IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES, AND IN ENGINES' GENE- RALLY WHICH ARE WORKED EITHER BY GAS, AIR, OR VAPOUR, AND IN APPARATUS FOR GENERATING ELECTRICITY FOR EFFECTING PARTS OF SAID IMPROVEMENTS, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1855

page_text: Sealed the 25th April 1856, and dated the 2nd November 1855.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Isham Baggs and Henry
Forfar Osman at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with:
their Petition, on the 2nd November 1855..
'We, ISHAM BAGGS, of Pentonville; London, Engineer, and HENRY FORFAR
OSMAN, of 33, Essex Street, Strand, London, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES, AND IN ENGINES' GENE-
RALLY WHICH ARE WORKED EITHER BY GAS, AIR, OR VAPOUR, AND IN APPARATUS FOR
GENERATING ELECTRICITY FOR EFFECTING PARTS OF SAID IMPROVEMENTS, AND FOR
OTHER PURPOSES," to be as follows:-
The first part of this Invention consists in so constructing the slide valves
and variable expansion gear of such engines that the steam, gas, air, or vapour
may be worked in a more convenient and effective manner than heretofore,
and in a contrivance that allows of the same being altered in force at pleasure

page_text: without the necessity of stopping the engines. The former of these is effected
by having at the ends of each slide valve additional sliding pieces, which are
moved at proper intervals, and are of such a size as to cover the parts
when necessary, and the latter by a suitable regulating medium from without
to the aforesaid apparatus within the steam chest.
The second part of the Invention consists in applying the power of
magnetism to counteract the pressure, and so to diminish the friction of slide
valves, saving thereby an unnecessary waste of power, and enabling the
engineer to start the engine with ease when required.
And the third part consists in an improved description of battery for the
aforesaid and other purposes.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Isham Baggs and Henry Forfar Osman in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 28th April 1856..
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, ISHAM
BAGGS, of Pentonville, London, Engineer, and HENRY FORFAR OSMAN, of
33, Essex Street, Strand, London, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Second day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand. eight hundred and fifty-five, in the nineteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us,
the said Isham Baggs and Henry Forfar Osman, Her special licence that
we, the said Isham Baggs and Henry Forfar Osman, our executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said Isham Baggs and Henry
Forfar Osman, our executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at. all times thereafter
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 Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN STEAM ENGINES, AND IN ENGINES GENERALLY WHICH ARE, WORKED EITHER
BY GAS,, AIR, OR VAPOUR, AND IN APPARATUS FOR. GENERATING ELECTRICITY FOR
EFFECTING PARTS OF SAID IMPROVEMENTS, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES,"
upon the
condition (amongst others) that we, the said Isham. Baggs and Henry
Forfar Osman, our executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing,
under our, or their, or one of their hands. and seals, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what

page_text: remain stationary until they are pushed back again, not by the nut F or G,
but by contact with the valve itself, so that the port remains sealed against the
further admission of steam during this part of the movement, and until the
valve itself once more leaves the end sliding piece to renew the first movement
as before.
The second part of my Invention consists in applying the power of mag-
netism to counteract the pressure, and so to diminish the friction of slide
valves, saving thereby an unnecessary. waste of power, and enabling the
engineer to start the engine with ease whenever requisite. .Figs. 3. & 4
represent the section and plan of this improvement as applied to a common
slide valve. A, A, is the valve; M, M, are two short cylinders of soft iron
screwed to the top of the valve. These cylinders are wound in a proper way
with covered copper wire or other conducting medium, so as to constitute an
electro-magnet whenever transmitting a current of electricity. Immediately
above the poles of this electro-magnet is a soft iron bar R, R, properly
supported in the valve box, so that its under surface shall be very nearly or
just in contact with the poles. The insulated coils and wires of the electro-
magnet are protected from the action of the condensed steam by an outer
covering of patent packing or other suitable matereal, and the cover of the
valve box encloses the whole arrangement in the usual way. On admitting
the steam, and thereby subjecting the valve to the pressure thereof, the battery
plates in connection with the wires T, T, are gradually immersed into the
exciting fluid or fluids, until the attraction or "pull" exercised between the.
poles of the magnet and the bar of iron is such as very nearly to counteract
the pressure of steam, whereby the friction will be reduced to so small an
amount that the valve will now be movable with great facility. When sliding
end pieces are employed, as described under the first part of this Invention,
such end pieces must each of them carry an electro-magnet, in the same
manner as the valve itself, and operated upon by the attractive power of the
iron bar as above stated.
using tteries
Kind, innd it advantageous to close the
combined plates at the edges up to a certain height, or to surround them with
a case in such manner as to promote a continuous circulation of the liquid by
the difference of specific gravity induced by galvanic action within and without
the case. Fig. 5 illustrates the principle of this arrangement, where a separate.
case is employed for such purpose, from which its application will be readily.
understood under different mechanical arrangements.

page_text: a, a, is an outer vessel containing the exciting liquid up to about the level d.
The copper and zinc plates of the battery are shown at c, c, & z, and over
these plates the case 6 is dropped. It is open to the liquid below by proper
apertures, and is below the level of the liquid above. This case should fit
rather close to the battery, and it may be constructed of any suitable matereal.
The action is as follows:-As soon as the current is established the generated
gas renders the liquid within the case specifically lighter than that which is
without, and a rapid circulation ensues in consequence. This counteracting
force of magnetic attraction may be advantageously used in diminishing
the friction of other parts of the engine, and of various other machines
and instruments where friction is either great or objectionable. This is
particularly the case in large new engines and railway carriages, and in
various small machines where philosophical accuracy is necessary in matters of
observation or experiment; and I would particularly observe, that in many
of these cases a nicety of adjustment is generally required, which I obtain
either by properly graduating the power of the battery, as described, or by
increasing or diminishing the distance between the attracting surfaces, or else
by causing a magnet or a piece of soft iron to approach to or to recede from the
points of action, whether the magnets employed are permanent or produced
by electricity.
Having thus described my Invention, I wish it to be understood that I do
not confine myself to the precise mechanical details set forth; but what I
claim as new is,-
1st, the general plan herein described of working steam and other engines
under variable conditions of expansion.
And, 2ndly, the several means explained of counteracting friction and
adjusting the opposing forces of gravity, pressure, and magnetism by battery
regulation, and by the approach to or recession from the points or surfaces of
motion of pieces of soft iron, or of permanent or electro-magnets, and also
of the means herein described of developing electricity for these and other
purposes.
In witness whereof, wc, the said Isham Baggs and Henry Forfar Osman,
have hereunto set our hands and seals, this 26th day of April,
A.D. 1856.
ISHAM BAGGS.
(L.S.)
HENRY FORFAR OSMAN. (L.S.)