IMPROVEMENTS IN MARINE STEAM ENGINES
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Rennie, of Holland Street, in the County of
Surrey, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MARINE STEAM
ENGINES."
Sealed the 27th July 1855, and dated the 10th February 1855.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Rennie at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 10th
February 1855.
I, GEORGE RENNIE, of Holland Street, in the County of Surrey, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MARINE STEAM ENGINES" to be as follows:-
My Invention consists of a new arrangement and combination of the several
parts of marine steam engines, such as the cylinders, condensers, air pumps,
feed and bilge pumps, connecting rods, trunks, or hollow piston rods, starting
and reversing gear, and all other parts connected with this arrangement of
marine steam engines. What I most particularly claim is, the arrangement
horizontally of the cylinders and condensers and air pumps, and mode of driving
the same, as shewn in the accompanying Drawing, namely:-I place the
cylinder a and its condenser 6 of one engine opposite the cylinder a and its
condenser 6 of the other engine in such a manner that the cylinder a of one
engine shall be opposite the condenser b, and air pump c of the other engine,
and that the cylinder a and condenser 6 of each engine shall be on either side

page_text: of the main crank shaft. Also the mode of driving or working the air pumps c,
which air pumps c are hollow plungers or trunks, placed at convenient angles
in the condensers, and worked or driven by means of connecting rods attached
to the main cranks at the bottom, or thereabout, of the hollow plungers or trunks.
The crank, which is worked by the cylinder a and connecting rod of one engine,
works the connecting rod and air pump c in the condenser 6 of the opposite
engine, as shown by the accompanying Drawing."
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Rennie in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
6th August 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
RENNIE, of Holland Street, in the County of Surrey, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the eighteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said George Rennie, Her special licence that I, the said George Rennie, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said George
Rennie, 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 MARINE STEAM
ENGINES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said George
Rennie, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should par-
ticularly 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 George Rennie, do 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 thereof, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed,
that is to say :-
My Invention consists of a new arrangement and combination of the several
parts of what are known as "horizontal" marine steam engines, such as the

page_text: cylinders, condensers, air pumps, connecting rods, trunks, or hollow piston rods,
and other parts connected with this arrangement of marine steam engines.
My arrangement of the cylinders, condensers, and air pumps, and mode
of driving the same, are shewn in the accompanying Drawings; Figure 1 of
which is a side view, and Figure 2 a plan, of a pair of marine steam
engines, embodying my improvements. I place the cylinder a and its con-
denser 6 of one engine opposite the cylinder a¹ and its condenser ¹ of the
other engine in such a manner that the cylinder a of one engine shall be
opposite the condenser 6¹ and air pump c¹ of the other engine, and that the
cylinder (a, a',) and condenser (b, b',) of each engine shall be on opposite sides
of the main crank shaft. The air pumps c, c', which are hollow plungers or
trunks, placed at convenient angles in the condensers, are worked or driven by
means of connecting rods attached to the main cranks, and at the bottom, or
thereabouts, of the hollow plungers or trunks. The crank, which is worked
by the cylinder a and connecting rod of one engine, works the connecting rod
and air pump c in the condenser 6 of the opposite engine, as shown in the
Drawings, so that in case of one engine being deranged the other may be
worked separately.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is, the
arrangement of the cylinders, condensers, and air pumps of what are known
as "horizontal" marine steam engines, and the mode of working or driving
the same, as represented in the Drawings hereunto annexed, and herein-
before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Rennie, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-seventh day of July, One thousand eight
hundred and fifty-five.
תכועוונת
GEORGE REN E. (L.S.)