CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN ENGINES
Year: 1848

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, WILLIAM
GALLOWAY and JOHN GALLOWAY, of Knott Mill Iron Works, Hulme, in the
Borough of Manchester and County of Lancaster, Engineers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Seventeenth day of August, in
the twelfth year of Her reign, and in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and forty-eight, did give and grant unto us, the said William Galloway
and John Galloway, our exors, admors, and assigns, Her especial license, full
power, sole privilege and authority, that we, the said William Galloway and John
Galloway, our exors, adññiors, and assigns, and such others as we, the said
William Galloway and John Galloway, our exors, adñiors, or assigns, should at
any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter
during the term of years therein mentioned, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within that part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland called England, Her Dominion of Wales, and Town of Berwick-
STEAM
upon-Tweed, our said Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN
ENGINES;" in which said Letters Patent there is contained a proviso requiring
that we, the said William Galloway and John Galloway, shall particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, by an instrument in writing under our hands and
scals, to be inrolled in Her said Majesty's High Court of Chancery within
six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said in

page_text: part recited Letters Patent, as, reference being thereunto had, will more fully
and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, we, the said
William Galloway and John Galloway, do hereby declare that the nature
and particulars of our said Invention, and the manner in which the same is to
be performed and carried into effect, are particularly set forth, illustrated, and
described in and by this present instrument in writing and the several Sheets
of Drawings hereto annexed, which Drawings, and the various figures
thereon, are progressively numbered, the scale or proportionate size to which
such figures are made being also marked upon the Drawings, while the same
letters, indices, and numeral figures of reference used to indicate any particular
part or parts of the machinery or apparatus are also used to indicate the same
part or parts thereof throughout the several Figures, in which different views
of such machinery or apparatus are shewn, that is to say :—
Our Invention relates,-
First, to certain novel and improved arrangements respecting the second or
high-pressure cylinder of compound steam engines.
Second, to certain mechanical combinations whereby the rotation of the
cam or valve shaft is effected without the intervention of toothed gearing.
Third, to certain improved modes of working and of regulating the action of
expansion valves" in ordinary and compound steam engines.
Fourth, to the application of an additional exhaust valve or valves to the
condensing cylinder of steam engines.
Fifth, to certain novel methods of heating water by means of the exhaust
steam passing from the cylinder previous to its condensation.
Sixth, to improvements in the construction of pistons for the working
cylinders of steam engines, in the construction of the air pump buckets, the
foot and delivery valves, and the buckets and clacks of the hot and cold water
pumps made use of in steam engines.
Seventh, to certain improvements in the generation of steam, and in the
application of steam thus generated to steam engines generally.
Eighth, to the construction of an improved guage for measuring or deter-
mining the working pressure of steam in steam engines.
Having thus set forth the particular nature of our improvements, we shall
proceed to exemplify their practical application by the following
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
As the ordinary and well-known parts of steam engines are generally under-

page_text: excepting in so far as such may, be necessary to explain our improvements;
but, in order to exhibit the peculiar features of our Invention with greater
distinctness, the novel apparatus. which we employ, and the arrangements con-
nected therewith, are represented as shaded with colour, while the ordinary
parts of the steam engine are drawn in outline only.
In Drawing No. 1, Figures 1 and 2 are side elevations, and Figure 3 is a
plan of a compound steam engine, in which the second or high-pressure
cylinder A is erected immediately over the air pump C, the stroke of which
and the cylinder A will be of equal length, as both are worked by the usual
back links of the ordinary parrallel motion. This arrangement of the high-
pressure cylinder A immediately over the air pump C, instead of in the front
or at the side of the ordinary condensing cylinder B, dispenses with the
additional pair of links in the parrallel motion of compound engines, as hereto
fore constructed. The piston rod a of the high-pressure cylinder A is con-
nected to the ordinary parallel motion at b, and, by carrying it downwards
through the bottom of the cylinder, it forms the plug rod of the air pump
or, in place of this arrangement, the air pump may be worked from the piston
rod a of the cylinder A by a cross-head d and side rods c, c, as shewn at
Figures 4 and 5, Drawing No. 1.
C;
In Drawing No. 2, Figures 6 and 7 are elevations, and Figure 8 is a plan
of a condensing engine furnished with a vibratory or oscillating high-pressure
cylinder D, the piston rod of which, d, works into an additional crank e on the
ordinary crank shaft E.
At Figure 9, Drawing No. 2, another arrangement of a vibratory cylinder
D is exhibited, the piston rod of which, d, works into the ordinary engine
crank, to which crank motion is also imparted from the condensing cylinder
B by means of the beam and connecting rod in the usual manner; or, in place
of these arrangements, the connection of the vibratory cylinder with the crank
shaft may be made by an intermediary crank and spur or bevil gearing, as
circumstances may require. The adoption of either of these arrangements
greatly increases the power of the condensing engine, such additional power
being transmitted from the high-pressure cylinder D through the fly wheel.or
crank shaft alone, leaving the original parts of the engine, as the parrallel
motion beam, entablature, and connecting rod, to bear the strain and perform
the work from the condensing cylinder B, as before. Another advantage of
this arrangement is, that the steam, after working the vibratory high-pressure
cylinder D, is conveyed along the pipe F to the side pipes G, and works the
condensing cylinder B, as in the ordinary compound engine.
Our novel mechanical combinations for effecting the rotation of the cam or

page_text: valve shaft of steam engines are shewn attached to the engine exhibited in
Figures 1, 2, & 3, Drawing No. 1, in the plan of the engine Fig. 11, and
in the detached view Figure 12, Drawing No. 2. These arrangements con-
sist in the application of two eccentrics h, h, placed at right angles to each
other upon the fly wheel or crank shaft of the engine E. J is the cam or
valve shaft, furnished with two right-angled cranks j, j, corresponding to the
throw of the eccentrics h, h. These cranks are worked by eccentric rods k, l,
by which continuous rotation is imparted to the cam or valve shaft J. The
valves and valve rods may be worked in the usual manner, or the valve rods
may be dispensed with, and motion imparted direct from the valve shaft J to
the valve spindle I by the cam i, as shewn at Figures 17 and 18, where the
valve spindle works through an inverted stuffing box in the bottom of the
ordinary side pipes G; with either of these arrangements the ordinary slide
valves, the Cornish double-beat valves, or any description of valves, as deter-
mined by practice to be best, may be employed. This method of communicat-
ing rotation to the valve shaft, dispensing with the use of spur or bevil gearing,
ensures a smoother motion to the valve rods and valves, and by the reduction
of friction effects a great economy of engine power, &c.
Our improvements relating to expansion valves refer to the class of valves
usually placed in the main steam pipes or valve boxes of the side pipes of
steam engines. These valves are generally of the construction known as
"double-beat" and throttle valves, although in carrying out our improvements
any description of expansion valve may be used.
Our improvements in working and regulating the lift of these valves
according to the speed of the engine are shewn in Drawing No. 2, at Figures
10 and 11, which are elevations and plan of an engine, to which this part of
our Invention is applied, and at Figures 13 and 14, which further illustrate
the mode of action. A modified system of arrangements is also shewn in the
detached parts represented at Figures 15 and 16. L is a double-beat valve
and spindle, best seen in Figure 28, lifted by a lever m and rod M, the lower
end of which rod is attached to the arm N of the weighted lever N, N1, whose
fulcrum is at n. o is a cam upon the revolving valve shaft J, the rotation of
which shaft is effected by means of the double crank and eccentrics before
mentioned. This cam o, revolving with the shaft J, acts upon the arm N of
the weighted lever, to which is attached the rod M, and effects an absolute
lift of the expansion velve L with every stroke of the piston, the travel of the
valve being regulated by the "throw" of the cam o; but, in order to vary
the lift of the valve according to the speed of the engine, the lever N, N', is
made to advance upon or retire from the cam o, and afford the valve Lan

page_text: amount of travel proportioned to the varying speed of the engine. This is
effected by means of the double-acting blast cylinder P, which is worked by
an eccentric from the revolving valve shaft J. The blast of air from the
cylinder P is conveyed by the pipe p to the cylinder Q, where it is introduced
beneath the piston q, and also flows into the strong cylindrical receiver R, best
seen in section in the detached view Figure 13. To the cylinder Qis
attached a small exit pipe r, furnished with a cock or tap r, which is opened
sufficiently to prevent the undue accumulation of compressed air in the
cylinder Q and receiver R, when the engine is working at its ordinary rate of
speed; but when the velocity of the engine increases, the blast from the
cylinder P becomes more powerful, and the accumulating pressure of the
condensed air in the cylinder Q and receiver R raises the piston q, which,
acting upon the rods and lever T, causes the rod t to act upon the walking or
compound lever u, and forces the carriage V carrying the weighted lever
N, N', to retire from the cam o, thereby reducing the lift of the expansion
valve L, and effecting a proportionate diminution in the quantity of steam
admitted to the cylinder B. Should the speed of the engine decrease, the
blast from the cylinder P is proportionably weakened, permitting the descent
of the piston 9, and, through the system of rods and levers before mentioned,
effects the admission of steam to the cylinder B, through the valve L, sufficient
to restore the speed of the engine to its usual ratio. When from any acci-
dental derangement of the machinery driven by the engine, or other cause, the
velocity of the engine is unduly accelerated, the increased power of the blast
from the cylinder P acting upon the walking or compound lever u in the
manner before mentioned causes the weighted lever N, N', to retire beyond
the action of the cam upon the shaft J (see Figure 14), and, closing the
valve L, stops the engine by preventing the admission of steam to the working
cylinder B.
In Figures 15 and 16 a modification of the system last described is
exhibited; the walking or compound lever is dispensed with, and the arrange-
ment of bevil wheels v, v', and screw v², on which the carriage V bearing the
weighted lever N, N', travels, is substituted therefor. A lever t¹ upon the
axis of the bevil is acted upon by the rod t, from the cylinder Q, through
the combination of rods and levers before mentioned, and the partial rotation
of this bevil wheel effects a corresponding action of the bevil v and screw v²,
causing the weighted lover to advance upon or retire from the camo upon the
revolving shaft J, its traverse upon the screw being regulated by the
intensity of the blast.
The application of additional exhaust valves to the condensing cylinder of

page_text: steam engines is exhibited at Figures 19 and 20, Drawing No. 1. These
valves, which may be of any desired construction or form, are contained in the
extra valve boxes L, L, and are worked in any convenient manner by an
additional cam upon the revolving valve shaft J, but do not interfere with
the action of the ordinary valves worked from the valve spindle I, the object
of these additional valves being to facilitate the escape of steam from the
cylinder B to the condensor by means of the usual or an additional exhaust
pipe leading thereto, thereby avoiding the loss of power in the engine occasioned
by the back pressure of steam in the cylinder.
Our methods of "heating water" or other fluids by the exhaust steam,
previous to its condensation, are shewn in Drawing No. 3. Figure 21 is a
longitudinal section, and Figure 22 is a sectional plan of an ordinary condensor,
within which, and as near to the top thereof 'as may be convenient, is fitted a
vessel or box of iron, copper, or other suitable materials W, filled with tubes
w, w, of sufficient number and capacity to be equal to or exceed the area of
the exhaust pipe W, through which, and the tubes w, w, in the vessel W, the
steam passes into the lower part of the condensor. The vessel W is supplied
with water from the hot well of the engine or other convenient source by
means of the pipe W; and this water, circulating through the vessel W, is
effectively heated by contact with the outer surfaces of the tubes w, w, pre-
vious to passing from it to feed the pump, or elsewhere, by the pipe W³.
This apparatus is also shewn applied to the engine exhibited in Drawing No. 1.
In Figures 24 and 25 our arrangements for this purpose are somewhat modi-
fied. A coiled pipe W is placed in the condensor as a substitute for the
vessel and tubes last described. The supply of water from the hot well or
other source enters the coiled pipe W by the pipe W, and the water, while
gently circulating through the pipes of which the coil is constructed, becomes
thoroughly heated previous to its delivery therefrom by the pipe W.
Figure 26 is a sectional elevation of another method which we employ for
this purpose. X is a pipe in connection with the ordinary exhaust pipe, or
the condensor of a steam engine. To this pipe is attached a double-action
pump X', furnished with a piston X³, and valves x, a, a, a, in the usual
manner. The object of this pump is to extract some portion of the exhaust
steam from the condensor, and force it through the pipe X into the vessel X.
This vessel is supplied with water from the pipe X³, which water falls in a
continuous shower through the perforated plate X° upon the steam beneath,
and thence passes to the feed pump through the pipe X'. In Figure 27
another method of heating water by the exhaust steam is exhibited. y'is the
pipe in communication with the exhaust pipe or condensor, having a clack or

page_text: valve y' upon the top thereof, and opening into the vessel Z; into which vessel
a shower of water falls through the perforated plate, such water being
supplied from the hot well or other source by the pipe ¹. Y is an inverted
cup furnished with top clacks y, y³. This cup is worked by the rod y',
through a stuffing box in the lid of the vessel Z, in the manner of a pump,
by any convenient attachment to the engine. The operation of these arrange-
ments is as follows:-When the cup Y makes the upstroke in the direction
of the blue arrow a vacuum is formed between the surface of the water in
the vessel Z and the interior of the inverted cup Y, into which vacuity the
steam rushes through the clack y' on the top of the pipe y.
When the cup
Y is making the downstroke indicated by the red arrow, the steam previously
admitted therein from the pipe y by the clack y' (and which has escaped con-
densation by contact with the water in the vessel Z.) rushes through the
clacks and y, and meeting the shower of water falling through the perfo-
rated plate in the vessel Z, mingles with it, and raises the temperature of
the water, which then passes off through the pipe, to the feed pump, &c.,
as before described.
Our improvements in the construction of pistons, pump buckets, clacks,
and valves are shewn in Drawing No. 3. Figure 29 is a plan of a metallic
piston for a steam engine, and Figure 30 is a sectional elevation of the same.
A, A, are the ordinary metallic packing rings cut in the usual manner to
admit of a partial expansion in the cylinder, and within these metallic pack-
ings we place a ring of vulcanized caoutchouc, Mackintosh cloth, or any
flexible material B. C, C, and D, D, are apertures on the top and bottom of
the piston furnished with clacks or valves c, c, d, d, opening towards the inte-
rior circumference of the flexible ring B upon the piston making the down-
stroke in the cylinder in the direction of the blue arrow. The steam rushes
through the apertures C, C, open the valve c, and exerting an uniform action
upon the inner surface of the caoutchouc ring B, keeps the top and bottom
joints of the piston perfectly steam-tight, at the same time expanding the
rings of the metallic packings A, A, and pressing them effectively against the
interior of the cylinder E. When the piston make the upstroke in the direc-
tion of the red arrow the steam rushes in through the apertures D, D, and
opening the valves d, d, produces the same effect upon the packing as that
last described. A modified adaptation of caoutchouc or other flexible mate-
rials, for the purpose of expanding the metallic rings and preventing the
escape of steam, is shewn at Figure 31, which is a sectional elevation of an
ordinary piston furnished with a set of elastic metallic rings F. These are
packed from behind with a coil of caoutchouc tubing G, or in place of this

page_text: coil a series of washers or concentric rings of the same or any similarly
elastic material may be used, upon which, when the piston cover H is screwed
down (as upon the ordinary hempen packing) a very elastic action is called
into operation, keeping the metallic rings F, F, in effective contact with the
surface of the cylinder.
Figures 32 and 33 are an elevation and a plan of an air-pump bucket.
I, I, are series of metallic packing rings with an inner flexible ring J, as
described in relation to our improved pistons; but in this case it is kept to
its work, and rendered perfectly air-tight by the pressure of water upon the
inner cicumference thereof, admitted by the aperture (or apertures) K. Our
improvements in the air-pump bucket consist also in the introduction of lids
of caoutchouc, cloth, gutta percha, or other similar materials L, L, in place
of the heavy brass lids now in general use. Figures 34 and 35 exhibit the
application of these lids to the foot and delivery valves of the air pump, and
the elastic packing and valves are also shewn applied to the bucket of the hot
or cold water pump at Figures 36 and 37; and we would remark that the
introduction of valves of these materials to any of the ordinary parts of the
steam engine we consider and claim as our Invention.
Our improvements in generating steam are shewn in Drawing No. 4.
Figure 38 is a transverse section, and Figure 39 a longitudinal section of a
French boiler. A is the large cylindrical boiler; B, B, are the tubes; and
C, C, are the legs connecting the tubes B, B, with the upper cylinder A; and
our improvement consists in making the furnace fires within, instead of
beneath, the tubes B, B, thereby exposing a larger area of effective heating
surface to the action of the fire. The other views relating to these arrange-
ments will be readily understood without further description.
Another improvement in generating steam consists in placing a series of
vertical tubes in the internal flues of steam boilers, thereby connecting the
upper and lower water surfaces, exposing the water more thoroughly to the
action of the fire, and, with a greater distribution, effecting a more economical
application of caloric. These tubes may be placed in the direction of the
length of the boiler, as shewn at F, F, Figures 40 & 41, or by widening
the neck of the flues they may be placed transversely of the boiler, as seen at
G, G, Figures 42 and 43.
Our improved steam guage is shewn at Figures 44 and 45, which are a
vertical section and elevation of the same. a is a small shaft having a pinion
working into a vertical rack c. The rod d at the top of this rack presses
upon the series of caoutchouc rings e (or other elastic substances), such as steel
springs shewn at m, m, Figure 40. The lower rod or stalk of the rack is

page_text: furnished with a small piston f working in a cylinder g. The whole apparatus,
which is contained in a neat case, is attached to the engine, and steam being
admitted beneath the piston f, its pressure acts upon the rack c, imparting
motion to the pinion b, the extent of which motion is measured upon the
dial i, by the finger j, fixed upon the shaft a; the index of the dial being
graduated to any desired scale corresponding to the elastic action of the steam,
and the resistance of the caoutchouc or springs, it follows that tho exact
pressure of the steam working the engine can always be ascertained by refe-
rence to the finger of the index dial.
Having now fully described the nature and particulars of our said Invention
of "Certain Improvements in Steam Engines," and the manner in which the
same are performed and carried into effect, we wish it to be understood that
we do not confine ourselves to the precise arrangements of the mechanical
details herein set forth, or any one of them, so long as the novel features of
our Invention, or any part thereof, be retained; neither do we claim any
of the ordinary or well-known parts of steam engines or apparatus connected
therewith, excepting in so far as these or any of them may be requisite or
indispensable for effectuating all or any of our improvements herein-beforc
set forth. But what we claim as new and of our Invention in this our
present Specification of Letters Patent granted unto us as aforesaid, are,--
First, the novel arrangement of the high-pressure cylinder of compound
steam engines immediately over the air pump, and the application of an oscil-
lating high-pressure cylinder working into or connected with the ordinary
crank shaft of a condensing engine, as described.
Secondly, the application of two or more eccentrics for effecting the rotation
of the can or valve shaft of steam engines, and the several arrangements in
connexion therewith and relating thereto, or any mere modification of the
same, as described.
Thirdly, the novel arrangements and apparatus (illustrated and described)
for working and regulating the action of expansion valves in steam engines,
or any modified arrangement of the principles set forth in relation thereto.
Fourthly, the application of an additional exhaust valve or valves to the
condensing cylinder of steam engines.
Fifthly, the novel methods described and illustrated for heating water by
making use of the exhaust steam previous to condensation, or any modified
arrangement for effecting such purpose.
Sixthly, the improvements described in relation to the construction of the
pistons, pump buckets, valves, and clacks usually employed in steam engines.
Seventhly, the improvements relating to the economical generation of

page_text: steam, and the application of steam thus generated to steam engines of every
description.
Eighthly, the novel construction of a guage or instrument for determining
the working pressure of steam in steam engines, as described, or any mere
modification of the same.
The whole of which being, to the best of our knowledge and belief, new,
and never before practised in that part of Her said Majesty's said United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland called England, Her Dominion of
Wales, and Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, we deliver this as our true and
faithful Specification of the same.
In witness whereof, we, the said William Galloway and John Galloway,
have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Sixteenth day of February,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and forty-nine.