IMPROVE- MENTS IN HYDRAULIC MOTORS, AND IN THE APPLICATION THEREOF TO THE The HAMDIA LINm
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Evelyn Liardet, of Breakspear Road, Wickham
Park, Brockley, in the County of Kent, and Thomas Donnithorne, of
Gracechurch Street, in the City of London, for an Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN HYDRAULIC MOTORS, AND IN THE APPLICATION THEREOF TO THE
The HAMDIA LINm"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Evelyn Liardet and
Thomas Donnithorne at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the
29th November 1881.
JOHN EVELYN LIARDET, of Breakspear Road, Wickham Park, Brockley, in the
County of Kent, and THOMAS DONNITHORNE, of Gracechurch Street, in the City
of London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN HYDRAULIC MOTORS, AND IN THE APPLICATION
THEREOF TO THE PRODUCTION OF ELECTRIC LIGHT."
This Invention has for its object improvements in hydraulic motors, and in the
application thereof to the production of electric light.
Tidal wheels or spiral hydraulic motors constructed according to our Invention
are powerful and swift in action, and produce an uniform power resulting in a
more steady brilliant electric light or lights at a small cost to the consumer. They
can be applied to all places and positions where water power is available.
Each tidal wheel or spiral bydraulic motor has a centre support, to which the
blades to be acted on by the water are fastened.
The series of curvilineal blades fixed to and round the centre support may be
eleven in number, which number of blades may be increased or decreased in
number, and may or may not be further supported by rings to secure the blades
in their proper position and pitch.
The tidal wheels or spiral hydraulic motors may be placed in a vertical, hori-
zontal, or any position as occasion may require, being mounted at the bottom or
sides of the water course in which runs the water to be utilised, and frequently
we mount them on a floating structure.

page_text: We arrange wheel gearing direct from the end or ends of the tidal wheels or
spiral hydraulic motors to work other gearing to utilise the motive power of the
tidal wheels or motors so as to work direct onto the electric battery or batteries
to produce electricity and light or lights.
In the annexed Drawings, Figure 1 is a plan, and Figure 2 is an elevation
shewing our tidal wheels or spiral hydraulic motors applied to driving dynamo-
electric machines.
Three motors are shewn, they are set with their axes vertical, and are placed
one behind the other in a water course so fashioned as to collect the stream and
direct it onto the first motor, which passes it in a sharp current through a
narrow mouth onto the second, and this similarly directs the water onto the third
motor.
In applying our Invention to light ships we mount these, or such like tidal
wheels or spiral hydraulic motors upon the ship, and cause them to drive dynamo-
electric machines on board. The electricity thus generated we store in accumu-
lators, and apply when required for the exhibition of the light.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said John Evelyn Liardet and Thomas Donnithorne in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 27th May 1882.
JOHN EVELYN LIARDET, of Breakspear Road, Wickham Park, Brockley, in the
County of Kent, and THOMAS DONNITHORNE, of Gracechurch Street, in the City
of London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN HYDRAULIC MOTORS, AND IN THE APPLICATION
THEREOF TO THE PRODUCTION OF ELECTRIC LIGHT."
This Invention has for its object improvements in hydraulic motors, and in the
application thereof to the production of electric light.
Tidal wheels or spiral hydraulic motors constructed according to our Invention
are powerful and swift in action.
These motors are peculiarly well adapted for use in the production of electricity
to be used in the electric light, inasmuch as they produce power at a small cost
to the consumer in places and positions where water power is available.
Each tidal spiral hydraulic motor, consisting of a wheel of peculiar construction
and apparatus for directing water thereto, the wheel has a centre support, to which
the inner blades to be acted on by the water are fastened. The outer blades are
at their extremities fastened in or to the two discs which form the under and upper
framework of the wheel. Both sets of blades are strengthened and supported at
intervals by rings or stays in the plane of the discs to secure them in their proper
position and pitch.
The number of curvilineal or spiral blades fixed to and round the centre support
of this wheel may vary. We have found from nine to twelve to give a good result,
but the number may be increased or diminished according to the circumstances of
the situation in which the motor is to be used.
The blades may form a whole half or quarter turn, the variation in the turn
being determined by the velocity of the water.
In place of curvilineal blades straight blades may be used.
When the wheel of the motor is to be used in the manner of an over shot or
breast wheel, in which case it will be found advantageous to have the blades
hinged to the discs, and so all danger of inconvenience from back water will be
avoided.
The curvilinear or spiral wheels of the motors may be placed in a vertical, hori-
zontal, or any position as occasion may require, being mounted at the bottom or
sides of the water course, in which runs the water to be utilised; and frequently
we mount them on a floating structure, which rises and falls with the rise and fall
of the current of water by which the motor is being driven.
We arrange wheel gearing direct from the end or ends of the wheels of the
motors to work other gearing to utilise the motive power of the wheels of the
motors for any purpose requiring power, and when used for the production of
electricity it may work direct onto the electricity producing machinery, as shewn
in Sheet 2, Figures 11 and 12.
In the annexed Drawings (in all of which the same letters of reference indicate
similar parts), Sheet 1, Figure 1, shews a vertical section, and Figure 2 a side view
or elevation in section of a curvilinear or spiral wheel of a motor with a series of
12 curvilineal or spiral blades forming a whole turn, as hereinbefore mentioned.
A are the outer blades; B, the inner blades; C is the centre support or shaft upon
which the discs W are mounted, and with and upon which the wheel revolves;
D shows the rings or supports to which the outer blades may be attached, which
rings D are attached to the inner blades B, which inner blades are attached at
their ends to the discs W, and along their length to the centre support C.
The continuous thick liues marked A on Figure II. show the visible edges of the
outer blades, the continuous thin lines marked B those of the inner blades. The

page_text: thick dotted lines show the positions of the outer blades not in view, and the thin
dotted lines shew the positions of inner blades not in view.
Figure 3 is a detached view of the central support C or shaft, which may be
either solid or hollow.
Figures 4 and 5 show a motor wheel similar in all respects to that shown in
Figures 1 and 2, except that the blades form a half in place of a whole turn.
Figure 6 shews a wheel with straight or dished instead of spiral blades attached
to the discs W.
Figure 7 shows one of the straight and dished blades above referred to detached
from the wheel. It will be hinged to the discs W at the extremities X and Y.
It may also be hinged to the centre support C at any point or all along its back.
The curved lines show the dishing or water holding power of the blade.
Figures 8 and 9 show a form of the motor wheel in which the curvilinear or
spiral blades proceed straight from the shaft C to the circumference, while the
alternate blades proceed from the rings or support D only to the circumference.
In other respects the motor wheel is similar to that described and shewn in
Figures 1 and 2.
Sheet 2, Figure 10, shows a ground plan of a motor in a constant running
stream. The arrows shew the direction of the stream; F, F, F, F, the motor wheels;
G, G, G, G, the projections and framework to guide the water on to the blades of
the wheels.
Figure 11 is a plan of a floating structure with two wheels F and F to be placed
in a tidal stream. The gearing is also shown, but this can be more clearly seen in
Figure 12. The arrow represents the direction of the tide or stream. The portions
of the structure marked H1, H2, H3, H4, are the automatic water gates, and the
manner in which these automatic water gates act is as follows:-
The water gate H³ is closed by the action of the tide or stream, and the water
is thereby directed on to the left hand side of the first wheel. The water gates H³
and H are open. The water gate H³ is shut, and directs the water on to the
second wheel. As soon as the tide begins to flow in an opposite direction it will
close the gates H2 and H4 and open the gates Hand H³ in the course shown by
the dotted lines. At the four extremities of the framework are four other similar
automatic gates H3, H4, H7 and H8, which open and close with the tide, and are for
the purpose of directing as large a volume of water as possible against the wheels.
In applying our Invention to floating beacon light ships or buoys we mount
such tidal wheels or spiral hydraulic motors upon the beacon light ship or buoy,
and cause them to drive dynamo electric machines on board. The electricity thus
generated we store in accumulators, and apply when required for the exhibition
of the light.
Having now described the nature of our said Invention, and the manner of
carrying the same into effect, we would have it understood that what we claim as
the Invention secured to us by the said Letters Patent is,―
First. The hydraulic motor, substantially as herein described and shewn in the
Drawings hereunto annexed.
Secondly. The motor wheels, substantially as herein described and shewn in
Figures 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 of the Drawings hereunto annexed.
In witness whereof, we, the said John Evelyn Liardet and Thomas Donnithorne,
have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Twenty sixth day of May, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty two.