AN IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OF MOTIVE POWER ENGINE
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Vincent Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughts-
man, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OF MOTIVE
POWER ENGINE. A communication from abroad by W. H. C. Voss, of
Berlin.
-
Sealed the 23rd July 1861, and dated the 1st February 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Vincent Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
1st February 1861.
I, ALFRED VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane,'
in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OF MOTIVE POWER
ENGINE," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to a novel arrangement of engine for obtaining rotary
motion therefrom by the aid of steam pressure. To this end three stationary
steam-tight cylindrical chambers are employed, the middle one being fitted
with a turbine of any approved construction mounted on a vertical shaft
which turns in bearings carried by the cylinder heads. This middle cylinder
is connected to each of the side cylinders by means of two pipes, one of which
(from each cylinder) enters the middle cylinder above the face of the turbine
and the other below the turbine. Each pipe is governed by a shutter valve,
those in the upper pipes opening inwards to the middle cylinder, while those in

page_text: the lower pipes open to the side cylinders. These two cylinders are connected
together at top by a branch steam pipe leading from a boiler, and in the
prolongation of these branches (within the cylinders) cut off valves are
mounted. By the axial motion of these valves the steam is cut off, and
exhaust pipes brought into connection with the cylinders. The working of
the valve is effected by annular floats suspended in the cylinders from pendent
rods, which by means of cranks and horizontal rods are connected to arms
keyed to the bottom of the valve spindles. To ensure the proper relative
action of these valves the upper ends of their spindles are connected together
by means of short levers which they carry, being coupled by an adjustable
coupling rod. A driving pulley is keyed to the turbine shaft for transmitting
the rotary motion of that shaft to the mechanism to be driven by the engine.
In order to work the engine water is let into the cylinders to a given height
determined by gauges provided for the purpose, and steam is then admitted
to one of the side cylinders and allowed to press upon the surface of the water
contained therein. By this means the water will be forced through the
shutter valve on to the turbine, and passing through it under pressure it will
give rotary motion. This water will then flow up the pipe that connects the
second side cylinder with the space in the middle cylinder below the turbine,
and
pass the shutter valve of that pipe. In rising into this chamber the water
will carry up the annular float before mentioned, and the float in the other
chamber sinking with the fall of water caused by the pressure of the steam,
this float will by reason of its weight cause the steam supply valve to be closed
and the eduction pipe to be opened. An opposite action will take place in the
cylinder that has just received the increased supply of water, and the steam
now entering will force the water into the middle cylinder as before, and
continue the rotation of the turbine. In this manner the alternate pressure of
the steam on the water in the two side cylinders will be repeated, and the
motive power thus gained will be given off by the driving pulley on the
turbine shaft.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Alfred Vincent Newton in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 1st August 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALFRED
VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lano, in the County
of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the First day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fourth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Alfred Vincent Newton, Her special license that I, the said Alfred
Vincent Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, my 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
"AN IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OF MOTIVE POWER ENGINE," being a communication
from abroad by W. H. C. Voss, of Berlin, upon the condition (amongst others)
that 1, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, by an instrument in writing under my
hand and seal, 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 I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
This Invention as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent relates
to a novel arrangement of engine for obtaing rotary motion from water by the
aid of steam pressure. In this improved engine three stationary steam-tight
cylindrical chambers are employed, the middle one being fitted with a turbine
of any approved construction mounted on a vertical shaft, which turns in
bearings carried by the cylinder heads. This middle cylinder is connected to
each of the side cylinders by means of two pipes, one of which (from each
cylinder) enters the middle cylinder above the face of the turbine, and the
other below the turbine. Each pipe is governed by a shutter valve, the
slats or shutters in the upper pipes opening inwards to the middle cylinder,
while those in the lower pipes open to the side cylinders. These two side
cylinders are connected together at top by a branch steam pipe leading from a
boiler, and in the prolongation of these branches (within the cylinders) cut off
valves are mounted. By the axial motion of these valves the steam is cut off
and exhaust pipes brought into connection with the cylinders. The working

page_text: of the valves is effected by aunular floats suspended in the cylinders from
pendent rods, which by means of cranks and horizontal rods are connected to
arms keyed to the bottom of the valve spindles. To ensure the proper relative
action of these valves the upper ends of their spindles are connected together
by means of short levers which they carry, being coupled by an adjustable
coupling rod. A driving pulley is keyed to the turbine shaft for transmitting
the rotary motion of that shaft to the mechanism to be driven by the
engine.
In the accompanying Drawing Fig. 1 is an elevation of the improved
engine, one-half of the Figure being in front view, and the other half in
section; Fig. 2 is a plan view, the same arrangement being made for shewing
the construction of the internal parts; Figures 3 and 4 shew in plan view
and in vertical section on an enlarged scale the steam cut-off valves and their
fittings and Figures 5 and 6 represent in cross section and front view one
of the shutter valves detached.
A, A', are a pair of cylinders communicating by means of cast-iron pipes a
and 6 with the third cylinder A', in which is enclosed the turbine wheel B.
The pipes a and b are severally furnished with shutter valves a' and b¹, a
detailed description of the construction of which will be hereafter given. The
cylinders A and A' are each furnished with floats H, which are intended to
follow the surface of the water which is forced into these cylinders alternately
by steam pressure, and by rising or falling, as the case may be, the floats will
by their connection with the valves S and S' shut off the steam from one
cylinder when the water has arrived at a certain depth, and turn on the steam
to the other cylinder, thus causing a reverse flow of the water. The steam
forces the water contained in the cylinder A' through the valve of the pipe a
into the cylinder A, the valve b' in the tube b being closed. The water now
passes through the turbine wheel B to the bottom of the cylinder A2, whence
it is discharged through the leading-off pipe Band its valve into the cylinder A.
The flow of the water in this direction continues until it falls below the float H
in the cylinder A¹. When this has occurred the float will act on the steam
valves, and produce the reversed flow. Thus the water contained in the
engine is forced backwards and forwards from the cylinder A to the cylinder A',
it being always obliged to pass through the cylinder A containing the turbine
wheel. The cylinders A, A', are made of sheet iron (like steam boilers) and
closed by domed covers, on which are mounted the steam valves S and S'
respectively. These cylinders are also provided with safety valves 1, steam
gauges 2, and water gauges 3, of the ordinary construction. On the top
cover of the turbine cylinder A' is mounted a gland L for the turbine shaft

page_text: N to work in, and this cylinder is in like manner provided with a safety
valve 1, steam gauge 2, and water gauge 3, to indicate and to let off the
steam collecting therein. This steam makes a fly wheel on the shaft N
unnecessary, as it acts on the water in the cylinder A' at the moment when
the direction of the steam supply is reversed, thereby producing a regular
motion of the turbine. The bottom cover of the cylinder A' is furnished
with a gland L', through which the shaft N passes to a cup bearing M
firmly attached to the brickwork. The three cylinders rest on a foundation
of brickwork, and are bricked in up to their top covers, leaving a space F of
about five inches across all around them for the reception of wood ashes as
a non-conductor of heat. Thero is an opening P left in the foundation to
give access to the bearing M for the purposes of cleaning and lubrication.
The cylinder A is divided into two parts by a cast-iron ring p resting on
an angle iron rivetted on its inner surface. This ring p supports the water
guide of the turbine B. The pipes a from their respective cylinders
enter the cylinder A³ a little above the ring p and are bolted steam-tight to
that cylinder, but the pipes 6 enter below the division ring p and are also
fixed steam-tight to the cylinder A. The turbine wheel is firmly keyed to
the shaft N, but the shaft works freely in the guide q. On its upper end is
keyed a driving pulley R, and to steady its motion it may run in another
bearing above this pulley if required.
valves b' are each
These shutters are
By referring to Figures 5 and 6 it will be seen the
composed of a set of three separate valves t, t, t, shutters.
allowed to open at an angle of sixty degrees, and they fall back when
released from pressure by their own weight; 8, 8, 8, are stop pins for preventing
them from opening too far. By arranging the opening of these valves as shewn
at Fig. 1 the water as it is alternately forced from the cylinders A and A', into
the cylinder A, will always be obliged to enter that cylinder above the parti-
tion p. The steam valves S and S', mounted on the top covers of the cylinders
A and A', are constructed alike, and after the manner shewn at Figures 3 and 4.
The steam from the steam generator (which may be any suitable arrangement of
steam boiler) passes through a pipe c, (furnished with the shutting off valve d,)
and is distributed into the pipes e and e³, leading respectively to the steam valves
S and S. The relative position of these valves S and S¹ to each other is such that
one permits the steam to pass through while the other shuts it off. They are con-
structed in the following manner :-f, is a small cylinder furnished with a flange
to permit of its being bolted down to the cover of the cylinder A. On the top of
this cylinder is screwed the steam pipe e, and to the bottom the pipe i is
attached; there are rectangular openings made in the periphery of this cylinder

page_text: through which the steam passes into the cylinder A; g is a hollow cylinder keyed
to the valve spindle g', which carries at its upper end an arm g. This arm g²
is connected with a similar arm g³ on the spindle of the other valve S¹, by a
coupling rod g. In the elbow of the steam pipe e there is a screw v,
which fits steam-tight, and through which passes steam-tight the spindle g'.
This screw v keeps down and presses against each other the several discs
contained in the valve cylinder f; h is a hollow cylindrical piece which fits
with its outer surface steam-tight against the cylinder f, and through its
centro passes the valve spindle g'. It is pierced with three openings a³, a¹, x³,
whose centre lines form an angle of one hundred and twenty degrees with
each other. The hollow cylinder g is also formed with three openings x, x, x,
in the top corresponding with the openings a¹, x, x, of h, and with lateral
openings,,, corresponding with the openings ', ', in the cylinder f. In
the base of the cylinder g, thero are again three openings a, a, a, and corre-
sponding with these there are in the disc k, below the cylinder g, three
openings x, x, x¹, the openings in the top of the cylinder 9 are opened
at the time when the openings in the base of the cylinder g are closed. Into
the elbow fits steam-tight a copper pipe i, for carrying the waste steam
into the air or to a condenser. The pipe of the valve S and the pipe
of the valve S¹ run into one pipe. The lower end of the valve spindle g',
of each valve carries a disc 1, (see Fig. 1) with three arms to which are affixed
the ends of three wires baving their opposite ends attached respectively to
three crank levers n, n, n, mounted within the cylinders A and A'. These
levers move in a vertical plane and their pendent arms carry the floats II,
by means of suspension wires o, 0, 0. The floats it will be seen are firmly
attached to their wires o, o, but are allowed to slide up and down thereon, the
wires o, o, o, being provided with knobs on their ends to prevent the floats from
falling off. The rise of the floats is also limited by means of fixed rings G.
In order to work the engine, water is let into the cylinder to a given height
determined by gauges provided for the purpose, and steam is then admitted to
one of the side cylinders and allowed to press upon the surface of the water
contained therein. By this means the water will be forced through the
shutter valve on to the turbine, and passing through it under pressure it will
give rotary motion to the turbine shaft N. This water will then flow up the
pipe that connects the second side cylinder with the space in the middle
cylinder below the turbine and pass the shutter valve of that pipe. In rising
into this chamber the water will carry up the annular float H, and the float
in the other chamber sinking with the fall of water caused by the pressure of
the steam this float will, by reason of its weight, cause the steam supply valve

page_text: to be closed and the eduction pipe to be opened. An opposite action will take
place in the cylinder that has just received the increased supply of water and
the steam now entering will force the water into the cylinder A* as before, and
continue the rotation of the turbine shaft N. In this manner the alternate
pressure of the steam on the water in the two side cylinders will be repeated and
the motive power thus gained will be given off by the driving pulley R, on the
turbine shaft.
The filling of the three cylinders A, A', and A', can be effected through one
of the safety valves. The cylinders A and A', are to be half filled, the water
will then rise to the top of the cylinder A. The steam coming in contact
with the cold water will be condensed at first and will not have the desired
effect until it has communicated a certain amount of heat to the water.
Having now set forth the nature of the Invention of "An Improved Con-
struction of Motive-power Engine," as communicated to me by my foreign
correspondant, I wish it to be understood that under the above in part recited
Letters Patent, I claim the means above described whereby the pressure of
steam upon a liquid medium is enabled to impart rotary motion to a turbine
wheel for the purpose of obtaining motive power therefrom.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, the First day of August, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one.
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
A. V. NEWTON. (L.B.)