IMPROVEMENTS IN OBTAINING AND APPLYING MOTIVE POWER
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Chillcott Purnelle, of Tachbrook Street,
Pimlico, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN OBTAINING AND APPLYING MOTIVE POWER."
Sealed the 6th March 1855, and dated the 11th September 1854.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Chillcott Purnelle
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
11th September 1854.
I, JOHN CHILLCOTT PURNELLE, of Tachbrook Street, Pimlico, in the County
of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN OBTAINING AND APPLYING MOTIVE POWER" to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in a novel arrangement of mechanism or apparatus
to be worked by hydraulic pressure for obtaining motive power, and the object
and intention of this Invention is to render hydraulic power moro portable
than heretofore, and consequently better adapted for general purposes as a
motive power than the hydraulic machines as heretofore constructed. The
nature of this Invention will, however, be better understood by the following
explanation of the apparatus which I employ for effecting the objects of this
Invention, which I propose to accomplish in three different ways, the first of
which is as follows:-

page_text: I employ a main or working cylinder, having a large cavity or tank at each
end thereof, the area of which is considerably greater than that of the bore
of the cylinder. This cylinder is fitted with a piston of the ordinary kind, and
the length of the stroke is such as to keep the whole of the piston always
in the bore of the cylinder. The tanks above mentioned are fitted on one side
with a water way for supplying the same with water, and on the other side with
pipes for carrying off the waste water. The course of the water is regulated
by suitable valves, which are so arranged as to open and close in opposite
directions. Under the main cylinder a reservoir is placed, from which water
is supplied to the before-mentioned tanks, and into which the contents of the
waste pipes are discharged, so that one supply of water is sufficient to work
the engine or apparatus for a considerable time; and in connection with the
above-mentioned main cylinder I employ two other metallic cylinders, which I
call forcing cylinders, the same being constructed with moveable tops made to
slide inwards, and fitting water-tight in the said cylinders; and I connect said
cylinders alternately with a force pump or pumps, for the purpose of filling
such said cisterns with water.--These cisterns aro_both_connected to the water
cted to t
ways of the main cylinder, and are so arranged and fitted with valves as that
only one of such said valves shall be open to the main cylinder at one time.
The mode of operating with an apparatus constructed as above for the purpose
of obtaining and applying motive power is as follows:-Supposing one of the
before-mentioned cisterns to be full of water (which may be effected in the
first instance by manual labour), I place upon the moveable top of such said
cistern a weight equal to the pressure required, and then open one or other of
the valves so as to allow the water to pass from the cistern into one or other
of the before-mentioned tanks, according to the position of the piston in the
main or working cylinder. The effect of this is as follows:-The pressure
exerted by the moveable top upon the water in the cistern will be transferred
to the water in that tank in which the valve is open, and the water therein,
coming into contact with the piston, will impart motion thereto and to a
driving shaft connected by a crank to the piston rod. I now connect the force
pump (employed for filling the cisterns) to the before-mentioned driving shaft,
and thus work the force pump by the engine instead of by hand, as in the first
instance, and by these means I fill the empty cistern with water, whilst the
full one is being exhausted; immediately before which I weight the moveable
top of that cistern which was last filled, and open the valve so as to establish
a communication between this cistern and the main working cylinder, and I
close the valve of the empty cistern, which I again fill as before stated; and in
this manner and by these means I produce reciprocating motion of the piston

page_text: and rotary motion of the driving shaft, which may be applied as as a motive
power in any convenient manner.
The second way of obtaining motive power according to this Invention is
as follows: I employ two force pumps, which I connect with the top and
bottom tanks of the main cylinder, which are constructed as before described.
These force pumps derive their supply from the reservoir which is under the
engine, and are worked in the first instance by hand or by a small steam
engine, or the piston rods of the said pumps may be connected to the driving
shaft of the apparatus after it has once been set in motion, as before stated
with reference to the first mode of obtaining motive power.
The third way of obtaining motive power according to this Invention is as
follows:-I employ a main working cylinder, similar in all respects to those
before mentioned, but instead of using force cisterns or force pumps as before
stated, I substituto in lieu thereof a long supply pipe, one end of which is con-
nected to the water way of the engine or apparatus, and the other end to a
reservoir fixed at any required height; and thus I obtain by a head of water
the same result as is produced by the force cisterns or pumps before mentioned;
and I impart motion to the piston of the working cylinder by opening a valve
placed at the bottom of the said supply pipe, so as to allow the water to enter
either the top or bottom tank, according to the position of the piston; and I
regulate the admission of the water from the reservoir alternately to the said
tanks for producing reciprocating motion of the piston by valves suitably
placéd and operated upon by a tappet movement worked by the engine.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Chillcott Purnelle in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 10th March 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
CHILLCOTT PURNELLE, of Tachbrook Street, Pimlico, in the County of
Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the eighteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said John Chillcott Purnelle, Her special licence that I, the said John Chillcott-
Purnelle, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the

page_text: said John Chillcott Purnelle, 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 "IMPROVE
MENTS IN OBTAINING AND APPLYING MOTIVE POWER," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said John Chillcott Purnelle, by an instrument in writing
under my hand and seal, 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 John Chillcott Purnelle, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof (that is to say) :-.
This Invention consists in a novel arrangement of mechanism or apparatus
to be worked by hydraulic pressure for obtaining motive power, and the object
and intention of this Invention is to render hydraulic power more portable
than heretofore, and consequently better adapted for general purposes as a
motive power than the hydraulic machines as heretofore constructed.
The nature of this Invention will, however, be better understood by the
following explanation thereof, reference being had to the annexed Drawing,
and to the figures and letters of reference placed thereon, and corresponding
with those in the following

page_text: into which the contents of the waste pipes are discharged, so that one supply
of water is sufficient to work the engine or apparatus for a considerable time;
and in connection with the above-mentioned main cylinder I employ two other
metallic cylinders F, G, one of which is shewn at Figure 2, which I call
forcing cylinders, the saine being constructed with moveable tops made to
slide inwards, and fitting water-tight in the said cylinders; and I connect said
cylinders alternately with a force pump or pumps H for the purpose of filling
such said cisterns with water. These cisterns are both connected to the water
ways of the main cylinder A, and are so arranged and fitted with valves as
that only one of such said valves shall be open to the main cylinder at one
time. The mode of operating with an apparatus constructed as above for the
purpose of obtaining and applying motive power is as follows:-Supposing one
of the before-mentioned cisterns to be full of water (which may be effected in
the first instance by manual labour), I place upon the moveable top of such
said cistern a weight according to the pressure required, and then open one or
other of the valves, so as to allow the water to pass from the cistern For G
into one or other of the before-mentioned tanks B, according to the position of
the piston in the main or working cylinder. The effect of this is as follows:-
'The pressure exerted by the moveable top upon the water in the cistern will
bé transferred to the water in that tank in which the valve is open, and the
water therein, coming into contact with the piston, will impart motion thereto
and to a driving shaft I, connected by a crank K to the piston rod. I now
connect the force pump H, employed for filling the cistern, to the before-
mentioned driving shaft, and thus work the force pump by the engine instead
of by hand, as in the first instance, and by these means I fill the empty cistern
with water, whilst the full one is being exhausted; immediately before which I
weight the, moveable top of that cistern which was last filled, and open the
valve, so as to establish a communication between this cistern and the main
working cylinder, and I close the valve of the empty cistern, which I again fill
as before stated; and in this manner and by these means I produce recipro-
cating motion of the piston and rotatory motion of the driving shaft, which may
be applied as a motive power in any convenient manner.
The second way of obtaining motive power according to this Invention, as
exhibited at Figure 3, is as follows:-I employ two force pumps L and M,
which I connect with the top and bottom tanks B of the main cylinder, which
are constructed as before described. These force pumps derive their supply
from the reservoir E, which is under the engine, and are worked in the first
instance by hand or by a small steam engine, or the piston rods of the said
pumps may be connected to the driving shaft I of the apparatus after it has

page_text: once been set in motion, as before stated with reference to the first mode of
obtaining motive power.
The third way of obtaining motive power according to this Invention, as
exhibited at Figure 4, is as follows:-I employ a main working cylinder A,
similar in all respects to those before mentioned, but instead of using force
cisterns or force pumps, as before stated, I substitute in lieu thereof a long
supply pipe N, one end of which is connected to the water way of the engine
or apparatus, and the other end to a reservoir O fixed at any required height,
and thus I obtain by a head of water the same result as is produced by the
force cisterns or pumps before mentioned; and I impart motion to the piston
of the working cylinder by opening a valve P placed at the bottom of the said
supply pipe N, so as to allow the water to enter either the top or bottom tank,
according to the position of the piston; and I regulate the admission of the
water from the reservoir alternately to the said tanks for producing recipro-
cating motion of the piston by valves suitably placed and operated upon by a
tappet movement worked by the engine.
Having thus described and set forth the nature and object of my said
Invention of Improvements in Obtaining and Applying Motive Power, together
with the best means I am acquainted with for carrying the same into practical
effect, I would remark, in conclusion, that what I claim as my Invention is,
the novel and peculiar apparatus shewn in the Drawings, and above more
particularly described, for obtaining and applying motive power by means of
hydraulic pressure.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Chillcott Purnelle, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Tenth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
JOHN CHILLCOTT PURNELLE. (L.S.)
Witness,
ALEX. PRINCE,
Patent Agent,
4, Trafalgar Square.