IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES, BOILERS, FURNACES, AND FLUES, IN CONSUMING FUEL, IN PREVENTING SMOKE, AND IN PROPELLING VESSELS
Year: 1845

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, SAMUEL
HALL, late of Basford, in the County of Nottingham, and now of London,
Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at West-
minster, the Twentieth day of February, in the eighth year of Her reign, did,
for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Samuel Hall, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority,
that I, the said Samuel Hall, my exors, adññors, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Samuel Hall, my exors, adññors, 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, exer-
cise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick upon
Tweed, in the Islands of Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney, Sark, and Man, and
also in all Her said Majesty's Colonies and Plantations abroad, my Inven-
tions of "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES, BOILERS, FURNACES, AND FLUES, IN
CONSUMING FUEL, IN PREVENTING SMOKE, AND IN PROPELLING VESSELS;" in which
said Letters Patent is contained a proviso that I, the said Samuel Hall,
shall cause a particular description of the nature of my said Invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be inrolled in Her said
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
Samuel Hall, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Inventions, and
the manner in which the same are to be performed, are fully described and
ascertained in and by the following description thereof, reference being had to
the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked thereon
(that is to say):
I shall now state the objects and the nature of my several improvements in
the order in which they are mentioned in the said Létters Patent.
First, the object and nature of my improvement in steam engines consist in
the admission of injection water to all kinds of injection steam engines by
means whereby it shall be so measured as to supply a given quantity of it to
condense a given quantity of steam at whatever speed the engines may be
working, and whereby the water shall be introduced into the condenser more
or less frequently, according as the steam pistons are moving at a greater or
less speed, and whereby also the injection water shall cease to flow altogether
when the engines are brought from any cause whatever to a state of rest, and
moreover the whole of the quantity of injection water required to condense a
cylinder full of steam is admitted instantly into the condenser at the moment
the steam is entering therein from the cylinder, instead of such injection water
entering during the whole of the stroke of the steam piston; whereas by the
common method of introducing the injection water, videlicet, by means of the
uninterrupted pressure of the atmosphere and injection cocks or valves, it
enters the condensers with the same velocity whether the engines are going at
a quick or at a slow speed, or even when they are stopped, unless the injection
cocks are carefully regulated or closed by hand, and the steam moreover enters
in a continued stream during the whole of the stroke of the steam piston, in-
stead of its entering in the requisite quantity suddenly at the commencement
of each stroke of the steam piston, and none entering during the remainder of
the stroke of such piston.
Second, the object and nature of my improvements in boilers consist, first,
in an improvement in such boilers as have internal fires, which is intended to
supply atmospheric air to such fires for the purpose of consuming the smoke
and inflammable gases arising therefrom; second, in a particular arrangement
of tubes, whereby so extensive a quantity of metallic surface is presented to
the flame and heated gases resulting from the combustion of fuel as shall cause
their caloric or heat to be given out to the water or other fluids surrounding
them in boilers in a more complete manner than is commonly effected.
Third, the objects and nature of my improvements in furnaces are the in-
creasing of their durability, and their efficiency in consuming the smoke and

page_text: inflammable gases arising from the combustion of fuel, being improvements
upon my Patent for the "combustion of fuel and smoke," of the Ninth day of
May, One thousand eight hundred and forty-two.
Fourth, the object and nature of my improvement in flues is the causing of
the heat from the fires of dyers, bleachers, and many other kinds of boilers to
be more uniformly distributed all around them, and the rendering of the ebul-
lition of the water or other fluids contained in them more equable, this being a
matter of much importance in boilers of the above-mentioned description.
Fifth and sixth, the objects and nature of my improvements in consuming
fuel and preventing smoke are, first, the supplying of fuel in an uniform and
regular mannor to furnaces, and that, without having frequently to open the
fire doors for that purpose, whereby cold air is injuriously admitted, as is the
case when fuel is supplied to furnaces by hand in the usual manner; second,
in the forcing or drawing of air into and through furnaces and fire tubes or
flues, in the quantity proper to consume correctly the gaseous as well as the
solid parts of the fuel, and thereby prevent the nuisance of smoke:
Seventh and last, the object and nature of my improvements in propelling
vessels are of two kinds, which I shall explain separately; the object. of each
of them is the superseding of the use of paddle wheels, screw propellers, and
other similar apparatus at present in general use, 'and the nature of the first
is the drawing of water into vessels and the projecting of it out of them into
the water in which they are floating in a particular manner, so as to propel
such vessels, and in some cases the projecting of air into water in a similar
manner for the same purpose; and my second method of propelling consists in
the applying of a vibrating plane or planes of a particular kind and in a par-
ticular manner, so as to cause them to press against the water in which vessels
are floating, and thereby to propel such vessels not only forwards or backwards
but sideways, and also to turn them round, and that in a space scarcely ex-
ceeding the length of the vessel.
Having stated the objects and nature of my improvements, I will now de-
scribe the apparatuses for putting of them in operation, in the same order as
that in which they are herein-before enumerated. I shall now therefore describe,
first, my improvement in steam engines.
Figure 1, Plate 1, and Figure 2, Plate 2, shew my apparatus for supplying
the injection water to steam engines in the manner which I have already
pointed out. Figure 1 is a horizontal plan of the apparatus taken from 2, z,
through Figure 2; and Figure 2 is a vertical section of it.
a is a cylinder
containing a piston a' for measuring and supplying the injection water to the
engine.b, b, is an inlet pipe, furnished with two openings and b, and con-

page_text: taining two hollow circular slide valves c¹ and c, which are fixed upon a rod c³,
to which two tappets d¹ and & are attached. By the ascending and descending
of these valves the injection water is admitted into the cylinder a above the
piston a', and below it alternately. e is another similar pipe, furnished with
similar apertures e and e, and similar valves f¹ and f, fixed on the rod f³, to
which the two tappets gl and g are applied. By the working of these two
valves the injection water is expelled from below and above the piston a¹ alter-
nately into the condenser through the pipe . The following is the order of the
operation of this apparatus:-The arm c on the steam piston rod d having, on
the termination of the down stroke of such piston, pressed upon the tappets
d and g, and having thereby lowered all the valves so as to close the apertures
6¹ and e, and open the apertures e¹ and 62, the piston a', which works freely
through the arm c, is caused to rise by the pressure of the atmosphere, and
expel the water in the cylinder above it through the aperture e¹, and through
the hollow valves f¹ and f' and pipe e, into the condenser; after the above
operation the steam piston rises, which is the direction in which it is moving,
as shewn in Figure 2 by the arrow. On or near the termination of the upward
stroke the arm c on the steam piston rod will strike against the tappets d'
and g', and thereby reverse the situation of the valves in pipes b and c, closing
the apertures c¹ and b, and opening the apertures and e, whereby the in-
jection water underneath the piston a¹ will in its turn be forced through the
latter aperture 3 into the condenser by the pressure of the atmosphere on the
piston a¹.
Second, my improvements in boilers are shewn in the same plates, videlicet,
I. and 2, and the same Figures, videlicet, 1 and 2. Figure 1 is a horizontal
section of them, taken from a to a, through Figure 2. j is a boiler, which
contains three sets or systems of fire tubes or flues j, j, and 3, a part of the
latter projecting into the chimney K. Through these three sets of tubes the
flame or heated gases evolved by the combustion of fuel in the furnaces pass
successively in the direction shewn by the arrows, that is, first through the
tubes j', then through the tubes, and lastly through the tubes. In order
to cause the flame and heated gases to pass with sufficient velocity through
such systems of tubes a stronger draught through them than that produced
by a common chimney may be required. I therefore force or draw atmospheric
air through them in the manner and by the means hereafter to be described.
Third, my improvements in furnaces are shewn by Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4,
in Plate 4. Figure 1 is a vertical and longitudinal section of a stationary
boiler and furnace, taken through their centre, to which my improvements are
applied. Figure 2 is a longitudinal and horizontal section of the furnace, from

page_text: which the boiler is removed, being taken through Figure 1 from a 'to a.
Figure 3 is a cross section taken through Figure 1 from a¹ to a¹; and Figure 4
is also a cross section taken through Figure I. from all to a". A is the fur-
nace; B, the ash pit; and C is a plate at the end of the furnace, on which the
scoria and other incombustible matters are deposited; it moves on an axle, and
may be occasionally turned down so as to cause the matters deposited thereon
to fall down into the ash-pit. D, D, is a main flue at the sides and back of
the ash-pit, for the admission of atmospheric air into the furnace, and above
the fuel. E, E, are openings on each side of the ash-pit, for the entrance of
the air into such flues; and is one of two sliding doors to admit it, and to
regulate its entrance, and indeed to shut it off altogether when required.
h, h, are square fire-bricks, which lay over the flue, resting upon each side of
it; and i, i, are intermediate fire-bricks, of a somewhat triangular form, having
communications, with the main flue at j, j, to convey the air from it in jets
through the small apertures k, k; these two bricks may be made in one brick,
the triangular part joining to and projecting from the square part, and these I
prefer when they can be procured, as they make the furnace sides much more
firm and durable. G, G, is an air flue over the front of the furnace, being
connected with the main flue D, D; and 7, 1, are holes to introduce small jets
of air into and over the front of the furnace.
Fourth, my improvement in flues relates to the flues of particular sorts of
boilers or pans herein-before mentioned, and consists in the application of two
flues instead of one around them, the one causing the flame or heat from the
fire to circulate towards the chimney from the right to the left, and the
other, which is above it, causing them to circulate from the left to the
right.
Figures 1 and 2, Plate 5, shew a boiler of the above description; Figure 2
being a horizontal section of it, taken from y to y through Figure I., and
Figure I. being another section of it, taken from a to z, through Figure 2. A
is the fire-place, and B the ash-pit. a is the entrance at the back of the fire-
place to the uppermost flue a', a', viz, that which circulates from the right to
left, as shewn by the arrows, and terminates in the chimney b; and c is the
entrance to the lower flue c', c', which runs under flue a¹ from the left to the
right, and also terminates below it in the chimney.
Fifth, my improvement in consuming fuel, as applied to furnaces, already
described and shewn by Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4, Plate 4, will be explained by
the following description :-c, c, are fire bars, which are stationary, and d, d,
are others which are moveable in a backward and forward direction; there
are on all these bars inclined planes e, e, the raised ends of which are at right

page_text: angles with the upper surfaces of the bars; these inclined planes are at about
two inches distance from each other, and they are rather narrower than the
upper surface of the bars from which they project, this being for the purpose
of preventing as much as possible their breaking or grinding the fuel, or even
the scoria, on their passage from the back to the front of the furnace, for it is
desirable to prevent as, much as possible either small particles of fuel, or even
scoria, from dropping between the fire bars into the ash-pit, whereby a waste
. of the former would be caused, and the latter would be prevented from being
deposited on plate C, for the purpose of being occasionally removed therefrom.
On the front ends of the bars d, d, are cast, or affixed the forks b, b; within
these forks a revolving shaft f is placed, on which the excentrics 9 are fixed.;
by the revolving of this shaft the fire. bars d, d, d, are.moved backwards and
forwards, and their motions are simultaneous, the excentrics being fixed on the
shaft in a straight line; the bars may, however, be moved in any other. order
which may be preferred, by fixing the excentrics on the shaft in the proper
positions to effect the movements of the bars in the order required; for instance,
they may be placed so as to move half or any other number of them forward
while the others are moving backwards, or the excentrics may be so placed as
to move the bars alternately or otherwise; the best arrangement will in fact
depend upon the kind of fuel that is used, and whether it is small'or in large
pieces, and a little experience will shew: what is the best arrangement' of the
movements of the bars for each kind of fuel respectively. By means of this
apparatus it is evident that the fuel in the furnace will be moved progressively
forwards, i. e., from the front of the furnace to the back or bridge thereof, for
the vertical ends of the inclined planes of the moveable bars d, d, will, during
their forward motion, push the fuel forwards towards the furnace bridge, and
the vertical ends of the inclined planes on the stationary bars c, c, will prevent
it from being drawn backwards by the inclined planes of the moveable bars, for
such planes will slide underneath the fuel without moving it, except in a trifling
degree backwards. H is a hopper to contain the fuel for the supply of the
furnace; g¹ is one end of it. m is a plate, which forms its back, and n is
another plate, which is moveable on an axle, and between these two plates
there is a space through which a quantity of air passes into the furnace, which
enters through a number of apertures perforated in the upper side of the
plate n, and passes underneath the plate m; this current of air prevents the
two plates m and n from getting too hot, and it is considerably heated previously
to its entering into the furnace by passing between them. o is another plate,
which forms the front of the hopper; it moves on an axle, and may be lowered
so as to lie in a horizontal position, and range in a line with the fire bars, or
.

page_text: it may be placed in any other position, and moveable at pleasure, by means of
a ratchet wheel fixed on its axle, and a latch to drop into it, or this may be
done by any other suitable means.
Figures 7, 8, 9, and 10, are Drawings of a locomotive engine with my
machinery for supplying fuel to furnaces applied to it.
Figure 7 is a longitudinal vertical section taken through the middle of the
engine.
Figure 8 is a cross section of it taken through Figure 7 from a to a
Figure 9 is another cross section of it taken from a¹ to a¹; and Figure 10 is a
cross section of the furnace taken from a to a¹; the same letters are used
to denote the different parts of the feeding machinery of the locomotive engine.
as are used in describing it as applied to a stationary furnace, A being the
furnace; B the ash-pit; c, c, the fire bars, which are stationary, and d, d, those
which are moveable in a backward and forward direction; and e, e, being the
inclined planes for forwarding the fuel from the front to the back of the
furnace. b, b, are the forks; f, the revolving shaft; and g, one of the excentrics
for moving the fire bars d, d, backwards and forwards, as herein-before de-
scribed. Figure 11 shews another kind of fire bar for supplying furnaces with
fuel; it is round, with a projecting spiral upon it. 61, 61, are two of these bars,
with the spiral running from the left to the right; on the ends of each of these
bars a pinion is fixed, in which a worm d on the shaft f revolves; the teeth of
these worms and pinions are cut in opposite directions, so as to turn bars b', b',
to the right, and,6", 6", to the left, when the shaft f is put in motion, by which
means it is evident the spiral will cause the fuel to proceed on the flat bars
a, a, a, from the front to the back of the furnace.
Figures 12 and 18 shew a third kind of fire bar for supplying furnaces with
fuel; it is round and has inclined planes upon and all around it to effect the
same purposes as those already explained as performed by flat fire bars; the
inclined planes are here shewn as affixed to the whole lengths of the bars; but
there need only be inclined planes at the front ends of the bars, as shewn on
the flat bars in Figure I., provided the fuel contain much sulphurous, vitreous,
or other matters which adhere to the fire bars and cause them to require frequent
cleaning; a little experience will shew how many inclined planes should be
applied on the bars to work to the greatest advantage. The last-mentioned
description of round bars have not only the backward and forward motions of
the flat bars d, d, given to them, but they are at the same time turned round
(as is the case with the spiral bars), this circular movement being intended to
keep them from getting too much or unequally heated by the fire; the double
movement of the above-mentioned round bars will be obvious by inspecting

page_text: the Drawings, Figures 12, and 13; f being a revolving shaft fixed in a move-
able carriage h, with the excentric g upon it, causing the backward and forward
movements; and the worm i, which is also placed on shaft f working in
the pinions j, j, on the ends of the bars, gives them the circular motion at the
same time that they are moving backwards and forwards.
Sixth, my improvements in preventing smoke consist of the combination of
my improvements in furnaces and in consuming fuel.
Seventh, my first improvement in propelling vessels is shewn in Plates I., 2,
and 3; the parts of this apparatus which I shall first describe in order to
render the further description of this improvement more intelligible are the
two chambers p' and p² formed on the outside and bottom of a vessel, being
separated by a stop q between them; and each of them has a long narrow
aperture and, the first pointing towards the stern, and the latter toward
the head of the vessel; and the widths of these apertures may be adjusted so
as to admit and expel the streams of water into and out of chambers p' and p²
at such velocities as experience may point out to be the best; this is done by
moving the plates s' and s² by the rods t' and t². This method of propelling
consists in drawing water into one of the chambers p' and p², and forcing it
out of the other with great velocity against a column of water, the altitude of
which depends upon the depth which those chambers are below the surface of
the water in which the vessel is floating; it will be obvious, that when the
water is drawn into chamber p² through the aperture, which points towards
the head of the vessel, and forced out of chamber p' through the aperture r¹,
which points towards the stern, the vessel will be propelled in a forward
direction; and when the entrance of the water into and its exit out of the
chambers are reversed the vessel will be propelled astern.
I shall now proceed to describe the apparatus whereby the above operations
are performed. C is a steam engine cylinder with a piston working within it,
the rod whereof d is attached to the cross head D; there are two other
cylinders E, E, which are also furnished with pistons working within them,
the rods whereof k, k, are also attached to such cross head; the arrangement
of cylinders and the system of valves about to be described are intended to act
in the double capacity of a pneumatic and hydraulic apparatus, i. e., not only to
pass currents of water through the chambers above mentioned, but also to pass
currents of air through the furnaces and flues, and cause such currents of air
to perform operations which will hereafter be pointed out.
I shall now describe the other parts of the above pneumatic hydraulic appa-
ratus, and explain the manner in which it acts to effect the processes I have
mentioned. The steam cylinder C is provided with steam valves, which may

page_text: be of any convenient and well-known description; they are not shewn in the
Drawings, as they form no part of the present Invention. It is, however,
necessary to describe the system of valves applied to the cylinders E, E, and
explain how they act in passing streams or jets of water through the above-
mentioned chambers p¹ and p² and the manner in which their entrance and
exit are reversed; to change the direction in which the vessel is propelled, when
required, a box F is connected by pipes u, u, to the lower ends of both of the
cylinders E, E; on the sides of this box two cylinders G¹ and G² are attached;
the box is connected with the cylinder G¹ by an inlet pipe into it leading from
box F, furnished with a valve l', and an outlet pipe with a valve 12, and the
box F is connected with cylinder G by a similar inlet pipe with a valve m³,
and outlet pipe with valve m²; within cylinder G' is a hollow cylindrical slide
valve n¹, and within the other cylinder G2 is a similar valve n²; these cylin-
drical valves are for the purpose of passing streams of water into chamber p¹,
and out of chamber p², or in the reverse direction, viz, into p³, and out of p¹.
In the situations in which these cylindrical valves are shewn in the Drawings
the currents of water produced by the working of the pneumatic hydraulic
apparatus will be in the latter direction, videlicit, they will enter into
chamber p², and make their exit through chamber p'; for the current of water
will flow in the following direction; videlicet, first through chamber p² and
pipes o' and o; then through the apparatus in the following order, videlicit,
first through cylinder G², then through valve m², box F, valve b', cylinder G¹,
and then through the circular hollow valve n¹, and pipes o¹ and 0³, into
chamber p¹, from whence it will be forced through the passage into the
water in which the vessel is floating. When the hollow circular valves n³¹ and
n² are reversed, viz, when the former is raised and the latter is lowered, the
current of water will be reversed, for the apertures 6 and m² will be opened,
and the apertures b₁ and m³ will be closed, whereby it is evident that the water
will enter at the apertures ¹ into chamber p', and find its way through the
above-mentioned pipes, cylinders, and box to and through the chamber p² and
aperture into the water.
I will now proceed to describe the action of the above-mentioned apparatus,
so far as it operates in its pneumatic capacity. In this capacity it is intended
to pass currents of atmospheric air through the fires and fire flues, or tubes of
my improved furnaces and boilers; this is done in two ways, videlicit, first,
by the forcing of such air into closed ash-pits, and through the fires and fire
tubes, in the manner shewn in the Drawings; and, second, by drawing it
through them, (if I may so express myself,) which is effected by exhausting
or drawing away the gases resulting from the combustion of the fuel from the

page_text: upper ends of the third or last set of fire tubes, thereby producing in them a
partial vacuum. When the forcing process is adopted the air may be drawn
by the hydraulic pneumatic apparatus from the top of the engine room (by
which it will be ventilated) through pipe r, and forced through pipes s, 3, and
branch pipes t, t, into the closed ash-pits B, B, and through the fires, and from
thence the gases arising from the combustion of the fuel will be passed through
the fire tubes 1, 3, into the chimney K, from whence they may escape into
the atmosphere in the usual manner, or they may by shutting the damper m
be made to pass away through pipe n in a horizontal or any other direction,
and make their exit at any place that may be preferred. When this process
is adopted, and it is required to get access occasionally to the ash-pits to clean
them out, or for any other purpose, the currents of air should be stopped off from
them and turned into the chimney; for this purpose, there is a valve box v,
containing two valves ¹ and v², shewn by dotted lines, and when they are
placed in the situations here shewn, the air is forced into the ash-pit, and
through the fires and fire tubes in the manner above described; but when
valve is opened and valve 2 is closed the air will be forced into the
chimney through pipe w without passing into the ash-pit, furnace, or fire
tubes; but still an ample quantity of air will be drawn through them by the
current of air projected into the chimney, in which it causes a considerable
draught, so considerable indeed that it may be desirable in some cases to draw
the air through the furnaces altogether by this method, in preference to
forcing it through them, as herein-before described. But when the above-
mentioned method of creating currents of air through the furnaces and flues
by exhaustion is adopted, the ash-pits must be opened and the damper m must
be closed, and the pipe n, instead of conveying the gases away from the chimney,
must be connected with the inlet pipe r to the pneumatic hydraulic apparatus,
and the gases drawn in by it may be forced through pipe S into the water or
the atmosphere as may be preferred. The way in which the pneumatic
hydraulic apparatus acts in its former capacity is as follows: the air and gases,
as the case may be, are drawn into and expelled out of the cylinders E, E,
above the pistons, in same manner as is done with water below the pistons;
for this purpose, each of those cylinders has a valve box H. attached to and
communicating with it, which box is furnished with an inlet pipe r and an
inlet valve, and with an outlet pipes and an outlet valve s³. On the descent
of the pistons the air or gases, as above described, are drawn into the cylinders
through the pipes r, r, and the valves 23, 73, and on the ascent of the pistons
they are expelled through the valves s³, 83, and the pipes s, s, the air being sent
into the ash-pits or otherwise, and the gases into chambers, at the bottoms of

page_text: vessels similar to chambers p¹ and p², or such gases may be expelled in any
other convenient place.
I will now proceed to describe my second improvement in propelling vessels,
which consists in the use of vibrating planes, plates, or floats, which are fixed on
an axle or shaft, on which they vibrate backwards and forwards so as to
perform such an arc of a circle as experience may shew to be the best.. I find
that the plates vibrating to the extent of from forty-five degrees to sixty
degrees of a circle act very well; the operation of these plates or floats is, that
by vibrating on their axle from the right to the left, and vice versâ, alternately
they press against the water, and the water in its turn presses against them in
a direction forming an acute angle with the line in which the propeller is.
acting and in which the vessel is proceeding, which angle of pressure is calcu-
lated to propel such vessel in a powerful manner. Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5,
and 6, Plate 6, shew the various parts of my vibrating or universal propellers.
I call them universal propellers, because as already stated they will not only
propel the vessel ahead and astern, but sideways, and around. A, Figures 1
and 2, shew a vessel to which such propellers are applied. a¹ and a² are vibra-
ting planes, plates, or floats attached to the vertical shafts 61, 62, which are
placed at the two quarters of that vessel, and such shafts are supported by and
turn upon suitable bearings; and a³ and a are similar vibrating planes, being
attached to similar shafts 63 and 6, the same being placed at the bows of the
vessel. c, c, c, and c, are arms fixed on and projecting from the shafts above
mentioned; and these arms are respectively connected by the rods d', d², d³,
and d', to the cranks e, e; these cranks are fixed to the ends of the shaft f
which is driven by steam or any other suitable power; by this arrangement of
machinery the revolving of the cranks imparts a vibrating motion to the
planes or plates, whereby the vessel is propelled in any. required direction,
which will be effected by placing the inclined planes in the requisite positions.
When they are placed in the positions (being at one extreme of their vibration)
shewn in the Drawing, the vessel will be propelled ahead; and when they are
reversed, it will be propelled astern, and, in fact, each vibrating plane propels
in the direction of a line bisecting the arc in which it vibrates towards its
centre of vibration, from which it will be casily understood in what positions
the planes must be placed, not only to propel the vessel ahead or astern, but
sideways and around as if turning on a pivot. The methods of placing these
vibrating planes in their proper positions, and altering them at pleasure, are
shewn by Figures 3, 4, 5, and 6, Plate 6, which are drawn to a larger scale
than the other Figures. a is the head of the shaft of the vibrating propeller;

page_text: the upper part of this head is square. 6 is an arm by which it is moved; the
arm is formed with a horizontal recess or cavity c, c, in which a spur wheel d
is fixed, which acts as a ratchet wheel; this wheel has a square eye or hole in
its centre, whereby it is fixed on the square part of the head a of the shaft,
but the eye or hole of the arm is round, so as to allow it to turn round upon
the shaft. e', e², are two palls inserted in the hollow part of the arm, and they
act in opposite directions upon the teeth of the ratchet wheel d. f' is a cam
fixed on the spindle g, to which a handle h is applied; by turning this spindle
the cam may be made to act upon either of the palls so as to disengage either
of them from the ratchet wheel; when the cam is in the position shewn in the
Drawings both of the palls will be pressed upon the ratchet wheel by the
springs i, i, by which means the arm b will be firmly fixed upon the shaft of
the vibrating planes; when the position of the vibrating planes or plates arc
required to be altered, that is effected by disengaging one of the palls from off
the ratchet wheel by means of the cam f¹, according to the direction in which
the planes are required to be moved; for instance, if the vibrating plane be
required to be moved from the right to the left, the right-hand pall must
be displaced, and, vice versâ, if the plane be required to be moved from the left
to the right, the left-hand pall must be removed. k is a conical collar fitted
upon the square part of the shaft, and serving as a centre or bearing for the
upper eye of the arm. m is the pin, to which one end of the connecting rod
from the driving crank is attached; it is made spherical to allow of the devia-
tion of the rod from a direct line owing to the motion of the crank to which
the other end of the connecting rod is connected.
Having fully described the objects and nature of my Inventions, and the
apparatus and machinery for putting them into operation, I will now proceed
to state the extent of my claims.
First, I claim as my improvement in steam engines the measuring of the
injection water to them so as to supply a given quantity of it to condense a
given quantity of steam, whether the engines are working at a slow or a rapid
speed, and to arrest without manual labor the supply of such water altogether
when the engines are brought to a state of rest, and when of course no steam
is passing through them to require condensation.
Second, I claim as my improvements in boilers the application of more than
one length or set of fire tubes through which the flame or heated gases pro-
duced by the combustion of fuel shall successively pass until they have given
out their caloric or heat to a satisfactory extent to the water or other fluids by
which they are surrounded. And I claim in combination with the use of two

page_text: or more successive sets of fire tubes the means of causing by propulsion or
exhaustion the passage of a sufficient quantity of atmospheric air through the
furnace.
Third, I claim as my improvements in furnaces the use of intermediate
fire-bricks between the triangular bricks and jet holes extending across the
main air flues, as herein described, to protect the walls which divide the flue
from the furnace at each side and end thereof; and I claim the application of
jets of air over the front of the furnace in combination with the jets at the
sides and back of the furnace, these being improvements, as already stated,
in my patent apparatus of May the Ninth, One thousand eight hundred and
forty-two.
Fourth, I claim as my improvement in flues the application of two or more
flues around boilers, one flue above another, and circulating in contrary
directions from the fire to the chimney.
Fifth and sixth, I claim as my improvements in consuming fuel and pre-
venting smoke, first, the use of inclined planes or screws, or other suitable pro-
jections on fire bars, for effecting the operations of supplying furnaces with fuel
in an uniform and continuous manner, and for conveying away from them the
scoria and other incombustible matters, whether such bars revolve, or move
backwards and forwards, or both, or whether a part of them are stationary
while the others are in motion. Second, the method herein described of
passing atmospheric air into the furnace between the plato forming the front
thereof and the moveable plate at the back of the hopper for supplying fuel,
this stream of air being for the double purpose of keeping those plates cool,
and of heating such air for the consumption of the smoke and inflammable
gases previously to its entering into the furnace and sweeping over the fuel.
Third, I claim the application of moveable plates to form the front and back of
the hoppers for supplying fuel to furnaces, for the 'purpose of giving more easy
access to the furnaces than would be the case if those plates formed a part of
the hopper and were immoveable. Fourth, I claim the method herein
described of forcing air through furnaces, in combination with the method of
changing its direction and causing it to enter either into the ash-pit or chimney,
as required. Fifthly, I claim without such combination, the injection of air
into the chimney to produce currents of air through furnaces. Sixthly, I claim
the forcing of air into furnaces above the fuel as well as below it, by branches
from w, connected with a closed chamber around the furnace, and with jet
holes around them, similar to those shewn around the locomotive engine
furnace in Figures 7, 9, and 10, Plate 4.

page_text: Seventhly, my general claim, as far as relates to my first improved method of
propelling vessels, consists of the threefold combination of the projection of a
sufficient quantity of water, which is shewn by the relative size of the steam
and other cylinders herein described, at a sufficient velocity, videlicet, at about
five times the velocity that it is passed through the hydraulic pneumatic
cylinders, as stated hereafter, against a sufficiently high column of the water in
which the vessels float, to propel them with great speed and advantage. My
particular claims relating to the above-mentioned method of propelling vessels
consist, first, in the drawing in and forcing out of streams or jets of water
through chambers fixed at the bottoms or lowest parts of vessels, and at or
near the middle or centre of gravity thereof, as herein described, in order that
even when the vessel is violently pitching the column of water shall not be
reduced, as would be the case if the propelling water were drawn in and forced
out at the stem and stern of the vessel; such streams or jets of water being
passed at the rapidity and against a column of water of the altitude contem-
plated in my above-mentioned general claim, which I shall now more
particularly explain. The currents of water through the openings into the two
chambers should be at least equal in velocity to that of the periphery of a suit-
able paddle wheel, or, in other words, the water should pass into and out of
those openings into the chambers with at least five times the velocity that it
passes through the pneumatic hydraulic cylinders; the aggregate area therefore
of the inlet openings as well as that of the outlet openings should be equal to
only one fifth part of the united area of both those cylinders. My second
particular claim consists in the apparatus I have described for reversing the
direction of the streams of water for the purpose of propelling vessels by con-
verting the inlet openings into the outlet openings, and vice versâ, at pleasure,
as herein-before described. My third particular claim consists in the forcing
of air in some cases against columns of water through chambers similar to those
herein described. My fourth particular claim consists in the pneumatic
hydraulic apparatus which I have described, in which the same cylinders are
used for the double purpose of creating currents of air and currents of water,
and whereby any extraneous matters which may enter with the water does not
pass the piston, as such water passes through the cylinders below such pistons,
and thus injury to the cylinders by such extraneous matters is avoided.
My claims, as far as they relate to my second improved method of propelling,
consist, first, in the use of vertical planes vibrating in horizontal arcs for pro-
pelling vessels in any required direction, as herein-before described, and I claim
them, whether placed at the head, stern, midship, or other part of the vessel.

page_text: Second, I claim the method herein described of changing the position of the
vibrating planes for the purpose of altering the course of the vessel while the
engines are at work and without stopping them.
In witness whereof, I, the said Samuel Hall, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twentieth day of August, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and forty-five.