IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES
Year: 1859

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Louis Henri Rousseau at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 13th October
1859.
I, LOUIS HENRI ROUSSBAU, of 29, Boulevart St. Martin, Paris, in the
Empire of France, Mechanician, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES," to be as follows:-
My Invention relates to steam generators and engines. In the annexed
Drawing, Fig. 1 shows a transverse vertical section of the furnace. A, longi-
tudinal vertical section of the same & a longitudinal elevation of the
distributing apparatus; Fig. 2 shows a longitudinal vertical section of the
machine, and the elevation of the distributing cock; Fig. 3 shows a general
plan of the furnace, and of the feed apparatus, and of the distributor; Fig. 4
shows a central vertical section on line p, q, Fig. 3, of the distributing
apparatus; Figs. 5, 9, & 10 show sections of the distributing apparatus on
lines rs, tu, vx, Fig. 4; Fig. 6 shows the elevation, partly in section, of the
feed apparatus; the section is on line 9, r, Fig. 3; Figs. 7 & 8 show the ends
or bottoms closing the tubes of the feed apparatus; Fig. 11 shows a section on
line y',, Fig. 7. Figs. 4, 5, 9, & 10, are on a larger scale.
In this apparatus the regenerated steam acts again on the piston conjointly
with the saturated steam, without occasioning any appreciable counter pressure
in the cylinder by means of apparatus herein-after described. I, Y, Z, Fig. 1,
are three superheating tubes, placed in the boiler furnace, bent of a U form,

page_text: each having a capacity equal to that of the cylinder of the engine, and with
their extremities A', A", B', B", C, C", connected to the distributor m'.
These three tubes I, Y, Z; serve successively to superheat each cylinder full of
saturated steam.
Distributing Cock or Apparatus.-This apparatus, which is the principle
feature of this Invention, is represented at Figs. 2, 3, & 10, and in section at
Figs. 5, 9, 10, & 13. In the seating of the plug of the cock represented by
the two circles D', D", circular openings E', E", E", F', F", F", are formed
equidistant and of a diameter equal to 1 of the circumference of the plug.
Figs. 5 & 10 are the sections of the cock through the six orifices before
mentioned. The passages G', G", G", H', H", "", serve to connect the six
parts of the superheating tubes with the cock by the same plate i, Figs.
1, 3, 5, 9, & 10. The four openings l, m, n, o, Figs. 1, 3, 5, 9, & 10, serve
to regulate the distribution. The tube K', Figs. 2, 3, & 18, is for the escape
steam. The tube L, Fig. 4, is that by which the superheated steam passes to
the working cylinder and the channel M'; Figs. 1, 3, & 4, and the escape of
the excess steam which has not been admitted at the moment the piston
arrives at the extremity of its course. The plug of the distributing cock
represented in section at Fig. 4 is submitted to a continuous rotating move-
ment. This plug is divided into three compartments P', Q', R'. The middle
compartment Q constantly recieves, by means of the largest number of
openings possible made in the circumference T, U, the escape steam arriving
from the cylinder by the tube K'; an opening l' opposite the three openings
E', E", E, of the plug seating introduces by this passage the escape steam
in one of the three superheating tubes I, Y, Z. The compartment R', which
by means of an opening I', Fig. 10, made opposite the three openings F', F", F"",
of the seating correspond with the tube L', placed at the extremity of the cock,
allows the superheated steam arriving successively by the three extremities
A', B", C, a passage to pass to the working cylinder at the moment when
the passage l' shuts for the tube furnishing the cylinder with superheated
steam; the other extremity of this tube is in communication with the other
extremity of the cock, and a circular opening N' made in the circle r, s,
opening in the channel o', to conduct the excess steam into the tube M'.
Apparatus for Heating the Feed Water.-This apparatus represented at
Fig. 8, and in section Fig. 6, consists of a certain number of tubes fixed
parallel with two iron ends; in this state these tubes, the extremities of which
are completely open, can be inspected and easily cleaned. The two cast-iron
ends represented at Figs. 7 & 8, in which are made the holes of which the one
represented in the section, Fig. 4, on line Y', Z' of the Fig. 7, serves to put in.

page_text: communication all the tubes of the apparatus, and recieves the cold water by
the tube Y, and allowing it to escape by the tube Z, after having raised it to a
state of ebulition, which of necessity runs the whole length of the tubes
to find egress, and as a consequence escapes at a temperature equal to that of
the escape steam, which surrounds the tubes a', '. Figs. 3 & 6 are inlet and
outlet tubes for the escape steam. The tube plates Figs. 7 & 8 are only fixed
by four screws, thereby permitting of their being easily and quickly cleaned.
This apparatus possesses every advantage of a long course of tubes without
having any inconveniences arising from bends. This manner of feeding
obviates any liability of derangement in feed pumps occasioned usually by the
action of the heat on them, and permits of this pump and the cold water pump
being united as a single pump, which is always working with cool water
although feeding at the highest temperature.
Working of the Machine.-Traverse of the steam. The saturated steam is
conducted from the boiler C', Fig. 1, into the steam chest d', Fig. 2, where
the first stop slide valve f' works, which does not allow free passage to the
second e', Fig. 2, excepting during a minimum part of the course of piston h';
this steam thus acts as a stop on the surface of the piston; the second valve g'
leaves the orifices j'; k', l', always open during the ascending and descending
course of the piston, to permit the introduction and escape of the saturated
and superheated steam to be constantly and freely effected.
The escape
The three
pipe K', Figs. 2, 3, 4, conducts to the distributor m' the steam which has
acted on the piston h'. The cock m', worked by the shafts and gearing n',
Fig. 2, has communicated to it a rotatory movement, which causes it to per-
form two revolutions in the same time that the piston h' of the machine effects
six ascending or descending strokes in the steam cylinder o'.
superheating tubes I, Y, Z, each of the same capacity as the cylinder, recieve
successively from the.steam cylinder the steam which is to act on the piston
by the intermediation of the distributor, which leaves the compartment Q
Fig. 4, always open to the escape. This steam, introduced by the orifice l'
at the extremity A', Fig. 1, into the tube I, Fig. 1, acquires during its passage
in the furnace a temperature sufficiently high for vaporizing the molecules of
water carried by the saturated steam, and augments its pressure considerably.
At the moment when the piston h' arrives at an extremity of its course, the
orifice E" is entirely shut, whilst at the other extremity of this tube the
orifice E" is open to the escape steam thus superheated in its passage to
the compartment R. of the distributor & the tube L' in the chest p', Fig. 2.
The clack valve q', placed at the entrance of this chest, pervents the saturated
steam being introduced in the tube L' at the moment of admission to tho

page_text: chest d', and does not open for the passage of escape of the superheated steam
until this latter has acquired a sufficient pressure to restrain the existing
pressure in the cylinder o'. This introduction of the superheated steam
furnished by the tube L' continues until the piston h' has arrived at the
extremity of its course; at this precise moment the distributor shuts the
orifice E", and puts the other orifice E" in communication with the free
escape tube M' by its conjunction with the orifice N', conducting to this tube.
-This orifice continues open during the following course of the piston to clear
the tube I, which has just furnished the steam, and is thus put in order to
recieve (without counter or back pressure from the cylinder. The two other
superheating tubes Y, Z, work successively in the same way as the tube I, &
in such manner that whilst the first tube recieves the escape, the third is being
emptied, and whilst the second furnishes its auxiliary of superheated steam, &
so on. The pipe M'receiving the waste steam, which yet possesses a very high
temperature, conducts it by the passage r' into the steam case o, Figs. 2 & 3,
enveloping the cylinder o', from whence it escapes by the tube s' adjoining
the apparatus I', shewn in Fig. 2 and in section Fig. 6, for warming the feed
water; from thence it escapes into the atmosphere by the tube b. In the
application of this system to condensing engines the air pump creating the
vacuum and the condensor would be connected to the escape tube. By this
combination can be realized all the advantages resulting from the employment
of saturating and superheating steams working conjointly, producing greater
economy in fuel than can be effected in the manner of superheating and using
steam heretofore.