IMPROVEMENTS STEAM ENGINES AND BOILERS
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Martin Rowan, of Glasgow, in the County of
Lanark, Engineer, and Thomas Rogers Horton, of Birmingham, in the
County of Warwick; Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
STEAM ENGINES AND BOILERS,"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Martin Rowan and
Thomas Rogers Horton at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 19th April 1858.
We, JOHN MARTIN ROWAN, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, Engineer,
and THOMAS ROGERS HORTON, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN STEAM ENGINES AND BOILERS," to be as follows:-
Our Invention of improvements in steam engines and boilers relates to
a novel construction and arrangement of the several parts composing the
boiler, condenser, and engine, the objects of our improvements being to produce
a motive power engine which will economize space and fuel, and will admit of
considerably increasing the power of the engine and capacity of the boiler
without danger of explosion, and which advantages render the engine par-
ticularly applicable for marine purposes.
The first improvement relates to the boiler, and consists in constructing it
in a series of compartments, provided with tubes or tubular flues.passing

page_text: through them; these compartments are heated both externally and internally
by the heated gases and vapors given off from the furnace.
The tubular flues are so arranged that.the heated gases are made to pass
up one set and down another.
The compartments are formed by dividing the boiler into spaces of any
convenient size and form, by means of narrow hollow partitions, to the interior
of which the heated vapors or gases are admitted. These compartments may
be arranged round a space, which. will form. the furnace or fireplace, the
bottom thereof being formed by the fire bars.
be
This idea of internal and external heating surfaces may be carried out in a
variety of ways, all based on the same principle; for instance, sets of tubes may
be arranged concentrically one with another, so as to leave spaces between
them to form alternately water and air spaces. These sets of tubes: may
arranged round the furnace and form a multitubular boiler, or concentric or
other sets of tubes may be enclosed in, cases, which may also form water spaces,
that can be.heated externally by the fire as well as internally by the concentric
or other tubes. By these means, steam boilers or generators of immense
strength and greatly increased evaporating power may be produced without
risk of explosion, or the liability of any danger or considerable damage to
the boiler or attendants being occasioned, should any such accident take place.
Steam at a very much higher pressure than usual may therefore be safely
employed for marine engines, and considerable economy of weight and fuel
may therefore be effected. With this construction of boiler, we find it
advantageous to employ a novel construction of condenser with the engine, so
that the steam employed to actuate the,engine may be quickly condensed and
returned in the form of distilled water to the boiler, to be again converted into
steam. In order that the boiler.may be kept, clean and prevented from
fouling, it is necessary that pure water should be employed in it, and. in order
to prevent the necessity of constantly employing,a separate apparatus to con-
vert salt water into fresh,. we find it. necessary to make the. condenser so
effective, that it will condense the steam that passes into it from the eduction
passages of the cylinders as fast as it enters, so that the supply of water to the
boiler may be constant. Of course some allowance must be made for leakage,
and an additional supply of fresh water, obtained either from a fresh water tank
or from. a small auxiliary distilling apparatus, may be pumped into the boiler, or
if the voyage, is not of long duration, this leakage. may, without, much incon-
venience, be compensated for by supplying the requisite quantity of salt water,
provided the quantity of salt water so supplied be not great enough to increase
the density of the water in the boiler to an injurious extent.

page_text: of
The peculiar construction or arrangement of condenser which we propose to
employ in conjunction with our improved boiler consists of a considerable
number of vertical tubes enclosed within a vessel of any convenient size, and
suitable form, say, cylindrical, a vacant space being left in the central part
the vessel; these tubes are made to communicate at top and bottom with
shallow spaces, into the top one of which the steam to be condensed is
admitted. The space between the vertical condensing tubes is filled with cold
water or air, or with cold water and air combined; and an agitating apparatus,
consisting of a shaft provided with vanes or arms or other analogous con-
trivances, is mounted vertically in the vacant central space of the condenser,
and is kept in constant motion by means of any suitable gearing connected
with the engine. By this means the water or air contained in the condensing
vessel, or the two combined, are kept constantly agitated and in circulation, so
that the whole body of water or air will be of one uniform temperature
throughout. Of course, as the water or condensing medium or fluid becomes
heated by abstracting caloric from the steam, a continuous flow through the
vessel must be maintained, so as to keep the condensing pipes cool.
The object to be attained by the action of the central agitating apparatus is
to keep the water of the condenser in constant agitation, and this object may
be effected in a variety of ways, all of which will effect the same result. For
instance, the water may be kept in a state of constant agitation or motion by
pumping in air at the bottom, and causing it to pass through a perforated
plate, so as to rise through the water in the form of small bubbles. This will
not only keep the water in circulation, so as to render the temperature thereof
uniform throughout, but by its constant motion will prevent any deposit on or
furring of the tubes of the condenser.
The last improvement relates to the construction or arrangement of the
engine, and consists in combining a high-pressure cylinder with two low-
pressure cylinders, and connecting the piston rods of all three to the same
cross head, so that the pistons of all the cylinders have the same stroke, and
work simultaneously and in the same direction. High-pressure steam .is
supplied to the middle or high-pressure cylinder, and after exerting a certain
portion of its elastic force on the piston of this cylinder, it is conducted
through suitable valves to the opposite sides of the pistons of the low-pressure
cylinders in which it works expansively, and moves these pistons back in the
opposite direction.

page_text: SPECIFICATION filed in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
and of an Order of the Lord Chancellor, by the said John Martin Rowan
and Thomas Rogers Horton in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
19th November 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS "SHALL COME, we, JOHN
MARTIN ROWAN, of Atlas Works, Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, Engineer,
and THOMAS' ROGERS HORTON, of Tennant Street, Birmingham, in the County
of Warwick, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, 'by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of April,' in' the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, 'in' the twenty-first year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the
said John Martin Rowan and Thomas Rogers Horton, Her spécial license
that we, the said John 'Martin Rowan 'and' Thomas Rogers Hortou, our
executors, administrators,"
, and assigns, or such others as we, the said John
Martin Rowan and Thomas Rogers' Horton, 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, air Inven
tion for IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES AND BOILERS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that we, the said 'John Martin Rowan and Thomas Rogers
Horton, by an instrument in writing under our Halids and seals, or tinder the
hand and seal of one of us, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be per-
formed, 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 'Thomas Rogers' Horton, on behalf of
myself and of the said 'John Martin' Rowan, do'Hereby declare the nature of
our 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 Drawings hereunto annexed,' and to the letters and
figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
Our Invention of "Improvements in Steam Engines and Boilers "relates
to a novel construction and arrangement of the several parts composing the
boiler, the condenser, and the engine. The object of our several improvements
is to produce a motive-power engine which will economize space and fuel,

page_text: and will admit of considerably increasing the power of the engine and
capacity of the boiler without danger of explosion, and which advantages
render the engine particularly applicable for marine purposes.
The first improvement relates to the boiler, and consists in constructing it
in a series of compartments which constitute' the main water space, and are*
provided with tubes or tubular flues that pass through them. These compart-
ments are heated both externally and internally, by the heated gases and
vapours given off from the furnace, and the tubular flues are so arranged that
heated gases are made to pass in a serpentine direction up or along one
set of flues, and back through another set. The compartments are formed by
dividing the boiler into spaces of any convenient size and form, by means of
pairs of leaves or plates. These plates are slotted in the direction of the
tubular flues, and other plates at right angles to these are employed to sub-
divide the compartments, and form flues between them. Through these flues
the heated vapours or gases are admitted so as to heat the subdivided com-
partments externally, the internal heating thereof being effected by means of
the short transverse flues or tubes. These compartments may be arranged
round a space which will form the furnace or fire-piace, the bottom thereof
being formed by the fire bars.
The mode of constructing the compartments and arranging the short flue
is shewn in Sheet I. of the accompanying Drawings, at Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4
in which Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a pair of boilers, one of which is shewn
with the casing on, and the other or right-hand boiler with the casing off, so
that the internal parts may be more clearly seen; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the
same, one of the boilers being shown with the top casing on, and the other
with the top casing and steam chests off; Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation taken
in the line of Fig. 4. In this elevation the two end parts are shewn in
section, while the middle portion is'in elevation. Fig. 4 is a horizontal section
taken at two different levels indicated by the letters A, B, and C, D, in Figures
1 and 3. The right-hand section at Fig. 4 is taken in the 'line A, B, Fig. 1.
Just above the fire bars a, a, a,are the pairs of longitudinal plates forming the
main compartments, and a*, a*, a*, are hollow partitions for subdividing the
main compartiments; b; b, b, are tubes contained in the subdivided compart-
ments c, c, c; and forming the internal flues for heating these compartments;
d, d, are the fire bars; e is the fire-door; and f, the ash-pit door.
In constructing our improved boilers, as shewn in Sheet 1., we find it con-
venient and preferable to construct it in separate portions; which are first
made, caulked, and proved, and then joined together, so as to form a complete
boiler. The portions which are made separate we denominate "leaves," and

page_text: each of these leaves contains eight compartments, as seen best in Fig. 4.
These leaves marked 1, 1, 2, 2, 3, 3, 4, 4, 5, 5, extend across the boiler, and
they are made of a depth to suit the space they are intended to occupy, those
immediately over the fire-place being shortened to allow for the formation of
the fire-place beneath them. When the required number of these leaves bas
been made, and they have all been proved, they are assembled together, and
joined by means of the horizontal connecting chambers 9, 9, g*, g*, to which
they are rivetted at top and bottom, openings being made in the end plates a¹,
to form a communication between each of the leaves and the connecting
chambers in the respective boilers. The lower chambers g, g, form water
spaces, and the upper chambers g*, g*, steam spaces, as will be well under-
stood. The steam spaces g*, 9*, communicate by short branch tubes g², with
the horizontal steam chests h, h, and these again are connected to a vertical
steam chest h³, from which the steam is conducted to the engine to be driven.
When using two boilers, as shewn in the Drawing, a coupling pipe h2 is
employed, for conducting away the steam from either or both of the boilers,
as required. In order that the heated gases given off from the fuel in the
furnace may circulate in a serpentine direction, the flues contained within the
space circumscribed by the dotted lines in Fig. 2 are covered in by a curved
plate i, which forms a heated air chamber. By this means the gases of com-
bustion which circulate around the leaves and up the tubes 6 of the compart-
ments immediately above the fire-bars, enter the air chamber i, and finding
no other vent pass down the tubes 1, and enter the air chamber below, in
connection with which are the tubes 6. The heated gases next pass up these
tubes, and circulate around the horizontal and vertical steam chests, and finally
escape into the chimney flue. Or the heat thus given off may be utilized, by
being caused to pass through a system of tubes grouped as shewn in sectional
elevation and plan at Figures 5 and 6, in Sheet I., and constituting a portion
of a salt water evaporating apparatus. The idea of internal and external
heating surfaces for generating steam in steam boilers, as above explained,
may be carried out in a variety of ways, all based on the same principle; for
instance, sets of tubes may be arranged either concentrically, one within
another, as shewn at Figures 7 in Sheet III., or in sets of small tubes within
one large one, as shewn at Figures 8 and 9, so as to leave spaces between the
tubes to form alternately water and air spaces. These sets of tubes may be
arranged round the furnace, and form a multitubular boiler, or concentric or
other sets of tubes may be enclosed in cases, which may also form water
spaces that can be heated externally by the fire, as well as internally by the
concentric or other tubes. In the above description we have assumed that

page_text: the leaves or compartments of the boiler are to be set vertically, and this will
be the plan that we shall generally adopt, but in some cases the horizontal
arrangement.may be preferred...
Sheet II. shews in, several. views the way in which. we propose to carry out
this arrangement for a marine or stationary boiler, and by slight modifications
it may also be applied for locomotive engines. In this Sheet of Drawings,
Fig.1 is a sectional elevation of a pair of boilers; the left-hand boiler shewing
the casing on, but the doors removed, which close in the smoke box, and the
right-hand boiler being a section,in, the line E, F, of Fig. 2; Fig. 2 shews the
pair of boilers.in plan view, the right hand, boiler having the top casing and
steam. chests removed; Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical section of one of the
boilers taken in, the line, G, H, of Fig. 1; and Fig. 4. is a sectional plan, taken
in the.lines C, D, and A, B, of Fig. 1., As the same letters, of reference used
in these Figures refer to like parts in Sheet I., no further description of the
construction of the boilers will be required; but it may be remarked, that the
gases, of combustion first, circulate, around the subdivisions of the leaves, and
then pass into a hot air,flue at the end of the boiler. In this flue (see Fig. 3),
there is a division plate d, which directs the gases downwards, and having
passed: this plate they enter the internal tubes which communicate, with the
end.flue, and passing through these tubes the gases enter the smoke, box with
which their other. ends.are in, communication. The gases then,circulate as
before around the steam chests,, and make their final exit at the chimney.
By the means above described, steam boilers or generators of immense
strength and greatly increased evaporating power may be produced,not liable
to explode from an undue.pressure of steam, or supposing such an accident to
take place, capable of preventing any,considerable damage either to the boiler
or attendants; occurring.
In Sheet III. of the. Drawings, we have shewn our novel construction of
condenser, Fig. 1 being a sectional elevation taken through the centre of the
condenser; and Fig. 2 a plan, portions of the case being removed. to shew the
internal construction. The condenser is also shewn in connection with the
engine in Sheet IV., at Fig. 1. In order that our improved, boiler may be
kept clean and perfectly efficient,, we find it desirable to employ pure, water
therein.; and,to prevent the necessity (when the boiler.is. used for marine
service) of constantly employing a separate apparatus to, convert, salt water
into fresh, we prefer to render the condenserso effective that it will condense
the steam that passes into it from the eduction,passages of the cylinders as fast
as it enters, so that the supply of water to the boiler may be constant.. Of
course some allowance must be made for leakage,and an additional supply of

page_text: fresh water must be obtained, either from a fresh water tank or from a small
auxiliary distilling apparatus, and may be pumped into the boiler, or if the
voyage is not of long duration, this leakage may, without much inconvenience,
becompensated for by supplying the requisite quantity of salt water, provided
the quantity of salt water so supplied be not great enough to increase the
density of the water in the boiler to an injurious extent.
Our improved condenser consists of a series of groups of vertical tubes a,a,
enclosed within a cylindrical or other suitably formed case b, b. These tubes
are so arranged as to leave a vacant space in the central part of the vessel for
the reception of an agitator c. The tubes a are made to communicate both
at top and bottom with a star-shaped chamber d, d'. Into the top chamber d
the steam to be condensed is admitted after it has passed through an inclined
wire gauze screen d*, which separates all extraneous matters therefrom.
The steam then passes downwards through the tubes, whence it flows in a
condensed form into the chamber d¹ below, and thence by an annular passage
d² it escapes to the air pump. The space between the vertical condensing
tubes is filled with cold water through the passage e, supplied by a force
pump, and in addition to the water air may be combined therewith by a
stream being forced into the case at the opening e¹, as by the addition of
air a more equable temperature than could otherwise be ensured is main-
tained in the cooling water. The agitating apparatus c, consisting of a shaft
provided with vanes or arms or other analogous contrivances, is shewn in the
detached views, Fig. 3 and 3*. It is mounted vertically in the central
space of the condenser, and receives a constant axial motion by means of
gearing connected with the engine. By this means the water contained in
the condensing vessel is kept constantly agitated and in circulation, so that
the whole body of water will be of one uniform temperature throughout. As
the water or condensing medium becomes heated by abstracting caloric from
the steam, a continuous flow through the vessel must be maintained, so as
to keep the condensing tubes cool. When injecting air into the condensing
water, we cause the air to pass through a perforated plate e³, so as to rise
through the water in the form of small bubbles. This will not ouly keep the
water in circulation, so as to render the temperature thereof uniform through-
out, but by its constant motion will prevent any deposit on or furring of the
tubes of the condenser. To provide for the deficiency of water returned to
the boiler from the condenser, we sometimes make use of the auxiliary dis-
tilling apparatus shewn in sectional elevation and plan view at Figures 2ª
and 3, Sheet IV. This apparatus consists of a system of refrigerating tubes
a, mounted in a case b, which is closed at its opposite ends by covers, which

page_text: form chambers c, c', into which the opposite ends of the tubes respectively
open. These chambers have openings d, d', for the admission and discharge
of the cooling water, and the case is also furnished with side openings e, el.
Steam from the engine and also from the evaporating apparatus described
with reference to Sheet I. (when that is used) enters this auxiliary apparatus
at the opening e, and circulating round the refrigerating tubes a (through
which a stream of cold feed water continually flows upwards) becomes con-
densed, and passes out at the passage el to the condenser. The water
.discharged from the condenser may be passed through the refrigerating tubes
a (Fig. 2) on its way to the boiler, and thus act as a condensing medium,
while at the same time its temperature is raised before it enters the boiler.
At Fig. 5, Sheet III., is shewn an improved method of forming the joints
of the tubes in the condenser; it consists in screwing down perforated metal
plates p, p, on to metal rings q, q, which press upon india-rubber or other
suitable packing, surrounding the ends of the tubes a, a, of the condenser,
and thereby produce a tight joint.
The third head of our Invention relates to the construction or arrangement
of the engine,and consists in combining a high-pressure cylinder with two low-
pressure cylinders, and connecting the piston rods of all three to the same
cross head, so that the pistons of all the cylinders have the same stroke, and
work simultaneously and in the same direction.
At Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, in Sheets III. and IV., are shewn various
views of a pair of engines constructed upon the principle above set forth. In
these Figures the steam cylinders are shewn inverted, and supported on
suitable standards. High-pressure steam is supplied to the middle or high-
pressure cylinder A of these engines, and after exerting a certain portion of
its elastic force on the piston of this cylinder, it is conducted through a suitable
valve to the opposite sides of the pistons of the low-pressure cylinders B, B,
in which it works expansively, and thereby moves these pistons back in the
opposite direction.
In Sheet III. other arrangements of engines are shewn, but constructed on
the same principle as that shewn at Sheet IV.; thus Fig. 4 shews one high
and two low-pressure cylinders combined as a side slide plate engine; Fig. 6
shews the same arrangement inverted; Fig. 10 shews the Invention as applied
o a harp engine, and Fig. 11 to a side rod engine; Fig. 12 shews an
scillating engine constructed on the like principle; and Figures 13 and 14
hew the mode of applying the Invention to trunk engines; the cylinders of..
he engine, Fig. 13, being bolted to the bed plate, and those of Fig. 14 being
nverted.

page_text: 1.
Having now set forth the nature of our Invention of "Improvements in
Steam Engines and Boilers," and explained the manner of carrying the same
into effect, we wish it to be understood that under the above in part recited
Letters Patent we claim,-
First, constructing steam boilors with water spaces formed of subdivided
leaves or compartments, having internal and external heating flues arranged
as described, whereby a circulation of the gases of combustion in a serpentine
direction is obtained, and an economy of fuel and increased security from the
danger of explosion are obtained.
-
Secondly, applying to the condensers of steam engines an agitating
apparatus in the manner and for the purpose above described.
And, thirdly, combining in the same engine a high-pressure with,tw.o.low-
pressure cylinders as above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Rogers Horton, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Thirteenth day of November, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.
THOMAS ROGERS HORTON. (L.S.)