Lambert's Water Wheel

In 1819, Mr. Lambert, of Prince's-street, Leicester-square, obtained a patent for an improvement in the water-wheel, which he thus describes :

"My improved water-wheel, as shown in figs. 85, 86, and 87, represents the paddles standing in a vertical position to the surface of the water through which they are to pass, and in whatever situation or direction the wheel either rests or moves, the paddles preserve the same vertical position. The great advantage derived from the paddles of a water-wheel entering and quitting the water through which such wheel revolves in a perpendicular direction, has long been admitted to be a most important and desirable measure in that class of water-wheels known and called by engineers undershot-wheels, either for water-mills or for navigable purposes. The benefit of working the paddles of such wheels in a vertical position is not only the superior hold and pressure which the water takes on the paddles or floats of such wheels, but the very little back-water which they create on leaving it.

The principle of this improvement is to make the lower paddles recede from the centre of the axle and to the arms to which they are attached, while the upper paddles proceed to the centre of the axle in equal distances as the others recede; and in the rotation of the wheel, every paddle passes through the various evolutions and positions to which every revolution of the wheel subjects each paddle. The lower paddles, describe a greater radius of a circle than the upper paddles, and thereby travel at an increased velocity, or rather they pass ac their extreme points through a greater space in the same period of time; this effect renders the lower half of the wheel heavier than the upper, by the eccentric position of the paddles, and the flat ring of iron to which they are attached, and it also increases the speed of any navigable body through the water to which such wheels are applied.

Figs. 85, 86, and 87, are views of my improved wheel with one paddle, as in fig. 85, at its greatest depth in the water; B, B, B, B, is one of the iron arm frames to which one end of the paddles, C, C, C, C, C, C, are attached by the joint-pins D, D, D, D, D, D, to the arm frames B, B, B, B. E E is the flat iron ring or eccentric circle, to which the other ends of the paddles are attached by similar joint-pins F, F, F,F,F,F. G G, are the iron guard or guide-rollers, a section of one of which is shown at fig. 88, which may either revolve on fixed axles, or these rollers may be fixed on revolving axles, whichever is most convenient.

The object of these rollers is, to keep the iron circle E E in its proper situation, which is an equal distant position from the centre of the wheel-shaft in a longitudinal direction, and eccentric in a vertical position to the shaft A. These rollers must be placed apart from each other, a distance exactly equal to the diameter of the iron circle E E, consequently the rollers G G must be placed in a line through the centre of the circle E E and which will allow this circle to rub and give motion to the rollers G G, at the speed it revolves. The circle E E, forms an eccentric course, while it rubs on every part of its periphery against the rollers GG. This circle E E may be formed with teeth like the rim. of a cog-wheel, and in that case the rollers G G may either one or both of them be formed into spur pinions to fit the teeth of the circle EE, which would be a quick and simple mode for my improved water-wheel to work machinery. I sometimes use two flat, hardened steel springs, as shown in fig. 89, instead of the rollers G G, to keep the circle E E in . its proper place ; and in certain situations they will be found to answer very well.

Great care must be taken to make the joint pin-holes in the iron frames B, B, B, B, exactly an equal
distance apart from each other; and it must also be observed in piercing or drilling the joint pin-holes in the circle E K, that they correspond with the holes made in the arm frames B, B, B, B. It will be always advisable to drill both the arm frames, B, B, B, B and the circle E E, together, that the joint pin-holes in all three may correspond exactly with each other, and particularly from the centre of each.

The joint pin-holes, in the paddle-plates or floats, should also be made to correspond with each other ;'and it is the distance of the holes from D to F in the paddles C C, as shown at fig. 9O, which determine the eccentricity of the course of the iron ring E E ; and it is by connecting these paddles at D to the arm frames B, B, B, B, and at F to the ring E E, which in the rotation of the whole by the axle A, and by keeping the circle E E in its proper situation as before described, either by the rollers G G, or when the springs H H are substituted for the rollers, that the paddles always preserve a vertical position to the surface of the water, and which cause the upper paddles to approach, whilst the lower paddles recede from the centre of the axle A.

Fig. 86 represents a view of the wheel combined with all the paddles connected to both frames of the wheel, with the iron ring or circle E E placed in the middle of the frames and between the sides of the paddles, with the joint-pins in their proper places, with the two lower paddles at their most extended distance from the centre of axle A, whilst the two upper paddles are brought to their nearest situation to that axle , the joint-pins must either have nuts and screws, or other proper fastenings, to keep them in their several places, or split keys, the latter of which I decidedly prefer.

The axle A must be properly placed and secured in the iron frames B, B, B, B, in any of the ordinary modes which an experienced and skilful workman will adopt.

The number of sets of paddles or floats for any one wheel must be determined according to the magnitude and duty of such wheel ; it is the general construction and combination as described, which constitute my improved wheel, and not the number of the paddles or floats, or their magnitude. I should however, never recommend less than six sets of paddles or floats to be combined in any wheel made on the plan of my improved wheel, although I am aware it would act with a less number, but not so advantageously.