A MACHINE OR BALANCE LOCK FOR RAISING BOATS FROM A LOWER LEVEL OF A CANAL TO AN UPPER, OR LOWERING. THE SAME FROM AN UPPER TO A LOWER LEVEL OF A CANAL
Year: 1798

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
FUSSELL, of Wells, in the County of Somerset, Iron Manufactor, send
greeting.
WHEREAS His present Majesty King George the Third, by His Letters
Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date the Twenty-fourth
day of December, One thousand seven hundred and ninety-eight, did give.
and grant unto me, the said James Fussell, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, His Royal will and pleasure that I lawfully might make, use, and exer-
cise and vend, during the term of years therein expressed, within that part of
Great Britain called England, the Dominion of Wales, and Town of Berwick-
upon-Tweed, my Invention of "A MACHINE OR BALANCE LOCK FOR RAISING BOATS
FROM A LOWER LEVEL OF A CANAL TO AN UPPER, OR LOWERING. THE SAME FROM AN
UPPER TO A LOWER LEVEL OF A CANAL;" in which Letters Patent a proviso is
contained that if I, the said James Fussell, should not particularly describe and
ascertain the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, to be
inrolled in His Majesty's High Court of Chancery within one calendar month-
next after the date of the said Letters Patent, then such Letters Patent were
to be void, as in and by the same, reference being thereto had, will more
fully appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
James Fussell, do hereby declare that my said Invention is describeb in
manner following that is to say:—

page_text: The nature and method of my Invention is by a perpendicular lift, by balance
lock, or machine with wheels, chains, balances, screws, vessels, or receptacles, levers,
shafts, and rack wheels of a particular construction, as herein-after described.
First, suppose a particular rise or fall, as, for instance, from about forty to fifty
feet, which is about equal to the rise or fall of six or eight common locks, and
which I propose to overcome without loss of water, to construct which your canal
should be brought to a quick or steep descent of a hill, and if the lift intended
is not above forty or fifty feet this lock may be built open at the end next
to the lower level, with two side walls, and one end-wall to-the-upper level, and
also a partition wall to divide the said lock into two equal parts, which may be
called lock pits, and is herein-after more fully described; but if requisite or con-
venient to have a very deep lift, for instance, one hundred feet or more, it will
be necessary to wall the said lock pits both sides and ends, and to have a short
tunel from the lower level to the bottom of the lock pits. The lock pits must
De built long and wide enough for the receptacles which are intended to convey
the boats or barges up or down from one level to another (which receptacles
must be two in number and made exactly of the same dimensions), with a
partition wall or framing in the midle, of the same thickness as the wedth of
the aperture or lock pit, and built either of brick, stone, or timber; on this;
partition is to be placed or fixed a shaft of sufficient strength, upon each end
of which a wheel is to be fixed of greater diameter by two or more inches-than
the thickness of the said wall or partition, so that the chain which works over
the said wheels shall hang or work clear of the partition wall in descending or
ascending Now the receptacles are two open. boxes or cisterns.of sufficient:
length, and suitable to receive the boats or barges intended for the trade, about>>
six feet width inside and from three to six feet deep, made of wood, iron, or
any other metal, so as to be made water-tight; under each of these receptacles:
is fixed a very strong framing of oak timber, secured with braces and bolts of:
iron, &c., and of dimensions and strength fit to support two wheels of equal
diameter with those on the shaft above described; and placed at similar dis-.
tances upon each corner of the upper part of the receptacles, and also at the
lower corners of the framing are placed small iron wheels or rollers which run!
in groves of iron fixed upon timbers placed in the wall for that purpose, which:
guide the receptacles and keep them horizontal. To regulate the motion and
fix it in any position there is a tooth wheel fixed on one of the wheels of. the:
shaft aforesaid, which works into a pinion fixed on a small shaft or spindle,
with a fly and break wheel thereon. Now the two receptacles and frames
underneath must be made exactly of the same dimensions in every respect so..
as to balance each other, and, as they are to be filled with water of an equal-

page_text: depth, will be of equal weights; and in order to preserve a balance, on, the
works it will be necessary to fix a balance chain to the bottom of each recep-
tacle, of equal weight per foot or yard,with, the chain that works the machine,
which--will alternately counterpoise cach, other in ascending or descending.
Now there are two chains made of wrought or cast iron, or other metal, of
sufficient length according to the height of the fall, and of strength more than
adequate to the weight to be raised or let down; these chains are placed over
the two wheels of the shaft. which rests upon the wall or partition between the
lock pits as before.described,, and then carried under the two wheels (which
are also fixed upon each end of a shaft which, works within the framing under
each of the said receptacles), and the ends of the said chains are then fastened
or fixed with screws, or by any other method, at the top of the side wall (or
framing) of each lock pit. At each end of either of the receptacles as afore-
said, is placed hatches hung up by chains, ropes, or otherwise balances,; with
wights, or raised or lowered with, rack wheels, when it is intended, to receive
or discharge a boat or barge, or other, vessel as aforesaid. The hatch is to be
let down into a grove or case fixed at each end of the two, receptacles till the
top part of; the hatch is level with the bottom of the receptacles, which will
admit the boat.or barge to float over it. The upper and lower levels or canals.
must: also be; divided into two mouths, troughs,, or apertures, each to fix
the ends of the receptacles, to make the mouths of the canal and that of the-
receptacles, water-tight. The ends of the receptacles which fix to the mouths.
of the upper level must be a. little wider than the mouth of the canal, in order
to clip tight, and the ends which fit to the lower levels must be a little less
than the mouth of the canal, so as it sinks down to the mouth of the lower
canal it clips the ends of the receptacles sufficiently long to make it water-
tight, when a small wadding of leather or cloth is fixed between the joints; or
it may be made water-tight by having the ends of the receptacles brought.
exactly opposite to the mouths of the canal, and as near as can be to each.
other without touching, when a short purchase may be applied with a lever,.
and small weight let drop by a cord, or any other method which will press
it against the mouth of the canal with a sufficient force to make it water-tight.
Now, suppose you have raised one boat and lowered: down another, the first
thing to be done is to touch the break wheel and fix, the receptacle tight up
to the mouth of the canal, then to move a valve which is in the door at the
mouth or entrance of the canal, which admits the water out of the canal into
a small space between the door of the canal and the hatch of the receptacle,
when the hatch in the receptacle is to be sunk and the stop gate or door of
the canal to be opened, by which means the water in the canal and the water

page_text: of the receptacles will be united, and the boat will be floated out of the upper
and lower receptacles and others floated in; when done, the door is to be shut
and the hatch drawn up, when a valve is to be opened in the bottom of the
space between the door and hatch, by which means the water is conveyed by a
pipe into a small reservoir or trough fixed under the bottom of the recep-
tacle, which makes the receptacle at the higher end or level of greater weight
than the lower; but if the small quantity of water between the hatch and door
be not sufficient to overbalance it more may be taken out of the upper level,
which water, when it acts to the bottom or lower level, discharges itself by a
plug or valve, and carried off by means of culvert or otherwise. This machine
or balance lock is not confinedto a perpendicular lift; for instance, if the hill
to descend should be found of very hard rock, it will be less expensive to
adapt an inclined plane in the following manner:-First, two railways must
be placed side by side from the upper to the lower level, and between those a
space of seven or eight feet, more or less, as may be most convenient; at the
top of this space or head of the upper level must be fixed a strong wheel, with
the same inclination as the railways; over this wheel is a strong chain fastened
to each receptacle, and at the bottom of those receptacles must be a strong
framing of wood, in which frame will be four or more wheels of different
dimensions, to keep the receptacles always in a horizontal position, to join the
mouths or apertures of the canal at the upper and lower levels, when similar
methods must be used to make them water-tight, and transfer the boats as
described in the perpendicular lift. This machine or balance-lock may also be
applied to various other useful purposes.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Fussell, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Sixteenth day of January, in the Thirty-ninth
year of the reign of our Sovereign Lord George the Third, by the
Grace of God of Great Britain, France, and Ireland King Defender
of the Faith, &c., and in the year One thousand seven hundred and
ninety-nine.
JAMES FUSSELL. (L.S.)
Sealed and delivered, being first duly
stampt, in the presence of
JOHN CROKER, of Frome, Som,
Land Surveyor.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the same Sixteenth day of January,
in the year above mentioned, the aforesaid James Fussell came before our
Lord the King in His Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification aforesaid,
and all and every thing therein contained, in form above written. And also
the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the tenor of the Statute
in that case made and provided.