AN IMPROVED ECONOMIZER TO BE USED IN CONNECTION WITH FISH LADDERS
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Henry Horsfall, of Headingley, near Leeds,
in the County of York, Gentleman, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED
ECONOMIZER TO BE USED IN CONNECTION WITH FISH LADDERS."
Sealed the 23rd August 1864, and dated the 23rd February 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Henry Horsfall at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
23rd February 1864.
J, JOHN HENRY HORSFALL, of Headingley, near Leeds, in the County of
York, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"AN IMPROVED WATER ECONOMIZER, TO BE USED IN CONNECTION WITH FISH
LADDERS," to be as follows:-
It is well known to pisciculturalists that fish ascend the rivers for the
purpose of spawning, and that the weirs, from the abrupt manner in which they
are built up, have formed serious obstacles to such ascents. It has hitherto
been the custom to cut passages in the sill of the weir, and thus to attract
the fish to that part of the stream, having a more rapid current in conse-
quence of such passage, and further to assist the ascent by means of ladders
of various constructions, and forming more gradually inclined planes than the
sides of the weirs. A considerable waste of water, however, is thus occasioned,
inasmuch as the passages continue to afford points of egress for the water when
below the level of the top of the sill of the weir, (in which state of the water
no migratory fish ascend rivers,) and the mills or factories on the banks of the

page_text: stream are consequently deprived of the use of that to which from usage they
claim a right, viz., the whole of the water below the sill of the weir. To
obviate this waste of water is the object of my Invention. For this purpose
I cut a passage of suitable dimensions in the sill of the weir, and place a door
or trap (provided with hinges on its lower end, as well as with staples in a
convenient part adapted to receive a bolt) in the said passage, or cut staples
are fixed in the wear sill in a line with those in the door, and a bolt being
passed through the whole of the staples the door or trap is closed. To the
bolt I attach a chain and wire rope. By a lever of the first order, conveniently
fixed on the bank of the stream, and connected with the wire rope before
named, the bolt may be withdrawn and the door allowed to fall, the water
rushing through the passage; after withdrawing the bolt the lever on the
bank is at once reversed. This operation causes the chain to which the bolt
is attached to become slack, and when it is required to shut the door or trap,
the bolt resting in staples affixed to the sill may readily be shot through those
of the door. The principle in working this apparatus consists in allowing the
door to remain open, and the water to pass through only so long as there is
sufficient water to run over the sill of the weir. The fish ladder is thus used
when the river is at "flood," at which time only migratory fish ascend the
river, and consequently without detriment to any milling power, that is, so
long as the water is higher than the sills: of the weir. The door or trap may
be constructed of cast iron, as well as those, parts on either side. carrying the
staules, the whole being in one frame.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed.
by the said John Henry Horsfall in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 23rd August 1864.
•
· TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN:
HENRY HORSFALL, of Headingley, near Leeds, in the County of York;
Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-seventh year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, givé and grant
unto me, the said John Henry Horsfall, Her special licence that I, the said
John Henry Horsfall, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said John Henry Horsfall, my executors, administrators, and

page_text: 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 "AN IMPROVED WATER ECONOMIZER, TO BE USED IN CONNECTION WITH FISH
LADDERS," иро!! the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Henry
Horsfall, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under
my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe
and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and 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 John Henry Horsfall, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
:
It is well known to pisciculturalists that fish ascend the rivers for the
purpose of spawning, and that the weirs, from the abrupt manner in which
they are built up, have formed serious obstacles to such ascent. It has
hitherto been the custom to cut passages in the sill of the weir, and thus to
attract the fish to that part of the stream having a more rapid current in con-
sequence of such passages, and further to assist the ascent by means of ladders
of various constructions, and forming more gradually inclined planes than the
sides of the weirs. A considerable waste of water, however, is thus occasioned,
inasmuch, as the passages continue to afford points of egress for the water
when below the level of the top of the sill of the weir, (in which state of the
water no migratory fish ascend rivers,) and the mills or factories on the banks
of the stream are consequently deprived of the use of that to which from usage.
they claim a right, viz., the whole of the water below the sill of the weir.
To obviate this waste of water is the object of my Invention. For this
purpose I cut a passage of suitable dimensions in the sill of the weir, and
place a door or trap (provided, with a binge on its lower end, as well as with
staples in a couvenient part adapted to receive a bolt) in the said passage, or
cut staples are fixed in the weir sill in a line with those in the door, and a
bolt being passed through the whole of the staples the door or trap is closed..
To the bolt I attach a chain and wire rope or rod. By a lever of the first
order, conveniently fixed on the banks of the stream and connected with the
wire ropes before named, the bolt may be withdrawn and the door allowed to

page_text: fall, the water rushing through the passage. After withdrawing the bolt the
lever on the bank is at once reversed. This operation causes the chain to
which the bolt is attached to become slack, and when it is required to shut
the door or trap the bolt resting in staples affixed to the sill may readily be
shot through those of the door. The principle in working this apparatus
consists in allowing the door to remain open and the water to pass through
only so long as there is sufficient water to run over the sill of the weir. The
fish ladder is used when the river is in "flood," at which time only migratory
fish ascend, and consequently without detriment to any milling power, that is;
so long only as the water is bigher than the sill of the weir. The door or
trap may be constructed of cast iron, as well as those parts on either side
carrying the staples, the whole being in one frame.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 shows a perspective elevation of the sill of a weir fitted upon my
improved principle; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the wear, and also a
fish ladder-attached to and in connection with the sill and trap; while Fig. 3
is a plan of the trap door and fish ladder, showing-the_connection between the
two. In these several views similar letters indicate corresponding parts.
A is the sill of the weir, having passages a, a, cut to receive the upper
ends of the fish ladder B, B'; these in turn have passages c, c', cut to receive
the door or trap d, d', working on universal hinges e, e¹; recesses f,f¹,
Figs. 2 and 3, are cut to receive the door or trap d, d', so that when the latter
are open their upper surfaces may be level or "flush" with the upper surfaces
of the bottom of the fish ladders, and consequently present no impediment to
the free passage of the water. Recesses i, i, are cut in the sill to receive the
bolts g, g'. These bolts it will be observed are provided with chains g², g³,
such chains when slack being admitted in recesses h, h¹. On the side of the
stream are levers C, C³, connected with the bolts 9, 91, and working on fulcra
x, x³, fixed in any convenient position. The stables j guide the rods g, g', the
door being closed by shooting the continuation of such rods or bolts through
the staples k. The object of the chains g, 13, is to prevent the bolt or rod
being shot back through staples k by any casual person on the bank of the
stream, necessitating the attendants walking to the pass on the sill, and
this being requisite only when the water is below the level of the top of the
weir no inconvenience occasioned. The doors may be lifted out of their
recesses, and being placed in a vertical position the bolts secure the same by
means of staples, as before explained. It will be evident that by the arrange-
ment above described water is only appropriated to the use of the fish pass

page_text: at the time when it is in abundance, that is, running over the top of the weir,
the door or trap being closed by the attendant as soon as it falls below that
point.
Having now fully described and ascertained the nature of my Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I would have it understood
that, without confining myself to the precise details shewn, what I claim as
and of my Invention is, the use of a water economizer of the nature and
constructed on the principle shewn and described to be used in connection
with fish ladders.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Henry Horsfall, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of August, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
J.H.
H. HORSFALL. (L.S.