CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR RAISING AND FORCING WATER OR OTHER FLUIDS, AND INCREASING THE POWER OF WATER UPON WATER WHEELS AND OTHER MACHINERY
Year: 1839

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
SUTCLIFFE, of Henry Street, Limerick, Builder, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent ander the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing dato at
Westminster, the Twenty-fourth day of October, in the third year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said James Sutcliffe, Her especial license, full power, sole privilege and
authority, that I, the said James Sutcliffe, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, and such others as I, the said James Sutcliffe, my executors, admi-
nistrators, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from
time to time and at all times during the term of years therein mentioned,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England,
Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "CERTAIN
IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR RAISING AND FORCING WATER
OR OTHER FLUIDS, AND INCREASING THE POWER OF WATER UPON WATER WHEELS AND
OTHER MACHINERY;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso obliging
me, the said James Sutcliffe, by an instrument in writing under my hand and
seal, particularly to describe and ascertain the nature of my said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, and to cause the same to
be inrolled in Her Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters
Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully
and at large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
James Sutcliffe, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, is particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following description thereof, reference being had to
the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon
(that is to say):
My Improvements in Machinery or Apparatus for Raising and Forcing
Water or other Fluids, and Increasing the Power of Water upon Water
Wheels and other Machinery, consist first, in the construction of a rotary
engine or pump, in which, by the revolution of an elliptical piston within a
cylindrical chamber, water is made to ascend through a rising main and
curved channel into the cylinder, and from thence is forced by the rotary
action of the piston into a receptacle above, from whence it is discharged at a
lateral aperture, and is conducted off by a pipe.
In the accompanying Drawings, Fig. 1 represents a section taken vertically
through the machine, shewing the cylinder, the piston, the rising main, the
curved channel, the valve, and the receptacle above, with its discharge pipe.
Fig. 2 is also a section taken vertically through the machine at right
angles to the former, that is, in the direction of and through the axis of the
piston.
Figs. 3 and 4 are external views or elevations of the machine taken in the
positions of the two last Figures, similar letters indicating the same parts in
all these Figures.
Within
The cylinder is shewn at e, c, e, supported by its flange and bearings n, n,
which rest upon beams of timber o, o. The ends of the cylinder are
closed by cap plates g, g, screwed or bolted to lugs on the outside.
the cylinder is the elliptical piston b, b, b, the external diameter of which,
taken through the transverse axis, exactly fits into the internal diameter
of the cylinder against which it works, forming water-tight junctions. Tho
sides or ends of the elliptical piston are closed by disc plates c, c, c, which
extend to and exactly fit the internal periphery of the cylinder, and the discs
are attached to the elliptical piston, and held fast together by screw bolts d, d.
These disc plates c, c, with the elliptical piston, are fixed upon a shaft f, turn-
ing in packed bearings h, h, extending from the cap plates g, g; rotary motion
is given to the piston by winches placed upon the ends of the shaft f, by
which those parts of the periphery of the piston that are at the extremities of
the transverse axis of the ellipses pass round in close and water-tight contact with
the interior of the cylinder. Contiguous to the cylinder is a segmental tube or
passage, k, leading from the supply pipe or rising main 7 below, and opening

page_text: above into the cylindrical chamber e, c, c; and there is a lever valve or tongue a,
working upon a hinge joint in the tank i above, which by its gravity is kept
down, its lower edge always acting against the periphery of the elliptical piston,
as a stop to the passage of the water between them. The piston being made to
revolve within the cylindrical chamber in the direction of the arrow seen near f
in Fig. 1, an exhaustion of the air or partial vacuum will be produced in that
portion of the cylindrical chamber which is between the receding part of the
piston and the valve a. This action of the piston will consequently cause the
air to be pumped or drawn from segmental passage and pipe through the
opening which communicates with the cylinder, when the water will imme-
diately flow up the pipe and tube k into that part of the cylindrical chamber
which has been so exhausted. The rotation of the piston will hence cause
the water so brought in to occupy the lower part of the cylindrical chamber,
and as the piston proceeds the wholo volume of water occupying the lower
part of the cylinder will be forced upwards and discharged above the valve a,
through an opening in the top of the cylinder into the tank i, and then run off
through the pipe m, the course which the water takes in passing through the
machine being indicated by arrows in the section Fig. 1.
Having described the construction of my improved pump, and its mode of
operation, I desire it to be understood that I claim particularly, under this
first head of my improvements, the elliptical piston acting within a cylindrical
chamber in connection with a moveable tongue or valve, the edge of which,
by continually working against the periphery of the piston, forms a water-
tight stop. I would also observe, that any Invention in the form of a piston,
if employed for the purpose, and in the way or in connection with the cylinder
and valve above described, I should consider to be an imitation of my Inven-
tion. The advantages obtained by this construction of pump are, first, that
the movement of the piston being rotary, there will be no loss of time or
labour as in reciprocating pistons, and a continuous flow of water will be
obtained; second, that the opening and closing of valve is dispensed with,
and no packing at the joints required; third, the working parts being entirely
of metal are not liable to get out of order, and will experience but a very
small degree of friction; fourth, that the operations of raising and forcing the
water are effected by one continuous action; and fifth, that the pump is not
liable to choak from the passage of pieces of wood or other hard substance into
it, as the discharge of any such material would not be obstructed by con-
tracted passages or valves. If it is desired to construct this improved pump
so as to be capable of being used as a fire engine, this can readily be accom-
plished by placing a stopcock on the exit aperture m, and applying an air

page_text: chamber p to the tank i, as shown by dots in Fig. 1, and also a hose or
flexible pipe q, with a proper metal mouthpiece 2, also furnished with a
stopcock, in order that the pump may at other times be used for ordinary
purposes.
The second head of my Invention is an apparatus by which water may be
raised from a reservoir, cistern, or butt below, to an elevation considerably
above the level of that in the reservoir, without employing any mechanical
force beside the pressure of the water in the reservoir.
Fig. 5 in the accompanying Drawings represents the apparatus in section,
supposed to be taken vertically through the middle of a water butt, and
through the apparatus connected thereto. The butt is shewn at 6 filled with
water, from the lower part of which a pipe, with a tap h, leads to the lower
part of an upright cylindrical vessel c, c, c. At the upper part of this vessel
a flexible diaphragm or bag a, a, is attached; and a dome cap affixed upon
the cylinder, having a pipe f at its top, holds fast the edges of the diaphragm
or bag. Beneath the diaphragm within the cylinder c, c, an air vessel d, d,
is placed, which is designed to float upon the water occupying the lower part
of the cylinder. On opening the tap g, water will flow from the butt into the
bag a, a, until that and the dome have become completely filled. The tap g
must then be turned, so as to cut off the communication or flow of the water,
and the tap h being then opened water will flow into the lower part of the
cylinder c, c. As the water rises in the lower part of the cylinder, the air
vessel d, d, will float and ascend to the top of the cylinder, forcing up the
diaphragm or bag, and thereby expressing that volume of water contained
between the diaphragm and the dome through the pipe f, by which means it
is made to rise up into any suitable receiver above. When this has been
done the tap h must be closed and the tap i opened, in order to allow the
water to discharge itself from the lower part of the cylinder, by which the
water will be emptied from the cylinder, and the air vessel d, d, will be made
to descend; tap i being then closed, the tap 9 must be opened again, and the
water will be allowed to flow into the dome and bag as before, when the
operation being repeated as described, a second volume of water will in like
manner be forced through the pipe f, and so on as long as the level of the
water in the butt or reservoir b can be kept up above the top of the dome. By
these means, whenever a plentiful supply of water can be afforded to keep up
the level in the reservoir, a considerable quantity may be raised to a higher level
without any other labour than that of opening and closing of the taps at the
proper periods, and this might perhaps be effected by mechanism, so as to
render the whole self-acting. I wish therefore to observe, that I claim in

page_text: reference to this second head of my Invention, the flexible bag to receive the
water, and the floating air vessel or buoy, by the rising of which the water is
expressed. through a pipe or tube above.
The third head of my improvements is, a mode of increasing the power of
water upon water wheels, which consists in the peculiar construction of the
buckets or recesses which receive the water on the periphery of an overshot
water wheel, working them in close contact with a segmental face plate, and
the adaptation of a valve or tongue which directs the flow of the water.
In the accompanying Drawings, Fig. 6 represents the vertical section, the
improved wheel d, d, d, d, having a series of curved recesses formed round
its periphery which are to constitute buckets. The elevated parts of the
wheel, which are the partitions between the buckets, work in close contact with
the segmental face plate e, e, e, and a circular flange on each side of the wheel
fitting closely to the face plate prevents the escape of water. A box 6 above
receives the water from an elevation through the pipe or tube a, and a tongue
or valve c working upon a hinge joint guides the water to the descending side
of the wheel. As the wheel revolves, the outer edge of the tongue c acts
upon the curved surfaces of the buckets, rising and falling as the elevations
and depressions on the periphery of the wheel pass under it, but always keep-
ing in contact with the periphery of the wheel, and thereby preventing the
water from flowing into the buckets on the ascending parts of the wheel. By
these means the whole of the water from the box b is directed to one side of
the wheel, and being there confined in the buckets and prevented from escaping
by the flanges and segmental face, its gravitating force acts upon a greater extent
of the periphery of the wheel than it could possibly do upon any of the ordinary
constructions of water wheels having open buckets. The particular features
of improvement which I claim in reference to water wheels are, the curved
recesses on the periphery of the wheel with their side flanges, and the tongue
or valve working therein, for the purpose of directing the flow of water, by
which means I am enabled to avail myself of, and use beneficially, the whole
of the gravitating force of the descending steam of water. The same con-
struction of wheel may also be employed for raising or forcing water, by
applying a suitable power to its shaft or axle.
I would lastly observe, that, instead of the lever valves a in Fig. 1, and c
in Fig. 6, slide valves might be employed to effect the same purpose.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Sutcliffe, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this
day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and forty.
JAMES (L.S.) SUTCLIFFE.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Sixth day of April, in the third
year of the reign of Her Majesty Queen Victoria, the said James Sutcliffe came
before our said Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the
Instrument aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and specified,
in form above written. And also the Instrument aforesaid was stamped
according to the tenor of the Statute made in the fifty-fifth year of the reign
of His late Maiesty King George the Third.
Inrolled the Twenty-fourth day of April, One thousand eight hundred
and forty.