CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES
Year: 1821

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ROBERT
STEIN, of No. 7, Walcot Place, Lambeth, in the County of Surry, Brewer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty King George the Fourth, did,
by His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Ireland called England, bearing date at Westminster, the
Twentieth day of February, in the second year of His reign, give and grant
unto me, the said Robert Stein, my exors, adñiors, and assigns, His especial
licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said Robert Stein,
my exors, admors, and assigns, 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, and. also in all His
Majesty's Colonies and Plantations abroad, my Invention of " CERTAIN
IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES;" in which said Letters Patent there is
contained a proviso that if I, the said ROBERT STEIN, shall not particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, by an instrument in writing under my hand and
seal, and 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
the said Letters Patent, that then the said Letters Patent, and all liberties and
advantages whatsoever thereby granted, shall utterly cease, determine, and
become void, as in and by the same, relation being thereunto had, will more
fully and at large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Robert Stein, do hereby declare that the nature of my said invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be performed, are particularly described and
ascertained in and by the Drawings hereunto annexed, and the following
description thereof (that is to say) :—
My Invention of certain improvements in steam engines consists, first,
in an apparatus to produce a continual supply of heated air or elastic gas
combined with steam, which heated air or gas combined with steam shall be
capable of being employed to actuate machinery constructed upon the same
principle as the steam engines in general use. I construct a furnace of cast
iron, or any other material which shall be capable of sustaining a considerable
pressure, and line it internally with clay or fire bricks to resist the action of the
fire. This furnace is closed on all-sides, leaving only an aperture for the
cscape of the heated air and gas, and also an apperture for introducing or pro-
jecting a blast of air into the fire to maintain the combustion in the manner
of a blast furnace; the fuel is to be introduced into the furnace at proper
intervals by means of a fluted roller turning in a cavity fitted to its circum-
ference, or other similar contrivance which would possess the property of passing
fuel into the furnace, and at the same time preventing the escape of any gas
or vapour from the furnace into the external air. A similar apparatus should
be applied for withdrawing the cindars or carthy matters remaining after com-
bustion. The furnace is to be lighted by introducing burning fuel through an
opening formed in any convenient part thereof, which opening must be closed
by a door or cover fitting air-tight, and secured by screws, or otherwise, to pre-
vent the escape of any gas or elastic vapour; when the fire is lighted, if a
strong blast or current of air is thrown into the furnace by any artificial means,
the air so thrown in will become highly heated by passing immediately through
the burning fuel, and consequently expand itself into many times its former
bulk; and in order still further to increase its effect I cause a small quantity
of water to be introduced into the furnace, which water will be instantly con-
verted into steam, and accompany the heated air through a channel immersed
in the water of a boiler to raise steam therefrom for the supply of a steam
engine; after which the heated air, combined with the steam produced in
the furnace, is introduced into a cylinder furnished with suitable valves or
cocks to distribute the elastic gas, combined with the portion of steam, in the
same manner as the steam is distributed in a steam engine cylinder to pro-
duce a reciprocating motion of the piston. By this arrangement I employ the
first portion of the heat contained in the gas, which comes off from the blast
furnace, to raise steam from a boiler for working the steam cylinder connected

page_text: with the usual condensing apparatus, and the remaining portion of heat to act
in a high pressure or elastic air cylinder attached to the same machinery as the
steam cylinder, or otherwise as circumstances may require.
My second improvement is particularly applicable in cases where a saving
of room or diminution of weight is an object, as in steam vessels or steam
carriages. I dispense entirely with the steam boiler in common use, and
employ a closed furnace, furnished with a suitable feeding apparatus, &c., into
which furnace a strong blast of air is thrown, as before mentioned, and also a
small supply of water is to be injected into the furnace, or suffered to enter
along with the fuel; this arrangement of the apparatus produces a vast
quantity of elastic gas, combined with a portion of steam, which may be
employed to act in a cylinder in the same manner as those engines usually
denominated high pressure steam engines, or where the steam, after having
performed its office, is permitted to escape into the open air, instead of being
conducted to the condensing apparatus, well known in steam engines, as may
be done from the steam cylinder of the last-mentioned machine.
My third improvement consists in a new method of regulating the tempera-
ture of the furnace, and consequent generation of gas, which improvement will
be hereafter explained with reference to the Drawing. In order to render
this, my Specification, clear and intelligible, I have bereunto annexed a
Sheet of Drawings, in which Fig. 2 represents a section of a machine
constructed upon the principle of my first improvement. A, the furnace,
which is composed of cast iron of any convenient shape, having the top and
bottom plates, a and b, attached by screw bolts for the purpose of introducing
the lining of fire bricks, which is coloured red in the Drawing; the upper
plate a has an opening in its centre formed to a portion of a cylinder to
receive the fuel or feeding roller B, which is fitted exactly into the opening,
and turning upon pivots at each end, passing through holes in the cast iron.
The roller B has four or more cavities cut in its circumference, which, in
moving round, serve to convey the fuel down from the hopper or receptacle C
into the furnace in a regular and uniform manner, at the same time prevent-
ing the escape of any elastic gas or vapour which is produced or generated by
the combustion within the furnace. D represents a roller similar in form to
the roller B; it is for the purpose of withdrawing the cinders or ashes which
remain after the combustion is completed; the roller D is fitted so as to turn
round in an opening formed in the bottom plate 6 of the furnace, in the same
manner as described for the fuel roller; the rollers may be made of cast iron
or baked fire clay, as may be found best to resist the action of the fire. E shews
a pipe which is supposed to be connected with a blast cylinder, in order to

page_text: convey a blast of air into the furnace, having a stop or regulating cock placed
in it at F, the object of which will be hereafter explained. The heated and
expanded air is conducted off from the furnace near to the upper part thereof
by means of a pipe or channel G communicating with the passage or channel
H contained within the boiler I. The boiler is filled with water to such a level
as entirely to cover the channel H, in order that a portion of the heat contained
in the air passing off from the furnace may be embodied or given out to the
surrounding water to convert the same into steam. The boiler and pipe of
communication from the furnace should be surrounded by brickwork, or any
fit material which would conduct the heat slowly, to prevent any unnecessary
waste of fuel. If the elasticity of the air in the furnace should become too
great, it is adapted to regulate itself after the following manner, which consti-
tutes one of my improvements. The stopcock F, situated in the blast pipe,
has two passages from it leading into the furnace, one of which marked p
directs the blast into the body of the fire, whilst the one marked 7 communi-
cates with the upper part of the furnace above the fuel; the plug of the cock
is so formed that when the end of its lever or handle n is lowered it causes a
greater quantity of air to pass through the passage 9 above the fuel, at the
same time that it contracts the passage p so as to diminish the heat and conse-
quent action of the furnace. The handle n is moved in order to regulate the
heat of the furnace by means of a small chain m, m, passing over pulleys, and
attached to a loaded piston T, working into a cylinder, which is fixed upon and
communicating with the heated air channel G proceeding from the furnace;
by this arrangement, if the heat in the furnace and channel G should exceed
the required intensity, the loaded pistou T would be caused to rise by the
expansive force of the heated air, so as to allow the lever n and weight w to
descend and move the cock F, to produce the effect of lowering the tempera-
ture of the furnace; but if, on the contrary, the heat of the furnace should not
be sufficiently great, the loaded piston T would descend and draw up the
handle n, so as close up the passage q above the fuel, and direct the whole
blast into the fire. K represents the steam pipe which conducts the steam
from the boiler I to the four passage cock M, which cock serves to distribute
the steam in the steam cylinder I, after the manner usually practised in steam
engines. R represents the eduction pipe or passage from the steam cylinder
to the condensing aparatus; i shews a pipe communicated with the heated
air channel H, for conveying the heated air, combined with a portion of
steam, to the high-pressure cylinder W, where it is distributed by the four
passage cock v, in order to act upon the piston a, and move it up and
down before it is allowed to escape into the open air through the open-

page_text: ing . The steam cylinder L, and expensive air cylinder W, are repre-
sented in the Figure as placed over each other, with the piston rods
connected, so as to act in concert, the four passage cocks M and v
being connected and moved by any convenient communication from the engine.
The working beam and other parts of the engine are omitted in the Figure,
being constructed after the usual manner of steam engines. ✗, represents a
small pipe having a stopcock placed in it for the purpose of introducing a
minute quantity of water into the furnace along with the fuel, which water is
found to produce a very considerable effect by generating steam at a high
temperature to act with the heated air in the cylinder W; it also possesses
the advantage of preventing the fuel roller B from being destroyed so quickly
by the intense heat of the fire. Figure 3 represents an apparatus constructed
after my second improvement. A shews the furnace similar to that described in
Figure 2, the same letters of reference being used upon similar parts. G, the
heated air channel, which communicates immediately with the four passage
cock v, to distribute the expanded air and steam in the cylinder W, and
cause the piston x to move up and down, carrying the cross beam N along
with it; and by the connecting rods Q, Q, giving motion to the crank O and
fly wheel P, the crank shaft being situated immediately beneath the cylinder W,
and turning in bearings or supports Z, Z, renders the whole aparatus very
compact. S represents the blast cylinder, which is worked by a rod t descend-
ing from the cross-beam N; it is constructed in such manner as to blow
both in the ascent and descent of the piston. s, s, shews the blast pipe
communicating with the furnace; it is furnished with a safety valve at Y, to
prevent the bursting of the pipe when the blast is shut off by the cock F.
The heat of the furnace is regulated by a small piston T, which moves in a
tube communicating with the interior of the furnace and connected with the
lever n of the cock F, which lever is counteracted by a spring w, producing the
same effect as described by the weight win the former aparatus. ✗ represents
the small pipe for admitting water into the furnace to generate steam, as
described in Figure 2, to act along with the expanded air in the cylinder W,
and after having performed its office is suffered to escape freely through the
opening k into the atmosphere. This machine, without a steam boiler, should be
made exceedingly strong in all its parts, since much advantage would be obtaining
by employing the heated air and steam coming off from the furnace at a very
high temperature. The roller B for supplying the fuel, as also the roller D
for withdrawing the ashes and cinders, should be caused to move round slowly
by any convenient communication from the steam engine, in order to introduce
the fuel regularly to the fire, and also to remove the cinders. I would recom-

page_text: mend a pair of bellows to be fixed with a pipe entering the furnace for
the purpose of lighting up the fire until the machine begins to move and work
the blast cylinder S, at which time the pipe from the bellows might be stopped
by a cock.
Figure 1 on the Drawing represents an apparatus to be applied
at any convenient part of the passage or channel between the furnace and the
high-pressure cylinder W; it is for the purpose of retaining any dust or
ashes which may be caused to pass off from the furnace along with the
heated air, and also to generate steam to act along with the heated air in
the high-pressure cylinder. When this apparatus is employed it will be
unnecessary to admit water into the furnace by the cock X. Figures 2 and 3
as before described; the apparatus consists of a closed vessel or reservoir 1, 1,
containing water. G shews the passage or pipe proceeding from the
furnace; it is fixed into the cover of the vessel 1, 1, and descends beneath the
surface of the water near to the bottom. i shews the pipe communicating
with the air cylinder. The lower part of the vessel 1, 1, terminates in a conc,
and the opening at the bottom is closed by a valve or sector turning upon a
pivet and secured by a screw 3. This valve may be readily turned aside so as
to open a passage and draw off the water and other matter from the vessel 1, 1,
as occasion may require. The vessel 1, 1, is replenished with water through the
cock 4, having a floating copper ball 5 attached to it for the purpose of shutting
off the water or admitting it in order to keep a constant level in proportion as
the water is carried off from the vessel in the form of steam; the water is
supplied by a small forcing pump, to be worked by the engine through the
pipe 6, having a loaded valve 7 placed in it to allow the escape of water when
the cock 4 is shut by its float 5. The operation of this apparatus is as
follows The heated air coming off from the furnace is conducted through
the pipe G nearly to the bottom of the water, where it bubbles or rises up and
passes through small holes pierced in a plate 8, and escapes through the
passage to the high-pressure cylinder along with a considerable portion of
steam, which is generated in the vessel 1 by the heat of the air passing through
the water by this contrivance any dust, ashes, or other matters coming off
from the furnace are deposited in the bottom of the vessel 1, 1, and may
be removed occasionally through the valve 2; the plate 8 prevents any substance
from floating to the surface of the water.
Having now described the apparatus in different forms, it remains for me to.
state what I consider as constituting my claim, for I wish it to be observed that I
do not claim the principle of the internal fire to be maintained by an artificial
blast of air, but I limit my claims, first, to the general combination of the
apparatus for passing heated air through channels arranged in a close boiler

page_text: containing water for the purpose of raising steam therefrom to work a steam
cylinder, and afterwards employing the said heated air, combined with a
portion of steam which was formed in the furnace, as already described, to act
in a high-pressure cylinder in concert with the steam cylinder; and, secondly,
the manner of regulating the temperature of the furnace by admitting a portion
of the blast above the fuel, at the same time diminishing the blast through the
fire; all other parts or apparatus represented in the Drawing or description,
being only introduced to shew the practical application of my improvements,
may be varied according to the discretion of the workmen constructing the
same.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Stein, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Fourteenth day of August, in the year of our Lord One
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Fourteenth day of August, in the
year of our Lord 1821, the aforesaid Robert Stein came before our said Lord
the King in His Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification aforesaid, 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.