IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS USED FOR DISTILLING SEA WATER ON BOARD SHIPS AND VESSELS
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alphonse René le Mire de Normandy, of Judd Street,
Brunswick Square, in the County of Middlesex, Analytical Chemist, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS USED FOR DISTILLING SEA
WATER ON BOARD SHIPS AND VESSELS."
Sealed the 5th March 1858, and dated the 21st December 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alphonse René le Mire de
Normandy at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 21st December 1857.
I, ALPHONSE RENÉ LE MIRE DE NORMANDY, of Judd Street, Brunswick
Square, in the County of Middlesex, Analytical Chemist, do hereby declare
the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS USED FOR DIS-
TILLING SEA WATER ON BOARD SHIPS AND VESSELS," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus used for dis-
tilling sea water on board ships and vessels. Heretofore it has been usual in
most cases, in apparatus used on board ships and vessels for distilling sea water,
to employ pipes below the line of floatation of the ship or vessel to obtain the
requisite flow of water to and from the refrigerators or condensers, which mode
of supplying condensing water is inconvenient and objectionable.
Now, my improvements consist in combining with such distilling apparatus
a small steam engine and pump, suitable for obtaining and discharging the

page_text: condensing water into the sea abovo the water line of the ship or vessel, and
the steam for supplying such small steam engine may be conducted to the
engine by the same pipe from the boiler as that used to supply the distilling
apparatus, and the steam passing from the steam engine may be conducted
into the distilling apparatus to be condensed with that supplied to the
refrigerator of the distilling apparatus.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Alphonso René lo Mire de Normandy in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 14th June 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALPHONSE
RENÉ LE MIRE DE NORMANDY, of Judd Street, Brunswick Square, in the
County of Middlesex, Analytical Chemist, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twenty-first year of
Jer reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
inc, the said Alphonse René le Mire do Normandy, Her special licence that
1, the said Alphonse René le Mire de Normandy, my executors, administra-
tors, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Alphonse René le Mire de
Normandy, 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 terin 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS USED FOR DISTILLING SEA WATER ON BOARD SHIPS AND VESSELS," upon
the condition (amongst others) that 1, the said Alphonse René le Mire de
Normandy, 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 Alphonse René le Miro de Normandy,
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, that is to say:

page_text: This Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus used for
distilling sea water on board ships and vessels. Heretofore it has been usual
in most cases, in apparatus used on board ships and vessels for distilling sea
water, to employ pipes below the line of floatation of the ship or vessel to
obtain the requisite flow of water to and from the refrigerators or condensers,
which mode of supplying condensing water is inconvenient and objectionable.
Now, my improvements consist in combining with such distilling apparatus
a small steam engine and pump, suitable for obtaining and discharging the con-
densing water into the sea above the water line of the ship or vessel, and the
steam for supplying such small steam engine may be conducted to the engine
by the same pipe from the boiler as that used to supply the distilling appa-
ratus, and the steam passing from the steam engine may be conducted into the
distilling apparatus to be condensed with that supplied to the refrigerator of
the distilling apparatus.
Having thus stated the nature of my said Invention, I will proceed to
describe more fully the manner of performing the same.
There are various forms of apparatus now employed for distilling sea water
and for rendering it suitable for drinking and other purposes.
The apparatus
which I prefer to employ when carrying out my Invention, is the description
of apparatus well known as "Normandy's Fresh Water Apparatus or Marine
Aerated Fresh Water Apparatus," and my improvements consist in applying
or combining with such a distilling apparatus, and also with other distilling
apparatus used for like purposes, a small steam engine and a suitable pump or
pumps, for supplying water from the sea for the supply of the boiler when a
separate boiler is used, and for supplying the evaporator, also the condensing
and refrigerating apparatus, with a sufficient supply of water to evaporate and
to condeuse the steam or vapour. On board steamboats or vessels the steam
requisite for being condensed and for working the small steam engine may be
supplied from one of the boilers which work the steam engines used for pro-
pelling the vessel; or a separate small steam boiler may in such case, as well
as on board sailing vessels, be used for supplying the distilling apparatus and
for working the small steam engine which supplies the requisite condensing
water to the refrigerating or condensing apparatus. The size or power of the
small steam engine, and the pump or pumps worked thereby, will depend on
the power of the distilling and condensing apparatus and the height to which
the water has to be raised above the level of the sea.
I would, however, remark that I find it convenient that the engine should
have power to pump about twenty times as much sea water from the sea as

page_text: the distilling and refrigerating apparatus is capable of producing distilled
sea water.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alphonse René lo Miro de Normandy,
have hereunto set my hand and scal, this Twelfth day of June, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.
Witness,
JNO. ALCOCK.
A. NORMANDY. (L.S.)