IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF COMPOUND AND OTHER SURFACE CONDENSING ENCING
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Winton Robertson, of Custom House Engine
Works, Victoria Docks, West Ham, in the county of Essex, Engineer, for an
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF COMPOUND AND OTHER
SURFACE CONDENSING ENCING"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Winton Robertson
•
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 11th July 1882.
ALEXANDER WINTON ROBERTSON, of Custom House Engine Works, Victoria
Docks, West Ham, in the County of Essex, Engineer,
" IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
CONSTRUCTION OF COMPOUND AND OTHER SURFACE CONDENSING ENGINES,"
This Invention relates to improvements in the construction of compound and.
other surface condensing engines whereby the necessity for the employment of an
air pump, in connection with the condenser is greatly reduced or is entirely.
obviated, by which means great advantages are obtained, amongst others being a
great reduction of the power required to overcome the friction of the engine, and
also considerable economy in construction and in working expenses.
This Invention consists in the employment of a hotwell so arranged in connec-,
tion with the condenser that the water from the latter flows into the same and is,
withdrawn therefrom by the feed pumps. The said hotwell is connected with the
circulating pumps or with any pump suitable for withdrawing the air in such a,
manner that all the accumulated air from the condenser is withdrawn, or, a suitable
pump is, in some cases, arranged to withdraw the small quantity of air directly.
from the condenser.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Alexander Winton Robertson in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 10th January 1883.
ALEXANDER WINTON ROBERTSON, of Custom House Engine Works, Victoria
Docks, West Ham, in the County of Essex, Engineer, "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
CONSTRUCTION OF COMPOUND AND OTHER SURFACE CONDENSING ENGINES,”
-
My said Invention relates to improvements in the construction of compound and
other surface condensing engines, whereby the necessity for an intermediate pump
(such as is commonly termed the "air pump ") between the condenser and the feed
pump, is obviated, by which means great advantages are to be obtained amongst
others being, a reduction of the power required to overcome the friction of the engine,
a considerable diminution of the risk of an accident from the engines racing in a
heavy sea, and also considerable economy in the construction and working expenses.
My said Invention consists in the employment of a hotwell or separator vessel
which rises to a considerable height and is so connected to the condenser that the
water from the latter flows into the said hotwell or separator and is withdrawn
therefrom by the feed pump.
There is also a connection between the condenser and hotwell or separator above
the ordinary working water line to admit of the withdrawal of air from the
condenser and the flow of water when necessity arises.
The said hotwell or separator is connected to the circulating pump or to any
pump or exhauster suitable for the extraction of air only.
The air being drawn from the top of the hotwell or separator by every
stroke of the pump has the effect of causing any air or uncondensed vapour that
may be in the condenser to flow into the hotwell or separator by the connection
herein before described.
This operation being continued and the condensed water being also regularly
withdrawn by the feed pump a vacuum is formed (in accordance with the tempe-
rature of the condenser) by the condensation of the steam, and as the vacuum in
the hotwell or separator is nearly equal to that in the condenser, the flow of the
water into the feed pump takes place with great regularity, the chamber of the said
feed pump being below the lowest part of the condenser.
I will now proceed to refer to the accompanying drawings from which the
nature of my said Invention will be more clearly understood. Figure 1 of the said
drawings represents an elevation of the said hotwell or separator and the various
pipes and other appliances arranged in connection therewith. A. is the hotwell or
separator, which is a hollow vessel, by preference, of a cylindrical form. B, is the
feed pump.
C. is the suction pipe in connection with the lowest part of the con-
denser through which the water passes from the condenser and through the bottom
of the hotwell to the feed pump, the air and uncondensed vaporsthere with escaping
into the hotwell or separator. It will be readily understood that the water can be
conducted, into the lower part of the hotwell or separator, by a suitable pipe and to
flow therefrom by a continuation of the same pipe into the feed pump. D. is the
connection between the hotwell or separator and the condenser arranged above the
working level of the water in the condenser. E. is the circulating pump F. F. are
valves on the circulating pump for regulating the admission of air into the same
from the hotwell or separator. G is the discharge branch on the feed pump, leading
to the boiler.
The water from the condensed steam flows into the pipe C. from which it is
withdrawn by the feed pump B. and is forced by the said pump into the boiler,
any air or uncondensed vapour which may be mixed with the said water is drawn

page_text: off from the upper part of the hotwell or separator by the circulating pump
through the valves F, which as will be seen from the accompanying drawings are
inverted.
Figure 2 shows another view of the same apparatus arranged in connection
with a double acting feed pump of peculiar construction for which Provisional
Protection dated the 19th day of October 1882. N° 4978, was granted to me, such
feed pump being constructed with a delivery valve at each end and a port in the
centre through which the water flows from the lower part of the condenser or the
hotwell or separator as the case may be. This arrangement renders the employ-
ment of suction valves unnecessary, but, in some cases, the pipe conducting the
water from the condenser or hotwell or separator may be provided with an ordinary
inverted suction valve.
It is obvious that my method of employing a vessel such as the hotwell so as to
enable the ordinary intermediate pump to be dispensed with, may be modified in
various ways, for instance, in constructing new engines the hot well or separator is
sometimes constructed in the form of a chamber at one side or end of the condenser,
and has at the lower extremity, an opening, for the passage of the air and uncon-
densed vapors communicating with the interior of the condenser, the upper part of
the said opening is slightly above the ordinary working line of the water in the
condenser, or, a pipe is, in some cases, arranged, in the interior of the condenser, to
act in a similar manner as the said chamber or hot well or separator.
When a chamber is employed, as hereinbefore described, the water can be caused
to flow into the same from the condenser through the said opening or a suitable
channel is provided for the passage of the water from the condenser to the feed
pump.
Having thus described and ascertained the nature of my said Invention and the
manner in which the same is to be performed I would observe in conclusion that
what I consider novel and original and therefore claim as constituting the invention
secured to me by the said hereinbefore in part recited Letters Patent, are:-
First. The employment of a hotwell or separator vessel such as is herein described
or an equivalent vessel or chamber acting in like manner and for a like purpose
being used in connection with the condensers of compound and other surface con-
densing engines, the said hotwell or separator vessel being constructed and arranged,
substantially as and for the purposes, hereinbefore described and set forth.
And Secondly. The combination of parts forming my improved condensing
apparatus constructed substantially in the manner and for the purpose as herein
described.
In witness whereof I the said Alexander Winton Robertson have hereunto
set my hand and seal this tenth day of January in the year of our Lord,