IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Daniel Adamson, of Newton Moor, in the County of
Chester, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM
ENGINES."
Sealed the 21st June 1861, and dated the 9th January 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Daniel Adamson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 9th
January, 1861.
I, DANIEL ADAMSON, of Newton Moor, in the County of Chester, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
STEAM ENGINES," to be as follows:-'
My Invention consists in using steam through a series of steam cylinders
of not less than three, when high-pressure steam is employed, as in non-
condensing engines, but I prefer to use four cylinders, and upwards, when con-
densing apparatus is applied, except in some cases where three cylinders may
be used, having a condensing apparatus applied to the largest cylinder of the
series.
The steam is caused to pass through each cylinder consecutively, com-
mencing at the cylinder having the smallest area, and passing forward to the
next in proportion through the whole; the action of the steam on each
cylinder is regulated by valves, as in the case of an ordinary compound steam
engine having two steam cylinders.
The steam is or may be superheated as it passes though the cylinders by
the direct action of heated air or gases applied to the external surfaces of the

page_text: cylinders, or by the application of casings round the cylinders supplied with
high-pressure steam as a superheating medium, or by an independent super-
heating apparatus.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Daniel Adamson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
8th July 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, DANIEL
ADAMSON, of Newton Moor, in the County of Chester, Engineer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fourth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Daniel Adamson, Her special licence that I, the said Daniel
Adamson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Daniel Adamson, 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 term 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 "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN STEAM ENGINES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said Daniel Adamson, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment 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 Daniel Adamson, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement (that is to say).
My Invention consists in using steam through a series of steam cylinders of
not less than three when high-pressure steam is employed, as in non-
condensing engines, but I prefer to use four cylinders and upwards when con-
densing apparatus is applied.
:
The steam is caused to pass through each cylinder consecutively, com-

page_text: mencing at the cylinder having the smallest area and passing forward to the
next in proportion through the whole series. The action of the steam in each
cylinder is regulated by valves as in the case of an ordinary compound steam
engine having two steam cylinders.
The steam is or may be superheated as it passes through the cylinders by
the direct action of heated air or gases applied to the external surfaces of the
cylinders, or by the application of casings round the cylinders supplied with
high-pressure steam as a superheating medium, or by an independent super-
heating apparatus.
And in order that my Invention may be fully understood and readily
carried into operation, I will proceed to describe the means pursued by me,..
reference being had to the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon.
Figure 1 is an end elevation of one of my improved compound high-pressure
and condensing steam engines; Figure 2 is a side elevation; and Figure 3, a
plan of the same.
In this case I have shewn four steam cylinders marked respectively a, b, c
and d. High-pressure steam is admitted to the cylinder a through the pipe a',
and after it has exerted its force on the piston of this cylinder it is conveyed by
the pipe b' to the cylinder b, from whence it passes in the same manner
to the cylinders c and d, through the pipes c¹ and d. The action of the
steam in each cylinder is regulated by valves as in ordinary compound steam
engines having two steam cylinders. From the cylinder d the steam is con-
veyed to the condenser e, which is provided with the air-pump f, as in
condensing engines of the ordinary construction. The relative areas of the
cylinders a, b, c, and d, are, on a slightly increasing geometrical ratio, that is to
say, the cylinder b is rather more than twice the area of the cylinder a, and so
on up to the cylinder d, but the increase between the cylinders c and d is
rather greater than in the others to compensate for the reduced expansive force
of the steam. The pistons of all the cylinders are connected by the piston
rods a, b, c, and d, to the cross-head g, to the outer extremities of which
are jointed the ends of the connecting rods h, the other ends of which are
jointed to the cranks i fixed to the crank shaft j.
pump fis worked from the cross-head g by the elbow liner e¹ or in any other
convenient manner. 'And I wish it to be understood that although the engine
shewn in the Drawing is represented as horizontal, it may be placed in a
vertical position if preferred, or the cylinders may be placed diagonally with
the piston rods of two cylinders connected to one crank, and the piston rods of
the two other cylinders connected to another crank.
The bucket of the air-

page_text: The steam may be superheated as it passes from one cylinder to the other in
the manner described in the Specification of Letters Patent granted to me and
to Leonard Cooper on the Twelfth of August One thousand eight hundred and
fifty-two, Number 14,259, or by any other suitable apparatus.
In applying my improvements to a beam engine I connect the piston rods
of the high-pressure cylinder and the cylinder into which it delivers its steam
to a double trunnion passing through the beam. between the fulcrum of the
beam and the end thereof to: which the connecting rod is jointed. The other
two cylinders are connected to the other side of the beam, namely, the piston
rod of the condensing cylinder is connected to the end of the beam, and the
piston rod of the cylinder from which the condensing cylinder receives its steam
is connected to the beam at any convenient point between the extremity and
the fulcrum thereof. It is evident that the piston rods of all the cylinders
must be connected to the beam by the usual parallel motions.
In the foregoing description, and in. the accompanying Drawing, I have
shewn and described a compound steam engine with four cylinders through
which the steam passes' consecutively, and the largest of which is furnished
with a condensing apparatus. I wish to observe that I do not limit myself to
this particular arrangement, as in some cases a compound engine on the now
condensing principle, consisting of three or more cylinders may be employed,
and in other cases more than four cylinders may be combined, the largest of
which is in communication with a condenser.
Having thus described the nature and particulars of my Invention, I declare
that I claim as my- improvements in steam engines the combination and
arrangement of three or more cylinders, the pistons of which are connected to
one beam or one crank shaft as shewn and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Daniel Adamson, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fifth day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand 'eight hundred and sixty-one.
DANIEL ADAMSON. (L.s.)