NEW AND IMPROVED CERTAIN METHODS OF APPLYING THE POWER OF STEAM AND WATER, EITHER TOGETHER OR SEPARATE, AS CIRCUMSTANCES MAY REQUIRE, TO THE PURPOSE OF MILLING, AND GIVING ADVANTAGEOUS MOTION AND EFFECTS TO ALL KINDS OF MACHINES AND ENGINES UPON WHICH THEY MAY BE BROUGHT TO ACT
Year: 1791

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
RUMSEY, of Falcon Stairs, Blackfriars, Southwark, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty King George the Third did, by His
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at West-
minster, the Twenty-fifth day of August, in the thirty-first year of His reign,
give and grant unto me, the said James Rumsey, His special licence, full
power, sole priviledge and authority, during the term of years therein expressed,
to make, use, exercise, and vend within that part of Great Britain called
England, the Dominion of Wales, the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, and also
in all our Plantations abroad, my Inventions of "NEW AND IMPROVED CERTAIN
METHODS OF APPLYING THE POWER OF STEAM AND WATER, EITHER TOGETHER OR
SEPARATE, AS CIRCUMSTANCES MAY REQUIRE, TO THE PURPOSE OF MILLING, AND
GIVING ADVANTAGEOUS MOTION AND EFFECTS TO ALL KINDS OF MACHINES AND ENGINES
UPON WHICH THEY MAY BE BROUGHT TO ACT;" in which said Letters Patent there is
contained a proviso or condition obliging me, the said James Rumsey, by an
Instrument in writing under my hand and seal, particularly to describe and
ascertain the nature of my said Inventions, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, and to cause the same to be enrolled in His Majesty's High Court
of Chancery within one month after the date of the said Letters Patent, as in
and by the same, relation thereto being had, will more fully appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in pursuance of and in compliance with the said
proviso or condition, I, the said James Rumsey, do hereby declare that the
nature and principles of my said Inventions and improvements, and the manner

page_text: in which the same are to be performed, are herein-after particularly described
and ascertained under the thirteen following heads or articles :-
1st. In constructing my new invented or improved water wheels (in general
of metal), with their cuckets or floats moveable upon hinges, or otherwise fixed
so as to project or receed with caso and convenience between the rims or
shrouds of the wheel from its circumference towards its center, or the
contrary, and pass at each revolution a stop or valve moveable upon a pin
or axis near its center, and projected between the rims to the soaling or
lining of the wheel, which itself has part of its circumference embraced
by an apron, generally of metal, to prevent the water from passing by its
cuckets, which, with its rims and stop, may be leathered or otherwise kept
tight. Being thus prepared, the water is brought by a tube or other common
conductor to act upon the wheel between the stop or valve before mentioned
and its cuckets alternately as they pass and are opened by a lever on each of
their axes that meet in ratation spring or a stationary pin. Upon this wheel.
if well made, the water is expended no faster than the wheel turns round,
which ought to be slow, as the water acts upon it by pressure or gravity. It
has also the advantage of other wheels, by being applicable to work with equal
convenience with its axis in any direction.
2d. In improving the common wheel, where the fall of water is small and
low, by causing the rims and cuckets of the wheels, which should be well
leathered and lined within, to move in a case or apron of metal or wood, that
closely embraces its lower part, while itself.forms the front or forepart of the
forebay or penstock containing the water that moves it, in which penstock or
forebay, at some distance from the wheel, is a gate to stop the water from the
wheel, in part or altogether, as need may require. Very few cuckets will serve
such a wheel. The number will depend on its size, and the length of the
apron that embraces its lower part, which must always have one float or cucket
upon it. This wheel must also move slow; say with one sixth part the velocity
that water would move with from under the head that drives it when its
power or effects (friction included) will be thirty-five thirty-sixth parts of the
weight of the whole column of water expended upon it, which at most, in the
common way of application, could act with but nine thirty-sixths of the weight
of the water expended; a difference nearly as four to one in favour of the
improvement.
3d. In constructing water wheels with their cuckets or floats fixed upon
the extremities of flat metal rings mounted upon horizontal axes, moving
through a slit in a circular tube facing the center or axis of the wheel, while
its cuckets, which are leathered, pass through the tube itself. The slit niny

page_text: also be leathered, to keep all tight, and prevent the water from being ex-
pended faster than the motion of the wheel, which, and its moving slow, arc
two leading principles in most of my new or improved application of water to
mills.
4th. In causing the ends of my Improved Barker's Tube Water Mill (de-
scribed in the Specification to my Patent bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of
March, One thousand seven hundred and ninety, and enrolled in His Majesty's
High Court of Chancery the Twenty-second day of May, in the same year)
to move round with its ends in a circular case that is open next the axis of the
tube, which extends on contrary sides of each end to the bottom of the case.
To the sides of the tube contrary to each other that do not extend to the
bottom of the case are fixed quarter circles of metal or wood, sufficiently wide
to close the front of the case so far as they extend, thereby constantly forming,
when they move that part of the case opposite to them, into a tube. In the
circular case are placed upon hinges several valves or stops, well-leathered, that
turn in rotation with case by machinery fixed to their axes and the shaft of the
whirling tube, and stop the tube that is constantly formed and shifting in the
case by the motion of the segments of circles fixed to the whirling tube, which
prevents the water from escaping while it acts in the case between the
extended parts of the tube and the stops in the case in rotation as they are
opened by a lever on their axes, and a pin or spring fixed to the whirling tube.
In some cases the extended parts of the whirling tube may be fixed upon
hinges that will allow them to turn so far as to pass by stops that are fixed in
the case.
5th. In removing obstructions to wheels, arising from back water occasioned
by floods or tides, by causing them to move within cases that are tight except
at their bottoms, which are open, and extended lower than the wheels they
contain; yet beneath them must be room for the water which works the wheel
to escape. By this preparation the back water, when it rises, is prevented
from entering the case, or retarding the wheel it incloses by the pressure of the
air it contains upon the surface of the water below, that endeavours to rise in
the case. As it will be difficult to case wheels perfectly tight, a small pump
may therefore be worked by the wheel, to replace what air may escape from
the case.
6th. In giving powerful motion and effects, by the agency of steam, to my
new invented and improved water wheels, by fixing the wheels within tight
vessels immersed in water, and keeping the said vessells exhausted by a steam
engine of the water, &c., allowed to enter, (from the weight of the atmosphere on
its surface), through an aperture advantageously leading the water to act as it

page_text: passes powerfully upon the wheel, or whatever may be used instead thereof,
as its pass into the exhausted vessel. By this means the steam engine is made
to produce rotary motion and other effects without tho necessity, friction, or
expence of beams, cranks, wheels, or cogs.
7th. In giving powerful motion and effects to various machines, by causing
my new invented steam engines, hereafter to be described, to be fixed horizon-
tally with piston rods or bolts, or whatever may be used instead thereof, passing
through one or both ends of their cylinders, in order that it may work with
case and convenience different machines at the same time, or alternately, as
circumstances may require; or may be applied to force or raise water and
work machinery, by turns or together, at pleasure, as circumstances may
require, by connecting its rods with the machinery of both, or only with that of
the business first wanted to bo done.
8th. In giving powerful motion and effects to mills and other machines, by
causing my forcing steam engine (described in the Specification of my Patent
bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of March, One thousand seven hundred and
ninety, enrolled as recited above,) and the atmosphere alternately to force
pistons with water back and forwards, in cylinders fixed horizontally or other-
ways; to which pistons are connected rods passing through the ends of the
cylinders in which they move, and, like those mentioned in the seventh article,
give useful motion and effects in the various manners there described, with the
additional advantage, when necessary, of disconnecting the steam engine from
the moving machinery, and causing it to force or move water any distance, or
up into reservoirs by the steam engine alone, without giving motion to tho
piston or water in the cylinder or cylinders before described, with which it may
be connected at pleasure for the purpose of milling or giving motion to other
machines.
9th. In giving powerful rotary motion to my new constructed and improved
water wheels, by nicans of a steam engine applied to force water into an air
vessell, from which it is conducted by a tube or otherwise to act on the wheel of
a mill, to which it applies with great force, and nearly a uniform motion, occa-
sioned by the spring of the air acting upon its surface within the air vessell,
which avoids the expence of cisterns, and the pipes to necessary conduct the
water into them.
10th. In giving powerful circular motion to my new invented rotary steam
and water engines, that are applicable immediately in all directions to every
machine requiring circular motion, of a uniform power of any given strength,
without the incumbrance or necessity of cocks, valves, slides, or gates, except to
stop or put them in motion. These engines are constructed of circular, eliptical,

page_text: or other formed wheels, that must work so truly together, by cogs or otherways,
that, should occasion require it, two axes might be placed paralel to each other,
or in any other direction, having upon cach axis, for instance, two eliptical wheels
at any given distance apart, but opposite to each other, the one pair cogged, the
other not, which, when turned, though of cliptic form, would work so truly
together as for the cogs to move neatly into cach other; while the smooth
wheels, though not round, rowl so truly upon each others surfaces as to be
nearly air and water tight.
Having premise thus much explanatory of the nature of some of the wheels
of which my engines are formed, I shall proceed to explain the construction of
the engines formed by them, and the manner they are put into motion by the
application of water or steam to act upon them, so as to produce powerful effects.
In some cases, in the application of steam, I cause two wheels of metal, exactly
circular or eliptical, with hollows and rounds (i.c., coggs,) around their circum-
ferences, and of considerable breadth in the direction of their axes, upon which
they must be made to work truly into each other when placed within metal cases
that intirely inclose them, and neatly and exactly embrace at least one half of cach
of their circumferences or greatest diameters of the wheels if eliptical; the more
it embraces of them the better, departing from them only where the wheels are
not round, and upon those sides of them where their coggs work together. The
case that incluses them, which I shall hereafter call steam vessels or cases, lins
a bottom and top of metal made very smooth within, through which the axes of
the wheels pass, while each of their ends within move close to the bottom and
cover of metal, which are put on with screws for the convenience of easily
coming at the wheels to leather or tighten them with ocum or other elastic
substances. The axes of either or both these wheels may rise above the steam
case before described to any convenient height, to give motion or effects by
wheels fixed upon them to any kind of mechanism; while one or both their
lower ends, as may be found most convenient, may descend and pass through a
case immersed in water, or not, as occasion may require; that is, united to and
of similar form to that already described, and separated only by a single plate
of metal. If place apart, they must be united by a tube, as in
open communication must be constantly kept up between them.
of the axis or axes that descend into this lower apartment of the steam case
are placed eliptical wheels working neatly together, with or without coggs, which,
as they are moved round by the machine, will force out the water admitted into
these united steam vessels to condense the steam. Many other circular pumps
might be introduced- for the same purpose, but perhaps none so powerful as
those formed by wheels truly eliptical, moving each other round by coggs. Being
all cases an
On the end

page_text: the coggs
thus prepared, the steam is let from the boiler through a tube into that part
of the case containing the first-described wheels, which will move iliem around
though but feebly, till as inuch steam has passed through the spaces between
s and those made by their cliptical forms (when round ones are not
used) as will drive the air from the steam cases through the similar vacant
spaces in the lower wheels (or whatever may be used instead thereof), at
which time a jet of cold water is admitted to meet the steam (that has done its
office upon the upper wheels), on its way to the lower apartment of the steam
case, from whence it and the injected water' is discharged, as before described.
By this means a vacuum is provided and constantly preserved on one side of
the wheels in the upper part of the steam case, while the steam acts upon tho
other with a moving power proportionate to the depth of their coggs combined
with the proportion of the eliptical form of the wheels; for instance, if the
wheels are out of round three inches, and have coggs of the same depth and
one foot in length, the moving power would be equal to the pressure of a
column of steam twelvo inches by six, or seventy-two square inches, which
might be estimated at ten pounds upon each square inch, amounted to
seven hundred and twenty pounds which might move with such a velocity by
having no valves to open or shut as to be equal to a cylindrick engine of
at least sixteen inches diameter, or a power of ten or twelve horses. When
this machine is worked by water the lower part of its case becomes uucces-
sary. The water must be made to enter the case to act upon the wheels
where the steam does in the foregoing description, but must have an aper-
ture much lower, with another on the contrary 'side, to discharge it into the
open air as it passes (as the steam did) through the apertures between
the coggs, or those occasioned by the eliptical form of the wheels, which
that form is used, the power of which will always be equal to the weight of a
column of water supported on a caso equal to the depth and length of one of
the coggs of the wheels, the weight upon the other coggs becoming a balanco
to each other; but this is only the case when the wheels are circular, for when
eliptic, whatever they are out of round may be added as power to the depth
of their coggs in the ratio that the admeasurement of it bears to that of the
coggs.
These wheels are excellently calculated to work within my exhausted
vessels, mentioned under the sixtli article or head of this Specification. I
have already observed, that this machine or engine can be made to work with
the axis of their wheels in any other direction besides that of being parallel to
ono another. It may therefore be necessary to add, that in such cases their
cogg wheels must be bevelling, according to the angle they are to work in.
11th. In giving powerful circular motion by my new invented horizontal

page_text: rotary steam engine, which in its form is not much unlike the old Barker's
Mill, as described in several philosophical works, as I cause the steam from
the boiler to enter the top of an upright tube of metal that becomes the axis of
the machine, which is applicable to any purpose requiring circular motion.
Through this tube it descends some way, and then enters the cavity of a cross
tubo connected with the upright one, or axis of the machine, at right angles.
The ends of this cross or horizontal tube are inserted through a ring of metal,
and thereby becomes a wheel that must be turned exactly round, and of a
diameter equal the length of the said cross tube, which gives it the appearance
of an horizontal wheel, by which name I shall hereafter distinguish it. This
horizontal wheel is embraced. by a circular case or groove open only on
the side next its center to receive the wheel, which forms the case or groove
into an intiro circular tube. This case is in most respects very similar to that
described for a water mill under the fifth head above, differing only in having
fewer stops that slide out and in to let pistons pass them, instead of turning upon
hinges for that purpose, as those of the water mill do. To the rim of the hori-
zontal wheel, close to cut on contrary sides of the cross tube of the horizontal
wheel, are fixed pistons that fit the circular case or groove, and are made tight
with ocum or otherwise. The stops that open and shut in the case or groove in
rotation to let the said pistons pass as they move round, are all made tight in
the same manner, as well as the joints formed by the horizontal wheel, where it
moves in the front of the circular case or groove. On the contrary side of each
piston is inserted through the rim of the wheel a pipe, which are always open
to lead of the steam after it has performed its office in the case or groove,.
through a cavity that leads it by one of the communications that are always
open from the circular case or tube to a vessel in connection with it that
is kept under water, or not, where it is condensed, and is forced from thence
by my eliptical wheels, as mentioned in the preceeding article, or otherways by
the axis of the machine. Being thus prepared, and the steam cock opened, the
steam from the boiler passes without interruption down the axis of the
machine and the cross tube or horizontal wheel, into the circular case or
groove before described, where it acts between the pistons of the horizontal
wheel and the stops in rotation as they shut after being opened for the pistons
to pass them, at which time the steam that, had just donc its office against
the piston preceeding, that is placed on the rim, is at liberty to pass down
out of the pipe before described, leading through the axis of the machine,
where it is condensed and forced out as before described.
12th. My new invented steam engines for lifting, forcing, or dispersing water,
and other. purposes, consists of a steam cylinder, with a piston made tight

page_text: as usual, that can move back and forward freely in the cylinder, to which
piston is fixed the upper end of a hollow rod that moves freely through the
lower end of the cylinder, to work a lifting, pump by its other end, while
the hollow bolt is applied to raise water with all or any part of the power of
the engine, by passing thro' the lid or cover of a lifting pump, where it is made
tight, and has a piston with valves that open upwards. Care must be taken
that this piston is not placed too far above the surface of the water to
be raised, least the water should not rise through its valves. Being thus
prepared, and the piston down, the steam is let in from the boiler at the bottom
of the steam cylinder, which forces up its piston, while the air above it passes
down through its hollow rod under the piston at its other end, within the
lifting pump; at the same time the air above the piston of the lifting pump
rises through a valve in the tube leading to the reservoir into which the water
is to be raised. When the piston arrives at the top of the cylinder, the steam
from the boiler is shut off, and a valve in the piston is struck open down-
wards by the lid of the cylinder, through which valve the steam from below
the piston will rise while the piston descends by its own weight; as it rises
the second time, the steam first admitted, then above the piston, will pass
rapidly through its hollow bolt into the lifting pump below its piston,
and at the next descent of the piston will rise (being lighter than air)
through the valves of the piston of the lifting pump, were it will be con-
densed by meeting a jet of cold water coming from the reservoir or other
temporary supply, which, if scarce, need not be continued after the water
to bo raised begins to pass the valves of lifting pump and its piston.
The steam, by having an open communication from the steam cylinder to
the lifting pump, will there mix with the water to be raised, and condense
before it can rise through the valves of the piston, as at first when air only was
in the pump. It is not intended in general to have any valve between what
may be the piston of the lifting pump and the water to be raised, by
which means the escape of the steam through the bolt from the steam
cylinder into the pump will be greatly facilitated by the water below its piston
endeavouring to depend. This engine may be easily made to work with equal
power both ways, by having two pistons to move together, and near
each other, within the cylinder, with valves, as in the one already described,
that open alternately to let the steam (which enters from the boiler, first at
one end of the cylinder, and then at the other,) get between them, to
pass through the hollow bolt or bolts that are constantly open, as above
described, to the vessel or vessels containing the water to be raised; or the
pistons may be fixed so far apart as that neither of them cau quite move to

page_text: the middle of the cylinder, from whence there may lead a pipe, instead of the
hollow piston bolts, which must be continually open to the pump or vessel
which the water enters that is to be raised. As all steam engines must have a
supply of cold water for condensing the steam they use, the quantity of
which steam might be much lessened (consequently a great saving of fuel) of it
was condensed in my new method of letting it pass from the engine through a
pipe kept constantly open to let it enter below the piston of a lifting pump closed
at top, as above described, and no valve (except a temporary one) beneath
its piston. By this means the steam would be condensed by the water in
its ascent, which would make it unnecessary to return again for that
purpose, which would be a saving in the quantity raised by the engine of
double the quantity now used for injection, which, added to the advantages
before described, would make a saving of much more than half the fuel at
present used. In this manner of condensing it will be found necessary to
have the engine so high from the surface of the water to be raised as to
prevent the weight or pressure of the atmosphere from forcing it into the
engine through the open pipe leading from the engine to the lifting pump.
Where the situation will not admit of the engines being so high, a forcing
pump, if the water is raised above thirty feet, may be made to answer the
same purpose by a proper disposition of its valves. This engine may also be
fixed horizontally for various purposes, as described in the preceeding seventh
article, and is peculiarly well constructed to exhaust vessels of air and water
for the purpose of working my new invented water mills and other machines
in what is termed a vacuum, as mentioned or described in the preceeding
sixth article, as in that case no such inconvenience in condensing, as described
above, can take place, the atmosphere being prevented from acting upon the
surface of the water to be raised.
13th. In improving by more fully explaining the principles, constructions,
and applications of my boilers, steam vessels, &c. described in the Specifi-
cation of my Patent bearing date on the Sixth day of November, One
thousand seven hundred and eighty-eight, and enrolled in His Majesty's Iligh
Court of Chancery on the Sixth day of December the same year, to the
first article explanatory of principles in that Specification, which begins with
the words: In forming my boilers, &c., should have been added the following
words, viz. Upon all the contrary sides of such surface throughout I cause
the heat or flame of the fire to act, either by leading it through the cavities
or perforations formed by partitions and divisions, or through the cylinders,
pipes, or tubes that form the boilers, and have the fluids to be heated resting
against their outer surfaces, or causing its heat to act upon the outer part of

page_text: such cavities, cylinders, pipes, and tubes, while the fluids to be heated circulate
freely within them, or by a combination of both the principles united, the flaine
or heat of the fire, as well as the fluids to be heated, may be circulated alter-
nately, but separately, within and without cavities, cylinders, tubes, and pipes.
In the sixth article of principles in the aforesaid Specification, after the
words, 1st, and causing the vapor rising from them to act upon vessels
moveable within receivers, insert: or pistons moving within cylinders.
2d, again, after the words 'tho vapor passes into the still worm, and is
condensed as usual, insert, after which it passes into a tight vessel, from
whence it is drawn by a pump or otherways; these vessels may be formed of
tubes surrounded by cold water, and serve instead of the common worm for
stills. Sd, and again, after the words: as the vessels moving within the
receivers of my stills or boilers, insert: or the hollow pistons moving within
my cylinders perform, &c.
In the seventh article of my Specification aforesaid, instead of the words:
after they have exhausted, insert: must be kept exhausted. Add to the de-
scription, A, B, Fig. 9, of the aforesaid Specification, the following sentence,
viz. or instead of bending the tubes above described, a great number of them
may cross above the firo place, and have their ends inserted and soldered into
two of the inside metal plates that assist in forming the case, in which the water
can circulate freely round the fire and through the said pipes; the outside
sheets of metal that assist to form the case screw together at the corners (when
round at other places), in order that they may be easily taken off to clean the
pipes and other parts of the boiler within.
Having described the nature and principle of each of my new invented and
improved machines, and how the same may be put into practice, I shall now
explain, notwithstanding each machine has a peculiar principle of its own,
arising from and depending upon its construction or form, the leading
principles upon which they all depend, which I shall first class under the
three following heads:-
1st. The application of water alone to give motion or effects to all kinds of
mills and other machines.
2d. The application of water and steam combined for the same purposes
as above.
3. The application of st. am alone for the same purposes.
1 shall now proceed to explain, as classed as above, the nature of the
principles upon which my several new invented machines depend:-1st, in
causing my machines that work by water alone to move by its weight or
prossure; 2d, in causing my wheels to move in general much slower than

page_text: common wheels; 3d, in preventing the water from escaping faster than the
motion of the wheels; 4th, by gaining an increase of power by some of my
machines from the centrifugal force impressed by their motion upon the
water that moves them.
2dly. The principles of the applications of water to my several machines,
when united or assisted with the power or agency of steam, consist, 1, in
causing my mills or machines to work by water within vessels of any con-
venient form that are kept exhausted of air and water by steam engines
of my own construction or otherways; 2, in causing steam engines to force
water into air vessels, by which 'tis made to act with great force on my
several machines by the spring of the air pressing on its surface.
3d. The principles of the application of steam to work my several 'machines
and engines, consist; 1, in causing several of them to produce powerful
circular motion by placing them within metal vessels that are steam-tight,
where I cause the steam to act immediately upon or against their pinstons
or coggs, and keeping what is termed a vacuum upon their contrary sides
by means already described; 2, in some cases placing my rotary steam
engines within the boilers that supply them with steam, or other vessels
that has an open communication with them; 8, in condensing the steam
in all cases that is used or applyed to my rotary cliptic or cylindric steam
engines within their steam vessels or cylinders, or in vessels that the water to
be raised must enter, and have an open communication at all times with the
steam vessels or cylinders themselves.
By examining the principles and constructions of my several different
machines for advantageously applying the power of water and steam to various
purposes, it would be found impossible to describe all the modifications
and forms in which they might be made to work to advantage without
varying their principles; a few of which I shall therefore mention, and then
endeavour to establish the principle of each machine, by representing in a
Drawing one of the many forms in which each may be made to work.
Besides the several forms and methods above described, of forming and moving
the stops, valves, slides, cuckets, &c., of my several wheels, grooves, tubes,
cases, &c., many others might be adopted without changing the principles
of the machines. I shall therefore mention that the cuckets of wheels, instead
of moving upon hinges, and turning out occasionally into the grooves or
between the rims of the wheels, might be fixed, and pass stops balanced so
neatly by the water upon centers as to move easily out of the way of the
fixed cuckets as they pass, and immediately after return to its station; or
the cuckets themselves may in turn be made upon the same principle, to

page_text: enable them to pass stops fixed in grooves or cases, or may be made to recede
and advance alternately towards and from the centers of their wheels, to pass
stops, or move freely in grooves or cases that are cliptic or otherways out of
round; or the cases or grooves themselves, instead of being fixed, may, with
their stops, move round upon an axis, and thereby become the wheels; on
the contrary, the rim of the wheel must be made stationary while the caso
or groove with stops moves round it; the stationary rim must be placed
close to one side of the whirling case or groove, and some distance from the
other, which would enable it to move-the sliding stops in the whirling grooves
or cases; then the wheel moving gradually round it from towards its center
till they pass the place where the fixed rim or cylinder comes close to the
whirling caso or wheel, after which they are made to return gradually towards
the center by a spring that keeps them close to the ring, while the water
is made to act between them as they pass in rotation and the place where
the case moves close to the fixed ring. Another application may be made
upon the same principle by fixing two round or cliptical nuts or cylinders like
those of a sugar mill, which must rowl close together in nearly a circular caso
something larger than themselves, and are turned by cogg wheels on their axos
without. Into or through the nuts may be sliders that will advance occasionally
to fill the the spaces round them, while water or steam may act upon them on
rotation as they pass; after they will recede by a simple mechanism towards
the centers of their axes, to pass where the nuts rowl against each other.
Wheels also may be made to move in cases whose axes are not in their centers,
whereby they will be enabled to move sliding stops out or in by the in-
equalities of the circles which the different parts of such wheels when in
motion describe. The water must be brought from the center to act upon
this kind of wheel much in the same manner that it is brought to act upon
my improved Barker mill, which mill itself may, instead of having fixed stops
in the grooves, carry wheels on the end of its tube that would act as effectually
as fixed stops to prevent the water from escaping faster than the motion of the
horizontal tube of that mill.
Having said so much in explanation of the principles of my different
machines as will, it is expected, with tho assistance of the Drawings that will
follow, sufliciently explain the nature of the principles and application thereof,
hereby intended to be laid down, defined, and explained.
DRAGO

page_text: with its upper rim taken off, the plainer to shew its construction within. The
water enters at A to act against the cuckets or valves B, C, D, E, in rotation
as they pass the stop or valve G, which is nearly balanced on its axis near G,
that it may casily turn out of the way of the cuckets when anything prevents
them shutting so close as they should do as they come into the situation of B,
at which time they should form a part of the diameter of the soaling or barrel
of the wheel. A is the leather, and B the metal and screws that confine
it, which shews the manner of leathering the buckets, floats, or valves so as
to make them tight as they move round against the case or apron F, H,
which discharges the water at H. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the same
wheel, where A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, represent the same parts as in the
preceeding Figure; I, K. the axis and upper rim of the wheel; and
M, N, O, P, levers upon the axes of the buckets, to open and shut them as
they pass in rotation the pin and ring at R and S.
Fig. 3 is the section of the wheel described in the second article. A is the
apron that it moves against below, which apron is joined at B to the bottom.
of the forebay that leads the water to the wheel, which may be shut off at
pleasure by a lever connected with the water gate C. The floats or cuckets
of this wheel are upon hinges, and have stops, as represented at the
floats D, E, F, to prevent them from moving further than is necessary to
rise out of the tail water, and enter that of the forebay with case.
Fig. 4 represents the wheel described in the third article. A, B, is a flat
ring of metal (mounted at right angles to its axis that passes through its center
at C) moving through a slit in the front of the forebay L, and the metal
tube M, N, formed of two semicircles entering the forebay at bottom, and
screwed together by the screws d, e, f, gh, i. O, P, Q, R, S, T, are floats or
pistons (which may have a joint to enable them to enter the water in the
forebay with ease), fixed truly upon the circumference of the ring A, B, upon
which the water acts as they pass in rotation through the circular tube M, N,
(which tube, if thought proper, may be square or of any other convenient form),
U, V, is a gate to let the water from the forebay at pleasure enter M, N.
Fig. 5 and 6 represent my improved Barker's mill as described in the
fourth article. Of this machine it is unnecessary at present to explain more
than the improvements upon it, the other parts being sufficiently represented
in the Specification referred to in the above fourth article. To the horizontal
tube here described, which is represented by the letters A, A, I now connect,
by the arms C, D, the segments of circles E, F, and G, H, which are in
depth equal to that of the tube A, A. This being done, I inclose the whole
in a circular case, shown in this Figure with its cover off, the better to
see its inside. This case is of equal depth within with the tube A, A, and its

page_text: connections. Within the case are placed the stops or valves 1, K, L, M, N,
that are turned in rotation to stop the tubo Q, R, as it is formed by tho seg-
ments of circles E, F, and G, HI, as they move in the front of the case, which
operation is performed by the pin S (see Fig. 6) in the arm T striking in
rotation against X, X, X, X, and Y, handles fixed upon the axes of the valves
I, K, L, M, N, Figure 5. As the ends E and II of the segments of circles
pass either of the aforesaid stops or valves,, they leave them at liberty to bo
turned back by the acute, angles of the metal pieces O and Z into gaps in
the case that they fit, and form part of the case, while the extended ends
N, N, of the tubo A, A, pass them. B is part of the axis of tlie machine,
and V the pivot it turns upon. It is needless to mention that the top, cover,
and bottom of the case are put on with screws, or that the stops, segments of
circles, &c., are well leathered or otherways kept tight, to prevent the water,
when 'tis let into the machine, from escaping faster than the machine moves.
Fig. 7 is a section of a case inclosing a'machine to represent my new method
of keeping back water wheels by inclosing them in a case, as described under
the fifth article. A, B, C, D, is a case in which is placed E, E, an improved
Barker tubo mill, with its axis E, F, passing through the stuffing box G, G, in
the top of the case, to keep it tight: H, 1, K, L, M, represents the machinery
of an air pump, to replenish the case with air; should any escape. Being thus
prepared, the water expended by the machine (though the case is intirely
covered by back water) is prevented by the air in the case from rising into it,
but (which) is obliged to move off through apertures or arches, such as N, that
are beneath the machine E, E. The machinery O, P, Q, R, S, T, represents
a method of drawing the gates U, V, of this machine while it is in motion..
Fig. 8 is a section of a machine described in the eighth article, to give
motion to mechanism, by a connexion with one of my forcing steam engines A, B,
(or others), connected with the horizontal cylinder C, D, that is kept constantly
filled with water from its connexion with the vessel or reservoir E, that
receives a small but constant supply from the water injected into the steam
engine, which has its cylinder A of twice the area of the cylinder B. In the
horizontal cylinder C, D, moves the piston F, that is connected with the piston
rod G, H, which may be connected at pleasure at either or both ends, to pump
or force water or work mechanism, by a cap and pin such as at I, when the
engine and its connections may be put into motion as follows:-The steam
from the boiler, being admitted to the cylinder A, will force down its piston K,
which, from its connexion with the piston M in the cylinder D, will drive the
water out of B against the piston F, until it has moved from D to C, its
present situation. The steam in A being now condensed, the atmosphere, by
its pressure on the water in E, will force back the piston F, with all its

page_text: connexions, from C to D; at the same time M and K will rise to the tops
of their cylinders; the steam then being again admitted, the operation will
go on.
Fig. 9, 10; 11, represent my new steam and water engines described under
the tenth article. Figure 9 represents two circular cogg wheels inclosed in
the upper compartment of a case, that has its top taken off the plainer to
shew the mechanisın within. A, A, are circular cogg wheels that work' neatly
together between the semicircles B, B; that are formed into a tight case by
screwing or otherways fastening them to the strait pieces C, C, and D.
E forms an open communication between the upper and lower compartments
of the case. In the lower one are placed the cliptical wheels F, F, Fig. 10, of
a less diameter, but in other respects like those represented by G, G, Fig. 11.
HI, Fig. 9, is a pipe leading the steam from the boiler, to act against the
wheels A, A, to more them outwards from C, C, towards 13, B, while the
steam that acts round them in the spaces between their coggs gets condensed
as it enters the hole E, to pass into the lower compartment (K, K, Fig. 10) of
the case, from whence 'tis driven out, together with water injected to condense
it, by the cliptical wheels F, F, that are turned by the axis I, to which L, L,
is a stuffing box to keep it tight. The cliptical wheels G, G, (Fig. 11) work
together as the others by their coggs, in their case M, M, by the steam that
comes from the boiler through the pipe N, after which it enters at O, where
'tis condensed and discharged, as in the case of Fig. 9 and 10.
Fig. 10 shews the compartments of the case M, M, and K, K, united, to
represent the wheels G, G, and F, F, as they are placed when they move by
the application of steam; but when water is applied to work them, the com-
partments K, K, with its wheels F, F. Fig. 10, becomes unnecessary; as do
the holes E and N, Fig. 9 and 11; in place of which must be opened the
apertures represented by the dotted lines P, P, and Q, Q, for the water, after
it has done its office to escape. It will also be necessary to widen the pipes II
and N, Fig. 9 and 11, to the dotted lines R, R, and S, S, that the water may
enter with ease to act upon the wheels within. It is needless to add, that
these wheels should be kept tight as the application may require, either with
ocum, leather, or some other elastic substance.
Fig. 12, 13, 14 represent the circular steam mill or engine described in .
article eleventh.
A, in section Fig. 12, is the steam pipe leading the steam from the boiler
through A to a cavity in the axis B, B, of the machine. Near C the steam
divides itself, and passes horizontally through the tube D, D, into the circular
case E, E, in front of which the circular ring of metal, connected D, D, moves,

page_text: and is mado tight at a, b, c, and d, by ocum that is confined by a ring of metal
with screws. The tube D, D, and case E, E, are plainer to be seen by tho
same letters in the horizontal plan Fig. 18, which has its top off to show tho
machinery within, where F, F, are pistons woll ocumed and fastened with the
ring of metal e, e, e, e, which joins to and is carried round by D, D. i, i, i, i, is
the ring of metal with screws, as above mentioned, that confines the ocum to
keep the front of the circular tube E, E, tight. G, G, G, are stops well ocumed,
between which, in rotation, and the pistons F, F, as they pass, the steam exerts
its force, while that which has done its office moves off from behind the
pistons F, F, through the open tubes EI, II, ono of which is plainer to be scen
at 1, in Fig. 12, leading the steam through the axis of the machine, and its
apertures, such as H, into the vessel I, I, under water or not, in the vessell K, K,
where 'tis condensed and thrown out with the injected water by the cliptical
cogg wheels L, L, which are turned by the axis B, B.
M, M, Fig. 14, is the cover of Fig. 18, with its arms N, N, in connexion
with 0, 0, to carry the pieces P, P, for moving the stops G, G, G, (sec
Fig. 18,) in rotation from before the pistons F, F, while they pass on, after
which they are returned the spiral spring to cach stop, such as Q, Q, and
their machinery, as seen in Fig. 13, 14.
R, R, R, in Fig. 13, 14, are friction wheels, to assist P, P, in moving the
stops before described, with ease. S is the pivot of the axis; T, T, a cogg
wheel; and U, U, and V, V, are stuffing boxes, to keep all tight round the
axis as it moves.
Fig. 15 is a section of my new invented steam engine, described under the
twelfth head or article, represented as fixed, to exhaust the vessel A, B, of the
air and water that enters from the larger vessel C. D, applied to act upon the
eliptical cogg wheels E, F, that are placed within it. The axis K of the
wheel E, which passes through the stufling box 1, 1, to keep it tight, is fixed
to the cogg wheel G, G, to work a mill or produce other mechanical effects.
11 is the steam pipe leading from a boiler in the act of pushing up the piston Y,
which, from its being connected with the hollow bolt L, M, lifts its piston V, V,
at M, which forces the water above it through the valve N into the vessel C, D,
from whence it descends, after acting upon the wheels E, F, through the tube O,
again to be drawn up through the pump barrel P by the piston V, V, at M.
When the piston Y arrives at the top of the steam cylinder Q, R, a steam cock
is shut to stop the pipe II, and the valve S is opened by a spring fastened to
the lid U of the steam cylinder, which gives the piston Y and its connexions
liberty to descend by their weight, at which time the valve N shuts, and the
steam from the cylinder rushes through the hollow bolt L, M, and valves V, V,

page_text: by which it gets condensed by mixing with the water above and below the
piston at M. By the time the piston gets down, the water from A, B, will
have it risen to O, which from its weight will force the water in P through the
valves V, V, when the steam being again admitted at H, the valve S being
shut, the piston will rise, and lift the water, as before, from the pump P, through
the valve N, into the vessel C, D, to act on the wheels E, F. The pipe W
and valve X is to let the air pass from the vessel A, B, into the steam
cylinder, from whence it descends with the steam, and is thrown off with the
water through the valve N, by which means a constant circulation of the water
to act upon the mill is kept up, without any supply more than may be sufficient
to condense the steam.
Fig. 16 is but a different or rather united modification of those machines
described in Figures 3 and 10 in the Specification of my Patent before men-
tioned, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of March 1791. I shall there-
foro only point out here the machinery, referring for its principles and
operation to the said Figures 3 and 10. G, G, is in this Figure is the tube
through which the water descends into the horizontal trunk or box T, T; L
and M, the cylindric valves described in the said Figure 10, that are connected
by the rods K, K, to the lever E, supported by the stud O. B, F, H, is the
piston rod, piston, and horizontal cylinder described in the before-recited
Figure 8.
A is an arm connected with B. C is a weight of metal fast
upon A, which is carried backwards and forwards upon the lever E by the
roler D and its arms I, I, which arms alternately unlock E from P and R as
the piston F is driven back and forwards by the water in H, when the
weight C, shifting the cylindric valves L and M within the cylinders K, K, to
stop and open alternately the holes a, a, a, a, a, and i, i, i, i, i, at M, and
those 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, and r, r, r, r, r, at L, for the purposes described in tho
before-recited Figure 10, which, together with the aforesaid Figure 3, will
fully explain the manner of its operation.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Rumsey, do hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of September, in the thirty-first year
of our Sovereign Lord George the Third, by the Grace of God King
of Great Britain, France, and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, &c., &c.,
and in the year of our Lord One thousand seven hundred and ninety-

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Twenty-fourth day of Sep-
tember, in the year of our Lord 1791, the aforesaid James Rumsey came
before our said Lord the King. in His Chancery, and acknowledged the
Specification aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained, in form
abovo written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according
to the tenor of the Statutes made for that purpose.
Inrolled the Twenty-fourth day of October, in the year of our Lord Ono
thousand seven hundred and ninety-one.