AN IMPROVEMENT OR IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES
Year: 1852

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WALTER
YOUNG, of Springfield Ironworks, Salford, in the County of Lancaster, Mill-
wright and Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at Westminster,
the Eighth day of March, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hun-
dred and fifty-two, and in the fifteenth year of Her reign, did give and grant
unto me, the said Walter Young, my exors, adñiors, and assigns, Her especial
licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said Walter Young,
my exors, adiñors, and assigns, and such others as I, the said Walter Young,
my exors, adiñors, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,
from time to time and at all times hereafter during the term of years therein
mentioned, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within
England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of
"AN IMPROVEMENT OR IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES;" in which said Letters
Patent there is contained a proviso that I, the said Walter Young, shall cause
a particular description of the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, by an instrument in writing under my hand and
seal, to be enrolled in Her said Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six
calendar months next immediately after the date of the said in part recited
Letters Patent, as, on reference being thereunto had, may more fully and at
large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Walter Young, do hereby declare that the nature of my Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be performed, are particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following description thereof, reference being had to
the annexed Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is
to say):
My Invention consists in an improvement or improvements in such steam engines
as have two cylinders in which the same steam operates, one of which is usually
termed the high-pressure or non-condensing cylinder, and the other the low-
pressure or condensing cylinder; the nature of which improvement or improve-
ments will be better understood by reference to the annexed Drawings marked
Nos. 1, 2, and 3, in which the same letters and figures of reference are used
to denote the same parts.
Drawings No. 1 and 2 shew my improvement or improvements as applied
to a steam engine adapted more particularly to manufacturing or other pur-
poses of a similar character, and termed stationary engines. Figure 1 repre-
sents a side view, Figure 2 an end view, Figure 8. a plan, and Figure 4 a
section of the principal parts. A is a portion of the pipe which conducts the
steam from the boiler to the valve box B of the high-pressure cylinder C; the
steam having operated in the high-pressure cylinder passes through the pipe D
(made in the form of a hand rail) to the valve box E of the low-pressure
cylinder F. The steam having operated in the low-pressure cylinder is con-
veyed from the valve, by means of the eduction pipe G, to the condenser H,
which, with the air pump I, hot well J, and cold-water pump K, are situated
in the cold-water cistern beneath the base plate of the engine. The bucket
of the air pump I is worked by means of a continuation of the piston rod of
the high-pressure cylinder C which passes through the bottom of the cylinder;
L, the working beam or main lever (which receives its motion from the
piston rods of the cylinders C and F), one end of which is connected to a pair
of links that vibrate on a bar or rod secured to the two pillars of the frame-
work of the engine. This arrangement permits the beam L to have, when in
action, a vibrating motion endways, which vibrating motion it derives from
the action of a pair of radius rods N. By this arrangement the correct
parallel action of the piston rod of the low-pressure cylinder is maintained.
O, another pair of radius rods, connected to a pair of links P, by which the
piston rod of the high-pressure cylinder is connected to the beam or main.
lever L. By the joint action of the radius rods N and O and the links P, the
correct parallel action of the piston rod of the high-pressure cylinder C is
maintained. Q, the connecting rod. R, the crank on the first motion shaft S.

page_text: T, the fly wheel. U, the governor which regulates the throttle valve in the
usual manner, by means of rods and levers, and receives its motion from the
first motion shaft. V and W, the two eccentrics which give motion to the valves
in the usual manner. The mode of action is as follows:-The steam being
regulated by the valves into the cylinders C and F, raises the pistons or
depresses them, as the case may be, and both piston rods being connected to
the working lever or beam L by means of links, gives motion to the working
lever or beam L. On the beam L, about midway, between the connections of
the high and low pressure cylinders C and F, is fixed a journal to which the
one end of the connecting rod R is attached, and the motion which is com-
municated to the beam L, through the medium of the piston rods, is conveyed
to the first motion shaft S. By means of this connecting rod R and the crank
fixed on the end of the shaft S it will be observed that the eccentrics V and
W; with the connecting rods, levers, &c., are so adjusted as to cause the steam
to act either above both the pistons or below them at the same time, so that
a simultaneous action of both the piston rods on the beam L is produced and
maintained. It will be observed that the high-pressure cylinder C and low-
pressure cylinder F are placed in such a position with respect to each other
that space is procured, so that, combined with the action of the working beam
L, the connecting rod Q and crank R are enabled to perform their office
betwixt the same two cylinders C and F. By this novel arrangement I am
able to bring within a small compass the various parts of a stationary steam
engine where high and low pressure cylinders are used. I also effect a con-
siderable saving in dispensing with heavy and expensive foundations.
Drawing No. 3 represents my improvement or improvements in steam
engines as applied to an engine intended more' particularly for the purpose of
navigation. Figure 5 represents an elevation of the engine, the principal
parts being shewn in section; and Figure 6 a plan of the engine and one half
of another, as combined with it. a is the valve box into which the steam is
received from the boiler; 6, the high-pressure cylinder in which the steam first
operates, the supply of steam to which cylinder, and the discharge from it, is
regulated by the action of the valve contained in the valve box a. The steam
having operated in the cylinder passes from the valve through a pipe provided
for that purpose to the valve box c of the low-pressure cylinder d, from which,
after having operated, it passes by the action of the valve into the condensor e,
thence through the air pump f into the hot-water cistern g. h, h, h, h, are a
pair of main or side levers, having their fulcrum at one end, which move in
bearings fixed to the base plate of the engine These side levers are con-
nected to the piston rods of the cylinders 6 and d by means of cross heads and

page_text: side rods in the usual manner. The bucket of the air pump f is put into
motion by its rod being connected to the side levers h, h, h, h, by means of a
cross head and side rods in the usual manner. j,j, the connecting rod which
forms the connection between the side levers h, h, and the crank k fixed on the
paddle shaft l. m, m, a pair of eccentrics fixed on the paddle shaft l, to work
the steam valves contained in the valve boxes a and c, one of them being.
brought into action when the shaft is required to turn one way round, and the
other one to reverse it. Motion is communicated from one of the eccentrics.
to the valve in the valve box c by means of rods, levers, &c. in the usual manner,
from a lever connected to the valve in the valve box c. Motion is communi-
cated by means of a rod to another lever connected to the valve in the valve a,
so that the motion of the two valves is simultaneous. The mode of action of
this engine will be understood from that of the engine already described, pre-
mising that in this latter case the first motion shaft and crank, instead of being
placed below, are placed above, and corresponding alterations made in the
position of the connecting rod, main lever or levers, and other parts. This
arrangement is intended for driving where paddle wheels are used; but the
same arrangement may be adapted for driving screw propellers. by introducing
geering or other mechanical equivalent, or, where it is preferred, the screw
propeller may be driven by an arrangement having a vibrating lever or beam
above, and communicating motion to the propeller shaft by a crank with or
without the intervention of geering or other mechanical means.
Having now described the nature and object of my Invention, and the
manner in which it may be carried out, I would have it understood that I do
not claim as my Invention any of the parts separately considered, as these are
well known to all persons conversant with steam engines; but what I do
claim as new and of my Invention in steam engines is the peculiar arrange-
ment, combination, and mode of action herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Walter Young, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Seventh day of September, One thousand eight
hundred and fifty-two.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Seventh day of September,
in the year of our Lord 1852, the aforesaid Walter Young came before our
said Lady the Queen in Her 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.
Enrolled the Eighth day of September, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-two.