IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR INCREASING THE MOTIVE POWER OF STEAM ENGINES AND ALL OTHER MOTIVE MACHINES
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Ratcliffe, of the Back-oth-Bank, Little
Bolton, in the County of Lancaster, Power Loom Manager, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR INCREASING THE MOTIVE
POWER OF STEAM ENGINES AND ALL OTHER MOTIVE MACHINES."
Sealed the 29th January 1869, and dated the 31st July 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Ratcliffe at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 31st July 1868.
I, JOSEPH RATCLIFFE, of the Back-oth-Bank, Little Bolton, in the
County of Lancaster, Power Loom Manager, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR
INCREASING THE MOTIVE POWER OF STEAM ENGINES AND ALL OTHER MOTIVE
MACHINES," to be as follows:---
The nature of my Invention consists, first, in an arrangement of
cranks of unequal stroke, and levers or arms of unequal fulcrum. I fix
a crank on any convenient part of the prime mover or motive power, of
any length of stroke, in connection with a lever or arm of any length of

page_text: fulcrum, the other end of which lever or arm has a shorter fulerum, con-
nected with a crank of shorter stroke on to the second motion or any other
part, as the case may be, and connecting the same with spur gearing on
to the following motion, on which is placed a crank of the same length
as the first one in connection with the longer end of a lever or arm of
the same length and description as the first, the shorter end of which is
coupled to a crank of the shorter strake placed on the succeeding power,
and connected with spur gearing as before, and carried on to any number
of powers required. The levers or arms are connected to the cranks
and centre of motion with ball-and-socket joints.
I now proceed to describe the means pursued by me, reference being
had to the accompanying Sheets of Drawings, and to the figures and
letters marked thereon.
Fig. 1 is a plan of my improved machinery for increasing motive
power; and Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the same.
A is the first motion or crank shaft of a steam engine; B is a crank
fixed on the same with ball-and-socket joint C in connection with the
longer end of lever D, with ball-and-socket joint E as a centre, the
shorter end of lever D being connected by ball-and-socket joint F to the
short crank G fixed on to shaft H, on which is placed a spur wheel I
working into I, which is keyed on to the shaft H, and carried forward
as before to any number of powers required.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Joseph Ratcliffe in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 29th January 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOSEPH
RATCLIFFE, of the Back-oth-Bank, Little Bolton, in the County of
Lancaster, Power Loom Manager, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirty-first day of July, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the thirty-second
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said Joseph Ratcliffe, Her special license that I, the
said Joseph Ratcliffe, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such

page_text: others as I, the said Joseph Ratcliffe, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
FOR INCREASING THE MOTIVE POWER OF STEAM ENGINES AND ALL OTHER MOTIVE
MACHINES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Joseph Ratcliffe, my executors or administrators, by an instrument 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 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 Joseph Ratcliffe, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement (that is to say) :-
The main object of this Invention is to increase the power of steam
engines and all other motive power machines by an arrangement or
combination of cranks of unequal stroke and levers or arms of unequal
fulcrum.
And in order that my Invention may be fully understood and readily
carried into operation, I will proceed to describe the accompaning
Sheet of Drawings.
Figure 1 shews a ground plan of my improved machinery; and
Figure 2 is an end elevation of the same.
The crank B is fixed on the first motion shaft A of a steam engine
or other motive power machine, or to any convenient part thereof, the
small end of which crank is prepared to receive the ball formed on the
longer end of the lever or arm D, which arm has a ball bearing working
in a stand or fixing at E, the shorter end of which lever or arm is
coupled with ball-and-socket joint to the small end of the crank G fixed
on to the second motion shaft H, on which I place a spur wheel I
working into the spur wheel I', which is keyed on to the shaft H', on
which shaft is fixed the crank B₁ coupled to the lever or arm D', having
a ball bearing at E', and connected as before with ball-and-socket joint

page_text: to crank G¹ fixed on the shaft H, on which is keyed the spur wheel I'
working into the spur wheel I placed on the shaft H, on which is
fixed the crank B2 in communication with the lever or arm D* and
crank G and spur wheel I'. This system of cranks and levers may be
carried on to any number of powers required.
Having thus stated the nature of my Invention, and described a
convenient mode of performing the same, I declare that I claim as my
Invention, the mode of applying the lever or levers D and cranks B and
G for increasing the motive power of steam and other motive power
engines, as shewn and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Ratcliffe, have hereto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of January, One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine.