IMPROVEMENTS IN MOTIVE-POWER ENGINES SPIOIALLY ADAPTED FOR PROPELLING SHIPS, BUT WHICH MAY BE EMPLOYED FOR OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Isaac Hetherington, of Manchester, in
the County Palatine of Lancaster, but at present residing at
Rothesay, in the County of Bute, North Britain, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MOTIVE-POWER ENGINES SPIOIALLY ADAPTED FOR
PROPELLING SHIPS, BUT WHICH MAY BE EMPLOYED FOR OTHER PURPOSES."
Sealed the 31st May 1870, and dated the 11th December 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Isaac
Hetherington at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
his Petition, on the 11th December 1860.
I, WILLIAM ISAAC HETHERINGTON, of Manchester, in the County
Palatine of Lancaster, but at present residing at Rothesay, in the
County of Bute, North Britain, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MOTIVE-POWER ENGINES SPECIALLY
FOR PROPELLING SHIPS, BUT WHICH MAY BE EMPLOYED FOR OTHER PURPOSES," to
be as follows, that is to say:-

page_text: heated air or gases, consists as follows:-One or more air pumps are
employed for compressing air into a receiver or chamber capable of
withstanding a high pressure and lined with fire-brick or other refractory
material. Into this vessel petroleum or other hydrocarbon is injected
together with same superheated steam, and on arriving inside the air
chamber this is ignited, the heat generated by which is imparted to the
air, which therefore is instantaneously expanded and increased in
pressure. The heated air and products of combustion are led by means
of a passage or pipe to two cylinders containing pistons, these being
connected to other pistons in pumps below. The cylinders may or may
not be lined with porcelain or other suitable material, and their upper
ends are fitted with admission and exhaust valves which are alternately
opened and closed by means of a cam, lever, or other mechanism. When
used for propelling ships as the pistons descend they force water from
the pumps into a tube which is open at the stern, and a stream of water
is therefore powerfully ejected therefrom, which has the effect of pro-
pelling the ship forward. The pistons, being connected to a beam act
alternately, so that a continuous jet of water is produced. In order to
keep the engines and pumps at a sufficiently low temperature to prevent
their injury they are surrounded by water which may be circulated by a
pump or otherwise so as to prevent it getting too hot, and in place of
acting upon a reciprocating beam the pistons may be coupled to a
revolving shaft. The waste gases may also be used for superheating
purposes and for raising the temperature of water for feeding boilers.
SPECIFICATION
in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters l'atent,
filed by the said Williani Isaac Hetherington in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 10th June 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ISAAC HETHERINGTON, of Manchester, in the County Palatine of Lan-
caster, but at present residing at Rothesay, in the County of Bute,
North Britain, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her Most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of December, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the 33rd year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant

page_text: unto me, the said William Isaac Hetherington, Her special license, that
I, the said William Isaac Hetherington, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Isaac Hetherington,
my executors, administrators, or 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
MOTIVE-POWER ENGINES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR PROPELLING SHIPS, BUT WHICH MAY
BE EMPLOYED FOR OTHER PURPOSES," upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said William Isaac Hetherington, by an instrument in writing
under my hand and seal, 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 I, the said William Isaac Hetherington, do
hereby declare the nature of my 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 accompanying
Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to
say:
My said Invention, which relates to improvements in the arrangement
or construction of that class of motive-power engines which are actuated
by heated air or gases, consists as follows:-One or more air pumps are
employed for compressing air into a receiver or chamber capable of
withstanding a high pressure and lined with fire-brick or other refractory
material. Into this vessel petroleum or other hydrocarbon is injected
together with some superheated steam, and on arriving inside the air
chamber this is ignited, the heat generated by which is imparted to the
air, which therefore is instantaneously expanded and increased in
pressure. The heated air and products of combustion are led by means
of a passage or pipe to two cylinders containing pistons, these being
connected to other pistons in pumps below. The cylinders and pipes
may or may not be lined with porcelain or other suitable material, and
their upper ends are fitted with admission and exhaust valves, which
are alternately opened and closed by means of a cam, lever, or other
mechanism. When used for propelling ships as the pistons descend

page_text: they force water from the pumps into a tube which is open at the stern,
and a stream of water is therefore powerfully ejected therefrom, which
has the effect of propelling the ship forward. The pistons being con-
nected to a beam act alternately, so that a continuous jet of water is
produced. In order to keep the engines and pumps at a sufficiently low
temperature to prevent their injury they are surrounded by water, which
may be circulated by a pump or otherwise so as to prevent it getting
too hot, and in place of acting upon a reciprocating beam the pistons
may be coupled to a revolving shaft. The waste gases may also be used
for superheating purposes and for raising the temperature of water for
feeding boilers.
And in order that my said Invention may be properly understood I
now proceed more particularly to set forth the system, mode, or manner
in or under which the same is or may be used or practically carried into
effect, that is to say:-
On the Sheet of Drawings hereunto appended Figure 1 is a section on
the line a, a, Figure 2, and Figure 2 is a plan of a motive power engine
arranged and constructed in accordance with my said Invention. On
these Figures corresponding parts are indicated by the same letters of
reference.
The engine consists of a chamber or receiver A, into which air is
conducted through the duct or passage B, one or more air pumps (not
shown on the Drawings) being employed to force the air through the
duct or passage B and to compress it into the chamber or receiver A.
Superheated steam and petroleum or other hydrocarbon are also con-
ducted to the chamber A by the respective pipes or passages C and D,
and are injected thereinto through the nozzle E, shown at Figure 1. On
arriving into the chamber or receiver A the petroleum is ignited or
burnt, and the heat thereby generated is imparted to the air, which is
thereby instantaneously expanded and still further intensified in
pressure. The chamber or receiver A is provided at its upper end with
a pipe or passage F by which it is brought into communication with the
cylinders G and H, and through this pipe the heated air is conducted
from the chamber or receiver A and discharged into the cylinders alter-
nately through their respective admission valves a and b, which valves
are actuated by the levers I and J, as herein-after more particularly set
forth. Underneath each of the cylinders G and H pumps K and L are
placed, as more particularly seen at Figure 1, and the pistons M and N

page_text: On
of the respective cylinders are connected to the pistons or plungers
O and I' of the pumps by means of the trunks Q. The pistons M and N
are also connected to an oscillating beam R through the intervention of
the links or connecting rods S placed inside the trunks Q, as shown
at Figure 1, and by this arrangement of mechanism the pistons and
plungers in the two cylinders and pumps are caused to act alternately
with each other. The oscillating beam R is provided with two con-
necting pins to which one of each of the connecting rods T is
attached, as shown at Figure 1, the other end of these rods T being
connected to cranks U placed on a revolving shaft V; a bevil wheel W
is also placed on the shaft V, which as the shaft is revolved by the
cranks U communicates motion to a corresponding wheel y placed on
the lower end of the vertical shaft X, thereby rotating the shaft.
the shaft X is also fixed a disc Y provided with a cam or tappet S, which
cam or tappet as the shaft X is revolved comes in contact with the end'
of one or other of the levers I and J attached to the admission valves
a and b, and by depressing the end of the lever opens the valve, as
shown at b, Figure 1. The exhaust valves c and d are actuated by the
bevil wheel e placed on the upper end of the vertical shaft X, which
wheel e being in contact with the corresponding bevil wheels f and g
causes the cams and t attached to the outer ends of the shafts of the
wheels f and g to revolve, thereby alternately depressing the outer ends
of the levers u and and lifting the exhaust valves c or d. The various
wheels and details of mechanism for actuating the admission and
exhaust valves, as herein-before set forth, are so arranged, connected,
and constructed that the admission valve of the one cylinder, and the
exhaust valve of the other cylinder are open at the same time; and the
admission valves a and b may be adjusted to various expansions by
altering the length of the tappet or cam S on the disc Y.
The action of the engine is as follows:-As the heated air is admitted
from the chamber or receiver A to either of the cylinders the piston of
that cylinder is caused to descend, as shown at M, Figure 1, and
carrying the plunger or piston O of the pump K along with it water
sufficient to fill the pump is drawn thereinto through the branch m; at
the same time the descent of the piston M has caused the piston N of
the other cylinder H and the plunger P attached thereto to ascend, and
the water which has been drawn into the pump I. on the previous down-
ward stroke of the piston N and plunger P is thereby expelled through

page_text: the branch n and discharged into the tube or pipe p, as more particularly
shown in plan at Figure 2. When the engine is used for propelling
ships the tube or pipe p is conducted to the stern of the vessel, and a
constant stream of water is therefore powerfully ejected therefrom, which
In order
has the effect of propelling the ship in a forward direction.
to prevent the water from flowing back into the pumps through the
branches on the downward stroke of the plungers these branches are
provided with flap or hanging valves o, which valves close immediately
as the water is expelled from the pumps, and thereby cut off the com-
munication between the tube or passage p and the pumps until the next
upward stroke of the pistons and plungers has taken place. The cylinders
G and H and the pipe or passage F are lined with porcelain or other
suitable material, and it is preferred to line the chamber or receiver A
with fire-brick or other refractory material, as shown at Figure 1,
in order to give greater facility in withstanding the heat produced
therein.
In lieu of arranging the pumps with the inlet and discharge branches
at the top or upper end, as shown at Figure 1, the arrangement shown
in section at Figure 3 may be employed. In this instance the water on
each upward stroke of the plungers is drawn into the pumps through
the valves, which valves are placed in the bottom or under side of each
pump, as shown. On the downward stroke of the plungers the water is
forced or discharged through the outlets or openings O into the pipe or
passage p, similar to what is shown at Figure 2.
In order to keep the engines and pumps at a sufficiently low
temperature to prevent injury they are surrounded with water, which is
circulated through a casing by means of a circulating pump, not shown
on the Drawings. In lieu of attaching the pistons of the cylinders G
and H to an oscillating beam, as herein-before described, they may be
attached by means of suitable mechanism to a revolving crank shaft
(which shaft may or may not be that employed to actuate the valves).
The heated gases after being exhausted from the cylinders G and H
may be utilized for superheating the steam to be injected with petroleum
or other hydrocarbon into the chamber or receiver A; or the gases may
be employed in raising the temperature of the feed water for the boilers,
and thereby economising fuel.
It is to be, understood that the motive-power engine herein-before
described and shown on the annexed Drawings may be used for purposes

page_text: in which motive power is required other than in the propulsion of ships,
and that I do not confine myself to the particular arrangement of such
engine herein-before described and shown on the appended Sheet of
Drawings, as such arrangement may be considerably modified.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and the
system, mode, or manner in or under which the same is or may be used
or practically carried into effect, I would observe in conclusion, that
what I consider novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention
secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
First. The employment of superheated steam, petroleum, or other
hydrocarbon and compressed air, in order to produce motive power, as
herein-before described.
Second. The general arrangement and construction of the motive-
power engine herein-before described and shown on the accompanying
Drawings, or any mere modification thereof.
Third. The arrangement and construction of the lower parts of the
pumps herein-before described and shown at Figure 3 of the accom-
panying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Isaac Hetherington, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Seventh day of June One
thousand eight hundred and seventy.
WILLIAM ISAAC HETHERINGTON. (L.s.)
Witness,
JOHN THOMSON,
70, Grass Market,
Edin'.