IMPROVEMENTS IN GENERATING STEAM AND OBTAINING AND APPLYING MOTIVE POWER
Year: 1849

page_text: LAWES
SPECIFICATION.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
LAWES, of 32, City Road, in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Fifth day of June, in the Twelfth year of Her reign, did,
for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Thomas Lawes, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority,
that I, the said Thomas Lawes, my exors, adññiors, or assigns, and such others
as I, the said Thomas Lawes, my exors, adñiors, and 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, Wales, the Town of Berwick upon Tweed,
and in all Her Majesty's towns and plantations abroad, and in the Islands of
Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney, Sark, and Man, my Inventions of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN GENERATING STEAM AND OBTAINING AND APPLYING MOTIVE POWER;" in which
Letters Patent is contained a proviso obliging me, the said Thomas Lawes, by
an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, particularly to describe and.
ascertain the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, and to cause the same to be enrolled in Her 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Thomas Lawes, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, is particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following description thereof, reference being had to
the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon,
that is to say...
First, that my improvements in generating steam consist in new com-
binations or forms of boilers by which steam may be generated rapidly, and
to a very high amount of pressure or power. Secondly, an improved method
of obtaining atmospheric power; and thirdly, improved methods of applying.
motive power to traction, propelling, &c., on canals, railways, rivers, &c.. The
improved method by which I generato steam for the purpose of gaining motive
power will be understood by a reference to the Drawings accompanying this
Specification. Figure 1 is an isometrical perspective view of one form of
boiler, the near end being removed to shew interior. A, A, are iron tanks in
communication with each other, forming the two sides and one end of
lower part of flues, and are supplied with water from a cistern B; C, C, are
brickwork, tubular, or other partitions; forming the flues of furnace along
which the fire passes, and causes the water contained in the tubes D to boil
and generate steam. E is a pump, employed to force the water which has
been partially heated in the tanks A, into the tubes F, and so into the
tubes G, G, and from them into the tubes D, which are laid across from side to
side, and form the flat divisions in this boiler. Gx, Gx, are stċam chambers,
into which the steam rises through the tubes H, H, and may be conveyed to a
cylinder or any machinery through a steam pipe, as at I, or from other parts
of the steam chambers, as at Gx. J is the safety valve. Figure 2 is a ground
plan of the furnace, shewing the manner in which tanks A, A, and partitions.
C, C, form the flues. The flame having passed through these flues under the
tubes D, rises into the flues above, passing over the tubes D, and under the
second rank of the same, and so out at chimney K. The tubes D are plugged
at the ends for the purpose of cleaning; and the tubes F, G, H, have; in like
manner, outlets which can be got at easily for the same purpose, or for removing
any corrosion; and the whole is put together by screws and connections to
allow of any repairs; the tubes G, H, being connected to the tubes F, D, Gx,
by tapping or screwing, or by connections, as shewn at m, or by any of the
usual methods. In this part of my Invention I do not confine myself to the
particular form of the boiler represented, or to the size or number of tubes
employed, or to the position in which they may be placed, but claim as my
Invention, the manner of forming a boiler in which the tubes used for gene-

page_text: of
my
rating the steam are made to form part of the flues of the furnace, and past
which the fire passes and repasses; the said tubes being in communication
with each other, but which may be easily disconnected for cleaning or other
purposes. These boilers are applicable in a variety of forms to locomotive
5 and other engines, and to culinary and other purposes. I also claim as part
Invention, a method of using tubes in ordinary stoves and ranges, for
the purpose of generating steam for culinary purposes, boiling water, &c. In
this. place the tubes take the place of the usual fire bars, forming the bottom
or false bottom of the stove or range, or. may pass through another part of
the fire, and be connected with small tanks on one or both sides, or back of
stove or range, and may either be made a portion of the original stove or
range, or a detached addition to the same. Figure 8 is a view of an ordinary
range, and shews the manner in which this is to be accomplished. A is the
bottom of range, composed of tubes instead of the usual fire bars, and is
connected with the tubes B, B; B, B, communicate with tanks D and C, and
with steam chamber E. The steam chamber has a safety valve, and a pipe
for conveying steam to any purpose required; and the tank D is supplied with
water in the usual way. The tubes may either be attached to the boilers now
usually forming part of range, or may be made portable so as to. be applied to
any stove which has or has not any other boiler. The front bars of stove or
range may also be replaced by, or composed of, tubes connected as before
stated. It is not necessary in some cases to use more than one tank.
The second part of my Invention is an improved method of obtaining
motive power, and has reference to Letters Patent obtained by me, dated
the Third day of June, in the ninth year of Her present Majesty's reign, and
which a reference to Figures 3, 4, and 5, will explain. In the said Patent
I described fully my method of obtaining power by atmospheric pressure, and
applying it to towing, propelling, &c., on canals, railways, &c., but in which
I described a tube to be laid down the whole distance to be travelled, and my
improvements now relate to the manner in which I dispense with the long
tube, and employ short ones, placed either vertically or horizontally on the
road, or by the side of it, by the addition of gearing attached to the piston
and drum over which the rope or chain is wound or passes. Figure 3 shews
a section of exhaustion tube, with piston and rope attached thereto, passing
round drum A, which is connected by gear to drum B; the vacuum is produced
by drawing the piston from the closed end of the tube D to the open end E,
the effect of which is to cause the piston when liberated to be driven back by
the outward pressure of the atmosphere to the closed end of the tube from
whence it canic, by which movement the drum A is made to revolve and
everse the action of the drum B, and so relieve the opposite extremity of its

page_text: rope, and vice versa. Figure 4 shews the same principle applied to an endless
rope or chain. Figure 5 is a front elevation of Figure 1.
The third part of. my Invention consists of an improved method of employ-
ing motive power for towing or propelling boats or other vessels on canals,
rivers, &c., and for tilling and other agricultural purposes. Figure 6 is an
isometrical perspective view of a canal with a boat in which any motive
power is contained, as pointed out by a cylinder A. This power is commu-
nicated by appropriate machinery to the carriage travelling on a railway C, C,
placed on the sides or centre of canal. These rails may have toothed sides to
fit the carriage wheels, or otherwise, the rails at each side of the canal being.
. laid down in the ordinary way, and those in the centre being fixed on piles
driven into the canal, or supported by any construction placed over the canal.
In this part of my Invention I do not confine myself to the manner in which
the rails are fixed on the sides and in or on the centre part of the canal, but
claim, as my Invention, the system of applying motive power placed in the
boat or vessel to a carriage travelling on a railway attached to a canal or river,
and by which motion is communicated to the said boat, or train of boats or
vessels. Figure 7 shews how motive power may be applied to tilling, ploughing,
and other agricultural purposes. A is the platform on which the motive power
is placed, and is communicated to the plough, harrow, &c., B, either by an
endless rope, chain, &c., or may be drawn backwards and forwards by having
another power placed on the opposite platform.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Lawes, have hereunto fixed my
hand and seal, this Fifth day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and forty-nine.