IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR OBTAINING MOTIVE POWER, APPLICABLE TO HOISTS AND ALL OTHER PURPOSES TO WHICH MOTIVE POWER CAN BE APPLIED
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Hugh Rigby, of Salford, in the County of Lan-
custer, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR
APPARATUS FOR OBTAINING MOTIVE POWER, APPLICABLE TO HOISTS AND ALL
OTHER PURPOSES TO WHICH MOTIVE POWER CAN BE APPLIED."
Sealed the 31st August. 1859, and dated the 25th March 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Hugh Rigby at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 25th March
* 1859.
1, HUGH RIGBY, of Salford, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR OBTAINING MOTIVE POWER, APPLICABLE TO HOISTS
AND ALL OTHER PURPOSES TO WHICH MOTIVE POWER CAN BE APPLIED," to be as
follows:-
1 employ an upper reservoir of water of any suitable capacity, and by
means of a regulating valve allow the water to fall upon the buckets of a
water wheel or turbine, the water being delivered into a similar reservoir
below. The water wheel or turbine gives motion to a series of hydraulic
pumps for the purpose of forcing the water into one or more hydraulic rams,
to each of which a larger pump bucket is attached, working in a suitable
barrel, the bottom of which is placed in the lower reservoir. As the water
wheel or turbine turns from the supply of water, and gives motion to the
series of pumps, the ram or rams rise, and raise the larger bucket or
buckets, the effect of which is to raise the surplus water from the lower
reservoir to the upper, which latter is thus continually supplied; 'or by
exhausting the air at the upper part of the barrels, the water will flow.
[Poine 81

page_text: upwards into the reservoir, thus maintaining a regular supply of water, which,
acting on the wheel, obtains a motive power in proportiou to tho dimensions
of the parts.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Hugh Rigby in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
24th September 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME. I, HUGH
RIGBY, of Salford, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-second year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Hugh Rigby, Her special licence, that I, the said Hugh Rigby,
myexecutors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Hugh Rigby, ny executors, administrators, and 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR OBTAINING MOTIVE POWER, APPLICABLE TO HOISTS
AND ALL OTHER PURPOSES TO WHICH MOTIVE POWER CAN BE APPLIED," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Hugh Rigby, by an instrumout
in writing under my hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascer-
tain 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 Hugh Rigby, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and the manner in which the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the follow-
ing statement (that is to say):-
I employ an upper reservoir of water of any suitable capacity, and by
means of a regulating valve allow the water to fall upon the buckets of a
water wheel or turbine, the water being delivered into a similar reservoir
below. The water wheel or turbine gives motion to a series of hydraulic
pumps, for the purpose of forcing the water into one or more hydraulic rams,

page_text: to each of which a larger pump bucket is attached, working in a suitable
barrel, the bottom of which is placed in the lower reservoir. As the water
wheel or turbine turns from the supply of water, and gives motion to the
series of pumps, the ram or rams rise, and raise the larger bucket or
buckets, the effect of which is to raise the surplus water from the lower
reservoir to the upper, which latter is thus continually supplied; or by
exhausting the air at the upper part of the barrels the water will flow.
upwards into the reservoir, thus maintaining a regular supply of water, which,
acting on the wheel, obtains a motive power in proportion to the dimensions
of the parts. The aforesaid pumps and hydraulic rams may also be worked
by steam or other motive power.
These improvements will be clearly understood by referring to the letters
and figures on the accompanying four Sheets of Drawings, in which Fig. 1
represents a vertical elevation of my improved machinery for obtaining motive
power, Fig. 2 a vertical elevation, and Fig. 3 a plan of a novel arrangement
of hydraulic rams for working a hoist; Figs. 4 and 5 a similar arrangement
of rains for lifting goods in a warehouse; and Figs. Gaud 7 another arrange-
ment for raising sunken ships or other weighty bodies.
I
In Fig. 1 the upper reservoir is represented at a, furnished with the regu-
lating valve b, so as to regulate the supply of water which falls upon the
buckets of a water wheel or turbine c, from whence the water falls to a
lower reservoir. The water wheel c works any suitable number of hydraulic
pumps d, which force water into the cylinders e, and act against the hydraulic
rams f, to each of which a larger pump bucket g is conuected, working in
the barrels h, connected by pipes and valves to the lower reservoir. The
water from the reservoir a turns the turbine or water wheel c, which works
the pumps 'd, so as to raise the rams either alternately or conjointly, as
required, thus raising the larger buckets g, the effect of which is to lift the
surplus water from the lower to the upper reservoir a, and keeping it con-
tinually and regularly supplied, which water, acting on the water wheel or
Lurbine, obtains a motive power in proportion to the dimensions of the parts.
The arrangement may be modified by exhausting the air from the upper parts
of the barrels h, so as to cause the water to flow into the upper reservoir.
In Fig. 2, 1 represent one arrangement of my improved hydraulic ramy.
They are in the form of telescope tubes, one fitting within the other, so as to
obtain a great height of motion with stability and power, and be thereby
adapted for hoists and similar purposes. The water from the pumps passes
through the pipe i, entering into the lower cylinder k, and acts against the
lower rim or surface of the second cylinder or hollow ramm, in which works

page_text: the ram n, the water acting against the lower rim or surface o, and so on,
for as many rams as it may be desirable to use, it being understood that the
bottom of the top ram fills the entire area of the cylinder it works in. The
rams, one within the other, are kept air and water tight by means of leathers
'similar to those of the ordinary hydraulic presses.
In Fig. 4, I represent a similar arrangement of telescopic rams, having at
their upper parts a platform of a railway hoist, and in Figs. 6 and 7 an
arrangement of rams placed in a vessel so as to be adapted for raising sunken
ships or other articles, one set of rams being placed in a vessel on one side of
the sunken ship or article, and another set of rams in another vessel on the
other side, at such distances apart that a pontoon or other required frame-
shall be able to pass between them in order to receive the article raised,' the
diameters, lengths, and numbers of the rams being regulated according to the
work required to be accomplished.
Having thus fully described the nature of my said Invention,and the manuer
in which the same is to be performed, I desire it to be distinctly understood
that I do not confine myself to the precise details herein set forth, as such
may be varied or modified without departing from the principle thereof;. but
I claim as my Invention, and which to the best of my knowledge and belief
has not been hitherto used within the realm,-
The improved arrangement of pumps, rams, and water wheel or turbine for
the purpose of obtaining motive power.
And, secondly, the employment of telescopic hydraulic rams, as all such
improvements are herein described and illustrated in the accompanying four
Sheets of Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Hugh Rigby, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-second day of September, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine
HUGH RIGBY. (L.S.).
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the
within-named Hugh Rigby in the
presence of
.
E. J. Hughes, Patent Agent,
Manchester.
1