IMPROVEMENTS IN COMPOUND SURFACE CONDENSING MARINE STEAM ENGINES
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Brownlee and David Rowan, both of Glasgow, in
the County of Lanark, North Britain, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN COMPOUND SURFACE CONDENSING MARINE STEAM ENGINES."
Sealed the 5th April 1878, and dated the 8th November 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Brownlee and David
Rowan at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 8th November
1877.
•
JAMES BROWNLEE and DAVID ROWAN, both of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark,
North Britain. "IMPROVEMENTS IN COMPOUND SURFACE CONDENSING MARINE
STEAM ENGINES."
This Invention has reference to certain improved arrangements connected with
marine steam engines of the compound surface condensing class, and which will
improve the working of these engines and save heat and fuel.
And the nature and novelty of the Invention consist all as follows :-First, in
making the surface condenser separate from the main framing, in a horizontal
cylindrical or rectangular form, with cast-in or screwed-on ends or plates bored and
fitted with the condensing or water-circulating tubes, otherwise in a usual manner..
This portable condenser, by one improved arrangement, is secured on brackets
projecting laterally from the side frames or standards, and placed preferably longitu-
dinally below the cylinders and above the air pump, to receive the exhaust steam
at the top from the outlet branch of the low-pressure cylinder led down to it, while
the condensed steam, or water and air are led off from the lower side of the con-
denser by a pipe to the inlet valve chest of the air pump below.
A further improvement consists in making a small special portable self-contained.
pumping high-pressure steam engine for working the air pump, circulating conden-
sing sea-water pump, and boiler feed, and bilge pumps, for and instead of doing so.
by the large or main engines, the exhaust steam of this high-pressure engine being,
made to heat the feed water in its passage from the hot well of the air pump to the
inlet valve chest of the feed pump, to near the boiling temperature, before feeding it
Das C21

page_text: into the boiler, thus utilizing nearly all the heat of the steam used to work this
special pumping and feed-water heating steam engine.
One improved construction and arrangement of this special high-pressure steam
engine for working the pumps of compressed surface condensing marine engines,
consists in erecting the whole on one horizontal bed plate or frame, ranged and
secured longitudinally to the floor plates and frames of the main engines, and close
to these on the same side as and below the self-contained surface condenser, the
steam cylinder being secured to the end of the sole plate next the steam boiler
while the crank shaft is carried in bush bearing blocks at the other end, with a solid
crank in the centre, from which the connecting rod is led back to the cross head of
the cylinder piston rod, the crank and connecting rod working in an open space left
for them between the barrels of the air pump and circulating pump secured to the
sole plate, with their back ends nearly close up to the bearing blocks of the crank
shaft; and both pumps are made double-acting, with inlet and discharge valve
chests for each end, and their rods work out through stuffing boxes on the front end
corners, directly connected to a long cross head working on slides and guides,
secured to the sole plate on each side between the steam cylinder and the air and
circulating pumps, the feed and bilge pump alongside the steam cylinder being
worked also by rods of their own direct from the cross head, all in the same
horizontal plane with the axes of the cylinder pumps and crank shaft. The con-
densed water discharge chamber or vessel for receiving and containing the condensed
steam or water from the surface condenser through the opposite discharge end
chambers of the air pump is preferably erected vertically over the air and circu-
lating pumps, with a pipe at top for allowing the escape of all air or vapour from
this chamber, which has also a perforated or rose branch formed or fitted over a new
heating vertical chamber and hot well formed or fitted below it, and through which
the water falls in a shower, so as to be heated by the exhaust steam from the
cylinder of the pumping engine admitted from an exhaust steam chamber through
perforations in the side of the heating chamber. The condensed water thus falling
through the exhaust steam is raised in temperature or superheated to near the
boiling temperature by the time it reaches the bottom of the heater, from which it
is directly drawn by the feed pump and fed into the boiler at quite 100° higher
than by the usual means of feeding from the condenser or its discharge hot well
direct, thus saving and returning about 10 per cent. of the heat in all the steam
used in the engines by this simple improvement alone.
The circulating pump is fitted with a vertical discharge pipe or vessell above it,
and which is in direct communication below with the discharge valve chest from
both ends of the pump, and by a pipe some distance from the top, with the inlet
branch of the refrigerating tubes of the condenser passing through the one half or
section of these to the one end, and back through the others out through the dis-
charge branch and pipe to the sea as usual. This separate or portable high-pressure
feed water heating engine for working the air and circulating pumps of the large
engines has the additional advantage of the vacuum, being always present in the
condenser ready for starting or "handing" the large engines, whether they may
have been standing or not, thus giving a more certain, steady, and immediate action.
And the size and speed of this improved pumping engine can be more easily made
to suit that required for the steady working of water pumps than is possible by the
main engines without complication of mechanism, and the steam used in each
pumping engine proportioned to heat the average amount of feed water required for
the steam boilers.
It is to be understood that other constructions and arrangements than those
described of these improved separate or portable surface condensers and pumping
high-pressure steam engines for heating the feed water by their exhaust steam may
be adopted and used so long as they retain the main novel features and arrangements
which give the advantages stated.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said James Brownlee and David Rowan in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 7th May 1878.
JAMES BROWNLEE and DAVID ROWAN, both of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark,
North Britain. "IMPROVEMENTS IN COMPOUND SURFACE CONDENSING MARINE
STEAM ENGINES."
Our said Invention has reference to certain improved arrangements connected
with marine steam engines of the compound service condensing class, and which
will improve the working of these engines and save heat and fuel.
And the nature and novelty of this Invention consist essentially in the con-
struction, application, and use in these marine steam engines of a small separate
high-pressure steam engine for working their air pump and circulating condensing
water pump, and it might be their feed water and other pumps, all direct and
portable, secured on a frame of its own adjacent to the main or propelling engines,
and with a heater for heating the feed water of the boiler by the exhaust steam of
the portable pumping engines.
And in order that the full nature and mode of performing or putting our In-
vention into effect or practice may be properly understood, we shall now proceed
to describe the several Figures on the two Sheets of Drawings which we have here-
unto appended for that purpose, the save reference letters indicating the same
or equivalent parts where shown.
Figures 1 and 2 on Sheet 1 are respectively a vertical side and end elevation,
and Figure 3 a half plan, all of a somewhat ordinary type of upright inverted compound
cylinder expansion surface condenser steam engine for the propulsion of a screw steam-
ship or vessel, in which a, b, are the high and low pressure steam cylinders, erected
on the top of two strong side standard frames c on the one side, and two strong
hollow or solid columns c¹ on the other side, secured by strong. flanges and screw
bolts at their base cll, to the top side of the strong open rectangular sole or bed
frame c², having the crank shaft & working in journal bush bearing blocks cast in
the ends of the frames ², longitudinally in a line below the centre of the main
piston rods a¹, b¹, of the cylinder a, b, directly coupled by their connecting rods a¹¹,
6, to the right angled cranks.d', d', of the crank shaft, working freely
within the open bed plate c2; but the valve gearing and some other well-known
parts are not shown, while the engine, as so far described, is much of a usual con-
struction; but is shown as fitted with an arrangement of our improved portable
detached surface condenser A; and our separate or special high-pressure steam
engine B, B¹, in this case, with one steam cylinder B for working the air and cir-
culating water pumps C, D, combined and portable on its own frame F, shown in
irregular sections Figures 1 and 2, taken near the lines 1-1 and 2-2, all
constructed in accordance with and illustrative of one modification and adaptation
of our said Invention. The cylinders a, b, of the main engines are formed without
the usual exhaust steam chamber casings round them, for being covered in with
ordinary non-conducting lagging, and with a separate or detached exhaust steam.
chest f, connected by end branch pipes at f¹ and f", between the exhaust steam*
chamber of the high-pressure cylinder a and the inlet steam valve chest of the large,
condensing cylinder b. This chest is preferably made cylindrical, with an outer
steam heating jacket all round the outside of its inner shell f2, which is well fitted
from end to end with a spiral row of cross heating tubes fi, opening at their ends
into the steam heating jacket, all so as to superheat the body of the exhaust steam
as it passes through the interior of the heating chamber f on its way to the con-
densing cylinder b, the casing f2 being supplied by steam direct from the boiler by a.
branch f³, and it would be fitted with the usual drawing-off condensed water tap
or trap arrangement.
Figures 4 and 5 on Sheet 2 show a side and end elevation of an inverted com-
pound cylinder inarine steam engine, with an ordinary form of surface condenser A*

page_text: cast in one with one set of the standards c; but having applied thereto a double
cylinder arrangement of our new or improved portable combined steam engine and
air and circulating pumps B, C, D, E, F, shown in section in these Figures 4 and 5,
and in plan detached in Figure 6, somewhat different from that shown in Figures 1
to 2 on Sheet 1.
Referring to Figures 1, 2, and 3 on Sheet 1 our improvements consist in making
the surface condenser portable and self-contained in one case or piece A, separate
from the framing of the main engine, and preferably in a horizontal cylindrical
case A, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, or it might be in a rectangular form, with
enst-in or screwed-on end or tube plates A¹, bored and fitted with any of the usual
fluid-tight and packing rings, and condensing or water circulating tubes A", and
screwed-on outer end covers A, with circulating water chambers A", between
these covers and the ends of the tubes A", with a division plate A² in one of them
for reversing the circulation through the lower half of the tubes A¹¹, and back
through the upper half of them from the entering branch As to the outlet branch A*,
thence to the sea as usual.
In the application of this portable condenser A to upright inverted cylinder
engines it is preferred to be screwed on brackets c¹¹, projecting laterally from the
side frames or standards c, and placed preferably longitudinally below the cylin-
ders a, b, and above the air pump C of this new or improved arrangement of
portable engine and pumps combined, to receive the exhaust steam from the outlet
branch 62 of the low-pressure cylinder b, led down through the pipe 6s to the central
top part of the cylinder A, while the condensed steam or water and air are led off
from the lower side of the condenser A by the central pipe 6111 to the inlet valve
chest C¹ of the air pump C below.
The essential or inain improvement of our Invention consists in making a small
special portable self-contained pumping high-pressure steam engine B, B', with and
for working the air pump C, circulating condensing sea-water pump D, and boiler
feed and bilge pumps E, F, on a portable sole plate or frame F of their own (all for
and instead of working these pumps by the large or main engines as heretofore), the
exhaust steam of the high-pressure engine cylinder B being made to heat the feed
water to near the boiling temperature in its passage from the hot well C (cast in
one with the discharge chest D¹ of the circulating pump D, and secured over the
discharge valve chambers of both pumps) through the new heating chamber C2,
from which the pipes e receive and lead the hot feed water into the valve chest c¹
of the feed pump E before feeding it into the boiler; thus utilizing nearly all the
heat of the steam used to work this special seperate pumping engine, with its feed
water heating arrangements.
The arrangement of the parts of our new or improved special high-pressure steam
engine B, C, D, E, F, as shown in Figures 1, 2, and 3, for working the pumps and
heating the feed water of compound surface condensing marine engine, consists in
erecting the whole on one horizontal bed plate or frame F of its own, ranged and
secured longitudinally to the floor plates and frames of the main engine room, and
close to the engine a, b, c, on the same side as, and below the portable self-contained
or ordinary surface condenser A, or A*, as seen in the Figures on Sheets 1 and 2
respectively.
The steam cylinder B is secured to the end of the sole plate F next the
steam boiler, while the crank shaft B¹, with a fly wheel on its inner end, is
carried in bush bearing pillow blocks at the other end, and actuated by a solid
crank B in the centre, and a connecting rod B2 coupled and led back to it
from the piston rod cross head B of the cylinder B; the crank B" and con-
necting rod B2 working in an open clearance or space left for them between
the barrels of the air pump C and circulating pump D, in this case shown cast
in one piece, and screwed down to the sole plate F with their back ends nearly
close up to the bearing blocks of the crank shaft B¹. Both pumps C, D, are
made double acting, with inlet and discharge valve chests C¹, C, and D¹, D", and
india-rubber disc or lift valves for each end; and their piston rods C* and D*, work

page_text: out through stuffing boxes on the front end covers directly connected to a long
cross head B, with "slipper" or other slides G working in guides G¹ secured to the
sole plate F, below or on each side of the connecting rod B2, between the steam
cylinder B and the air and circulating pumps C, D; the feed and bilge pump E, E¹,
being formed or secured along the side of the steam cylinder B, and also worked by
rods Ex of their own, direct from the cross head B, all having their horizontal
centre axes in the same horizontal plane with that of the cylinder B and its crank
shaft B'. The hot well or discharge chamber C1 (for receiving and containing the
condensed steam or water from the surface condenser through the opposite discharge
end valve chamber C of the air pump) is here shown as cast in one with the dis-
charge chamber D¹ of the circulating pump D, and preferably erected vertically
directly over the discharge valve chambers of these pumps, the ordinary discharge
pipe C to the ship's side being fitted at the top for allowing the escape of all air
or vapour therefrom.
The new feed water heating chamber C³, before mentioned is formed on the
opposite side of the chest to the hot well C, and is fitted with a perforated
cover or rose Cover it, leading from a lateral branch formed over it and the hot
well C, and from and through which the feed water falls in a shower, so as to
be superheated by the exhaust steam led up through it, admitted by the pipes g
from the exhaust steam chamber of the cylinder B of the pumping engine into the
steam chest g' between the hot well and heating chamber through perforations gll
in the side of this and the heating chamber C. Thus the condensed water by
falling through the exhaust steam is raised in temperature, or superheated by it
to near the boiling temperature by the time it reaches the bottom of the heater C²,
from which it is directly drawn by the pipes e and feed pump E, and fed into
the boiler at quite 100° higher than by the usual means of feeding from the con-
denser A, or its discharge hot well C1, C1, direct, thus saving and returning a
large per-centage of the heat in all the steam used in the engines by this single im-
provement alone.
The circulating pump D is fitted with the vertical discharge vessel D¹¹¹ above it,
and which is in direct communication below with the discharge valve chest D" from
both ends of the pump, and by the pipe D³ some distance from the top, with the
inlet branch A³ of the condenser A, passing through the one half or section of these
to the end, and back through the others, as herein-before described, and out through
the discharge branch A* and pipe to the sea as usual.
Referring to Figures 4, 5, and 6, on Sheet 2, the new or improved portable
pumping and exhaust steam feed-water heating engine B, C, D, E, F, is also of the
horizontal direct-acting class, with the two steam cylinders B, B, bolted down at
the one end of the frame F, with the feed pumps E, E, fitted on their adjacent
sides, and the bilge pumps E¹, E¹, on their outer sides, with a piston cross head B¹¹¹
to each cylinder directly connected to the rods Ex of its pumps E, E¹, respectively.
The air pump C and circulating pump D, with their inlet and discharge valve
chambers C, C, and D¹, D", are cast separate and bolted down to the other
end of the sole plate F, and screwed together by flanges d² above and below, with a
recess between them at 2, within which the fly wheel B4 of the crank shaft B'
works, carried in this case in pillow blocks B³, projecting up from the frame F in
front of the pumps C, D, and having overhung cranks B on it in line with and
directly coupled by their connecting rods B2 to the cross heads B111 of each engine,
by forked ends on each side of the piston rod B*, and fitted with slipper or other
guides G, G¹, below, as in Figures 1 and 2. The pistons of the air pump C and
circulating pump D in this case are each worked by two rods C*, D*, from and
in the same horizontal plane as their respective cross heads B, but set or ranged
on each side of the cranks B, and connecting rods B2, the crank shaft B¹ being
kept low enough in its bearings to clear the rods C*, D*. The hot well C111 is
cast in one with the heating chamber C2, and separate from the discharge well D¹11
of the circulating pump, both secured on the top of their discharge valve chambers
C, D, all so that in this case the exhaust steam from both cylinders B is led by:

page_text: the double branch and single exhaust pipe g; g; direct into the upper part of the
heating chamber C, so as to heat the shower of water falling through its
perforated top C₁ from the upper lateral branch C³ of the hot well C, and
from the bottom of which a single pipe with double branch e; e, leads the bot
water to the valve chests e¹ of the injection pumps E:
The condensed steam or water is led from the bottom of the surface con=
denser A in this case by an end pocket and branch 64 direct into the end
branch 6 of the inlet valve chamber C¹ of the air pump C; and a small cham-
ber C³ is partitioned off from the lower part of the hot well C and heating
chamber C above the discharge valve chamber C" as an air vessel; while the
upper part of the discharge vessel D¹l of the circulating pump acts as an air
vessel therefor, the water being discharged below this level by a branch and
pipe D³ into and through the circulating tubes of the surface condenser; the
arrows in the several chambers and pipes respectively indicating the flow of
the steam and water through them. The exhaust pipe g from the pumping
engine is preferably fitted with a reversing cock or valve and branch g²; g³
leading into the vacuum chamber of the surface condenser A. or A*, so as to lead
the exhaust steam thereto when not used for heating the feed water of the niain
engines, a, b; c; as when the ship is in port, and these engines are not in action; and
when this portable pumping engine is only used for feeding the water into the
boilers, or for pumping the bilge water out of the ship, or drawing and forcing the
sea water by the circulating pump; or as a fire engine, for all which purposes it
would be most applicable as a special or separate general pumping engine on board
of steamships.
Although only horizontal arrangements of these new or improved portable
pumping engines for working the air and circulating or other pumps, and for heating
the feed water of marine surface condensing steam engines, have been herein
described and shown, it is to be understood that vertical or other arrangements or
types of these engines might be used, all substantially as and with nearly equiva-
lent advantages to those described. And although our new or improved portable
high-pressure steam and air-circulating pumping engines have only been shown and
described as applied to inverted cylinder compound surface condensing marine steam
engines, it is to be understood that they are equally applicable to other types or
arrangements of these engines, and also to those of the single cylinder expansive
class, whether used for screw or paddle propulsion. This separate or portable high-
pressure féed water heating engine for working the air and circulating pumps of
the large engines has the additional advantage of the vacuum being always present
in the condenser ready for starting or "handing" the large engines, whether they
may liave been standing or not, thus giving a more certain and immediate action.
And the size and speed of this improved pumping engine can be more easily made
to suit that required for the steady working of water pumps than is possible by
the main engines without complication of mechanism; and the steam used in each
pumping engine proportioned to heat the average amount of feed water required for
the steam boilers.
It is to be understood that other constructions and arrangements than those
described of these portable surface condensers and new or improved separate or
portable pumping high-pressure steam engines for heating the feed water by their
exhaust steam may be adopted and used, so long as they retain the main novel
features and arrangements which give the advantages herein described.
Having now described the nature of our said Invention and the manner of
performing the same, we have to state that we do not confine ourselves to the
precise details herein described or delineated, nor do we lay special claim to the
improved arrangement of portable surface condenser A; but what we consider novel
and original, and therefor claim as the Invention secured to us by the herein-
before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
First. The general arrangement or combination of surface condensing marine
steam engines with small portable high-pressure steam pumping engines, with single or

page_text: double cylinders for, working their air and circulating or other pumps, and super-
heating the feed water by the exhaust steam thereof, all substantially as herein
described in reference to, and shown in the accompanying Drawings, or any mere
modification thereof.
Second. The construction, application, and use of a small portable or separate
high-pressure steam engine for surface condensing marine steam engines to work.
their air and circulating water or other pumps, and heat the feed water for their
steam boilers, or act as a general pump or fire engine, all substantially as herein
described in reference to the accompanying Drawings, or any mere modification
thereof.
In witness whereof, we, the said James Brownlee and David Rowan, have
hereunto set our hands and seals, this Sixth day of May, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.
Witness,
W. R. M. THOMPSON,
Patent Agent,
Glasgow.
JAMES BROWNLEE.
DAVID ROWAN.
(L.S.)
(L.S.)