AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR PURGING OR CLEARING STEAM ENGINES OF THEIR CONDENSED WATER
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexandre Pougault, of Decize (Nièvre), a Town of
France, Practical Engineer, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED
APPARATUS FOR PURGING OR CLEARING STEAM ENGINES OF THEIR CONDENSED
WATER."
Sealed the 21st January 1859, and dated the 28th July 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexandre Pougault at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
28th July 1858.
I, ALEXANDRE POUGAULT, of Decize (Nièvre), a Town of France, Practical
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED
APPARATUS FOR PURGING OR CLEARING STEAM ENGINES OF THEIR CONDENSED WATER,"
to be as follows:-
My Invention consists in an apparatus for the purpose of preventing the
priming or projections of water in the cylinder of steam engines. The
apparatus may be combined in various ways. In one of these combinations
the apparatus chiefly consists of a globe F (Fig. 1), in brass, mounted on an
axle or guide E, provided with a valve at the lower part. This globe acts as
a water guage, and rests on a spring e; it is inclosed in a cast-iron envelope M,
giving admittance to the water by an aperture a, and having a second issue
placed at c at the upper part for the steam and air which might accumulate
and hinder the play of the water guage or float. This last issue communicates.
with the steam pipe. By the effect of its specific weight the water settles at:
the bottom of the envelope in which it rises, until the height of the level is.

page_text: sufficient to overcome the weight of the globe or float, and bring into action
the spring which maintains it, so as to open the valve through which the
water escapes until the level of the water is reduced, so as to render the
weight of the globe again sufficient to close the valve.
In order to facilitate the application of the apparatus and reduce its
dimensions, I prefer employing another combination, represented in Fig. 2,
and which chiefly consists in widening the delivery steam pipe R communi-
cating with the purger by means of a pipe b, by which the water which is left
by the steam runs into the latter. At the top of this enlarged part or chamber
a pipe T leads the steam to the cylinder, and penetrates into the enlarged part
or chamber.
In another combination instead of poising the globe by a spring, as above
alluded to, I substitute a counterpoise P (Fig. 3).
Lastly, I sometimes suppress the globe or float altogether, and substitute to
it the envelope itself. In that case the water of condensation, or that already
condensed, opens just as before, and by its own weight the necessary issue for
its escape. In that case the recipient F (Fig. 4), is fastened by two pipes
K, K, to the steam pipe. The valve is fixed to a tail E, but the whole is
poised by the counterbalance weights P, P, fixed to a cast-iron frame fastened
on a support.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Alexandre Pougault in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 26th January 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALEXANDRE
POUGAULT, of Decize, Niévre, a Town of France, Practical Engineer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her. Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the
year-of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Alexandre Pougault, Her special licence that I, the said
Alexandre Pougault, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said Alexandre Pougault, 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 law-
fully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of

page_text: Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Inven-
tion for "AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR PURGING OR CLEARING STEAM ENGINES OF
THEIR CONDENSED WATER," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said Alexandre Pougault, 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 Alexandre Pougault, 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:-
A serious inconvenience in steam engines, and which might derange the
action of its principal parts, is the admission into the cylinder of molecules of
water.
Having for a length of time been occupied in the management of steam
engines, and having examined all the particulars of this inconvenience, I have
succeeded in finding a combination which I consider completely efficacious.
It is by the use of an apparatus to which I have given the name of steam
cleanser, and which I combine in different ways according to circumstances.
1st combination. In this combination the cleanser consists principally of a
copper globe F (Figure 1st) placed on an axle or guide E, having on its
lower part a valve i. This globe serves as a float; it bears on a spiral
spring e. It is inclosed in a brass case M, M, giving entrance to the water
by an orifice a, and having a second outlet c placed at the upper part for the
exit of the steam and air which might accumulate and impede the movement
of the float. This latter outlet is put in communication with the steam pipe.
By the effect of its specific gravity the water deposits at the bottom of the
case in which it rises, until it has attained a heighth sufficient to lift the
surplus weight of the globe or float over and above that carried by the spiral
spring, and so causes the opening of the valve, by which the water then runs
out until the level has sufficiently fallen for the weight of the globe to again
close the valve. As to the manner of bringing the steam into the above-
mentioned apparatus, I have recourse to the direct way. To facilitate, how-
ever, the action of the cleanser and to reduce its dimensions, I prefer having
recourse to the way indicated in Figure 2. This means consists principally
in enlarging the steam conducting pipe R, communicating by its lower part
with the cleanser by means of a pipe b, by which the water left by the steam

page_text: goes into the latter. At the upper part of this enlargement or chamber a
pipe T conducts the steam to the cylinder; this pipe penetrates into the
interior of the enlarged part, so as to draw off the steam at a distance from
the sides of the large pipe R.
2nd combination.-Instead of balancing the globe by a spring, as mentioned
above, I frequently substitute a counterpoise P, also placed in the interior of
the case, as may be seen by Figure 3.
3rd combination.-Lastly, I have observed that it might at times be
advantageous to suppress the globe or float, properly so called, and to
substitute the case itself for it.
In this case the condensed water itself opens as in the above combinations
the necessary means for its outlet. This time the recipient F (Figure 4) is
attached by two pipes K, K, to the steam pipe, the valve remains fixed to the
axis E, but the whole is balanced by means of two counterpoises P, P, which
are themselves fixed on a frame.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexandre Pougault, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-second day of January, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine.
Signed, sealed, and delivered in the
presence of
POUGAULT. (L.S.)