Improvements in and relating to Steam Engines.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Feb., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 14th Nov., 1891-Accepted, 9th Jan., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Steam Engines.
A communication from abroad by DUGALD LITTLE, of Melbourne, Victoria.
1, HENRY WARD LITTLE, of 69, Buchanan Street, Glasgow, Lanarkshire,
Steam Ship Owner, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention has reference to and comprises certain new or improved modes
and means of generating, applying, regulating and expanding steam for use in
marine and other motive power steam engines, which will be more efficient and
economical than has heretofore been the case as used and applied in ordinary steam
engines, or in compound, triple, and quadruple expansion cylinder steam engines.
In steam engines heretofore with single, double, triple and quadruple or multiple
cylinders, it has been the practice to admit the steam to the cylinders at or near
the pressure of the steam in the boiler, and cut it off at some part of the stroke
of the piston in the cylinder, and expand it down in the single cylinder engine to
a final pressure near or below the pressure of the atmosphere, before allowing it
to escape to the condenser. Or in compound, triple and multiple cylinder engines
to have the cylinders of such a proportional relative size to each other as to expand
the steam down from the initial pressure of the boiler, in certain proportions in
each cylinder before allowing it to escape to the condenser.
The nature and novelty of the present improvements consist in taking advantage
of the now universal approved use of high pressure steam, preferably at from
two to four hundred pounds pressure, less or inore generated in cylindrical, tubular,
coil or any other suitable boilers for maintaining these pressures, with or without
forced draught or otherwise. That is, using a boiler or boilers with steam at a
high pressure, at say 200 to 400 pounds pressure, more or less, but instead of as
heretofore taking the steam direct from the pressure boiler and expanding it in the
working cylinders, it is by these improvements taken from the boiler and expanded
down through reducing valves or otherwise, to the working pressure required,
say 100, 80, 60, or 30 pounds or it might be higher or lower pressures, in a close
receiver or receivers, regulated pressure reservoirs or accumulators or separate
boilers, or it might be coiled pipes, of such a size as to supply a uniform initial
pressure to the cylinders, before being admitted in the ordinary manner to perform
work in the motive cylinder or cylinders, in which it would be expanded in the
usual manner and by the ordinary distributing and cut off valves and means, in the
respective cylinders or engines as at present, but cylinders of larger combined
area would be used with the lower pressures, and equivalent expansion to give
equal or greater power with the same heat and steam. The steam may also by
these improvements be dried or superheated before or while being conducted or
after being expanded into the working lower pressure receiver or receivers and
before being used in the motive power cylinders. And further the waste gases
escaping from the boiler furnaces at the high temperature to the chimney due to
producing the steam at the high pressures in the steam boilers will or may by
these improvements, before escaping to the chimney be used for superheating the
steam while it is being reduced, or after it is reduced to the lower working pressure
in the receivers, thus giving a further economy in the utilization of the heat
employed. This new arrangement of a high pressure steam boiler or boilers in
combination with an intermediate steam reducing pressure receiver or receivers, or
accumulators for expanding the high pressed steam down to the desired reduced
regular working pressure before use in the motive cylinder or cylinders for

page_text: performing work, will give equal efficiency and greater economy or saving in fuel
than by the methods heretofore employed in the use of steam for motive power
purposes.
Dated the 16th February 1801
W. R. M. THOMSON & Co.,
96, Buchanan Street, Glasgow, Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Steam Engines.
A communication from abroad by DUGALD LITTLE, of Melbourne, Victoria.
J, HENRY WARD LITTLE, of 69 Buchanan Street, Glasgow, Lanarkshire,
Steam Ship Owner, do hereby declare the nature of my invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement in writing, that is to say :-
This invention has reference to and comprises certain new or improved modes
and means of generating, heating, applying, regulating and expanding steam for
use in marine and other motive power steam engines, which will be more efficient
and economical than has heretofore been the case as used and applied in ordinary
steam engines, or in compound, triple, and quadruple expansion cylinder steam
engines. In steam engines heretofore with single, double, triple and quadruple or
multiple cylinders, it has been the practice to admit the steam to the cylinders at
or near the pressure of the steam in the boiler, and cut it off at some part of the
stroke of the piston in the cylinder and expand it down in the single cylinder
engine to a final pressure near or below the pressure of the atmosphere, before
allowing it to escape to the condenser. Or in compound, triple and multiple
cylinder engines to have the cylinders of such a proportional relative size to each
other as to expand the steam down from the initial pressure of the boiler, in
certain proportions in each cylinder before allowing it to escape to the condenser.
The nature and novelty of the present improvements and mode of carrying these
into practice consist in taking advantage of the now universal approved use of
high pressure steam, it may be at the same or at higher pressure than generally used,
generated in cylindrical, tubular, coil or any other suitable boilers for maintaining
these pressures, with or without forced draught or otherwise. That is using a
boiler or boilers with steam at a higher initial pressure, than it is intended to be
used in the cylinder or cylinders of the engine and instead of as heretofore taking
the steam direct from the pressure boiler aud expanding it in the working cylinders,
it is by these improvements taken from the higher pressure boiler and expanded
down through reducing valves, or direct or otherwise, to the lower working pressure
required, into a close receiver or receivers, regulated pressure reservoirs or
accumulators or separate boilers, or it might be coiled pipes, of such a size as to
supply a uniform initial lower pressure, to be admitted in the ordinary manner to
perform work in the motive cylinder or cylinders, in which it would be expanded
in the usual manner and by the ordinary distributing and cut off valves and means
as at present, but cylinders of larger combined area would be used with the lower
pressures, and a large additional vacuum gain would be obtained from the greatly
increased volume of the expanded steam against which it would have to act. The
receiving reservoir or reservoirs or lower pressure boilers would or may be fitted
with a regulating valve or valves to blow off when the pressure increased beyond
the amount at which it was proposed to work the expanded multiple volume steam.
The steam would or may also by these improvements be dried, heated or superheated
and the loss of heat due to the expansion made up or supplemented in whole or in
part, before or while being conducted or after having been expanded into the
working lower pressure receiver or receivers and before being used in the motive
power cylinders. And further the waste gases escaping from the boiler furnaces
at the high temperature to the chimney due to producing the steam at the higher

page_text: pressures in the steam boiler or boilers will or may by these improvements, before
escaping to the chimney be used and utilized for heating or superheating the steam
while it is being reduced, or after it is reduced to the lower working pressure in
the receivers, thus giving a further economy in the utilization of the heat employed.
This may be accomplished by passing said steam, after leaving the high pressure
boiler or boilers and before entering the lower pressure receiver or receivers
through pipes or coils of pipes led through the higher pressure boiler or boilers
furnace or furnaces, or into a casing with a surrounding jacket chamber and leading
the waste hot gases from the boiler furnace to heat said pipes or chamber and thus
heat or superheat the steam, and replace in whole or in part, the heat it loses, or,
will lose in expansion, or impart a greater amount of heat to said steam if preferred
after leaving the higher pressure boiler, to maintain in whole or in part the
aggregate power of the higher pressed steam in its expanded low pressed volume.
Instead of heating or superheating the steam by the waste gases from the boiler
furnace the application of fuel or other means of heating or superheating same
may be adopted. If preferred the heating or superheating of the expanded low
pressure steam may be done in an equivalent manner in passing through a heated
pipe or pipes or coil of pipes on its way from the low pressure receiver to the
cylinders of the engines. Or otherwise the receivers may be made in the form of
coiled pipes or tube heating boilers and the steam be heated on its way through
them direct while being reduced in pressure from the higher pressure boiler to the
cylinders of the engines, preferably condensing engines, without the intervention of
separate mere low pressure receivers.
This new arrangement of a higher pressure steam boiler or boilers, in combina-
tion with the steam heating or superheating arrangements and intermediate steam
reducing pressure receiver or receivers, accumulators, coils or boilers for expanding
the high pressed steam to an increased volume and reducing the pressure down to
the desired reduced regular working pressure before use in the motive cylinder or
cylinders for performing work, will, with the vacuum gain obtained from the
increased volume of the expanded heated or superheated steam against which it
will act, give equal efficiency and greater economy or saving in fuel, or greater
efficiency on the same consumption of fuel than by the methods heretofore employed
in the use of steam for motive power purposes.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is.-
First. The herein described method or system of generating, applying, regulating
and expanding steam for use in marine and other motive power steam engines,
machines, or for other purposes, consisting in generating higher pressure steam in
a boiler or boilers, and then expanding the volume of same in a close receiving
reservoir or reservoirs and reducing the pressure to a lower working pressure or
pressures for being used to perform work in the cylinder or cylinders of motive
engines or machines, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
Second. The herein described method or system of generating, heating, expanding,
and utilizing steam, consisting in generating higher pressure steam in a boiler or
boilers, and expanding the volume of same in a close receiving reservoir or
reservoirs coils or boilers and reducing the pressure to a lower working pressure
or pressures, and heating or drying said steam before, while, or after being
expanded in the reservoir or reservoirs, coils or boilers by the heat from the
waste gases of boiler furnaces or by application of fuel or other means, substan-
tially as and for the purposes set forth.
Third. In a system of expanding the volume and reducing the pressure of steam
from a higher initial pressure to a lower working pressure, the heating or super-
heating of the expanded volume of steam to maintain in whole or in part or to
increase the heat power of higher pressed steam in the aggregate in the expanded

page_text: volume for use in the cylinders of lower pressure engines or machines, substantially
as and for the purposes set forth.
"Dated the 101
1001
W. R. M. THOMSON & Co.,
96, Buchanan Street, Glasgow, Agents.