Improvements in Utilising the Rise, Fall, and Flow of Tidal and other Waters for the Production of Motive Power.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Nov., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 16th Sept., 1895-Accepted, 14th Nov., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Utilising the Rise, Fall, and Flow of Tidal and
other Waters for the Production of Motive Power.
I JOHN EVELYN LIARDET of 16 Hyde Park Gate in the County of London,
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is improvements in utilising the rise, fall and flow
of tidal and other waters to obtain motive power.
According to this invention I erect suitable foundations in the river bed, which,
in connection with the improvements hereinafter described, may take the place of
ordinary weirs; and these foundations may be built of concrete.
Into the said
foundations I fix iron pillars to carry a float or floats, which I load to a certain
displacement and water line, so that the floats may rise and fall automatically
with the water and work as automatic sluice gates. Upon the said floats I mount
one or more water motors. If more than one motor is used, each successive one
must be fixed at a lower level than the preceding one, so that the tail water from
the first motor acts on the second, and so on.
On the aforesaid foundations I construct walls to contain and guide the
aforesaid floats, and also supports to carry the machinery hereafter referred to.
To each of the said motors I fix a vertical feathered shaft, so that the said shaft may
telescope into a sleeve fitted to cross girders erected above the extreme flood line
in such a way that the said sleeve may revolve with the aforesaid shaft. On the
upper end of the said sleeve I key a toothed crown wheel to actuate a pinion on
the shaft to work a pulley or pulleys, which in turn actuates or actuate other
pulleys by means of bands in order to work dynamos or other machines.
1 form in the aforesaid foundations flood culverts so as to be acted upon
automatically by the aforesaid floats which carry the motors, by which means
dispense with the ordinary sluice gates.
also employ the following means for stirring up the mud or other substances
in the water beds, namely a series of scarifiers and fans fitted on an axle to be
operated by suitable means from the motive power described, so as to keep the
beds of the waters free from deposits.
Dated this Fourteenth day of November 1894.
BROWNE & Co.,
9 Warwick Court, Gray's Inn, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in Utilising the Rise, Fall, and Flow of Tidal and
other Waters for the Production of Motive Power.
I JOHN EVELYN LIARDET of 16 Hyde Park Gate, in the County of London,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement :-
The object of this invention is improvements in utilising the rise fall and flow of
tidal and other waters to obtain motive power.

page_text: According to this invention I erect suitable foundations in the river bed, which
in connection with the improvements hereinafter described may take the place
of ordinary weirs, and these foundations may be built of concrete. Into the said
foundations I fix iron pillars to carry a float or floats, which I load to a certain
displacement and water line, so that the floats may rise and fall automatically with
the water, and work as automatic sluice gates. Upon the said floats I mount one
or more water motors. If more than one motor is used, each successive one must
be fixed at a lower level than the preceding one, so that the tail water from the
first motor acts on the second etc.
On the aforesaid foundations I construct walls, to contain and guide the
aforesaid floats, and also supports to carry the machinery hereafter referred to.
To each of the said motors I fix a vertical feathered shaft, so that the said
shaft may telescope into a sleeve fitted to cross girders erected above the
extreme flood line, in such a way that the said sleeve may revolve with the
aforesaid shaft.
On the upper end of the said shaft I key a toothed crown wheel, to actuate a
pinion on the shaft, to work a pulley or pulleys, which in turn actuates or
actuate other pulleys by means of a band, in order to work dynamos or other
machinery.
I form in the aforesaid foundation flood culverts so as to be acted upon
automatically by the aforesaid floats which carry the motors, by which means
I dispense with the ordinary sluice gates.
to be
I also employ the following means for stirring up the mud or other substances
in the water bed, namely a series of scarifiers and fans fittel' on an axle,
operated by suitable meaus from the motive power employed, so as to keep the
beds of the waters free from deposits.
And in order that my said invention may be more clearly understood I will now
proceed to describe the same with reference to the drawings accompanying this
Specification in which
Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation shewing the general arrangement of my
improvements,
Fig. 2. and Fig. 3. details hereafter referred to,
Fig. 4 partial end view of Fig. 1.
The same letters of reference are employed to denote the same parts in all the
views.
a shews foundation erected in the river bed, (this may be built of concrete)
bb shew pillars or guides for the float c, d d' shew water motors, the motor d¹
being fixed at a lower level than the motor d, so that the tail water from dacts
upon d', ee shew vertical shafts either feathered or square, so that they may
telescope into the sleeves ff, and the sleeves ff thus revolve with the shafts e e.
99 shew crown wheels on the upper ends of the sleeves ff. These crown wheels
engage with bevel wheels hh, and the motion is in cousequence transmitted to the
pulleys ii, by means of the shafts kk. These pulleys actuate (by means of the
bands) other pulleys m m', and n n', the whole of which may be in connection
with dynamos or other machinery.
The float c is loaded to a certain displacement, so that it may rise and fall with
the flood or tidal water. ss shew food culverts formed in the foundation a.
A B shews ordinary level of water in river and CD extreme flood line.
Fig. 2 shews an end elevation of a scarifier that I employ for stirring up the
mud, in order to keep the bed of the river clear.
Fig. 3 is an outline plan shewing the relative positions of the guides bb, and
floats c.
c represents the float and pppp the guides which keep the float in
position, whilst rising.
The action is as follows:-
The
The water, when at the ordinary level acts on the motors d d', as indicated by
the arrow marked and the arrow in licates the direction of the tail race.
motion is communicated from the motors d d to dynamos or other machinery by

page_text: means of the shafts e e sleeves ff, crown wheels g g, bevel wheels hh, shafts k k
and pulleys i i, m m¹, n n¹.
When the level of the water in the river rises to CD, the float c also rises
automatically with it, the shafts e e telescoping into the sleeves ff, and the water
Whilst rising,
is free to pass through the culverts s, s and underneath the float c.
the float is guided by the guides p before described.
The float thus opens and closes the flood culverts s s automatically, and
ordinary sluice gates are by this means dispensed with.
Fig. 5 is a plan showing how my invention would be applied to tidal waters.
The water is directed on to the motor d by means of the masonry a', The full-
line arrows show the course of the water when the tide is rising and the dotted-line
arrows the course when the tide is ebbing. Thus the action of the tide drives
the motor, and always in the same direction.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
declare that what I
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed,
claim is :-
1. The improvements herein before described in utilising the rise fall and flow
of tidal and other waters, for the production of motive power.
2. In improvements in utilising the rise fall and flow of tidal and other waters,
the foundations, float or floats and guides, in combination with a water motor or
water motors for the purposes set forth.
3. The improvements in utilising the rise, fall and flow of tidal and other waters,
substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
Dated this Sixteenth day of September 1895..
BROWNE & Co.,
9 Warwick Court, Gray's Inn, London, W.C.