with the gates partly opened than it did with four chutes. His next
invention was granted him Dec. 24, 1867, which he called Burnham's
improved central and vertical discharge turbine.

This improvement consisted in making the guide blade straight on the
outside (instead of rounding, as then made by all others), from inner
point back to bolt or gudgeon, and thick enough at the latter point to
let water pass without being obstructed by said bolt and the
arrangement for shifting the water guides. Two 42-inch wheels of this
pattern were built and put into operation, but they soon commenced
leaking water and became troublesome on account of the many small
pieces of castings and bolts, and were abandoned as worthless. There
are several manufacturers of this style of wheel that advertise them
as "simple and durable." Such a complicated case with twelve chutes
cannot be made to operate unless by a large number of castings, bolts
and studs. With these adjustable water guides, one of the objects was
obtained. Admitting the water to the wheel through chutes
corresponding in height to the outer edge of buckets exposed, but not
placing the water against the face of the buckets at right angles with
the center of the wheel, except when the guide blades were full
opened, for as the guides are changed so is the current of the water
likewise changed.

After making several differently constructed wheels and testing them a
number of times, he selected the best one and obtained a patent for it
March 3, 1868, and called it "new turbine," which he still further
improved and patented May 9, 1871. This "new turbine" consisted of the
former improved Jonval wheel, hub and buckets, with a new circular
case and new form of chutes, having a register gate entirely
surrounding the case and having apertures corresponding to those in