connection with a clutch wheel by which the engine can be placed
in or out of gear with the rest of the mechanism. An auxiliary pump
is connected with the crank axle of the fly wheel and communicates by
means of a suitable pipe with the reservoir into which air is pumped and
condensed by the revolution of the fly wheel. An endless band. passes
over the clutch wheel and over a wheel fixed upon the axle of the front
driving wheels, on which axle is also fixed another wheel over which
passes an endless band to and over a wheel fixed on a double cranked
axle placed transversely across or near the centre of the frame or
carriage, and on which is placed a fly wheel of much greater cir-
cumference and weight than that previously mentioned. From a wheel
fixed on the last mentioned axle passes an endless band which extends
to and passes over a wheel fixed on the axle of the hinder wheels and
imparts motion thereto. Air pumps are placed at the forward and rear
portions of the apparatus which communicate by suitable pipes with the
reservoir, and are worked by means of suitable rods actuating the
revolution of the double cranked axle and fly wheel.
.
The action of the apparatus is as follows:-The reservoir is in the
first instance charged with condensed air by means of the auxiliary air
pump before mentioned which is set in motion by rotating the first
mentioned fly wheel by manual power, and upon admitting the air into
the cylinder the revolution of the fly wheel will commence. The
remainder of the apparatus is then brought into gear with the fly wheel
by means of the clutch, and the axles, wheels, and pumps set in motion,
and so retained until it is desired to throw the same out of gear, when
the first. mentioned fly wheel will continue to rotate and supply air
to the reservoir, whilst the remainder of the apparatus will be at rest.
Suitable brakes are employed for the purpose of stopping or lessening
the speed of the wheels, and the reservoir is of course provided with the.

page_text: necessary guages, and also with air cocks for opening or closing com-
munication with the cylinder and several pipes as may be desired.
•
The carriage may if desired be mounted on suitable trolly wheels for
shunting and turning.
The application of this Invention for the purpose of actuating
machinery for marine propulsion will be evident to and well understood
by persons conversant with similar mechanism, and need not be more
particularly described.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent
filed by the said Raffaele Vagnolini in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 16th June 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, RAFFAELE
VAGNOLINI, of Princes Square, Kennington, in the County of Surrey,
Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Sixteenth day of December, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-
sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Raffaele Vagnolini, Her special licence that
I, the said Raffaele Vagnolini, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said Raffaele Vagnolini, my executors, adminis-
trators, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN OBTAINING AND
APPLYING MOTIVE POWER," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said Raffaele Vagnolini, my executors or administrators, by an in-
strument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and
seals, should particularly 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 the Great Seal Patent Office within

page_text: six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Raffaele Vagnolini, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement, that is to say :-
My said Invention consists in certain combinations and arrangements
of mechanism whereby atmospheric air is employed as a motive power,
either for the propulsion of vehicles for the conveyance of passengers
or goods on land, or for the purposes of marine propulsion, in a much
more simple and effectual manner than heretofore. The whole of the
mechanism is supported by a suitable frame.
In the following description the application of my said Invention
to the propulsion of vehicles on land will be referred to. An air-tight
reservoir formed of copper or other suitable metal is provided for the
purpose of containing a charge of atmospheric air, which is employed
as the primary source of power, a cylinder with a piston capable of
working therein is placed in communication with the reservoir, the
piston rod being connected with a crank on the axle of a fly wheel,
which is mounted on suitable bearings in juxtaposition thereto. The
last mentioned fly wheel is in connection with a clutch wheel by which
the engine can be placed in or out of gear with the rest of the
mechanism. An auxiliary pump is connected with the crank axle of
the fly wheel, and communicates by means of a suitable pipe with the
reservoir, into which air is pumped and condensed by the revolution of
the fly wheel. An endless band passes over the clutch wheel, and over
a wheel fixed upon the axle of the front driving wheels, on which axle
is also fixed another wheel, over which passes an endless band to and
over a wheel fixed on a double cranked axle placed transversely across
or near the centre of the frame or carriage, and on which is placed a fly
wheel of much greater circumference and weight than that previously
mentioned. From a wheel fixed on the last mentioned axle passes an
endless band which extends to and passes over a wheel fixed on the axle
of the hinder wheels, and imparts motion thereto. Air pumps are
placed at the forward and rear portions of the apparatus, which air
pumps communicate by suitable pipes with the reservoir, and are worked

page_text: by means of suitable rods actuated by the revolution of the 'double
cranked axle and fly wheel. I may here mention that the air pumps
and fly wheels may be driven by means of any suitable arrangements
such as cams or eccentrics, with the aid of endless chains, belts, or
bands.
The action of the apparatus is as follows:-The reservoir is in the
first instance charged with condensed air by means of the auxiliary air
pump before mentioned, which is set in motion by rotating the first
mentioned fly wheel by manual or other power, and upon admitting the
air into the cylinder the revolution of the fly wheel will commence.
The remainder of the apparatus is then brought into gear with the fly
wheel by means of the clutch and the axles, wheels, and pumps set in
motion and so retained until it is desired to throw the same out of gear,
when the first mentioned fly wheel will continue to rotate and supply air
to the reservoir, whilst the remainder of the apparatus will be at rest.
The air which passes from the reservoir into the engine may if required
be rarefied to any desired pressure, and the reservoir may have a
plunger fitted to the bottom thereof and actuated by means of a screw
for the purpose of recompressing the air forced by the pump or pumps
to any desired degree. Suitable brakes are employed for the purpose of
stopping or lessening the speed of the wheels, and the reservoir is of
course provided with the necessary guages, and also with air cocks for
opening or closing communication with the cylinder and several pipes
as may be desired.

page_text: mechanism aforesaid, substantially as and for the purposes herein-before
described and set forth, or any mere modifications thereof.
In witness whereof, I, the said Raffaelle Vagnolini, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of June, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three.
Witness,
Geo. E. VaugĦAN,
54, Chancery Lane, London.
R. VAGNOLINI. (L.S.)