IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO THE CONDENSATION OF STEAM, AND APPARATUS THEREFOR.”
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Elcoate, of the Office for Patents, 6, Lord Street,
Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, and of Newcastle, in the County of
Northumberland. for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO
THE CONDENSATION OF STEAM, AND APPARATUS THEREFOR.”
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Elcoate at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 21st March 1881.
THOMAS ELCOATE, of the Office for Patents, 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, in the
County of Lancaster, and of Newcastle, in the County of Northumberland.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO THE CONDENSATION OF STEAM, AND
APPARATUS THEREFOR.”
In ordinary condensing apparatus besides the condenser, a cold water pump and
an air pump have to be employed.
Now my Invention consists in combining all three articles in one instrument,
thereby saving space and power and greatly simplifying the apparatus. I hope
also by this means to get a more perfect vacuum than can be obtained by any
ordinary condenser.
My Invention in its outward appearance and actual working strongly resembles
Into these vanes the.
a centrifugal pump with the shaft and vanes made hollow.
steam to be condensed is passed from the shaft. The hollow space in each vane is
gradually thinned towards the outer end which is open. Between the vanes the water
is admitted preferably from the other end of the hollow shaft, and traversing outside
the hollow vanes makes its exit into the outer peripheral exhaust along with the
water of condensation which escapes from the vanes. I prefer to place an interior
casing bolting, rivetting, or otherwise binding it to all the vanes and enclosing the
water space, but this is more to strengthen the vanes than an absolute necessity.
The hollow shaft is supported on pedestals, and is connected at its ends by glands or
trunnions with the exhaust steam and water respectively. The casing outside
the fan is somewhat similar to an ordinary fan case and requires no further
mention..

page_text: This
The mode of action is as follows:-The shaft being rapidly rotated by means of
a belt, gearing, or otherwise, the exhaust steam is let in at one end, the cold water
at the other; the two are prevented from mingling in the shaft by a transverse
diaphragm or partition. Both water and steam are forced outward in the hollow
revolving casing and its enclosed vanes respectively by the centrifugal action of the
pump. The centrifugal force too forces the water against the vane and thus cools
the vane and its included steam, causing the latter to condense into water.
water is propelled outward with any air that may be included with it, until
reaching the orifice and meeting the larger body of condensing water passing it
towards the exhaust it is still further accelerated on the principle of the Sprengel
pump by the suction caused by the passing stream. Thus without any more
moving parts than a fan my apparatus accomplishes the work of a condenser, an
air pump, and an ordinary condensing water pump.
In some cases I employ diverters or guides to force the water to cool both
sides of the vane so as to still further increase the condensing capacity in a
given size, even though at the expense of extra power and possibly of exhaustive
force.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Thomas Elcoate in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 21st September
1881.
THOMAS ELCOATE, of the Office for Patents, 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, in the
County of Lancaster, and of Newcastle, in the County of Northumberland.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO THE CONDENSATION OF STEAM, AND
APPARATUS THEREFOR."
In ordinary condensing apparatus besides the condenser a cold water pump and
an air pump have to be employed.
Now my Invention consists in combining all three articles in one instrument,
thereby saving space and power and greatly simplifying the apparatus. I hope
also by this means to get a more perfect vacuum than can be obtained by any
ordinary condenser,
My Invention in its outward appearance and actual working strongly resembles
a centrifugal pump with the shaft and vanes made hollow; into these vanes the
steam to be condensed is passed from the shaft. The hollow space in such vane is
gradually thinned towards the outer end which is open. Between the vanes the
water is admitted preferably from the other end of the hollow shaft, and traversing
outside the hollow vanes makes its exit into the outer peripheral exhaust along
with the water of condensation which escapes from the vanes. I prefer to place
an interior casing, bolting, rivetting, or otherwise binding it to all the vanes and
enclosing the water space, but this is more to strengthen the vanes than an absolute
necessity. The hollow shaft is supported on pedestals, and is connected at its ends

page_text: by glands or trunnions with the exhaust steam and water respectively. The
casing outside the fan is somewhat similar to an ordinary fan case and requires no
further mention.
The shaft being rapidly rotated by means of a belt, gearing, or otherwise, the
exhaust steam is let in at one end, the cold water at the other; the two are
prevented from mingling in the shaft by a transverse diaphragm or partition.
Both water and steam are forced outward in the hollow revolving casing and its
enclosed vanes respectively by the centrifugal action of the pump. The centrifugal
force too forces the water against the vane and thus cools the vane and its included
steam causing the latter to condense into water. This water is propelled outward
with any air that may be included with it until reaching the orifice and meeting
the larger body of condensing water passing it towards the exhaust; it is still
further accelerated on the principle of the Sprongel pump by the suction caused by
the passing stream. Thus without any more moving parts than a fan my apparatus
accomplishes the work of a condenser, an air pump, and an ordinary condensing
water pump.
In some cases I employ diverters or guides to force the water to cool both sides
of the vane so as to still further increase the condensing capacity in a given size,
even though at the expense of extra power and possibly of exhaustive force.
In order to more clearly set forth my Invention I herewith append an example
of an apparatus on my principle.
Fig. 1 is a transverse section; Fig. 2, a longitudinal one partly in elevation ;
Fig. 3, views shewing attachment of the discs K and plates I or J; Fig. 4, detail
view of section of shaft and passages, one part taken on one side the diaphragm
and the other taken on the other side the diaphragm which is shewn broken;
Figs. 5 and 6, alternate arrangement for driving by means of a crank when it is
not convenient to use a belt; Fig. 7, detail views of slot with ports.
A is the stationary fan case, preferably of stout cast iron cast in two halves and
bolted together by flanges. In this rotates a tubular shaft P, O, driven by belt
passed round pulley F keyed to said shaft. This shaft is divided into two parts P
and O by diaphragm V, the steam to be condensed is admitted into the end P
and the condensing water into O. Nearly opposite the diaphragm V is the centre
line of the fan; J are curved hollow vanes connected at H to the steam end P of
the tubular shaft; I is the outer passage formed by plate I connected at S with
the water chamber O of shaft; K, K, are two brass discs secured to the shaft by
rivets and rotating with it, onto which the partitions I and J are cast or brazed.
In practice I prefer to rivet the plates J, J, to the shaft and fasten the plates I by
brass rivet or temporary rod L longer than the width of the plate, lay the whole in
the sand, and cast the plates or discs K in position, the plates I and J being pierced
with holes M as shown at Fig. 3 to more securely hold in the brass; round P is a
stuffing box and gland N to prevent leakage from the steam end of the pipe;
B are bearings fitted tight into the recess turned for them for the hollow shaft; and
C, C, brass packing rings fitted loosely into their recesses and kept by slot and key
from turning in the case; rings D, D, are loosely fitted and have springs rivetted
on them, which press out against C, C, and can be further set out by bolts E; these
are to prevent leaking into the shafting; G, bracket with four legs to carry stuffing
box Qand a flange for pipe connection; a similar flange is fixed at the other end
of the shaft on the casing A.
The mode of action is as follows:-The shaft P, O, being rotated by the belt
on F or other suitable means, the steam to be condensed is let into part P and
flies off through the openings H into the hollow vanes J¹, In the meantime the
water is let into the chamber O of the shaft and flies through the openings S into the
outer passage I, and being kept pressed against the walls of the hollow vanes cools
the latter. By the centrifugal force formed by the rapid rotating in the direction
of the arrows U the steam, air, and condensed water fly outward to the opening
of the hollow vane at X. This opening can if desired be at the periphery of the
discs at Y instead of stopping short. As the steam and air and water escapes at Y

page_text: or X, as the case may be (X in the Drawing), the water passing this point at the
same time has a strong frictional exhaust action similar to that of the Sprengel
pump, helping in addition to the centrifugal force to draw out the condensed
steam, air, and vapour from the steam vanes, Z, Z, are small perforations which I
sometimes pierce through the walls of the water space into the hollow vanes so as
to form jets of water in the condenser, and sometimes I do away with the partitions I
altogether and bring most or all of the water through perforations, such as Z, only
enlarged, thus converting my apparatus from a surface condenser into an injector
condenser. The flow of the water can be regulated by a valve, and admission
through openings Z regulated, if desired, by a slide working in O; as however such
slide would be of very limited and occasional use, and is not in my opinion
necessary, and could be designed by any draughtsman, I think it is needless to
cumber the Drawing by showing it.
Having now described my Invention and the best mode known to me of carrying
it into effect, I wish it to be understood that what I believe to be new and desire
to claim under the herein before in part recited Letters Patent is,―
First. The manufacture of condensers in which the steam is let into the hollow
vanes of a centrifugal pump, or their mechanical equivalent, the condensing water
being applied on the outside of said vanos, or partially injected and partially on
the outside, or wholly injected, as may be found in each case most expedient.
Second. The combination in a single apparatus of a strong and rapid current or
currents of water passing along the outer surface and past the end X or Y of a long
condensing steam passage I, substantially as described.
Third. The combination of condenser and air pump in one apparatus by forming
the condenser somewhat like the vane of a centrifugal pump or fan, and causing it
to rotate round its axis at a high velocity so as to expel the condensed water and
intermingled vapour and air by centrifugal force.
Fourth. The manufacture of condensers in which the condensing water is caused
to enter and afterwards escape, and the condensed water and air is caused to leave
the condenser by centrifugal force, or by the combined action of centrifugal force
and the induced current generated by the escaping water in the manner described.
Fifth. The construction and combination of parts of condensing apparatus
substantially as herein set forth, no claim being made for any. one part taken
separately, and used for a different purpose, but only when used in combination
with the other necessary parts herein shown and described or their mechanical
equivalents to form a condensing apparatus working substantially in the manner
set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Elcoate, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty fourth day of August, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty one.