IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES AND STEAM VESSELS
Year: 1847

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, DAVID
NAPIER, of Glenshellish Strachur, Argyleshire, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Eighth day of April One
thousand eight hundred and forty-seven, in the tenth year of Her reign, did,
for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said David
Napier, my exors, admors, and assigns, Her especial licence, full power, sole
privilege and authority, that I, the said David Napier, my cñors, admors, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said David Napier, my exors, adñiors, 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 AND
STEAM VESSELS;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso that I, the
the said David Napier, shall cause a particular description of the nature of my
said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, by an instru-
ment in writing under my hand and seal, 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
David Napier, do hereby declare that the nature of my Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described and ascer-

page_text: DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 shews the section of a steam cylinder having the stuffing box so
arranged that it may be moved to and fro on a flexible connection between it
and the cylinder cover, so as to allow the piston rod to assume angles in
respect to the piston, and that offering a more convenient means of connecting
the piston rod directly to the crank than has heretofore been devised. a is the
steam cylinder; b, the piston; c, the piston rod; e, the stuffing box which
attaches to the upper part of the flexible connection d, between it and the
cylinder cover, such flexible material being of vulcanized india-rubber or
other suitable material, strengthened with rings externally and internally, the
rings being attached by screws or otherwise to the flexible material, or the
requisite strength may be obtained by other means; 9 is one of two guides
in which studs or projections on the stuffing box move, as the piston rod
assumes different positions or angles in respect to the piston.
Figures 2 and 8 shew two sections at right angles to each other of a steam
engine cylinder, having a sliding stuffing box arranged according to the second
part of my Invention. Figure 4 shews a plan thereof. According to this
arrangement the stuffing box is made to slide on the cover of the cylinder,
the stuffing box having a rocking motion to accommodate it to the varying
angle of the piston rod. The slides are also so arranged that they shall not
be forced off their seats by the steam, the slides being pressed back towards
the cover of the cylinder by the pressure of the steam within the cylinder by
levers. a is the steam cylinder; b, the piston; c, the piston rod; e, the stuffing
box, the lower end being circular so as to fit the recess in the slide f, which
slide slides on a slide 9, which slide 9 slides on a cover h of the cylinder. By
this arrangement of several slides the traversing is divided amongst them, and
thereby contained in less space, as will readily be traced by the Drawings.
The piston is guided by two uprights i, i, which are each lubricated by the
means shewn at Figure 5, where a grease cock j allows of grease to descend
into a channel k, and thence over the surface of the upright. I, I, are flexible
surfaces over openings in the cover of the steam cylinder, on each of which
there rests a bent lever m, the other end of the lever pressing on the slide
carrying the stuffing box; hence, when the under surfaces of the flexible
material are pressed on by steam, they will raise that end of each lever, and
consequently press on the slides, and thus cause them to resist the pressure of

page_text: the steam which is for the time being pressing against the under side of the
slides, and thus prevent the slides being lifted off their seats. I would remark
that, in place of flexible surfaces, short cylinders with pistons might be used
in the cover of the steam cylinder, in order thus to act on the levers, and
therefore on the slides, to press them down. n, n, are the passages through
which the steam passes from the upper part of the cylinder to,, press on the
flexible surfaces; o is a chamber formed on the cover of the steam cylinder,
so as to surround the stuffing box and slide apparatus, in order that the whole
of such apparatus may be constantly immersed in oil or other lubricating fluid.
I will now describe the third part of my Invention, which relates to engines
where two piston rods are employed to one piston. This part of my Invention
will readily be understood by reference to Figures 6 and 7, where a is the
piston, b, b, the two piston rods passing through two stuffing boxes as hereto-
fore. Each piston is connected to the bars c, c, by the arched connections d, d,
so that the two bars c, c, will be lifted up and down by the rising and falling of
the piston in the cylinder. The bars c, c, are guided by the guides d', d, and e
is a connecting rod (from the crank f,) which is forked so as to be connected to
the two bars c, c. It will be seen by this arrangement of parts that the main
shaft g can be brought very near to the cover of the steam, cylinder, and this
is done by placing the main shaft in a plane midway between the two
piston rods.
I will now describe the fourth part of my Invention; This part of my
Invention consists of a mode of constructing a vessel's bottom in combination
with condensing apparatus and other parts, whereby a more advantageous
result will be obtained in condensing steam, and at the same time the parts of
the condensing apparatus will be rendered more accessible than heretofore.
In order to carry out this part of my Invention I so construct the bottom of
a steam boat that it shall form the bottom of the chamber in which a system
of tubes are arranged for condensing the steam, and I apply additional engines,
which are at all times to work, for pumping the condensed water into a proper
be forced to the
cistern, from which, by ordinary force pumps, the water is
boiler or boilers, and for giving motion to a fan for causing water to circulate
through the condensing apparatus when the steam-boat is at rest.
. ...
Figure 8 shows a plan partly in section, and Figure 9 an, elevation in sec-
tion, of so much of apparatus and steam machinery as will enable me to
describe this part of my Invention. a is a steam engine cylinder for pro-
pelling the vessel. The mode of constructing the condensing and other appa-
ratus, according to this part of my Invention, is, however, equally applicable
to other arrangements of steam engines having more cylinders.. b, b, is part

page_text: of the bottom of a steam vessel on which is constructed the chamber c, c, of the
tube apparatus constituting the condensing chamber, which may be variously
arranged so long as the bottom of the vessel forms part of the condensing
chamber when tubes are used. The apparatus shewn consists of short tubes
fore and aft, the steam engine or engines and long tubes running in a direc
tion fore and aft of the vessel. This arrangement of condensing apparatus
will not only bring the weight lower down in the vessel, but will give greater
stiffness and strength to the bottom of the vessel. d, d, are the main covers
of the chamber, so that in fact the condensing chamber is formed between
the bottom of the vessel and these plates d, d, by the side and end plates, as
shewn; e, e, are the pipes or tubes for forming the condensing surfaces; ff
and g, g, are covers to the compartments h, h, where the ends of the tubes
come, and these covers ƒ and g have other smaller covers i, i. It will thus be
seen that if any of the tubes become defective, by simply removing the covers
i such tubes may be at once stopped by plugs, and in case any of the tubes
require to be removed, this can readily be done by removing the covers f, g,
when the vessel is in dock or otherwise not in the water. j, shows one of
two small engines which receives steam from the steam boiler, and they are
driven by the steam so long as the same is at sufficient pressure to do so, there
being no stopping and starting gear to these engines, the object being that
these engines should at all times be going without the intervention of any
person; and these engines are to pump condensed water into a cistern from
the condensing apparatus, in order that the boiler or boilers may be supplied
therefrom, and they are also for the purpose of giving motion to a fan wheel
not shewn, which is to be placed in any convenient locality, so as to give
motion to the water through the condensing chamber, particularly when the
main steam engine is not at work to propel the vessel, by which means the
condensing apparatus will not be liable to become hot when the vessel is at
rest. In order to prevent the force pumps forcing air into the boiler or boilers
before the water falls below the suction pipes of the force pumps, I apply ball-
cocks to such suction pipes, which will shut off the communication. The steam
boilers are to have a steam pipe leading to the condensers with a valve closed
by a weight something less than that of the safety valves (making allowance
for the additional weight that will be necessary on account of the vacuum), by
which the steam will blow into the condensers, and that being combined with
the arrangement of apparatus for giving motion to the water in the condenser,
will, in most cases, prevent any steam blowing off at the safety valves. k, k,
are openings for the ingress and egress of water into and from the condensing
chamber through the bottom of the vessel.

page_text: Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I would have it understood that I do not
confine myself to the details, so long as the peculiar character of either part
of my Invention he retained. But what I claim is,―
First, the application of a flexible connection between the cylinder cover
and the stuffing box, so as to allow the piston rod to assume varied angles
with the piston, as described, in respect to Figure 1.
Secondly, I claim the mode described of applying a stuffing box to slides.
I also claim the employment of the pressure of steam in the cylinder to press
down the slide or slides by which the stuffing box is carried.
And I also claim the surrounding of a sliding stuffing box with a chamber
of lubricating matter.
Thirdly, I claim the mode of arranging the parts described in respect to
Figures 6 and 7.
And fourthly, I claim the mode of constructing a condensing apparatus
consisting of tubes, by making one part of the condensing chamber to consist
of the bottom of the vessel in the manner herein described.
And I also claim the application of covers f, g, i, over the spaces where the ends
of the tubes come, so as to get ready access to the ends of the condenser tubes.
And I also claim the application of separate self-acting engines constantly
working when there is steam enough for the purpose, in order to give motion
to water in the condensing chambers used, and for pumping water out of the
condensing apparatus, as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said David Napier, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Eighth day of October, in the year of our Lord One thou-
sand eight hundred and forts-seven