Im- PROVEMENTS IN SUBAQUEOUS AND TUNNEL COMMUNICATIONS, SUCH, FOR INSTANCE, AS SUBMARINE AND OTHER RAILWAY TUNNELS, AND IN GENERATING TIDAL AND HYDRAULIC PNEUMATIC POWER TO BE USED FOR SUCH COMMUNICATIONS AND OTHERWISE
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Williams, of No. 4, Mitford Street,
Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, for the Invention of "Im-
PROVEMENTS IN SUBAQUEOUS AND TUNNEL COMMUNICATIONS, SUCH, FOR INSTANCE,
AS SUBMARINE AND OTHER RAILWAY TUNNELS, AND IN GENERATING TIDAL AND
HYDRAULIC PNEUMATIC POWER TO BE USED FOR SUCH COMMUNICATIONS AND
OTHERWISE."
Sealed the 7th June 1870, and dated the 11th December 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Williams
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 11th December 1869.
I, WILLIAM WILLIAMS, of No. 4, Mitford Street, Liverpool, in the
County of Lancaster, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SUBAQUEOUS AND TUNNEL COMMUNICATIONS, SUCH, FOR
INSTANCE, AS SUBMARINE AND OTHER RAILWAY TUNNELS, AND IN GENERATING
TIDAL AND HYRAULIC PNEUMATIC POWER TO BE USED FOR SUCH COMMUNICATIONS
AND OTHERWISE," to be as follows:-
I construct subaqueous tunnels by means of tubes made either wholly
of cast iron or a combination of wrought and cast iron in manner

page_text: following, that is to say :-I make iron rings jointed together in such
lengths as may be suitable according to circumstances, the ordinary
joints to be flanged and bolted together or otherwise made secure
alternately with such a number of the flexible or self-adjusting joints
for pipes (patented by me on the 24th day of February, A.D. 1869,
No. 571) as may be found expedient and necessary, all the separate
parts and joints to be made and prepared so as to be perfectly true,
accurate, and similar throughout, also providing if found necessary for
the boring of the sockets of the flexible joints in conical form with
a slight taper for the convenience of connection under. exceptional
circumstances. All parts or sections of the joints or pipes having been
prepared, turned or bored, are to be brought to a site specially prepared
for the purpose, and there the tubes will be put together and built up in
lengths or sections of four to six hundred yards or such other lengths
as may be suitable, and thence by the opening of sluices (or otherwise)
the tubes are to be floated into position on the beach or shore, and so
on length by length, being united together until the desired total
length is constructed. Then the tube being floated into position
where required the water is to be let in by means of valves, so that
the tube may be sunk in the situation provided and prepared for the
same, and when thus located the water can be pumped out and withdrawn
and the tube laid dry and communications established and connection
made with the bank or shore at either end.
Through the tunnel or tube so constructed and prepared I purpose
to work trains either by locomotive or stationary engines or by atmo-
spheric or pneumatic pressure, as may be specially applied in the
manner described as follows:-I generate motive power to be used
in connexion with the subaqueous communications above referred
to and for other purposes by means of pneumatic pressure produced
through the combined alternate action of a "plenum" and a "vacuum "
produced by the agency of hydraulic force derived from the rise
and fall of the tide or otherwise. This principle is developed wherever
tidal range is available by means of four reservoirs, of which the first
is an impounding reservoir to be filled at high water; the 2nd and
3rd are intermediate pressure reservoirs at progressively decreasing
altitudes, being air-tight create alternately a "plenum" and a
"Vacuum during the process of filling and emptying; and the
4th is a waste water reservoir situate as nearly as may be at the

page_text: highest level of low water and retaining the water which has passed
successively from the 1st through the 2nd and 3rd reservoirs and
discharging the same at low water. The 2nd and 3rd reservoirs being
connected with air-tight tubes, cylinders, or other mechanical means
of utilizing the powers will create pressure by the alternate compression
and exhaustion of the air. In cases where the ebb and flow of the
tide are not available the generating source must be obtained by the
aid of natural or artificial falls of water.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Williams in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 11th June 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
WILLIAMS, of No. 4, Mitford Street, Liverpool, in the County of
Lancaster; send greeting:
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing: date the Eleventh day of December, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the
thirty-third year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said William Williams, Her
special licence that I, the said William Williams, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William
Williams, 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 Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SUBAQUEOUS AND. TUNNEL COMMUNICATIONS, SUCH,
FOR INSTANCE, AS SUBMARINE AND OTHER RAILWAY TUNNELS, AND IN GENERATING
TIDAL AND HYDRAULIC PNEUMATIC POWER TO BE USED FOR SUCH COMMUNICATIONS
AND OTHERWISE," upon the condition. (amongst
the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said William Williams, 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 in what manner the same was to be performed, and
cause the same to be filed in the Great Scal Patent Office within six

page_text: one and lately after the date of the said Letter
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Williams Williams, 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:-
My Invention has reference to the construction of subaqueous
tunnels by means of tubes made either wholly of cast iron or a combi-
nation of wrought and cast iron in the following manner :-I make
iron rings in any suitable lengths according to circumstances, and
join them together, the ordinary joints to be flanged and bolted together
or otherwise made secure, alternating them with such a number of
flexible or self-adjusting joints for pipes, such as those described in
the Specification of my former Letters Patent, granted to me on
the 24th day of February, A.D., 1869, No. 571, and as may be found
expedient and desirable, all the separate parts and joints to be made
and prepared so as to be perfectly true, accurate, and similar throughout,
and where necessary I provide for the boring of the sockets of the
flexible joints in conical form with a slight taper for the convenience
of connection under exceptional circumstances. Having prepared,
turned, or bored all the parts or sections of the joints or pipes the same
are to be brought to a site specially prepared for the purpose, and
there the tubes are to be put together and built up in lengths or
sections of four to six hundred yards or such other length as may
be suitable, and thence by the opening of sluices (or otherwise) the
tubes are to be floated into position on the beach or shore and so on,
being length by length united together until the desired total length in
constructed. The tube is then floated into position where required, and
the water is to be let in by means of valves so that the tube may
be sunk in the proper situation prepared for the same, and when
thus located the water can be pumped out and withdrawn and the
tube laid dry, so that communication can be established and connection
made with the bank or shore at either end.
-Through the tunnel or tube thus constructed and prepared I purpose
to work trains either by locomotive or stationary engines or by atmo-
spheric or pneumatic pressure, which may be specially applied in the
manner hereafter described :-I generate motive power to be used
in connection with the subaqueous communications above referred

page_text: to and for other purposes by means of pneumatic pressure produced
through the combined and alternate action of a plenum and a vacuum.
by the agency of hydraulic force derived from the rise and fall of
the tide or otherwise. This principle is developed wherever tidal
range is available, by means of four reservoirs, of which the first
is an impounding or storage reservoir to be filled at high water,
and the second and third are intermediate pressure reservoirs at
progressively decreasing altitudes, which, being air-tight, creaté alter-
nately a plenum and a vacuum during the process of filling and
emptying, and the fourth is a waste water reservoir situate as nearly
as may be at the highest level of low water and retaining the water
which has passed successively from the first through the second and
third reservoirs and discharging the same at low water. The second
and third reservoirs being connected with air-tight tubes, cylinders, or
other mechanical means of utilising the power will create pressure
by the alternate compression and exhaustion of the air. In cases
where the ebb and flow of the tide are not available the generating
source must be obtained by the aid of natural or artificial fall of
water.
Having thus far particularly described and ascertained the nature of
my said Invention and intimated in general terms in what manner the
same is to be performed or put in practice, in further compliance with
the condition in the said Letters Patent contained, I will now further
and particularly describe and ascertain in what manner the said
Invention is to be performed or carried out in practice by referring to
the accompanying Drawings by the words, figures, and letters marked
in the said Drawings and hereafter referred to, that is to say:-
A denotes the impounding or storage reservoir, and B the vacuum
reservoir or tank; C, pressure reservoir or tank; D, waste reservoir
or tank; E and F are the tunnels or tubes through which the com-
munications are carried on.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature and
object of my said Invention, and in what manner the same may be
performed or carried out in practice, I declare that I claim, the "Improve-
ments in Subaqueous and Tunnel Communications, such, for instance,

page_text: as Submarine and other Railway Tunnels, and in Generating Tidal
and Hydraulic Pneumatic Power to be used for such Communications
and otherwise," as the same are herein described and illustrated by the
accompanyings Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Williams, have hereunto 5
set my hand and seal, this Seventh day of June, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy.
Witness,
GEO. J. ATKINSON,
Liverpool.
WILLIAM WILLIAMS. (L.S.)