AN IMPROVED ELECTRO-MAGNETIC HYDRAULIC ENGINE
Year: 1877

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by William Robert Lake at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 9th October 1877. A communication
from abroad by Kimball Chase Atwood, of the City and State of New York,
United States of America.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "AN IMPROVED ELECTRO-MAGNETIC HYDRAULIC
ENGINE" [A communication from abroad by Kimball Chase Atwood, of the City and
State of New York, United States of America.]
In a machine censtructed according to this Invention, the base consists of a hori-
zontal circular metal disc, near the periphery of which is arranged a series of
vertical pillars for supporting a hollow metal ring, known also as the water ring,
the interior of which is divided into two equal compartments on a line passing
through the centre of the circular base; connected with the interior of each of these
divisions of the metal ring is a cylinder in which a piston rod and head is inserted
in the usual manner.
The two piston rods are connected by a crank or rocking beam, so that as one
rises the other must fall
Holes are bored through the shell of the metal ring from the top downward, into
which are fitted piston-like stoppers, each stopper being fastened to a box which
surrounds the metal or water ring, and is so slotted as to move freely, for a short
distance, up and down on the supporting pillars above mentioned, the bottom of
each of these boxes to be made preferably of soft iron.
Under each box and attached to the base of the machine is an electro-magnet.
The metal ring is filled with water, and as the electric current is closed with the
first magnet in one section, the box over that magnet is drawn down, where it is
firmly held by a snap lock; the stopper attached to it is forced into and displaces a
given amount of water, according to the size of the stopper and the distance moved,
which should never exceed one sixteenth ('/15) of an inch, and cause it to rise in
the cylinder (provided the cylinder is of the same diameter as the stopper) to
exactly the same height as the distance moved by the stopper, and exactly the
same force, minus the friction.

page_text: As the electric current is passed around the other magnets, the same effect is
produced in turn until all the stoppers in that section are down and the water in the
cylinder has risen to the maximum height. As the circuit-closing device moves on
round the circle, producing the same effect with the magnets and stoppers of the
other section, and causing the water in the other cylinder to rise; a device provided
for the purpose unlocks the boxes of the first section, and allows the water in that
cylinder to fall; so it will be seen that a reciprocating stroke is given to the pistons
in the water cylinders, which may be applied directly to the crank of a fly wheel,
or may be made to force air into a receiver, from which it may be used as in the
ordinary compressed air or steam engine.
The manner in which the circuit is closed with each of the magnets in turn and
the boxes unlocked, is, as follows:-Connected with an electric battery and sur-
rounding the centre of this metal base, is a copper ring supported by insulated
bearings. Over this ring is arranged a series of circuit closers which in appearance
resemble piano keys.
There are the same number of keys as magnets, so that one end of the wire from
each magnet is fastened to a key. These keys are pressed down against the electri-
fied copper ring by a slight projection on the rim of a light wheel, the vertical axle
of which has its bearing on the centre of the metal base.
At a point directly opposite that of the circuit-closing projection is another pro-
jection for unlocking the boxes that are already down.
It is preferable to rotate this wheel by a band connected with the driving wheel
of the machine.