IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the "International
Patent Office," Southampton Buildings, London, Consulting
Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES."—A
communication from abroad by John Houpt, of Springtown,
Pennsylvania, United States of America.
Séaled the 25th November 1870, and dated the 10th October 1870.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said William Robert Lake
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition
and Declaration, on the 10th October 1870, pursuant to the 9th
Section of the Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ROBERT LAKE, of the "International Patent Office," Southampton
Buildings, London, Consulting Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS I am in possession of an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
STEAM ENGINES," and have petitioned Her Majesty to grant unto me, my.
executors, administrators, and assigns, Her Royal Letters Patent for the

page_text: same, and have made solemn Declaration that it has been communicated
to me from abroad by John Houpt, of Springtown, Pennsylvania, United
States of America.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Robert Lake, do hereby
declare that the following Complete Specification, under my hand and
seal, fully describes and ascertains the nature of the said Invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed, in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings forming
a part of this Specification.
66
Letters Patent dated the 20th day of April, A.D. 1870, No. 1152, have
been granted to me for an Invention communicated to me by the said
John Houpt, for Improvements in Condensers for Marine Steam
Engines," whereby the exhaust steam coming from the steam cylinder
at high pressure is divided into two portions, the first portion escaping
into a tertiary surface condenser, and affording fresh water for the
steam generator, and the second portion being condensed by a jet of
cold water for the production of the required vacuum before the
piston.
My present Invention relates to further improvements in the con-
struction, arrangement, and mode of operation of such engines, and 2
also to certain improvements in land or fresh water steam engines
working on the said steam dividing principle whereby not only a more
perfect vacuum will be produced before the piston, but the first dis-
charged portion of the steam of a high-pressure engine will be used
effectually for operating low-pressure engines connected therewith, 2
the object of the said Invention being the economization of fuel.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of a portion of a marine
steam engine embodying my present improvements. Figure 2 is a
modification of a part of the same. Figure 3 is a vertical longitudinal a
section of a portion of a high-pressure land or fresh water steam engine
embodying my improvements. Figures 4 and 5 are vertical longitudinal
sections of portions of three low-pressure engines detached from Figure 3
in order to better exhibit the same.
Referring to Figures 1 and 2, A is the steam cylinder of a marine 3
engine; a¹, its piston; a", a, its exhaust in communication with a
steam passage way; B, a jet condenser; C, an evaporating chamber D,

page_text: and the head or drum E of surface condensing cases e¹, e¹, e¹. In the
passage way B at a point near its junction with the two exhausts a¹¹, a¹¹
of the cylinder A, a valve chamber 6' is made in which a spindle
valve 6 is fitted to be opened upward and closed downward by a
positive motion derived through a connecting rod 6 from any suitable
moving part of the engine, so as to alternately open and close the said
passage way B at a point directly above the jet condenser C. The
condenser C is inclosed in a large case c' containing cold sea water
which is constantly being renewed by entering at a point near its bottom
and passing from side to side outward at a point near its top, as indicated
by the arrows. The condenser C has a pipe c' for the periodical discharge
of cold sea water from the surrounding case c° into the condenser in
copious jet sprays regulated by an adjustable stop cock c". The
condenser C has an air pump c¹¹ communicating with its lower end, and
operated in a positive manner by any suitable moving part of the engine
so as to periodically draw out and force overboard through a pipe c' the
air and the water of condensation therein. The upper end of the
condenser C communicates periodically with the passage way B at a
point directly below the valve 6", at which point there is a slide valve c³
operated positively by any suitable moving part of the engine in such a
manner as to be closed when the valve 6" opens, and to open suddenly
when the valve 6" closes; and so that when the exhaust valve of either
end of the steam cylinder A begins to open, then the valve 6" opens
and lets the first portion of the escaping high steam pass upward
through the way B towards the head E of the surface condenser, and
then closes, when immediately the valve c* opens and lets the remaining
or second portion of the steam coming from the cylinder A pass down
into the condenser C, which being surrounded by the cold water in cº is
immediately condensed thereby with the aid of the spray jet from c¹,
thus producing the required vacuum before the returning piston, which
latter having nearly completed its return the valve c³ closes, and the
air and the warm water of condensation are drawn out of the con-
denser C, and forced overboard through the pipe c', by the air pump c¹¹.
The evaporating chamber D is a capacious oval-shaped vessel supported
in a comparatively elevated position, and into this the steam passage
way B opens. The said chamber D has within it a bent pipe & which
has a series of very minute jet spray openings d", d", d", controllable
by a hand screw stem d¹¹, which is fitted with a stopper at its lower
end in such a manner that either one, two, or all of the said jet spray

page_text: openings may be stopped and opened at pleasure. This bent pipe d¹
communicates with the pipe c', and is fitted with a valve d*, which is
operated in a positive manner by any suitable moving part of the engine
to let warm water pass periodically from the said pipe into the
chamber D, the object being to produce an additional supply of fresh
water vapor by the evaporating effect of the high steam discharged into
the chamber D through the steam passage way B upon the spray
jets d", d, d", to compensate for the loss occasioned by the con-
densation of the steam in the jet condenser C. The lower end of this
chamber D is provided with a series of test cocks 6, 6, 6, by which the
height of the water therein may be readily ascertained, and also with an
evacuating pipe.7 which is fitted with a stop-cock 8, and opens into a
chamber 9 which communicates with a force pump F, whereby the
water in the said chamber D can be drawn off and forced overboard

page_text: as represented in Figure 2. This modification has the advantage also
of being much less costly of construction.
To the surface condensing cases e¹, e³, described in the Specification
of my aforesaid former Patent, and also shown in Figure 1 of the present
Drawings, as connected with the head or drum E, I apply an air
pump H, which is so arranged and operated at a point between the
series of condensing cases e¹ and the reservoir I as to produce a
sufficient vacuum in the said cases to facilitate the escape of steam
through the steam passage way B into the said condensing cases without
causing any greater expenditure of power in working the said air
pump H than will be sufficient to produce the said partial vacuum, and
also without causing any overstraining of the sliding joints between the
tubes and their bottom plate of the several condensing cases.
In the operation of my present Invention it will be understood that as
there need be only a small remnant of the exhaust steam condensed in
the jet condenser C to produce the vacuum required the temperature
therein can be the more quickly reduced and to a lower degree, and
therefore a more sudden and better vacuum be produced and maintained
before the piston than heretofore. It will also be understood that as the
greater portion of the exhaust steam passes by the first puff onward and
into the surface condensing cases e¹, e¹, e¹, which are below the head or
drum E, only the small remnant condensed in the primary jet condenser C
has to be provided for in order to keep up the full supply of fresh water
for the usual steam generators, therefore the mode of producing this
deficiency by means of the evaporating chamber D, and the supple-
mentary boiler G, as represented in Figure 1, or by means of the boiler G
alone, as represented in the modification shown by Figure 2, will be
sufficient to produce more vapor than will be required. Furthermore,
although it is believed that the vapor produced by the action of the high
steam upon
the very minute spray jets d¹, d¹, d¹, of saline water from
the pipe c will be free from any of the saline water, still I prefer the
modification shown in Figure 2, first, because the vapor will not be
forced upward by the entrance of steam as in D, and consequently the
said vapor afforded by G will be more perfectly free from any salines
as it rises toward the outer valve g" at the top of the pipe g¹; and second,
because it is much less costly of construction.
by
The partial vacuum produced in the condensing cases e¹, e¹, e¹,
means of the air pump H below them will facilitate the passage of the

page_text: steam and vapor through the passage way B into the said condensing
cases by relieving the latter of at least a part of the contained air.
In view of the peculiar construction and mode of operation of my
herein-described improvements it will be evident that greater power will
be obtained from a given amount of fuel than heretofore.
My improvements relating to land or fresh water steam engines are
embodied in Figures 3, 4, and 5, and consist in the combination of a
plurality of low-pressure engines with the steam cylinder of a high-
pressure engine having my steam dividing self-clearing jet condenser and
a superheating receiver of exhaust steam between the same. These
engines are constructed and applied to operate in such a manner that
the portion of exhaust steam which passes at the first puff from the steam
cylinder of a high-pressure engine working at, say, sixty pounds to the
square inch, will enter and consequently expand in the said superheating
receiver to such a limited extent as to afford a reservoir of steam power
in the said receiver of, say, five pounds to the square inch for operating
the low-pressure engines connected therewith. The object of this part
of my said Invention is the economization of fuel in the running of land
or fresh-water engines.
Referring to Figure 3, A. is the steam cylinder of a high-pressure engine
in communication with a capacious superheating receiver B, through my
said steam dividing jet condenser a¹ controlled by the valves a¹¹ and a¹¹,
and the condensing pipe a* arranged to operate so as to divide the exhaust
steam into two parts in such a manner as to allow the first puff of the high
steam to pass through the condenser a¹ and pipe a into the receiver B,
and the remaining portion of the said exhaust steam to be condensed in
a' to produce the vacuum therein, substantially as described in my said
former Specification. The superheating receiver B is supported upon a
furnace 6', and enclosed by a hot chamber 6, it has a hot air supplying
pipe 63 which is heated in the main chimney, and is intended to have a
blower at its upper end applied and operated to force cold air into the
pipe, and in a heated state into the receiver B. This hot air pipe b³ is
fitted with a pressure regulating valve ', and the steam pipe a* is also
fitted with a like pressure regulating valve a³, both adjusted to the
required pressure in the receiver B; an inlet valve a' is also applied to
the pipe a* to prevent any collapse of the receiver B and its connecting
pipes in cooling after stopping the operation of the engines. For the
purpose of heating the receiver B in first preparing to start the engines

page_text: or for the purpose of increasing the pressure in the same at any sub-
sequent time the furnace b¹ and hot chamber 6" are provided, and for
a like purpose the hot air supply pipe 6' may be used.
In the operation of this part of my Invention suppose the piston of
the cylinder A, Figure 3, moving in its course upward arrives at o near
the upper end of the cylinder. Now the exhaust valve 2 and the jet
valve a¹¹ having just been closed, and the exhaust valve 3 commencing
to open, the high-pressure exhaust steam from beneath the piston of
the cylinder A escapes through the exhaust valve 3 into the self-clearing
jet condenser a', and immediately on the said jet condenser becoming
sufficiently filled with the exhaust steam to destroy the vacuum
existing therein the valve all opens and allows the contained water of
condensation to drop down into the hot well 4 below; by the time the
piston of the cylinder A arrives at o, o, near the top of the upward
stroke of the piston the valves 3 and a¹¹ will be fully opened and the
condenser a¹ will have cleared itself of all the water and air which may
have accumulated therein from the previous condensation; then by the
time the crank on the main shaft of the engine (not shown) has passed the
dead centre and the piston has returned to o on its downward stroke, the
first puff or main portion of the exhaust steam will have passed out
from under the piston and through the valves 3 and a¹¹¹ in its course
through the condenser a¹ into the superheating receiver B. The
valve a¹¹ now closes and the jet valve a¹¹ opens and throws a copious
jet spray of cold water into the condenser a¹, and thus condenses the
remnant or second portion of the exhaust steam, and produces im-
mediately the required vacuum before the piston, and so on.
The super-
heating receiver B permits the expansion of the entering steam therein
to the extent of reducing its pressure to, say, five pounds to the square
inch. The pipe a* which conducts the steam from the condenser a¹ into
the superheating receiver B has its outlet end curved obliquely downward
and laterally, so as to discharge the steam obliquely downward in B,
and thus favor a more general distribution therein of the steam. Self-
clearing jet condensers c', d', e', communicate with the exhaust valves
of the low-pressure cylinders C, D, E, to operate in the usual manner
to produce a vacuum before the respective pistons of the cylinders, com-
munication between the superheating receiver B and the respective
steam cylinders C, D, E, of the low-pressure engines to be operated
thereby is made by suitable steam conducting pipes F, F', substantially

page_text: as shown in Figures 3, 4, 5. The pressure of the expanded steam in
the sufficiently capacious receiver B being kept at, say, five pounds to
the square inch, the respective pistons of the cylinders C, D, E, of the
low-pressure engines will be operated accordingly, and thus the exhaust
steam which is usually discharged into the open air from a high-pressure
engine is made effective for operating a plurality of low-pressure engines,
and consequently an increased amount of work will thus be obtained
from the fuel heretofore required to drive a high-pressure engine of the
same capacity.
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondent I wish it understood that I claim,---
First. The primary condenser C and air pump c¹¹¹ in combination with
the valve 6", steam passage way B, and cylinder A, the said parts being
constructed and arranged to operate substantially as described in
reference to Figure 1 for the purpose herein-before set forth.
Second. The evaporating chamber D in combination with the steam
passage way B and the hot water discharge pipe c', the said parts being
_ constructed and arranged to operate substantially as described in
reference to Figure 1, for the purpose herein-before set forth.
Third. The supplementary boiler G, furnace g™, and pipe g³, in com-
bination with the steam passage way B, either with or without the
_ evaporator D, the said parts being arranged to operate substantially as
described in reference to Figure 1, for the purpose herein-before set forth
and described.
Fourth. The arrangement of the air pump H at the point between the
surface condensing cases e¹, e¹, e¹, and the receiver or reservoir I, and in
combination therein, substantially as shewn in Figure 1, and for the
purpose herein-before set forth.
Fifth. The combination of a plurality of low-pressure engines with a
primary high-pressure steam cylinder A, which receives its steam from
any suitable steam generator, and having a superheating receiver B
communicating between the said high steam cylinder A and the steam
cylinders C, D, E, of the low-pressure engines, arranged to operate sub-
stantially as described in reference to Figures 3, 4, and 5, for the purpose
herein-before set forth.
Sixth. The introduction and use of hot air to increase the supply of
the steam in the superheating receiver B, such hot air being heated

page_text: and forced in any suitable manner into the said receiver B through any
suitable pipe attached thereto, substantially as described in reference to
Figure 3.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Tenth day of October, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE. (L.S.)
Witness,
EDWARD CLARK JACKSON.