IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM AND AIR ENGINES
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Henry James, of the Old Kent Road, in the
County of Surrey, Civil Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN STEAM AND AIR ENGINES."
Sealed the 9th December 1864, and dated the 10th June 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Henry James at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
10th June 1864.
I, WILLIAM HENRY JAMES, of the Old Kent Road, in the County of Surrey,
Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM AND AIR ENGINES," to be as follows:-
These improvements consist in the construction and mode of working
engines by the expansive force of highly compressed air in conjunction with
that of steam of still greater pressure, the compressed air being produced and
heated, and the high-pressure steam introduced into a cylinder during each
and every revolution of the engine. I construct the engines very similar in
appearance and in their mode of action to those of open-topped cylinder single-
stroke steam engines. The cranks are made of sufficient lengths to allow of
the pistons protruding beyond the mouths of the open-topped cylinders, with
the double object of allowing of the free escape of the air and steam after
having actuated the pistons by their expansive force in one direction, and for
admitting fresh atmospheric air into the cylinders, which air is compressed by

page_text: the return strokes of the pistons into an appropriate space or lengthened
portion of the cylinders beyond the movement of the pistons, which, during
their terminal action upon the air, impinge upon or strike the tail ends of
inlet valves, situated in the closed ends of the cylinders, for the purpose of
admitting high-pressure steam into the air so compressed for actuating, by
their joint expansion, the pistons of the engines, or a single piston when a
single cylinder engine only is employed. I prefer engines each having two
or more cylinders, with pistons acting in succession. I propose also in con-
nection with these improvements to pass the exit steam and air from the
cylinders into the boiler furnace for assisting and supporting the combustion
of the fuel therein. Stop-cocks or slide valves may be used if preferred instead
of the inlet valves for introducing the steam into the compressed air at every
revolution of the engines by means of tappets or excentrics fixed upon the
main shafts.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Henry James in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 10th December 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
HENRY JAMES, of the Old Kent Road, in the County of Surrey, Civil
Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-seventh year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said William Henry James, Her special licence that I, the said William
Henry James, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as 1,
the said William Henry James, 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 AIR ENGINES," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said William Henry James, my executors or administrators,
by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hand 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

page_text: 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 William Henry James, do hereby declare
the nature of my 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, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed,
that is to say:-
My Invention consists in the construction and mode of working engines by
the expansive force of highly compressed air in conjunction with that of steam
of still greater pressure, the compressed air being produced and heated, and
the high-pressure steam introduced therein, during each and every revolution
of the engines. I construct these engines very similar in appearance, and in
their mechanical arrangements and mode of action, to those of open-topped
cylinder single-stroke steam engines, any number of which by combination
may be made to operate upon one main shaft, so as to constitute engines of
any required power.
The annexed Drawing exhibits an engine constructed according to my said
Invention. a, a, are two open-topped cylinders; b, b, are cranks of sufficient
throw or length to allow of the pistons c, c, protruding beyond the mouths d, d,
of the open-topped cylinders a, a, with the object of allowing the escape of the
air and steam into the atmosphere through series of small apertures e, e, e, e,
formed in other cylinders f, f, which are accurately and firmly attached to the
first-mentioned cylinders a, a, by means of flanges and bolts g, g. 9, g. These
perforated cylinders serve as guides to the pistons c, c, when they travel beyond
the mouths of the cylinders a, a; or these cylinders f, f, may, if preferred, be
formed in single castings with the cylinders a, a, so as to constitute two long
cylinders only, and the series of small apertures or exit passages inay be after-
wards formed in them by drilling or otherwise. I generally make the areas of
these apertures combined as great or greater than the cross sectional area of
the cylinders, so as to allow abundance of space not only for the escape of the
air and steam after having actuated the pistons c, c, but also for admitting
fresh atmospheric air into the cylinders a, a, wherein it undergoes compression
by the return strokes of the pistons c, c, into chambers h, h, in the bottom of
the cylinders a, a, beyond the movement of the pistons. When the pistons
reach the bottom of their stroke they come in contact with the spindles of
valves i, i, seated in the chambers h, h. These valves are for the purpose of
admitting high-pressure steam, conveyed by pipes k, k, thereto from any boilers
or generators into the air compressed into the chambers h, h, for heating the
same, and by the joint expansive force of the steam and air actuating the

page_text: pistons c, c, of the engine, or a single piston when a single cylinder engine
only is employed. I generally attach strong spiral springs to the spindles of
the valves i, i, for keeping them firm in their seats, and for preventing the
compressed air passing by them into the boiler (unless under an excess of
pressure), or steam to pass through them until struck and opened by the
pistons as before stated. Should the noise arising from the air and steam
escaping under pressure into the atmosphere be considered very objectionable,
it may be almost entirely prevented by attaching stop-cocks or valves 1, l, to
the bottoms of the chambers h, h, which cocks may be kept open during any
portion of the descent or return strokes of the pistons, so as to diminish as
required the quantity of air to be compressed, and, consequently, in a propor-
tionate ratio, the pressure and noise during its escape. These cocks like-
wise be used for admitting fresh air into the cylinders in addition to the other
means employed for that purpose, proper mechanical appliances being used
for regulating the motion of the cocks in connection and unison with that of
the engine itself. Stop-cocks or slide valves may be used, if preferred, instead
of the valves i, i, before described, for introducing the steam into the com-
pressed air at every revolution of the engines, by means of excentrics, tappets,
or cams fixed upon the main shafts of the engines, for communicating the
requisite motions to such cocks or valves by connecting rods.
may
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim constructing
engines to be worked by air and steam combined, in manner herein-before
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Henry James, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Ninth day of December, One thousand
eight hundred and sixty-four.