IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES, AND IN APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Parker, of Huddersfield, in the County of
York, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES,
AND IN APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH."-Partly a communication from
abroad by Bernhard August Schäffer, of Magdeburg, in the Kingdom of
Prussia.
Sealed the 19th September 1862, and dated the 26th. March 1862..
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Parker at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
26th March 1862..
I, JAMES PARKER, of Huddersfield, in the County of York, Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM
ENGINES, AND IN APPARATUS CONNECTED. THEREWITH," the same being the result
partly of communication from abroad made to me by Bernhard August
Schäffer, of Magdeburg, in the Kingdom of Prussia, and partly of Invention
and discovery made by myself, to be as follows:
"
The improvements relate, first, to means for regulating the discharge of
steam from steam cylinders so as to avoid. or reduce the back pressure, par-
ticularly when working steam expansively. For this purpose apparatus is
provided with two chambers adapted one to each end of the steam cylinder to
which they are connected by suitable passages. In each of these chambers.
there is a valve, and these valves are connected together and are seated or
beat on rings, which are by preference made of cast-steel, and rest on india-
rubber, and are kept together with the same in grooves by a ring formed rim,
which allows them at the same time a little play, but the parts may be varied.
By the alternate difference of pressure of steam on the opposite sides of

page_text: the piston, one valve is closed in connection with one end of the cylinder
where the acting pressure is greatest, and the other is opened at the opposite
end, the two valves being connected by a rod or other suitable means. On
the return stroke of the piston this action is reversed, bringing the valves
to their previous position, and so on; the stroke of the valves may be
adjustable. These valves may be employed for exhausting the steam in
substitution of exhaust ports.
Another part of the improvements relates to means for allowing the escape
of the condensed water from steam pipes or other passages or chambers. For
this purpose a chamber is employed provided with inlet and outlet pipes, as
also with a float, which is somewhat of the form of a box with an open top;
this float' carries a valve adapted to shut against the valve seat formed by the
lower end of the outlet pipe. A small ball valve in the outlet pipe may be
used if desired to prevent the water forced therethrough from again returning.
The chamber is also provided with an air pipe and stop-cock to be used when
required.
.::
The condensed water admitted with steam by the inlet pipe causes the float
to rise and close the outlet pipe until sufficient water has passed into the float
to cause it to sink, and thereby again open the outlet passage when the water
will be forced up the outlet pipe into the atmosphere or otherwise, until the
float again becomes buoyant and again closes the outlet passage, and so on.
By these means whilst the escape of steam will be prevented water will be
allowed freely to pass away.
Another part of the improvements relates to means to facilitate the removal
of condensed water from steam cylinders. For this purpose there are passages
one from each end of the cylinder, capable of being closed by valves connected
together directly or indirectly, so that when steam passes into one end of the
cylinder the pressure of such steam will act upon the valve in the passage
connected with that end of the cylinder to close that valve, and in so doing it
will open the valve in the other passage for the escape of the water of con-
densation, and so on alternately. These passages communicate through their
adenced
:
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Parker in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
. 26th September 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
PARKER, of Huddersfield, in the County of York, Engineer, send greeting.
3

page_text: WHEREAS, Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of March, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-fifth, year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said James Parker, Her special licence that I, the said James Parker,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
James Parker, my executors,, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times, there-
after 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, AND IN APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH," the same
being the result partly of communication from abroad made to me by Bern-
hard August Schäffer, of Magdeburg, in the Kingdom of Prussia, and partly
of Invention and discovery made by myself, upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said James Parker, my executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should par-
ticularly 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 James Parker, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following.
statement thereof; that is to say :-
. The improvements relate, first, to means for regulating the discharge of
steam from steam cylinders so as to avoid or reduce the back pressure par
ticularly when working steam expansively. For this purpose, apparatus is
provided, with two chambers adapted one to each end of the steam cylinder to
I which they are connected by suitable passages. In each of these, chambers
there is a valve, and these valves are connected together and are seated or
beat on rings, which are by preference made of cast steel, and rest on india-
rubber, and are kept together with the same in grooves by a ring formed rim,
which allows them at the same time a little play, but the parts may be varied.
By the alternate difference of pressure of steam on the opposite sides of the
piston, one valve is closed in connection with one end of the cylinder, where
the acting pressure is greatest, and the other is opened at the opposite end,
the two valves being connected by a rod or other suitable means. On the
return stroke of the piston this action is reversed, bringing the valves to their

page_text: previous position, and so on; the stroke of the valves may be adjustable.
These valves may be employed for exhausting the steam in substitution of
exhaust ports..
. .
..
The improvements relate, secondly, to means for allowing the escape of the
condensed water from steam pipes or other passages or chambers. For this
purpose a chamber is employed provided with inlet and outlet pipes, as also
with a float, which is somewhat of the form of a box with an open top. This.
float carries a valve adapted to shut against the valve seat formed by the.
lower end of the outlet pipe. A small ball valve in the outlet pipe may be:
used if desired to prevent the water forced therethrough from again returning. I
The chamber is also provided with an air pipe and stop-cock to be used when
required.
T
The condensed water admitted with steam by the inlet pipe causes the float!
to rise and close the outlet pipe until sufficient water has passed into the float
to cause it to sink, and thereby again open the outlet passage, when the water 1
will be forced up the outlet pipe, into the atmosphere or otherwise, until
the float again becomes buoyant and again closes the outlet. .passage, and
so on.
".
The improvements relate, thirdly, to means to facilitate the removal of
condensed water from steam cylinders. For this purpose there are passages, 2
one from each end of the cylinder, capable of being closed by valves connected
together directly or indirectly, so that when steam passes into one end of the
cylinder the pressure of such steam will act upon the valve in the passage
connected with that end of the cylinder to close that valve, and in so doing it
will open
the valve in the other passage for the escape of the water of con-2
densation, and so on alternately. These passages communicate through their
valves with another for the flow of the condensed water.
But that the nature of the improvements and means which I adopt in
carrying the same into effect may be better understood, I will with the
aid of the accompanying Drawings proceed more particularly to describe 3
the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS..
Figure 1 shews an external view, Figure 2 a section, and Figure 3 an end
view, of apparatus arranged according to the first part of the improvements:

page_text: the chambers' 6 'to the cylinder' a is capable of being closed. by means of a
valve d, and the two valves d, d, are connected together by means of rods d', d';.
passing through suitable stuffing boxes b¹; b', as shewn. "63 is a discharge pipe ;>
63.are steel rings, and 64 rings of india-rubber on which the rings & rest.
When the outlet of the exhaust steam is shut off in the steam cylinder there
is: less pressure on the side of the piston in which it is 'moving than on the
other side where the fresh' entered steam' is effective, but in becoming com-
pressed the steam assumes a higher density than the expanded steam has, and
this difference of pressure even if the compression is little furnishes the means:
of moving the apparatus, and allows the exhaust steam to escape if the outlet"
is shut. by the slide, but which closes instantly when fresh steam enters the
other side of the cylinder. The pressure which alternately takes place on one
and then the other side of the piston in the cylinder exists on each of the
corresponding valves in the chambers, and they will move to the side where
there is the least pressure. Accordingly, the steam entering the cylinder shuts>
the corresponding valve, opening the other valve which is in connection with
the outlet of 'the exhaust steam, and it remains still open when the slide shuts
the outlet, allowing the steam to escape which otherwise would have been'
compressed. When the piston 'has finished its stroke fresh steam enters on.
the exhaust side and shuts the corresponding valve, and opens the other... By
reducing the opening of the valve so as not to allow the whole quantity of the
stenm to escape the valve will be shut by the rising compression before fresh
steam. enters, whereby any chosen amount of compression can be created
without the least loss of fresh steam. The valve which for the time is corre
sponding with the negative or exhaust side of the cylinder remains open
during the whole stroke of the piston, and the opposite is shut. Accordingly,
not only that quantity of steam which would have been compressed makes its
exit through the apparatus, but also a portion of the steam which in ordinary
circumstances would have escaped through the blast tube.
In the Figures above described adjustable connecting means are shewn to
the rods d', d', outside of the chambers. b, b. In some cases, however, the
valves d, d, may open into the same chamber, and the chamber or chambers b
may be provided with a stop-cock or valve to regulate the pressure in or flow
of condensed water from such chamber or chambers.
:
Figure 4 shews a section of apparatus according to the second part of the
improvements. e, e, is an outer case or chamber, with an inlet passage e¹ and
an outlet passage. The steam and condensed water enter the chamber e by
the passage e¹. The water formed by condensation in the chamber e causes.
the internal vesself to float therein, and in so doing to bring the valve f¹ up

page_text: against the mouth e³ of the passage e to close that passage, until by the vessel'
f becoming partially filled with condensed water it sinks in the chamber e,
opening the passage e, when the pressure of steam will cause the water
therein. to be forced out by the passage es, and so on. The valve e' is to
prevent the return of water by the pipe e; f³ are. stays across the vessel f,
acting as guides to the motion of that vessel by embracing the pipe e; g is an
air pipe and stop-cock to be used when required. By these means whilst
the escape of steam will be prevented water will be allowed freely to pass.
away..
:
Figure 5 shews a section of an arrangement of apparatus according to the
third part of the improvements. The passages h and i are connected to
opposite ends of the steam engine cylinder.. Supposing steam to be entering
that end of the cylinder to which the passage h is connected, the action of
such steam. will be to close the valve j, the stem ¹ of which, by acting on one
end of the lever k, will cause that end, to be depressed, raising the opposite.
end thereof, and the valve by the stem thereof, resting on such lever, so.
that condensed water from the opposite end of the cylinder will pass by the
valve to the passage m.. On steam being admitted to the opposite end of
the cylinder the valve will in like manner be closed, and condensed water
will escape by the valve j.
.
Figure 6 shews a slight modification of this part of the Invention, in which
the valves are directly connected together, and operate each other, and as the
operations are in other respects the same, the same letters indicate corre-
sponding parts to those just referred to.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention, and the means.
which I adopt in carrying the same into effect, I would have it understood
that I do not confine myself to the precise details shewn and described, as
these may be varied without departing from the peculiar character of the
several parts of the Invention.
: In witness. whereof, I, the said James Parker have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
JAMES PARKER. (L.B.)