IMPROVE- MENTS IN STEAM ENGINES
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Henry Christian Löbnitz, of Renfrew, in the
County of Renfrew, North Britain, Engineer, and James McLintock
Henderson, of the same Place, Shipbuilder, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN STEAM ENGINES."
Sealed the 1st January 1858, and dated the 27th August 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Henry Christian
Löbnitz and James McLintock Henderson at the Office of the Com-
missioners of Patents, with their Petition, on the 27th August 1857.
We, JOHN HENRY CHRISTIAN LÖBNITZ, of Renfrew, in the County of Ren-
frew, North Britain, Engineer, and JAMES MCLINTOCK HENDERSON, of the
same Place, Shipbuilder, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES," to be as follows, that is to say:-
This Invention relates to various arrangements of steam engines, suitable
for various purposes, but especially applicable for screw steam ships. Each
set of engines of this improved class comprehends four separate working
steam cylinders, disposed in each instance in pairs across the ship, the pistons
of each pair working simultaneously or in direct concert, the steam being

page_text: applied through one valve to both cylinders, so that the whole set of four
cylinders virtually operate like a single pair of cylinders. Under one form
or arrangement of these engines, as especially applicable for screw propulsion
on board ship, the four steam cylinders are disposed vertically, so as to form
a parellelogram upon a single large sole or base plate, resting on proper
bearers on the ship's bottom. The two pairs of cylinders are disposed fore
and aft upon their sole or foundation, which is arranged to form a surface
condenser, being filled with tubes which are fitted with elastic end washers
at their junctions with the tube plates, in order to allow for expansion and
contraction. This condenser is open fore and aft to the sea, for the admission
and exit of the water used for condensation. The air pump for clearing the
condenser is disposed in any convenient part of the ship, and is actuated by
a separate small or "donkey engine." By this means a constant supply of
fresh water is carried to the boiler, it having been originally filled with fresh
water. When several boilers are worked together it is intended that one of
the number shall be periodically blown out for a thorough cleansing, the
blown-out boiler being refilled with fresh water from a condenser carried in
the ship.
The piston rods of each pair of simultaneously acting steam
cylinders work upwards through guides, carried by an overhead diagonal
framing, and the two rods in each case are connected to the same overhead
cross head, to the longitudinal centre of which is jointed the upper end of
a descending connecting rod. The lower end of this connecting rod is jointed
to a crank on the main or screw propeller shaft running fore and aft in the
keel line. Thus, each pair of cylinders actuates a separate connecting rod
and crank on the main shaft. This arrangement is also applicable with two
cylinders, as for a single engine. Under another arrangement the four
cylinders are inverted towards the main shaft and cranks, and set diagonally,
or at an angle of 45° with the horizontal line, upon suitable seats or foundation
pieces carried upon a bottom condenser of the kind herein-before described.
The cylinders are in pairs, two on each side of the keel line, and the piston
rod of each pair are connected to one crosshead, to the longitudinal centre of
which is jointed the lower end of a long connecting rod, passing up between
the individual cylinders of the pair to a crank on the overhead main shaft.
Both connecting rods are jointed to the same crank pin on the main shaft,
which runs in bearings carried by suitable frame pieces resting on the upper
closed ends of the inverted and inclined cylinders. This arrangement may be
applied either in paddle. or screw ships; in the latter case they may be adapted
with or without gearing. For. scrow propeller purposes it is convenient to
have the cylinders, disposed with..their stuffing boxes uppermost, and, with

page_text: connecting rods working down to the main shaft beneath. Both of these
arrangements of engines may be applied for stationary purposes as well as for
marine propulsion.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Henry Christian Löbnitz and James McLintock
Henderson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 27th February
1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JOHN
HENRY CHRISTIAN LÖBNITZ, of Renfrew, in the County of Renfrew, North
Britain, Engineer, and JAMES MCLINTOCK HENDERSON, of the same Place,
Shipbuilder, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of August, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twenty-first year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto us, the said John Henry Christian Löbnitz and James McLintock
Henderson, Her special license that we, the said John Henry Christian
Löbnitz and James McLintock Henderson, our executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as we, the said John Henry Christian Löbnitz and
James McLintock Henderson, our executors, administrators, or 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 we, the
said John Henry Christian Löbnitz and James McLintock Henderson, by an
instrument in writing under our 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 we, the said John Henry Christian Löbnitz and
James McLintock Henderson, do hereby declare the nature of our said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be par-
ticularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement in

page_text: writing, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and to the letters
and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
Our said Invention relates to various arrangements of steam engines.
suitable fer various purposes, but especially applicable for screw steam ships.
Each set of engines of this improved class comprehends four separate working
steam cylinders, disposed in each instance in pairs across the ship, the pistons
of each pair working simultaneously or in direct concert, the steam being
applied through one valve to both cylinders, so that the whole set of four
cylinders virtually operate like a single pair of cylinders. Under one form
or arrangement of these engines, as especially applicable for screw propulsion
on board ship, the four steam cylinders are disposed vertically, so as to form
a parallelogram, upon a single large sole or base plate resting on proper
bearers on the ship's bottom. The two pairs of cylinders are disposed fore
and aft upon their. sole or foundation, which is arranged to form a surface
condenser, being filled with tubes which are fitted with elastic end washers.
at their junctions with the tube plates, in order to allow for expansion and
contraction. This condenser is open fore and aft to the sea, for the admission
and exit of the water used for condensation. The air pump for clearing the
condenser is disposed in any convenient part of the ship, and is actuated by
a separate small or "donkey" engine. By this means a constant supply of
fresh water is carried to the boiler, it having been originally filled with fresh
water. When several boilers are worked together it is intended that one of
the number shall be periodically blown out for a thorough cleansing, the
blown-out boiler being refilled with fresh water from a condenser carried in
the ship. The piston rods of each pair of simultaneously acting steam
cylinders work upwards through guides carried by an overhead diagonal
framing, and the two rods in each case are connected to the same overhead
cross head, to the longitudinal centre of which is jointed the upper end of a
descending connecting rod. The lower end of this connecting rod is jointed
to a crank on the main or screw propeller shaft running fore and aft in the
keel line. Thus each pair of cylinders actuates a separate connecting rod and
crank on the main shaft. This arrangement is also applicable with two
cylinders, as for a single engine. Under another arrangement the four cylin-
ders are inverted towards the main shaft and cranks, and set diagonally or at
an angle of 45 degrees with the horizontal line, upon suitable seats or foundation
pieces carried upon a bottom condenser of the kind herein-before described.
The cylinders are in pairs, two on each side of the keel line, and the piston
rods of each pair are connected to one cross head, to the longitudinal centre
of which is jointed the lower end of a long connecting rod passing up between

page_text: the individual cylinders of the pair to a crank on the overhead main shaft.
Both connecting rods are jointed to the same crank pin on the main shaft,
which runs in bearings carried by suitable frame pieces resting on the upper
closed ends of the inverted and inclined cylinders. This arrangement may be
applied either in paddle or screw ships, in the latter case they may be adapted
with or without gearing. For screw propeller purposes it is convenient to
have the cylinders disposed with their stuffing boxes uppermost, and with
connecting rods working down to the main shaft beneath. Both of these
arrangements of engines may be applied for stationary purposes as well as
for marine propulsion.
And in order that our said Invention may be properly understood, we shall
now proceed to describe the several illustrative Figures on the explanatory
Sheets which we have hereunto appended for the purpose of showing certain
modifications under which our said Invention may be judiciously carried out
in practice.
Figure 1, on Sheet 1 of our Drawings, is a front or end elevation of a set of
marine steam engines with four steam cylinders as arranged for a screw
steam ship, one of the port cylinders and the condenser being in section.
Figure 2, on the same Sheet of Drawings, is a half sectional plan of the
engines, corresponding to Figure 1. Figure 3 is a side elevation of the same
engines, with the forward portion thereof in section.
In this arrangement the sole or base plate A, carrying the set of four
vertical steam cylinders B, and the pedestals C for the screw propeller
shaft, is fitted up with tubes so as to form a surface or external condenser,
as herein-before referred to. The four steam cylinders B are bolted
down upon the top of this condenser sole plate, forming a parallelogram;
as represented in the plan view, Figure 2. The four piston rods D of this
set of steam cylinders are prolonged upwards to pass through overhead
guide eyes in the stationary cruciform guide stay piece E, bolted by its
four corner arms upon the upper ends of the four vertical pillars F, which
are in turn bolted down by their lower ends to suitable angular flanges on
the steam cylinders. The piston rods of the forward pair of steam cylinders
are connected by collars and binding nuts to corresponding eyes in the
ends of the cross head G, which again has jointed to its longitudinal centre
the double eye or forked upper end of the descending connecting rod H. The
lower end of this connecting rod is jointed in the usual way to the crank pin I
of the forward or single overhanging end crank J, keyed on the screw pro-
peller shaft K. Similarly the piston rods of the after pair of steam cylinders
carry a second cross head L, working a corresponding connecting rod M, the

page_text: lower end of which is jointed to a duplex crank N, also on the screw propeller
shaft. Each pair of cylinders fore and aft is fitted with a single steam slide
valve chest O, fitted with a single cup slide valve actuated by a pair of eccen-
trics working the valve spindle through the usual expansive and reversing link
motion, as represented in dotted lines in Figure I. on Sheet I. of our Drawings.
These single cup slide valves govern the two steam ports and the central
exhaust of each pair of steam cylinders in the ordinary way. The two steam
slide valve chests are supplied with steam from the boilers by the branch pipes
P, whilst the exhaust or used steam from all four cylinders passes off by the
pipes to the tubular condensers. The arrangement of the respective steam
slide valves is such that the individual cylinders of the fore and aft pairs
respectively are joined together laterally by their common valve chests. The
condensing action of the tubular chambers is rendered most effective by pro-
viding for a constant circulation of cold water through them exterior to the
tubes, whilst the exhaust steam is made to circulate through the interior of
the tubes in forward and backward currents, for the complete exposure of the
steam to the surface condensing action of the water. As the exhaust steam
passes off by the pipes Q, it flows into the upper end sections R of the
condensers; these sections, as well as the corresponding portions of the
condensers themselves, being divided off from the lower parts by horizontal
diaphragms. From these parts the steam flows through the tubes along the
upper divisions of the condensers through the tubes, when the cells S at the
opposite end re-conduct the steam back through the tubes in the lower
divisions, the air and water of condensation being finally drawn off by the
chamber and pipe T, U. The cold water from the sea enters by the pipe V
to surround the condensing tubes, and after circulating all round them it flows
off by the outlet W. The cold water inlet V communicates with the sea by
a trumpet or expanded mouth. The air pump or pumps are of course in
communication with the pipes U, for keeping the condensing tubes and
chambers clear, and the air pump as well as the feed pumps are worked by a
separate or " 'donkey" engine, so that the proper exhaust action can be kept
continuously going if required, and the main engines have nothing to do but
to propel the vessel. When common condensers are used, the air and feed
pumps may be worked and applied in the ordinary way.
Figure 1, on Sheet 2, of our Drawings, is an external front or end elevation
of a set of paddle steamer engines of four steam cylinders arranged diagonally
in pairs; the axes of each pair being at an angle of forty-five degrees with the
horizontal line; Figure 2, on the same Sheet, is a side view of the engines;
and Figure 3 is a partial plan and sectional view of the arrangement. In

page_text: these engines the central sole plate conderser A, which is of the tubular
surface action kind, serves to carry the whole of the four steam cylinders B,
which are bolted down upon it by side flanges in fore and aft diagonal or
inclined pairs. The two parallel piston rods C of the fore and aft pairs
respectively are attached to a single cross head D, the extreme ends of which
work in suitable guides in the guide brackets E bolted to the lower ends of
the steam cylinders. Each of these cross heads has jointed to its longitudinal
centre the lower end of an ascending connecting rod F, passing up between
the individual steam cylinders of the respective parts, and having its upper end
jointed upon the pin of a duplex crank G on the main over-head paddle shaft.
The upper end of one connecting rod is formed with a single eye, and that of
the other with a double or forked eye, so as to enable the two to work upon
the same crank pin. The main paddle shaft H is carried in bearings in the
large brackets I, connecting the upper contiguous ends of the four cylinders
together. The steam slide valves J are on the upper external sides of the
cylinders; the steam being supplied to them by the pipes K, whilst the
exhaust is let off to the condenser by the pipes L. The same general arrange-
ment is applicable for screw propelling purposes simply by reversing the
cylinders. In such case the bearings for the main shaft would be carried
upon a sole plate formed into a surface condenser, whilst the
space between
the cylinders would simply be occupied by suitable transverse connecting stays.
As arranged for screw propelling, of course the pairs of cylinders herein-before
referred to as fore and aft would be converted into starboard and port pairs.
In this arrangement of marine engines the two pairs of steam cylinders may
also be wholly applied on the after side of the crank shaft at any suitable
angle, instead of two on each side. This arrangement is especially suitable
for boats of shallow draught, where great power is desired; each pair of
cylinders being arranged to operate upon a pair of cranks. The peculiar
advantages of these engines are, that they possess a long stroke and a long
connecting rod, enabling them to work with directly superior efficiency, whilst
they can expand the steam to the best advantage; that they are compact, and
have all the working thrust or action and re-action within themselves; that
they have very few working joints; and that by the use of surface condensers
they can always work with fresh water in the boilers.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of our said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect, we would observe in conclusion that we do not confine or restrict
ourselves to the precise details or arrangements which we have had occasion
to describe or refer to, as variations may be made therefrom without deviating

page_text: from the principles or main features of our said Invention; but what we con-
sider to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to
us by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is,—
First, the general arrangement and construction of steam engines, as herein-
before described.
Second, the system or mode of combining working steam cylinders in one
or more pairs, with connecting rods working directly through between them,
as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, we, the said John Henry Christian Löbnitz and
James McLintock Henderson, have hereunto set our hands and seals,
the Twenty-sixth day of February, One thousand eight hundred and
fifty-eight.
J. HENRY C. LÖBNITZ. (L.8.)
JAS MCL. HENDERSON.
(L.S.)
J. HENRY C. LÖBNITZ. (L.S.)
JAS MOL. HENDERSON.
(L.S.)