IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS OF AND APPARATUS FOR OBTAINING MOTIVE POWER, AND FOR THE DISTRIBUTION AND APPLICATION THEREOF
Year: 1864

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Thomas Townsend Coughin at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
18th July 1864.
I, THOMAS TOWNSEND COUGHIN, of Crucifix Lane, Bermondsey, in the County
of Surrey, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS OF AND APPARATUS FOR OBTAINING MOTIVE POWER,
AND FOR THE DISTRIBUTION AND APPLICATION THEREOF," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists of certain improvements in the mode of obtaining
motive power by means of compressed air, and in the distribution and appli-
cation of such power for the purpose of driving stationary engines or any other
machine or apparatus actuated by pressure of steam or other fluid or liquid,
by which means steam boilers and the necessary fuel, water, and manual labor
may be dispensed with in factories or buildings and the engines worked by
compressed air. The Invention, first, relates to improved apparatus for
obtaining air compressed to a much greater degree than has hitherto been
accomplished by pumps used for the purpose, the result being that an
increased power is obtained and stored in a receiver or receivers of less
dimensions than heretofore.
I propose to effect this object upon the principle of compressing air by a
succession of pumps and receivers. The first pump receives a supply of air
from the atmosphere and forces the same into an air receiver, which can be
worked at a given pressure to the inch by means of valves or guages, whence
it is conveyed to a second pump in its compressed state; the second pump is

page_text: then made to act upon this volume of air, which is consequently forced in a
more highly compressed condition into a second similar receiver, also regu-
lated to indicate the pressure, and so on to a third or further series of pumps
and receivers; and ultimately into a chamber, store, or receiver of any suitable
form, dimensions, and strength, according to the ultimate pressure obtained.
I propose to make the diameter of the first pump larger than the second, and
the second larger than the third, in order to compensate as far as possible the
power required to actuate each, according as the air is more and more highly
compressed in each. The pumps are to be set on a suitable foundation, above
which, on standards, shafts and cranks or excentrics supplied with suitable
gearing are supported, to be worked by steam, water, or wind power, in order
to work the first pump; the shaft is also provided with cog wheels and
pinions, on each side of which are shafts and toothed wheels gearing with
such pinions in order to actuate by similar excentrics the other pumps. If
more pumps are required they may be connected by similar gearing. The
toothed wheel actuating the third pump should have a greater number of
teeth than the second, in order that it may travel at a slower rate to operate
upon the densely compressed atmosphere, and the remaining pumps should be
worked at proportionately slower speeds as the pressure becomes increased.
In connection with each pump is its receiver, supplied with suitable tubes and
valves for the admission of air from its forcing pump and for its egress to the
next pump, the whole series of pumps and receivers being thus in communi-
cation. Each receiver is to be supplied with a pressure guage or valve in
order that the respective pressures therein may be indicated. In cases where
a small supply of compressed air is required the ordinary air pumps may be
adopted, either single or double acting, worked by suitable power. In order
to distribute the compressed air, and thereby convey motive power to engines
in various localities, 1 propose to construct and lay down a main pipe or pipes
from the principal receiver or store. At the entrance of the main in con-
nection with the receiver I propose to apply a valve to regulate the pressure
in the main; from the main, junctions, provided with valves or stop-cocks,
convey or distribute and shut off, as may be required, the compressed air to
engines in factories or buildings or otherwise, and I propose to apply such
power to engines by the intervention of a meter which shall indicate the
quantity used and the pressure, and shall be provided with a throttle valve
which shall regulate the speed of the engine by aid of the governor; beyond
which meter the compressed air is passed direct through the slide valves of
the engine into the cylinder, thereby actuating the piston in the same manner
as if steam were applied.

page_text: The advantages to be derived from the use of compressed air as a substitute
for steam as herein described will be very great; viz., no boilers, furnaces, or
shafts will be required by the consumers, and consequently no water nor fuel,
nor the necessary appliances, the space and attendance in connection there-
with; thus boiler explosions will be avoided, smoke will be prevented, and the
risk of fire will be entirely obviated, thus effecting a great saving in the
premiums paid for insurance. The engines would work free from heat, the
compressed air being supplied perfectly cold, and consequently the lubrication
will be less.