IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM AND CALORIC ENGINES
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Vincent Newton, of the Office for Patents
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical
Draughtsman, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM AND
CALORIC ENGINES,"-A cominunication from abroad
communication from abroad by Alexander
Hendry, of Victoria, British Columbia.
Sealed the 4th February 1870, and dated the 15th September 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Vincent Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 15th September 1869.
I, ALFRED VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery
Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM
AND CALORIC ENGINES," to be as follows:-
This Invention is designed to provide a means for utilizing the power
of the gases given off by combustion, either alone or in connection with
steam generated at the same time and superheated and mixed with the
said gases.

page_text: The Invention consists in an improved arrangement of jacketed
cylinders and jacketed furnace constituting a water space for generating
steam by the radiating heat of the furnace, and arranged to envelope
the cylinders with water to prevent injury by the gases and heat. The
furnace, which is by preference cylindrical with a double coned fire-
place, is enclosed in a vertical cylindrical case, which extends upwards
some distance beyond the top of the furnace. This case is extended
laterally in a cylindrical form at its opposite sides, and these horizontal
cylindrical extensions are fitted with horizontal working cylinders,
which are closed at their inner ends and have at their outer ends
flanges which close the lateral extensions of the case. This case, which
forms a jacket for the furnace and working cylinders, may be termed
the boiler or steam generator. The working cylinders receive hollow
trunk pistons having annular water spaces, through which water is
allowed to circulate, it being supplied (through hollow guide rods) from
the case or boiler, which itself is supplied from an adjacent cistern
by the aid of a force pump. Air is also forced from the same cistern
into the furnace to keep up combustion. A conical hopper fitted with
closed valves is provided to charge the furnace from time to time with
solid fuel, or liquid fuel may be admitted thereto. The working
cylinders are connected at their inner ends with the furnace and also
by lateral pipes with the atmosphere. These several communications
are commanded by valves formed by the closed ends of four hollow
vertical rods, which are connected together in pairs by four cross bars
carrying adjustable tappets, through which they are raised to admit the
heated gases and steam to the pistons and discharge the same when
spent into the atmosphere. These hollow valve stems work in glands
formed in the bottom of a raised cistern, from which water is admitted
to their interior to keep them cool. By the pressure of springs on the
stems the valves are forced down into their seats. These valve stems
work through tubes which project up from the working cylinders and
through the top or cover of the boiler. A pipe near the top of the
boiler or enveloping case serves to conduct steam as it is generated into
the furnace, where it mingles with the heated gases preparatory to their
passing to the working cylinders. The pistons are connected to a
crank shaft in the usual way, and motion derived from this shaft serves
to work through bevil gears a tappet or cam shaft which operates the
supply and discharge valves. In the top of the furnace fire-bricks are
arranged to divide the flames and facilitate the admixture of the air with

page_text: the gases of combustion, and a rotary grate is provided at the bottom
of the fire-place. The fire is lighted through a tube in the side of the
fire-place which is to be closed when the fire has burned up.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Alfred Vincent Newton in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 15th March 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALFRED
VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of September, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the thirty-
third year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, Her
special licence that I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Alfred
Vincent Newton, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM AND CALORIC ENGINES," being a
communication to me from abroad by Alexander Hendry, of Victoria,
British Columbia, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Alfred Vincent Newton, 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 Alfred Vincent Newton, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same

page_text: by the following statement, reference being had to the Drawing here-
unto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is
to say):
This Invention relates to improvements in engines for obtaining
power by heat, and is designed to provide a means for utilizing the
power of the gases given off by combustion either alone or in connection
with steam generated at the same time and superheated and mixed with
the said gases.
The Invention consists in an improved arrangement of jacketed
cylinders and jacketed furnace constituting a water space for generating
steam by the radiating heat of the furnace, and arranged to envelope
the cylinders with water to prevent injury by the gases and heat.
Also an improved arrangement of chambered pistons for keeping the
same filled with water to counteract the action of the heat upon the
same.
Also certain improvements in chambered valves, valve rods, and valve
operating devices, the said chambered valves and rods being supplied
with water also to prevent injury by the heat and the gases.
The Invention also comprises an arrangement of the furnace calcu-
lated to separate and distribute the gases and effect the most perfect
combustion.
In the accompanying Drawing Fig. 1 represents a longitudinal
sectional elevation of the improved engine, and Fig. 2 represents a
transverse section of the same.
A is an enclosed furnace preferably of cylindrical form above the coal
space, vertical in position, and of sufficient height in the chamber B to
produce the best results in combustion. This furnace is surrounded by
a vertical jacket C, which is pendent from the centre of a horizontal
jacket E, supported in any suitable way and enclosing the cylinders
F, F', providing a water space G surrounding both the furnace and the
cylinders one in each end of the jacket E, and provided with packing
glands H at the ends of the jacket where they open through the heads
thereof. I represents hollow pistons, one for each cylinder, and pro-
vided with chambers K, for taking up as much of the central space as
it is not needful should be occupied by water. The pistons have
tubes L leading from the water space of the jacket E to the interior

page_text: keeping a constant communication and circulation of water in the pistons,
the said pipes work through stuffing boxes in the ends of the jackets E.
The water is supplied to the jacket C by a pipe M leading from a supply
tank, shewn in dotted lines, and the air is supplied to the furnace from
the same tank by pipes O, O, leading from the top to the tuyeres P.
The water and air are supplied to this tank by a pump in any suitable
way. The level of the water in the jackets C and E is intended to be
governed by the height in this tank, and to regulate it here an escape
valve and float R are provided, which open the passage when the
water rises too high. The steam generated in the jackets C and E is
conducted by a pipe S from the steam space in the upper extension of
the jacket C, into the combustion chamber B, where it is superheated
and from which it is admitted alternately by valves F2 and F", to the
cylinders F and F respectively, and exhausted similarly by the valves
F, F through the lateral pipes F and F. These supply and exhaust
valves are attached to hollow stems or rods a rising up through the
cylinders and pipes in the jacket C, packing glands d above and into
an clevated water tank e supported on pillars f resting on the top of
the jacket C, glands g are also provided in the bottom of this tank. The
rods have spring pressure applied at the top ends by a spring hand bar i
to counteract the pressure on the valves. In this way the valve rods
are provided with a circulation of water to protect them from the heat.
The inner ends of the pistons are recessed, as shewn at k, and in dotted
lines, to provide room for the valve rods which pass through the
cylinder. The pistons are connected at their outer ends to cross heads T
which are connected by rods U, working in guides on the sides of the
jacket E and carrying connecting ends V, one on each side which are
connected to the crank shaft W. From this shaft an inclined shaft X
turned by suitable bevil gears is arranged for working the cam shaft Z,
which has a pair of cams Z' set opposite to each other, so that one set
of valves will be raised while the other is at rest by acting on the wipers
Z of the valve stems. These wipers have tappets Z", which I propose
to arrange so as to be movable on them from one side to the other of
the cam shaft for varying the point of cutting off and for reversing the
movement of the engine. When set on one side of the cam shaft the
engine will run one way and when set on the other side the motion will
be reversed, and the change of position on either side to or from the
shaft varies the point of cutting off. The said tappets may however be
made fast to the said wipers. The wipers Z are connected to the stem

page_text: of one supply and one exhaust valve. In order to ensure the seating of
each valve independently of the other the said wipers may be made
in two parts, one lapping over the other to be raised by it. The bevil
wheel a on the cam shaft Z is made to slide into or out of gear with
the corresponding wheel on the shaft connecting it with the driving
shaft and has a hand lever a³ for moving it. The machine is stopped
by sliding this wheel out of gear, and started by turning the hand
wheel a³ for setting the valves in motion, and then gearing it with the
other wheel. Fire-bricks a' are arranged in the upper part of the fire
chamber in a way to break and divide the flame for the better combina-
tion of the oxygen of the air, to produce the best effects in combustion,
the said bricks being laid across and above each other with spaces
between having abrupt turns. The coal may be supplied to the furnace
through a tube A', having a funnel mouth and two cut-off valves or
slides A, one of which may be kept closed while the coal is passing the
other to prevent the escape of the steam and gas. B' represents a tube
through which to light the fire; it is stopped by a screw plug B³. Α
small tube may be provided for looking in to see the condition of the
fire, the same being closed by a glass to prevent the escape of steam
and gas. C³ is a revolving grate below the fire with a shaft projecting
through a stuffing box and furnished with a hand wheel C for revolving
the grate to discharge the ashes and cinders. Below the grate is an
ash-pit C for removing the ashes. The power may be regulated by the
quantity of air admitted to the fire, which as above stated is forced in
by a pump deriving motion from the engine in any preferred way. It
is proposed in some cases to make use of liquid fuel; and to modify the
arrangement of the furnace for such fuel as may be found, best.
pistons may be used without the chambers K if preferred.
The
It is proposed to operate this improved engine with air forced into
the heater, and therein rarified and the gases of combustion together
or with the same and the steam generated in the jackets. When the
steam is not used the temperature will not be sufficient to generate
steam.
Having now set forth the nature of the Invention of "Improvements
in Steam and Caloric Engines," as communicated to me from abroad,
and explained the manner of carrying the same into effect, I wish it
to be understood that under the above in part recited Letters Patent I
claim,―

page_text: First. The combination of the furnace, the vertical and horizontal
water jackets, and the cylinders F, F', when the latter are provided
with induction ports leading from the combustion chamber to which
the steam is first conducted and superheated, and exhaust ports, and
when the said jackets provide water and steam spaces around the furnace
and cylinders, substantially as specified.
Secondly. The combination with the water jacketed cylinders of the
hollow pistons, whether provided with chambers K or not, when the
said hollow pistons have pipes communicating with the water space G
and maintaining a circulation in the said pistons, substantially as
specified.
Thirdly. The combination with the valves for the induction and
exhaust ports of the hollow stems a and water supply tank, substan-
tially as specified.
Fourthly. The combination of the cam shaft Z, cams Z', wipers Z³,
and tappets Z, the latter either adjustable on the wipers or not, substan-
tially as specified.
Fifthly. The arrangement of the fire-bricks a in the combustion
chamber, substantially as specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, the Fifteenth day of March, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy.
A. V. NEWTON. (L.S.)