IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES, HEATING OR EVAPORATING FLUIDS OR GASES, AND GENERATING STEAM OR VAPOURS
Year: 1838

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, SAMUEL HALL,
of Basford, in the County of Nottingham, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at West-
minster, the Thirtieth day of July, in the second year of Her reign, did, for
Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said Samuel
Hall, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege, and authority that I, the
said Samuel Hall, my exors, admors, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Samuel Hall, my exors, adññors, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and
no others, from time to time and at all times during the term of years therein
expressed, should and lawfully might make; use, exercise, and vend within
England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick upon Tweed, my Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES, HEATING OR EVAPORATING FLUIDS OR GASES,
AND GENERATING STEAM OR VAPOURS;" in which said Letters Patent is contained
a proviso that I, the said Samuel Hall, shall cause a particular description of
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be inrolled in Her said Majesty's High Court of Chancery within
six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said in part
recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had,
will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Samuel Hall, do hereby declare that the nature of my improvements, and the
manner in which the same are to be performed, are fully described and ascer-

page_text: tained in and by the following description thereof, reference being had to the
Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked thereon
(that is to say):
The objects of my improvements as regards steam engines, which are three
in number, are, first, the application of air, as hereafter described, to the cold
water pumps of such engines as have their steam condensed by abstracting its heat
or caloric through the media of metallic surfaces, and not by the injection of cold
water into it. Second, the. rendering of the distilling apparatus described in the
Specifications of Patents granted to me on the Thirteenth day of February, One
thousand eight hundred and thirty-four, and the Twenty-fourth day of June, One
thousand eight hundred and thirty-six, not only self-acting, by causing it to be put
into operation by the water in the boilers when it becomes too low, instead of its
requiring (as has hitherto been the case) to be put in operation by hand, but also
to cause the water in the still and in boilers to be pumped out when it becomes
too strongly impregnated with saline matters, and to be replaced by other water.
fbird, the application of the boiler and apparatus herein-after described for
*heating and evaporating fluids" to steam engines generally, whether they be
on the high pressure or condensing principle..
The objects of my improvements in heating and evaporating fluids or gases
and generating steam or vapours consist in the application generally of heat
generated by the combustion of fuel in such a way that it shall be more
effectually absorbed by the fluids or gases to which it is applied than has
hitherto been done, and that in a more practicable and less objectionable
manner than heretofore....
Having stated the object of my Invention, I will now describe the modes by
which they are to be respectively obtained, reference being had, as before
mentioned, to the Drawings, and to the figures and letters marked upon them.
Figure 1 shows the mode which I have devised for supplying air to the cold
water pumps of engines of the description which I have mentioned, whereby
those pumps are caused to work much more smoothly and pleasantly than they
otherwise would do. A is the condenser; B, the air pump; C, the discharge
cistern, through which the water resulting. from the condensation of the steam
is returned to the boiler by means of the pipe a. .D. is the air escape vessel
(which may be conveniently attached to the condenser),. by which the air, that
is by any means introduced into the air pump. is. separated from the water,
and is prevented from accompanying such water to the boiler. E is the,
cold water pump for supplying cold water to the condenser. b, b, b, b, are the
upper parts of the air pump. of the discharge cistern and of the air escape

page_text: vessel which are to be occupied by air. c, c, c, c, are receptacels at the top of
the cold water pump and in its piston, also to be occupied by air supplied from
the air escape vessel for the purpose of preventing by its elasticity any blow
or unpleasantness in the working of the pump arising from the want of: elas-
ticity of the water. d is a pipe furnished with a cock e¹ and valve f¹ opening
inwards to admit a regulated very small portion of air into the air pump, the
discharge cistern, and the air escape vessel for the purpose of being passed to
the cold water pump.
e, e, are pipes to connect the discharge cistern with the
air escape vessel, whereby the water is maintained at the same lieight in each.
fuis a valve to allow the air to escape when too much accumulates in the
discharge cistern and air escape vessel. g. 9, 9, are pipes furnished with valves
h; h, opening upwards to convey to the receptacles c, c, c, c of the cold water
pump and piston the small regulated quantity of air which is introduced into
the top of the air pump, and any other air that may by any means find its way
into it: Figures 2 and 3 show my means of rendering the distilling apparatus
above mentioned self-acting, by putting itself in operation whenever the water
becomes too low in the boiler, and by changing the water in the still when it
becomes too much impregnated with salt or other extraneous matters; Figure 2
being a vertical section of the still and a part of the boiler, and Figure 3 being
a horizontal section taken across Figure 2 from a to a.. In these two Figures
A is the boiler; B is the distilling apparatus, b, b, are pipes furnished with a
valve e and a cock e' leading from the top chamber f of that apparatus to the
upper chamber of the condenser. 7 is a lever attached to the valve e, which
is connected by a rod h, h, working through a stuffing box on the top of the
boiler with lever i, there being at one end of it a ball or float j floating on
the surface of the water in the boiler. k is a cylinder, perforated with holes at
the bottom and sides to contain the float, with a slit in it on one side through
which lever i passes to keep the float steady; the operation of this apparatus
is as follows: When the water within the boiler becomes too low the float j
is lowered, and through the intervention of the levers i and g and the con-
necting rod h, h, raises the valve e, which opens a passage (the cock e¹ of course
being open) between the top chamber f of the apparatus and top of the con-
deuser, whereby a partial vacuum is formed in the fornier, and the distillation
goes on until as much steam has passed over to the condenser as is required to
supply water sufficient to raise the water in the boiler to the proper height;
when that is effected the ball jis raised during, the, process of distillation so
high as to shut the valve e, which prevents any further distillation from taking
place. For other particulars respecting the operation and management of this
distilling apparatus I refer to the Specifications of the Patents granted to me

page_text: is
on the Thirteenth of February, One thousand eight hundred and thirty-four,
and Twenty-fourth of June, One thousand eight hundred and thirty-six. The
following is a description of the apparatus for changing the water in the still
when it becomes too strongly impregnated with saline or other matter:- is
a pipe of about twice the diameter of the other pipes in the still, and like them
open at each end, and forms a connexion between the upper chamber f and
the lower one m. In this pipe is suspended a float n, of a cylindrical form,
connected by means of a rod with a counterbalance o, which is of such a
weight that the float shall rest at the bottom of the pipe when the water by
which it is surrounded is not strongly impregnated with saline matter, but that
it shall rise and open the valve p, which is attached to it by its spindle, when
the specific gravity of the water becomes so increased by being charged with
saline or other matters as to make it desirable to get rid of it. q, q, is a pipe
leading from the chamber m to a pump, which may be placed in any con-
venient situation, only that it should be below the water contained in the still.
The operation of this arrangement is as follows:-When the specific gravity of
the water in the still is not too great the float n will remain at the bottom of
pipe, and the valve p will be closed, and prevent the pump attached to
pipe q, q, from extracting any water; but (as before intimated) as soon as the
specific gravity of the water becomes increased to the point at which it is
deemed desirable to get rid of it, the float n will rise and open the valve, P, and
allow the water to be pumped out of the still; consequently the water descends
in chamber f, and the float r within it is lowered and opens the valves, whereby
a supply of water containing less salt, and of course of less specific gravity, is
supplied until the float n descends and shuts the valve p, and prevents any
more water from being pumped out'; the larger the float n is, the more sensible
it will be, and indicate the more precisely the specific gravity at which the
water is to be pumped out of the still, that being regulated by the weight of
the counterbalance o; the uses of cocks w', w, wl, and pipe v to which
the latter cock is attached, have been before described in the Specification of
my former Patent of Twenty-fourth of June, One thousand eight hundred and
thirty-six, for the purpose of blowing the water out of the still, when required,
which is effected as follows (the cock e¹ on the pipe b, b, being closed during
the operation)-The cock w' must, in the first instance, be shut, and then
cocks w¹ and w¹ must be opened; by this means the steam from the boiler
will enter the still, and expel the water which it contains through pipe v and
cock w; when that is effected, and the still is required to be again filled with
water, the cocks must be restored to their former situation by first shutting
cocks and w, and then opening cock w¹.

page_text: This apparatus may of course be applied to the distilling apparatus described
in my Patent of Thirteenth of February, One thousand eight hundred and
thirty-four, as well as to the tubular still herein described, and these stills can
be cleansed, if required, in the following manner :-
After having blown them empty in the way above described, let cocks w¹, w11,
and w, be shut, and cock e' be opened; then by means of the pipe s", fur-.
nished with a cock s¹, fill the still with a lixivium of alkali or a solution of
soap or other proper materials, with which vessel t is supplied for that purpose.
When the fluid has remained a proper time in the still to combine with the
extraneous matter which it may contain, it must be blown out of the still in
the manner already described, and this process may be repeated at pleasure.
Figures 4, 5, and 6, are Drawings of a boiler and apparatus in a simple form,"
proper for generating steam for the working of marine or other engines, and
for other purposes; Figure 4 being a vertical section taken through the boiler
from the front to the back in the direction from a to a in Figures 5 and 6;
Figure 5 being a vertical transverse section taken through Figure 4 from
b to b; and Figure 6, a horizontal section of Figures 4 and 5 taken through
them from c to c. Figures 7, 8, and 9, shew a similar boiler, with some
additions, any of which may be adopted or not at pleasure; they are as follows:
-First, a series of small pipes to transmit a portion of heat to the water, being
situated in the chamber through which the flame or heated air passes on its
way from the funnels to the chimney. Second, pipes for conveying air above the
fires to consume the smoke. Figure 7 is a vertical section taken through Figures
8 and 9 from a to a; Figure 8 is another vertical section taken through Figure 7
from to b; and Figure 9 is a horizontal section, taken through Figures 7 and 8
from c to c; the respective parts of the apparatus are denoted by the same letters
in all the above Figures, namely, Figure 4 to Figure 9 inclusive; A being the fire
place; B, the ash hole; C, the fire doors; D, D, the fire bars; E, E, the funnels
or flues for receiving the flame or heated gases from the fire, being of a conical
form, and placed in a vertical or other convenient position; they are attached
at the bottoms to iron plates a', a', a', which may be considered as the bottom
of the boiler, and they are united in a similar manner at the tops to another
iron plate a", a", a". F, F, is a chamber between the iron plates a¹, a', a¹, and
a", a", a", containing the conical flues, and being filled around them with water.
G, is another chamber above plate a", a", a", and is connected with the fire-place
by means of the conical flues, through which the flame or heated gases are
passed to it on their way from the fire to the chimney I. Figures 4, 5, 7; and
8, shew a third chamber H, between the plates a, a, a, and the top of the
I

page_text: boiler, and it is to be in part filled with water. b, b, are water spaces, and
b, b', are pipes which connect chambers F and H together, and through them
water and steam pass from the former chamber to the latter. Between and
among these pipes the flame or heated gases pass on their way from the fire to
the chimney I. J is a steam chest provided with a safety valve; and K is a
pipe to convey the steam from it for working steam engines, or for any other.
purpose for which it may be required. n, n, n, n, Figures 4, 5, and 6, shew
the apparatus for allowing the water in the boiler to be pumped out when it
becomes too strongly impregnated with saline or other extraneous matters,
and it is similar to the apparatus applied to the still for that purpose.
Figure 10 shews, upon an enlarged scale, the method of fixing the pipes placed
in chambers G, as shewn in Figures 7, 8, 11, and 12; a, in Figure 10, being
one of the pipes; b, the bottom plate, and c, the top plate in which they are
fixed; one end of the pipe is firmly screwed into the plate.b, so as to make a
good joint. d is a ring or hoop screwed on the upper end of the pipe, and
underneath the plate c, and e is another ring, screwed on the pipe above that
plate; and f is a packing of hemp steeped in red lead or any other proper
material, firmly compressed between the ring e and the plate c, whereby another
sufficient joint is made.
In order to apply to this description of boilers the method of consuming
smoke according to my Patent of Twenty-fourth of June, One thousand eight
hundred and thirty-six, I divide the space underneath the boiler into several
fire-places, either by water spaces in the way usually adopted in marine engine
boilers, or by divisions of fire brick, the former plan being that applied to the
boiler above described in Figures 7, 8, and 9. I convey the heated air in
any of the ways described in the Specification of the above-mentioned Patent
into the fire-place and around and above the fires. In this boiler I do
it by means of the pipes k, k, of which there may be any needful number fixed
within the water spaces, the lower ends whereof open into the ash pit at a
proper distance below the fire bars, and the upper ends open into the fire-place
at a proper distance above the fire through these pipes. (To use the language
of my above-mentioned Specification,) "I introduce, the heated air all around
the fire, or at as many sides of the fire place as is convenient, so as to effect, as
"before mentioned, the combustion of the carbon, inflammable gases, or other
combustible matters, as they are generated by the combustion of the fuel
"and liberated therefrom." In some cases it is convenient to have fire doors at
the back as well as the front of the boiler, whereby the fires may be much more
conveniently supplied with fuel, especially when the boilers, and of course the
fire bars, are required to be very long. Figure 11 is the vertical section of a
66
66

page_text: long boiler, taken through it from the front to the back, in the same situation
as in Figure 4, and the respective parts are denoted by the same letters as they
are in Figures 4 and 7, so that reference may be had to the description of the
latter Figure to elucidate Figure 11. In stationary engines the fire-places and
ash pits may be constructed of brick or other suitable material, upon which the
boiler, as above described, may be seated, either with or without water spaces,
as usually applied to marine engines; but I prefer, even in stationary engines, to
have such water spaces around the fire so low as to include the fire bars, although
the ash pit be constructed of brick. Figure 12 is a vertical section of a boiler.
for a stationary engine, taken through it in the same situation as Figure 4, but
without any water spaces, as above recommended, the fire-place as well as the
ash pit being wholly formed of masonry work. The same letters as used in
Figures 4 and 7 are also used in this Figure to denote the same respective parts;
a repetition here therefore is also unnecessary. Air may be supplied to the ash pit,'
and of course underneath the fire bars, at the back and sides of these boilers as.
well as from the front. Although there be only one set of fire doors, the air
may be so supplied by apertures, shewn by dotted lines p, p, Figures 4, 5, 7,
and 8, or in any other convenient way. Figure 13 is the vertical section of a
boiler, shewing the means of applying two sets of vertical conical flues to steain
engine or other boilers in situations where there is not height enough for suffi-
ciently long flues to effect the desired object by one set only, and where it is
inconvenient to have fire doors at the back as well as at the front of the boilers.
E, E, shew the front or first set of flues, and E", E", the second set. M is a
passage to connect the two sets together, and to convey the heated gases
generated by the fire from the first set of flues to the second set, from which
they pass to the chimney. This method of having two or more sets of flues is
proper for locomotive engines. Figures 14 and 15 shews an arrangement of my
apparatus as applied to a pan or vessel for heating or boiling water or other fluids
for bleaching, dyeing, or other purposes. Figure 14 is a vertical section taken
through the centre of the vessel; and Figure 15 is a horizontal section taken
across the above Figure from f to f. A is the vessel; B, the fire-place; C, the
fire bars; D, the ash hole; and E, the fire door. a, a, are vertical flues, tapering
from the bottom to the top, but they are not of either a conical or pyramidal
form, but of an irregular figure to suit the shape of the vessel of which they
form a part. b, b, shew a flue (surrounding the vessel, and also forming a part
of it) into which the upper ends of flues a, a, a, open. c is an opening on one
side of flue b, b, to form a connexion between it and a chimney. d, d, d, are spaces
between the flues a, a, a, and are connected by numerous small holes e, e, e, with
the pan or vessel to allow the water or other fluid which it' may contain to rise

page_text: to the same height in such spaces as it is within the vessel. Figure 16 is a
vertical section of a stove taken through the middle for heating gases, whether
those of which the atmosphere is composed or any others; and Figure 17 is a
horizontal section taken across Figure 16 from a to a. A is the fire place; B, the
ash hole; C, the fire door; D, the fire bars. E, E, are conical funnels through
which the flame or gases pass on their way to the chimney I.
F is a casing
around the funnels. G, G, are spaces around the funels and between them and
the casing through which the gases to be heated are passed, the same entering
in at the holes b, b, b, at the bottom, and escaping at the holes c, c, c, at the top.
Figures 18, 19, 20, and 21, is a stove comprising another arrangement of my
apparatus for the above purposes, shewing the flues in a pyramidal instead of a
conical form, and the flame or smoke from the fire is carried away at the
bottom of the apparatus. b, b, b, is the outer casing; c, c, c, the inner part of the
apparatus. d is the fire-place. e is a receptacle for the ashes; f, the fire door.
9, 9, 9, are connical and vertical flues leading from the fire to a chamber h, sup-
plied with a descending chimney. i, j, are holes to allow the gases required to
be heated to enter into the spaces k, k, around the flues and chamber; and t, t,
are holes to allow them to escape into the atmosphere, or to be conveyed away
for any required purposes by any suitable means. Figure 18 is a side elevation
of the stove. Figure 19 is a vertical section of it, taken across in the middle
of Figure 18 from the front to the back. Figure 21 is a horizontal section
taken across Figures 18 and 19 from a to a; and Figure 20 is a plan or
bird's eye view of the top of Figure 18. Figures 22, 23, 24, and 25, show my
Invention for heating gases as applied to a common fire-place. Figure 22 is
the elevation of such fire-place with my apparatus applied to it. Figure 23 is
a vertical section of them taken through the middle of Figure 22, namely, from
a to a. Figure 24 is a horizontal section of it taken across from 6 to b; and
Figure 25 is a vertical section of Figure 24 taken through it from c to c. The
same letters denote the same parts respectively in all the Figures. A, A, A, A,
is the usual recess in the wall to receive a common fire-place. B, B, B, is the
fire grate; C, C, the ash hole. D, D, D, D, is my apparatus; E, E, E, being
tapering flues to convey the smoke and gases from the fire, and are of an
irregular but somewhat pyramidal shape. F, F, F, are chambers or spaces
adjoining and partly surrounding them, and through these spaces the atmospheric
air is to be passed for the purpose of being heated for warming the room.
d, d, d, d, are apertures for the entrance of the air into the spaces; and e, e, e, e, are
others for its exit from them. This arrangement is intended to convey away to
the chimney the smoke and gases which arise from the combustion of the fuel,
and to separate from them, as much as possible, the atmospheric air heated by

page_text: the fire by radiation and otherwise, and to send it into the room for the warm-
ing thereof, instead of its being, as is usual, mixed with the smoke and gases
and sent with them up the chimney.
Having now described the various parts of the apparatus which constitute
my improvements, I proceed to define and explain the extent of my claims, and
that in numerical order, believing every one of them to be independent of each
other and respectively new and useful.
First, I claim the supplying of a portion of air, as herein-before described, on
each side of the pistons of the cold water pumps (whereby they are made to
work smoothly and pleasantly) of steam engines worked by a vacuum, in which
the condensation of steam is effected through the media of metallic surfaces.
Secondly, I claim the extracting of water or other fluids from stills, boilers,
or other vessels when it becomes too strongly impregnated with saline or other
extraneous matters by the means of applying the agency of the increased
specific gravity of fluids for that purpose, as herein-before described, or by other
suitable apparatus of a similar nature. This claim I divide into three items or
parts, every one being for an object independent of the others, and complete in
itself, viz-First, for extracting water from the distilling apparatus, as herein-
before described and shewn in Figures 2 and 3; second, for extracting water
upon the saine principles and by similar means from steam engine boilers, as
shewn by Figures 4, 5, and 6; and, thirdly, for extracting water and other fluids
from all other kinds of boilers, whether used for the concentration of saline or
other solutions, or for other purposes than those already mentioned.
Thirdly, I claim, in combination with the first item of my last claim, but not
otherwise (as it was described generally in my Patent of the Thirteenth day of
February, One thousand eight hundred and thirty-four) the use of a means or
apparatus for putting in operation the distilling apparatus, as herein-before
mentioned and described by Figures 2 and 3, when the water becomes too low
in the boiler, and for stopping its operation when such water has regained its
proper height, such apparatus superseding the necessity of performing those
operations by hand.
Fourthly, I claim the use of one or more series of vertical tapering flues or
pipes, or of vertical flues or pipes contracted upwards, fixed within and surrounded
wholly or in part by a chamber or chambers containing water or other fluids, or
gases, as the case may be, such flues or pipes being for receiving the flame or heated
air arising from the combustion of coal or other combustible matter, as herein-
before described, whether such flues or pipes be of a conical or pyramidal form.
This claim I divide into five items or parts, every one being independent of the
others, and complete in itself, videlicet:-First, for marine or river steam engine

page_text: boilers; secondly, for stationary or land steam engine boilers; thirdly, for
locomotive steam engine boilers; fourthly,. for boilers or vessels for bleaching
or dyeing, or for any other purposes for which fluids or other matters require to
be evaporated or heated; and, fifthly, for the heating of atmospheric or other
gases, whether for warming rooms or for other purposes.
Fifthly, I claim the use of one or more series of vertical tapering or contracted
flues or pipes, (surrounded wholly or in part by a chamber or chambers con-
taining water or other fluids or gases,) as shewn in Figures 14 and 15, or of flues
or pipes of any other suitable shape or description besides those mentioned in
my fourth claim. This claim I divide into the same five different items or parts
as those into which I divided my fourth claim, cach of which forms in the same
way a distinct and separate object of itself.
Sixthly, I claim the use of a double, triple, or other numerical set of flues or
pipes of the kinds described in my fourth and fifth claims, such pipes being sur-
rounded wholly or in part by a chamber or chambers containing water or other
fluids or gases; and I divide this sixth claim into the same five items or parts as
those into which I divided my fourth and fifth claims..
Seventhly, I claim the use of a series of pipes, as herein-before described,
pervaded internally by water or other fluids (as the case may be) and by the
steam arising therefrom, and acted upon externally by the heated gases arising
from the combustion of coal or other combustible matters on their way to the
chimney after they have passed through the insides of the other series of vertical,
conical, or other flues or pipes mentioned in my fourth and fifth claims. These
pipes, which are herein-before described and shewn by Figures 7, 8, 10, 11,
and 12, I claim only in combination with the vertical, conical, or other flues as
aforesaid.
Eighthly, I claim the method herein-before described of consuming the
smoke of fires, firstly, in combination with the use of such flues or pipes as are
specified herein; and, secondly, as an improvement upon my aforesaid Patent of
the Twenty-fourth day of June, One thousand eight hundred and thirty-six. I
would have it understood, that in all my claims respecting the use of vertical,
conical, pyramidal, or other flues as aforesaid, I only make them for such flues
or pipes when applied separately, as herein-before described, but do not claim
the use of a number of conical pipes or flues placed one within each other for
the purpose of forming passages alternately for water and flame. And I would
here observe, that I do not limit my claims to the precise means or apparatus
or arrangements thereof which I have described in this Specification for the
attainment of the various objects respectively, as they are susceptible of many
variations which are essentially and substantially the same as those which I have