Ludeke and Wilckens's Device
In 1864, Johann Ernst Friedrich Ludeke, of London, and Daniel Wilckens, of Surrey, applied for British patent on "Improvements in Motive Power by Capillary Attraction." They describe their invention as follows:
Our invention consists of improvements in motive power by capillary attraction constructed as follows:
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings represents in horizontal section a square case or cistern; this cistern is filled with water nearly to the top, and two wheels marked a, a, and b, b, are placed in the water in the cistern. By capillary attraction the water rises between the two wheels marked x, x, to a height above the level of the water in proportion to the distance of the wheels from each other at x, x. As the water rises between the wheels marked x, x, above its level, the weight of water between the wheels at x, x, will cause the wheels to continually revolve.
Figure 2 represents the same as Figure 1, but in a vertical section. The said power may be obtained by wheels moved on axis, or by other apparatus by rise and fall in the water by vertical motion.
