IMPROVEMENTS IN THE COUPLINGS OF FEED PIPES OF LOCOMOTIVE STEAM
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Spencer, of No. 6, Cannon Street West,
in the City of London, Railway Spring Manufacturer, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE COUPLINGS OF FEED PIPES OF LOCOMOTIVE STEAM
Sealed the 9th December 1856, and dated the 25th July 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Spencer at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 25th
July 1856.
I, GEORGE SPENCER, of No. 6, Cannon St. West, in the City of London,
Railway Spring Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE COUPLINGS OF FEED PIPES OF LOCOMOTIVE
STEAM ENGINES AND TENDERS," to be as follows:-―
My Invention consists of a new mode of coupling the feed pipes of loco-
motive steam engines and tenders. Instead of the ball and socket joints, I
propose to use a coupling of a peculiar construction, the principle of which I
will now describe. On the ends of the feed pipes of locomotive engine and
tender I fix socket pieces, the mouths of which are so constructed that rings
of india-rubber are contained in the grooves therein. In these rings is placed
a loose pipe, through which the water flows from the tender to the engine.

page_text: By this arrangement small variations of distance and position are allowed for
without the use of the ball and socket joint. This pipe may be provided with
a union joint, so as to allow of the removal of the pipe without detaching the
engine from the tender, or one sliding joint may be used.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said George Spencer in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
23rd January 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
SPENCER, Civil Engineer, of No. 6, Cannon Street West, London, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the
year of Her reign, did,
for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said George
Spencer, Her special licence that I, the said George Spencer, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said George Spencer, 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 THE COUPLINGS OF FEED PIPES
OF. LOCOMOTIVE STEAM ENGINES AND TENDERS," a communication, upon the con-
dition (amongst others) that I, the said George Spencer, 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 George Spencer, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement: -
My Invention consists of a new mode of coupling the feed pipes of Joco-
motive engines and tenders. Instead of the ball and socket joints, I use a
coupling, having rings of india-rubber, which I prefer to be vulcanized, so

page_text: arranged that they allow, first, of the angular motion required by the engine
in passing curves and points; and, second, of the sliding motion required by
the varying distances of the ends of the engines and tenders, and at the same
time form water-tight joints.
Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4 show modifications of my plan. Figure 1 shows
one mode of double joint. The flanges A, A, are screwed to the flanges of
feed pipes. The ends of sliding pipes B, B, are held by the rings of india-
rubber C, C, compressed by the screw nuts D, D, as may be required, and can
be pushed in or drawn out to allow of the second or sliding motion, while the
hollow conical chambers in pipes E, E, allow of the first or angular motion.
I have shown in this Figure the form of chamber I use and prefer, but the
form is not material, so that the pipe B can work at the required angle, and
also work in a circle. At G, H, a union joint is shown, which allows the
pipe B to be taken out without disconnecting the engine from the tender. A
ring of india-rubber C keeps this joint water-tight.
Figure 2 shows a modification of the coupling with a double hollow chamber
E', with the screw nuts D', D', and india-rubber rings C, C, and sliding
pipes B', B; the action is precisely the same as in Figure 1.
Figure 3 shows another modification, in which only one single hollow
chamber E, and one sliding pipe B", is used.
Figure 4 shows another modification, in which the sliding motion is distinct
from the angular motion, the flange pieces K, K, receiving the pipes B¹¹¹, B,
and retaining them by the india-rubber rings C", C", held in place by the screw
nuts D, D, thus allowing of the angular motion only, while the centre.
piece L, being provided with india-rubber rings C, C", and screw nuts
D, D, allows of the sliding motion of pipes B, B. This arrangement
may be reversed, allowing the pipes B, B, to slide in flange pieces at K,
while the angular motion is gained by providing a double joint, like K, K, at
centre, provided with the four india-rubber rings and screw nuts to hold the
flanged ends of pipes B, B""; or a single pair of the sliding and angular
joint may be used, similarly to Figure 3, in cases where the angle gained is
enough. The material of pipes, nuts, &c. may be iron, brass, copper, or other
suitable metal; and instead of the screw nuts shown in the Drawing, plain
bolts and nuts, with suitable flanges to receive them, such as are used on
piston glands, would be of course equally efficient to confine and compress the
india-rubber to ensure water-tight joints.
In conclusion, I may state that I claim the use of india-rubber rings used
so as to gain both angular and sliding motion with the same rings of india-

page_text: rubber, and also the use of india-rubber rings in such joints when they allow
of a sliding motion only, angular motion being gained by other methods, one
of which is shown in Figure 4 at K, K, which is old; and I claim also the
combinations before described or figured.
In witness whereof, I, the said Georgo Spencer, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this 23rd day of January 1857.
GEORGE SPENCER. (L.S.)