CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS ON STEAM AND OTHER ENGINES
Year: 1833

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDWIN
APPLEBY, of Doncaster, in the County of York, Iron Founder, send greeting.
WHEREAS His present most Excellent Majesty King William the Fourth,
by His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date
at Westminster, the Twenty-ninth day of January, in the third year of His
reign, did, for Himself, His heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Edwin Appleby, His especial licence, full power, sole privilege and
authority, that I, the said Edwin Appleby, my exors, adññiors, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said Edwin Appleby, my exors, adññiors, 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 "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS ON STEAM
AND OTHER ENGINES;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso
that I, the said Edwin Appleby, 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 His 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
Edwin Appleby, do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention to
consist,―
Firstly, in so constructing the boiler of a steam engine that the fireplace
and lower part of the flue shall be surrounded with water in such a manner

page_text: that the passages upwards through the water may allow the current of flame
and of heated air arising from the fire to be alternately diverged and con-
verged in its ascent; and, thus, by alternate rarefactions and condensations of
the current, as well as by numerous reverberations, the greatest part of the
heat may be transmitted to the water, while the heated current passes
through a short distance of space, and no more heat allowed to escape up
the chimney than is requisite for promoting a good draft.
Secondly, in feeding a boiler with water from a forcing pump through a
pipe in which is a stopcock opened and shut by a lever, acted on by: a float
on the surface of the water in the boiler, in a part of. which pipe, outside of
the boiler, there is a valve kept down by a weight rather more than sufficient
to resist the pressure of the steam in the boiler, which loaded valve will rise
and allow the escape of all the water that the pump delivers more than the
boiler requires.
Thirdly, in placing within the boiler, in contact with the flue, at a little
below the proper level of the water, the closed end of a safety tube made of
metal or of a metallic compound, fusible at a heat somewhat higher than the
greatest heat of the water, and in leaving the other end of the safety tube.
open, having its neck fixed into a whistle, trumpet, or other contrivance for
giving alarm, attached to the outside of the boiler, so that should the water
be suffered to sink below the closed end of the safety tube, the same shall be
melted by the heat of the flue, and the steam allowed to escape through the
whistle or other contrivance, and sound an alarm to indicate the necessity of
immediately quenching the fire."
Fourthly, in the fixing of two winged or leaf-formed pistons, upon a shaft
turning in the axis of the working cylinder of a steam engine, the wings
projecting from opposite sides of the shaft, and librating in two separate
compartments about three eights of a revolution around the axis of the
cylinder, the compartments being formed by placing two wedge-like partitions
within the cylinder, and in making the shaft to work through stuffing boxes
in the ends of the cylinder, and in fixing a crank upon one end of the shaft
to transfer, by means of a connecting rod, the librating motion of the pair of
wings to a rotating crank fixed on the main shaft of the engine, and by this
arrangement to produce a more equal action on the main shaft, by the change
of position of the librating crank following in part the change of position of
the revolving crank, while the pressure of steam on the piston is not affected
by this change of position, but which operates by reducing the leverage,
and thereby increasing the power of the impelling crank when the leverage
of the impelled crank is reduced, and thereby requires more power to drive it ;

page_text: and thus much of the irregularity is avoided which arises from a compara-
tively uniform force of a piston sliding longitudinally in a cylinder, acting on
the varying leverage of a revolving crank, and, therefore, I require a less fly
wheel for passing the crank over the centers.
Fifthly, in producing a similar equable action on the main crank by hinging
the two librating wing-formed pistons and a pair of concentric shafts together,
so that one shaft shall work partly within the other, and that one wing shall
be fixed to one shaft passing through a stuffing box in one end of the cylinder,
and the other wing fixed to the other shaft passing through a stuffing-box in
the other end of the cylinder; and in fixing a crank upon each shaft to commu-
nicate the librating motion of the pistons by means of two connecting rods to two
revolving cranks fixed on the main shaft, whereby the two pistons may be made
to act simultaneously upon the main shaft while they both move towards or both
recede from the main shaft; and, in this case, no partitions will be requisite
to divide the cylinder into two compartments, the pistons in all situations
acting as mutual abutments to each other, and when a fly wheel is. to be
avoided, in using the hinged pistons in two compartments of a cylinder to act
on cranks fixed at right angles on the main shaft.
Sixthly, in constructing the working valves of a steam engine in a cylin-
drical form, librating in semi-cylindrical beds, each bed having at the bottom,
lying longitudinally, a long narrow aperture opening into the working cylinder,
by which a communication is established from the steam pipe through the
valve and aperture into the cylinder, and alternately from the cylinder through
tlie aperture and valve into the eduction pipe, the alternation being effected:
by a librating motion of the valve, presenting a long narrow groove or cavity'
in the side of the valve, alternately to include the aperture and the mouth of
each of the respective pipes for steam, and for eduction, and for keeping the.
said valve firmly in its bed, with proper freedom of motion, by' means of a. cap>
pressed upon it, regulated by adjusting screws, by which construction the
valve requires no steam-tight case to inclose it, and leakage can at all times:
be seen, and the valve be easily lubricated or taken out for repairs.
Seventhly, in packing the stuffing box of a steam engine with a cord taking.
one turn round the piston rod or shaft, the two ends of which cord pass out
through two grooves, in opposite directions, made in the rim of the stuffing:
box, and in its cap, the recesses and grooves in the stuffing box and in the
cap corresponding to the half dimensions of the cord, and in causing each
end of the cord to be attached to a spring to keep up a constant tension of the
cord, in order to its embracing the piston rod or shaft sufficiently tight to
prevent the escape of steain without creating much. friction.

page_text: And, eighthly, in making an engine to be worked by the hydrostatic
pressure of water by means of my librating wing-formed pistons combined
with common cocks, instead of with my librating valves.
And I do further declare that the manner in which I carry these several
parts of my said Invention into effect is particularly set forth and explained in
the following description thereof, reference being had to the Drawings here-
unto annexed, and to the figures, letters, and numbers herein contained, that
is to say:
Fig. 1 represents a vertical section through the middle of my steam boiler,
and a view of the parts that would be seen beyond such a section; Fig. 2, a
horizontal section of the boiler from A to B of Fig. 1, with a view of parts
below the section; Fig. 3, a side view of a librating steam engine containing
my two-winged or leaf-formed pistons fixed upon one shaft, librating within a
cylinder divided into two compartments by two wedge-like partitions combined
with four of my librating valves, the lower compartment and valves being
represented in section, and part of the frame broken away; Fig. 4, plan of
the same; Fig. 5, edge view of the wedge-like partition; Fig. 6, longitudinal
section through the middle of the same; Fig. 7, a vertical section through
the cylinder and valves of a librating steam engine, formed of my two-
hinged pistons and shafts combined with two of my librating valves;
Fig. 8, a side view of the pair of pistons fixed on the shaft, and one
cheek removed to exhibit a method of applying metallic packing; Fig. 9 an
edge view of the pair of pistons, shewing the groove for the packing to lie
in; Fig. 10, side view of the pair of hinged pistons and shafts, and one cheek
removed to shew the form of metallic packing best adapted to this construction
of piston; Fig. 11, edge view of the same, with groove for the packing to lie in ;
Fig. 12, side view of the knuckles, shewn separately, with projections or tangs
cast to them, upon which the pistons are to be fastened, mortices being cast in the
pistons to receive these projections; Fig. 13, cdge view of the same; Fig. 14,
a perspective view of the bed in which the valve librates, shewing a partition
to divide the long narrow apertures into two lengths for the sake of the
strength of the cylinder; Fig. 15, perspective view of the librating valve,
shewing the groove or recess also divided into two lengths corresponding with
those in the apertures of the beds; Fig. 16, plan of the back of the cap to
keep the valve in its bed; Fig. 17, side view of the cord, packing, and
springs; Fig. 18, horizontal section through part of the stuffing box and
cap to lay bare the cord packing.
It is to be noted that in all the Figures the same letters and numbers of
reference signify the same parts. (a), the ashpit and base of the boiler;

page_text: (b), the fire bars; (c), the fire doorway day; (d), the outside case of the
boiler, made of rolled plate iron rivetted together; (e, f, g,), the inside case of
the boiler constituting the fire sides and flue of cast or wrought iron, the lower
part (e) being made in one piece, with a flanch at bottom bolted to a flanch
at the bottom of the outside case (d). The second part (f), being made in
another piece, is bolted upon the lower piece; and the third part (9), made
also in one piece, is bolted upon the second piece. The thickness repre-
sented in the Drawing of this inside case is that proper for cast iron, which in
this construction would be perfectly safe for a boiler of small dimensions, but
for large boilers or for any high-pressures wrought iron should be used.
(h), a continuation of the flue towards the chimney, the joining, with the
piece (9), being made tight by a hoop falling over the two conical parts,
which met together; a similar mode of joining may be made between the top
of the piece (h) and the further continuation of the flue, so that the piece (h)
may be taken away at pleasure, by merely lifting up the hoops, without dis-
turbing the rest of the fluc, and thus access to the inside of the piece (g) is
easily obtained for cleansing the same. (i), the hoop covering the place of
meeting of the flue pieces; (), the safety tube and whistle, fixed in the outside
case of the boiler; (k), threc centicular compartiments, from cach of which
proceed three tubes terminating in flanches, which are bolted within the inside
boiler case, opposite to apertures corresponding with those of the proceeding
tubes, so as to allow a free communication of the water in the centicular
compartments with that in the other part of the boiler. The rim forming the
edge of the compartment, together with the three projecting tubes, are most
economically made of cast iron, and the top and bottom plates of sheet iron,.
rivitted through the rim and through the top and bottom of the tubes. But
I do not confine myself to cast iron nor to the centicular figure, since nearly
the same objects might be obtained by the top and bottom of the com-
partment being flat or concave, and the whole may be made of wrought iron
or of copper. (1), two apertures, opposite each other, the one through the
outside case, and the other through the inside case of the boiler, both aper-
tures being closed by doors held in their places by screws and cross bars.
Two pair of such apertures, at nearly opposite sides of the boiler, will be
sufficient for introducing a broom to sweep all the parts of the flue not
accessible from above by the removal of the flue piece (h), or from below
by taking out some of the fire bars. (m), apertures through the outside case
of the boiler, closed by doors held in their places screws and cross bars,
through which apertures, when the doors are removed, access will be had to
the inside of the boiler to clear away any filth or concretion which may there.

page_text: accumulate. Nine such apertures, opposite to the nine proceeding tubes of
the three lenticular compartiments, together with one common manhole at the
top, will afford access to all the interior of a boiler of the construction repre-
sented in the Drawing. (n), a cock to draw off the water; (p), two guage
cocks (r), the steam pipe leading to the engine; (s), the pipe leading from
the feeding pump; (t), the cock, arm, and float to regulate the supply of water
to the boiler; (u), the valve to let off the surplus water; shewn by dotted
lines; (v), the lever and weight to load the valve; (w), the pipe to carry off
the surplus water, Figs. 3 and 4; (1), the base or foundation plate of the
steam engine, resting on brickwork or masonry; (2), the frame supporting
the bearings of the shafts; (3), the bearings; (4), the main shaft; (5), the
crank on the main shaft; (6), the connecting rod; (7), the crank on the
piston shaft (8), the working cylinder; (9), the wedge-like partitions
dividing the interior of the cylinder into two compartments, the lower one of
which compartments is shown as open, and the upper one as closed, but they
are to be understood as being counterparts to each other (see also Figs. 5
and 6); (10), the packing groove for the packing against the shaft; (11), par-
titions in the packing groove for the sake of strength to resist the pressure of
the, packing. These partitions terminate on thin edges at a little distance
from the shaft, so as to leave the packing entire throughout the whole length
of the groove. (12), a cap and adjusting screws to follow the packing, which
packing might be of hemp, either faced or not faced with metal at the part
rubbing against the shaft; (13), (Figs. 3, 4, 8, and 9), the piston shaft;
(14), the two-winged or leaf pistons fixed on the shaft; (15), the packing
groove and metallic packing around the edge of the leaves; (16), wedges and
springs to force out the packing; (17), (Figs. 3, 4, 14, 15, and 16), the
librating valves; (18), the beds in which the valves librate; (19), the aperture
from the steam pipe into the bed; (20), the aperture from the bed into the
cylinder; (21), the aperture from the bed into the eduction pipe; (22), the
longitudinal groove in the valve to form the communication alternately
between the steam pipe and the cylinder, and between the cylinder and the
eduction pipe; (23), the cap and adjusting screws for holding the librating
valve in its bed; (24), (Figs. 3 and 4), levers and connecting rods for
working the valves; (25), hand geer and excentrics; (26), the flanches of the
cylinder, and of the steam and eduction pipes; (27), the caps or doors
enclosing the two ends of the compartments of the cylinder; (28), (Figs. 7,
10, 11, 12, and 13,) the working. cylinder without any partitions; (29), the
inner shaft, which in Fig. 10 is partly shewn by dotted lines, as if seen through
the outer shaft; (30), the outer shaft cast in a piece with one part of the double t

page_text: knuckle, together with its tang; (31), the other part of the double knuckle,
with its tang (32), the single knuckle fixed upon the inner shaft, together
with its tang. The tangs are represented by dotted lines in Figs. 7, 10, and
11, and shewn in Figs. 12 and 13. (33), (Fig. 7,) the steam pipes and inlets
to the valves; (34), the eduction pipes and passages from the valves; (35), the
apertures into the cylinder; (36), the pistons, increasing in thickness towards
the extremities, in order to nearly fill up the space between the pistons at the
moment of opening the steam valve, so that but little steam may be wasted at
the change of stroke. It is unnecessary here to repeat 'the description of the
valves, flanches, and other parts, they having been clearly described under
Figs. 3, 4, 14, 15, and 16, nor to give any Drawing of the cranks and con-:
necting rods. It will sufficient to say that there must be a crank on the outer
shaft at one end of the cylinder, and another crank on the inner shaft at the
other end of the cylinder, and two connecting rods communicating the simul-
taneous motion of the pistons to two cranks on the main shaft, and when a
fly wheel is to be avoided the pistons of Fig. 3 are to be hinged together, and
to a pair of shafts,, and caused to act on two cranks fixed at right angles on
the main shaft. (37), (Figs. 17 and 18,) the cord packing; (38), the springs
to keep the cord packing in a state of tension; (39), the stuffing box;'
(40), the cap of the stuffing box; (41), the piston shaft or piston rod;
(42), (Fig. 10,) washers of thin brass, put in between the knuckles, which,
when by long wear they do not fill up the spaces, may be removed, and
thicker washers placed in their stead; (43), (Fig. 11,) ferrules of thin tube,
similar to telescope tubing, put into the two knuckles which work upon the
inner shaft, which ferrules, when too much worm, may be replaced by others
of a proper thickness to fill up the spaces.
And I do further declare, that the boiler and engine herein-before described
are such as I make to produce the power of about ten or twelve horses when
worked with steam of about two atmospheres of pressure without condensing,
and that from these dimensions and proportions, 'measured by the scale laid
down in the Drawings, a competent steam-engine maker can calculate the
dimensions and proportions required for engines of other degrees of power and
other heights of pressure, used with or without condensing: And also when
the librating pistons are applied to a water-pressure engine, any person, well
acquainted with the making of such 'engines will know how to calculate the
dimensions due to the given heigth of the water and work required to be
performed.
And I do further declare, that for boilers of large dimensions I encrease
the numbers and the diameters of the lenticular compartpients, to diverge and

page_text: dilate more extensively and more frequently the ascending current of flame
and of heated air, and also increase the number of the intermediate necks or
inward projections of the inner boiler sides, in order to contract and to con-
dense the said current, so that the numbers of the condensations, dilations,
and reverbations of the ascending current of flame and of heated air may
correspond with the magnitude of the furnace from which the current arises,
and thereby to extricate all the heat not necessary to a good draught in the
chimney.
And I do lastly declare, that the points of novelty and utility which I claim
to have invented are, the eight parts of my said Invention herein first declared
as carried into effect in the manner herein described, the other common parts
of steam engines being shewn. and referred to merely in elucidation of my
Invention.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edwin Appleby, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Twenty-fifth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and thirty-three.
Inrolled the Twenty-ninth day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and thirty-three.