CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF STEAM ENGINES
Year: 1824

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WALTER
FORMAN, Esquire, of Bath, in the County of Somerset, Commander in the
Royal Navy, send greeting.
WHEREAS His present most Excellent Majesty King George the Fourth,
by His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date
at Westminster, the Seventh day of October, in the fifth year of His reign,
did, for Himself, His heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Walter Forman, His especial licence, that I, the said Walter Forman, my
exors, admiors, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Walter Forman,
my exors, adiiors, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,
from time to time and at all times during the term of years therein expressed,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England,
Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "CERTAIN
IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF STEAM ENGINES;" in which said Letters
Patent there is contained a proviso obliging me, the said Walter Forman,
by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, particularly to describe
and ascertain the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, and to cause the same to be inrolled in His
Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of tho said in part recited Letters Patent (as in
and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large
appear).
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Walter Forman, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention,
and the manner in which the same is to be performed, are particularly

page_text: described and ascertained in and by the Drawing hereunto annexed, and the
following description thereof (that is to say):-
My said improvements in the construction of steam engines apply to that
description of steam engines known by the name of rotatory steam engines, and
the principal improvement consists in a conical form or forms given to the
side plates of the casing in which the steam wheel moves, and in a tapering
form or forms given to the edges of the valves or flaps which act therein.
In the Drawing Fig. 1 is an exterior view of the engine, Fig. 2 an
interior view thereof, and Fig. 3 a section of it; in all of which Figures
the same letters of reference indicate the similar parts of the machine.
A, A, the casing; B, B, &c., the conical side plates of it; C, C, &c., the
valves or flaps hinged to the periphery D of the steam wheel; E, E, the arms
of the wheel; F, its axis; G, G, &c., blocks screwed upon the periphery D,
and filling up the spaces between each valve. Fig. 4 is a front view, and
Fig. 5 an edge view, of one of the valves, shewn separately; and Fig. 6 is
one of the blocks G. The periphery of the wheel is closely fitted to the inner
edge of the steam casing, so that no steam should escape between them. II. is
a stop to prevent the passage of the steam round the interior of the machine.
the face of it is shewn in Fig. 7. This stop is made in the form of a portion
of a hollow cylinder to fit the blocks G, G, &c., and the valves C, C, &c.
It is screwed to the piece I so as to be capable of being adjusted whenworn
by use. K is a friction wheel turning in a springing arm L affixed to the
stop H, and shown separately in Fig. 8. The use of this friction wheel is
to close the valves before they pass in contact with the stop, and as shewn
in Fig. 2. The steam enters the case by the pipe M, and escapes by the
other pipe N, as indicated by the arrows, acting upon the valves when open so
as to carry them round by its motive force.
Having thus described the several parts of the machine, I hereby declare
that I do not mean or intend hereby to claim as my Invention any of the
parts which may be already known or in use; but I do hereby claim the
exclusive use and employment of the conical forms given to the sides of
the steam case, and the tapering forms given to the valves to correspond
with them, and which I believe to be new. I also claim the employment of
the friction wheel to close the valves in the manner shewn in the Drawing,
and which I also believe to be new.
In witness whereof, I, the said Walter Forman, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Seventh day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and twenty-five.
WALTER (L.B.) FORMAN.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Seventh day of April, in the
year of our Lord 1825, the aforesaid Walter Forman came before our said
Lord the King in His Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification afore-
said, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form above
written. And also the Specification, aforesaid was stamped according to the
tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.