IMPROVEMENTS IN LOCOMOTIVE ENGINES TO BE USED EITHER ON A PERMANENT WAY OR ON COMMON ROADS, AND ADAPTED FOR USE ALSO IN MINES OR OTHER UNDERGROUND WORKS.”
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Percy Holt, of Royal Insurance Buildings,
Leeds, in the County of York, Civil and Consulting Engineer,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN LOCOMOTIVE ENGINES TO BE
USED EITHER ON A PERMANENT WAY OR ON COMMON ROADS, AND ADAPTED FOR
USE ALSO IN MINES OR OTHER UNDERGROUND WORKS.”
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Percy Holt at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
20th December 1872.
I, HENRY PERCY HOLT, of Royal Insurance Buildings, Leeds, in the
County of York, Civil and Consulting Engineer, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN LOCOMOTIVE ENGINES
TO BE USED EITHER ON A PERMANENT WAY OR ON COMMON ROADS, AND ADAPTED
FOR USE ALSO IN MINES OR OTHER UNDERGROUND WORKS," to be as follows:-
The first part of my Invention consists of using in lieu of the ordinary
boiler and furnace a number of tubes of wrought iron or other suitable

page_text: metal, stopped at each end and of sufficient. strength to bear safely a
working pressure of about 300 lbs. per square inch, the length, number
and diameter of these tubes depending upon the amount and duration of
the power required.
The steam using, connecting, and retaining parts do not differ
materially from those of ordinary compound locomotive engines except
when applied to propel tram cars or road vehicles, in which cases
they are constructed with the improvements patented by me June 7th
1872, No. 1725.¯¯
For an ordinary tram car I use six of these tubes, eighteen inches in
diameter internally, and about six feet long, which when charged with
water of a temperature of from 380 to 400° Fahrenheit will give
out enough steam at a sufficient pressure to drive the engines and
their load a distance of several miles. These six tubes I arrange in two
piles of three each, having their centres vertically one above another
with their centres horizontally on the same levels throughout. These
tubes are fixed by means of framing so as to have clearance between
their external circumferences both vertically and horizontally. They are
all connected together by means of strong metal piping. At one end
cach of the two top tubes have a pipe perforated with small holes
running along the whole length of their upper internal side within a
short distance of the circumference; these pipes are brought through one
end of the tubes in a steam-tight manner, and from them the steam is
taken to the engines.
The whole system above described which I shall henceforth call "the
receiver," is clad with an incombustible non-conductor of heat, openings
being left through this clothing (at the opposite end of the connecting
pipes) opposite the spaces left between the circumferences of the tubes
themselves between the tubes and outer casing. To charge or raise the
temperature of the water in the receiver (which ought to stand nearly
up to the low sides of the perforated steam pipes in the two top tubes of
the receiver) for the purpose of attaining a working pressure I introduce
gas blow pipes through the before-mentioned holes in the clothing; these
blow pipes can be fed with air by means of a fan or otherwise. Small
holes are provided at the opposite end of the combustion chamber to
induce circulation of the flame; the heat that would escape through

page_text: these apertures I employ to heat the air supplied for combustion to the
blow pipes. All openings in this clothing are provided with doors. which
can be closed in an air-tight manner. When the water in the receiver
has been raised to the proper temperature and a pressure of from 200 to
250 lbs. per square inch attained in the receiver, the blow pipes are with-
drawn and the doors closed to prevent transmission of heat to the
surrounding atmosphere; the engine is now ready to start on a journey,
sufficient heat being stored to evaporate a large portion of the water in
the receiver at a pressure sufficient to drive the engines. The blow
pipes and their accessories are arranged on a portable frame which is
kept in readiness at station to raise the pressure in the receiver during
stoppages.
I may supply the waste of water in the receiver caused by the con-
sumption of steam by the engines by means of a pump or injector, part
of the exhaust steam from the engines being used to raise the tempera-
ture of this feed water as high as possible in its passage between the
injector or pump and the receiver. I place a steam jacket surrounding
the receiver-which is heated by part of the exhaust steam. Occasionally
I use a chamber between the receiver and the engines in which the
pressure of steam is kept constant by means of a reducing valve; in
other cases I dispense with this and use an expansion gear capable of
working with great variation of cut off to counteract the fluctuations of
pressure.
.
When a number of locomotives are working I prefer to use one
heating apparatus to supply 7 or 8 engines, in which case the waste of
water in the receiver is made up from the heating apparatus during the
time. of charging the receiver, which is connected to the former by
means of metal piping and ball and socket and union joints in such a
manner as to be quickly connected or disconnected before and after
raising the temperature of the water in receiver for another journey.
The stationary heating apparatus may consist in some cases of an
ordinary boiler capable of working at 300 lbs. pressure, and is maintained
at about that pressure at the stations, and the receiver is recharged with
water at a proper temperature' during stoppage; or I may have a
surplus engine which is ready charged and takes the place of the partially
exhausted engine to continue the journey, the exhausted engine being

page_text: engine.
For underground engines I use a receiver constructed and worked
nearly in the same manner. This receiver can also be used for driving
athen machinam undanasound or otherurise
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Henry Percy Holt in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 20th June 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
PERCY HOLT, of Royal Insurance Buildings, Leeds, in the County of
York, Civil and Consulting Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-sixth year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said Henry Percy Holt, Her special license that I, the
said Henry Percy Holt, my executors, administrators, and assigns or such
others as I, the said Henry Percy Holt, my 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 LOCOMOTIVE ENGINES TO
BE USED EITHER ON A PERMANENT WAY OR ON COMMON ROADS, AND ADAPTED FOR
USE ALSO IN MINES OR OTHER UNDERGROUND WORKS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Henry Percy Holt, my executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, 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 I, the said Henry Percy Holt, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be

page_text: "
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, that is to say :-
The first part of my Invention consists of using in lieu of the ordinary
boiler and furnace a number of tubes of wrought iron or other suitable
metal, stopped at each end, and of sufficient strength to bear safely a
working pressure of about 300 lbs. per square inch, the length, number,
and diameter of these tubes depending entirely upon the amount and
duration of the power required.
The steam using, connecting, and retaining parts do not differ mate-
rially from those of ordinary compound locomotive engines, except when
applied to propel tram cars or road vehicles, in which cases they are
constructed with the improvements patented by me June 7th 1872,
No. 1725.
For an ordinary tram car I use about 4 or six of these tubes, eighteen
inches in diameter internally, and about 6 feet long, which; when
charged with water of a temperature of from 380 to 400 degrees
Farenheit, will give out enough steam at a sufficient pressure to drive
the engines and their load a distance of several miles. These tubes
I arrange in piles of about 2 or 3, each having their contres vertically
one above another, with their centres horizontally on the same levels
throughout. These tubes are fixed by means of framing, so as to have
clearance between their external circumferences both vertically and
horizontally. They are all connected together by means of strong metal
piping, each of the two top tubes having a pipe perforated with small
holes running along the whole length of its upper internal side within
a short distance of the circumference. These pipes are brought through
one end of the tubes in a steam-tight manner, and from them the steam
is taken to the engines.
The whole system above described, which I shall henceforth call “the
receiver," is clad with an incombustible non-conductor of heat, openings
being left through this clothing (at the opposite end to the connecting
pipes) opposite the spaces left between the circumferences of the tubes
themselves, and between the tubes and outer casing. I also use a steam
jacket outside this non-conducting material, into which I turn the
exhaust steam from the engines, thus saving in a large degree radiation
of heat from receivers, and also condensing a portion of the exhaust.

page_text: To charge or raise the temperature of the water in the receiver (which
ought to stand nearly up to the under sides of the perforated steam pipes
in the two top tubes of the receiver) for the purpose of attaining a
working pressure, I introduce powerful gas jets and blow-pipes through
the before-mentioned holes in the clothing. These blow-pipes can be
fed with air by means of a fan or otherwise. Small holes are provided
at the opposite end of the combustion chamber to induce circulation of
the flame. The heat escaping through these apertures I employ to heat
the air supplied for combustion to the blow-pipes. All openings in this
clothing are provided with doors, which can be closed in an air-tight:
manner when the water in the receiver has been raised to the proper
temperature, and a pressure of from 200 to 250 lbs. per square inch
attained. In the receivers the blow-pipes are withdrawn.and.the doors
closed to prevent transmission of heat to the surrounding atmosphere.
The engine is now ready to start on a journey, sufficient heat being
stored to evaporate a large portion of the water in the receiver at a
pressure sufficient to drive the engine. The blow-pipes and their
accessories arc arranged on a portable frame, which is kept in readiness
at stations to raise the pressure in the receiver during stoppages.
•
I may supply the waste of water in the receiver caused by the con-
sumption of steam by the engines by means of a pump or injector, part
of the exhaust steam from the engines being used to raise the tempera-
ture of this feed water as high as possible in its passage between the
injector or pump and the receiver. I place a steam jacket surrounding
the receiver, which is heated by part of the exhaust steam. Occasionally
I use a chamber between the receiver and the engines, in which-the
pressure of steam is kept constant by means of a reducing valve. In
other cases I dispense with this, and use an expansion gear capable of
working with great variation of cut off to counteract the fluctuations of
pressure.
When a number of locomotives are working I prefer to use a heating
apparatus to supply 7 or 8 engines, in which case the waste of water in
the receiver is made up from the heating apparatus during the time of
charging the receiver, which is connected to the former by means of
metal piping and ball-and-socket and union joints in such a manner as
to be quickly connected or disconnected before and after raising. the
temperature of the water in the receiver for another journey.

page_text: The stationary heating apparatus may consist in some cases of an
ordinary boiler capable of working at 300 lbs. pressure, maintained at
about that pressure at the stations, and the receiver is re-charged with
water at a proper temperature during stoppage. Or I may have a
surplus engine, which is ready charged, and takes the place of the
partially exhausted engine to continue the journey, the exhausted
engine being connected to the boiler and re-charged ready to relieve the
next engine.
For underground engines I use a receiver constructed and worked
nearly in the same manner. This receiver can also be used for driving
other machinery, underground or otherwise.
And in order to render my description more clear and intelligible I
will now proceed to refer to the Drawings hereunto annexed, in which
the same letters of reference denote similar parts.
a, a, strong receivers, capable of working safely at a pressure of
300 lbs. per square inch; b, b, connecting pipes and valve, to which are
attached feed pipes when re-charging receivers; c, c, steam pipes, the
parts of which'inside the receivers are perforated along the upper side,
and the other ends lead to the steam chest or reducing chamber; d, d,
casing, into which the exhaust stcam is led from the engines, and which
is a steam jacket to receivers, and also condenses part of exhaust. This
casing, when receivers are heated by means of steam jets, is lined with
fire-brick or an equivalent; e, e, exhaust steam pipes and chimney; ƒ,ƒ,
doors for closing openings g, g; 9, 9, openings for introducing gas jets;
h, h, engines, framing, and cylinder; i, i, gas nozzles and chamber
supplied from gas mains; k, k, air nozzles and chamber supplied from
fans or otherwise with heated air; 1, l, framework for carrying same.
Having described and illustrated the nature of my Invention, I would
have it understood that I claim,-
Firstly. The use of the receiver or portable boiler, constructed without
a furnace, and fed with water or steam at stations so as to supply an
engine with steam during its journey, without having to carry furnace
or fuel.

page_text: Thirdly. The general construction and arrangement of parts for
heating tubes at stations, and for utilizing the waste heat by raising the
temperature of feed water, air for blow pipe, and steam jacket, all as
herein-before described and shewn by the Drawings hereunto annexed.
In witness whercof, I, the said Henry Percy Holt, have hereunto t
set my hand and seal, this Nineteenth day of June, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three.
HENRY PERCY HOLT. (L.S.)
Witness,
H. ELLIS HILL,
Of the Firm of Barlow & Co.,
Patent Agents,
23, Southampton Buildings,
W.C.