84 Henry Riddell on 



fallacy is still persistent. Something the same was invented by 

 Plato Oulton, patent No. 1744 of 1854, but the latter returned 

 the balls by a spiral conveyor. But even so much earlier as the 

 year r6i8, R. Fludd describes a wheel which was intended to utilize 

 exactly the same principle, and over and over again the idea 

 recurs. 



10. (Illustrated in text.) Also works on the same principle. 

 This print is copied from the specification of Haywood, patent 

 No. 1750 of 1790, and it is seen that the mechanism is developed 

 upon novel lines. The circles shown on the elevation are circular 

 channels in which rest the weighted ends of levers which rotate 

 about an axis eccentric to that of the wheel proper. The sectional 

 drawing shows the construction, and from consideration (^f both 

 it will be seen that the weighted ends of the levers rest on one 

 side of the wheel further from the centre than upon the other, and 

 the inventor argues that motion must ensue. It seems curious 

 that any man could imagine that by the mere superposition of two 

 mechanical devices, each of which is in exact equilibrium, any 

 motion could be generated. 



11. Varley's patent. No. 2 181 of 1797, a peculiar application 

 of pneumatic pressure, equivalent to Wellington's phrase describing 

 a similar invention, "a man lifting himself by his own waistband 

 and carrying himself round the room." 



12. A remarkable idea of a remarkable man. Sir William 

 Congreve, who is well known by his connection with war inven' 

 tions, and took out this patent for the utilization of capillary 

 attraction in 1827, (^No. 5461). By means of guide pulleys at the 

 angles of an inclined plane having one vertical and one horizontal 

 side, he proposes to cause a band of thick sponge to move auto- 

 matically. The horizontal side being plunged into water the 

 sponge by capillary attraction proceeds to fill itself with water. 

 This action is utilized by surrounding the spongy band by an 

 outer weighted chain, by means of which the water in the inclined 

 portion of the sponge is quite prevented from rising, while the 

 vertical side is free of pressure, and the inventor argues that this 

 vertical side filling with water the equilibrium is disturbed and 



