A NEW OR IMPROVED MOTIVE-POWER ENGINE
Year: 1861

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by William Dowell and James Dowell
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their Petition, on the
9th September 1861.
We, WILLIAM DOWELL, of Rhyl, in the County of Flint, Smith, and JAMES
DOWELL, of Rhyl aforesaid, Smith, do hereby, declare the nature of the said
Invention for "A NEW OR IMPROVED MOTIVE-POWER ENGINE," to be as
follows:-
Our Invention consists essentially of a wheel having an even number of
spokes or radii, each of the said spokes or radii being diametrically opposite to
another. Weights carried by the said spokes or radii are worked in such a
manner, as herein-after explained, that those on one side of the said wheel are
always at a greater distance from the centre of the said wheel than the weights
on the other side, and the wheel is not in equilibrium. The preponderating
side of the wheel consequently descends, and each weight, after it has passed
from the highest point through a semicircle to the lowest point, is drawn
in towards the centre while it rises, and is forced out again when it arrives
again at its highest point. One half of the wheel is thus kept in a constant
state of preponderance, and the said wheel constantly rotates.
The motion of the weights is thus effected :-On each spoke or radius and
near the centre of motion is a weight capable of a sliding motion on the said
spoke. We will call this weight the inner weight. A rod prolonged in the
direction of the spoke beyond the periphery of the wheel, carries a second
weight, which we will call the outer weight. The inner weight and outer

page_text: weight are connected together in the following manner :-On the spoke, and
somewhat further from the axis of the wheel than the inner weight is a centre
on which two crossing lovers work, the shorter arms of the said levers being
towards the inner weight, and connected therewith by connecting links and
rod. The longer arms of the said levers are also connected by links and a con
necting rod with a similar pair of crossing levers turning upon a centre on the
spoke, and near the periphery of the wheel and to the latter levers the rod
carrying the outer weight is connected by connecting links. The action of the
levers described somewhat resembles that of the ordinary lazy-tongs lovers.
When the spoke is situated vertically over the axle of the wheel, the inner
weight descends or approaches nearer the said axle, and acting through the
lovers described, forces upwards and to its highest point the outer weight cou-
nected with it. The said outer weight descends with the descending side of
the wheel, being during the time of its descent at its maximum distance from
the axle of the wheel. When it arrives at its lowest point it is drawn upwards
to its minimum distance from the axle, and in this position is raised on the
ascending side of the wheel. The drawing upwards of the outer weight is
effected by the inner weight, which now that it is under the axle descends or
recedes from the axle, and acting through the levers raises' the outer weight.
The action described takes place in the weights connected with each spoke or
radius, and the perpetual preponderance of one side of the wheel and the con-
sequent rotation of the said wheel is maintained.