IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR OBTAINING MOTIVE POWER
Year: 1883

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by John Henry Johnson at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 3rd September 1883. Communicated
to him from Emile Joseph Delaurier a person resident at Paris in the
Republic of France.
"
JOHN HENRY JOHNSON of 47 Lincoln's Inn Fields in the County of Middlesex
Gentleman" IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR OBTAINING MOTIVE POWER
a communication to me from Emile Joseph Delaurier a person resident at Paris in
the Republic of France
This Invention relates to apparatus for obtaining motive power by utilising the
relative force of steam discharged from an orifice in the manuer hereinafter
described. The power thus obtained is applicable to driving machinery propelling
railway and other locomotives, marine engines, aerial machines and generally to
all purposes for which motive power is required.
According to this Invention the direct force of the escaping steam is utilised
most effectually by regulating the rate at which the steam is allowed to escape
from an orifice under certain conditions as hereinafter set forth by the employment
of specially constructed apparatus. In order to obtain the desired result the steam
is not allowed to escape continuously and the long driving armis heretofore employed
in this class of motor which are especially objectionable in stationary engines and
which are liable to cool the steam and necessarily have to move with great
velocity in order to utilise the full power of the steam can thus be dispensed with.
According to the present invention a relatively wide outlet or discharging orifice
and an intermittent escape or discharge of steam is employed.
This intermittent discharge of steam is obtained by means of a special valve
which uncovers a large opening when the pressure rises to a certain limit and
closes immediately when the pressure drops below this point.
In carrying out this invention steam is supplied from a suitable generator by
means of a pipe to a chamber or vessel provided with inlet and outlet valves.
These valves are so arranged that when the one is open the other is closed and
vice versa being connected together by a rigid rod or other equivalent device.

page_text: The area of the outlet valve is greater than that of the inlet valve and is
preferably composed of a grooved or notched disc connected to a stem of smaller
diameter in order to leave an passage around the said stem for the steam through
a tube or cylinder which acts as a guide to the valve and also served to direct the
jet of escaping steam in the proper direction. To this cylinder are attached flat or
other springs acting on the outlet valve and whose tension is regulated according
to the pressure of the steam and the dimensions of the orifice of the steam nozzle.
When coiled springs are employed the point of support for the said springs may
be formed by a plate or bar extending across the discharge orifice
The action of the springs tends to close the outlet valve and to open the inlet
valve. Under these conditions the steam first fills the chamber and then forces
open the outlet valve at the same time closing the inlet valve. The steam thus
escaping from the discharge orifice propels the apparatus by reaction and causes
the apparatus to move in the opposite direction to the flow of steam
The discharge continues until the pressure of the springs becomes greater than
the internal pressure in the chamber the outlet valve then closes and the inlet
valve opens simultaneously so as to readmit steam to the chamber or vessel and so
on in succession the discharge being thus interrupted automatically.
The intermittent discharge of steam may also be obtained by means of an
oscillating cylinder provided with a piston which works a slide valve controlling
the escape of steam.
According to another method the intermittent discharge of steam may be obtained
by injecting water directly into the furnace or into a flush boiler-This arrange-
ment would be free from the disadvantage attending the violent ebullition consequent
on the opening of the outlet valve The intermittent discharge of steam may also
be produced by means of electricity-The steam may be discharged into the
atmosphere into water or otherwise according to circumstances.
The discharge of steam may be arrested by turning a nut bearing against the
valve spring This may be conveniently effected by pulling a cord wound round
the nut The generation of steam may be stopped at the same time. In order to
enable the engine to be reversed it is necessary to employ two nozzles or discharge
orifices of similar construction but pointing in opposite directions and to cause the
steam to be discharged from one or the other of these orifices according to the
direction in which it is desired to drive the apparatus
When the motor is employed to obtain rotary motion the nozzle discharging
steam intermittently as hereinbefore described is. constructed to turn upon a pivot
and the steam generator may be capable of revolving so as to move with the said
steam nozzle which is so arranged as to discharge the steam tangentially to the
circle in which it revolves and is preferably surrounded by a shield or grating
to prevent accidents from the rush of hot steam-The power thus obtained is
transmitted by means of a pulley or otherwise to any desired mechanism.
The generator may be stationary the nozzle alone revolving if preferred
A giffard or other suitable injector or feed apparatus supplies the generator with
water
When the improved motive power apparatus is applied to the purpose of locomo-
tion on land or water a horizontal tubular boiler having a furnace safety valve
injector and other usual accessories is preferably employed in combination with a
fixed steam discharge nozzle arranged at the rear of the apparatus and provided
with a protecting grating or shield as herein before described-This nozzle may
be capable of turning within certain limits so as to admit of the jet being directed
in exactly the opposite direction to that in which it is desired to travel.
When the improved motive power apparatus is applied to aerial locomotion the
boiler is placed over a furnace surrounded by light heat retaining materials and
the steam nozzle is carried on a pivot so arranged as not to impede the escape of
steam but at the same time to allow the nozzle to be moved for the purpose of
delivering the jet of steam downwards in an oblique direction the angle of which

page_text: may vary but is always exactly opposite to the direction in which the machine is
travelling A shield surrounding the nozzle allows air to pass but retains fire
and ashes.
The lower part of the boiler is preferably enclosed in a chamber provided with
windows and which also carries the passengers-This apparatus may be provided
with legs upon which it may stand when on the ground and may be provided with
a suitable parochute.