AN IMPROVED PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR UTILIZING THE EXHAUST STEAM OF STEAM ENGINES
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake,
& Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for an Invention
of
"
AN IMPROVED PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR UTILIZING THE EXHAUST
STEAM OF STEAM ENGINES."
'
A communication from abroad by David
LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake,
& Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for an Invention
of "AN IMPROVED PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR UTILIZING THE EXHAUST
STEAM OF STEAM ENGINES." A communication from abroad by David
Renshaw, of Cohasset, and Harvey Thomas Litchfield, of Hull, both in
Massachusetts, United States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 19th July 1881.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "AN IMPROVED PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR
UTILIZING THE EXHAUST STEAM OF STEAM ENGINES." [A communication from
abroad by David Renshaw, of Cohasset, and Harvey Thomas Litchfield, of Hull,
both in Massachusetts, United States of America.]
This Invention relates to a process and apparatus by means of which exhaust
steam can be returned to the boiler from which it emanated.
The said process consists in taking steam from the boiler to a pump or equivalent
device, then forcing said steam to a superheater, and then passing the superheated
steam through an injecting device, into which the exhaust steam enters in such a
manner that the superheated steam will take up the exhaust steam and throw it
back to the boiler.
In carrying the said Invention into practice I supply the superheater with
steam which can only act in one way upon the boiler, its backward pressure or
kick being overcome by the check valves of the pump, the pump acting on the
boiler steam as an air pump acts on air. It is well known that when a boiler is
connected with a superheater in the usual manner, the pressure throughout the
whole contents of the boiler and superheater is equalized, and it is also well known
that steam at a high pressure may be put into a boiler containing steam at a low

page_text: pressure until both boilers have the same pressure. It is also well known that an
air pump will pump air into a vessel to an almost indefinite extent of pressure.
According to this part of my Invention I utilize the principle of the air-pump for
steam, the piston for the working steam being larger than that for the steam to be
pumped to the superheater, and its pumping force being regulated by the variation
in the diameters of the said pistons.
When the boiler steam thus compressed by the pump into the superheater is
superheated, it acts with great velocity to force its way back to the boiler, and if
not prevented by air check-valves it will take up the steam thrown off as exhaust,
raise its temperature, and force it back to the boiler, the velocity and heat
attained by the said pumped and superheated steam being relied on for that
purpose.
I employ a fly-wheel pump, consisting of a pumping engine and a pump proper
fitted with the requisite valves, and having pistons connected by a piston rod, the
stroke of the pistons being controlled by the connecting rod which extends from
the piston rod to the crank-shaft of the fly-wheel.
The injecting device which I consider best for conducting the steam from the
superheater to the boiler consists, mainly, of a frusto-conical chamber, from the
apex of which a pipe connects with the boiler and a pipe having a cock to open or
close as required.
Near the apex the exhaust steam pipe enters the chamber, and opposite it a pipe
leads from the chamber to conduct the exhaust steam away; this latter pipe being
fitted with a cock acting in opposition to the cock leading from the boiler, both
.being operated by one handle, so that when one is closed the other is open.
The superheated steam enters the chamber in the rear of the conical chamber,
and passes to a tube through an opening which extends to near the apex of said
conical chamber, its distance from the apex being made adjustable.
When the exhaust steam is to be passed away it is sent through the conical
chamber, entering the chamber through the exhaust pipe, air passing from it
through another pipe, one cock in this instance being closed and the other cock
opened (both of these cocks being so constructed that when open there can be no
obstruction to the body of steam passing through them). When it is desired to
force the exhaust to the boiler the superheated steam is passed through the tube
to the conical chamber, and the cocks being reversed a free passage is opened for
the steam from the superheater to use its velocity to drive the exhaust steam
back to the boiler, no obstruction in the way of check valves or their equivalents
being interposed.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filled
by the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
19th January 1882.
"
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. AN IMPROVED PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR
UTILIZING THE EXHAUST STEAM OF STEAM-ENGINES." A communication from
abroad by David Renshaw, of Cohasset, and Harvey Thomas Litchfield, of Hull,
both in Massachusetts, United States of America.
This Invention relates to an improved process and apparatus by means of which
exhaust steain can be returned to the boiler from which it emanated.
The said process consists in taking steam from the boiler to a pump or equivalent
device, then forcing the said steam to a superheater, and then passing the super-
heated steam through an injecting device into which the exhaust steam enters
in such a manner that the superheated steam will take up the exhaust steam and
throw it back to the boiler.
In the accompanying Drawing,
Figures 1 and 2 show the general arrangement of the boiler, engine, and
superheater, together with the pump and injecting device, and
Figure 3 represents the injecting device in section, and drawn to an enlarged
scale.
A represents a boiler, E an engine, B a pump, worked by steam, drawing the
same from the boiler and forcing it into a superheater C, and D an injecting device
connected with the said superheater, the exhaust steam pipes & from the engine
and pump, and with the boiler A', A2, and A³ show the pipes supplying steam to
the engine and pump, and A* shows the pipe from the pump to the superheater.
The elements of this process consist in supplying the superheater with steam,
which can only act in one way upon the boiler, its backward pressure or "kick".
being overcome by the check valves of the pump, the pump acting on the boiler
steam as an air pump acts on air. It is well known that when a boiler is connected
with a superheater in the usual manner, the pressure throughout the whole contents
of the boiler and superheater is equalized, and it is also well known that steam at
a high pressure may be put into a boiler containing steam at a low pressure until
both boilers have the same pressure. It is also well known that an air pump will
pump air into a vessel to au almost indefinite extent of pressure. According to
this part of my Invention I utilize the principle of the air-pump for steam, the
piston for the working steam being larger than that for the steam to be pumped to
the superheater, its pumping force being regulated by the variation in the diameters
of the said pistons.
When the boiler steam, thus compressed by the pump into the superheater is
superheated, it acts with great velocity to force its way back to the boiler, and if
not prevented by any check valves it will take up the steam thrown off as exhaust,
raise its temperature, and force it back to the boiler, the velocity and heat attained
by the said pumped and superheated steam being relied on for that purpose.
The pump B which I have shewn in the Drawing is a fly-wheel pump, consisting
of a pumping engine m and a pump proper n fitted with the requisite valves, and
having pistons connected by a piston-rod p, the stroke of the pistons being
controlled by the connecting rod 8, which extends from the piston rod to the
crank shaft of the fly wheel 7.
The injecting device which I consider best adapted for conducting the steam
from the superheater to the boiler is shown in Figure 3. It consists mainly of a
frusto-conical chamber a, from the apex of which a pipe b connects with the boiler,

page_text: the said pipe having a cock c to open or close as required. Near the apex the
exhaust steam pipe d enters the chamber, and opposite it a pipe e leads from the
said chamber to conduct the exhaust steam away, this latter pipe being fitted with
a cock facting in opposition to the cock in the pipe b leading from the boiler,
both being operated by one handle x, so that when one is closed the other is open.
The superheated steam enters the chamber h in the rear of the conical chamber a,
and passes to the pipe or tube i through openings, the said tube extending to
near the apex of the said conical chamber, its distance from the apex being made
adjustable as shewn.
When the exhaust-steam is to be passed away it is sent through the chamber a,
entering the same through the pipe d, and passing from it through the pipe e, the
cock c in this instance being closed and the cock opened, both of these cocks
being so constructed that when open there can be no obstruction to the body of
steam passing through them. When it is desired to force the exhaust steam
to the boiler the superheated steam is passed through the tube i to the chamber a,
and the cocks c and f being reversed, a free passage is opened for the steam from
the superheater to use its velocity to drive the exhaust steam back to the boiler, no
obstruction in the form of check valves or their equivalents being interposed.
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondents, and the manner of performing the same, I wish it understood
that I do not limit myself to any particular boiler, pump, superheater, or injecting
device in connection with this process, and I claim,
First. The herein described process for driving the exhaust-steam back to the
boiler, consisting in pumping steam from a boiler into a superheater, there super-
beating the said steam, and then using it to drive exhaust steam back to the boiler
through an injecting device, substantially as above set forth.
Second. In connection with a superheater supplied with steam from a pump as
described, the injecting device D, consisting of a chamber a with the entrance pipe i
for the superbeated steam, the entrance pipe d and the outlet pipe e for the exhaust,
and the pipe b connecting the said chamber a with the boiler, all substantially as
above set forth and for the purpose specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty two.
W. ROB. LAKE. (L.S.)
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