AN IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OF CONDENSING STEAM ENGINE AND BOILER WITH AUTOMATIC AIR OR GAS AND WATER SUPPLY, ALSO APPLICABLE TO OTHER STEAM GENERATORS OR BOILERS
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Guy Wilson, of the Office for British & Foreign
Patents, 71, Market Street, in the City of Manchester, Mechanical Engineer
· and Patent Agent, for an Invention of "AN IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OF
CONDENSING STEAM ENGINE AND BOILER WITH AUTOMATIC AIR OR GAS AND
WATER SUPPLY, ALSO APPLICABLE TO OTHER STEAM GENERATORS OR BOILERS."
A communication from abroad by Hermann Hoffmeister and Edmund Friedrich,
both of Meidling, near Vienna, in the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Guy Wilson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 9th June 1880.
JOHN GUY WILSON, of the Office for British & Foreign Patents, 71, Market
Street, in the City of Manchester, Mechanical Engineer and Patent Agent.
" AN
IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OF CONDENSING STEAM ENGINE AND BOILER WITH
AUTOMATIC AIR OR GAS AND WATER SUPPLY, ALSO APPLICABLE TO OTHER STEAM
GENERATORS OR BOILERS." A communication from abroad by Hermann Hoffmeister
and Edmund Friedrich, both of Meidling, near Vienna, in the Austro-Hungarian
Empire.
One arrangement of this improved construction of engine and boiler consists of
a tubular boiler forming the basis or foundation of the engine, and provided by
preference with horizontal water tubes, beneath which a Bunsen gas burner forms
the heating medium. This boiler is constructed with a thin metal crown or bottom,
which is corrugated or undulated similar to the diaphragm of a steam gauge, so
that in case of an alteration of pressure in the boiler, the said metal crown is caused
to bulge corresponding to the degree of pressure, and, by being connected to the
gas supply valve, may so automatically regulate the flame of the Bunser burner;
or in case of coal, coke, or other fuel being used in the furnace, such metal crown
would be connected to a suitable valve for automatically regulating the air supply
to the furnace.
Upon the top of this boiler the steam cylinder is placed, fitted with a plug cock
in place of the usual slide valve, the plug of this cock being formed with suitable

page_text: passages, to open a communication between the said cylinder and the steam space
of the boiler during the ascent of the trunk piston, and with other passages to
open another communication with a pipe passing through a cistern of cold water
(thus constituting a condensing chamber) during the descent of the piston. The
plug of this cock is actuated by an eccentric on the crank shaft, and is further
arranged with a passage to lead the condensed water from the said pipe (or
condensing chamber) into the boiler again, and thus practically constitute a self-
acting water supply.
It will be apparent that this engine may be constructed with more than one
cylinder, and so ensure a more regular action, whilst the automatic methods of
feeding with air or gas and water are applicable to other constructions of steam
boilers.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said John Guy Wilson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 9th
December 1880.
"
JOHN GUY WILSON; of the Office for British & Foreign Patents, 71, Market
Street, in the City of Manchester, Mechanical Engineer and Patent Agent. AN
IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OF CONDENSING STEAM ENGINE AND BOILER WITH
AUTOMATIC AIR OR GAS AND WATER SUPPLY, ALSO APPLICABLE TO OTHER STEAM
GENERATORS OR BOILERS." A communication from abroad by Hermann Hoffmeister
and Edmund Frederick, both of Meidling, near Vienna, in the Austro-Hungarian
Empire.
This improved construction of engine and boiler consists of a tubular boiler
forming the baisis or foundation of the engine, and provided by preference with
horizontal water tubes, beneath which a Bunsen gas burner forms the heating
medium. This boiler is constructed with a thin metal bottom or crown to the
furnace, which is corrugated or undulated similar to the diaphragm of a steam-
gauge, so that in case of an alteration of pressure in the boiler, the said metal crown
is caused to bulge corresponding to the degree of pressure, and by being connected
to the gas supply valve may so automatically regulate the flame of the Bunsen-
burner; or in case of coal, coke, or other fuel being used in the furnace, such metal
crown would be connected to a suitable valve for automatically regulating the air
supply to the furnace.
Upon the top of this boiler the steam cylinder is placed, fitted with a trunk
piston, which acts as a plug cock in place of the usual slide valve, the piston being
formed with suitable passages to open a communication between the said cylinder
and the steam space of the boiler during the ascent of the piston, and with other
passages to open another communication with a pipe passing through a cistern
of cold water (thus constituting a condensing chamber) during the descent of the
piston.
In the accompanying Drawing, Fig. 1 is a vertical front section of the engine
and boiler complete; Fig. 2, a plan of the heating mechanism; Fig. 3 is a plan,
and Fig. 4 a vertical side section of Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a horizontal section of the
cylinder and piston, and Figs. 6 to 10 are diagrams of the cylinder, shewing the
relative position of the steam entry and outlet openings with regard to the piston
during various parts of the stroke of the piston.
Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.
The engine consists of an inexplosive steam generator A, and an open topped
cylinder B, in which the working piston C distributes the steam, and regulates at
the same time the water supply; E is a surface condenser, or water tank, provided
with a serpentine pipe G, through which the exhaust steam passes from the cylinder
and is thereby condensed.
The steam generator A is provided with horizontal tubes F, and the bottom a of
such generator, or crown of the furnace, is constructed of a thin sheet steel or other
metal plate, by preference of a disc form, and is corrugated or undulated as
illustrated similar to the diaphragm of a steam gauge, so that in case of an alteration
of pressure, such plate a is caused to bulge corresponding to the degree of pressure;
and by being connected to the gas supply valve b, as illustrated, may so
automatically regulate the flame of the Bunsen burner D, and thus, when the
engine stops, only a sufficient quantity of gas is supplied to the burner to keep up
the steam pressure.
The slide-piece C₁, fixed to the upper end of the trunk piston C, is moved from
one side to the other and back again by the action of the cam c on the fly wheel
shaft d working against the sides of the groove formed in such slide piece C¹, and
hus a partial rotary action is given to the piston.

page_text: In the piston C is also formed a groove or channel e (Fig. 5) which, during the
ascent of such piston, comes opposite to the steam inlet f, and during the descent of
the piston comes opposite to the steam outlet or exhaust port g.
It will be observed that this groove e is shortened on the side of the inlet
passage f, and thus the necessary cut off is obtained to work the steam expansively.
Figs. 6 to 10 shew the relative positions of the openings ƒ and g with regard to
the groove e during the ascent and descent of the piston; Fig. 6 illustrates the
commencement of the steam supply and the ascent of the piston; Fig. 7 shews
the piston at the middle of its stroke, with the inlet fentirely opened; Fig. 8
represents the beginning of the expansive action, the inlet opening of being just
closed; Fig. 9 shews the piston in its highest position, at the next instant the
groove e will be opposite the outlet g. In Fig. 10 the piston has half descended,
and the outlet g is entirely open.
The exhausted steam enters the serpentine pipe G, blows the air out through the
valve h, and is then condensed, the vacuum so produced facilitating the descent of
the piston. The condensed water flows to the chamber J, and from thence into the
groove K formed in the piston; this groove K carries the water to the chamber L,
from whence it is free to run into the steam generator A. The groove K becomes
filled with steam every time the water is emptied into the chamber L; but this
steam is condensed by coming in contact with the feeding water in J.
M is a collecting box for the condensed water, and serves to regulate the supply
of feed-water.
P, p, p, and p³ are pipes forming flues or outlets for the heating gases from the
furnace.
The joint of the connecting rod S is partially movable round the turning pin r.
It will be apparent that this engine may be constructed with more than one
cylinder, and so ensure a more regular action, whilst the automatic methods of
feeding with air or gas and water are applicable to other constructions of steam
boilers.
I would state, in conclusion, that I make no claim to the condensing action but
what I desire to claim by Letters Patent in the Invention so communicated to me
from abroad, as aforesaid, is,-
1st. In a condensing steam engine the combination of a cylinder B, and
horizontally movable or partially rotating piston C, provided with slide-piece C¹,
steam generator A with automatically regulated burner D, and condensing tank
E, substantially as hereinbefore described.
2nd. In a condensing steam engine, the combination of the eccentric c with the
slide piece C' of the piston C, and the movable joint r, substantially as herein set
forth.
3rd. The combination of the groove K with the chambers J and L, substantially
as and for the purpose hereinbefore described.
4th. The combination of the groove e with the openings fand g, substantially as
and for the purposes described.
5th. In a condensing steam engine, the combination of the burner D with the
corrugated steel or other plate a, and valve b, substantially as herein before
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Guy Wilson, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Eight day of December, in the year of our Lord 1880.