A NEW OR IMPROVED MODE OF OBTAINING MOTIVE POWER, WHICH POWER CAN BE USED FOR WINDING CLOCKS, TIME- PIECES, AND OTHER MECHANISM, AND ALSO FOR VENTILATING HOT-HOUSES, GREEN-HOUSES, AND ALL BUILDINGS WHERE A UNIFORM TEMPERATURE 18 DESIRABLE
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Fredrich Gustav Adolph Horstmann, of the City
and Borough of Bath, in the County of Somerset, Watch and Clock
Maker, for the Invention of "A NEW OR IMPROVED MODE OF OBTAINING
MOTIVE POWER, WHICH POWER CAN BE USED FOR WINDING CLOCKS, TIME-
PIECES, AND OTHER MECHANISM, AND ALSO FOR VENTILATING HOT-HOUSES,
GREEN-HOUSES, AND ALL BUILDINGS WHERE A UNIFORM TEMPERATURE 18
DESIRABLE."
"
Sealed the 12th March 1867, and dated the 13th September 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Fredrich Gustav Adolph
Horstmann at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with bis
Petition, on the 13th September 1866.
I, FREDRICH GUSTAV ADOLPH HORSTMANN, of the City and Borough of
Bath, in the County of Somersot, Watch and Clock Maker, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "A NEW OR IMPROVED MODE OF OBTAINING
MOTIVE POWER, WHICH POWER CAN BE USED FOR WINDING CLOCKS, TINEPIECES,
AND OTHER MECHANISM, AND ALSO FOR VENTILATING HOT-HOUSES, GREEN-HOUSES,
AND ALL BUILDINGS WHERE A UNIFORM TEMPERATURE IS DESIRABLE," to he as
follows:-
This Invention consists in obtaining motive power from the expansion and
contraction of mercury, spirits of wine, glycerine, and other spirits and

page_text: expansive liquids, applicable to the winding of clocks, timepieces, and for other
similar purposes, as described in my Provisional Specification No. 752, dated
13th March A.D. 1866, and is also applicable for opening and closing the
windows (or portions thereof) of green-houses, hot-houses, and other buildings,
and for ventilating purposes generally where uniformity of temperaturo is
necessary or desirable.
In carrying this Invention into effect I form a hollow cylinder to contain
any required quantity of mercury, spirit, glycerine, or expansive liquid sensible
of the variations in the temperature of the atmosphere, so that as the tem-
perature varics the mercury, spirit, or liquid expands or contracts, causing a
piston and rod working in the said cylinder to rise and fall. For hot-houses
green-houses, and other like structures I attach the end or ends of one, two,
or more radiating arms or bars to this rising and falling piston rod, the other
end or ends being attached to the window or windows of the building, so that
as the piston is forced upwards or caused to fall downwards by the expansion
or contraction of the said mercury or other liquid the window or windows is
or are also caused to rise and fall therewith, so that the temperature of the
atmosphere alone regulates the opening or closing of the said windows. A
rising and falling flap at the bottom of the building may also be caused to
rise and fall at the same time as the window by merely attaching them by a
wire or cord, thus providing an under current of ventilation, and where gas is
the heating medium a bar connecting the gas cock or tap and the rising and
falling piston rod enables the gas to be turned up or down as the temperature
varics.
The mode of applying this Invention to clocks and timepieces as described
in my Provisional Specification No. 752, A.D. 1866, is as follows:-I con-
struct a tube or cylinder carrying a metallic piston packed and cupped with
one or more layers of leather or other material with a spring or springs for
keeping the piston pressed close home on the fluid contained therein,
which fluid is supplied from one or more vessels containing spirits of wine,
mercury, or other expansive fluid, and placed in any convenient position,
glycerine or other similar oily matter being used therewith to prevent its
evaporation; the alternation of temperature acting upon this fluid causes
the piston rod carrying a cross bar to work up and down, and to this cross
bar I connect a chain at one end, and at the other attach it to a hollow
revolving drum containing a spring for regulating the back pressure of the
piston, and on the outside of this drum and in gear therewith by means of
teeth is a second drum or wheel, over which I pass a second and endless
chain or band, which is then passed over the main wheel arbour of the clock

page_text: and hangs down on either side thereof in a loop, and to each of these loops I
attach a weight for giving the necessary working power (the smaller one of
the two being used as a counterbalance). In connection with these drums I
also use a spring or gravitating pawl, and when the larger weight has been
raised to its greatest height by the expansion of the fluid in the cylinder it
comes in contact with and raises a lever, which lever throws the said pawl
out of gear and leaves the spring drum free to revolve alone as the piston
rises and falls, and the weight is free to descend. The rising and falling
piston can also be made to act directly upon a wheel in connection with a set
of wheels, springs, drums, and other clock mechanism, thereby rendering the
endless chain unnecessary in timepieces of smaller construction.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Fredrich Gustav Adolph Horstmann in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 13th March 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, FREDRICH
GUSTAV ADOLPH HORSTMANN, of the City and Borough of Bath, in the
County of Somerset, Watch and Clock Maker, send greeting..
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the twenty-ninth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Fredrich Gustav Adolph Horstmann, Her special licence that I, the
said Fredrich Gustav Adolph Horstmann, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Fredrich Gustav Adolph Horstmann,
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 Invention for "A NEW OR IMPROVED MODE
OF OBTAINING MOTIVE POWER, WHICH POWER CAN BE USED FOR WINDING
CLOCKS, TIMEPIECES, AND OTHER MECHANISM, AND ALSO FOR VENTILATING HOT-
HOUSES, GREEN-HOUSES, AND ALL BUILDINGS WHERE A UNIFORM TEMPERATURE IS
DESIRABLE," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Fredrich
Gustav Adolph Horstmann, my executors or administrators, by an instru
ment 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

page_text: 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 Fredrich Gustav Adolph Horstmann,
do hereby declare the nature of said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement:-
This Invention consists in obtaining motive power from the expansion and
contraction of mercury, spirits of wine, glycerine, and other expansive liquids,
applicable to the winding of clocks, timepieces, and for other similar purposes,
as described in my Provisional Specification No. 752, dated Thirteenth March
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, and is also applicable for opening
and closing the windows (or portions thereof) of green-houses and other
buildings, and for ventilating purposes generally where uniformity of tempera-
ture is necessary or desirable.
In carrying this Invention into effect I form a hollow cylinder to contain
any required quantity of mercury, spirit, glycerine, or expansive liquid sensible
of the variations in the temperature of the atmosphere, so that as the
temperature varies the mercury, spirit, or liquid expands or contracts, causing
a piston and rod working in the said cylinder to rise and fall. For hot-
houses, green-houses, and other like structures I attach the end or ends of
one, two, or more radiating arms or bars to this rising and falling piston rod,
the other end or ends being attached to the window or windows of the
building, so that as the piston is forced upwards or caused to fall downwards
by the expansion or contraction of the said mercury or other liquid the
window or windows is or are also caused to rise and fall therewith, so that the
temperature of the atmosphere alone regulates the opening or closing of the
said windows. A rising and falling flap at the bottom of the building may
also be caused to rise and fall at the same time as the window by merely
attaching it therewith by a wire or cord, thus providing an under current of
ventilation, and where gas is the heating medium a bar connecting the gas
cock or tap and the rising and falling piston rod enables the gas to be turned
up or down as the temperature varies.
The mode of applying this Invention to clocks, timepieces, and other
similar mechanism is as follows:-I construct a tube or cylinder carrying a
metallic piston packed and cupped with one or more layers of leather or other
material with a spring or springs for keeping it pressed close home on the
fluid contained in the said cylinder, which is supplied from one or more vessels
containing spirits of wine, mercury, or other expansive fluids, glycerine or

page_text: other oily matter being used therewith to prevent evaporation; the alternation:
of temperature acting upon this fluid causes the piston rod carrying a cross
bar to work up and down. To this cross bar I connect a chain at one end,
and at the other attach it to a hollow revolving drum containing a strong
spring for regulating the back pressure of the piston, and on, the outside of
this revolving drum, and in gear therewith by means of teeth, is a second drum
wheel, over which I pass a second and endless chain or band, which is then
passed over the main wheel arbour of the clock and hangs down on either side
thereof in a loop, and to each of these loops I attach a weight (one being
larger than the other) for giving the necessary working power. When the:
large weight has been raised to its greatest height by the fluid in the cylinder:
being under expansion it raises a lever and releases a pawl or catch and
leaves the inner or spring drum to revolve alone as the piston ascends or
descends, and the weight is then free to descend, thus rendering the process
of winding unnecessary. The rack of the aforesaid piston or floating bucket
can be made to work immediately upon a wheel in connection with a set of
wheels, pinions, springs, and drums, thereby rendering the endless chain.
when unlied to timonioans of smaller construation
This Drawing is only intended to shew my Invention as applied to clocks
and timepieces. Where similar letters are used in each Figure they refer to
similar parts.
Figure 1 is a front view, and Figure 2 a side elevation of one of the
improved clocks.
A is the cylinder;. B, the piston or floating bucket, which rises and
falls within the cylinder A; C, the piston rod; D, the connecting pipo
between the cylinder A and vessel E which contains the fluid; the alter-
nation of temperature acting upon this fluid causes the piston B carrying the
cross bar F to work up and down. To the bar F I connect a chain passing
under the wheel X, and from this wheel to a drum H, which contains a
spring for regulating the back pressure upon the piston B; this drum is in
connection with a second drum or wheel K, and by means of an endless
chain G lifts the weights W, W; the endless chain follows the derection of
the arrows as long as the fluid is under expansion, thereby causing the greater
weight to be raised; the endless chain then passes over the drum L, which
causes the wheel or drum M-to rotate, and this wheel or drum M being in
connection with the wheels and pinions N, O, Q, of the clock acts as a
continual winder. If preferred, a weight may be used in lieu of the regulating

page_text: spring. 1 is a spring and pawl or click; 2, a discharging wheel; 3, main
winding click wheel or ratchet wheel; 4, ratchet wheel in connection with
drum H and cross head 5 of lever 6. The discharging pawl or click is used
only when the weight W has been raised so as to come into contact with the
lever marked 6, thereby causing the said pawl to be raised and the wheel 4
to be released, thus leaving the piston B to ascend and descend without
causing the drum K to revolve. Figure 3 shews the same motion applied
immediately upon a set of wheels, drums, pinions, and springs marked I by
means of a rack and pinion F and H. X is a guide wheel to keep the piston
rod or rack in a perpendicular, horizontal, vertical, or other position, thereby
rendering the endless chain shewn in Figures 1 and 2 unnecessary.
I claim as my Invention the mode of obtaining motive power as herein
described, which power I apply specially for the purposes of ventilating hot-
houses, green-houses, buildings, and rooms of all descriptions, and for winding
clocks, timepieces, and other machinery; but I do not restrict myself to the
precise modes of application as herein described, as the same may be variously
applied.
In witness whereof, I, the said Fredrich Gustav Adolph Horstmann
have hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of
February, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred
and sixty-seven.
FREDRICH GUSTAV ADOLPH HORSTMANN. (L.S.)