It will be observed that the above figure shows a string of iron balls "A" suspended on a grooved wheel "E" on an axle "C" between two uprights "FF". At "H" lies a large lodestone, which is to attract the balls at "D" and was expected by the inventor to cause the wheel to rotate.
[CHAPTER VI]
DEVICES UTILIZING CAPILLARY ATTRACTION AND PHYSICAL AFFINITY
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.
The Jurin Device
The device which we have designated "The Jurin Device," was not, in fact, invented by Jurin. James Jurin furnished an account of the invention to The Royal Society of London, and it appears in the reports of that society published in 1720. The invention was by a friend of Jurin's whose name he does not give in the account.
Jurin's account of his friend's invention is as follows: