IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES
Year: 1834

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, SAMUEL
HALL, of Basford, in the County of Nottingham, Cotton Manufacturer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS His present most Excellent Majesty King William the Fourth,
by His Letters Patent, bearing date at Westminster, the Thirteenth day of
February, in the fourth year of His reign, did, for Himself, His heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said Samuel Hall, His especial
licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said Samuel Hall,
my exors, adñiors, and assigns, and such others as I, the said Samuel Hall,
my exors, adñiors, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,
should, from time to time and at all times during the term of years
therein expressed, make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and
the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, and also in all His said Majesty's Colonies
and Plantations abroad, my Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES;"
in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso that 1, the said Samuel
Hall, shall cause a particular description of the nature of my said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be inrolled in His said
Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the 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
Samuel Hall, do hereby declare that the nature of my Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described and ascer-
tained in and by the following description thereof, reference being had to the

page_text: Drawing hereunto annexed, and the figures and letters marked thereon, that
is to say:
The objects of my Invention (which Invention I confine to steam engines
worked by a vacuum produced by condensation) are, to condense without
injection water (for the purpose of creating as good a vacuum as is obtained
and well known in injection engines), the steam which passes through the
engine for the working thereof; and also to condense, for the most part (if
not wholly), that portion of steam which usually escapes into the atmosphere
through the safety valve when the pressure of the steam in the boiler is too
bigh during the working of the engine, in order that the water resulting from
the condensation of such steam may be returned into the boiler; and also,
further, to supply so much more distilled water to the boilers of the above-
mentioned description of engines as is required to supply and replace any
waste that may take place in the working thereof, in order to avoid the intro-
duction of any water (into the boilers) containing salino or other extraneous
matters.
My Invention does not consist in the novelty of any one of the five apparatus
herein-after mentioned, but in the combination of the whole five, or at least
three out of the five, within proper proportions (as herein-after described) as.
regards the first three, which I have found by experience to be beneficial, and
from the want of knowing and observing which I have reason to believe that
all persons who have made former attempts of the same nature have failed.
I now proceed to describe the above-mentioned five apparatus, consisting
of,-
First, a sufficient quantity of metallic surfaces, in the form of vessels,
channels, passages, or pipes, of any convenient form, arrangement, or con-
struction, wholly open to and being pervaded by steam on its exit from the
steain cylinder of the engine, the water resulting from the condensation thereof
coming in contact with the metallic surfaces, and making its immediate escape
without being detained in the pipes, as was effected by my Invention for
which I obtained a Patent dated the Twenty-second day of December, One
thousand eight hundred and thirty-one. The extent of such metallic surfaces
should be about two thousand eight hundred squaro inches for the conden-
sation of each sixty thousand cubic inches of steam per minute, when it is of
the pressure of four pounds upon the square inch above the pressure of the
atmosphere. I use fifty thin copper pipes, half an inch internal diameter, and
three feet long each, for the condensation of the above-mentioned quantity of
steam at the aforesaid pressure, which quantity.of steam per minute consider
as productive of one. horse
power:

page_text: Secondly, a pump, or any other proper apparatus, for the passing of a suffi-
cient quantity of cold water amongst such above-mentioned pipes, not only to
condense all the steam of steam engines, but also to cool the water resulting
from the condensation thereof to as low a temperature as (or even lower than)
that of the mixture of the condensed steam and injection water which is dis-
charged from the air pumps of injection engines, in order to produce by such
application of cold water, when used in combination with the metallic surfaces
as above stated, and, with the air pump herein-after mentioned, as good a
vacuum as is obtained and well known in such injection engines, if not indeed
a still more perfect vacuum. The quantity of cold water which I employ is
ten. gallons for such condensation of such sixty thousand cubic inches per
minute.
Thirdly, the ordinary air pump, of the capacity hereafter stated, to produce,
when in connection with the before-mentioned two apparatus, a sufficiently
perfect vacuum; as above defined, by carrying away not only the water.
resulting from the condensation of the steam, and any air that may enter into
the condenser through bad joints or otherwise, but also the vapour arising from
the water resulting from the condensation of the steam, such vapour being
more or less dense according as the water is of a more or less elevated tem-
perature, as is shown by the experiments and tables of Mr. Dalton and other
scientific men. Such air pump, if a single-acting pump, should be of such a
diameter that its area shall not be less than one eighth of the area of the
stean cylinder, the piston making (as is usual in most engines) a stroke half
the length of that of the piston of the steam cylinder, and both pistons making
the same number of strokes per minute. The above capacity I state as the
minimum at which the pump should be applied, but the capacity may with
advantage be considerably increased. I use it of half of the area of the steam
cylinder under the above-mentioned circumstances, and it may be encreased
even beyond that capacity.
Fourthly, an apparatus for distilling water to replace the waste of water.
that may take place in the working of the engine, in order to avoid, as above
mentioned, the introduction of any water into the boilers containing saline or.
other extraneous matters.
:
Fifthly, an apparatus (which I call the steam:saver), for saving the steam
that usually escapes into the atmosphere from the safety valves when it
becomes of too high pressure during the working of the engine, the apparatus.
causing such steam to pass into the condenser to be converted into water, and
returned to the boiler. It may be proper here to remark, that within certain
limits which experience will readily suggest, the above-mentioned proportions
of metallic surfaces of cold water and capacity of..the air pump. may be varied

page_text: in a certain inverse order; that is to say, if the cold water be diminished, the
extent of metallic surfaces or the capacity of the air pump, or both, should be
increased; and, on the other hand, if the extent of metallic surfaces be dimi-
nished, the quantity of cold water or the capacity of the air pump, or both,
should be increased to produce the same effect.
I now proceed to describe the above-mentioned five several apparatus,
reference being made to the Drawing.
A, Fig. 1, is the steam cylinder, and B, Figs. 1 and 2, the eduction pipe,
which are similar to those of common injection steam engines. C, Figs. 1
and 2, are sections (Fig. 2 being upon an enlarged scale) of the refrigerator
or condenser, which I shall first describe. D, D, of the same Figures, is a
cistern (through which passes the stream of cold water above mentioned)
containing the metallic surfaces in the form of pipes a, a, a, a, which are
wholly open to the steam coming from the steam cylinder. E, E, and F are
two chambers which are connected together by the pipes a, a, a, which pass
through the plates b, b, in which they are fixed in the following manner:
a, a, Fig. 3, are ends of one of the pipes; and b, b, are portions of the plates,
with holes perforated in them, and chambered so as to receive the pipes and
form recesses round them. These recesses contain the packing , (which may
be of hemp or cotton). It is pressed by hoops or ferrules s, s, (which screw
into the recesses), in close contact with the pipes, and with the sides and
bottoms of the recesses, so as to form a steam-tight stuffing or joint. Although
the condenser herein described has its pipes a, a, placed vertically, it is evident
that it may be so constructed as to have them placed in a horizontal or other
position. is a plate fixed in the chamber E, E, closely perforated with a
great number of small holes to distribute the steam equally amongst the
pipes a, a. G is a pipe connecting the bottom chamber F with the air
pump H, Fig. 1, which is similar to the common air pump used in injection
engines. I, I, are two pipes for conveying the stream of cold water to the
cistern D, D, to which they are connected by a number of distributing pipes c, c,
whose aggregate areas should be about equal to the area of the pipes I, I.
such pipes 1, I, being connected to the cold-water pump J by means of the
pipe Z. K, K, are two pipes similar to pipes I, I, with branches d, d, similar
to branches c, c, to convey the water out of the cistern. It may here be
observed that the pump or other apparatus employed for causing a stream of
cold water to flow through the cistern, may be connected to the pipes K, K,
and act by exhausting the water from, instead of forcing it through, the
cistern, as shewn in the Drawing. In this case the pipes 1. 1, instead of
being connected with the pump, must communicate with the reservoir from
which the cold water is obtained, thus bringing the atmospheric pressure to

page_text: force cold water through the refrigerator or condenser by means of the action
of the pump. L, M, Figs. 1 and 2, are square channels extending across the
chamber E, E, such channels being connected together by a row of small
pipes e, e, in the same manner that the chambers E, E, and F are connected
together by the pipes a, a, a. The action of this apparatus is as follows:-
When the engine is at work the steam, having passed from the boiler through
the steam cylinder, is conveyed by the eduction pipe B into the upper
chamber E, E, and being condensed by passing into and pervading the series
of pipes a, a, a, the water resulting from its condensation trickles down the
sides of those pipes, and falls into the lower chamber F, from whence it is
conveyed through the pipe G by the air pump HI, which produces a vacuum
in both of the chambers, as well as in the series of pipes a, a, a, and passes
the condensed water to the boiler by forcing it into channel L, and through
pipes e, e, (by which it will be heated,) into channel M, from whence it is
conveyed to the boiler by the pipes N and O.
Having described the first three apparatus, I now proceed to describe the
other two apparatus; vidclicit, the apparatus for distilling the needful portion
of water to supply and replace in the boiler any waste that may take place in
the working of the engine, and the apparatus for saving the steam usually
blown off at the safety valves of steam engines. P, Fig. 1, is the distilling
vessel, partly immersed in the boiler. It is connected with the cold-water
cistern by the supply pipe Q, to the upper orifice of which is fitted a valve k,
attached by a stem to one end of the lever 1, and from the other end of the
lever is suspended by a wire the float m, to regulate the influx of the water,
and keep it at the proper height in the distilling vessel. R, R, is a pipe to
convey the steam from the distilling vessel to the upper chamber of the con-
denser, whereby a vacuum, more or less perfect, is created within the distilling
vessel, according as the vacuum produced in such chamber is more or less perfect,
which will cause the water to boil at a lower temperature than two hundred and
twelve degrees, and evaporate more rapidly than if exposed to the pressure of
the atmosphere. To regulate the supply of distilled water, so as to maintain
the water in the boiler at the proper height, a float », within the boiler, is sus-
pended from a lever o, o, by a stout wire passing through a stuffing box. The
lever o, o, is fixed on the outer end of the axis of the arm p, which arm works
within the distilling vessel, and has attached to it a valve q, fitted to the orifice
of the pipe R, R. When, therefore, the water in the boiler becomes too low,
the float n descends, and thereby opens the valve q, and allows the distillation
to go on until the additional quantity of water returned by the air pump to the
boiler causes the float to rise to its proper height therein, when it closes the
valve, and stops the distillation. It is evident that the steam from the dis-;

page_text: tilling vessel will be condensed in its passage through the condenser, and that
the distilled water resulting therefrom will be conveyed to the boiler along
with, and in addition to, the water produced by the condensation of the
steam used in working the engine, which is of course also distilled water.
It
is obvious, that instead of regulating the entrance of the water into, and the
exit of the steam out of, the distilling vessel by a system of self-adjusting
valves, the same may be effected by means of valves or cocks to be regulated
by hand.
'
The following is a description of the steam saver-a, a, Fig. 4, is a cylinder
placed concentrically within another cylinder b, b, the two being bolted and
jointed together at the bottom, so as to form an annular space or cavity
between the two cylinders, to contain a portion of mercury, into which the
cylinder c, c, is inverted, such inverted cylinder being kept down by the weighted
lever d, d, suspended from it by rods (one of which is shewn by the dotted
lines e). The cylinders a, a, and b, b, are bolted upon a short cylinder f, f,
which is closed at the bottom, and communicates by the neck g with a steam
pipe on the boiler. h, i, is a pipe, open at both ends, bolted to the cylinders f. f.
the end i extending some distance within the cylinder f, f. 1, 1, is a flat
valve, sliding over the end i, in a guide m, attached to i.
12 is a small aper-
ture in the centre of the valve 1, 1, which is closed by another valve o, sliding
in a frame 2, 2, fixed on the back of the valve 1, 1. p is a rod attached to the
valve o, and 9 is a rod attached to the valve 1, 1. These rods pass through
holes in the guide bar r, r, which is fixed to the inverted cylinder c, c; and the
rods p, q, have small nuts screwed upon their ends above the bar r, r. The
end of the pipe h, i, is connected to a pipe communicating with the upper
chamber of the condenser, as shewn by S, Fig. 1. When the steam does not
exceed the regular working pressure the valves remain in the position shewn
in the Figures 1 and 4, the inverted cylinder being kept down by the weighted
lever d, d; but when the force of the steam is sufficient to overcome the
resistance of the weighted lever, the inverted cylinder is raised by the pressure
of the steam, and draws up first the small valve o, so as to open the aperture n,
and allow a portion of steam to escape into the condenser, and as soon as
the nut on the rod 7 rests on the bar r. r, the continued ascent of the
cylinder c, c, elevates both valves together, and uncloses the aperture i of the
pipe h, i, so as to offer a larger opening for the passing off of the steam.
When the steam within the boiler is reduced to the working pressure by the
requisite escape through the steam saver, the valves 1, 1, and o descend along
with the inverted cylinder c, c, and close the openings i and n. By this
means the steam escaping through the pipe h is conveyed to and condensed in
the condenser, and returned to the boiler by the working of the air pump, in

page_text: the same manner as is the case with the steam which comes from the working
cylinder of the engine; and thus this portion of the steam is saved, and
returned in the form of water to the boiler, instead of being blown off into
the atmosphere, as heretofore practised.
Having now described the five several apparatus the combination of which
(within proper proportions, as herein-before described, as regards the first
three) constitute my Invention, I proceed again to define and explain the
extent of my claims. I now, therefore, state, that I do not claim the
exclusive use of any one of the five apparatus herein described taken
separately, some of them, if not all, having been used before; nor, indeed, do
I claim the exclusive use of any two of them if unaccompanied by any or
either of the others. But I do claim as my Invention, the exclusive use of the
threefold combination of the sufficient quantity of metallic surfaces, the
sufficient quantity of cold water passing among them, and the sufficiently
capacious air pump, as herein-before fully described, whether the said three-
fold combinatiou be used alone or combined with the distilling apparatus and
steam saver, or either of them.
I also claim the exclusive right of combining the distilling apparatus and
the steam-saving apparatus, or either of them, with the above-mentioned
threefold combination, or even with the two first of them, videlicit, the metallic
surfaces and cold water passing among them, should a less air pump be used.
In witness whereof, I, the said Samuel Hall, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Eighth day of August, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and thirty-four
Inrolled the Twelfth day of August, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and thirty-four.