IM- PROVEMENTS IN STEAM APPARATUS FOR RAISING AND FORCING WATER APPLICABLE TO STEAM NAVIGATION AND WATERWORKS IN GENERAL
Year: 1863

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Victor de Stains, B.A., at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
15th December 1863.
I, VICTOR DE STAINS, B.A., living at Nr. 14, Florence Street, Upper Street,
Islington, N., do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN STEAM APPARATUS FOR RAISING AND FORCING WATER APPLICABLE
TO STEAM NAVIGATION AND WATERWORKS IN GENERAL," to be as follows:-
In the construction of an apparatus composed of a cylinder and a floating
piston working up and down in the said cylinder through the alternate
introduction and condensation of steam, and by the same alternate motion
pumping and forcing water or any other liquid placed immediately underneath,
thereby transmitting the action of the steam directly and immediately to the
substance to be put in motion without the employment of any intermediate or
complicated agency, whether the steam be at high or low pressure; whether
drawn in a condenser or condensed in the cylinder, and whether water, ether,
or any other substance expanded into an elastic fluid be employed as a motive
power the principle is invariably the same in its application.
The following explanation of the Drawing will sufficiently illustrate my
Invention.
A, A, cylinder; B, B, floating piston; C, C', passages to the condenser ;
D, D, socket to gather up the chain when the piston rises; E, E, rod to keep
the socket perpendicular to the steam valve; F, F, chain to press the valve
down and cut off the steam at a proper distance; G, G, steam valve; H, weight

page_text: to keap the valve open until the chain pulls it down; j, j, entrance of steam;
K, K', valves to open and close the passages to the condenser; L, L', rods to
connect the cranks R, R', with the valves just mentioned; M, inlet valve;
N, outlet valve; 0, 0', taps to close the passages to the condenser; P, screwed
tap to close the passage of the cold water; Q, tap of cold water pipe;
R, R', cranks to open the valves of condensation; S, S¹, positions (in dotted
lines) of the same cranks when the valves are closed; x and z, inlet and
outlet of the water in the propulsion of a vessel; x² and 2¹, inlet and
outlet of the water in a drawing and forcing pump, as shown by dotted
lines.
The piston is bere represented in its ascent drawing up the water by
condensation of the steam above it. When arrived under the socket D, D,
it will take it up, gathering the chain into it, and after having in its progress
shut up the two valves K, K', drive the said socket against the valve G, G,
thereby introducing steam; meanwhile the valve M having closed by its own
weight, the steam pressing down the piston will force the water against the
valve N and through the outlet z, until the piston being arrived at S, S¹, will
meet the cranks R, R', in the positions marked by the dotted lines, and
pressing them down to their former positions as shown in the Drawing will
reopen the valves K, K', when the condensation of the steam will again urge
the piston upwards.
a
Should a quantity of air accidentally or otherwise introduced interfere with
the action of the piston, the following would be the process for expelling it :-
Firstly, to close the communications with the condenser by turning the
taps 0, 0¹; secondly to draw the screw tap P up to the point P¹, when it will
leave a free passage to the cold water, then alternately to press down with the
hand, firstly, the ball H to introduce steam, then the tap Q to introduce
jet of cold water. The steam will find sufficient way around and through
the center of the piston to force the intruding air through the valve N, and
after this primitive process shall have been continued for a few minutes the
piston will resume its normal action. Were it found desirable to continue the
cold water condensation it would be sufficient to connect the cold water tap Q
with the rod L by means of a small curved rod, as shown by dotted lines,
when the cranks R and K would open and close the cold water taps Q at the
proper moments.
The Drawnig has been made as an application of the Invention to the
propulsion of vessels by drawing water in under the bow and forcing it out
near the rudder in a horizontal line. Were it desired to apply the same to the
propulsion of water, the only alteration necessary would be to turn the

page_text: parts X, Z, of the horizontal conduit in the direction of X, Z', as shown by
dotted lines, or in any easy curve suitable to the locality and circumstance.
The remarkable advantages of this Invention consist in a great simplicity
of action, an unprecedented diminution of friction, and the suppression of all
leakage and waste of heat.