AN IMPROVED METHOD OF LUBRICATING THE PISTONS, PISTON RODS, AND VALVES OR COCKS OF STEAM ENGINES, AND OF CONDENSING THE STEAM OF SUCH ENGINES AS ARE WORKED BY A VACUUM PRODUCED BY CONDENSATION; ALSO; A METHOD OF CONDENSATION APPLICABLE TO OTHER USEFUL PURPOSES
Year: 1833

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, SAMUEL
HALL, of Basford, in the County of Nottingham, Cotton Manufacturer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS His present most Excellent Majesty King William the Fourth,
by His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Ninth day of January, in the third year of His reign, did,
for Himself, His heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Samuel Hall, His especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority,
that I, the said Samuel Hall, my exors, admors, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Samuel Hall, my exors, admors, or assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times during the
term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exer-
cise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed,
and also in all His said Majesty's Colonies and Plantations abroad, my Inven-
tion of "AN IMPROVED METHOD OF LUBRICATING THE PISTONS, PISTON RODS, AND
VALVES OR COCKS OF STEAM ENGINES, AND OF CONDENSING THE STEAM OF SUCH
ENGINES AS ARE WORKED BY A VACUUM PRODUCED BY CONDENSATION; ALSO; A
METHOD OF CONDENSATION APPLICABLE TO OTHER USEFUL PURPOSES;" in which said
Letters Patent is contained a proviso that I, the said Samuel Hall; shall cause
a particular description of the nature of my said Invention, and in what

page_text: manner the same is to be performed, to be inrolled in His said Majesty's
Iligh Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the
same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Samuel Hall, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, are particularly described
and ascertained as follows (that is to say):-
My Invention consists in certain improvements on certain parts of a Patent
granted to me by His present most Excellent Majesty King William the
Fourth, dated the Twenty-second day of December, One thousand eight hun-
dred and thirty-one, entitled a Patent for "An Improved Piston and Valve for
"Steam, Gas, and other Engines; also an Improved Method of Lubricating
"the Pistons, Piston Rods, and Valves or Cocks of such Engines, and of
Condensing the Steam, and supplying Water to the Boilers of such Steam
"Engine as are wrought by a Vacuum produced by Condensation," a Spe-
cification of which was duly inrolled in His said Majesty's High Court of
Chancery on the Twenty-second day of June, One thousand eight hundred and
thirty-two.
"
So far as my present improved method relates to the lubricating of the
pistons, piston rods, and valves or cocks of steam engines, it consists of an
improved mode of separating the oil or other lubricating matter from the
water on their leaving the steam engine in commixture with each other,
thereby reducing the quantity of the waste of lubricating matter (as stated in
my above-mentioned Specification)" which may take place in the working of
the engine." Such waste I have discovered arises, for the most part, from the
combination, which I suppose to be mechanical, of a portion of oil or other
lubricating matter with the water on their quitting the engine. By the evapo-
ration of the water the lubricating matter may be for the most part, if not
wholly, recovered, for the water being converted into steam at about 212°, the
oil (which requires a much more elevated temperature to convert it into vapour)
is left floating at the top of the water. This process of separation I effect
within the boilers of steam engines from whence the oil is to be drawn to repeat
the process of lubrication. The separation of the oil being thus effected within
the boiler, the separating vessels described in the Specification of my former
Patent, above mentioned, are dispensed with. In condensing engines I effect
this process in their usual boilers, and in high-pressure engines I do it by
a small additional one. The apparatus I use for drawing off the oil is shewn

page_text: by the accompanying Drawings and description thereof. A is a longitudinal
section of a boiler taken across the middle, which is furnished with the usual
safety valve, feed pipe, steam pipe, and float, to regulate the height of the
water within the boiler; B is the man-hole of the boiler; C is the cover of
the man-hole to which the apparatus for drawing out the oil is attached.
a, a, is an inverted funnel, provided with two or more pipes l, l, opening into
it. It is attached to a cylindrical box 6, containing a weighted valve c. This
box is united to a pipe d, d, open at the upper end, which passes through a
stuffing box on the man-hole cover, and enters into a bent pipe e, e, the pipe
d, d, working through another stuffing box fixed in the pipe e, e. This bent
pipe is supported in its situation by pillars f, f, which are attached to the man-
hole cover.
Within the pipe d, d, is placed a bucket furnished with a valve
9, which is fixed to a rod h, passing through a stuffing box on the top of the
pipe e, e. The height of the bucket is adjusted, and it is kept stationary by
the rod being held fast by any proper means during the working upwards and
downwards of the pipe d, d, which puts in motion the valve c and funnel a, a,
when the apparatus is set to work. i, i, are two rods attached to and sus-
pended from the man-hole cover to hold a cross bar j, whereby the valve c is
lifted from its seat, when it descends so low that its weighted spindle reaches
and rests upon such cross bar; k, k, are two axles fixed on pipe d, d, by
which it is moved upwards and downwards by the application of any proper
means. When the above-described apparatus is put in motion, the following
operation takes place:-The bottom or widest part of the funnel, when at its
greatest height, must be two or three inches above the surface of the water on
which the oil or other lubricating matter floats within the boiler. The funnel,
on descending, collects the oil floating within the circle which it comprises,
and brings it together, in order that it may be removed from the water, from
which it is already separated by means of the difference in their specific
gravities, and passed through the valve c, on its being lifted off its seat by its
weighted spindle coming in contact with the cross bar j. Any steam or vapour
enclosed within the funnel escapes through the pipes 7, 1, and as soon as the
pipe d, d, ascends, the valve c closes, and retains the oil above it, which is then
passed through the stationary bucket containing valve g, and carried up to
pipe e, e, from whence it is forced into the steam pipe (which leads to the
working cylinder) to perform the operation of lubrication. I prefer fixing this
apparatus on the boiler, so as to be as remote from the fire as convenient. In
condensing engines I pass the water and oil into the boiler immediately from
the air pump. In high-pressure engines I take the water and oil from the
upper part of a vessel, similar to the first separator described in the Specifica-

page_text: tion of my first Patent aforesaid, into which vessel they are deposited on
quitting the working cylinder, in the manner therein also described. In the
latter description of engines I make use, as already stated, of a small addi-
tional boiler for the recovery of the lubricating matter that passes away from
the engine in commixture with the water. The steam generated from the
evaporation of the water in such small boiler may be applied to assist in
the working of the engine, and the lubricating matter is to be drawn from
the surface of the water within such small boiler, in the same manner that
has been described as being done with the lubricating matter in the boilers of
low-pressure engines. This small additional boiler may be heated by the same
fire which is applied to the principal boiler, for the heat, after having left such
principal boiler, may be applied to such small additional boiler on its passage
to the chimney, or the small boiler may be heated by a separate fire.
My improved method of condensing the steam of such engines as are worked
by a vacuum, produced by condensation, consists of improvements upon my
method of condensation, described in the Specification of my aforesaid Patent
of the Twenty-second day of December, One thousand eight hundred and
thirty-one. It consists, first, in putting small tubes into the caps on the ends
of the refrigerating pipes, such tubes being bent upwards, so that they may
keep the water more effectually within the pipes, especially in engines aboard
steam vessels, where they are frequently in a state of agitation. These tubes
are shewn by letters m, m, m, in the accompanying Drawings of the refrige-
rating pipes, which are similar to those described in the Specification of my
first Patent aforesaid. Secondly, in having divisions within the cistern con-
taining the refrigerating pipes to cause the cold water to pass upwards and
downwards in its passage from one end of the cistern to the other, instead of
traversing the cistern uninterruptedly. These divisions must be placed across
the cistern, the refrigerating pipes passing through them. The plates which
form these divisions are marked n, n, n, and the arrows shew the direction
the water takes in passing from one end of the cistern to the other. I some-
times, however, place the division plates longitudinally in the cistern, instead
of crossways, as shewn by letters 0, 0, 0, to cause the water to pass in several
separate streams along the cistern. I may here observe, that I find it the
best to let the cold water enter the cistern at the top of the end thereof which is
nearest to the air pump, and escape at the bottom of the other end next to the
working cylinder. Thirdly, in order to cause the steam, as it leaves the working
cylinder, to enter more uniformly and unchecked into the refrigerating pipes,
and to be the better and more regularly condensed, I cause the water con-
tained in them to quit them, and enter the air pump more uniformly, by

page_text: applying any proper means to open the foot valve thereof, instead of leaving
it to be opened, as in the usual way, by the pressure of the water or the
elastic fluids against such valve on their way from the condenser to the air
pump. One means of doing it I have described in the Drawing as follows:-
g is an air-pump foot valve, which, when closed, rests on a seating formed on
the end of pipe p, which pipe is attached to and leads from the chamber at
the ends of the refrigerating pipes most distant from the working cylinder, and
connects it with the air pump. This foot valve is to be lifted by a spindle,
on which it is fixed, which passes outwards through the side of the pipe
attached to the bottom of the air pump by means of a stuffing box in which
it works. r is a lever, shewn by dotted lines, fixed on the spindle; s is a rod
connecting lever r with another lever t, which has a joint at one end on which
it works, and the other end is lifted by a spring u attached to the air-pump
piston rod during the ascent thereof. This lever drops down again as soon as
the spring has passed it, and it will be evident that lever t, being connected
with lever r, will lift the foot valve the moment the air-pump piston begins
to ascend, and allow it to drop again upon its seat before the piston begins to
ascend, and on the descent of the piston rod, the spring u will pass by and
come underneath the end of lever t, and be ready to lift it again in the manner
already described.
My method of condensation, applicable to other useful purposes besides that
of working steam engines, consists in the application of the apparatus I have
described in the Specification of my Patent of the Twenty-second day of
December, One thousand eight hundred and thirty-one, either in conjunction
with my present improvements thereon, or separately and without them, to
the following other useful purposes, videlicet, to the condensing part of the
processes (whether in vacuo or otherwise) used in the distillation of water
or other fluids, and of spirituous or other liquors, as well as in the boiling of
sugar, and the purification of saline or impure waters. It may be here observed,
by this mode of condensation without injection the process of distallation of
spirituous liquors may be used to produce motive power, by causing the
vapour that arises in distillation to act upon a piston on its way to the con-
denser, precisely as the steam does in steam engines.
The particular parts herein specified, which constitute my present Inventions
and to which I lay claim,. I shall now mention, and distinguish as follows:-
First, as respects my improved method of lubrication. It consists, in the
effecting of the separation of the oil or other lubricating matter from the water
by the process of the distillation or evaporation, and the consequent more accu-

page_text: rate separation of the water from the lubricating matter than by the method
described in the Specification of my aforesaid Patent of the Twenty-second
day of December, One thousand eight hundred and thirty-one; and by the
above-mentioned use of the boilers, whereby the separating vessels, described
in the Specification of my aforesaid Patent, may be dispensed with, and in
taking the oil for the purpose of lubrication from the surface of the water
within the boilers, even when in a state of agitation caused by ebullition,
whether the oil be separated and taken away by the apparatus I have described,
or by any other suitable means.
Secondly, as respects my improved method of condensation. It consists,
first, in keeping the water or other fluid, resulting from the condensation of
steam or vapour, more effectually within the refrigerating pipes by tubes
inserted in the caps at the ends thereof, as already described, or by any other
suitable means; secondly, in effecting a more uniform passage of the cold
water among the refrigerating pipes from one end of the cistern to the other
by means of plates properly disposed for that purpose; and, thirdly, in opening
the foot valve of the air pump, when applied to my improved apparatus, by any
suitable means, so as not to require such a pressure of water or other fluid or
vapour against it as is requisite to open it, whereby the vacuum may not be so
good on the one side of the valve as on the other; whereas, by the opening of
the valve in the way I have described, or in any other proper manner, the
vacuum may be more uniformly the same on each side of the valve.
Thirdly, as relates to my claim to the other useful purposes to which my
method of condensation is applicable. It consists in the application of my
apparatus for and method of condensation, described in this Specification, as
well as those described and limited in the Specification of my aforesaid Patent
of the Twenty-second day of December, One thousand eight hundred and
thirty-one, whether used seperately or together in aid of the processes of distal-
lation, evaporation, and dessication of all matters to which they are applicable,
and whether those processes are performed in vacuo or otherwise, and whether
the processes of the distillation of spirituous or other liquors be applied to
produce motive power, as well as to obtain the respective products of
distillation.
hand
In witness whereof, I, the said Samuel Hall, have hereunto set my
and seal, this Sixth day of July, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and thirty-three.
SAMUEL (L.S.) HALL..

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Sixth day of July, in the year
of our Lord 1833, the aforesaid Samuel Hall came before our said Lord the
King in His Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification aforesaid, and
all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form above written.
And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the tenor of the
Statute made for that purpose.
Inrolled the Ninth day of July, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and thirty-three.