A NEW OR IMPROVED ENGINE FOR 'OBTAINING AND APPLYING MOTIVE POWER, APPLICABLE ALSO AS A FLUID METER AND APPARATUS OR APPLIANCES IN CONNECTION THEREWITH.”
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Christopher Brakell, of Eight, York Street,
Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer, for the Inven-
tion of "A NEW OR IMPROVED ENGINE FOR 'OBTAINING AND APPLYING
MOTIVE POWER, APPLICABLE ALSO AS A FLUID METER AND APPARATUS OR
APPLIANCES IN CONNECTION THEREWITH.”
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Christopher Brakell
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 16th April 1875.
I, CHRISTOPHER BRAKELL, of Eight, York Street, Manchester, in the
County of Lancaster, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "A NEW OR IMPROVED ENGINE FOR OBTAINING AND APPLYING
MOTIVE POWER, APPLICABLE ALSO AS A FLUID METER AND APPARATUS OR
APPLIANCES IN CONNECTION THEREWITH," to be as follows:-
My improvements consist of an engine to be worked by steam, water,
compressed air, or other motive agent, which I construct as follows:-
I prepare a cylindrical casing, the ends of which are closed by covers

page_text: Figure 4 is an end elevation, shewing the pump in section.
Figure 5 is an enlarged view of the valve gear or apparatus for
working the valve.
The valve gear, as shewn in Figure ŏ, consists of a forging or casting,
with a slot or hole in it, through which the spindle of the machine
passes. This forging is connected with a crank on the valve spindle on
the one end, and is supported by and free to slide in a bracket projected
from the engine cover in the other end. On the main shaft or spindle
are fixed two tappets, one in front of and the other behind the forging
or slotted link. Also on each side of the forging are fixed projecting
pieces. When the steam piston has reached the end of its stroke or
nearly so one of the tappets on the main spindle comes in contact with
one of the projecting pieces on the link and reverses the valve, thereby
letting in the steam or motive agent, which drives the piston back, and
at the same time opening the port on the opposite side of the division to
allow the spent or exhaust power to escape. The same action takes
place when the piston reaches the end of its stroke on the opposite face
of the division, and in this way continuous action is kept up. When
necessary I apply a self-acting regulator or governor to the machine or
steam pump described. I prepare a small cylinder and piston. One
face of the piston is in connection with the pressure of the air, water, or
other fluid discharged by the machine. The other side of the piston
presses a spring or weighted lever in connection with the valve or cock
through which the motive agent is supplied to the engine. The spring
or weighted lever being adjusted to any required pressure at which it is
desired to have the discharge of the fluid body, it will be evident that
when the pressure of such discharge exceeds that of the spring or lever
the piston will move and partially or entirely shuts off the supply of the
motive agent, and when, on the other hand, the spring or lever exceeds

page_text: which the piston passes and empties at cach stroke being ascertained the
measurement is easily communicated to dials, as in other meters, by the
motion of the spindle on which the piston is fixed.
Although I have only hitherto described the application of my
Invention for purposes requiring a reciprocating motion, and for which
it offers special advantages, I can apply it for any purposes requiring a
continuous rotatory motion, as the peculiar reciprocating circular motion
of the engine can be easily changed into a continuous rotatory motion in
several ways, as, for instance, by means of a spur wheel on its spindle
gearing with a rack for to slide or move backwards and forwards connected
with a crank on the rotatory shaft, either independently or by the inter-
position of a connecting rod.
The mode of change of motion described refers to cases where my
Invention being applied for working the pump referred to it may be
required to drive other machinery.
For the direct use or application of my Invention for communicating
a continuous rotatory motion to a spindle or shaft I proceed as follows,
and for the better description I show it in Figure 9 of my Drawing:-
The engine is shown with a piston only traversing the segment of a
circle, and works with a reciprocating circular motion, as already
described. On the spindle of the engine is fixed a lever with a slot in it.
On the shaft to which continuous rotatory motion is to be given is fixed
a crank, or as shown by the Drawing a circular disc with a crank pin
which works in the slotted lever on the engine spindle.

page_text: through the centre, and when motion is given to the valve it guides or
permits the motive agent to enter the cylinder alternately through the
port on cach side of the division. The valve is so formed that while it
is supplying the motive agent through the port on one side of the
division it allows of the escape of the spent or exhausted power throngh
the port on the opposite side. Although I prefer in many cases the valve
described, especially when using water as the motive agent, it will be
evident that an ordinary slide valve, or in fact almost any other form of
valve can be applied.
The engine thus described is particularly applicable for working the
machine or pump for exhausting, discharging, and transmitting air,
water, or other fluids described in my Letters Patent dated the Twenty-
seventh day of February, in the year of our Lord One thousand cight
hundred and seventy-three, and Numbered seven hundred and twenty-
six, and which machine consists of a cylindrical casing, the ends of
which are closed by covers provided with bearings to support a spindle
or shaft through its centre. From the spindle projects a plate or piston
extending to and in contact with or nearly so, as the case may require,
the interior surface of the cylinder, while its edges or sides are also in
contact with or nearly so the side covers.
At one point of the cylinder is a fixed or stationary division extending
from the interior surface of the cylinder to the shaft or boss of the plate
or piston. In this division or in connection with each side of it aro
fitted inlet and outlet valves, so that as the piston moves from one side
of the division to the other with a reciprocating circular motion it
alternately opens an inlet valve and closes a discharge valve on one side
of the division, while it opens the discharge valve and closes the inlet
valve on the opposite side of the division by the suction or pressure of
the fluid it is acting on, and so continuously draws and discharges at
cach stroke of the piston.
For the better description of the application of the engine to tho
machine or pump referred to I annex Drawings, from which it will be
seen that the piston or plate of both engine and pump are on one
spindle.

page_text: pump.
Figure 4 is a sectional elevation of the
Figure 5 is an enlarged view of the valve gear or apparatus for working
the valve.
The valve gear, as shewn in Figure 5, consists of a forging or casting a,
with a slot or hole in it, through which the spindle 6 of the machine
passes; this forging is connected with the lever or crank c on the valvo
spindle on the one end, and is supported by and free to slide in a
bracket & projected from the engine cylinder cover on the other end.
On the main shaft are fixed two tappets e, e, one in front of and the
other behind the slotted link, also on each side of the forging or link
are fixed projecting pieces f.f. When the steam piston has reached the
end of its stroke or nearly so one of the tappets on the main spindle
comes in contact with one of the projecting pieces on the link, and
reverses the valve, thereby letting on the steam or motive agent, which
drives the piston back, and at the same time opening the port on the
opposite side of the division to allow the spent or exhaust power to
escape. Similar action takes place when the piston reaches again the
end of its stroke on the opposite side of the division, and in this way
continuous action is kept up.
Although my Drawings hitherto referred to show the combined engine
and pump with the fixed divisions or abutments and the inlets and
outlets on the side of the machine, it will be evident that they can be
placed at any point of the circumference, and although I show the
ordinary hinged flat valves in the pump yet in some cases I shall
prefer to apply other forms of valves, as, for instance, flat circular plate
valves.
One mode of applying such valves I will here describe and illustrate
by Figures 6, 7, and 8 of my Drawings.
Figure 6 shows a plan of the abutment, on the face of which are
the circular, flat, or plate valves.
Figure 7 shows a sectional end elevation of that half of the abutment
which is in connection with the discharge or outlet of the machine.
Figure 8 shows a sectional end elevation of that half of the abutment {
which is in connection with the suction or inlet of tho machine.

page_text: The abutment is here shown as applied in the upper part of the
cylinder with the discharge through the top, and the suction or inlet
through the side cover of the cylinder. The abutment has a division in
the middle, so that one-half is in connection with the suction opening in
the side cover, and the other half with the discharge opening through
the top of the cylinder. A number of circular flat valves are placed on
the surface of the abutment, and are secured by pins through their
centres which allow them to rise and fall to a certain extent. In this
arrangement both suction and discharge valves act in a similar manner,
namely, that they risc and fall vertically on a horizontal surface.
When necessary I apply a self-acting regulator to the combined
engine and pump described, namely, I prepare a small cylinder and
piston. Onc face of the piston is in connection with the pressure of tho
air, water, or other fluid discharged by the machine; the other side of
the piston presses against a spring or weighted lover in connection with
the valve or cock through which the motive agent is supplied to the
engine. The spring or weighted lever being adjusted to any required
pressure at which it is desired to have the discharge of the fluid body it
will be evident that when the pressure of such discharge exceeds that of
the spring or lever the piston will move and partially or entirely shut off
the supply of the motive agent, and when the spring or lever exceeds the
pressure of the fluid the piston will move in the opposite direction and
let on a larger supply of the motive agent.
My Invention can be modified or arranged to suit many different
applications, and I will here describe and illustrato some of them.
Figure 9 of my Drawings shows in section a segment of a cylinder in
which is a piston, to each side of which a valve supplies the motive
agent, the ends of the segment representing the faces of the fixed
division moved further away from each other.
To the shaft, projecting on one or both sides, I fix a lever or levers of
any required length, to the end of which I secure a block or hammer
head, and thereby obtain a machine for hammering, stamping, or
crushing, or by preparing the lever with knives, cutters, or rasps I
obtain a machine for cutting, chipping, or rasping any substances
requiring such treatment. Such a machine is also applicable for
chipping or dressing stone and other substances, for cutting coal, and
also for digging or excavating purposes. For some applications I should

page_text: mount the machine on swivel Joints or frames, so that the DIOWS Coutu
be given in any required direction.
The Invention is also applicable for working jigger saws, log frames,
or any machines requiring a direct reciprocating or parallel motion;
also for working the bellows of organs and other musical instruments.
Figure 10 shows the engine applied for working deep well or other
pumps of the ordinary kind usually worked by cranks, L legs, or 1 legs
and rods.
Figure 11 shows the Invention applied for propelling boats or ships.
The engine is placed inside the ship, with the shaft projected vertically
for this illustration through the ship's side. On the shaft and at an
angle with the piston of the engine is fixed a blade or plate, to which a
reciprocating circular motion is given something like that of the tail
of a fish. The apparatus can be applied at the bows, sides, or stern of a
ship.
The blades may be flexible if formed of a number of plates after the
manner of a carriage spring.
The Invention also makes a most simple, cheap, and effective machine
for measuring fluids. The contents of the cylinder or space through
which the piston passes and emptics at each stroke being ascertained:
the measurement is easily communicated to dials as in other meters by
the motion of the spindle on which the piston is fixed.
Although I have only hitherto described the application of my In-
vention for purposes requiring a reciprocating motion, and for which it
offers special advantages, I can apply it for purposes requiring a con-
tinuous rotatory motion as the peculiar reciprocating circular motion of
the engine can be easily changed into a continuous rotatory motion in
several ways, as for instance, by means of a spur wheel on its spindle
gearing with a rack free to slide or move backwards and forwards,
connected with a crank on the rotating shaft, either independently or by
the interposition of a connecting rod. This mode of converting the
motion is applicable in cases where the apparatus being constructed for
working the pump referred to it may also be required to drive other
machinery.

page_text: spindle of the engine is fixed a lever with a slot in it. On the shaft to
which rotatory motion is to be given is fixed a crank, or as shewn by the
Drawing, a circular disc with a crank pin, which works in the slotted
lever on the engine spindle.
Figures 13, 14, and 15 show the application of my Invention as a
water engine and pump combined with the spindle or shaft vertical;
Figure 13 is an outside or perspective view; Figure 14 is a sectional
elevation; Figure 15 is a sectional plan; and the lotters in cach Figure
refer to the same parts.
A is the water engine; B is the pump; C is the air vessel; D is tho
discharge opening from the pump; E is the suction or supply to pump;
T is the inlet or supply to the water engine; G, G, are the exhaust
openings through the circular valve for the escape of the spent water
from the engine; H is supply pipe from the water under pressure in
the rising main for working the small engine which works the circular
valve; I is a lever on the valve spindle for working the same by hand
when necessary; K is a hand wheel and lever for adjusting the foot
step.
The engine and pump are on one shaft and are similar in action,
having a reciprocating circular motion from one side of a fixed abutment
or division to the other, as already described. In this application the
valve is shown worked by the water under pressure from the pump
acting on a small engine, similar in construction to the main engine,
the piston of which is fixed on the valve spindle, and moves through so
much of the segment of a circle as is required to change the water
supply from one side of the abutment to the other, but it will be evident
that the fall or pressure which works the main engine can be used
instead, or the valve can be actuated by levers, tappets, or other
mechanism direct from the main spindle of the machine. This arrange-
ment of water engine and pump combined is specially suited for being
placed at the lowest point or bottom of the fall of water, the spent water
passing through the openings G, G, direct into the tail race, but by
connecting a pipe or pipes with the said openings to convey the water to
the lowest point of the fall of water the machine can be placed some
distance above, whether made with the shaft vertical or horizontal.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I claim,-

page_text: First. The use as a motive-power engine of an apparatus constructed
and operating substantially as herein described with reference to the
accompanying Drawings, such apparatus consisting mainly of a plate
or piston mounted on a spindle inside a casing, and receiving a recipro-
cating circular motion by the alternate admission of fluid pressure to
either side thereof, the admission and escape of the fluid pressure to and
from opposite sides of the piston being regulated by a slide or other valve
operating in combination with inlet and outlet passages.
Second. The combination of a motive-power engine constructed as set
forth in the first claim with an apparatus for propelling or forcing or 1
exhausting fluids, arranged and operating substantially as herein
described with reference to Figures One to Eight and Thirteen to
Ffteen of the accompanying Drawings.
Third. In motive-power engines constructed as set forth in the first
claim the arrangement of the segmental division, with ports and passages 1
for the admission and exhaust of fluid pressure, and with reciprocating
cylindrical valves, operating substantially as herein described with
referenco to Figure Three of the Drawings.
Fourth. The various arrangements of the motive-power engine con-
structed as set forth in the first claim for producing reciprocating or rotary 2
motion, as herein described with reference to Figures Nine to Twelve of
the accompanying Drawings.
Fifth. The adoption of the motive-power engine constructed as set
forth in the first claim for use as a fluid meter, substantially as herein
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Christopher Brakell, have hereunto
set my hand and scal, this Eleventh day of September, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
2