Perpetual Motion

by Percy Verance; Henry Dircks

Waterblowing Machine

In 1827 "Mechanics' Magazine," London, published an account of an invention which was furnished to it by some correspondent. The invention, it seems from the communication, had previously been described in an appendix by Dr. Brewster to a volume of Ferguson's lectures, and it also seems that the description furnished "Mechanics' Magazine" was copied from such appendix. The following is the article as it appeared in "Mechanics' Magazine":

I am encouraged to send you the following attempt at perpetual motion, because I think it is upon a principle that has not yet been examined in your pages.

In Dr. Brewster's appendix to Ferguson's lectures, the following description is given of what is called a "Water Blowing Machine": "Let A B (see Fig.) be a cistern of water, with the bottom of which is connected the bended leaden pipe B C H. The lower extremity H, of the pipe is inserted into the top of a cask or vessel, D E, called the condensing vessel, having the pedestal P fitted to its bottom, which is perforated with two openings, M N. When the water which comes from the cistern A is falling through the part, C H of the pipe, it is supplied by the openings or tubes, m n o p, with a quantity of air which it carries along with it. This mixture of air and water, issuing from the aperture H, and impinging upon the surface of the stone pedestal P, is driven back and dispersed in various directions. The air being thus separated from the water, ascends into the upper part of the vessel, and rushes through the opening F, whence it is conveyed to the fire, while the water falls to the lower part of the vessel, and runs out by the openings M N." The author then goes on to describe the construction of the pipe B C H, in the curve of which some nicety is required, and to explain some atmospherical phenomena upon the principle of this machine, adding that "Franciscus Tertius de Lanis observes that he has seen a greater wind generated by a blowing machine of this kind than could be produced by bellows ten or twelve feet long."

Now, if, instead of the pedestal P, a wheel were placed in the condensing vessel, as in the figure, would not the water, in falling upon the wheel, be sufficiently dispersed to disengage the air at the same time that it drove the wheel, and would not the motion of the wheel be retarded by the density of the internal air?

I do not apprehend that any considerable resistance would be offered by the internal air, and the motion of the wheel can be regulated by its load, so as to offer a sufficient resistance to the descending stream of water; and I, therefore, assume that the water, in its descent, would produce by means of the wheel, a power capable of raising a part of the water expended back again to the cistern; and this is the extent of the power of most of those machines which have been mistaken for perpetual motions by their projectors. But I have a blast of wind which is described as being of great force. Can this blast be in any way applied to raise the surplus water? I think I see the smile which the proposal will produce in those who deny the possibility of a perpetual motion. "A mere puff of wind!" is doubtless ejaculated from all sides. But let me tell these gentlemen that, though I may not know any method by which such blast can produce that effect, it does not, by any means, follow that the impossibility of the thing is thence to be presumed. Far from it; for such a conclusion rests upon the supposition that the powers and application of a blast of wind are fully known, and that no research or experience can add to our knowledge on that subject—assumptions which appear to me somewhat ridiculous. Allow me, for the sake of argument, to suppose that this blast instead of wind, had been a blast of steam. Time was when wise men would have smiled and said, "A puff of steam—a mere puff of steam!"—and had some one, more sanguine than the rest, attempted by its application to produce a motion, he would have applied it to the floatboards of a wheel, as in Branca's engine, and have been disappointed. It is not given to man to know when the powers of any great agent have been fully developed; and those who act upon such presumptions throw the greatest obstacles in the way of inquiry. But, to show the anti-perpetualists that within their own time since the commencement of the "Mechanics' Magazine," an addition has been made to our knowledge of the powers of a blast of wind, I have added a tube, G, to my figure, the proposed use of which I shall now describe.

In a part of the "Mechanics' Magazine," published some time ago, there was described a novel mode of raising water in a tube by directing a stream of air over its mouth, thereby destroying the pressure of the atmosphere.

I do not suppose it will rise to the height of the cistern as I have figured it; but it may still be a question whether it may not be accomplished by a series of short tubes, the bottom of the one being placed in the cistern into which the next below discharges its water, each being constructed with a blast and two valves, in the same manner as the single tube—namely, the valves x (under water) and y, worked in such a manner by the arms K L, that the one may shut when the other opens. Presuming that the water will rise to the top of the tube when the blast is in action (x open and y shut), the water in the part of the tube between the blast and y will be discharged into the cistern at the next motion of the valves—namely, when x is shut and y opened, the blast, at the same time, being discontinued.