IMPROVEMENTS IN MARINE STEAM ENGINES
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James McLintock Henderson, of Renfrew, in the
County of Renfrew, Shipbuilder, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MARINE STEAM ENGINES."
Sealed the 26th April 1861, and dated the 30th October 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James McLintock Hender-
son at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 30th October 1860.
I, JAMES MCLINTOCK HENDERSON, of Renfrew, in the County of Renfrew,
North Britain, Shipbuilder, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MARINE STEAM ENGINES," to be as follows, that is
to say:
This Invention relates to the arrangement and construction of diagonal or
angular oscillating marine engines, whereby compactness combined with
strength and efficient working action is obtained. The sole plate of the
engines, whether they are adapted for paddle wheel or screw propulsion, is cast
or formed with sloping or angular sides to any shape adapted so as to suit the
space between the cylinders. This sole plate forms the condenser and
principal basis of the engine, to which are attached the other framings upon
which the cylinders of the engine are arranged, so that they are set with their
upper ends converging and directed towards the paddle wheel or screw shaft,
and connected by the piston rods direct to the cranks of the main propelling

page_text: shaft. In the arrangement of engines constructed with sole plate, condenser,
and framings, in the manner herein-before described, the air pump or air
pumps are worked by means of an eccentric in lieu of other modes; the air
pumps may be disposed either vertically, horizontally, or in any other con-
venient position which may be best adapted to suit the arrangement of the
other parts of the engine. The wheels for the paddle engines under this
construction are made with double rings, one being outside to protect the
feathering floats, which are of iron; the cranks are placed on the face of the
floats, which, when the wheel is going ahead enter the water first, and are
connected with the eccentric rods. These rods will thus draw the floats into
nearly their vertical position on entering the water.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James McLintock Henderson in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 30th April 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
MCLINTOCK HENDERSON, of Renfrew, in the County of Renfrew, Shipbuilder,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-fourth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said James McLintock Henderson, Her special license that I, the said
James McLintock Henderson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said James McLintock Henderson, 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 ex-
pressed, 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 MARINE STEAM ENGINES,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said James McLintock
Henderson, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my hand and seal, or under the hand and seal of one of them, 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 immedi-
ately after the date of the said Letters Patent.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said James McLintock Henderson, 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 relates to the arrangement and construction of diagonal
or angular oscillating marine engines, whereby compactness combined with
strength and efficient working action is obtained. The sole plate of the
engines, whether they are adapted for paddle wheel or screw propulsion, is
cast or formed with sloping or angular sides, or any shape adapted so as to
suit the space between the cylinders. This sole plate forms the condenser and
principal basis of the engine, to which are attached the other framings upon
which the cylinders of the engine are arranged, so that they are set with their
upper ends converging and directed towards the paddle wheel or screw shaft,
and connected by the piston rods direct to the cranks of the main propelling
shaft.
In the arrangement of engines constructed with sole plate, condenser,
and framings, in the manner herein-before described, the air pump or air
pumps are worked by means of an eccentric, in lieu of other modes. The air
pumps may be disposed either vertically, horizontally, or in any other con-
venient position which may be best adapted to suit the arrangement of the
other parts of the engine. The wheels for the paddle engines under this con-
struction are made with double rings, one being outside to protect the
feathering floats, which are of iron; the cranks are placed on the face of the
flcats, which, when the wheel is going ahead enter the water first, and are
connected with the eccentric rods. These rods will thus draw the floats into
nearly their vertical position on entering the water.
And in order that my said Invention of improvements in marine steam
engines may be properly understood, I shall now proceed to describe the
several Figures on the three explanatory Sheets of Drawings, which I bave
hereunto appended for the purpose of showing certain modifications under
which my improvements may be judiciously carried out in practice, that is
to say :-
pair of
Figure 1 on Sheet 1 of the accompanying Drawings is a plan of a
diagonal oscillating direct-acting marine engines arranged according to one
modification of my improvements; Figure 2 represents two half elevations,
showing the starboard and port sides of the engines. The Figure on Sheet 2
is a longitudinal sectional elevation of the engines taken through the centre of
the condenser.
Figure 1 on Sheet 3 of the accompanying Drawings is an elevation of my

page_text: improvements in the arrangement of feathering paddle wheels; and Figure 2
on the same Sheet is a vertical sectional elevation of the same.
Referring to the Figures on Sheets
and 2, the sole plate A of the engine
is formed with sloping or angular sides, which are arranged so as to suit the
space between the cylinders. The central portion of the sole plate A forms
the condenser B, as shown in the sectional elevation on Sheet 2, and on the
upper part of the sole plate is fixed the framing which gives support to the
upper portions of the engine. The trunnions of the oscillating cylinders C
are carried in corresponding recesses cast in the sole plate. The piston rods D
are connected direct in the usual way to the crank shaft E, the bearings of
which are carried in the transverse beams F. These beams are supported at
the centres on vertical columns which spring from the sole plate A, and they
are further strengthened by the angular stay rods which pass through the
longitudinal eyes formed on the sloping portions of the sole plate A. The
steam is conveyed into the cylinders by the pipes G, and after performing its
work in each cylinder it passes away by the exhaust H into the condenser B,
at the end of which are arranged the air pumps I. These pumps are worked
by the eccentric J on the crank shaft E; the strap or band of the eccentric is
connected to a beam K arranged on the small horizontal shaft L. The ends
of the beam K are attached to the air pump rods, so that the rotatory move-
ment of the eccentric J imparts the required vertical oscillating motion to the.
beam K, and through it to the buckets of the air pumps. The shaft L also
carries a cross head M, to which the rods; of the feed and bilge pumps N
and O are connected, the partially rotatory motion of the shaft L serving also
to work these pumps. The water and vapour of condensation are discharged
out through the discharge pipes P, which are arranged at the sides of the air
pumps. In front of the engines is fitted the hand wheel Q, the movement of
which is communicated by means of a pinion and segmental wheel to the link
motion, the arrangement of which is similar to what is in ordinary use.
In Figure 3 is delineated the arrangement I prefer to use in constructing.
feathering paddle wheels of marine engines, The radial framing R of the
wheel is formed with secondary rings S, which extend beyond the floats T, and
serve to protect them from injury. The floats T are formed of iron, and they
are connected to the laterally projecting parts of the radial arms R by means
of a transverse rod U, which passes through the eyes formed in the bracket
pieces V. These brackets are bolted to the back of the float, the journals of
the rod U are fitted with brasses W, which are carried in the bearings
arranged in the eyes of the bracket V. A metal washer is put on each end of
the rod U, and the whole is tightened up by means of the nuts W. This

page_text: arrangement affords an easy means of disconnecting from or fitting a float to
the wheel when required. On the face of each float is fixed the crank X,
which is connected to its proper eccentric rod Y, the inner extremities of
which are keyed to the eccentric Z, which is placed abaft the centre of the
paddle wheel. With this arrangement, as the wheel revolves upon its axis,
the rods Y draw the floats into a vertical position as they successively enter
the water, as shown by the position of the lower portion of the floats in
Figure 1 on Sheet 3 of the accompanying Drawings, and in this way the
efficiency of the paddle wheel is greatly improved.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or 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 system or mode of arranging and constructing the condensing
sole plates, bottom framing, and the mode of supporting the top framing of
diagonal oscillating marine engines, as herein-before described and shown in
the accompanying Drawings.
Second, the system or mode of giving motion to the air pumps of diagonal
oscillating marine engines, as herein-before described and shown in the
accompanying Drawings.
Third, the system or mode of arranging and constructing feathering paddle
wheels for marine engines, in the manner herein-before described and delineated
in the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said James McLintock Henderson, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of April, One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-one.
JA. ML. HENDERSON. (L.S.)