IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES, AND IN APPARATUS FOR INDICATING THE PRESSURE OF STEAM
Year: 1853

page_text: Sealed the 5th May 1854, and dated the 5th November 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Beckett
Johnson at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 5th November 1853.
I, WILLIAM BECKETT JOHNSON, of Manchester, in the County of
Lancaster, Manager for Messrs. Ormerod and Son, Engineers and
Ironfounders, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES, AND IN APPARATUS FOR INDICATING
THE PRESSURE OF STEAM," to be as follows:-
My first improvement relates to engines in which the working
cylinder is attached to a vertical framing, and consists in so constructing

page_text: such framing as to admit of the cylinder being attached to its outside
face, and also in carrying the strengthening portion, which extends to
the base in the longitudinal direction of the crank shaft. Secondly, in
reference to portable engines, I pass the governor shaft through the
boiler, and connect it beneath with the crank shaft. Thirdly, my
Invention consists in working a crank by means of a pin placed upon
the excentric rod for the purpose of giving motion to a governor or to
a force pump, the elliptic motion of the said pin being provided for by
a slot formed within the crank. Fourthly, my Invention relates to a
method of indicating the pressure of steam, one peculiarity of which
consists in causing a piston within a cylinder, after it has overcome at
certain amount of retaining power as that of a spring, to operate by
suitable apparatus so as to open a valve, and thus establish a com-
munication between the steam and a whistle. Another point of novelty
under this part of my Invention-consists in causing the rod of a piston,
arranged as above described, to act upon the shorter arm of a bell
crank lever, so as to turn it upon its centre, and thereby move the
longer arm, in order to point upon a scale the pressure of steam.
r
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said "William Beckett Johnson in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 5th May 185.4..
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
WILLIAM BECKETT JOHNSON, of Manchester, in the County, of Lancaster,
Manager for Messieurs Ormerod and Son, Engineers and Ironfounders,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of November, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the
seventeenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said William Beckett Johnson,
Her especial license that I, the said William Beckett Jolinson, my
exccutors, administrators, and assigns; or such others as T, the said.

page_text: William Beckett Johnson, my 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, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES, AND IN
APPARATUS FOR INDICATING THE PRESSURE OF STEAM," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said William Beckett Johnson, 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 William Beckett Johnson, do
hereby declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement and accompanying Drawing
(that is to say):
My first improvement, shewn in side elevation at Fig. 1, relates to
engines in which the working cylinder is attached to a vertical framing,
and consists in so constructing such framing as to admit of the
cylinder a, being attached to its outside flange or face b, and also in
carrying the strengthening portion b', which extends to the base in the
longitudinal direction of the crank shaft c. Motion is given to the
crank by means of the usual piston and connecting rod. In this
arrangement the cylinder is shewn attached to the upper part of the
frame, but the cylinder; may be attached to the lower part, and the
crank shaft end revolve in a bearing formed in the upper part of
the frame.
My second improvement refers to portable engines, and is shewn in
transverse section at Fig. 2, in which the steam cylinder & is attached
in a vertical position to a boiler b, having furnaces or tubes placed
horizontally within it. The governor shaft passes through a tube d
fixed in the boiler, and is connected with the crank shaft e by means
of a pair of wheels f. The shaft is shewn to give motion to an

page_text: ordinary governor, but it may, after the same manner, actuate a governor
or regulator of a different description.
My third improvement is shown in side elevation at Fig. 3, and
consists in working a crank a, by means of a pin b, placed upon or fixed
to the excentric rod c, for the purpose of giving motion by suitable
connections with the shaft d to a governor or force pump. e, is the
main crank shaft; and f, the excentric for actuating. the rod c; the
opposite end of the rod e (which is shown broken off) being connected
with suitable apparatus for giving motion to the slide valves or other
moving parts of the engine. In the crank a is formed a slot g
lengthways with the crank, so as to allow the pin to move in the
elliptical or other line of motion it will describe.
My fourth improvement relates to a method of indicating the pressure
of steam, and is shown in vertical section and front elevation at Figs. 4
and 5. One peculiarity consists in causing a piston a, within a cylinder
b, after it has overcome a certain amount of retaining power as that of
a spring c, to operate by means of a chain d, or other convenient
connection, so as to open the valve e, and thus establish a communi-
cation between the steam and a whistle f immediately the valve e is
opened by the piston just described. Steam is admitted into the
cylinder through the aperture g. Another point of novelty under this
part of my Invention consists in causing the rod h of the piston a,
arranged as before described, to act upon the shorter arm i of a bell
crank lever, so as to turn it upon the centre A, and thereby move the
Jonger arm 1, in order to point out upon a scale m the pressure of the
steam.
Having thus described and ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion, I desire it to be understood that I claim as secured to me under
the above in part recited Letters Patent,-
..Firstly, in direct action vertical engines, attaching the cylinder to
an outside flange of the main framing, such framing having its
strengthening part continued horizontally in the direction of the main
crank shaft.
Secondly, in portable engines, passing the governor spindle or shaft
through the boiler.

page_text: Thirdly, giving motion to a crank by means of a pin fixed to
the excentric rod, and working a governor or force pump from such
crank.
Fourthly, in steam pressure indicators, causing a piston working
within a cylinder to act upon a valve so as to form a communication
with any suitable signal whistle..
Fifthly, connecting the short end of a bell crank lever with the
piston of a steam pressure indicator, the longer end of the lever
being used to indicate by a suitable scale the pressure of the steam.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Beckett Johnson, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, the Fourth day of May, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-
three
W. B. JOHNSON. (L.S.)