IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES AND IN APPARATUS FOR SUPERHEATING STRAM
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Wain, of Copenhagen, in the Kingdom of
Denmark, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES
AND IN APPARATUS FOR SUPERHEATING STRAM."
Sealed the 12th June 1860, and dated the 8th February 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Wain at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
8th February 1860.
I, WILLIAM WAIN, of Copenhagen, in the Kingdom of Denmark, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
STEAM ENGINES, AND IN APPARATUS FOR SUPERHEATING STEAM," to. be. as
follows:-
1
This Invention has for its object certain improvements in arranging the
parts of those steam engines in which the steam after acting on the piston of a
high-pressure steam cylinder is worked expansively, by passing into another steam
cylinder of larger diameter, from which it passes to a condenser, whereby. I
obtain great economy of fuel, and a more direct and convenient application
of the
power, particularly when such engines are employed as marine engines,
and for the purpose of driving the shafts or axes of screw propellors; and my
Invention also consists in improvements in the arrangement of steam boilers

page_text: and apparatus for superheating the steam, by which great economy of otherwise
waste heat is obtained.
In carrying out the first part of my Invention for working high and low
pressure steam in the same engines, I place the high-pressure cylinder on one
side of the crank shaft and the low-pressure on the opposite side, by preference
in a direct line, horizontally; the connecting rods of both cylinders working
on the same crank-pin or bearing. The condenser is arranged so as to form
part of the bed or base plate of the engine, and passing under the crank shaft
extends across the engine from side to side, thus giving great stability to the frame
which supports the main working parts. The steam after passing from the
high-pressure cylinder enters a pipe which conducts it to the low-pressure
cylinder, in which it is still further expanded, and from which it passes through
a steam jacket, formed around the cylinder, and enters the condenser, where
it is condensed, in the usual manner, and the condensed steam and water are
withdrawn by an air-pump of the ordinary construction, which is worked by a
rod connected to the piston of the low-pressure steam cylinder, the air pump
being placed near to or alongside of the high-pressure steam cylinder.
arrange the slide valves, by which the valves of both engines are worked, on
one or more rods, each of the rods being in one or more parts and actuated by
one excentric, the excentric and link motions for stopping and reversing
being of the ordinary construction, and the additional opening required for the
ports of the low-pressure cylinder (owing to the increased volume of the steam),
is obtained by additional ports and a peculiar arrangement of the passages
in the slide valve which opens and covers the ports.
I
The above arrangement of parts may either be applied to what are com-
monly called "trunk engines," or to engines of the ordinary construction with
piston rods, guides, and connecting rods.
In carrying out my improvements in apparatus for superheating steam, I
prefer to employ boilers of cylindrical form having tubular fire-places at the
lower part and at each end of the boiler, to receive the furnaces, similar to
what are generally known as "Cornish boilers," and above these tubular fire-
. places a series of tubes are arranged, through which the heat and products of com-
bustion pass from the back of each furnace to the ends of the boilers, above the
fire-doors, and away into a smoke box and uptake, the heated products on their
way to the funnel passing through a horizontal flue or passage placed between
two boilers of the above description, the smoke boxes and uptakes of such
boilers being connected with this flue or passage at each end, and the super-
heating apparatus consists of a large iron steam pipe of suitable strength
supported within and surrounded by this flue or passage between the boilers

page_text: and the superheating pipe, receives the steam through pipes leading from
stop valves on the ends of the boilers, and after passing along this pipe (to
be superheated) to the other end nearest the engines, it is connected to the
supply pipe of the engines, so that the steam in this pipe is in contact through-
out with heated air passing from the furnaces along the flue or passage
leading to the chimney, which serves for the two boilers, and I prefer to inter-
cept the passage of the steam through the superheating pipe by intersecting
tubes or plates placed at different angles, by which the steam is brought in
contact with a much larger amount of heating surface.
SPECIFICATION
in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Wain, in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
8th August 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
WAIN. of Copenhagen, in the Kingdom of Denmark, Engineer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-third year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said William Wain, Her special licence that I, the said
William Wain. my executors. administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said William Wain, 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 STEAM ENGINES, AND IN APPARATUS FOR SUPERHEATING STEAM,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that 1, the said William Wain,
my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or
their, or one of their hands and seals, 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 immediately after the date
of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Wain, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and, in what manner the same is to be per-

page_text: formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
.statement thereof, that is to say:-
. 'This Invention has for its object certain improvements in arranging the parts
of those steam engines in which the steam after acting on the piston of a high-
pressure steam cylinder is worked expansively by passing into another steam
cylinder of larger diameter, from which it passes to a condenser, whereby I
obtain great economy of fuel and a more direct and convenient application of
the power, particularly when such engines are employed as marine engines,
and for the purpose of driving the shafts or axes of screw propellers. And
my Invention also consists in improvements in the arrangement of steam
boilers and apparatus for superheating the steam, by which great economy of
otherwise waste heat is obtained.
In carrying out the first part of my Invention for working high and low-
pressure steam in the same engines I place the high-pressure cylinder on one
side of the crank shaft and the low-pressure on the opposite side, by preference
in a direct line horizontally, the connecting rods of both cylinders working on
the same crank pin or bearing. The condenser is arranged so as to form
parts of the bed or basé plate of the engine, and passing under the crank shaft
extends across the engine from side to side, thus giving great stability to the
frame which supports the main working parts. The steam after passing from
the high-pressure cylinder enters a pipe which conducts it to the low-pressure
cylinder in which it is still further expanded, and from which it passes
through a steam jacket formed around the cylinder, and enters the condenser,
where it is condensed in the usual manner, and the condensed steam and
water are withdrawn by an air-pump of the ordinary construction, which is
worked by a rod connected to the piston of the low-pressure steam cylinder, the
air-pump being placed near to or alongside of the high-pressure steam cylinder.
I arrange the slide valves by which the valves of both engines are worked on
one or more rods, each of the rods being in one or more parts, and actuated
by one eccentric, the eccentrics and link motions for stopping and reversing
being of the ordinary construction, and the additional opening required for the
ports of the low pressure cylinder (owing to the increased volume of the steam)
is obtained by additional ports and a peculiar arrangement of the passages in
the slide valve which opens and covers the ports.
The above arrangement of parts may either be applied to what are com-
monly called trunk engines," or to engines of the ordinary construction with
piston rods, guides, and connecting rods.
In carrying out my improvements in apparatus for superheating steam I
prefer to employ. boilers of cylindrical form having tubular fire-places at the

page_text: lower part and at each end of the boiler to receive the furnaces similar to.
what are generally known as "Cornish boilers," and above these tubular fire-
places a series of tubes are arranged, through which the heat and products
of combustion pass from the back of each furnace to the ends of the boilers'
above the fire-doors and away into a smoke box and uptake, the heated
products on their way to the funnel passing through a horizontal flue or
passage placed between two boilers of the above description, the smoke boxes
and uptakes of, such boilers being connected with this flue or passage at each
end. and the superheating apparatus consists of a large iron steam pipe of
suitable strength, supported within and surrounded by this flue or passage
between the boilers, and the superheating pipe receives the steam through
pipes leading from the stop valves on the ends of the boilers, and after passing
along this pipe (to be superheated) to the other end nearest the engine, it is
connected to the supply pipe of the engine, so that the steam in this pipe is in
contact throughout with heated air passing from the furnaces along the flue or
passage leading to the chimney which serves for the two boilers; and I prefer
to intercept the passage of the steam through the superheating pipe by
intersecting tubes or plates placed at different angles. by which the steam is
brought in contact with a much larger amount of heating surface.
And in order that my Invention may be most fully understood and readily
practised, I will proceed to describe the Drawings hereunto annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1. Sheet 1, of the Drawings shews a plan, partly in section,
Figures 2 and 3 are side views, partly in section, and Figure 4 an end view.
of a pair of marine steam engines constructed according to my Invention,
suitably arranged for driving the main shaft or axis of a screw propeller.
Figures 5, 6, 7, and 8, Sheet 2, of the Drawings shew the above arrangement
of engines with the boilers applied or fitted to the hull of a screw propeller
steam vessel.
And in order to simplify the description of the construction and working of
these engines I will describe the parts of one engine only, the corresponding
parts of the other engine being marked with similar letters of reference in all
the Figures. And I would here remark, that although the Drawings shew
my improvements as applied to the trunk engine, it is not essential that they
should be of that construction, as other modes of connecting the crank axle to
the pistons of the steam cylinders may be adopted in combination with my
improvements, which may also be adapted for giving motion to the paddle

page_text: shafts of marine engines, or the engines may be fixed or stationary, and their
power applied to other purposes than propelling vessels.
a and bare the high and low-pressure steam cylinders, which are placed,
by preference, in a direct line horizontally on opposite sides of the crank
shaft or axis c, the pistons and connecting rods a¹, b₁ of the cylinders a and b
being connected to the same crank pin or bearing on the crank shaft c. dis
the air-pump placed near to or alongside the high pressure cylinder a, and the
piston and rod d of the air-pump is connected to and worked by the piston
of the low-pressure cylinder b. The condenser e is arranged so as to form
part of the bed or base plate of the engine, and by extending from side to
side, as shewn, is of large capacity, and gives great strength and stability to
the frame which supports the main working parts of the engine. The steam
in its passage from the high-pressure cylinder a enters the steam pipe f
which conducts it to the steam chest, slide valve, and ports of the low-pressure
cylinder b, which is of much larger diameter than the cylinder a, and in
which the steam is still further expanded, and from which it passes through
the steam jacket g. partly surrounding the cylinder. into the condenser e, to
be condensed in the ordinary manner. The air pump d, together with the
top and bottom valves . d, are of the ordinary construction, suitably
arranged, in combination with my improvements. The slide valves a and b,
by which the valves of both steam cylinders a and b are worked, are con-
nected to the rods a, a and b, b, which are keyed or otherwise joined
together at a**, **, and the rods thus joined are connected together so as
to be actuated by the eccentrics i, i, by a crosshead, by which arrangement
they work as one rod. The crosshead which connects the rods together has
a pin or stud b thereon, which enters curved slots in the reversing links h, h,
which communicate the motion by the eccentric rods h¹, h', from the eccentrics
i, i, on the crank shaft or axis c to the slide valves. The slide valve b¹, and
the seat or facing upon which it works, are formed with additional steam
passages or ports, and of larger area than those of the steam cylinder a, in
order to admit of the passage of the increased volume of steam from the high
to the low-pressure cylinder without requiring any additional movement of the
slide valve b*. The starting, stopping and reversing gear being of the
ordinary description, I have not thought it necessary to shew more. than
the connection of the eccentrics i, i, with the slide valve rods, all which will
be clearly understood on examining the Drawings.
I will now describe my improvements in apparatus for superheating steam.
Figure 9 shews a longitudinal section, Figure 10 a plan, Figure 11 a trans-

page_text: verse section, and Figure 12 an end view of a pair of marine boilers, having
superheating apparatus applied thereto according to my Invention, which is
equally applicable to other forms of boilers than those shewn in the Drawings.
a, a, are the upiakes or passages which conduct the heat and products of
combustion (as they issue from the series of tubes into the smoke box at each
end of the boilers (above the fire-doors) up into the horizontal flue or passage b
connected at each end with the uptakes a, and placed between the two boilers,
the heated products passing through the flue or passage b on their way to the
funnel. c is the superheating steam pipe or passage, of suitable strength, sup-
ported within, and surrounded by the flue or passage b, and this pipe receives
the steam through pipes leading from the stop valves on the ends of the
boilers, and after passing along this pipe to be superheated by the waste heat
from the furnaces to the other end nearest the engine, it is connected to the
supply pipe of the engine, so that the steam in the pipe c is brought in
contact with the air and heated products of combustion passing to the funnel
or chimney through the passage b, which serves for the two boilers; and I
prefer to intercept the passage of the steam through the superheating pipe by
intersecting tubes c', which tubes being open internally, and connected with
the passage b, bring the steam in contact with an increased amount of heating
surface; or a somewhat similar effect may be produced by plates projecting
within the pipe, and placed at different angles to one another.
In witness whereof, 1, the said, William Wain, have hereunto set my.
hand and seal, this Twenty sixth day of July, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
WILLIAM WAIN. (L.S.)