IMPROVEMENTS IN CONDENSERS OF STEAM ENGINES AND PARTS CONNECTED.
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Prosser, of the City and State of New
York, in the United States of America, but now of Birkenhead, in the
"County of Chester, Merchant and Civil Engineer, for the Invention of
." IMPROVEMENTS IN CONDENSERS OF STEAM ENGINES AND PARTS CONNECTED.
Sealed the 13th April 1855, and dated the 31st October 1854.
**
the
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Prosser at th
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
31st October 1854.
I, THOMAS PROSSER, of the City and State of New York, in the United.
States of America, but now of Birkenhead, in the County of Chester, Merchant.
& Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN CONDENSERS OF STEAM ENGINES AND PARTS CONNECTED THERE
WITH "to be as follows:-
My condensing apparatus consists of a hollow slab or chamber communi
cating by means of annular spaces with a like chamber above it, such annular-
spaces being formed by means of tubes one within the other, the inner ones
passing quite through both chambers, while the outer ones merely enter into
both of them; and I, by preference, form such condensing apparatus in pairs;
one part being in a cold water cistern, and the other communicating with it
in the hot well, in connection with the boiler.

page_text: The exhaust steam enters chiefly at the bottom of the lower part of the
condenser, and below the cold water cistern in which it is placed. A catch
pin or receiver receives the oil and dirt from the cylinders and other parts as
they are projected by the steam beyond the aperture which admits the steami
into the condenser above. A portion, however, of the exhaust steam enters
that portion of the condenser which is of a similar construction to the one just
described, and placed over it in the hot well or cistern. The steam cuters this
part of the condenser at the top, and through the hot well, opposito to the
other portion of the steam, which enters at the bottom of the lower condenser,
or lower portion of the condenser, through the cold water cistern. Both
parts of the condenser bave free communication with each other, and when
the steam is condensed, the water therefrom falls to the bottom one, and
is thence pumped up into the bottom of the hot well to supply the boiler.
The course taken by the steam is therefore from the boiler to the steam
engine, and thence through the exhaust pipe into the parts of the condenser, at
the bottom of one and at the top of the other.
The steam becoming condensed into water falls to the bottom, where it is
collected and pumped up into the, hot well, and thence it is returned to the
boiler, while and at the same time the steam which enters the lower part of
the condenser will carry with it the ponderable matters, and project them
forward into the catch pit or receiver, provided for that purpose, and from which
it may from time to time be withdrawn.
I purpose to work with high-pressure steam and without an air pump, but
not necessarily so, although I consider that the best method. I also propose
to place the starting valve upon the exhaust, and not upon the steam pipe; and
in like manner, where a governor is used, I place its valve also upon a pipe
leading into the exhaust from the steam chest, so as to check more quickly the
speed of the engine by the back pressure upon the piston, caused by the
greater pressure in the condenser; or I place it upon the exhaust pipe directly,
so as to check the escape of the steam from the cylinder; or I combine both of
these methods. The cold water cistern, which will be supplied either with sea
or other water not desirable to make steam from, is supplied by any of the
ordinary means, and may enter at the bottom and escape at the top, just below
the hot well. The hot well may be level with the cold water cistern, or
otherwise, but I prefer it above it.
The cold water in the cold water cistern and the warmer water in the hot
well entirely surround the chambers of each part of the condenser, and passes
through the inner tubes as well as around the external tubes, by which the
annular steam spaces are obtained between those chambers in each respective

page_text: part of the condenser. Although I have referred to the two parts of the con-
denser as being used together, this is not necessarily the case, as the lower part
may sometimes be employed separately.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas Prosser in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
23rd April 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
PROSSER, of the City and State of New York, in the United States of America,
but now of Birkenhead, in the County of Chester, Merchant and Civil Engineer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirty-first day of October, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the seventeenth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Thomas Prosser, Her special licence that I, the said Thomas Prosser,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Thomas Prosser, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all tinies there-
after 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN
CONDENSERS 07 STEAM ENGINES AND PARTS CONNECTED THEREWITH," upon the con-
dition (amongst others) that I, the said Thomas Prosser, by an instrument in
writing under my hand and seal, 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
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent..
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Thomas Prosser, lo hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
.
:
My condensing apparatus consists of a hollow slab or chamber communi-
cating by means of annular spaces with a like chamber above it, such annular.
spaces being formed by means of tubes one within the other, the inner ones.
passing quite through both chambers, while the outer ones merely enter into

page_text: both of them and I; by preference, form such condensing apparatus in pairs;
one, part. being in a cold water cistern, and the other communicating with it
in the hot well, in connection with the boiler.
The exhaust steam enters chiefly at the bottom of the lower part of the
condenser, and below the cold water cistern, in which it is placed. A catch
pit or receiver. receives the grease and dirt from the cylinder and other
parts as they are projected by the steam beyond the aperture which admits
the steam into the condenser above. A portion, however, of the exhaust
steam enters that portion of the condenser which is of a similar construction
to the
one just described; and placed over it in the hot well or cistern. The
steam enters this part of the condenser at the top, and through the hot well,
opposite to the other portion of the steam, which-enters at the bottom of the
lower condenser, or lower portion of the condenser, through the cold water
cistern. Both parts of the condenser have free communication with each
other; and ivlen the steam is condensed, the water therefrom falls to the
bottom. one, and is thence pumped up into the bottom of the hot 'well to
supply the boiler.
But that the nature of my said Invention, and the means which I adopt for
carrying the same into effect, may be fully understood, I will proceed to describe
the Drawing annexed.
•
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING..
Fig. 1 shews a vertical section of a condenser and parts connected there-
with according to my Invention; Figs. 2 and 3 shew other views of some of
the parts separately: a is a cold water cistern, which will be supplied by the
sea or other water passing in at the free passage a¹ and out at a²; b is the hot
well, and when a hot well is used, the condenser will, as is shewn, be divided
into two parts, A, B; similar to each other in their general construction, each
part being composed of two steam chambers c, c. The chambers c, c, of each
part A or B of the apparatus have free communication with each other by the
annular spaces formed between the tubes d and c. The inner tubes d are
secured to the two outer plates c', whilst the outer tubes e are secured to the
inner plates c², by which arrangement the surrounding water will not only flow
freely around the tubes e, but it will also pass freely through the inner tubes d
by which a larger surface of steam will be exposed to the cooling influence
of the water in either of the chambers or b, than when, as heretofore, the
steam simply passes through tubes whose external surface is exposed to the
action of water. ***
a
The two parts A and B of the condenser are connected together for the flow

page_text: .
of steam from one to the other by the pipe f g is the exhaust pipe from the
steam engine, with a valve or cock g'. The steam flowing through this pipe
passes chiefly up through the branch g into the lower chamber c of the part B
of the condenser, and thence, in passing through the annular spaces formed
between the tubes d andre to the upper chamber c of that part B, it becomes
condensed. A portion of the exhaust steam from the pipe 'g is also allowed
to flow by the pipe h to the upper portion A of the condenser, where it enters
first the upper chamber c of the part A, and thence, in circulating through the
annular spaces formed between the pipes d and e to the lower chamber c of
that part A, it becomes condensed, or mostly so, and at the same time heats
the water in the hot well b. The water produced by the condensation of the
steam in the part A falls to the lower chamber c of that part of the apparatus,
and thence, by the pipe f, it passes to and mixes with the water produced, by
the condensation of steam in the lower part B.
The water thus obtained is received into the annular chamber i formed
around the inlet pipe g, whence it passes by means of the passages to the
chamber j, to which is connected a pipe to the pump k, by, which the water
formed from the steam by the means stated will be drawn..away, and forced
by the pipe into the hot well b, whence it will pass directly by a pipe m to
the boiler.
In the working of a steam engine, various particles of grease, dirt, and other
matters are passed with the water and steam, and these matters are projected
forwards into the condenser with a tendency to interfere with its efficient work-
ing; and in order to prevent this, I have provided a catch pit or receiver n, into
which such particles of matters will be projected, and fall by their greater
specific gravity from the pipe:g.
Any water formed by condensation within this receiver n will pass through
openings o¹in the lower edge of the inverted vessel o, and by rising up therein,
will be drawn therefrom by the pipe p, in connection with the pipe j, to the
pump k. The various matters collected in the receiver n may be blown out
as desired by the tap n'.. The course taken, by the steani is, therefore, from the
boiler to the steam engine, and thence through the exhaust pipe into the parts
of the condensers; at the bottom of one and at the top of the other. The
steam becoming condensed into water falls to the bottom, where it is collected
and pumped up into the hot well, and thence it is returned to the boiler, while
and at the same time the steam which enters the lower part of the condenser
will previously carry with it the ponderable matters, and project them forward
into the catch pit or receiver, provided for that purpose, and from which they
may from time to time be withdrawn

page_text: I
purpose to work with high-pressure steam and without an air pump, but
not necessarily so, although I consider that the best method; I also purpose
to place the starting valve upon the exhaust, and not upon the steam pipe ; and
in like manner, where a governor is used, I place its valve also upon a pipe
leading into the exhaust from the steam chest, so as to check more quickly the
speed of the engine by the back pressure upon the piston, caused by the greater
pressure in the condenser; or I place it upon the exhaust pipe directly, so as
to check the escape of the steam from the cylinder; or I combine both of these
methods, but I do not claim this as my Invention.
The cold water cistern will be supplied either with sea or other water by any
of the ordinary means, and may enter at the bottom and escape at the top,
just below the hot well. The hot well may be level with the cold water cistern
or otherwise, but I prefer it above it. Although I have referred to the two
parts of the condenser as being used together, this is not necessarily the case,
as the lower part may sometimes be employed separately.
In order to supply distilled water for the boiler to make up for waste or
for the use of a steam ship or other purposes, I use other compartments
similarly constructed, which I call the evaporators, and I place them, by
preference, under the cold water cistern in pairs, one or more on each side of
the parts, for admitting the steam and withdrawing the water of condensation,
as shown by Fig. 4.
Taking advantage of the high temperature of the condensing water when
the condenser is used as I prefer it, i. c., without an air pump, I insert a
pipe at the top of the cold water cistern, and after having continued it high
enough to prevent the water from going over into it with the steam, I return
it on the outside of the condenser to the top of one or more of the above-
named evaporators C, placed beneath the cold water cistern a, and within
another cold water cistern or pedestal C¹, communicating by means of cbb
and flow pipes r, s, with the main one above, and which rests upon the
chambers C.
These cold water cisterns C' have each one or more pipes » descending to
the bottom, to admit the cold water from the cistern above, and another pipe s
ascending from the top, to convey the warmer water back, and thus keep up a
circulation within them.
A small air pump connected to a pipe v from the bottom of the evaporator C
will pump up the air first, so as to produce a slight degree of attenuation, and
thus bring over the vapour, which, becoming condensed, will also be pumped.
up, and be delivered wherever it may be required; but that portion intended
to supply the waste of the boiler should be pumped into the lower condenser

page_text: (the pressure within which may be about that of the atmosphere), the air being
allowed to escape.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, I would have it
understood that I do not confine myself to the precise details shewn and
described, so long as the peculiar character of my Invention be retained; but
what I do claim is, the arranging, combining, and working condensers of
steam engines and parts connected therewith, as herein explained.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Prosser, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twentieth day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
Witness,
JNO. B. WOODWARD,
Brooklyn, L. I.,
State of New York.
THOMAS PROSSER. (L.S.)