IMPROVEMENTS IN THE APPLICATION OF STEAM COMBINED WITH AIR AS A MOTIVE POWER, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1864

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by James, Parker at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 28th April
1864.
I, JAMES PARKER, of No. 6, Lilford Road, Camberwell, in the County of
Surrey, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE APPLICATION OF STEAM COMBINED WITH AIR AS A MOTIVE
POWER, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES," to be as follows:
The first part of this Invention relates to improvements on the Invention
for which Letters Patent were granted to me bearing date the 23rd October
1863, No. 2620, and which consisted of the obtaining motive power from
steam generated in a boiler combined with atmospheric air in larger or
smaller quantities, according to the pressure required, by discharging, the
steam in small jets, each of which was to be opposite to a pipe or air nozzle,
which received the steam jet after it had passed through the air between the.
point of issue of the jet and its entry into the air nozzle, which communicated
with a receiver in connection with the cylinder, or directly with the cylinder,
as in an ordinary steam engine; the steam jet in passing through the air into.
the open end of the air nozzle drawing with it atmospheric air, which thus.
becomes heated and increased in bulk or pressure..
Now, my improvements thereon consist,―
1st, in heating the receiver or cylinder or the communications thereto by
other heat than that contained in the steam, so as to superheat or surcharge
with heat the combined steam and air, and thereby obtain a further expansion.
or increase of bulk or quantity of steam and air..

page_text: 2nd, I obtain a further increase of motive power by using the steam and
air after it has been once used in a cylinder at rather high pressure by again
combining or mixing the discharged steam and air with other atmospheric
air by passing the steam and air on its discharge from the first cylinder into a
receiver, and from thence through other jets or apertures into other open air 5
nozzles or pipes communicating with a second cylinder or receiver in con-
nection therewith, and after it has been thus used as or to obtain motive
power it is conducted directly to the furnace or to a receiver or pipes, or
channels leading thereto.
3rd, after the steam and air has been used as motive power in an engine, it
may be partially cooled or condensed by bringing it into contact with cold
water, or by passing it through pipes in contact with cold water, or into a
surface condenser, by which means some of the steam will be condensed, and
a supply of fresh aerated water obtained.
. 4th, I propose to use the cooled or partially condensed steam and air as-
motive power in engines with cylinders having flexible sides, so as to produce
a very economical engine, and for this purpose the flexible parts. may be
composed of leather or canvass or other textile material, dressed or coated with
the ordinary solutions of india-rubber or gutta percha, or india-rubber dissolved
in linseed oil, or by coating them with drying oils, or any common glutinous"
substance to fill up the pores of the cloth or substance employed for the
flexible sides of the cylinder.
The second part of my Invention consists in the employment of the steam
after it has been used as motive power in an ordinary steam engine to obtain a
further amount of motive power, and also to increase the heat of the furnace
by returning to it the heat contained in the steam instead of wasting it, as is
now done in all cases where the steam is discharged into the atmosphere for
the purpose of obtaining a draught to the furnace of cold atmospheric air; I
accomplish these by combining the steam after it has been used as motive"
power in the steam engine by conducting the discharged steam into a receiver,
and from thence by jets into open air nozzles or pipes communicating with
another receiver or cylinder, in the manner herein-before mentioned, and after'
or previously thereto the steam and air is to be conducted to the furnace
directly, or into and through other jets and air nozzles or pipes to the furnace
or into the ash-pit of the furnace.
By mixing or combining the steam with air, and returning the heat thereof
to the furnace as a warm blast, instead of employing it, as is now done in all'
locomotive steam engines, to obtain a draft of cold atmospheric air to the
furnace, a very great saving of fuel may be effected.
:

page_text: I prefer to add an ash-pit or under covering to an engine having no ash-pit
or under covering to prevent the down draught if the steam and air is
discharged on the surface of the fire, and to prevent the loss of the hot blast
if it be discharged at the bottom or other part of the fire.
I have tried a number of experiments with and without using or returning
the heat contained in the steam to the furnace, and I think the increase of
heat of the furnace by returning to. it the heat of the steam in conjunction
with the large supply of air combined with it increases the heat of the furnace
nearly to one-half, all of which is now wasted in all locomotives where the
steam is discharged into the air. The steam also when largely diluted with
air becomes or acts as fuel or otherwise, greatly aids or assists the heat of the
furnace, and enables cheaper kinds of fuel to be employed, and also other
substances, such as chalk or other limestone, to be mixed therewith and burnt
in the furnace.
To prevent oxidization of the ironwork of the furnace or bars by being in
contact with the blast of steam and air, I prefer to have them coated or cased
in fire-clay or other suitable material, or to make the furnace or parts through
which the steam and air is conducted into the furnace wholly of the materials
usually employed in furnaces to stand a great amount of heat.