IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES AND IN APPARATUS CONNECTED THERE- WITH
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Beckett Johnson, of Manchester, in
the County of Lancaster, Manager for Messieurs Ormerod and
Son, Engineers and Ironfounders, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Beckett
Johnson at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 4th April 1853.
I, WILLIAM BECKETT JOHNSON, of Manchester, in the County of
Lancaster, Manager for Messrs. Ormerod and Son, Engineers and Iron-
founders, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES AND IN APPARATUS CONNECTED THERE-
WITH" to be as follows:-
My improvements relate, firstly, to those descriptions of engines
commonly called "direct action compound engines," the first feature
of novelty consisting in placing the high-pressure or non-condensing

page_text: cylinder on one side of the low-pressure or condensing cylinder, but at
such an angle with it that the centre lines of the two cylinders shall
meet or intersect each other at or near centre of the main crank shaft;
by this means the power of both cylinders is communicated by the
pistons, piston and connecting rods, to one crank pin. Also in placing
a high-pressure cylinder on each side of the low-pressure cylinder. The
piston rods of the three cylinders are fixed to one cross bar, and the
power of the three cylinders communicated to one crank pin by the
connecting rod.
Secondly, my improvements refer to certain modes of working the
air pumps of stationary horizontal or diagonal condensing engines, and
consist in placing an air pump on each side of the steam cylinder.
The air pump piston rods are fixed to the same cross bar as that to
which the steam cylinder piston rod is fixed, and are worked thereby.
Also in placing the air pump in an horizontal position, and attaching it
to the under side of the engine framing. In this arrangement motion
may be communicated to the air pump piston or cross bar by a lever
worked by the steam cylinder cross bar. Also in working air pumps
by connecting their cross bars or their pistons with the main crank
through the medium of a connecting rod only, or working the air pump
by a supplementary shaft and crank, caused to revolve by being attached
to the main crank pin.
Thirdly, my improvements refer to a method of supporting the
piston and rod in horizontal or diagonal engines, and consist in the
adaptation of an adjustable bearing to the under side of the piston
rod, by raising which the said rod may be kept in its proper central
position, and the piston therefore prevented from bearing heavily
upon the lower side of the cylinder. If the engine be of such con-
struction that the piston rod passes through both ends of the cy-
linder, then I adapt an adjustable bearing, as before described, at
.each end thereof.
Fourthly, my improvements relate to apparatus for regulating the
speed of engines, and consist in causing a screw or portion of a
screw to act upon a fluid so as to rise or fall according to the
velocity imparted thereto by the engine, such rising or falling being

page_text: used as a means for regulating the flow of steam to the cylinder by
acting upon any ordinary valve provided for that purpose; or the same
principle may be modified by causing the action of the screw to move
the vessel containing the fluid, the motion thereof being applied, as in
the former case, to the purpose of regulating the admission of steam.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Beckett Johnson, in the Great Seal
Patent Office, on the 4th October 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
WILLIAM BECKETT JOHNSON, of Manchester, in the County of Lan-
caster, Manager for Messieurs Ormerod and Son, Engineers and Iron-
founders, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of April, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the six-
teenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said William Beckett Johnson, Her
especial licence that I, the said William Beckett Johnson, my ex-
ecutors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
William Beckett Johnson, 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 ENGINES AND IN
APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said William Beckett Johnson, by an instrument in writing
under my hand and seal, 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Beckett Johnson, do
hereby declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement, and accompanying draw-
ing, that is to say:
My first improvement relates to that description of engine commonly
called direct action compound engines, and one feature of novelty in
which is shown in side elevation at Fig. 1, of the accompanying drawings,
in which a, represents the high-pressure or non-condensing engine
placed above (in this instance), but on one side of the low-pressure or
condensing cylinder b. The two cylinders are firmly fixed to the
framing c, in any ordinary manner, and are placed at such an angle to
each other that their centre lines shall meet or intersect each other at
or near the centre of the main crank shaft d. The power of the two
cylinders is communicated by the usual piston rods e, e, and connecting
rods ff, to one crank pin g, for the purpose of gaining room, for which
the cylinders, as before stated, are not placed exactly over each other.
The valve boxes, valves, and other parts of the engine may be of the
ordinary descriptions. The second feature of novelty is shewn at Fig. 2,
which represents a plan view. a, a, are to high-pressure cylinders,
between which is situate a low-pressure cylinder b; the piston rods c, c,
and d, of the three cylinders are fixed to one cross bar e, and the power
of the three cylinders communicated to one crank pin f, by the con-
necting rod g. The valve boxes, valves, and other parts of the engine
may be of the usual construction.
My improvements relate, secondly, to certain modes of working the
air pumps of stationary, horizontal, or diogonal condensing engines, and
is represented in plan view at Fig. 8. Two air pumps are shewn at
a, placed on each side of the steam cylinder 6; the air pump piston
rods c, c, are fixed to the same cross bar d, as that to which the steam
cylinder piston rod e, is fixed, and are worked thereby. The arrange-
ment of the condenser, valves, and other parts of the engine, may be
according to convenience. Another feature of novelty is shewn in the
side elevation, Fig. 4, in which the air pump a, is in an horizontal
position, and attached to the under side of the engine framing b. In

page_text: this arrangement motion may be communicated to the air pump cross
bar or piston c, by a lever d, worked by the steam cylinder cross bar e.
Another improvement under this part of my Invention is shewn
at Fig. 5, in end elevation, and consists in working the air pump a,
by connecting its cross bar or piston b, with the main crank pin c,
of the engine, through the medium of the connecting rod d, only,
the crank pin being lengthened to admit of the connecting rod d.
taking hold of it; e, is the main crank pin, and f, the crank shaft of
the engine, which may be of the ordinary description, with the exception
that additional strength must be given to those parts required by the
power for working the air pump. Fig. 6, represents, in end elevation,
another feature of this part of my Invention, in which a, is the air
pump worked by a supplementary shaft and cranks b, c, and e, caused
to revolve by being attached to the main crank pin d, of the engine;
e, is the crank for giving motion to the connecting rod f, for working
the air
pump, which rod may be attached to the air pump cross bar or
piston g.
When the connecting rods for working the air pumps are
attached directly to the air pump piston, as mentioned in the last two
arrangements, then guides and guide bars h, h, and i, i, will be required
to keep the piston in the correct line of motion. The condensers, hot
wells, foot and delivery valves, for the two last methods of working the
air pumps, may be of the usual construction.
My improvements relate, thirdly, to a method of supporting the piston
and rod in horizontal or diagonal engines, and is shewn in longitudinal
section at Fig. 7: it consists in the adaptation of an adjustable bearing a,
to the under side of the piston rod b, by raising or lowering which, by
the adjusting screw and nut c, and d, the piston and rod may be kept in
their proper central position, and the piston therefore prevented from
bearing heavily upon the lower side of the cylinder. The bearing a,
is represented as placed at the bottom of the piston rod, gland, or
stuffing box, but it may be in other positions if necessary. The bearing a
must be divided in two, horizontally, at e, to allow of the lower half
being raised when required. If the engine be of such construction that
the piston rod passes through both ends of the cylinder, then I adopt an
adjustable bearing, as before described, at each end thereof.

page_text: My improvements relate, fourthly, to an apparatus for regulating the
speed of engines, and is shewn in longitudinal section at Fig. 8: it con-
sists in causing a screw a, to act upon a fluid contained within a cylinder b.
The screw is made to revolve by its shaft c, being connected by any suita-
ble means with the engine; the shaft c, revolves in the bearings d, d, and
the cylinder b, is mounted so as to slide thereon, consequently any
variation in the speed of the engine will cause the screw to force the fluid
with more or less power upon the ends of the cylinder b, and move it
upon the shaft c, in the direction from 1 to 2 or from 2, to 1, depending
upon the direction in which the screw is made to revolve, and, through
the medium of the levers (one of which is shewn at e,) attached at their
upper ends to the sides of the cylinder and other suitable connections,
act upon the valve provided for the purpose of regulating the supply of
steam to the engine. A spring or weight f, is attached to the lever g,
and, through the levers e, imparts to the cylinder b, a tendency to move
in a direction contrary to that which would be given to it by an
excessive speed of the screw, and by this means opens the valve for
admitting steam to the engine when the screw is under its proper speed.
Each end of the cylinder is provided with fixed vanes or partitions h, h,
for the purpose of preventing the fluid contained within the cylinder
from revolving simultaneously with the screw.
In this arrangement
the screw revolves only while the cylinder moves backwards and for-
wards upon the screw shaft, giving the requisite motion to the steam
valve; but the cylinder may be made stationary, and the screw, with its
axis, move backwards and forwards and forwards as well as revolving,
so as, by suitable connections, to give the requisite motion to the steam
valve. The axes of the screw and cylinder may be placed vertically,
or horizontally, as here shewn.
Having thus described and ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion, I desire it to be understood that I claim, as secured to me under
the above in part recited Letters Patent,-Firstly, in direct action
compound engines, placing the high-pressure cylinder on one side of
the low-pressure cylinder at such an angle with it that the centre line
of the two cylinders shall meet or intersect each other at or near the
centre of the main crank shaft.

page_text: Secondly, in direct action compound engines, placing a high-pressure
cylinder on each side of the low-pressure cylinder, the power of the
three cylinders being communicated to one cross bar.
Thirdly, in horizontal or diagonal condensing engines, placing an air
pump on each side of the steam cylinder and working the air pump
pistons from the same cross bar as that to which the piston rod is
fixed.
Fourthly, in horizontal or diagonal condensing engines, placing the
air pump in an horizontal position attached to the under side of the
engine framing.
Fifthly, in horizontal or diagonal condensing engines, working the
air pump piston or bucket by attaching its cross bar directly to the
main crank pin through the medium of a connecting rod only, or
through the medium of supplementary cranks and shaft worked by the
main crank pin.
Sixthly, in horizontal or diagonal engines, the application of an
adjustable bearing or bearings placed in the gland box for the purpose
of supporting the piston and rod in their proper central position.
Seventhly, in apparatus for regulating the speed of engines I claim
the use or employment of a screw, or portion of a screw, revolving
within an enclosed cylinder containing a fluid, for the purpose of
regulating the speed of engines by acting upon the steam valves
provided for that purpose.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Beckett Johnson, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, the Third day of October, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
W. B. JOHNSON. (L.S.)