A UNIVERSAL MACHINE FOR THE PURPOSE OF RAISING WEIGHTS, AND FOR VARIOUS OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1802

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
POWER, of Baron's Buildings, Saint George's Fields, in the Parish of Saint
George, Southwark, in the County of Surrey, Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty King George the Third, did, by
His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Eighth day of April, in
the forty-second year of His reign, give and grant unto me, the said James
Power, my executors, administrators, and assigns, His special licence, full
power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said James Power, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, and every of them, by myself and
themselves, or by my and their deputy or deputies, servants or agents, or
such others as I, the said James Power, my executors, administrators, or
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time
and at all times thereafter during the term years therein expressed, should
and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within that part of His said
Majesty's United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland called England,
His Dominion of Wales, and Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention
of " A UNIVERSAL MACHINE FOR THE PURPOSE OF RAISING WEIGHTS, AND FOR
VARIOUS OTHER PURPOSES;" in which said Letters Patent there is contained.
a proviso obliging me, the said James Power, by an instrument in writing

page_text: under my hand and scal, to cause a particular description of the nature of my
said Invention, and in what manner the same is. to be performed, to be
inrolled in His Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months
next after the date of the said recited Letters Patent, as in and by the
same, relation being thereunto-had-may-more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
James Power, do hereby declare that my said Invention or universal engine
is calculated for working mills, fetching water out of mines at any depth, or
any other employment requiring great power, from a small to the largest
extent that may be required in proportion, according to the scale; and may be
reduced to any size required. The additional power may be extended by
lengthening the beams and increasing the weights, and if confined for room, so
that the beams cannot be lengthened, the same power may be acquired by
adding beams in lieu of length, and also by increasing or decreasing the length
of the pendulums and weights. Should an extraordinary power be wanted
the engine is so contructed that a horse or horses, or any other assisting power
may be put on, which will execute the work required, even to the greatest
magnitude. There are two pendulums to each beam, and likewise two master
pendulums, giving the first motion to the machine. The whole of the beams
and pendulums exert their force on a concentrated horizontal or vertical fly.
The beams work to an angle of forty-five. The weights are instantly moved with
the greatest facility from their situation to work to the opposite angle of forty-
five again, and each pendulum keeps its place to the same angle. When
the engine is required to draw water it is so adapted that four water wheels or
more may be attached thereto by a horizontal shaft, having a wheel on each
end, which can be put on or taken off at pleasure. The water is fetched from
any depth by two endless chains, or a chain of buckets, bringing the water up
iuto reservoirs, which water is applied to the working of the wheels, and those
wheels are made to a scale agreeable to the length or depth of the weight of
water required to be brought up, and the wheels may be multiplied so as to
raise the water in proportion. As the principle motion or power of all
machines (either for working cotton mills, grinding corn, slitting and rolling of
iron, or any other mill work) acts upon the horizontal fly, such power or motion
can be taken off from this engine in an instant without stopping. The rapid
motion of the fly and fly may be stopped by a break. The fly is so inclosed as
to be perfectly secure from doing any mischief. And I do hereby further
declare that my said Invention is more particularly described in the Drawing
thereof hereunto annexed, and the following explanation thereof:-
Fig. 1, a pendulum giving the first motion by any person causing it to

page_text: vibrate. Fig. 2 is a rack fixed to the sides of the pendulum rod, with a wheel.
or pinion to raise or fall the weight, as required. Fig. 3, A, B, C, are slides,,
with pullies, which work the pendulum, one piece A being fixed on a shaft, as
Fig 4, E. On the other end of Fig. 4, E, is fixed a face wheel, which is set
in motion by the vertical shaft giving motion to the pendulum.. Fig. 5 is the
axis of the large pendulum, with an upright wheel affixed on the other end.
Fig. 6 is a wheel of the same size fixed on the centre of the beam, which
causes the pendulum to give motion to the beam. Fig. 7 is the beam on the
opposite side to the centre, on which is fastened a face wheel working in two
pinions F, F, which are fixed on the vertical shaft, to which pinions are fixed
two ratchet wheels H, H; the beam making different angles gives motion to
the ratchet wheels, which occasions the vertical shaft to have a perpetual
motion. At the bottom is an upright wheel I fixed horizontally on the upright
shaft, which wheel drives a small pinion, as Fig. 8, which pinion is fixed on
Fig. 9, being the great shaft of the horizontal fly. Fig. 10 the horizontal
fly made concave in order to fling the weight below its centre. Fig 11
the frame and bridge, which support and carry the weight of the beam, and
cause the same to perform its angles. Fig. 12, the small or short pendulum
which adjusts and counteracts the upper weights, two of which are attached to
each beam. Fig. 13, a face wheel or semicircle fixed on the inside of each
beam. Fig. 14, a wheel which works in both semicircles, connecting the
power of cach beam together, and when a machine is required to have several
beams a proportionate number of wheels attracts the whole power to act on
the horizontal fly. Fig. 15 is a face wheel working in a pinion, placed on the
top of the vertical shaft. On the other end of the arbor is placed an upright
wheel, as Fig. 16. Figs. 17 and 18 are two wheels, one placed on each side
of Fig. 16, with a pinion or small wheel connected if required, and on the said
two wheels are placed two open slides, which are to receive pullies for working
and drawing the weights, which force the beams to make different angles;
racks may also be applied at pleasure for the same action. Figs. 21 and 22
are two slides with two pullies. Figs. 23 and 24 are two vertical flies, or may
be worked by one as an horizontal fly fixed upon the arbors of Figs. 17 and 18.
Fig. 25 is a slide put on the arbor of Fig. 16, which forms a crank to work in
Fig. 26, causing it to retort backwards and forwards. Fig. 28 is a slide
which is fixed on Fig. 26, working against the uprights of a circular bridge,
which carries the weights; two wheels may occasionally be fixed to Figs. 17
and 18, and on them two cranks. If required, the bridges may be circular or
strait, as may be found most convenient for the engine to work. Fig. 29 are four
wheels which join the short pendulums to the bridges, counteracting the weights

page_text: of the said bridges, and at the same time giving equal power. Fig. 30 is
a weight traversing the bridge when the beam comes to an angle of 45.
Fig. 31, the adjusting rod fixed to the upper part of the bridges, causing them
to make equal angles. Fig. 32 works in Fig. 26 in order to give a quick
motion-in-lifting-the-weights._
In witness whereof, I, the said James Power, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, the Seventh day of October, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and two.
Monument Yard.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the same Seventh day of October,
in the year above mentioned, the aforesaid James Power 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.