IMPROVEMENTS IN WORKING STEERING, REFRIGERATING, DYNAMO-DRIVING, AND AUXILIARY ENGINES ON STEAMSHIPS
Year: 1884

page_text: I, JAMES WEIR, of 49 Jamaica Street, Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North
Britain, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my said invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN WORKING STEERING, REFRIGERATING, DYNAMO-DRIVING, AND
AUXILIARY ENGINES ON STEAMSHIPS" to be as follows:-
My said Invention has for its object to obtain increased economy in the cost and
working of steam motive-power apparatus on shipboard especially when steam of
high pressure is used in the main engines and is worked therein on the compound
system with two, three, or four stages of expansion.
In the case of large main engines it is already a common practice to employ
auxiliary engines for working the air pump and circulating and other pumps of the
main engines, but hitherto such auxiliary engines, whether compound or non-
compound, have been constructed and worked as distinct engines with separate
supplies of steam, whereby complication and extra cost of apparatus has been caused.
By my Invention the advantages of working on the compound system are rendered
available in the case of auxiliary engines forming part of the main engines, and also
in the cases of steering engines, mechanical refrigerating apparatus or cold-air
machines, and dynamo-electric machines or generators worked by steam, without
the extra cost of constructing such machines so as to independently work on that
system.
My Invention consists in working steam through one stage of expansion in the
auxiliary engines, in the steering engines, in the refrigerating machines, and in the
dynamo-electric machines, or in any one or more of such engines or machines, and
in working the same steam through one or more other stages of expansion, either
previously or subsequently, in the main engines. The engines other than the main
engines may be made of the simplest non-compound construction, and all that is
required for carrying out the Invention is a suitable system of pipe connections
and valves. In addition to the pipe connections and valves for controlling the
passage of the steam employed in the smaller engines when working also through
the main engines, there must be separate pipe connections and valves for working
the smaller engines by steam direct from the boiler (through reducing valves if
required) when any of such smaller engines has to be working at a time when the
main engines are not working.

page_text: My Invention may be carried out in various ways; thus, for example, when the
main engines are of the triple-expansion class with first and second receivers for
the steam between the first and second, and second and third stages of expansion
respectively the auxiliary or other smaller engine may be worked with high-pressuro
steam and exhausting into the first receiver, or with steam from the first receiver
and exhausting into the second receiver, or with steam from the second receiver and
exhausting into the condenser, the auxiliary or smaller engine being of course
suitably proportioned to work with the pressure of steam intended to be employed.
One incidental advantage of my improved arrangement is that in the cylinder or
cylinders of the auxiliary or other smaller engine the pressure may be maintained
to near the end of tlic stroke without loss of duty through incomplete expansion,
whilst such maintenance of the pressure is very desirable in all pumping or
compressing apparatus.
EDMUND HUNT,
Applicant's Agent.
'
I, JAMES WEIR, of 49 Jamaica Street, Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North
Britain, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my said invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN WORKING STEERING, REFRIGERATING, DYNAMO-DRIVING AND
AUXILIARY ENGINES, ON STEAMSHIPS 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 :-
J
"
My said Invention has for its object to obtain increased economy in the cost
and working of steam motive-power apparatus on shipboard especially when steam
of high pressure is used in the main engines and is worked therein on the
compound system with two, three, or more stages of expansion.
In the case of large main engines it is already a common, practice to employ
auxiliary engines for working the air pump and circulating and other pumps of the
main engines, but hitherto such auxiliary engines whether compound or non-
compound have been constructed and worked as distinct engines with separate
supplies of steam whereby complication and extra cost of apparatus has been
caused. By my Invention the advantages of working on the compound system
are rendered available in the case of auxiliary engines forming part of the main
engines, and also in the cases of steering engines, mechanical, refrigerating apparatus
or cold-air machines, and dynamo-electric machines or generators worked by steam,

page_text: without the extra cost of constructing such machines so as to independently work
on that system.
My Invention consists in working steam through one stage of expansion in the
auxiliary engines, in the steering engines, in the refrigerating machines, and in
the dynamo-electric machines, or in any one or more of such engines or machines,
and in working the same steam through one or more other stages of expansion,
either previously or subsequently, in the main engines. The engines other than the
main engines may be made of the simplest non-compound construction, and all that
is required for carrying out the Invention is a suitable system of pipe connections
and valves. In addition to the pipe connections and valves for controlling the
passage of the steam employed in the smaller ongines when working also through
the main engines, there must be separate pipe connections and valves for working
the smaller engines by steam direct from the boiler (through reducing valves if
required) when any of such smaller engines has to be worked at a time when the
main engines are not working..
My Invention may be carried out in various ways; thus for example, when the
main engines are of the triple-expansion class with first and second receivers for the
steam between the first and second, and second and third stages of expansion
respectively the auxiliary or other smaller engine may be worked with high-pressure
steam and exhausting into the first receiver, or with steam from the first receiver
and exhausting into the second receiver, or with steam from the second receiver and
exhausting into the condenser, the auxiliary or smaller engine being of course
Buitably proportioned to work with the pressure of steam intended to be employed.
One incidental advantage of my improved arrangement is that in the cylinder or
cylinders of the auxiliary or other smaller engine the pressure may be maintained
to near the end of the stroke without loss of duty through incomplete expansion,
whilst such maintenance of the pressure is very desirable in all pumping or
compressing apparatus.
My Invention is most advantageously applicable in working auxiliary engines
for driving circulating or other pumps in connection with main marine engines
operating on the compound system; and such an application of it is shown on two
accompanying sheets of explanatory drawings. Figure, 1, on sheet, 1, of the
drawings is an end clevation of the engines, and figure, 2, on sheet, 2, is a side
elevation. The same reference letters and numerals are used to mark the same or
like parts in both figures.
The main engines shown in the drawings are a set of inverted-cylinder
quadruple-expansion engines for driving the screw propeller, having four cylinders, A,
B, C, D, of graduated sizes arranged in two parts tandem fashion. The auxiliary
engine shown, is made with a single cylinder, E, and is arranged for driving the
circulating pump, F, working in connection with the condenser, G, of the main
engines this condenser being a surface condenser. The valve casing, 3, of the
auxiliary cylinder, E, is supplied with steam through a three-way cock, 4, to which
there is connected one branch pipe, 5, from the main steam pipe or from the boiler.
The three-way, 4, has also connected to it another pipe, 0, which communicates
with the main engines. In a similar way the exhaust from the valve casing, 3,
proceeds through a three-way cock, 7, from which one pipe, 8, leads to the
condenser, G, whilst another pipe, 9, communicates with the main engines. The
two pipes, 6, and, 9, are connected to three three-way cocks, 10, 11, 12, from which
short pipes, 13, 14, 15, proceed to the passages ab, bc, and cd, by which the steam
proceeds from one cylinder to the other, and which form parts of the intermediate
receivers between the cylinders. With these arrangements the auxiliary engine
can be worked with steam direct from the boiler such steam exhausting from the
cylinder, E, into the first intermediate passage or receiver, ab; or it can be worked
by steam from the passage a b, and exhausting into the passage, be; or by steam
from the passage, bc, and exhausting into the passage, cd; or from this last and
exhausting into the condenser. In practice the steam used for working the
auxiliary cylinder will be taken from the boiler or from one or other of the

page_text: intermediate passages or receivers of the main engines according to the power
required in different circumstances; and when a greater difference of pressure is
needed than there is between the steam used and that of the next lower
intermediate receiver, the steam may be exhausted from the auxiliary cylinder, Ę,
into a still lower receiver or into the condenser, G. In many cases the connections
will, in practice, be made so as to admit of only one or some of the ways of working
the auxiliary cylinder, E, instead of all the ways being provided for as in the
engines shown in the accompanying drawings, and herein before described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
1-The working of auxiliary engines on steamships by steam which also works
in compound main engines, such steam operating in the auxiliary engines either
before operating through a lower stage of expansion in the main engines or after
operating through a higher stage of expansion in the main engines, suitable
connecting pipes and valves being provided for the purpose substantially as herein-
before described.
2-The working of refrigerating engines on steamships by steam which also
works in compound main engines, such steam operating in the auxiliary engines
either before operating through a lower stage of expansion in the main engines
or after operating through a higher stage of expansion in the main engines,
suitable connecting pipes and valves being provided for the purpose substantially
as hereinbefore described.
3-The working of steering or dynamo-driving engines on steamships by steam
which also works in compound main engines, such steam operating in the auxiliary
engines either before operating through a lower stage of expansion in the main
engines or after operating through a higher stage of expansion in the main engines
suitable connecting pipes and valves being provided for the purpose substantially
as hereinbefore described.
Dated this twanty ninth dow of M... 100%
EDMUND HUNT,
Applicant's Agent.