CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES
Year: 1850

page_text: TO ALL
WHOM HESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, KOBERT
WADDELL, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date at Westminster, the Eleventh day of June, in the.
thirteenth year
of Her reign, and in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and fifty, did for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said Robert Waddell, Her especial license, full power, sole
privilege and authority, that I, the said Robert Waddell, my exors, admors,
and assigns, and such others as I, the said Robert Waddell, my exors, adiñors,
or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time
and at all times during the term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully
might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England and Wales and the Town
of Berwick-upon-Tweed, and in all Her Majesty's Colonies and Plantations
abroad, and in the Islands of Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney, Sark, and Man, my
Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES;" in which said
Letters Patent is contained a proviso that I, the said Robert Waddell, shall
cause a particular description of the nature of my Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, 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, reference as in and by
the same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Robert Waddell, 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

page_text: ascertained in and by the Drawings hereto annexed, and the following explana-
tion thereof, that is to say:-
:
My Invention of Improvements in Steam Engines' consists,―
Firstly, in the application of a novel apparatus to the working cylinders of
such machines, or to the steam pipes thereof, for the purpose of removing
water arising from the condensation of steam from the "priming" of the
boiler, or from other cause which may render it present. This I effect by the
application of a valve or valves, so arranged as to be closed during the ordinary
working of the engine by pressure of the steam, but which valves, upon an
accumulation of water, open by means of the gravity thereof, and admit of its
escape.
Secondly, in an arrangement of apparatus for governing the velocity of
steam engines, such arrangement consisting in the employment of an additional
throttle valve, which, when the engine is running above its speed, is brought
into operation by the variation which then takes place in the pressure of the
steam at different parts of the steam pipe. And, in order to illustrate the
practical application of my said improvements, I have appended to this my
Specification certain Drawings, which I will now proceed to describe.
Figure 1 represents, in section, the working cylinder and steam pipe of an
engine upon the horizontal construction, with my improvements applied
thereto; and, in order to point out a variation in the method of carrying out
the same, I have applied a different form of apparatus at one end of the
cylinder to that adapted to the other. If desired, however, the same construc-
tion may, of course, be applied to both ends. I shall, therefore, describe them
separately, commencing with that which is supplied to the end A thereof. To
the working cylinder is attached a chamber a, a, and a communication provided
for between the two by means of a passage b, b. Within the chamber a, a, are
placed two valves c, c, which are connected, as shewn in the Drawing, so as to
move together in an upward or downward direction, by means of a rod d, d,
and are ground or otherwise fitted to seats e, e*, formed upon the chamber a.
The bottom valve c is provided with projecting pieces f, f (see the detached
plan view, Figure 2), which, by working against the sides of the cylinder a, a,
act as parallel guides, a similar provision being obtained at the upper part by
making the valve c cylinderical, but loose enough in the chamber a to allow of
a slight escape of steam when the valve is from its seat. To the upper part of
the rod d, d, is attached a cap g, which prevents dirt or other extraneous
matter from passing through the aperture in the chamber a, a, and also serves
to keep the valves from falling too far. Upon the cylinder a is affixed a
bracket, which carries upon a centre pin a lever i, one end thereof being

page_text: provided with a counterbalance weight j, and the other with a fork, which
embraces the rod c, such fork abutting against the cap 9 and the boss of a
handle k. The weight mounted upon the lever i is so adjusted as to counter-
balance the valves c, c, and the parts immediately connected therewith; if,
therefore, the areas of the said valves be equal, they will remain in contact
with their seats, notwithstanding the pressure of the steam which acts upon
their surfaces, by passing through the passage b, b. In order, however, to
énsure this condition, the outward part of the bottom valve c* may be of an
area slightly exceeding that of the inward part thereof, by which arrangement
an advantage is given to atmospheric pressure which secures the desired effect;
or the weight of the lever i may be slightly more than necessary to counter-
poise the valves and their appendages. The operation will be as follows :—
During the proper action of the engine the 'valves c, c*, will be kept to their
seats, an equilibrium being established, as before described. Upon water,
however, becoming present in the working cylinder, either from condensation,
"priming," or other cause, it will flow through the passage b into the
chamber a; and when a sufficient quantity has therein accumulated to
overcome by its own gravity the preponderance of atmospheric pressure, or the
effect of the weight j, a further addition will destroy the equilibrium. The:
valve c* will be forced downwards from its seat, and a passage formed for the
exit of the water, which, having been thus discharged, the equilibrium will be
restored, and the aperture again closed. Upon the opening of the valve c* the
upper one, c, will of course be carried from its seat, and there may be a slight
escape of steam, but not such as will be of any material consequence.
In
order to prevent the valves c, c*, from sticking, the handle k may be occa-
sionally turned so as to cause them to revolve in their seats.
I will now proceed to describe the modification shewn as applied to the end
B of the working cylinder. In this instance, within the chamber a, a, there is
placed a hollow vessel 1, 1; the lower end of which is provided with. a. pin
capable of moving in a guide m. It is also furnished with a valve c*, suitably
adjusted to a seat formed in the bottom of the chamber a, a.
The upper part
of the vessel is also provided with a valve c, which is of an area slightly
superior to the outward surface of the bottom valve c*, by which means a
preponderence of pressure is gained to ensure their connexion to their seats.
Upon water being present in the working cylinder it will flow through the
passage 6 into the chamber a, a, and when sufficiently accumulated will cause
the vessel to float upwards, and, by carrying the valve c* from its seat,
provide a passage for its exit, again closing when the discharge has been
effected.
In Fig. 1 my improvement is also shewn as applied to the steam pipe, for

page_text: which purpose a chamber n, n, is connected thereto, provided at its upper and
lower parts with pipes o, p, to each of which respectively are fitted valves c, c*,
connected by a rod d, in a similar manner to the arrangement first described.
In this instance, however, there is a spiral spring 7, 7, placed within the cap g,
which serves to counterbalance the weight of the valves, &c., instead of the
weighted lever before described. The design of this apparatus is to receive the
water as it passes along the steam pipe, in order to effect which the chamber
n, n, extends below the bottom thereof; the water will, therefore, fall down the
pipe p, p, and act upon the valve c*, as already described; and, in order to
assist in arresting the passage of condensed steam or other water, I place a
projecting bar r across the chamber n.
Fig. 3 represents a modification, which may be employed in place of that
last described by connecting the pipe p to a chamber similar to that shewn at
n, through which pipe the water will then pass, and, by floating up the hollow
vessel Z, as described with reference to the apparatus B), open the valve c*,
and allow the water to escape.
My second improvement is shewn at Fig. 4 of the accompanying Drawings,
which represents a portion of the steam pipe with the improvements applied
thereto. To the pipe A is connected, by means of flanges, a cylinder B, and
there are steam ports C, D, which form communications at top and bottom
between the two. Within the cylinder B is placed a piston E, capable of
moving freely therein, the rod of which passes through a stuffing box formed
in the bottom of the cylinder, and is provided with a parallel guide F. One
end of a lever G is connected, by means of a pin and slot, to the rod of the
piston E, and is also attached to the spindle of a throttle valve H, similar to
those of the ordinary construction; upon which spindle is also mounted a
weighted lever I, serving to counterbalance the piston E and its appendages.
The ordinary throttle valve is shewn at J, and the operation of the apparatus
will be as follows:-While the engine is working at its proper speed, the
various parts will be in the position shewn in the Drawing, the pressure
being equal on both sides of the piston E, and consequently retaining it in a
fixed position, and the throttle valves H and J so situate as to admit of the
required number of strokes being performed. Should the engine, however, by
any sudden release from resistance, run off at an undue rate, then the steam in
the pipe A will become what is called "wire drawn,", and the elastic force
thereof will the greater on that side of the throttle valve J which is nearest
the boiler than on the other side thereof; the consequence of this will be, that
a superior pressure will be exerted on the upper side of the piston E, which
will then be caused to descend, and, by carrying with it the lever G, will turn
the additional throttle valve H upon its centre, and so partly shut off the

page_text: passage of steam to the working cylinder. When the engine has been thus
brought to the required speed the steam will have regained an uniform
pressure, and the the piston E be operated upon with a like force on both sides
thereof, at which time the counterbalance weight on the lever I will raise it to
its former position. In reference to this part of my Invention I would
observe that the additional throttle valve may be used either when that of the
ordinary construction is connected to a "governor," or when it is used with-
hand gear, as in marine engines.
Although (in reference to the first part of my Invention) I have shewn in
the Drawing a cylinder upon the horizontal arrangement, it will be obvious to
all competent persons that my improvements are equally applicable to those of
other constructions, and also that the same may be applied to any part of the
steam pipes of the engine where water can be accumulated. I would also
remark, that although I have shewn certain arrangements of parts suitable for
carrying my Invention into operation, yet I do not confine myself thereto, as
the same may be varied to a considerable extent without departing from the
spirit thereof, that which I claim as secured to me under the above in part
recited Letters Patent being,-
Firstly, the use of a valve or valves capable (for the purpose above set forth)
of acting by the gravity of the water which they are intended to discharge.
Secondly, the application to steam engines of a throttle valve capable of
being brought into action by a difference in the elastic force of the steam
existing at the same time in the steam pipe.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Waddell, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Sixth day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty.
Enrolled the Eleventh day of December, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty.