IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES
Year: 1845

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOSEPH
QUICK, of Sumner Street, Southwark, in the County of Surrey, Engineer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty hath granted unto me Her
Letters Patent, bearing date at Westminster, the Ninth day of October, in the
ninth year of Her reign, for making, using, exercising, and vending, within
that part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland called England,
Her Dominion of Wales, and Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, and in Her
said Majesty's Islands of Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney, Sark, and. Man, and also
in all Her said Majesty's Colonies and Plantations abroad, my Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES;" subject to the usual proviso obliging me
to particularly describe and ascertain the nature of my said Invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed, by an instrument in writing
under my hand and seal, and to cause the same to be enrolled in the High
Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately after
the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Joseph Quick, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, are particularly described
and ascertained by the Drawing hereunto annexed, and forming part hereof,
and the words and statement following (that is to say):
My said Invention is applicable to all descriptions of steam engines having
more than one steam cylinder; and the Drawing represents a longitudinal section
of a combined expansive steam engine, arranged according to and with my
said Invention applied thereto, and the following is a description of such

page_text: Drawing, that is to say:-S is the beam; P, the parrallel motion; C and Y,
steam cylinders of different sizes and proportions, C being the small steam
cylinder and Y the large steam cylinder; B is the piston of the small steam
cylinder; F, the piston of the large steam cylinder; Q, the piston rod con-
necting the piston of the small steam cylinder to the parallel motion; R, the
piston rod connecting the piston of the large steam cylinder to the same
parallel motion; A and O steam valves; D, equilibrium valve; K, exhausting
valve; E, equilibrium pipe; Z, eduction pipe; T, passage under the two steam
cylinders; U, pipe in connection with such passage and the large steam
cylinder; H, eduction or vacuum pipe; G, exhausting valve in connection
therewith or attached thereto, and by the aid of which last mentioned valve
and the steam valve O, when worked in conjunction with the equilibrium
valve D and the steam valve A, as hereinafter described, increased momentum
is given to the downstroke of the engine; L, condenser; M, air pump; N,
cistern; X, hand gear and steam tappets. Both the cylinders are covered at
the top in the usual way, and the small steam cylinder C, which takes
the steam from the boilers, is fixed under the extremity of the beam S,
and the large steam cylinder Y, which is also so arranged as to be
capable, by the closing of the exhausting valve G and the opening of thie
steam valve.O, to take steam from the boilers on to its piston, as hereinafter
described, as occasion may require, is fixed or stands towards the centre
of the beam S, as shewn in the Drawing. The comparative diameters and
sizes of the two steam cylinders C and Y should be so regulated as to allow
the steam to expand to its proper density for condensation, and to accommodate
them to the stroke of the engine, which will be easily understood by practical
persons, and they may be placed relatively to each other either as shewn in the
Drawing, and which in my opinion will in all cases be the preferable mode, or
they and their respective gear may be reversed in their positions, the small
steam cylinder C and its gear being placed towards the centre and the large
steam cylinder Y and its gear with the eduction or vacuum pipe H, and its
gear being placed on the outside; but the small steam cylinder C must in that
case be made shorter and proportionably large in diameter, and the large steam
cylinder Y longer and proportionably less in diameter, in order to accommodate
them in their altered positions to the stroke of the engine. When it is
necessary or it may be required to increase the momentum of the downstroke
of the engine, so as to give increased power thereto, I work the exhausting
valve G and the steam valve O, in conjunction with the equilibrium valve D
and the steam valve A, and proceed as follows:-The engine being cleared by
the opening of the valves, and a vacuum formed in the cylinders and passages

page_text: in the usual way, the steam passes from the boilers. to both the steam
cylinders C and Y, through the steam valves A and O, and enters on the upper
surfaces of the pistons B. and F, and causes such pistons to descend at the
same time to the bottom of the two steam cylinders C and Y, and thus the
downstroke or first motion to the engine is given. At the termination of the
downstroke the equilibrium valve. D opens to allow the steam from the upper
surface of the piston B to descend through the equilibrium pipe E, and so to
equalize the pressure under and over the piston B, and then to pass on through
or along the passage T, up the pipe U, and under the piston F of the large
cylinder Y to assist the upstroke of the engine. Before the equilibrium
valve D opens to allow the steam from the upper surface of the piston B to
descend through the equilibrium pipe E, the exhausting valve; G must be
opened to allow the steam from the upper surface of the piston F to descend
through the eduction or vacuum pipe H, and from thence through the eduction
pipe Z to the condenser L, for the purpose of forming a vacuum above the
piston F of the large cylinder, also to assist the upstroke of the engine. At
the termination of the upstroke the exhausting valve K. opens, and the steam
from under both the pistons B and F then passes along the eduction pipe Z to
the condenser L, where the condensation of that steam is effected by the
admission of cold water in the usual way; thus producing a vacuum under
both the pistons to assist the down stroke of the engine, and the water is then
pumped out into the cistern N, through the air pump M, in the usual manner.
The equilibrium valve D and the exhausting valve G are then closed, and the
steam valves A and O opened in order to perform the down stroke as before;
and so the working of the engine is continued on as before described. In the
ordinary use of. the engine, when it is not required to increase the momentum
of the down stroke, I do not work the exhausting valve G. and the steam valve
O in conjunction with the equilibrium valve D and the steam valve A, in the
manner before described, but leave the valve G open and close the valve O,
and then proceed as follows: - The engine being cleared and a vacuum
formed as before mentioned, the steam passes from the boilers to the small
steam cylinder C, through the steam valve A, and enters on the upper surface
of the piston B, and causes such piston, and also the piston F, to descend at
the same time to the bottom of both of the steam cylinders, and thus the down
stroke to the engine is given. At the termination of the down stroke the
equilibrium valve D opens and allows the steam from the upper surface of the
piston B to descend through the equilibrium pipe E, and so to equalize the
pressure under and over the piston B, and at the same time to pass on through
or along the passage T, up the pipe U, under the piston F of the large steam

page_text: cylinder Y, to assist the upstroke of the engine, and the exhausting valve G
having been left open, as before stated, and a free communication through the
eduction or vacuum pipe H, and the eduction pipe Z, thus made to the
condenser L, a constant vacuum will be produced over the piston of the large
steam cylinder Y in the ascent without producing at the same time a vacuum
under the piston of the small steam cylinder, as is now generally the case. At
the termination of the upstroke the exhausting valve K opens and the steam
from under both the pistons B and F then passes along the passage T, and the
pipe U, and the eduction pipe Z, to the condenser L, where the condensation
of that steam is effected, as before described, and a vacuum thus produced under
both the pistons B and F to assist the down stroke of the engine, and the
water is then pumped out in manner before described. The equilibrium valve
D is then closed and the steam valve opened, in order to perform the down
stroke as before, and so the working of the engine is continued on as lastly
described. Now, it follows, from my said Invention, that in the ordinary use
of the engine, when the exhausting valve G and the steam valve O are not
worked in conjunction with the equilibrium valve D, and the steam valve A,
as before described, that great power will be added to the engine, and a consi-
derable saving in fuel effected, and that when the exhausting valve G and the
steam valve O are worked in conjunction with the equilibrium valve D and
the steam valve A, as before described, that means will also be afforded of
giving further increased power to the engine with safety on occasions when
additional power may be required, as my said Invention in this respect renders
it unnecessary to add to the pressure of the steam in the boilers, which is the
mode now generally adopted of effecting that object, and is always attended
with danger, and this will be found a great advantage, in particular in mining
operations, in working machinery or mill work, or in steam boats ascending
rapids or working against adverse winds.
Now, whereas I do not intend to confine my said Invention to the particular
description of combined expansive steam engines or steam engines having more
than one steam cylinder herein and in the said Drawing particularized, but I
have described the mode of using and applying my said Invention for the pur-
poses herein described as the most plain and simple mode, in my appre-
hension, to enable any practical person to apply the same to all descriptions
of steam engines having more than one steam cylinder; and I claim as my
Invention,
First, these improved modes of arranging and working steam engines
having more than one steam cylinder, so far as respects the passages and the

page_text: Secondly, the use or application of the exhausting valve G, to or in connec-
tion with the eduction or vacuum pipe H, so as to make such pipe available
either as an eduction or a vacuum pipe, as before described, for the purposes
herein described.
And such my Invention being, to the best of my knowledge and belief,
entirely new, and never before used within that part of Her said Majesty's
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland called England, Her Dominion
of Wales, or Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, or Her said Majesty's Islands of
Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney, Sark, and Man, or Her said Majesty's Plantations
or Colonies abroad, I do hereby declare this to be my Specification of the same,
and that I do verily believe this my said Specification doth comply in all
respects, fully and without reserve or disguise, with the proviso in the said
hereinbefore in part recited Letters Patent contained; wherefore I hereby
claim to maintain exclusive right and privilege to my said Invention.
In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal, the Ninth
day of April, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and