IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUSATINGINDERS
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Hick, of the Soho Iron Works, Bolton-le-
Moors, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer, for the Invention of "IM-
UniNG COLTUREDS OF STEAM ENGINES
-Sealed the 15th September 1854, and dated the 18th March 1854. .
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Hick at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 18th March
1854.
I, JOHN HICK, of the Soho Iron Works, Bolton-le-Moors, in the County of
Lancaster, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention-for.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR HEATING THE CYLINDERS OF STEAM ENGINES
to be as follows:-
It consists in surrounding the cylinders of steam engines with a casing of
any suitable non-conducting material, and causing a continuous current of hot
air to pass through the space left between the casing and the cylinder by means
of a fan or other similar contrivance.
5
1
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Hick in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 18th
September 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
HICK, of the Soho Iron Works, Bolton-le-Moors, in the County of Lancaster,
Engineer, send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighteenth day of March, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the seventeenth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
John Hick, Her special licence that I, the said John Hick, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Hick, 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 APPARATUS FOR HEATING THE
CYLINDERS OF STEAM ENGINES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said John Hick, 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 imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Hick, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement
(that is to say):
My Invention consists in surrounding the cylinders of steam engines with a
casing of bricks or other non-conducting material, and causing a continuous
current of hot air to pass through the space left between the casing and the
cylinder.
In order that my Invention may be fully understood, and readily carried
into effect, I will proceed to describe the same, reference being had to the
accompanying Drawing, and the letters and figures marked thereon.
For the purpose of heating the air without any additional expenditure of
fuel I place in one of the flues A, connecting the fire-place of the steam boiler
with the chimney, a coil of pipes B; the lower portion B¹ of the said coil
being in connection with a fan C (upon Schiele's principle), and the upper
portion B², by means of the pipes B³ & B, with the air spáce D, which is
inclosed by a casing of fire bricks E surrounding the cylinders F & G (or
the cylinder and valve box, as the case may be). The upper part of the air
space D is, by means of the pipes B³, B, & B', connected with the opposite
side of the fan C; and it is evident that when this fan is set in motion a con-
tinuous current of hot air will be established between the air space D and the
coil of pipes B in the direction of the arrows; the partially cooled air being

page_text: taken off at the top, whilst an additional supply of hot air is injected at the
bottom. By this means the cylinder can be maintained at a temperature
considerably higher, if required, than the steam within the cylinder; and the
inconveniences attendant upon the heating of cylinders by steam (caused.
especially by the, condensation of the steam), and the necessity of having
to make a strong casing to resist high steam pressure, are completely
avoided..
In cases where the cylinders have hitherto been heated with steam, and
where consequently a cast iron casing already exists, I propose simply to use
hot air in lieu of steam, and to surround the casing with brick and plaster, in
order to prevent the radiation of the heat.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be carried out, I wish it to be understood that I do not
confine myself to the precise method of establishing the current of air, nor to
the particular mode of heating the same; but what I claim is, the heating
of the cylinders of steam engines by means of a continuous current of
hot air.
In witness whereof, I; the said John Hick, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Fourteenth day of September, One thousand eight
hundred and fifty-four.