A MACHINE OR ENGINE FOR CONVEYING BOATS AND VESSELS AND THEIR CARGOES TO AND FROM THE DIFFERENT LEVELS IN AND UPON CANALS, WITHOUT THE ASSISTANCE OF LOCKS OF THE OTHER MEANS NOW KNOWN AND USED FOR THAT PURPOSE,
Year: 1794

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ROBERT
FULTON, late of the City of Exeter, but now of the City of London, Gentleman,
send greeting.
WHEREAS I, the said Robert Fulton, did, by my Petition, humbly repre-
present to His most Excellent Majesty King George the Third, that I had,
by long study and application, and after much trouble, labour, and expence,
invented "A MACHINE OR ENGINE FOR CONVEYING BOATS AND VESSELS AND THEIR
CARGOES TO AND FROM THE DIFFERENT LEVELS IN AND UPON CANALS, WITHOUT THE
ASSISTANCE OF LOCKS OF THE OTHER MEANS NOW KNOWN AND USED FOR THAT
PURPOSE," which said Invention I, the said Robert Fulton, conceived would be
of general public utility; that I, the said Robert Fulton, was the first and true
Inventor thereof, and that the same had never been made or used by any other
person or persons, to the best of my knowledge and belief; I did therefore most
humby pray His Majesty that He would be graciously pleased to grant unto
me, my executors, administrators, and assigns, His Majesty's Royal Letters
Patent, under the Great Seal of Great Britain, for the sole use, benefit, and
advantage of my said Invention within that part of His Majesty's Kingdom
of Great Britain called England, His Dominion of Wales, and Town of Berwick-
upon-Tweed, for the term of fourteen years, according to the Statute in that
case made and provided; His said Majesty, being willing to give encourage-
ment to all arts and inventions which might be for the public good, was
graciously pleased to condescend to my request, and therefore, by His Royal
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at West-

page_text: minster, the Eighth day of May, in the thirty-fourth year of His reign, of His
especial grace, certain knowledge, and mere motion, for Himself, His heirs and
successors, did give and grant unto me, the said Robert Fulton, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, His especial licence, full power, sole privilege and
authority, that I, the said Robert Fulton, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, and every of us, by ourselves, or by our deputy or deputies, servants
or agents, or such others ns I; the said-Robert Fulton,-my cxccutors, admi-
nistrators, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from
time to time and at all times thereafter during the term of years therein
and herein-after expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend my said. Invention within that part of His Majesty's Kingdom of Great
Britain. called England, His Dominion of Wales, and Town of Berwick-upon-
Tweed, in such manner as to mo, the said Robert Fulton, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or any of us, should in our discretion seem meet,
and that I, the said Robert Fulton, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
should and lawfully might have and enjoy the whole profit, benefit, commodity,
and advantage, from time to time coming, growing, accruing, and arising by
reason of the said Invention, for and during the term of years therein and
herein-after mentioned, to have, hold, exercise, and enjoy the said licence,
powers, privileges, and advantages therein-before granted or mentioned to be
granted unto me, the said Robert Fulton, 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 next and immediately ensuing, and fully
to be complete and ended, according to the Statute in such case made and
provided; in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso that if I,
said Robert Eulton, should not particularly describe and ascertain the maturo
of my said. Invention; and in what manner the same was to be performed,
by an instrument in writing under my hand and, seal, and cause the same to
be inrolled in His said Majesty's' High Court of Chancery within one calendar
month. next andi immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent, that
then the said Letters, Patent, and all liberties and advantages whatsoever
thereby granted. should utterly cease, determine, and. become void, anything
therein-before contained to the contrary thereof in anywise notwithstanding,
as in and by the said Letters Patent, relation being thereunto had, more
fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in obedience to the said Letters Patent, and
the proviso therein, contained, the said Robert; Fulton,. do hereby describe
and ascertain the nature of my aforesaid Invention, and the manner in which
the same is to be performed, in manner following, that is to say :-

page_text: First, the ends of the two levels in and upon canals which are to be united
by means of my said Invention, so far as respects the use thereof where a
double inclined plane is preferred, must be brought as near each other as the
nature of the ground will admit, so as to obtain plano of any angle. from
twenty to ninety degrees elevation. Stone foundations are then to be laid
from one level to the other, on an angle with the plane, and covered with
timber braced at proper distances, so as to render them secure; the timbers to
be faced with grooves or segments of cast iron, on which the wheels of the
cisterns, after mentioned, are to run.
'
Second, two cisterns are to be constructed, water-tight, and of a capacity.to
contain water sufficient to preponderate against any weight which it may
be thought proper to raise, from one to fifty tons; the cisterns to be mounted
on four, six, or eight wheels; the hind wheels being either large enough in.
diameter or fixed to timbers, so as to keep the body of the cistern paralel with
the horizon, as in Figures the Seventh and Eighth, contained in the Plan or
Drawing of my said Invention, annexed hereto. Each cistern to have two
valves, one to receive the water at the upper level, and one to discharge it at
the level beneath.
Third, at each end of the plane, and on the end or side of the canal which
ever presents itself to the plane, or bason is to be formed of stone or brick, to
keep in the water. The bason on the upper level to have a recess, long and
wide enough to receive the two cisterns, as in Figure, the Fourth, also con-
tained in the said Plan or Drawing, A being the recess, from each end of
which a plane is to descend into the canal, as represented at B and C, for the
purpose of raising the boats on the cisterns. The lower bason may be con-
structed exactly similar to said Figare the Fourth, or as Figure the Fifth, also
contained in the said Plan or Drawing, where a stage may be erected to
support the side planes, and the cisterns descend into the lower canal.
Fourth, a strong frame of timbers must be erected over the upper bason, to
support the weight of the cisterns, boats, cargoes, preponderating power, leading
ropes, and machinery.
Fifth, the cylinders or pullies being rendered secure, the leading ropes are
to run over the backs of the outside pullies, but they may or may not take a
coil round the centre shaft, as in Figure the Eleventh, also contained in the
said Plan or Drawing, A being the shaft on which a wheel is placed, and over.
it a lever, which lever, by being pressed on the wheel, will create friction, and
stop the velocity of the descending body, as at B and C, in said Figure the
Eleventh.
Sixth, the cisterns being placed on the planes, at A and B, in Figure the.

page_text: First, also contained in the said Plan or Drawing, the leading ropes are to be
stretched over the pullies, as described in the preceding or Fifth Article of
description of my said Invention, and secured to the cisterns by brace blocks, to
draw up the slack should either of them stretch, as in said Figure the Eighth.
Seventh, each cistern is to have a small carriage, on which the boat is to
float, and be drawn out of the canal up the side plane on the cistern, as in
Figuro the Twelfth, also contained in the said Plan or Drawing.
Eighth, the power to draw the boat on the cistern may be obtained either
by a capstan or a water wheel, the first wheel being placed as at C, in said
Figure the First, near the upper level. A portion of water is to be let on the
wheel out of the upper level, until a power is gained to drawn the boat out of
the canal on the cistern. The water which passes over this wheel is caught in a
cistern at E, which passing down the tube F, will put the wheel D in
motion to draw the boat out of the canal beneath the lower cistern, which
water ultimately enters the lower canal.
Ninth, Figure the Thirteenth, also contained in the said Plan or Drawing,
shows the mode of the leading rope passing over the body of the cistern, for
the purpose of raising the boat on the cistern.
Tenth, the component parts of my said Invention, so far as respects the use
thereof where a double inclined plane is preferred from the different levels in
and upon canals, being described, said Figure the First exbibits a front view,
and Figure the Second, also contained in the said Plan or Drawing, a side
view, of a double inclined plane with the moving cisterns, and the following is
the mode of passing the boats from one level to the other :-The upper cistern
being made fast to the timbers, the loaded boat is to be drawn out of the lower
canal on the cistern beneath, and an empty or loaded boat out of the next
ascending level on the upper cistern. Should the weight above not be sufli-
cient to preponderate against the weight beneath, water must be let into tho
upper cistern from such next ascending level, or some neighbouring stream, to
create a preponderating power, which, descending the plane, will draw its
opponent to such next ascending level; the cisterns are then to be made fast,
the boats let off from them into the different levels, and others taken on the
cisterns; the water to be discharged from the descended cistern either into the
lower or next descending level, or to waste. Water is to be taken into
the upper cistern as before, and so on alternately. This operation may bo
performed without a descending boat, as the body of the cistern is sufliciently
large to contain water enough to preponderate against any weight which it
may be thought proper to raise by this means. In the operation of this
machine all boats over fifteen feet in length, moving on an inclined plane of

page_text: above twenty degrees elevation, must rise and descend end to end, as exhibited
by the cisterns in Figure the Ninth, also contained in the said Plan or Draw-
ing; and all boats under fifteen feet in length, when the plane is under forty-
five degrees elevation, may rise and descend side by side, and the cisterns be
placed accordingly.
Eleventh, in cases where it may be thought proper to use my said Invention
in a perpendicular lift, in preference to one on an inclined plane, such perpen-
dicular lift is to be obtained as follows:-The side of the hill must be cut
down, or a shaft sunk equal to the perpendicular difference between the two
levels. The shaft may be either round, square, or oblong, and of a width and
length to let two cisterns pass each other, which cisterns are to be of a size
that each may receive a boat either in or on its body, as at A and B, Figure
the Third, also contained in the said Plan or Drawing. To meet the bottom
of the shaft a tunnell must be drove into the side of the hill, as exhibited
in said Figure the Third. The tunnel and shaft to be walled with stone or
brick.
Twelfth, in this case the two cisterns are to be constructed without wheels,
each having their valves as described in Article the Second, herein-before
contained.
Thirteenth, two inclined planes must descend from the edge of the shaft into
the upper level, for the purpose of raising the boats on the cisterns, as at
A and B, Figure the Sixth, also contained in the said Plan or Drawing, which
represents the top of the shaft. On the lower level similar planes must be
constructed to raise the boat on the lower cistern. .
.
Fourteenth, on the top of the shaft a strong framework must be constructed
to support the weight of the works, as described in Article the Fourth herein-
before contained.
Fifteenth, one cistern being placed at the lower level, and one at the next
ascending level, the leading ropes are to be stretched as described in Article
the Fifth, herein-before contained, and secured to the cisterns by brace blocks;
the cisterns will then play alternately from the lower to the upper level, as in
said Figure the Third; two small carriages are to be used to raise the boats
on the cisterns, as in Article the Seventh, herein-before contained.
Sixteenth, the power to raise the boats on the cisterns may be obtained by a
capstan or water wheel, as described in Article the Eighth, herein-before
contained, the water wheels being placed in the shaft, as in said Figure the
Third.
Seventeenth, the component parts of my said Invention, so far as respects
the use thereof in a perpendicular lift, being described, said Figure the Third

page_text: exhibits the lift with its cisterns. In this case the boats are to be drawn on
the cisterns, as described in Articlo the Tenth, herein-before contained, and
water sufficient let into the upper cistern to preponderate against the weight
beneath, which, descending the shaft or lift, will draw its opponent to the next
ascending level; the boats are then to be let off into the different levels, and
others raised on the cisterns; the water to be received and discharged in and
from tho cisterns, as in said Article the Tenth, herein-before contained, and so
on alternately.
Eighteenth, and lastly, in the operation of the perpendicular lift, the two
cisterns with their boats must pass each other side by side, and be worked
either with ropes or chains, of which Figure the Tenth, also contained in the
said Plan or Drawing, exhibits the cisterns.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Fulton, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Third day of June, in the thirty-fourth 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, and
in the year of our Lord One thousand seven hundred and ninety-four.
ROBERT. FULTON. (L.S.)
P. HOLFORD.
ROBERT FULTON. (L.S.)
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the same Third day of June, in
the year above mentioned; the aforesaid Robert Fulton came before our
Lord the King in His Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification afore-
said, 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.
Inrolled the same Third day of June, in the year above written.