IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM E
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Walker, of Sand Field House, Mirfield, in the
County of York, Manufacturer, James Beaumount, of the same Place.
Engineer, and Joseph Gothard, of Huddersfield, in the same County,
Mechanic, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM E
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Walker, James
Beaumount, and Joseph Gothard at the Office of the Commissioners of
Patents, with their Petition, on the 20th November 1857.
We, HENRY WALKER, of Sand Field House, Mirfield, in the County of
York, Manufacturer, JAMES BEAUMOUNT, of the same Place, Engineer, and
JOSEPH GOTHARD, of Huddersfield, in the same County, Mechanic, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM'
ENGINES," to be as follows:-
Our Invention relates to that class of steam engines known as low-pressure
or condensing; and our improvements consist in the use or employment of an
additional condenser in connection therewith, constructed and arranged or
applied in such manner that the exhaust steam from the cylinder shall first
pass into this said condenser, where, by the injection of a small quantity of
water from the hot well (or other supply), the exhaust steam will be partially
condensed, and the water thus injected become heated by the exhaust steam-
to nearly the boiling point, which water we draw away and use to supply or..

page_text: The
feed the boilers, and for any other purpose requiring hot water.
remainder of the exhaust steam not thus condensed will pass from this first
condenser forward to the ordinary condenser, where it will be completely
condensed in the usual manner.
These improvements enable us to economize or diminish the quantity of t
fuel required for generating steam, by supplying boiling or hot water to feed
the boilers; and also because there will not be the same amount of condensed
water to remove from the ordinary condenser; a smaller air pump than
beretofore will be sufficient, consequently will require less power to work it.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Henry Walker, James Beaumount, and Joseph Gothard in
the Great Seal Patent Office on the 20th May 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, HENRY'
WALKER, of Sand Field House, Mirfield, in the County of York, Manu-
facturer, JAMES BEAUMOUNT, of the same Place, Engineer, and JOSEPH
GOTHARD, of Huddersfield, in the same County, Mechanic, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twenty-first year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the
said Henry Walker, James Beaumount, and Joseph Gothard, Her special
licence that we, the said Henry Walker, James Beaumont, and Joseph
Gothard, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we,
the said Henry Walker, James Beaumount, and Joseph Gothard, our execu-
tors, 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," upon the
condition (amongst others) that we, the said Henry Walker, James Beau-
mount, and Joseph Gothard, by an instrument in writing under our hands
and seals, or under the hand and seal of one of us, 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Henry Walker, for and on behalf of
myself and the said James Beaumount and Joseph Gothard, do hereby
declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement (that is to say):-
Our Invention relates to that class of steam engines known as low-pressure
or condensing; and our improvements consist in the use or employment of an
additional condenser in connection therewith, constructed and arranged or
applied in such manner that the exhaust steam from the cylinder shall first
pass into this said condenser, so that by the injection of a small quantity of
water from the hot well (or other supply) the exhaust steam will be partially
condensed, and the water thus injected become heated by the exhaust steam
to nearly the boiling point, which water we draw away and use to supply or
feed the boilers, and for any other purpose requiring hot water. Tho
remainder of the exhaust steam not thus condensed will pass from this first
condenser forward to the ordinary condenser, where it will be completely
condensed in the usual manner.
These improvements enable us to economize or diminish the quantity of
fuel required for generating steam by supplying boiling or hot water to feed
the boilers; and also because there will not be the same amount of condensed
water to remove from the ordinary condenser; a smaller air pump than
heretofore will be sufficient, consequently will require less power to work it.
This Invention will be readily understood by reference to the accompanying
Sheet of Drawings, where Fig. 1 represents a vertical section of the additional
or auxiliary condenser, which is a steam-tight vessel, shewn rectangular or
square (but may be of cylindrical or any other desirable form or shape), and
may be placed in any convenient part of the engine house or elsewhere. The
interior is fitted with partitions or shelves placed alternately on opposite sides.
The exhaust steam from the cylinder is first conducted in, at, or through the
branch pipe A into this vessel, where it is partially condensed by an injection.
of water from the hot well, (passing through the branch B, and through
perforations in the partition or shelf C, falling in numerous streams to the
shelf D, from which it again falls to the next shelf E, and then to F, thence
to the bottom of the vessel, and is then drawn away through the branch G by
the feed pump, or other pump for supplying any purpose requiring hot water..
The hot steam thus brought in contact with the hot water, by having to pass
several times through it in the direction of the arrows, will not only be
condensed in part, but the water will be thereby raised in its temperature to a
high degree, or near the boiling point, which hot water is of great value

page_text: or importance, both for feeding the boilers and for various other useful
purposes in manufactures and trades, such as for supplying the pans in
dyehouses, &c., instead of using cold water, which will effect a saving in both
time and fuel. The surplus steam passes forward through the branch H to
the ordinary condenser, where it is condensed in the usual manner.
In carrying out this Invention it is desirable and necessary that the feed
pump, or other pump employed for drawing or taking away the hot water
from this first or auxiliary condenser, should be placed on a lower level than
the bottom of the said condenser, so that the water will fall by its own weight
or gravity into the working barrel of the pump, and also to have a sufficient
"head" or column of water between such pump and condenser as to resist or
prevent the vapours of the hot water from remaining in the working barrel,
which would injure the working thereof; or, instead of the "head" or column
of water in places where such would not be convenient, a force pump, such as
shewn at Fig. 2, will suffice, if placed immediately below this condenser, in
which the inlet to the pump is at the upper part of the working barrel,
consequently when the ram or plunger is raised above the inlet, as shewn, the
water will flow in from the condenser, and as the plunger descends, and when
it hins passed the orifice of the inlet, will form a valve, and consequently
prevent any return of either water or vapour, which will be forced out through
the valve I as the plunger continues to descend, until the working barrel is
completely emptied, as the plunger may descend close to the valve, which
may be assisted in closing on the return stroke by a spring or lever aud
weight or any ordinary drop valve in connection therewith may be
employed to retain or provent the return of the water.
It will be seen that as part of the exhaust steam from an engine will be
thus condensed and taken away in hot water, there will necessarily be less
steam to condense in the ordinary condenser, consequently a smaller vessel or
condenser will suffice; also as there will be less steam to condense, there will
be less water to remove by the air pump, therefore a smaller air pump than
heretofore will be sufficient.
In conclusion, we would observe that we are aware that it is not new to
heat the feed water for boilers by the exhaust steam, but we believe that it
has not been effected in the manner and by apparatus as herein shewn and
described, nor with such beneficial results, and to the best of our knowledge it
is now to use water from the hot well for this purpose, by the use of which we
obtain a higher temperature of such feed water than by the use of cold water,
or wo are enabled to heat a greater quantity of water to a lower temperature
by any given amount or volume of exhaust steam than has heretofore been done.

page_text: Having thus fully described the nature of our Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, we would have it distinctly understood
that we do not claim heating the fuel water of boilers by exhaust steam, nor
do we confine ourselves to the precise details herein set forth, as such may be
varied or modified without departing from the main feature of our Invention,
which we believe to be new within the realm; but we claim the employment,
application, and use of an additional, supplemental, or auxiliary condenser,
with the necessary arrangement of mechanism or apparatus for working the
same, and for the purposes herein described and illustrated in the accom-
panying Sheet of Drawings.
.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Walker, for and on behalf of
myself and the said James Beaumount and Joseph Gothard, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of May, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the
within-named Henry Walker, in the
presence of
W TASKER, Patent Agent,
HENRY WALKER. (LS.)
Halifax.