IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR OBTAINING AND APPLYING MOTIVE POWER
Year: 1866

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Jesse Ingamells at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 14th July
1866.
I, JESSE INGAMELLS, of Leverton Fen, near Boston, in the County of Lincoln,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR OBTAINING AND APPLYING MOTIVE POWER," to be
as follows:-
This Invention relates to certain improvements in the construction and
arrangement of machinery or apparatus whereby motive power can be obtained
and applied as a substitute for the steam engine or other power to vanous
useful purposes, but more particularly to driving machinery of every
description.
I propose to construct a cylinder of any suitable diameter and width, according
to the power required This cylinder may be of iron or wood, or both com-
bined, and if of large dimensions may be built in segments and secured by
exterior flanges and bolts, its internal periphery being flush and smooth. This
cylinder is provided with a sufficient number of radial spokes in connection
with a shaft or axle by which the cylinder is supported in a vertical position
in bearings set on suitable standards and foundation plates. Within the
cylinder I adjust a tube or hose of strong flexible water-tight material
extending in a complete circle within and against the internal periphery or
surface of the cylinder; this tube is encased in a series of semicircular flat
steel springs, each semicircular piece being brought in or nearly in contact
with a corresponding piece at each side of the tube. Now the extremities of

page_text: each of the upper springs is provided with a slot through which and on each
side of the tube a flat band of steel is passed, thus connecting the whole series
of upper semicircles with the transverse band of steel. From the axle or
shaft a pendant is supported banging down towards the lower portion of the
cylinder; this pendant contains in a slotted bearing a heavy roller which is
caused to press upon the springs, which acting in lines parallel to the axle
cause them to draw out in straight lines and bring the tube described to a
flattened position upon the periphery of the cylinder, the tube assuming a dia-
meter. Now one half or side of the tube in the cylinder is to be filled with
water, which will create a weight on that side of the cylinder corresponding
to the diameter of the cylinder and that of the tube, the other half of the tube
being empty, but the roller always pressing the springs and the tube flat at the
bottom of the cylinder will prevent the passage or escape of the water from
the weighted side of the cylinder to the lighter side, and thus the balance or
equilibrium of power will be destroyed, and motion of the cylinder effected by
gravitation. The lower series of springs are attached and fixed underneath
then centre to the cylinder, the upper series are connected together by means
of the continuous flat band passing through slots attached to the bottom
springs. Assuming the diameter_of_the_cylinder_to_be_30_feet, then the
diameter of the tube should be about fifteen inches and a half, and the width
of each semicircular ring about two inches, the width of the continuous bands
about three inches; several layers and series of lengths of thin steel should be
placed side by side to break joint and form this flexible continuous band in
order to allow of its assuming a skew form when under the pressure of the
roller. At all other parts of the periphery, except near the roller, the band
presents a side view or flat side of the band, but on each side of the roller for
some distance the bands assume skews or twists, and actually underneath the
rollet are flattened down upon the periphery of the cylinder and present edge
views, which gradually disappear until the skew terminates and the full flat
side of the band is presented; it is the same with each band on each side of
the tube The roller of course always acts as a stop to the passage of the
water, no valves being required. The tube is pressed outwards or flattened
together with the semicircular springs into a straight line, from which positron
they can only escape by the gradual recovery of the flat band in assuming its
foner position. The series of steel bands are joined to the extremity of the
upper springs by joints or hinges in order to facilitate their assuming the
flattened position of the semicircular springs. The continuous band is jointed
to the lower springs and the upper springs are joined to the continuous band.
The tube is to be supplied with water by means of an opening made outside

page_text: the cylinder and into the tube so that the water may be poured in, after which
the opening is secured by a cap or plug with a screw thread; the water is to
be supplied until its level reaches nearly to the top of the tube, which level
will therefore always be constant so as to maintain the gravitating power.
The roller is placed in a line parallel with the axle, the springs acting as
moveable levers; the flat bands passing through them acting to prevent the
sudden return of the tube to a circular form and causing it gradually to
approach the circular form during the decrease of the skew or twist of the
bands till they present a flush or flat surface.