CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES
Year: 1830

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
GRISENTHWAITE, Esquire, of King's Place, Nottingham, send greeting.
WHEREAS His late most Excellent Majesty King George the Fourth did,
by His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Twenty-seventh day of February, One thousand eight
hundred and thirty, in the eleventh year of His reign, give and grant unto ine,
the said William Grisenthwaite, His especial licence, that I, the said William
Grisenthwaite, my exors, adññiors, and assigns, and such others as I, the said
William Grisenthwaite, my exors, adñiors, or assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times during the
term of years therein mentioned, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within England and Wales and Town of Berwick-upon-
Tweed, my Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES;" in which
said.Letters Patent, there is contained a proviso that I, the said William Gri-
senthwaite, shall cause a particular description of the nature of my said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same, is to be performed, to be inrolled in His
Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in
and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large
appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
William Griseuthwaite, do hereby declare that the nature of my said improve-
ments is as follows, that is to say:-

page_text: In the steam wheel described by Watts, and which he caused to work by
mercury alone, I use a piece or pieces of solid iron, or of other solid metal or
metals, together with a small quantity of mercury, that is to say, as much mer-
cury as will float the said iron or other metal or metals. I attach friction
wheels to the piece or pieces of iron, or of other metal or metals above
mentioned, to reduce any friction that may be occasioned by the said iron or
other metal or metals not floating perfectly free of contact with the wheel.
Instead of the hollow rim employed by Watts I sometimes employ a series of
vessels, which I place round a center, and join the contiguous vessels by pipes,
which proceed from that part of each vessel which is most remote from the
center, and enter at that part which is nearest the center. 1 also employ but
two valves in either of the above cases, though more may be used. I also
attach to the shaft upon which the wheel hangs a spiral tribe (the shaft being
made hollow, and having suitable communications with the hollow rim or
vessels above-mentioned). This spiral tube has wrapped round it a metallic wire
or a network of wire, and the spiral tube thus wrapped revolves with the wheel,
and the lower part of the spiral passes through water contained in a shallow
vessel. This spiral tube serves as a condenser, and it is so placed upon the
shaft that all the water which is condensed in it is carried to that end of the
tube which is farthest from where the steam enters, and is thence taken away
by a pump attached to the shaft, and may be returned into the boiler. Some-
times I employ a vertical flue, which I erect over the above-mentioned spiral
tube, to increase the current of air, and thereby the rapidity of evaporation.
I also use sometimes mercury instead of oil to diminish the friction of the
bearings, which use of mercury may also extend to other kinds of engines and
machinery. I also construct my boiler and furnace upon the following prin-
ciples-First, the boiler I make of pipes, which I place in rows above one
another, and connect the end or ends of each pipe with a common chamber or
chambers. Between these pipes I place either pieces of coke or flint stones,
or any other substance which will not soon be destroyed by the action of heat.
These substances, or any of them, serve or serves, if I may so speak, to filter
out the heat generated in the furnace, and to communicate it to the adjacent
pipes, by which a considerable saving of fuel is effected.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Grisenthwaite, have hereunto set
hand and seal, this Twentieth day of August, in the year of our
my
Lord One thousand eight hundred and thirty.
WILLIAM GRISENTHWAITE. (L.S.)
WILLIAM GRISENTHWAITE. (L.s.)

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Twentieth day of August,
in the year of our Lord 1830, the aforesaid William Grisenthwaite came
before our said Lord the King in His Chancery, and acknowledged the
Specification aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and specified,
in form above written.
AND ALSO BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Twenty-fourth day of
August, in the year of our Lord 1830, the aforesaid William Grisenthwaite
came before our said Lord the King in His Chancery, and re-acknow-
ledged the Specification aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained
and specified, in form above written. And also the Specification aforesaid
was stamped according to the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Inrolled the Twenty-sixth day of August, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and thirty.