An Improved Method for Condensing Steam in Tram Car Engines and Locomotives.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Aug., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 27th June, 1889-Accepted, 3rd Aug., 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Method for Condensing Steam in Tram Car Engines
and Locomotives.
I EUSTACE FITZMAURICE PIERS of St. George's Iron Works Hulme Manchester
Mechanical Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention has for its object the condensing of the steam in Tramcar Engines, and
Locomotives where the escape of such steam is objectionable.
This I do by combining with the Tramcar Engine, or Locomotive, an Engine
worked by compressed air, and I condense the exhaust steam, by means of the cold
generated by the expansion of the compressed air after doing its work in the Air
Engine.
I pass the exhaust air, or the exhaust air and water combined, through a steam
surface condenser, thus condensing the steam, and also obtaining in the Steam
Cylinder the additional pressure due to vacuum.
A suitable method of combining the Air and Steam Engine, would be to affix the
former on to the latter and prolong and produce the piston rod of the Steam Cylinder,
into the Air Cylinder terminating it in the Air Engine piston.
IS A 1000
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Method for Condensing Steam in Tram Car Engines
and Locomotives.
1, EUSTACE FITZMAURICE PIERS of St. George's Iron Works Hulme Manchester
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this Invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement :-
My Invention has for its object the condensing of the steam in Tram car enginos
and Locomotives where the escape of exhaust steam is objectionable.
According to my said Invention I employ compressed air the expansion of which
generates cold which I employ to cool the surface condenser directly or to cool water
to be used in the surface condenser. For instance I combine with the steam engine
of the Tram car or Locomotive an engine worked by compressed air and I condense
the exhaust steam from the steam engine by means of the cold generated by the
expansion of the compressed air after or whilst doing its work in the air engine. I
pass the exhaust air, or the exhaust air and water combined through a surface steam
condenser thus condensing the steam and also obtaining in the steam cylinder or
cylinders the additional pressure due to vacuum.
A suitable method of combining the air and steam engine is to affix the air
engine cylinder onto the end of the steam engine cylinder and prolong the piston rod
of the steam engine cylinder into the air engine cylinder constituting the said rod
also the piston rod of the air engine cylinder.
I may dispense with the air engine cylinder and admit the air so that it expands
directly into the surface condenser or into water to be used in the surface condenser.
And in order that my Invention may be clearly understood, I will describe with
reference to the accompanying drawing an arrangement according to thereto premising
that I do not restrict myself to the particular construction and arrangement of the
parts described and illustrated as variations may be made therein without departing
from the nature of my Invention.

page_text: The valves and other working parts are omitted from the drawing as they may be
of ordinary or any suitable kind.
C
A, represents the steam cylinder the piston rod a of which is connected by a rod b
to a crank on one of the axles c of the vehicle. B is a compressed air cylinder, the
piston of which is carried on an extension d of the piston rod a of the steam cylinder A.
but it may be arranged to act on a separate crank on the axle c if desired. (is
the condenser containing pipes or passages on one side of which the exhaust steam
is passed and on the other side of which the cooling medium is passed.
.
The compressed air reservoir is not shewn in the drawing but it may be situated
in any suitable part of the vehicle. The valves for the admission and exhaust of the
air to and from the cylinder B are also not shewn in the drawing as they may be
arranged in any usual or suitable way.
Steam from the boiler enters the steam chest or valve box a' of the steam cylinder A.
by the pipe and after acting on the piston in the said steam cylinder exhausts into
a pipo g by which it is conducted into the condenser C.
Compressed air from the compressed air reservoir is conducted into the valve box
of the compressed air cylinder B by the pipe h and after acting on the piston of
the said cylinder B passes therefrom by the pipe i into the condenser in which it
expands and thereby produces cold which will effect the condensation of the steam
which has entered the condenser from the cylinder A.
The air from the cylinder B before it enters the condenser C may be caused to
pass through a vessel containing water to cool the said water and carry cooled water
with it into the Condenser.
Instead of conducting the compressed air from the compressed air reservoir into
a compressed air working cylinder as herein before described the said air may be
conducted into a water tank to be used by expanding to cool water for the condenser
or it may be conducted directly into the condenser C to expand therein the inlet
being controlled as desired by operating a valve at the required times from any
convenient moving part of the engine but by means of the compressed air cylinder B
the propulsion of the vehicle is not only facilitated by the direct action of the
compressed air in the cylinder B but by the increased pressure due to
produced thereby in the cylinder A. The water of condensation passes off from the
condenser by the orifice K and may be passed back and used again for supply to
the condenser. The condensing medium is discharged by the pipe and if water
has been used as such medium that may be passed back and used again in the
condenser.
vacuum
The drawing illustrates a suitable mode of combining the cylinders A and B but
they may be arranged side by side or in any other desired manner. *¹ is an inlet
for the attachment of a pipe controlled by a suitable cock by which air or water or
both may be introduced into the condenser C as desired. The cooling effect of the
air expanding in the air engine cylinder may be utilized in condensing or partly
condensing the exhaust steam by passing the said exhaust steam through a space
surrounding or in proximity to the air cylinder.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said Inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The condensing of exhaust steam from Tram car engines or Locomotive engines
by means of cold produced by the expansion of compressed air substantially as
hereinbefore described.
2. In Tram car engines or Locomotive engines the combination of a steam
Engine and Condenser and compressed air reservoir communicating therewith
substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore described.
3. In Tram car engines or Locomotive engines the combination with the steam
Engine of an Engine worked by compressed air and a condenser for receiving the
exhaust from both engines substantially in the manner and for the purpose herein before
described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

page_text: 4. In Tram car engines or Locomotive engines the combination of a steam engine
and condenser and compressed air engine or compressed air reservoir and a water
vessel into which the air from the air engine or reservoir is expanded to cool such
water for use in the condenser substantially as herein before described.
5. The arrangement and combination of parts herein before described and illustrated
in the accompanying drawings for the purpose described.
Dated this 26th day of June 1889
J. H. JOHNSON & Co.,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, W.C., Agents.