CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MARINE STEAM ENGINES, PART OF WHICH IS APPLICABLE ALSO TO SHIPS' PUMPS
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Henry Muntz, of Millbrook, in the County
of Hants, and Henry King, of the same Place, Engineer, for the Inven-
tion of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MARINE STEAM ENGINES, PART OF WHICH
IS APPLICABLE ALSO TO SHIPS' PUMPS."
Scaled the 31st July 1860, and dated the 14th May 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Henry Muntz
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
14th May 1860.
We, WILLIAM HENRY MUNTZ, of Millbrook, in the County of Hants,
and HENRY KING, of the same Place, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MARINE STEAM ENGINES,
PART OF WHICH IS APPLICABLE ALSO TO SHIPS' PUMPS," to be as follows:-
The cross head of the piston rod works on two vertical guide rods which
are boltod to the cylinder cover, and at the same time form supports for the
upper part of the framework which carries the crank shaft. This part of the
framework it is proposed to make of iron or steel plates placed on edge and
bolted together so as to give increased strength and rigidity with reduced
weight. The side rods at the ends of the cross head are connected to one end
of a half beam or lever of the second kind (at cach side of the engine), which
vibrates on a fulcrum at the other end attached to the main framework. The
connecting rods are attached to the half beams or levers at a point between
the side rods and the fulcrum, say, at about one-fourth to one-sixth the whole

page_text: length of the lever from the end where the power is applied, the stroke of the
piston being, of course, proportionably longer than the diameter of the circle
described by the crank. The air-pump rods are attached to the lever still
nearer to the fulcrum. The slide valve and ports are on the inner side of the
cylinder, between it and the air pump. The slide valve is furnished with a
back plate having ports slightly nearer to each other than those of the cylinder
facing. The foot valve and air-pump bucket are formed of plates of metal
perforated, and covered at the top with a solid disc of indian-rubber, which is
attached thereto by a nut or screw at its centre, and is therefore capable of
assuming a concave or cup-like form to allow of the passage of the water
through the perforations. This part of our Invention is also applicable to
ships pumps. In cases where it is desirable to have a low crank shaft and a
long connecting rod, a short lever may be attached to the fulcrum of the half
beam or lever above named projecting upwards at a suitable angle thereto,
and a long connecting rod from the crank attached to the upper end of the
In this case the half beam and the short lever together form a kind of
bell-crank lever, and the connecting rod lies at an acute angle with the horizon.
In some instances we make the upper framework and bearings which carry
the paddle shaft moveable, so as to be capable of being lowered and raised
at pleasure by means of strong set screws, in which case the connecting rod
is made in two parts coupled by a long nut or scrowed boss having right and
left hand screw threads, in order that it may be contracted or expanded in a
corresponding degree.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Henry Muntz in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 14th November 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, WILLIAM
HENRY MUNTZ, of Millbrook, in the County of Hants, and HENRY KING, of
the same Place, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourteenth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-third year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the
said William Henry Muntz and Henry King, Her special licence that we,
the said William Henry Muntz and Henry King, our executors, adminis
trators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said William Henry Muntz

page_text: and Henry King, our executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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 Island, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MARINE STEAM ENGINES, PART OF WHICH IS APPLICABLE ALSO TO SHIPS'
PUMPS," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said William Henry
Muntz and Henry King, our exccutors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under our, or one of our, or their, or one of their bands and
seals, 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said William Henry Muntz and Henry
King, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement in writing, and on reference to the
accompanying Drawings, that is to say:-
The cross head of the piston rod works on two vertical guide rods which aro
bolted to the cylinder cover, and at the same time form supports for the upper
part of the framework which carries the crank shaft. This part of the frame-
work it is proposed to make of iron or steel plates placed on edge and bolted
together, so as to give increased strength and rigidity with reduced weight.
The side rods at the ends of the cross head are connected to one end of a half
beam or lever of the second kind (at each side of the engine), which vibrates
on a fulcrum at the other end attached to the main framework. The connect-.
ing rods are attached to the half beams or levers at a point between the side
rods and the fulcrum, say, at about one-fourth to one-sixth the whole length
of the lever from the end where the power is applied, the stroke of the piston
being, of course, proportionably longer than the diameter of the circle described
by the crank. The air-pump rods are attached to the lever still nearer to the
fulcrum. The slide valve and ports are on either side of the cylinder. The
slide valve is furnished with a back plate having ports slightly nearer to each
other than those of the cylinder facing. The foot valve and air pump bucket
are formed of plates of metal perforated, and covered at the top with a solid
disc of indian-rubber, which is attached thereto by a nut or screw at its centre,
and is therefore capable of assuming a concave or cup-like form to allow of
the passage of the water through the perforations. This part of our Invention

page_text: is also applicable to ships' pumps. In cases where it is desirable to have a low
crank shaft and a long connecting rod, a short lever may be attached to the
fulcrum of the half beam or lever above named; projecting upwards at a
suitable angle thereto, and a long connecting rod from the crank attached to
the upper end of the same. In this case the half beam and the short lever
together form a kind of bell-crank lever, and the connecting rod lies at an
acute angle with the horizon. In some instances we propose to make the
upper framework and bearings which carry the paddle shaft moveable, so as
to be capable of being lowered and raised at pleasure by means of strong set
screws, in which case the connecting rod is made in two parts coupled by a
long nut or screwed boss having right and left hand screw threads in order
that it may be contracted or expanded in a corresponding degree.
Such being the nature and object of our said Invention for "Certain Inf-
provements in Marine Steam Engines, part of which is applicable also to Ships
Pumps," we will proceed to describe more in detail the manner in which the
same is to be or may be performed or carried into practical effect, and in order
that our Invention may be clearly explained and readily understood, we have
annexed hereunto a Sheet of illustrative Drawings, and have marked the same
with figures and letters of reference corresponding with those in the following
explanation thereof, that is to say.
Figure 1 in the annexed Drawing represents an elevation shewn partly in sec-
tion of a marine steam engine constructed according to our Invention; A, A, is
the steam cylinder; B, B, the piston rod; C, C, guide rods for the piston cross-
head bolted to the cylinder cover, and also serving as supports for the upper
part of the framework D, D, which carries the crank shaft E, E. This upper
framework D, D, we make of iron or steel plates placed on edgo and bolted
together, so as to give great strength combined with lightness. This frame-
work is also further supported by the diagonal stay F, F, and the transverso
beam G, G; II, II, represents one of the side rods attached to the ends of the
piston cross head, and connected at its lower end to one extremity of a half
beam (or lever of the second kind). I, I, which vibrates on a fulcrum K, at the
other end, fixed to the main framework; L, L, is the connecting rod attached
at its upper end to the crank M, M, and connected at its lower extremity to
the lever or half-beam I, I ; , N, is the air-pump, the side rods of which aro
attached to the half-beam I, I, at a point between the connecting rod and the
fulcrum; 0, 0, is the excentric rod and hand gear; P, P, is the slide valve,
placed on the inner side of the cylinder, and furnished with a back plate Q, Q,
having ports therein slightly nearer to each other than those of the cylinder
facing; R, R, is the condenser; and S, S, the air vessel. The foot valve and

page_text: air-pump bucket T, T, are formed of circular plates of metal a, a, perforated
(as shown in Figure 2), and covered at the top with a solid disc b, b, of indian-
rubber, which is attached thereto by a nut or screw c, c, at the centre, so as to
be capable (as before described) of assuming a concave or cup-like form to
allow of the passage of the water through the perforations.
The dotted lines U, U, V, V, shew the method of obtaining greater length
of connecting rod (when desired) in this class of engine. The part U, U, is
a continuation of the half beam I, I, which then forms a bell-crank lever, and
the long connecting rod V, V, lies at an acute angle with the horizon.
Having now described the nature and objects of our said Invention for
"Certain Improvements in Marine Steam Engines, part of which is applicable
also to Ships' Pumps," together with the manner in which the same is to bo
or may be performed or carried into practical effect, we would remark in
conclusion that we claim as our Invention,-
Firstly, the general construction and arrangement of marine steam engines,
as shewn in the Drawing, and above described.
Secondly, constructing the upper frame which carrics the crank shaft of
iron or steel plates set on edge.
Thirdly, the construction and application of the slide valve with back plate,
as shown in the Drawing, the steam passages being made so as to cut off the
steam at about half-stroke and keep the exhaust open longer, thereby pre-
venting back pressure.
And, fourthly, with respect to marine steam engines and ships" pumps, we
claim the use of buckets and valves made of perforated metal plates and
solid indian-rubber discs, as shewn in the Drawings, and herein-before
described.
In witness whereof, we, the said William Henry Muntz and Henry
King, have hereunto set our hands and seals, tho Twelfth day of
November, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred
and sixty.
WILLIAM HENRY MUNTZ. (L.S.)
HENRY KING.
(L.S.)