CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN ENGINES FOR RAISING OR FORCING WATER BY THE PRESSURE AND CONDENSATION OF STEAM;
Year: 1832

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
LLOYD WHARTON, of Dryburn, in the County of Durham, Esquire, send
greeting.
WHEREAS I did, by petition, represent unto His most Excellent Majesty
King William the Fourth, that I had invented "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN
ENGINES FOR RAISING OR FORCING WATER BY THE PRESSURE AND CONDENSATION OF
STEAM;" and His said Majesty, being willing to encourage all useful Inven-
tions, did issue His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain,
bearing date at Westminster, the Thirtieth day of January, in the second
year of His reign, whereby His said Majesty did, for Himself, His heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said William Lloyd Wharton, His
especial licence, that I, the said William Lloyd Wharton, my exors, adñiors,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Lloyd Wharton, my exors,
admors, and 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 said Invention; in which said
Letters Patent there is contained a proviso obliging me, the said William
Lloyd Wharton, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, particu-
larly to describe and ascertain the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, and to cause the same to be enrolled in
His Majesty's High Court of Chancery within two calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent, as in and by the same,
reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
William Lloyd Wharton, do hereby declare that the nature of my said
improvements, and the manner in which the same are to be performed, are
described and contained in manner following, that is to say :-
First, in order to avoid the waste of steam occurring in engines working on
Savery's principle, and also the loss of power arising from the application of
the main beams and pistons of steam engines in common use, I apply the
elastic force or pressure of steam (generated in any common boiler) upon a
column of water, and float deeply immersed therein (F), contained in a strong
and deep metallic cylinder (A), so situated that a portion of the said cylinder,
and consequently the water therein and float, may be constantly heated by
means of the flue from the boiler fire, which heated water and float will
naturally occupy the upper part of the column of water within the said
cylinder, and (answering the purpose of a piston in other engines) force at
each stroke (which stroke should not exceed one fourth the length of the
cylinder) a portion of water at the lowest part of the said cylinder, or con-
tained in any tube (A) or vessel communicating with the said lowest part, in
any required direction.
Secondly, in order to supply the water so forced as aforesaid, and also to
discharge part and condense the remainder of the steam used in forcing
the same, and to expel the air arising from the said condensation, I open
a communication (E, E,) having two valves), one a waste valve (V) and
the other a floating valve (V2), opening downwards for the passage of the
steam from the upper part of the said cylinder to the upper part of a strong
and conical-topped vessel (C), previously filled with cold water, fixed at a
higher level than the top of the said cylinder, having a valve (V) at its apex
opening upwards, and having also another communication for water to pass from
the bottom of the said vessel to the bottom of the said cylinder, through a pipe
or pipes (L, M, N,) and a valve or door (V*) opening towards the said cylinder,
so that the water contained in the said vessel may, upon both communications
being opened as aforesaid, be partly driven up through the said valve (V³), and
partly descend into the said cylinder situated at a lower level, and thereby
afford space or room for any steam flowing thereto from the said cylinder,
whereupon the steam becoming condensed will form an imperfect vacuum in the
tops of the said vessel and cylinder, so as to render the atmospheric pressure
available to force water through any pipes (N, A',) communicating with a
reservoir to fill up the said vacuum, by which means the said cylinder will be
replenished for a fresh stroke, and the said vessel in great measure also filled
with water, bearing above it any air arising from previous condensation,

page_text: which air I expel through. Vs, by a small portion of the water forced into
the said vessel at the following stroke through a small pipe (0) as well as by
the impulse occasioned by the steam on its next escape from the cylinder.
To or round the valve (V³) I fix an open vessel (G) to hold water flowing
from the said pipe (0) after the expulsion of the said air, part of which water
may be introduced again into the said vessel or any pipe (E) communicating
therewith, through one or more small tubes or passages (9), (always being
under water) at the bottom of the said open vessel, so as to produce a jet or
jets to assist in condensing the steam.
Thirdly, in order to render the engine or apparatus to which I apply the
above improvements self-acting, and also to lessen the production of vapour
on the creation of the said vacuum within the cylinder, I fit the float as nearly
as possible (either at the first manufacture, or afterwards by packing,) to the
cylinder, the interstices between them being partly filled with oil, melted
tallow, or the like, calculated to lubricate the sides of the float, as well as to
restrain the production of vapour within the cylinder, so that the float may
move freely up and down with the rise and fall of the water. To the float I
fix a stem (S), passing through a stuffing box (s), and working a tumbling
hammer (H, T), whereby I open and close the cocks (valves or slides)
(K, k,) constituting the hand gear) of the engine (where the weight of the
float is considerable. Its stem may also be attached to one end of a beam
(see Fig. 2), working with the other end any pumps, cocks, valves, or the
like; auxiliary to the condenser or any other part of the apparatus.
Fourthly, when water has been raised from great depths I pump it without
the intervention of a beam, by attaching the rods (X), Figure 2, of common
pumps (X) to the rod of a piston (Y), moving water-tight in a strong cylin-
der (Z), into the bottom of which I introduce the pipe A, the piston, and.
consequently the pump rods, being raised by the joint pressure of the steam
and column of water in A and A¹, acting under Y, and depressed by the
weight of the rods. and atmosphere above Y, at the same time forcing back
the water from (Z) into A. Where the pump rods are very heavy the ascent
of the piston may be assisted by a counterprise W'.
And more clearly to explain and illustrate my said improvements, and the
construction of the engine or apparatus to which I apply them, I refer to the
Drawings and references. hereunto attached, disclaiming any originality of
Invention of the cocks, valves, slides, pistons, or pumps; but claiming as my
Invention the within-specified application of the connected parts of the said
engine or apparatus, and especially the above-mentioned practical method of
employing and sustaining a body or stratum of hot water with a deep float:

page_text: and oil, as above described, in the place of the solid piston of other engines,
and also the manner of using the conical-topped vessel (C) with E', in lieu of
the condenser and air-pump of condensing stean engines in ordinary use.
B, D, steam pipe from any boiler into A, cylinder, containing at least. four
times the water forced at each stroke, the black lines representing those parts
heated (but protected, where necessary, from being burned) by the boiler flue;
A', pipe. for the admission and emission of water to and from A, capable of
containing all the water forced at each stroke; E, E', the steam communica-
tion from A to the condenser, with a waste valve V₁ to discharge part of the
steam into the atmosphere, or into any vessel or tube through which it may
be rendered further useful. e, e', openings from E into condenser; V a float-
ing valve opening downwards, its air vessel (v) being nearly fitted to E'. .C,
condensing vessel, its bottom being at least two feet (or more, if practicable,)
above A. Its size need not in any case exceed one quarter (or when fixed
within ten feet above the reservoir, one eighth,) the size of A, its top being so.
formed that any steam or air rushing out of E' may rise into V³, a light valve
fixed on the apex of C, and opening into G, an open vessel fixed so as to hold
water escaping through Vs. g, a small tube with regulating cock V₁ uniting G
with C or E' below V2; N, a suction pipe from any reservoir, with a valve V
opening upwards; M, a short pipe connecting the other pipes containing a
large valve or door V, its ends or ends being made removal for the examina-
tion of the valves; O, pipe containing valve Ve to convey water forced from
A in any required direction, a small portion being also forced through o, a
small pipe, into C, R; r,, cocks to regulate the supplies of water; F, float
of hollow metal or light wood cased with sheet iron, copper, or the like,
so as to be water-tight, with conductors f. f, moving through eyes with
rollers, so as to preserve its parallel motion. Its top should never be less
than two inches above water. Its depth under water should be thirty inches
(or more), its buoyancy being adjusted by a weight W; S, stem of float;
H, T, tumbling hammer fixed to roller P, which turns on an axis, and being
attached by a chain or the like to S, is partly turned round, and thereby
elevates the heavy end of the hammer at each rise and fall of the float. The
hammer, after being raised to an erect position, forthwith descends by its own
weight striking the handles I, i, of the cocks K, k, downwards by its heavy
end H, and upwards by its light end T; Q a support for one end of P, the
other being similarly supported, or in Fig. 1 from B; K, k, cocks, valves, or
the like, for the admission and escape of steam to and from A, with handles
I, i, stopped so as to be worked by H, T. The steamway of the cocks
should, be narrow, so that K. may.be always shut when k is open, and vice

page_text: versa. The pipes A', M, and E should equal in diameter one third, the other
pipes one fourth, that of A, and the steamway of k, and waterway of V*,
should be as large as practicable. In Fig. I, i, are about to be struck, and
raised by T. In Fig. 2 a slide U (about to be closed down by H), is substi-
tuted for the cocks, and the apparatus works a pump X, X', through the
intervention of the cylinder Z and piston Y. The pipe O is here introduced
into Z immediately under the highest elevation of Y, to carry off or convey
further any superbundant water supplied by N.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Lloyd Wharton, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-sixth day of March, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and thirty-two.
WILLIAM LLOYD (L.s.) WHARTON.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Twenty-sixth day of March, in
the year of our Lord 1832, the aforesaid William Lloyd Wharton came before
our said Lord the King in His Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification
aforesaid, and all and every thing 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.
Inrolled the Thirtieth day of March, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and thirty-two.