IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING MOTIVE POWER, WORKED BY HIGHLY HEATED ELASTIC FLUID, WHETHER THIS BE STEAM AIR OR OTHER GASES, PARTS OF WHICH APPARATUS PURPOSES " ARE APPLICABLE TO STEAM ENGINES AND TO OTHER PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Matthew Piers Watt Boulton at present of Pegli in the
Kingdom of Italy and Edward Perrett of N° 8 Victoria Chambers,
Westminster in the County of Middlesex for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING MOTIVE POWER, WORKED BY HIGHLY HEATED
ELASTIC FLUID, WHETHER THIS BE STEAM AIR OR OTHER GASES, PARTS OF
WHICH APPARATUS
PURPOSES
"
ARE APPLICABLE TO STEAM ENGINES AND TO
OTHER
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Matthew Piers Watt Boulton
and Edward Perrett at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the
18th December 1883.
$5
MATTHEW PIERS WATT BOULTON at present of Pegli, in the Kingdom of Italy,
and EDWARD PERRETT of N° 8 Victoria Chambers Westminster in the County of
Middlesex, IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING MOTIVE POWER WORKED
BY HIGHLY HEATED ELASTIC FLUID, WHETHER THIS BE STEAM AIR OR OTHER GASES,
PARTS OF WHICH APPARATUS ARE APPLICABLE TO STEAM ENGINES AND TO OTHER
PURPOSES
"
This Invention relates principally to engines worked by highly heated elastic
fluid and more particularly to the case where this elastic fluid is steam generated in
a boiler. Parts of it are applicable generally to heaters and condensers.
In the Specifications of Patents granted to us on the 14th of April 1882 N° 1788
and on the 23rd of October 1882 N° 5047 we described a construction of heater in
which fire-brick or other suitable material is heated by passing through it products
of combustion and the beater is subsequently put in counection with an air engine
and used to heat the working air of that engine. According to our present
invention, we use a similar heater for heating steam contained or generated in a
separate vessel or boiler, the steam so heated working the engine.
The engine is constructed generally as a hot air engine, precautions being taken
to prevent or impede communication of heat from the part of the cylinder to which
the hot steam is admitted to the part where the piston works. The part of the
cylinder which receives the hot steam and in which the piston does not work may
[ Price Rd

page_text: be lined with fire-brick or other suitable material which impedes the transmission
of heat. One plan is to coat it magnetic oxide of iron and the shield and other
parts with which the hot steam comes in contact may be coated in like manner, as
may also be the piston of an ordinary steam engine. The part of the cylinder
where the piston works may be surrounded by a passage containing steam or water
in communication with the boiler.
The hot products of combustion which issue from the heater in the final stage of
the operation of heating it, may be caused to pass through the flues of the boiler
and assist in the production of steam. The steam may work in a single cylinder or
various combinations of cylinders may be employed, as in ordinary steam engines.
In one construction of engine we employ two pairs of single-acting cylinders,
those of each pair being set opposite to one another and having their pistons
connected to one crank on a shaft mounted between the cylinders. Each pair of
cylinders has its own admission of steam which acts first in one of the cylinders
aud farther expands in the other.
The form of heater which we described in our former Specifications above
referred to, is modified by us as follows:-We provide our annular passage or
passages between the metal case and the fire-brick structure within it, and the
steam or air to be heated passes first through this annular passage, after which it
passes through the heated fire-brick or other material enclosed within the case.
When superheated steam is required for manufacturing or other purpose, this
form of heater may be employed.
As a refrigerator or cooling chamber to cool the air of a hot air engine, we
employ a chamber in which perforated bricks or other suitable materials are
disposed in the same manner as in the heater above referred to, and are cooled by
cold water wetting their surfaces; the air which it is desired to cool being caused
to pass between and in contact with these wetted surfaces.
The like construction may be used as a condenser of steam in steam engines.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by.
the said Matthew Piers Watt Boulton and Edward Perrett in the Patent Office
on the 16th June 1884.
MATTHEW PIERS WATT BOULTON at present of Pegli in the Kingdom of Italy
and EDWARD PERRETT of No. 8 Victoria Chambers, Westminster in the County of
Middlesex "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING MOTIVE POWER WORKED
BY HIGHLY HEATED ELASTIC FLUID, WHETHER THIS BE STEAM, AIR OR OTHER GASES,
PARTS OF WHICH APPARATUS ARE APPLICABLE TO STEAM ENGINES AND TO OTHER
PURPOSES
"
This invention relates principally to engines worked by highly heated elastic
fluid, and more particularly where the elastic fluid is steam generated in a boiler.
Parts of it are applicable generally to heaters and condensers.
In the Specifications of Patents granted to us on the 14th of April 1882 N° 1788,
and on 23rd October 1882 N° 5047, we described a construction of heater in which
firebrick or other suitable material is heated by passing through it products of
combustion, and the heater is subsequently put in connection with an air engine and
used to heat the working air to that engine. According to our present invention,
we use a similar heater for heating steam contained or generated in a separate
vessel or boiler, the steam so heated working the engine.
The engine is constructed generally as a hot air engine, precautions being taken
in the cylinder or cylinders where the steam first operates, to prevent or impede
communication of heat from the part of the cylinder into which the hot steam is
admitted to the part where the piston works. The part of the cylinder which
receives the hot steam and in which the piston does not work, may be lined with
firebrick or other suitable material which impedes the transmission of heat. One
plan is to coat it with magnetic oxide of iron and the shield and other parts with
which the hot steam comes in contact, may be coated in like manner, as may also
be the piston of an ordinary steam engine. The part of the cylinder where the
piston works may be surrounded by a passage containing steam or water in
communication with the boiler.
The hot products of combustion which issue from the heater in the final stage of
the operation of heating it, may be caused to pass through the flues of the boiler
and assist in the production of steam. The steam may work in a single cylinder,
or various combinations of cylinders may be employed as in ordinary steam
engines.
In one construction of engine, we employ two pairs of single acting cylinders,
those of each pair being set opposite to one another, and having their pistons
connected to one crank on a shaft mounted between the cylinders. Each pair of
cylinders has its own admission of steam, which acts first in one cylinder and
further expands in the other.
The form of heater which we described in our former Specifications above referred
to, is modified by us as follows:-We provide an annular passage or passages
between the metal case, and the firebrick structure within it, and the steam or air
to be heated passes first through this annular passage, after which it passes through
the heated fire brick or other material enclosed within the case.
When superheated steam is required for manufacturing, or other purposes, this
form of heater may be employed.
As a refrigerator or cooling chamber, to cool the air of a hot air engine, we
employ a chamber in which perforated bricks or other suitable materials are
disposed in the same manner as in the heater above referred to, and are cooled by

page_text: cold water wetting their surfaces, the air which it is desired to cool being caused
to pass between and in contact with these wetted surfaces.
A like construction may be used as a condenser of steam in steam engines, and
also for cooling the condensing water of steam engines. In the latter case, a
current of air is caused to flow through the interstices of the brick or porous
material, by means of a fan or suitable apparatus, while the warm condensing
water flowing over the surfaces of the brick or material, is cooled by the current
of air.
The accompanying drawings represent various forms of engines to which, our
invention is applicable, as examples of arrangements suitable for land, marine,
or locomotive engines.
Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section partly in elevation and fig. 2 is a plan of a
hot air engine provided with a heater and cooler according to our invention.
A is the beater, which is a strong vessel containing fire-bricks a built up loosely
within it with interstices between them, for passage of air. At the bottom is a
fire-grate a¹, on which is burned the fuel for heating the fire-bricks, the door a³
being then open, and also the valve a³ at the top in a passage leading to a chimney.
The products of combustion from the fire on a', after ascending through the
interstices of the fire-bricks a, are deflected by the fire-brick dome a, descend an
inner annular passage a, and then ascend by an outer annular passage aⓇ (which
is separated from a by a cylindrical partition a³) and pass the open valve a³ to the
chimney. When the fire-bricks a are sufficiently heated, the fire door a² is tightly
closed and also the valve a³, and then the air in the upper or cool part of the
pumping cylinder being forced in by the pipe a, descends the outer annular
passage a, ascends the inner annular passage a³, is deflected downwards by the
dome a, descends through the interstices of the brickwork a, becoming heated and
finally passes out by the pipe a to work the engine.
In the drawing the heater is shewn with a grate and door suitable for the
combustion of solid fuel, such as coal or coke. But liquid or gaseous fuel may be
employed as the source of heat, in which case a furnace suitable for the combustion
of such fuel is provided and cocks and valves are provided in lieu of the door as
shewn.
The engine has two cylinders B and C fitted with pistons b and c, which are
connected to cranks set opposite to each other on the fly wheel shaft D. On this
shaft are suitable eccentrics or cams for working the valves, by which the working
fluid is admitted to and discharged from the cylinders. The piston b has below it
a shield b¹, which, when the piston is down occupies the lower or hot part b² of the
cylinder. This hot part ba is attached to the upper cool part 6³ by bolts passing
through flanges which have interposed between them several layers b* of asbestos
or other suitable material that is a bad conductor of heat. It is of advantage to
provide means of heating the lower part 6 of the cylinder. This may be done by
arranging below it a fire grate 65, or when gas is available, by means of gas flames
playing on the cylinder bottom. The upper part 63 of the cylinder, in which part
the piston works, may be kept cool by a water casing be. This upper part is
provided with suction and discharge valves 67 and 68, so as to act as an air
compressing pump. The lower part 62 of the cylinder has a supply valve 6°
worked by the engine, and a discharge valve c¹ which is the supply valve of the
cylinder C. This valve, as well as a discharge valve c³, is also worked by the
engine. The piston of the cylinder C is shielded like that of B, and the cylinder
itself is, like B, make in two parts jointed together with imperfectly conducting
material between the flanges. E is the cooler, a vessel containing bricks or porous
material e with interstices between them for passage of air. These are kept
wetted by water supplied at e¹, and the excess of water is run off at e². The engine
operates in the following manner. The hot working fluid from the heater A is
admitted by opening the valve 69 under the piston b, which, in ascending
forces the fluid above it past the valve 68 into the heater. When b has made its
upstroke, the valve 6° is closed and c¹ is opened, and c² being then closed the fluid

page_text: displaced from B as b descends, expands in the larger cylinder C, propelling its
piston c upwards. The piston b at this time descending, draws in above it, cold
fluid from the upper part of the cooler E. When c has made its upstroke, the
valve c¹ is closed and is opened and then c descending sends the fluid from under
it, into the lower part of the cooler E. The fluid rising through the interstices of
the bricks e becomes cooled, after which it is sent through the heater as previously
described.
Although we have shewn an engine having two cylinders B and C, obviously a
single cylinder of differential area might be employed as in many existing hot air
engines, the beater A. and the cooler E being employed in connection with the one
cylinder to operate as we have described.
If the engine takes in its supply from the atmosphere, the exhaust is discharged
into the atmosphere, and the cooler with its connecting parts is dispensed with.
Instead of taking in a supply of air from the atmosphere, the engine may be
supplied with air compressed by another engine or source of power. In such a case,
the compressed air may either be delivered to the to the upper or cool part of the
cylinder B in the same manner as the intake from the atmosphere, as above
described, or it may be delivered direct to the heater in which case, the pumping
apparatus in the upper or cool part of the cylinder B is dispensed with.
Fig. 3 is an end view and fig. 4 a plan of an engine worked by highly heated
steam generated in a boiler F. There are two heaters A and A', each constructed
and worked as described with reference to that shewn in figs. 1 and 2, their action
being alternated, that is to say, while one of them is being heated by fire, the
other, having been previously heated, is employed to heat the steam. Suitable valves
are provided, whereby the steam from F is directed through the one or the other to the
engine. In the engine there are two smaller cylinders G and G¹³ set opposite to
one another their pistons acting on one crank, and two larger cylinders H and H¹,
the pistons of which act on a crank at right angles to the former, on the same fly
wheel shaft D, which has on it suitable eccentrics or cams for working the valves
of the cylinders. Between the pair of cylinders G G¹ and the pair H H³, there is a
reservoir K. The heated steam first acts in the cylinders G G¹ and is discharged
thence by a valve k partly into the adjoining cylinders H H¹ and partly into the
reservoir K; and the steam from G G₁ and from K supplies the cylinders H¤¹
wherein it expands, being finally discharged either into the atmosphere or into a
condenser, Fig 3ª is a sectional plan of the intermediate valve k, and Fig 4* is an
elevation of a double stepped cam for working it. During part of the revolution of
the cam, the one clack k² above is open, so that steam passes from G through a lateral
aperture into the reservoir K. During another part of the revolution of the
cam, both clacks k² and k³ are open and then steam both from G and K passes
into H. During the rest of the revolution of the cam both clacks k³ and k³ remain
closed.
Fig. 5 is an clevation partly in section, and fig 6 is a plan of an arrangement
suitable for a marine engine worked by highly heated steam. Two boilers F F¹
serve to generate the steam and six heaters A A' &c worked in succession serve to
heat it, each for a time being cut off while it is being itself heated by fire. The
heated steam first acts in the smallest cylinder G, it then expands in H and is
discharged into the reservoir K which supplies a third double acting cylinder L.
Fig. 7 is a side view partly in section, fig 8 is an end view and fig 9 is a plan
partly in section of an arrangement of engine suitable for a locomotive or traction
engine worked by highly heated steam. F is the boiler, A the heater, and G, B
and L are three cylinders in which the steam acts as described with reference to
figs 5 and 6. In the figures, we have shewn one two and six heaters, but it will
be understood that any desired number may be employed.
Although we have shewn certain forms of engines as examples, it is to be
understood that these may be modified according to the conditions under which
they are intended to act. Generally, one or more cylinders, fitted with pistons
furnished with shields, may be combined with cylinders of ordinary construction,

page_text: highly heated steam being admitted to the former and afterwards acting in the
latter, when its heat has been sufficiently reduced by expansion.
Having thus described the nature of our invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed, we claim :-
First: In a heater for heating air, steam or other gas by its passage through the
interstices of refractory material previously heated, providing an annular passage
for the cool fluid between the outer shell and the internal heated material,
substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.
Second: For cooling the working fluid of a hot air engine, the use of a cooler
containing suitable material wetted by water substantially as herein described.
Third: In an engine worked by highly heated fluid, the combination of a
heater A. and a cooler E and their connecting parts with the cylinder or cylinders
of the engine, substantially as described with reference to figs 1 and 2.
:
Fourth In engines worked by steam or vapor, the combination of a boiler or
generator with a heater containing fire brick or suitable refractory material,
disposed with numerous interstices, the whole arranged and operating in such
manner that the heater at one time is heated by fire under ordinary pressure, and
afterwards it is put in communication with the boiler and engine so that the steam
or vapor on its way from the boiler to the engine passes through the interstices of
the heater, becoming thereby superheated and enters the cylinder in this super-
.heated state.
In Witness whereof, I the said Edward Perrett have hereunto set my hand and
seal this thirteenth day of June in the year of our Lord, one thousand eight
hundred and eighty four.