THE APPLICATION OF HYDRO-. ELECTRICITY TO STEAM FOR THE PURPOSE OF INCREASING ITS EXPANSION AND POWER,, AND THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH, AND ALSO THE APPLI- CATION OF GALVANO OR FRICTIONAL ELECTRICITY FOR THE SAME PURPOSE
Year: 1865

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Joseph Fletcher and Daniel Hamer
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their Petition, on-
the 31st January 1865.
We, JOSEPH FLETCHER, of Droylsden, in the County of Lar caster, and
DANIEL HAMER, of the City of Manchester, in the said County, do hereby.
declare the nature of the said Invention for "THE APPLICATION OF HYDRO-.
ELECTRICITY TO STEAM FOR THE PURPOSE OF INCREASING ITS EXPANSION AND POWER,,
AND THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH, AND ALSO THE APPLI-
CATION OF GALVANO OR FRICTIONAL ELECTRICITY FOR THE SAME PURPOSE," to be as.
follows:-
In one arrangement for the application of hydro-electricity in connection
with steam for working steam engines, we place between the cylinder and
boiler a steam chest divided by a partition into two compartments, and form
in the partition a number of holes, in each of which is placed a tube of iron.
The steam from the boiler passes from the first compartment through these
tubes, and comes in contact with steel points on a number of insulated steel
bars in the second compartment, the effect of which is to set free a quantity
of electricity which combines with and expands the steam as it is passing
onwards to the valve box and cylinder of the engine. After this com-
bination of steam and electricity has passed through the cylinder it is
exhausted through a number of tubes into a pipe or chamber in which there
are steel points and insulated steel bars for setting free more electricity, which
is returned by conducting wires to the before-mentioned steam chest, and

page_text: combines with the next supply of steam and the electricity evolved therefrom,
and then the combination with encreased power passes to the cylinder, and
from thence to the exhaust with its tubes, points, and bars, from which the
electricity is again returned to the steam chest, and so on continually, thereby
obtaining an encrease of power.
This Invention will be better understood by referring to the figures and
letters on the accompanying outline Drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a vertical
section of the steam chest with the tubes, points, and bars; Fig. 2, a top view
of the same with the cover off; and Fig. 3, a plan looking at the bottom.
a represents the steam chest; b, the pipe for the supply of Steam; c, the
partition; d, the tubes; e, the steel bars; f, the steel points; 9, the insu-
lators; and h, the opening leading to the valve box and cylinder of the engine.
The steel bars are placed on rods i, but they may be placed in insulated
recesses in the chamber, or otherwise held in any convenient manner, and the
shape and dimensions of the steam chest, the number of tubes, steel points,
and bars are varied according to the requirements. We also, when necessary,
pass the steam before it arrives at the cylinder through a number of steam
chests containing tubes, points, and bars, and place the chests whether for the
supply or exhaust in any convenient position. When desired, instead of
employing hydro-electricity, we combine the electricity evolved from galvanic
batteries or from the ordinary friction machines with the supply and exhaust
steam, and thereby obtain an encrease of power.