IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS AND MEANS OF GENERATING STEAM, AND IN OTHER PARTS OF STEAM ENGINES, AND ALSO IN THE MEANS OF PRODUCING HEAT
Year: 1833

page_text: WHOM THESE PRESI TS SHALL COME, 1, RICHARD
HOLME, of Kingston on Hull, Merchant, send greeting.
WHEREAS His present most Excellent Majesty King William the Fourth,
by His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Fifth day of November, in the Fourth year of His reign,
did, for Himself, His heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Richard Holme, His especial licence, full power, sole privilege and autho-
rity, that I, the said Richard Holme, my executors, adiñors, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said Richard Holme, my exors, admors, or assigns, should
at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
during the term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick
upon Tweed, my Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS AND MEANS OF
GENERATING STEAM, AND IN OTHER PARTS OF STEAM ENGINES, AND ALSO IN THE
MEANS OF PRODUCING HEAT;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso
that I, the said Richard Holme, shall cause a particular description of the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be inrolled in His said Majesty's High Court of Chancery within
six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said in part
recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had,
will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Richard Holme, do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be carried into effect, as are fully described
and ascertained in and by the following descriptions thereof, reference being

page_text: had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked
thereon (that is to say):-
My Invention consists, first, in improvements in boilers or apparatus used
for generating steam; secondly, in the method of applying certain apparatus
for condensing steam; and, thirdly, in apparatus for supplying fuel for the pro-
duction of heat, whereby a more effectual combustion is obtained. In order
that my Invention may be most fully understood and carried into effect, I will
describe the Drawings annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 represents the section of a boiler or apparatus for generating steam.
Fig. 2 is a plan (in section) of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 represents a section of the
manner of fixing the tubes of which the flues from the furnace are composed;
in each of these Figures the same letters indicate similar parts, a, a, being the
furnace or fire-place, which is supplied with fuel through the tubes b, b, as
will be hereafter described as the third part of my Invention. c, c, c, c, is the
boiler which contains the water, the part d, d, being a double casing, which
descends from the bottom of the boiler and surrounds the upper part of the fur-
nace with water, as seen in Fig 1; e is a curved tube leading from back to front
of the boiler, and thus connecting the waterway, and which is further obtained
by the pipes ff, the other part of the bottom having fire bars to support the
fuel, standing at an angle similar to the pipes f. f. g, g, is the water line of the
boiler, which it will be seen is above the height of the tubes which constitute
the flue, but the main feature of novelty in this boiler consists in the manner in
which the steam is separated from the water in the boiler. h, h, is a tube or
vessel at the top of the boiler, which acts as a steam chest or reservoir; the
steam from the surface of the water rises through a slit n all round, the area of
which slit should be about the same as the eduction pipe j; by this means
the rush of steam will not be only in one direction, but is defused over an
exceedingly long minute surface, and thus tends more effectually to separate
the steam and prevent its carrying over the water. I have not thought it
necessary to shew the safety valves, guage cocks, and other requisites of a
boiler, they being well understood, and will readily be applied. The second
point of novelty in this part of the apparatus is the manner of fixing the tubes k
which constitute the flues. Fig. 3 shews a section of part of one of the tubes,
which I prefer to be accurately drawn iron tubes, though I did not confine
myself to that material. 7 is a ring of lead or other proper material to act as
a stuffing for keeping the joint water and steam tight. m is a short tube which
passes over the end of the tube k, so that the tube k can pass up or down, and

page_text: Fare two
thus allow for expansion or contraction lengthwise of the tubes ; on the
outside of the short tube m is cut a screw, which screws into the female
screw cut in the opening through which the tubes k pass; by this arrangement
an air and water tight joint is obtained. The other end of the tube k I prefer
to screw into the bottom of the boiler, as it is only necessary to give power of
sliding in case of expansion or contraction at one end of the tube k. I will now
describe the second part of my Invention, that which relates to the method
of applying certain apparatus for condensing steam from steam engine.
Fig. 4 is an elevation in section of part of a steam engine; and Fig. 5, a
plan of the same. A represents the section of an ordinary steam cylinder;
B being an eduction pipe from the eduction way of the cylinder, such pipe
passing round the outside of the cylinder A, and thence to the condenser C,
which consists of an extensive series of tubes placed in such a position as to
be operated on by the cooling effect of a stream of cold water passing from
stem to stern of a ship or vessel by the progress of the ship or vessel.
D represents part of the keel of a vessel; and E, the keelson.
pipes leading from stem to stern below the water line of the vessel. G, G,
are cocks or valves by which the stream of water may be shut off, or by this
means the quantity of water permitted to pass may be regulated. His an
air valve by which any air which may be contained in the body of the con-
denser C may pass off. I is another air valve more effectually to get rid of
any air which may be separated in the operation of condensing the steam.
This valve I is placed on the vessel J, into which the pipe K and the pipe L
enter, and by which water is supplied to the boiler; this valve must be weighted
to resist the pressure of the steam in the boiler. M, M, are pumps by which
the water is supplied to the boiler. Having now described the parts of the
apparatus, I will describe the manner of action. On the opening of the cocks
or valves G, G, on the pipes F, F, these pipes will become full of water, and
fill the series of tubes C, which constitute the condenser, the space on the
outside of the tubes being opened only to the steam eduction pipe, so that the
condensing water does not come in contract with the steam, but effects its
condensation by the cool surfaces of the tubes of the condenser. It will thus
be evident that on starting the engine the progress of the vessel will cause a
flow of water through the pipes F, and also through the tubes of which the
condenser is formed, and the steam on leasing the cylinder rushes through the
eduction pipes amongst the tubes, and becomes condensed, and the water flows
through the pipe N into the force pumps, by which it is forced forward to the
vessel J, and thence to the boiler, and such will be the continuous operation of
the apparatus, the condensed water being returned from time to time to the

page_text: boiler. Figs. 6 and 7 show my third improvement relating to the supplying
fuel for the production of heat, whereby a more effectual combustion is obtained.
O is a hopper, into which coal or coke is supplied; P, P, P, are three.grooved
rollers placed at the bottom of the hopper, by which the coal or coke is alter-
nately forced forward into the two parts of the furnace a, and, thus the fuel
being at all times brought up from below, it will burn off, at the surface; the
smoke and gasses, having to pass through the previously ignited fuel, produces
a more effectual combustion, and tends to destroy the smoke. This piston Q
may either be actuated by a mangle movement or by a crank, or other well-
known means of producing a reciprocating action to the piston Q, the piston
having an angular top by which the coal or coke falls to the side to which the
coal is next to be forced, and the middle rollers P is made to gear into the
pinion of the side rollers P alternately, one roller standing still at the time the
other is assisting to supply the coal and coke.
.
Having now described the nature of my Invention and the manner of com-
bining and using the same, I would have it understood that I lay no claim to
any of the parts separately of which the same is composed, nor do I claim as
new the application of a series of tubes for the purpose of condensing the
steam of steam engines, nor do I claim the supplying fuel from below, these
having before been practised; but what I claim as my Invention is, first, the
application of the vessel h to a steam boiler, such vessel having a minute slit
or opening for the passage of the steam, whereby the rush of steam from the
surface of the water is diffused over a considerable extent of surface, and
thus tending to separate the water from the steam, as above described; and
also for the particular method of fixing the tubes which constitute the
flues, when the same is applied to steam boilers or generators, and thus
allowing of a longitudinal expansion or contraction, as above described;
secondly, in placing a condenser consisting of tubes, as above described, in
a vessel or pipes open to a flow of water through a ship or vessel, as above
described; and, thirdly, in the peculiar arrangement of apparatus for supplying
fuel to two parts of a furnace by the reciprocation piston, as above described,
whereby a most effectual combustion will be obtained.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Holme, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Third day of May, in the year our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and thirty-four.
RICHARD (L.S.) HOLME.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the third day of May, in the year
of our Lord 1834, the aforesaid Richard Holme came before our said Lord
the King in His Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification aforesaid, and
all and everything therein contained and specified, in form above written. And
also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the tenor of the
Statute made for that purpose.