IMPROVEMENTS IN PORTABLE AND OTHER STEAM ENGINES AND BOILERS
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Brown and Charles Neale May, of North
Wilts Foundry, Devizes, in the County of Wilts, Engineers, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN PORTABLE AND OTHER STEAM ENGINES
AND BOILERS."
Sealed the 26th May 1868, and dated the 3rd December 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said. William Brown and
Charles Neale May at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 3rd December 1867.
We, WILLIAM BROWN and CHARLES NEALE MAY, of North Wilts Foundry,
Devizes, in the County of Wilts, Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PORTABLE AND OTHER STEAM ENGINES
AND BOILERS," to be as follows:-
Our Invention relates 1st, to improvements in portable and other steam
engines, by means of which great economy in the consumption of fuel may be
effected. It consists in what is commonly called a "feed, water" heater, so
constructed that the exhaust steam after leaving the cylinder passes outside
the boiler through a pipe, which runs alongside nearly its, whole length,
and is then turned into the smoke box in the usual way. This tube we

page_text: surround by a jacket through which the cold water is passed and becomes
heated by the steam in the exhaust pipe in its passage to the boiler. Below
the exhaust pipe and parallel with it runs a smaller tube formed in one
with the jacket casting, which is placed in communication with the water
supply tank, and is for the purpose of returning the heated water thereto
when not required in the boiler, together with the condensed steam. Water
is forced through the jacket by means of a pump communicating with
the supply tank and driven by the fly wheel of the engine, the jacket
communicates with the boiler by means of a check valve, and with the
return pipe by a stop-cock provided with an index to show its position,
which is opened when water is not required in the boiler, allowing it
to return to the supply tank. The pump works continually, so as to
maintain a constant circulation of water in the jacket, which also warms the
water in the supply tank previous to its again passing through the heater.
Both the exhaust and return pipes open into the lower part of the blast pipe,
an inclined partition or diaphragm being placed across the end of the exhaust
pipe, to prevent any condensing water blowing up the chimney with the steam
and to cause it to run back to the supply tank through the return pipe. The
jacket is provided with a foot plate for the engine driver to stand on when
oiling the engine, and may have circular, longitudinal, or other partitions in its
interior to impede the progress of the water and keep it as long as possible in
contact with the heated exhaust pipe in the centre. The water may be passed
through the heater as many times as required before entering the boiler, but
once is generally found sufficient.
The second part of our Invention consists in strengthening the manholes of
boilers as follows:-Instead of rivetting a ring round the manhole as usual,.
thereby increasing the thickness at that part, we cut the hole smaller than is
required and force a die through it, which raises the edge of the plate. This
raised lip or flange may either be turned down or left projecting, the object
being to strengthen the boiler at that part, while the reverse is obtained by
rivetting on a ring as in ordinary.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters-
Patent, bearing date the Third day of December, in the year of our Lord:
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirty-first year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us,
the said William Brown and Charles Neale May, Her special licence that
we, the said William Brown and Charles Neale May, our executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others' as we, the said William Brown and
Charles Neale May, our executors, administrators, and assigns,, should at
any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times-
thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain.
and Ireland,. 'the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS. IN PORTABLE AND OTHER STEAM ENGINES AND BOILERS," upon.
the condition (amongst others) that we, the said William Brown aud Charles.
Neale May, our executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under
our, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe
and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the-
same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great
Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after
the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said William Brown and Charles Neale
May, do hereby declare the nature of our said. Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement, reference being had to the
Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures. marked.
thereon (that is to say) :-
Our Invention relates, first, to improvements. in portable and other steam
engines by means of which great economy in the consumption of fuel
may be-
effected. It consists of what is commonly known as a "feed "water" heater
so constructed that the exhaust steam after leaving the cylinder passes 'outside
the boiler through a pipe which runs alongside nearly its whole length, and is
then turned into the smoke box in the usual way. This steam tube we
surround by a jacket through which the cold water is passed so as to become
heated by the steam in the exhaust pipe before passing into the boiler. Below
the exhaust pipe and parallel with it runs a smaller tube formed in one with
the jacket casing, which is placed in communication with the water supply
tank, and is for the purpose of returning the heated water thereto when not
required in the boiler, together, with the condensed. steam .formed in exhaust'

page_text: pipe. Water is forced through the jacket by means of a pump placed in
communication with the supply tank and driven by the fly wheel of the engine
or otherwise. The jacket communicates with the boiler by means of a pipe
having a check valve, while the return tube is provided with a stop-cock having
an index to show its position, which is opened when water is not required in
the boiler so as to allow of its return to the supply tank, and when the pump
is working a constant circulation of water in the jacket is maintained which
also warms the water in the supply tank, previous to its again passing through
the heater. Both the exhaust and return tubes open into the lower part of
the blast pipe, an inclined partition or diaphragm being placed across the end
of the exhaust pipe to prevent any water of condensation blowing up the
chimney with the steam, and to cause it to run back to the supply tank through
the return pipe. The jacket is provided with a foot plate for the engine driver
to stand on when oiling or otherwise attending to the engine, and may have
circular, longitudinal, or other partitións formed or placed therein to impede
the progress of the water and keep it as long as possible in contact with the
heated exhaust pipe in the centre. The water may be passed through the
heater as many times as required before entering the boiler, but once is
generally found sufficient.
The second part of our Invention consists in strengthening the man-holes
of boilers as follows:-Instead of rivetting a ring around the man-hole, as
usual, thereby increasing the thickness at that part, we cut the hole smaller
than is required, and then force a die through it, which raises the edge of the
plate. This raised lip or flange may either be turned down or left projecting,
the object being to strengthen the boiler at the man-hole, the reverse effect
being produced by rivetting on a ring, as in ordinary.
"
: DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawing shows in elevation our improved
feed water heater as applied to a portable engine; Figure 2 is an end view of
the same; Figure 3 is a transverse section of the smoke box; Figure 4 is a
transverse section of the water jacket on line 1, 2, Figure 1; Figuro 5 is a
part section of the same on line 3, 4, Figure 3.
is the water jacket surrounding the steam pipe b, through which the
exhaust steam is conducted from the cylinder to the blast pipe. The feed
water is passed into the jacket a surrounding the steam tube b, which water is
beated in its passage to the boiler by contact with the pipe 6 through which
the exhaust steam passes. Below the exhaust pipe 6 and parallel with it runs

page_text: a smaller tube c connected or formed in one with the jacket casing a. This
tube c is placed in communication with the water supply tank by means of a
discharge pipe f, and is for the purpose of returning the heated water thereto
when not required in the boiler together with the condensed steam. The feed
water is forced through the jacket a by means of a pump d communicating with
the supply tank by the suction pipe g and driven from the fly wheel of the engine
or otherwise. The jacket a communicates with the boiler by means of a pipe
baving a check valve h and with, the return tube c by a stop-cock provided with
an index to show its position. Stop-cock i is opened when water is not required
in the boiler so as to allow of its return to the supply tank by the tube c.
Both the exhaust pipe band return tube c open into the lower part of the
blast pipe or into a chamber k communicating with the blast pipe, as seen in
Figure 5. An inclined partition or diaphragm m may be placed across the
end of the exhaust pipe, as seen dotted in Figure 5, to prevent any water of
condensation blowing up the chimney with the steam, and to cause it to run
back to the supply tank through the return pipe c. Instead of using a
partition m we may place an inverted cone n within the blast nozzle, as seen
in Figures 1 and 3, which will answer the same purpose, and we further cause
the lower end o of the blast pipe to project slightly into the chamber k, as
seen, so that on the exhaust steam entering chamber k from pipe 6 it sball
impinge on the projecting part o to facilitate the separation of the water from
the steam. A raised part or step p is placed in the bottom of chamber k and
in the end of the return tube c for the purpose of preventing the water passing
through said tube c to the supply tank being drawn back again into the
chamber by the action of the blast. The jacket a is provided with a foot
plate a¹ for the driver to stand on; said jacket a may also have circular,
longitudinal, or other partitions in it to impede the progress of the water and
keep it as long as possible in contact with the heated exhaust pipe b. An
expansion joint is also provided to prevent any undue strain on the bolts or
joints being caused by the expansion and contraction of the boiler when the
apparatus is applied to portable engines, as represented in the Drawing.
The second part of our Invention is illustrated in Figure 6 of the Drawings,
which shows a section of the boiler at the man-hole. r is the boiler plate
provided with a man-holes which is made slightly smaller than is required.
A die is inserted in the hole s so as to force up the edge of the metal and form
a projecting lip or flange t around the man-hole, as shown, the effect of which
is to strengthen the boiler at that part and obviate the necessity of rivetting
on a ring, as usual, which weakens the boiler instead of affording the increase:
strength required. u is the door for closing the man-hole as usual.

page_text: Having described the nature of our Invention, and the manner of performing
the same, we declare that what we claim as our Invention to be protected by
the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,―
First. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting the improved
feed water heating apparatus particularly adapted for application to portable
engines in the manner described and represented in the Drawings, which im-
provements are also applicable to other engines.
Secondly. We claim constructing man-holes of boilers so as to afford increased
strength at that point, in the manner herein-before described and as represented
in the Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Neale May, for myself and on
behalf of the said William Brown, have hereunto set my hand and seal,
this Twenty-ninth day of May, in the year of our Lord One thousand.
eight hundred and sixty-eight.
CHA N. MAY. (L.8.)
for Brown & May.