IMPROVEMENTS IN CON- DENSERS POR DIRECT ACTING STEAM PUMPING AND OTHER STEAM ENGINES
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Stephen Holman, of Laurence Pountney Lane,
in the City of London, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN CON-
DENSERS POR DIRECT ACTING STEAM PUMPING AND OTHER STEAM ENGINES.”
Sealed the 23rd April 1875, and dated the 31st October 1874.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Stephen Holman at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
31st October 1874.
I, STEPHEN HOLMAN, of Laurence Pountney Lane, in the City of
London, do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention for “Iж-
PROVEMENTS IN CONDENSERS FOR DIRECT ACTING STEAM PUMPING AND OTHER STEAM
ENGINES," to be as follows:-
My Invention relates more particularly to improvements in the con-
densers for direct acting steam pumping and other steam engines,
described in my Letters Patent No. 3699, 1873, and consists,-
Firstly. In an improved construction of valve seatings having annular

page_text: resting thereon. When fitted into the valve box or body of the con-
denser these valve seatings form annular steam passages or spaces
between their external cylindrical surfaces and the said condenser; and
in order to give great condensing power in a minimum amount of space
I place two or more of these valve seatings (with their steam passages
or spaces) onc above or behind the other, the said passages or spaces
receiving the exhaust steam from the engine through a branch passage,
with which they severally communicate. This arrangement prevents
the necessity of casting or forming circular steam passages or spaces in
the body of the condenser, as described and illustrated by Figures 4, 5,
and 8 in the before-mentioned Letters Patent. The retaining valves
working on these seatings are provided with one common guide spindle,
and are controlled in their lift by india-rubber tubular buffers, as
described in my former Letters Patent No. 1046, 1868, in such a manner
that their simultaneous lift will divide the water passing to the pump
into a series of thin circular jets, sprays, or sheets, which meeting with
the steam issuing through the annular openings in the valve seatings
(or in the condenser, as the case may be) causes the said steam to be
rapidly and effectively condensed. If desirable by placing an inde-
pendent check valve in the exhaust steam pipe the retaining valves in
the condenser need not necessarily extend over the steam annular
openings in the seatings, or in the body of the condenser, as the case.
may be. On any convenient part of the condenser, and between any
two valve seatings provision is made for fitting an auxiliary pipe,
through which the condenser may be charged with water, either from a
rising main or from any other available source. These valve seatings
may be fitted into the suction chamber of a double acting or other pump,
so that the steam passages or spaces are formed round the suction valve
seatings of the pump, and the steam is condensed in a similar manner to
that already described, but without the use of a separate condenser.
Secondly. In condensing and utilizing the exhaust steam from a high-
pressure steam engine by directing it through the condenser hercin-before
described, and by means of the vacuum thus formed operating the piston
of the direct acting steam pump, in the suction pipe of which the said
condenser is placed.
Thirdly. In combining with the condenser herein-before described a
circulating tank for containing the condensing water, which is drawn
from the bottom of the tank, and after passing through the condenser

page_text: and through the pump is returned with the condensed steam from the
engine to the upper portion of the tank, thereby ensuring a constant
supply of water for the condenser. The tank is fitted with pipes
extending from side to side, either arranged vertically, horizontally, or
obliquely, and communicating with the atmosphere. By means of these
pipes the water contained in the tank is maintained at an uniform con-
densing temperature with a minimum waste of water.
A scrubber, strainer, or filter of any ordinary kind may be fitted into
the tank for the purpose of preventing any loose chips or dirt from
passing through the pump.
This part of my Invention is applicable to locomotive engines, and
may either form part of the tank or tender thereof or constitute a
separate appliance thereto, as may be found most desirable. In this
case the tubes are so arranged that the velocity of the engine causes the
air to pass rapidly through them, whereby the necessary cooling of the
water is effected.
A special feature of my Invention is that the condenser may be
attached directly to the working cylinder or engine of the pump,
thereby dispensing with the ordinary exhaust pipe.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Stephen Holman in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 30th April 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, STEPHEN
HOLMAN, of Laurence Pountney Lane, in the City of London, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirty-first day of October, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the 38th
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said Stephen Holman, Her special license that I, the
said Stephen Holman, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said Stephen Holman, my executors, administrators,
or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time

page_text: 1868, in such a manner that their simultaneous lift will divide the water
passing to the pump into a series of thin circular jets, sprays, or sheets,
which meeting with the steam issuing through the annular openings in.
the valve seatings (or in the condenser, as the case may be) causes the
said steam to be rapidly and effectively condensed. If desired by
placing an independent check valve in the exhaust steam pipe the
retaining valves in the condenser need not extend over the steam
annular openings in the seatings or in the body of the condenser, as the
case may be. On any convenient part of the condenser and between
any two valve seatings provision is made for fitting an auxiliary pipe,
through which the condenser may be charged with water, either from a
rising main or from any other available source. These valve seatings
may be fitted into the suction chamber of a double acting or other
pump, so that the steam passages or spaces are formed round the
suction valve seatings of the pump, and the steam is condensed in a
similar manner to that already described, but without the use of a
separate condenser.
Secondly. In condensing aud utilizing the exhaust steam from a high
pressure steam engine by directing it through the condenser herein-before
described, and by means of the vacuum thus formed operating the piston
of the direct acting steam pump, in the suction pipe of which tho said
condenser is placed.
Thirdly. In combining with the condenser herein-before described a
circulating tank for containing the condensing water which is drawn;
from the bottom of the tank, and after passing through the condenser:
and through the pump is returned with the condensed steam from the
engine to the upper portion of the tank, thereby ensuring a constant
supply of water for the condenser. The tank is fitted with pipes.
extending from side to side, either arranged vertically, horizontally, or
obliquely, and communicating with the atmosphere. By means of these
pipes the water contained in the tank is maintained at a uniform con-
densing temperature with a minimum waste of water.
A scrubber, strainer, or filter of any ordinary or suitable description.
may be fitted into the tank for the purpose of preventing any loose chips.
or dirt from passing through the pump.
This part of my Invention is applicable to locomotive engines, and
may either form part of the tank or tender thereof or constitute a.

page_text: .
separate appliance thereto, as may be found most desirable. In this.
case the tubes are so arranged that the velocity of the engine causes the
air to pass rapidly through them, whereby the necessary cooling of the
water is effected.
A special feature of my Invention is that the condenser may be
attached directly to the working cylinder or engine of the pump, thereby
dispensing with the ordinary exhaust pipe.
And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood I shall
now proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose
shall refer to the several Figures on the annexed Sheet of Drawings,
the same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts in all the
corresponding Figures.
Figure 1 shews an enlarged sectional view of a condenser constructed
according to the first part of my Invention. A and B are two valve
seatings having annular steam passages a, a, formed therein; the outer
rings of the said seatings are held to the bodies by means of any suitable
number of brackets or ribs b cast thereon, as shewn clearly in the
sectional plan Figure 2. The seatings A, B, are mechanically fitted into
the body of the condenser C, so that annular steam passages or
chambers c, c, are formed between the outer circumference of the
seatings and the portions of the inner circumference of the condenser
embraced between the fitting parts of the seatings. D, E, arc retaining
and deflecting valves, which may either cover the annular steam
spaces a, a, as shewn in Figure 1, or be so made as to leave the annular
steam spaces free, as shewn in the upper seat at o, Figure 3. In the
latter case it will be desirable to place a separate check valve K in the
exhaust steam pipe L to prevent any return of water to the steam
cylinder, but in the former case the valves D, E, serve both as steam
and water retaining and deflecting valves, and they render it unnecessary
to place any retaining valve in the exhaust pipe L.
It will be obvious that by increasing the number or dimensions of the
condenser valves and seatings the condensing power will be propor-
tionately increased, and by admitting the steam in comparatively thin
annular streams into direct contact with the water passing the condenser
valves or defletors a rapid condensation will be effected, and the liability
to put the pump out of action will be materially less than is found to be

page_text: in the place of the screw plug z, the said pipe to be provided with a
stop-cock to regulate or shut off the extraneous water supply at
pleasure.
Figure 6 shews my condenser valve scatings, already described, placed
directly in the body of a double acting pump valve box. A and B are
two of the said valve seatings fitted in the valve box body, in which an
exhaust steam chamber E is formed. The valves C, D, are suction
valves operated alternately from either side of the pump piston in the
ordinary way, the water, indicated by arrows F, passing through the
valves will condense the steam indicated by arrows h, h, as it passes
through the annular spaces a, a. By this arrangement the exhaust
steam will be condensed in the pump valve box body direct without
incurring the cost of a separate condenser.
Figure 4 is a longitudinal clevation of a steam pump, and Figure 5 is
an end elevation of the same. A is the steam cylinder; B, the pump
barrel; C is my condenser connected to the pump; D is the exhaust
steam pipe from the steam cylinder to the condenser; E, the blow-
through valvo. An additional exhaust steam pipe F represents the
exhaust steam pipe of a separate or additional high-pressure engine, and
is connected to the condenser at H. The said steam pump with the
condenser attached is intended in this arrangement to bo worked so as
to exhaust the steam of the separate engine, in addition to and in con-
junction with its own steam, and so to utilize the power gained by the
vacuum caused by such condensation as to mainly operate the piston of
the condensing steam pump (or steam cylinder A).
In order to render this part of my Invention more easy to be understood
I will assume the pressure of steam required to work the steam pump
(for the mere purpose of pumping water to condense the exhaust steam
taken into the condenser through pipe F) to be five pounds per square
inch above the atmosphere, and the vacuum obtained by condensation to
be equal to the removal of ten pounds of atmospheric pressure per square
inch from the exhaust side of the piston. It will be obvious that the
ten pounds of atmospheric pressure thus removed through effective con-
densation will no longer oppose the pressure of steam required to work
the pump, hence the condensing steam pump will be worked with a
pressure of five pounds below instead of five pounds above the atmospheric
pressure, and in the event of the piston of the separate engine being much

page_text: larger than that of the condensing steam pump the gain resulting by the
removal of ten pounds per square inch of atmospheric resistance from
its larger area may more than compensate the whole power required to
work the condensing steam pump, and under, such conditions a portion
of the exhaust steam from the separate engine may suffice to supply the
cylinder of the condensing steam pump when merely used for the purpose
now described.
Figure 7 shews my condenser applied direct to a water service pipe
to work without an engine where the conditions are favourable to such
an economical arrangement. A is the water service or supply pipe to
the condenser regulated by a stop valve B; C is the exhaust steam
pipe D is a check valve to prevent the return of water through the
exhaust pipe C when the engine stops; E is an overflow pipe to the
drain well F. The water by continuing to flow through the condenser
will condense the steam taken into it, whether admitted constantly or
intermittently.
My Invention as represented in Figure 4 may be employed to exhaust
the steam from locomotive engines by merely causing the water from
the water tank or tender to pass through the condenser and returning it
thereto together with the condensed steam from the engine, so that by
reusing the water obtained by condensation the waste is reduced to a
minimum.
In order to maintain the water in the tank or tender at a sufficiently
low temperature for condensing purposes I place in the tank or tender a
suitable number of tubes extending through and secured to the sides of
the same, such tubes being open át both ends to the atmosphere for the
passage of air therethrough, according to the velocity of the engine, and
surrounded by the water in such tank or tender.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my
said Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used
or carried into effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I con-
sider to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention
secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,―
First. The application and use to and in condensers of water valve
seatings having annular openings or steam spaces, substantially as and
for the purposes herein-before described and as illustrated by my
Drawings.

page_text: Second. The combination in condensers of two or more of the before-
mentioned valve seatings, arranged substantially as and for the purpose
herein-before described and as illustrated by my Drawings.
Third. The combination with two or more valve seatings, arranged in
the manner before mentioned, of two or more retaining valves having a 5
simultaneous lift, substantially as herein-before described and illustrated
by my Drawings.
Fourth. The employment of the before-mentioned valve seatings
directly in the suction chambers or valve boxes. of pumps for the purpose
of condensing the exhaust steam therein without the use of a separate 1
condenser, substantially as herein-before described and illustrated by my
Drawings.
Fifth. The utilization of the vacuum produced by the condensation of
the exhaust steam of an independent engine for operating the piston of
a steam pump used for condensing purposes, substantially as herein-before 1
described and illustrated by my Drawings.
Sixth. The application and use to and with locomotive engines of a
condenser arranged in the manner before mentioned, and worked by a
steam pump in combination with a water tank or tender fitted with air
tubes for the purpose of maintaining the water at a sufficiently low 2
temperature, substantially as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Stephen Holman, have to this my
Specification set my hand and seal, the Thirtieth day of April,
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five.
CrnaDTTART
HOLMAN