IMPROVEMENTS IN ENGINES TO BE WORKED BY STEAM, AIR, OR WATER; THE SAID. IMPROVEMENTS BEING ALSO APPLICABLE TO PUMPS."
Year: 1852

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Sinclair, of Stirling, in the County of
Stirling, North Britain, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
ENGINES TO BE WORKED BY STEAM, AIR, OR WATER; THE SAID.
IMPROVEMENTS BEING ALSO APPLICABLE TO PUMPS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James. Sinclair at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 30th October 1852.
I, JAMES SINCLAIR, of Stirling, in the County of Stirling, North
Britain, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "In-
PROVEMENTS IN ENGINES TO BE WORKED BY STEAK, AIR, OR WATER;
THE SAID IMPROVEMENTS BEING ALSO APPLICABLE TO PUMPS," to be as
follows:-
This Invention relates generally to a motive power engine or pump.
consisting of an oscillating cylinder, arranged to oscillate upon a fixed
journal centre at its bottom. This journal or trunnion answers for the
ingress and egress of the steam or water to and from the cylinder, so that
the whole actions may be performed without the use of any further

page_text: mechanism, the requisite changes being effected by the mere oscillation
of the cylinder consequent upon the traverse of the piston in causing the
revolution of the crank. When actuated by water the piston is com-
posed of two plates or discs, one of which has an eye to embrace the
piston rod, round which is put a vulcanised india-rubber ring, and over
that again one or more leather rings. The leather rings are outside
the india-rubber. The two plates being then screwed together, the
leather is forced out from the centre against the interior of the cylinder.
Such an engine is obviously applicable for pumping or transmitting
fluids.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said James Sinclair in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 30th April 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
JAMES SINCLAIR, of Stirling, in the County of Stirling, North Britain,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of October, in the year
of our Lord One thousand cight hundred and fifty-two, in the six-
teenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said James Sinclair, Her special licence that
I, the said James Sinclair, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said James Sinclair, my executors, administrators,
or 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN ENGINES TO BE WORKED BY
STEAM, AIR, OR WATER; THE SAID IMPROVEMENTS BEING ALSO APPLICABLE TO
PUMPS," upon
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said James
Sinclair, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and

page_text: 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 James Sinclair, 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, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:
My said Invention relates generally to the arrangement and construc-
tion of a motive power engine or pump, consisting of an ocillating
cylinder, contrived to oscillate upon a fixed journal centre at its lower
end. This journal or trunnion answers for the ingress and egress of the
steam, air, or water to and from the cylinder, so that the whole actions of
the engine may be performed without the use of any further mechanism,
the requisite changes of position of the working parts being effected by
the mere oscillation of the cylinder consequent upon the traverse of the
piston in causing the revolution of the crank. When used as a hydraulic
engine, or actuated by water, the working piston is composed of two
plates or discs, one of which has an eye to embrace the piston rod, round
which rod is put a vulcanized india-rubber ring, and over that again
one or more rings of leather. The leather rings are on the outside of
the india-rubber, and the two pieces of the piston being then screwed
together, the end compression forces out the leather from the centro
against the interior of the cylinder.
Figure 1, on my Sheet of Drawings is a side elevation of one
arrangement of my double enginės complete. Figure 2, is a corre-
sponding elevation at right angles to Figure 1, with the working
cylinder and valvular action in longitudinal section. This engine,
which is adapted to be worked by hydrostatic pressure from a column
of water, is entirely portable, being carried on the foundation plate A,
on which are bolted down the two vertical triangular frame stand-
ards having bearings C, in their upper ends to carry the main crank
driving shaft D. At each projecting end of this shaft is a crank E,
the two cranks being set at right angles to each other on the shaft,
which also carries a broad rimmed fly wheel F, from the motive

page_text: power of the engine may be taken by a band passed over it in the usual
way.
The same main foundation plate A, has also bolted down upon it
the hollow valvular trunnions G, which are cast with projecting base
flanges for the purpose. Each trunnion is cast with two ring flanges H,
and the portion between these flanges is accurately turned and fitted for
the oscillation thereon of the working cylinder I. The cylinder is cast
open at both ends, and its lower end is filled up by a piece of metal J,
screwed inside it up to an external shoulder at K. This piece has side
flanges L, formed upon it for bolting to similar flanges on the bottom
cap M. These two pieces J, M, thus form an eye to encircle the
trunnion, being fitted thereto to work fluid-tight by being first bolted
together, and then bored out to the required size of aperture. The
trunnion is cast with an internal angular division N, forming an isolated
chamber O, extending from end to end of the trunnion as an open
thoroughfare in the line of the pipes P, Q, whilst it has two lateral
apertures R, S, as ingress ports from the trunnion valve to the cylinder.
These two ports correspond when necessary with the two ports T, U,
leading to the top and bottom of the cylinder respectively. The remain-
ing portion of the hollow in the trunnion forms a similarly continuous
chamber V, open at its inner end into the pipe W, but closed at its
opposite end by the flange piece H; as represented in my Drawings,
one cylinder is on its dead centre, and the other, which is the one shewn
in section, is at its half stroke. The actuating water is supplied by the
pipe P, governed by a stop cock, and this conducts the water into the
outer end of the chamber O, in the first trunnion, and through it and
through the intermediate pipe Q, into the inner end of the opposite
trunnion. By this means the chamber O, in each trunnion is kept
constantly full of water, at the working pressure, at whatever angle the
cylinder may stand. In the position delineated in Figure 2, the water is
passing from the chamber O, through the port R, into the thoroughfare
T, leading to the upper side of the piston X, and the piston is therefore
descending, bringing down its crank and turning the fly wheel in the
direction of its arrow. At the same time the other ingress port S, is
closed by being brought opposite the solid portion of the picce J, on the
cylinder bottom, whilst the fluid, which has previously done its duty in

page_text: "
forcing up the piston, is escaping from the lower end of the cylinder
through the port U, in the piece J, and the corresponding port Y, in
the trunnion into the larger or exhaust division V, of the trunnion, the
opposite exhaust port Z, of the trunnion being meanwhile closed by
being also brought opposite the solid portion of the piece J. . .Then as
the exhaust passage V, is open to the pipe W, the waste or used water
passes off through this pipe, and flows away'at its central branch. Both
cylinders obviously possess precisely the same valvular arrangements;
and as each cylinder passes its dead centre, the positions of the ports
in:relation to those which I have described are exactly reversed. Both
cylinders are supplied with water by the pipe P, Q, and both exhaust
into the pipe W. The piston rod a, is in each case jointed to its
crank pin b; by a solid eye having an adjusting screw. c, . on the top;
but these connections may be variously modified. It is more.especially
as a hydrostatic engine, to be worked by fluid pressure from an elevated
reservoir, that I propose this machine, as the details are such that it
may be driven at a very rapid rate without injurious jar or vibration,
whilst it is cheap in first cost, and its action is entirely automatic,
without any separate mechanism for working the valves. But it will
be obvious to the practical man that the same engine is also adapted
for being worked by steam pressure; and further, that when employer
as a driven machine it answers as a pump, or forcing and exhausting
apparatus.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my
said Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used
or carried into effect, I may observe, in conclusion, that I do not confine
or restrict myself to the precise details or arrangements which I have
had occasion to describe or refer to, as many variations may be made
therefrom without deviating from the principles or main features of my
Invention; but what I consider to be novel and original, and therefore
claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part recited
Letters Patent, is,―
First, the general arrangement and construction of machinery, appa-
ratus, or means for obtaining and applying motive power, as herein-before

page_text: Second, the application and use of the herein-before described
mechanical arrangements for obtaining motive power from hydrostatic
pressure.
Third, the system or mode of regulating the ingress and egress of the
actuating medium to and from the working cylinders by means of the
duplex chambered trunnions, as herein-before describod.
Fourth, the peculiar arrangement and construction of valves as
herein-before described, wherein the oscillation of the cylinder effects
the necessary working of the same.
Fifth, the system or mode of constructing pistons with internal 1
expanding rings of india-rubber and external rings of leather.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Sinclair, have hereunto set
my hand and scal, this Twenty-eighth day of April, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundrod and fifty-three.
JAMES SINCLAIR. (L.S.)