IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES AND BOILERS
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to David Parsell, of Saundersfoot, in the County
of Pembroke, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
STEAM ENGINES AND BOILERS."
Sealed the 1st March 1872, and dated the 27th November 1871.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said David Parsell at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 27th November 1871.
I, DAVID PARSELL, of Saundersfoot, in the County of Pembroke,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES AND BOILERS," to be as follows:-
The main object of my Invention is the utilization of the waste steam
and heat in such manner as to prevent noise and discharge of thick
vapour and steam.
According to my Invention currents or blasts of air for condensing
the waste or exhaust steam are used.

page_text: Also according to my Invention currents or blasts of heated or
partially heated air are injected or introduced into the furnace or fire-
place of the boiler to urge the fire and promote combustion. The
coals before being put to the fire can be heated and annealed.
In carrying out my Invention the hot products of combustion rising
from the fire-bars are carried through the boiler into two or more
boilers where they heat water or other fluid. They are by preference
carried up through one tubular boiler and down through another. From
the boilers the heated products pass into a heater (tubular or otherwise),
and the spent products escape therefrom.
The waste steam from the engine is condensed by currents or blasts
of air. The condenser is by preference tubular. The air from this
condenser passes into the above-named heater, and taking up heat from
the escaping aeriform products of combustion is injected, driven, or
blown into the furnace or fire-place, that is to say, into a closed hearth
or ash-pit, or into an open hearth or ash-pit, or through the fire-bars, or
elsewhere, to urge the fire and promote combustion. The hot aeriform
products from the fire may ascend and descend in and through one and
the same boiler, and thence pass into the air heater.
Hollow fire-bars may be used, through which air or water is driven,
blown, or injected.
In order that the Invention may be fully understood, I proceed to
explain particularly an arrangement for carrying it into effect.
The apparatus forming the object of the Invention consists mainly
of a number of chambers and tubes so arranged and combined as to
utilize the waste steam of the engine and the heat of the engine and boiler,
the engine and boiler being so connected together by tubes or passages
that the waste steam from the engine shall be condensed by air and
serve for the boiler, the air passing into a heater heated by the boiler,
and then being injected into the furnace. Thus the engine and boiler
Berve or assist each other reciprocally.
I construct the boiler furnace with a chamber, into which the coal or
fuel is fed prior to its reaching the fire-bars, so that while the fuel is in
such chamber it shall be subjected to a certain amount of heat, and be
thereby partially annealed before it is allowed to drop on to the fire-bars.
The fire-bars are tubular, and are set in a frame which allows for their

page_text: expansion. Currents of heated air are driven into the furnace to promote
combustion, such heated air being in this arrangement obtained as
presently herein described.
Water to be heated is contained in tubes over the fire, and the hot
products of combustion, after heating the same, pass from this tubular
boiler into a series of tubular boilers arranged side by side around the chief
boiler, their interiors being so connected with each other that the heat
shall pass up one boiler, then down the next, up a third, down a fourth,
and so on, until the heat passes into a tubular heater or heating chamber,
and thence escapes. Into this heater is conveyed air from the condenser
of the engine, that is to say, air used to condense the waste steam of
the engine, such engine condenser being in connexion with the heater,
so that the air which has been used in the condenser may pass therefrom
into the heater, and take up heat from the products of combustion led
therein from the boilers, as, above described. This air is then led into
the ash-pit of the boiler furnace or through the fire-bars, so as to urge
the fire and promote combustion.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said David Parsell in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 27th May 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, DAVID
PARSELL, of Saundersfoot, in the County of Pembroke, Engineer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of November, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in
the thirty-fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said David Parsell, Her special
licence that I, the said David Parsell, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said David Parsell, 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

page_text: . Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM
ENGINES AND BOILERS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said David Parsell, my executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, 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 David Parsell, 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 thereof, reference being had to the accom-
panying Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that
is to say :-
One main object of my Invention is the utilization of the waste steam
and heat of engines and boilers in such manner as to prevent noise and
discharge of thick vapour and steam.
According to my Invention currents or blasts of air for condensing
the waste or exhaust steam are used.
Also according to my Invention currents or blasts of heated or
partially heated air are injected or introduced into the furnace or fire-
place of the boiler to urge the fire and promote combustion. The coals
before being put to the fire are heated and annealed.
In carrying out my Invention the hot products of combustion rising
from the fire-bars are carried through a boiler into two or more boilers
where they heat water. They are carried up through one boiler and
down through another. From the boilers the heated products pass
into a tubular or otherwise constructed heater, and the spent products
pass away therefrom.
The waste steam from the engine is condensed or partly condensed by
currents or blasts of air. The condenser is by preference tubular. The
air from this condenser passes into the above-named heater, and taking
up heat from the escaping aeriform products of combustion is injected,
driven, or blown into the furnace or fire-place, that is to say, into a
closed hearth or ash-pit, or into an open hearth or ash-pit, or through
the fire-bars, or elsewhere to urge the fire and promote combustion.

page_text: The hot aeriform products from the fire may ascend and descend in and
through one and the same boiler, and thence pass into the air heater.
Hollow fire-bars are used, through which air or water is driven, blown,
or injected.
In order that the Invention may be fully understood, I proceed to
explain particularly an arrangement for carrying it into effect.
The apparatus forming the object of the Invention consists mainly
of a number of chambers and tubes so arranged and combined as to
utilize the waste steam of the engine and the heat of engine and
boiler, the engine and boiler being so connected together by tubes or
passages that the waste steam from the engine shall be condensed or
partly condensed by air, and the water of condensation may be conveyed
from the condenser to serve for the boiler. The air passes into a heater
heated by the escape heat from the boiler, and is then injected or driven
into the furnace. Thus the engine and boiler serve or assist each other
reciprocally.
I construct the boiler furnace with a chamber into which the coal
or fuel is fed prior to its reaching the fire-bars, so that while the fuel is
in such chamber it shall be subjected to a certain amount of heat, and
be thereby partially annealed before it is allowed to drop on to the
fire-bars. The fire-bars are tubular and are set in a frame which allows
for their expansion. Currents of heated air are driven into the furnace
to promote combustion, such heated air being in this arrangement
obtained as presently herein-after described.
The water to be heated is contained in tubular boilers over the fire;
and the hot products of combustion after heating the same pass from
the tubular boiler into a series of tubular boilers arranged side by side
around the chief boiler or otherwise arranged, their interiors being so
connected with each other that the heat shall pass up one boiler, down
the next, up a third, down a fourth, and so on until the heat passes
into a tubular heater or heating chamber, and thence passes into a
heat jacket surrounding a steam jacket (or otherwise escapes). Into
this heater is conveyed air from the condenser of the engine, that is to
say, air used to condense the waste steam of the engine, such engine
condenser being in connection with the heater so that the air which has
been used in the condenser may pass therefrom into the heater, and take
up heat from the products of combustion led therein from the boilers

page_text: as above described. This air is then led into the ash-pit of the boiler
furnace or through the fire-bars so as to urge the fire and promote
combustion.
The accompanying Drawings represent apparatus constructed accord-
ing to my Invention.
Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a boiler constructed according to
my Invention. Figure 2 is a horizontal section of the same; Figure 1
is taken on the line 1, 2, of Figure 2. Figure 3 is a sectional elevation
of a boiler arranged in an extended form for better explaining the
Invention. This Figure also shews the improved heater and condenser
of the steam engine. Similar letters of reference indicate similar parts
in all the Figures. Figure 2 is on the line x, y, of Figure 1.
A is a chamber into which the coal or fuel is first fed. This chamber
is placed next the boiler, and it is charged through an opening a, closed
by a door a* provided with a handle. The fuel in this chamber is sub-
jected to heat derived from the fire, so that it is so to speak annealed
therein, a portion of the gases or hot vapours being distilled from the
fuel, and these gases pass from the upper part of the chamber through a
passage a³ into a space d'at the upper part of the boiler D. In this
passage a² is a stop-cock or valve a³. a' is the fire-door of the chamber A.
A¹ is a sloping plate on which the fuel rests and whence it falls through
the passage a³ on to the fire-bars C. a' is a water space or water jacket
surrounding the annealing chamber A. a³ is an aperture or pipe for the
passage of the steam from the water jacket as into the boiler D. z is
the opening through which water passes into the jacket a from the
boiler D, into which it is fed by the water feed pipe c. C* is the
furnace in which is the grate C, consisting of a set of tubular or hollow
fire-bars which fit into square hollow frame bars c* at each end of the
grate; is a water space; c³, door of ash-pit c*; c³ is the fire-door;
c", water feed pipe.
D, E, F, G, are a series of four adjacent tubular boilers communicating
with each other. They may be arranged by placing the boilers E, F, G,
round the central or main boiler D, as shewn in Figures 1 and 2, or
parallel to each other, as in Figure 3, or they may be otherwise disposed
with regard to each other as convenience may dictate, but in such
manner that the hot products of combustion may pass up one boiler and
down the next, up the third and down the fourth, and also so that the

page_text: feed water may pass into all the boilers when fed into one of them. The
first or main tubular boiler, steam generator, or chamber D is directly
over the furnace C*. The communicating steam tubes a³, a', a¹, a",
between the boilers increase in sectional area in a direct ratio as they
are distant from the furnace, as shewn in Figure 3. d, d, are the fire
or smoke tubes in the boilers D. D is a mouth opened by a cover or
register d³ to prime the boiler or start the fire. d is a pipe leading from
the passage Q, herein-after mentioned, or rather from the ash-pit c¹ into
which the passage Q opens. This pipe leads into the space d* to admit
therein a supply of hot air, in order to burn the unspent gases proceed-
ing from the boiler D and the annealing chamber A. d' also marks the
opening of a pipe d³, herein-after described, and leading direct from the
passage Q into the space f*.
The hot gases or aeriform products of combustion generated by the
incandescent fuel on the fire-bars C pass up through the tubes d into
the space d*, and thence descend through the flues or tubes e of a second
tubular boiler or generator E, and thence into the space e*, whence they
ascend through the tubes or flues f of a third tubular boiler or gene-
rator F. The hot products of combustion pass from the boiler F into a
fourth boiler or generator G, down its tubes or flues g into a passage or
chamber g*, whence they pass up through tubes or flues h fitted in a
tubular heater or heating chamber H. At the top of this chamber or
heater is a space or chamber h* having a mouth P opened and closed by
a register or cover i, which is opened when the aeriform products of
combustion are to escape in the atmosphere. When this cover is closed
the hot products pass through a passage into a jacket / surrounding a
steam chest L, not seen in Figure 2.
K is a tubular condenser or chamber provided with a number of tubes
k, k*, into which the waste steam of the engine is led through an
opening 81; 8 is an opening through which air may be admitted with
the steam. J is a pipe through which cold atmospheric air passes into
the condenser. The pipe J opens into a chamber * provided with a
partition k¹ so that the air is forced to descend one set of tubes k into
the chamber or space ³ into which the tubes open at bottom, and then
the air rises through the other set of tubes k* into the space k*, and
thence through the pipe J into the heater H. The steam and air
admitted through the pipes 81, 83, into the condenser K surrounds the
tubes k, k*, and is condensed by the fresh atmospheric air flowing

page_text: through these tubes; the water of condensation is discharged through a
tube8, which may be connected with the boilers so that such water may
be conveyed to the boilers and used therein. When air is mixed with
this steam it is discharged through this opening.
The air used for condensing the steam passes through the tube J' into
the heater H, carrying with it heat which it extracts from the steam.
The air passes down the heater H and through the passage Q into the
ash-pit c* below the grate C, and a portion of the air passes up through
the tubes de through the openings d' at the top of the tubes into the
chambers d*f*. The hot air also passes through openings m into the
chambers ex, g*, in order that the unconsumed gases may be kept ignited
or in a state of flame.
There are sight holes in convenient positions protected by thick glass
discs to allow of the inspection of the interior of the flues.
J2 is a passage for allowing the air to escape from the passage J¹ when
not required to be passed into the heater or for urging the fire. It is
closed and opened by a register or damper. L is the steam chest which
is over the boilers. It receives steam from the boilers D, E, F, G,
through the steam passage 1. This passage may communicate direct
with the first boiler D or with the last boiler G. The steam spaces of
the boilers D, E, F, G, communicate with each other through passages
of increasing sectional area a', a¹, a¹¹. From the steam chest L the
steam passes to the engine through a passage R; 1 is a safety valve
on the steam chest L. There should be a safety valve on each of the
boilers D, E, F, G; a" is the steam pipe between G and D. is a passage
for carrying the priming water from the steam chest L into the boilers.
It opens into the boiler E near the bottom. ¹ is an air jacket which
surrounds the steam chest L, and is fed with heated air through the
passage from the space h*; is an opening for allowing the heated
air to escape. It is closed by a cover or register when required.
The frame of a locomotive engine is to be constructed to carry the air
condensing apparatus. And it is especially advantageous for engines
which travel through tunnels to form a front portion of the frame of a
bell mouth or conical shape so that the air may pass readily into the
condenser.
A fan or other contrivance for producing a blast may be placed in a
convenient position so as to blow the air through the condenser and

page_text: the fire.
Instead of using a series of tubular boilers as above described, and
causing the hot products of combustion to pass up one tubular boiler,
down the next, and so on, I sometimes use a single tubular boiler,
arranging and connecting the tubes thereof by branch pipes or by
partitions, in such manner that the hot products of combustion shall
pass up one set of tubes and down another set of tubes, and up a third
set of tubes, and so on in the same boiler.
Instead of using a tubular condenser a condenser may be used in
which the steam is made to pass through compartments formed by thin
plates or partitions which also divide it from the air used for condensing
it, parallel compartments being thus formed for the passage of the steam
to be condensed and the air for condensing it.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same may be performed, I declare that I claim,-
First. The employment of a chamber in close proximity to the boiler
or furnace, in which chamber the fuel is annealed or preliminarily heated
before passing on to the fire-bars or grate as described.
Second. The construction and employment of apparatus so arranged
and combined that blasts or currents of heated air shall be used for
urging the fire and promoting combustion in locomotive, portable,
traction, and travelling steam engines in manner herein-before described.
Third. The construction and employment in steam engines of appa-
ratus in such manner that air shall be applied for the condensation or
partial condensation of the waste steam of steam engines, substantially
as described.
Fourth. The employment of two or more boilers so constructed,
arranged, and combined that the hot aeriform products of combustion
shall pass up one boiler, down the next, up a third, and so on as
described.
Fifth. The combination of a boiler so arranged and combined that the
hot products of combustion shall be carried up and down within the
same boiler once or oftener, substantially as described.
Sixth. The arrangement and combination of a steam engine and

page_text: boiler, substantially in manner herein-before described, in order that air
used for condensing the waste steam of the engine may be conducted
through a heater to the furnace to be employed for urging the fire and
promoting combustion.
Seventh. Combining the condenser, heater, boiler, and steam chest in
such manner that the air used in condensing the waste steam may be
passed through a heater to the steam chest as described.
Eighth. The arrangement and combination of steam engine and boiler
herein-before described, substantially in the manner and for the purpose
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said David Parsell, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of May, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two.
Witness,
JOHN JAMES.
DAVID PARSELL. (L.S.)