A METHOD WHEREBY TO PRODUCE, UPON A NEW PRINCIPLE, A ROTARY MOTION FROM THE ACTION OF AN ALTERNATE MOVEMENT IN ANY DIREC- TION EFFECTED BY A STEAM ENGINE OR ANY OTHER MACHINE
Year: 1789

page_text: TO ALL PEOPLE TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
THOMAS BURGES, of Weymouth Street, Portland Place, in the County of
Middlesex, Esquire, send greeting.
WHEREAS His Majesty's Royal Letters Patent under the Great Scal
of Great Britain, bearing date on or about the Ninth day of June now last
past, in the twenty-ninth year of His said Majesty's reign, were graciously
pleased to grant unto me, wherein and whereby, after reciting (amongst other.
things) that I had, by my petition, humbly represented unto His said Majesty
that, by labour and study, and by trying experiments, I had invented and
brought to perfection "A METHOD WHEREBY TO PRODUCE, UPON A NEW PRINCIPLE,
A ROTARY MOTION FROM THE ACTION OF AN ALTERNATE MOVEMENT IN ANY DIREC-
TION EFFECTED BY A STEAM ENGINE OR ANY OTHER MACHINE;" His said Majesty,
signifying His gracious condescension to my said petition, did, for Himself,
His heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, my executors, admini-
strators, and assigns, His said Majesty's especial licence, full power, sole
priviledge and authority, as therein is mentioned, touching my said Invention,.
within that part of His said Majesty's Kingdom of Great Britain called
England, His Dominion of Wales, and Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, in
such manner as to me, my executors, administrators, or assigns, or any of
them, shall, in my or their discretion, seem meet, and that I, the said
Thomas Burges, my executors, administrators, and assigns, shall and lawfully
may have and enjoy the whole profit, benefit, commodity, and advantage

page_text: from time to time coming, growing, accruing, and arising by reason of
the said Invention as therein is mentioned, to hold, exercise, and enjoy
the said licence, powers, priviledges and advantages, unto me, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, for the full term of fourteen years from the
date of the said Letters Patent, according to the Statute in such case made
and provided, and with such other grants, declarations, and benefits, and
subject to such provisions as in the said Letters Patent are more fully
expressed and contained; and, in particular a proviso is therein contained,
that if I, the said Thomas Burges, should not particularly describe and
ascertain the nature of my Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, and
cause the same to be inrolled in His said Majesty's High Court of Chancery
within one calendar month next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent, that then the said Letters Patent, and all liberties and
advantages whatsoever thereby granted, should utterly cease, determine, and
become void, anything before contained to the contrary thereof in anywise
notwithstanding, as in and by the said Letters Patent, relation being there-
unto had, it may and doth more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, and these presents witness, that in compliance with the
terms of the said last-mentioned proviso in that behalf expressed, I, the said
Thomas Burges, have particularly described and ascertained, and by these
presents do particularly describe and ascertain, the nature of my said Even-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, in manner following
(that is to say):
The rotary motion produced from the action of an alternate movement
by the method of my Invention, and according to the new principle which I
have adopted, is brought about by means of an axis and a moving collar
thereupon, with a pall, palls, or catches affixed thereto or connected therewith,
and a counterpoise acting on the same; which apparatus I have invented and
put together.
The annexed Drawing in respective exhibits an external view of the
mechanism of my Invention, when the alternate movement is effected, a
steam engine, where C refers to the collar upon an axis which receives the
rotary motion. The rest of the perspective Drawing serves to shew, by way
of example; how the apparatus of my Invention' appears externally when
connected and worked with the lever of a steam engine, viz*, A, the axis;
C, the said collar; R, the chain, rope, or other flexible substance applied
round or upon the collar, and connected with the moving power and
counterpoise; W; the weight or counterpoise; F, the fly. And for per-
$

page_text: forming my method of rotary motion when it is to be effected by means of any
other machine or moving power than a steam engine, I deversify the construc-
tion and application of my apparatus in some small degree, according to the
sort of machine, mechanism, or acting power by which the first action thereon
is to be effected. Nevertheless, the operation always partakes of and is compre-
hended within the same method' and principle.
And now I proceed to explain the internal construction of my apparatus, as
suited to this example, and the profile drawing therefore serves to shew the in-
side of the same apparatus (which is only externally viewed in the prespective),
in which profile the inside of the said collar C is represented, and a pall or
catch, marked P, is also represented, which moves upon a fixed pin by which it
is hung in a groove or cavity made for its reception in the said collar. And in
the said profile are represented teeth or notches in the said axis. And in the
working of the machinery the said pall or catch falls by its own gravity into the
said teeth or notches in the said axis, when acted upon by the moving power
forcing the axis forwards together and in union with the collar, and then
the pall drops and slides back over the teeth or notches, whilst the collar is
the act of being drawn backwards by the said counterpose. In the per-
spective and profile Drawings respectively I have introduced the figures of the
lever of a steam engine, the better to 'show to the eye how and from whence
my apparatus receives its action according to that example. And I have
introduced a fly upon the axis, to shew how and by what power the action
is then continued. And so the rotary motion produced by this method
invented by me, upon the principle which I have adopted, being brought
about from the action of an alternate movement, continues its constant and
regular motion and progress forwards, notwithstanding the collar is returned
back to its proper place and position by the reaction of the counterpoise,
and thereby the collar is prepared to receive each repetition of the
stroke or impulse of the first moving power without impeding the rotary
motion of the axis, which axis continues all along in the original rotary
motion. In the pursuing of this my method, and in the constructing
of the apparatus and performing the operations of this Invention, I some-
times use a leather or other flexible ligature instead of a chain or rope.
The counterpoise may be effected by a spring or worm, or by any way
that will by counterpoise and reaction return the collar to receive the
successive action of the first moving power. And I further add, for describing
and ascertaining the nature of my said Invention, and the manner in which it
is to be performed, the following particular remarks and observations, viz* :-
Upon an axis to which such rotary motion is to be communicated for any

page_text: purpose a collar is accurately fitted, so as to turn freely thereupon, and so
secured on each side, as to prevent its sliding, and round which said collar a
chain, rope, or other flexible substance is wound or placed, one end whereof is
carried and made fast to the lever of steam engine, or to any other moving
power which acts by alternative motion, whether perpendicularly, horizontally,
or in any other direction; and by and upon the other end thereof a weight is
suspended, or a spring or springs or other power is or are applied thereto, or
to the collar, by some sufficient means, according to the nature of the work;
which weight, spring, or other power must act as a counterpoise to draw the
collar back in the interval between each storke or impulse of the moving
power. And two or more such such chains, ropes, or other flexible substances,
may be used to produce the same effect; each of them being in such case
fixed by one of the ends thereof to the said collar, and the other ends respectively
being aptly connected, one with the moving power, and the other with the
counterpoise. And to give the effect intended of turning the axis round by
means of the collar so acted upon, a pall or catch, palls or catches, or other
similar contrivance, is or are placed within or upon or otherwise connected
with the said collar, in such manner that one end or part of every such pall,
catch, or other contrivance may at each successive impulse of the moving
power most readily fall or be pressed into and act upon teeth or notches,
which must be for that purpose cut in or fixed upon the axis, over which said
teeth or notches the said palls, catches, or such other contrivances, easily and
freely slide back when the collar is drawn backwards by the counterpoise.
Thus by the said palls, catches, or such other contrivances, upon the teeth or
notches (or by pressure alone where the resistance is but small), the axis is
forced round with the collar by every alternate stroke of the moving power;
but the palls, catches, or such other contrivances, being disengaged from the
teeth or notches at the instant of such stroke of the moving power being
compleated, the collar is then drawn backwards by the counterpoise, and so
prepared to be acted upon again with the whole force of the moving power in
constant succession as long as the moving power is at work; the motion of
the axis being during the whole time continued forward equally and uninter-
ruptedly by means of a fly or flies thereto aptly annexed or applyed, or other-
wise, as may be found convenient; and the whole may be stopped or set in
motion instantly when the moving power or counterpoise are in any relative
position, or at any point either of the stroke or return of the alternate motion
without any jerk or shaking, which is a benefit not attained to in any of the
methods heretofore employed for communicating a rotary from an alternate
motion. If it should. in any case be found more convenient to employ an

page_text: inflexible beam or rod to impel the collar, and therewith the axis, forward,
this may be accomplished by indenting the rim of the said collar, and also and
also one side of such beam or rod with teeth or notches fitted to each other, in
which case the weight of such beam or rod may itself be made to act as a
sufficient counterpoise to bring the collar back so as to be duly acted upon by
the next succeeding stroke; but in general a chain, or some flexible substance,
applied according to the above description, will answer best. The application
of this rotary motion may be made with the greatest advantage to the turning
of any kind of millwork for grinding, for rolling, flatting, or slitting any kinds
of metal, and for all other purposes to which mills are or can be applied;
also for working tilt hammers or stampers in iron works, and for turning and
boring of cannon, as well as for all smaller works upon similar principles, and
in what sort for every species of work and manufactory to which millwork,
turners' instruments, or any form of rotary motion is or hath been or can be
applied. It would be endless to shew every different form of application in
the
way of example; but that example which I have given by the Drawing
and references, serving to shew the true nature of my Invention, and one of
the most obvious manners in which it is to be performed,-from that example,
with the above illustration, and the whole of my description, I conceive that
my method, and the principle thereof, and apparatus adapted for producing the
rotary motion in the way specified from the action of an alternate movement,
is ascertained. And this my Invention is to be used as well in works in the
greatest magnitude, and requiring the mightyest strength, as in those requiring
only moderate strength, and even down to the working a turner's lathe or the
most trivial implement. The certain advantage to the public in this my
method will be found by the ease in the performance of it, and the effect it has
in its operation, and by reason that the mechanism may be made and kept in
repair at a comparatively small expence, and is worked without any shaking
or jerking, which is a merit not attained to in or by means of any of the
methods heretofore invented for communicating a rotary motion from an
alternate movement.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Burges, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Seventh day of July, in the s" twenty-ninth
year of the reign of our Sovereign Lord George the Third, by the
Grace of Great Britain, France, and Ireland King, Defender of the
Faith, and so forth, and in the year of our Lord One thousand seven
hundred and eighty-nine.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Seventh day of July, in the year
above written, the aforesaid Thomas Burges came before our Lord the King
in His Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification aforesaid, and all and
every thing therein contained, in form above written. And also the Specification
aforesaid was stamped according to the tenor of the Statute made in the
sixth year of the reign of the late King and Queen William and Mary of
England, and so forth.
Inrolled the Eighth day of July, in the year above mentioned.