COAL AND STEAM SUPERSEDED.

New Zealand Herald, Volume IV, Issue 1124, 21 June 1867, Page 5

COAL AND STEAM SUPERSEDED.

(From the Wining Journal.) Attention was called in an article in the Mining Journal of July 7tli, 1866, to an invention designed by Mr. J. Smith, of Barkeley House, Liverpool, and Mr. S. A, Chease, of Egremont, ( heshire, for obtaining motive power, and it is now stated that their efforts have been crowned with success. Action and reaction is a law of nature, evidenced by the ebbing and flowing of the tides, and other natural phenomena. Can the natural forces of air and water combined bo employed for mechanical purposes without chemical change? This problem these gentlemen claim to have solved, by constructing an engine on the following piinciples : —They make a reservoir having two compartments, the internal compartment having a lift pump for raising water or other fluids contained in the external compartment, thus giving and maintaining two levels of the fluid in the one reservoir. From the bottom and through the lid of the external reservoir they raise a tank, which may be made of any height. The whole of this portion of the engine must be made perfectly air-tight,_ so that any amount of air may be compressed into the reservoir. AVitliiu the tank, and fixed on its bottom and one side, are two cylinders, having two sets of valves, the one set opening tothefluid in the tank. Within each of the cylinders is inserted a hollow tube or float. The floats are attached by means of slings to a beam which rests on a fulcrum, giving to them the character of a pair of scales, iiach float is surrounded by a cup-leather valve, which is fixed to the rim of the cylinder, to prevent any escape of the fluid contained in tlie tauk through the aperture occupied by the float. On the head of one float is fixed a rod which passes through a stuff ginbox on the lid of the tank, and is linked to a beam on the outside, 'ihc other end of the beam is connected by a rod to the crank, and a second rod connects the crank with the lift pump. Ail eccentric affixed to the shaft actuates the gear, which opeDs and closes the valves at'thu moment required. On the lid of the reservoir is fixed an air-pump with gear, which may be attached either to the beair or the eccentric, and which at each rotation of the engine throws a jet of compressed air into the reservoir. A safety valve is also affixed to the lid of the external reservoir to let olf the superincumbent pressure. A syphon feed-pipe descends from the head of the tank through the lid down to the base of the internal reservoir, having a sluice valve to open or close the communication between the tank the reservoir. This completes the mechanical arrangements of the present engine, but the principle is capable of modification and adaptation to marine, railway, or other purposes. The next operation is to fill the tank, syphon, feed-pipe, pnd internal reservoir with water' or other fluid. The external reservoir is then partly filled, until tlie tank-valves that open into it are submerged, when the engine is ready for use. The floats being below, are lighter than a space of equal magnitude filled with water; and consequently, it follows of necessity that when the valve on the first cylinder is open to gravatic force of the fluid contained in the tank, that force acts on the bottom of the float, causing it to rise ; while the valve of the second cylinder, being open to the reservoir, causes the float to descend, there being no power to support itj thus producing a reciprocating motion, which, acting on the beam, gives rotation to the crank, and actuates the eccentric and the tank valves, causing them to open and shut at the proper time. °This motion is continued until the valve of the syphon feed-pipe is closed, shutting off the pressure by which the water or other fluid is forced through the syphon feed-pipe. By the air-pump the power may be raised to any extent. The air, being confined to the surface of the fluid, forces it through the syphon feed-pipe ia the tank, and through the tank valves into the reservoir, and thus produces a perfect circuit of motion. •