IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES AND BOILERS
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Louis Winans, of Clarges Street, in the
County of Middlesex, Gentleman, and Thomas Winans, of Baltimore, in
the United States of America, but now residing at Clarges Street,
aforesaid, Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM
ENGINES AND BOILERS."
Sealed the 14th August 1866, and dated the 23rd March 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Louis Winans
and Thomas Winans at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 23rd March 1866.
We, WILLIAM LOUIS WINANS, of Clarges Street, in the County of Middlesex,
Gentleman, and THOMAS WINANB, of Baltimore, in the United States of
America, but now residing at Clarges Street, aforesaid, Gentleman, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM.
ENGINES AND BOILERS," to be as follows:-
Our Invention of "Improvements in Steam Engines and Boilers" in connec-
tion with surface condensing and other engines relates, first, to improvements in
the boilers, whereby we are enabled to draw off from the surface of the water
in the boilers any grease, tallow, or other extraneous matter which might by
reason of imperfect, action or otherwise escape from the condenser and pass
into the boiler. The means of accomplishing this is as follows-Each

page_text: boiler has a pipe inserted into it, the end of which stands perpendicular, and
the top of which is at or a little above the ordinary water line, and is bell-
mouthed or funnel-shaped; the other end of this pipe is then connected with
a trap which allows water but not steam to pass through and be delivered
overboard. When it is desired to draw off any grease that may have accu-
mulated on the surface or the top portion of the water, a cock is opened and
the water is allowed to pass to the trap. More water is then pumped into
the boiler than is required for supplying steam from the engine, and the
surplus water pumped in causes an equal quantity to pass out through the
trap as fast as it is supplied, carrying along with it any oil, fat, tallow, or
other substances that may be floating on the surface of the water. By this
means the entire water in the boiler can be removed at pleasure and at short
intervals, thereby to a great extent avoiding the bad effects which are at
present experienced from using the same water over and over again for some
time.
The second part of our Invention relates to surface condensers, and consists
in a means of preventing the valves of the air pump in surface-condensing
engines, from being clogged or obstructed with grease, tallow, or other
extraneous matters which may be carried over with steam from the cylinder
into the condenser. To this end a space or reservoir is formed in the lowest
part of the condenser to receive the water from the condensed steam as well
as the greasy matters, which pass from the cylinders into it. The grease having.
less specific gravity than the water will collect and float upon the surface,
and in order to prevent its passing into the air pump or coming in contact
with the valves, the pipe passing to it from the condenser is carried up to the
beight that the water is intended to remain in the reservoir. This pipe is
surrounded by a cylinder which extends some inches above and below the top
of it thus causing the water which passes into the air pumps to be drawn
from the bottom of the reservoir and effectually preventing the grease and
other substances on the surface from passing into the pipe leading to the
condenser. To prevent any grease or other substance from falling into the
top of the pipe or cylinder surrounding it a roof or cover is placed above it,
far enough to allow plenty of space for the air to pass freely into the air pump.
When any considerable quantity of grease has accumulated in the condenser
it is drawn off by a small pump, which is thrown in and out of gear as the
occasion may require. The induction pipe of the pump is connected with an
upright telescopic tube in the reservoir, the orifice of which can be raised or
lowered some distance above or below the ordinary water level by means of a
screw from the outside, so that it can be brought to the proper height for

page_text: drawing off the grease only. This height may be ascertained by examining
the fluid delivered by the pump, which if considerably impregnated with
grease would indicate the proper adjustment. If nearly pure water runs out
it will indicate that the orifice is too low, and if no liquid is delivered that
the orifice is too high. To cleanse the tubes of the condenser from any tallow
which may have congealed on their surfaces and enable the pump to throw it
out with the oil, or to remove any other foreign fatty substance formed
thereon, and which is soluble by heat, the injection water is sufficiently
throttled off to cause the condenser to become heated to a temperature
necessary to melt it, when by running into the reservoir and mixing with the
oil it can be pumped out therewith.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Louis Winans and Thomas Winans in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 22nd September 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, WILLIAM
LOUIS WINANS, of Clarges Street, in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman,
and THOMAS WINANS, of Baltimore, in the United States of America, but
now residing at Clarges Street, aforesaid, Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the twenty-ninth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the
said William Louis Winans and Thomas Winans, Her special licence that we,
the said William Louis Winans and Thomas Winans, our executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said William Louis Winans
and Thomas Winaus, our 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 "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN STEAM ENGINES AND BOILERS," upon the condition (amongst others)
that we, the said William Louis Winans and Thomas Winans, our exe-
cutors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under our, 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

page_text: within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Thomas Winans, on behalf of myself and
of the said William Louis Winans, do hereby declare the nature of our said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performer, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement, reference being
bad to the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to tho letters and figures marked
thereon (that is to say):-
Our Invention of "Improvements in Steam Engines and Boilers" in
connection with surface condensing and other engines relates,―
First, to improvements in the boilers whereby wo are enabled to draw off
from the surface of the water in the boilers any grease. tallow, or other
extraneous matter which might by reason of imperfect action or otherwise
escape from the condenser and pass into the boiler. The means of accom-
plishing this is shown in the accompanying Drawing, in which Fig. 1
represents a sectional view of a boiler having our Invention adapted thereto.
Each boiler (if there are more than one) has a pipe a inserted into it, the
end of which stands perpendicularly, and the top of which is at a little above.
the ordinary water line and is bell-mouthed or funnel-shaped, as shown in the
Figure. The other end of this pipe a is then connected with an ordinary
steam trap which will allow water but not steam to pass through and be
delivered overboard. When it is desired to draw off any grease that may
bave accumulated on the surface or the top portion of the water in the boiler,
a cock c on the pipe a is opened and the water is allowed to pass into the
steam trap, and from thence overboard. More water is then pumped into the
boiler than is required for supplying steam to the engine, and the surplus water
pumped in will cause an equal quantity to pass out through the pipe a into
the steam trap as fast as it is supplied, carrying along with it any oil, fat,
tallow, or other substances that may be floating on the surface of the water.
By this means the entire water in the boiler can be changed at pleasure, and
at short intervals, thereby to a great extent avoiding the bad effects which
are at present experienced from using the same water over and over again for
some time.
The second part of our Invention relates to surface condensers of steam
engines, and consists in a means of preventing the surface of the condenser
and the valves of the air pump in surface condensing engines from being
charged, coated, clogged, or obstructed with grease, tallow, or other extraneous
matters which may be carried over with the steam from the cylinder into the
condenser.

page_text: Our improved means of effecting this object are shown at Fig. 2, which is a
vertical section of the lower part of a surface condenser constructed according
to our Invention. It will be seen that a space or chamber r is formed in the
lowest part of the condenser to receive the water, from the condensed steam
as well as the greasy matters which pass from the cylinders into it. The grease
having less specific gravity than the water will collect and float upon the
surface, and in order to prevent it from passing into the air pump or coming
in contact with the valves, the pipe p which conducts the water to the pump
from the condenser is carried up to the heighth that the water is intended to
remain in the chamber r. This pipe p is surrounded by a cylinder q, which
extends some. inches above and below the top of it, thus causing the water which
passes into the air pumps to be drawn from the bottom of the reservoir r
instead of from the surface therein, thereby effectually preventing the grease
and other substances on the surface from passing into the pipe p leading to tho
air pump. To prevent any grease or other substance from falling into the top
of the pipe p or cylinder q surrounding it, a roof or covers is placed above
it far enough to allow plenty of space for the air to pass freely into the air
pump. When any considerable quantity of grease has accumulated in the
condenser it can be drawn off by means of a small pump which may be worked
by hand or by the engine, by means of any suitable mechanism which may be
thrown in and out of gear as the occasion may require. The induction pipo
of the pump is connected with an upright telescopic tube v in the
chamber r.. The orifice of this tube can be raised or lowered some
distance above or below the ordinary water level by means of a screw w
provided on the outside with a winch or handle w¹, so that it can be brought
to the proper height and regulated for drawing off the grease only. This proper
height for so doing may be ascertained by examining the fluid delivered by tho
pump, which if considerably impregnated with grease would indicate the proper
adjustment. If nearly pure water runs out it will indicate that the orifice is
too low, and if no liquid is delivered that the orifice is too high.
In order, to cleanse the tubes 1, 1, of the condenser from any tallow which
may have congealed on their surfaces, and to enable the pump to throw it out
with the oil or to remove any other foreign fatty substance formed thereon
(and which is soluble by heat) the injection water must be sufficiently throttled
off to cause the condenser to become heated to a temperature necessary to melt
any congealed grease that may have adhered to the tubes. When the grease
is melted it will run into the chamber r below and will mix with the oil and
water, and can be pumped out therewith.
Having now described our Invention of "Improvements in Steam Engines

page_text: and Boilers," and having explained the manner of carrying the same into
effect, we claim as the Invention secured to us by Letters Patent the modo
herein set forth of drawing off the greasy water or scum from steam boilers
without wasting the steam.
Secondly, we claim the mode herein set forth of constructing the condensers
of steam engines and providing for the drawing off therefrom of the greasy
water or scum that may accumulate therein.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Winans, bave hereunto set
my hand and seal, the Twenty-first day of September, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
THOMAS WINANS. (L.B.)