CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN OBTAINING AND APPLYING MOTIVE POWER
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Featherstone Griffin, of No. 19, Great
George Street, Westminster, in the County of Middlesex, Civil
Engineer, for the Invention of “CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN OBTAINING
AND APPLYING MOTIVE POWER."
Sealed the 12th December 1871, and dated the 4th July 1871.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Featherstone
Griffin at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 4th July 1871.
I, GEORGE FEATHERSTONE GRIFFIN, of No. 19, Great George Street,
Westminster, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS
IN OBTAINING AND APPLYING MOTIVE POWER," to be as follows :—
The object of this Invention is to obtain with facility and economy
motive power for locomotives; marine engines, street carriages, and
engines of almost all kinds. This is accomplished by conducting steam
through a pipe or pipes into and through a tight cylinder. Through
this cylinder and exactly to fit it passes a grooved, chambered, recessed,

page_text: The
spiral, or screw shaft, with one or more grooves, chambers, recesses,
spirals, or screws, and of one or more different diameters of shaft.
steam forced through and over the grooves, chambers, recesses, spirals,
or screws presses upon them with its full force, they being made and
placed in such a position as to receive its maximum strength. It is
led or conducted by the grooves, chambers, recesses, spirals, or screws
round the shaft with velocity regulated by the supply of steam (both
at the inlet or outlet or inlets and outlets) until it is allowed to escape
at a different point, and at a distance from where it enters.
A stream of water forced through the cylinder and over the grooved,
chambered, recessed, spiral, or screw shaft, as in an ordinary turbine,
will allow of great motive power being obtained, when applied to
locomotives, marine and other engines, for working which such power
has never been applied.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said George Featherstone Griffin in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 4th January 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
FEATHERSTONE GRIFFIN, of No. 19, Great George Street, Westminster,
in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of July, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the thirty-
fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said George Featherstone Griffin, Her 1
special licence that I, the said George Featherstone Griffin, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said George
Featherstone Griffin, 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 "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN OBTAINING AND
APPLYING MOTIVE POWER," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said George Featherstone Griffin, my executors or administrators,

page_text: 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 George Featherstone Griffin, do
hereby declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-
-
The object of my Invention is to obtain motive power by a simpler
and more economical method than at present. I accomplish this by
conducting steam from a boiler, round, through, over, and upon the
periphery, or near to the periphery of a grooved, chambered, recessed,
spiral, or screw shaft, drum, or wheel made of any suitable metal or
material, and of one or more diameters, with one or more grooves,
chambers, recesses, spirals, or screws, which may or may not be
contracted in size between the inlet or outlet, or inlets and outlets of the
steam. Such grooves, chambers, recesses, spirals, or screws are cast, or
cased in, or wrought, or fastened upon such shafts, drums, or wheels
enclosed in a steam-tight cylinder. I direct the course of the steam
in its passage, round, through, over, and upon the shafts, drums, or
wheels in a helix, or partially in a helix of an uniform or of an
expanding or contracting pitch, or by an oblique conduit on or near
to the periphery of the shaft, drum, or wheel into and through the
grooves, chambers, recesses, spirals, or screws. The pressure of such
steam thus led round, through, over, and upon the periphery or near
to the periphery of the shafts, drums, or wheels causes them, or either
of them, to revolve with great force and velocity, and also to impart
such revolving force to smaller shafting connected with the larger shafts,
drums, or wheels, and which smaller shafting passes through the covers
or ends of the outside cylinder.
I make the grooves, chambers, recesses, spirals, or screws of such
varying size, and length in proportion to the pressure of steam that
whilst the steam travels round, through, over, or upon them, or one of
them, from or near to one end of the shafts, drums, or wheels, to or
near to the other end, or from or near to the centre, to, or near to the
end or ends, where it escapes through an exhaust outlet or outlets, as

page_text: much strength as is possible is drawn out of it, and made to expend
itself thereon in its passage.
To economise steam it is necessary that its supply from the boiler
should be intermittent or at short intervals cut off or wiped out, I there-
fore cause the shafts, drums, or wheels to make whole or partial
revolutions before the steam can enter the grooves, chambers, recesses,
spirals, or screws, and to insure this I make them of a larger diameter,
or with a longer or shorter lead to the entrance to them as may be
found desirable, an additional inlet or inlets of steam may be used, or
a groove covered by a perforated plate or plates let in flush upon the
periphery of the shafts, drums, or wheels may be a convenient mode of
accomplishing this.
As it is of the utmost importance that the steam should travel only
in the direction required in the grooves, chambers, recesses, spirals, or
screws upon the shafts, drums, or wheels until it arrives at the exhaust
outlet or outlets, I pack the shafts, drums, or wheels with the ordinary
or other piston packing or a spiral metallic packing, or use any known
means by which the steam may be prevented from passing in any other
than the desired direction.
It is well known that when once in motion only a little steam or force
is required to keep a shaft, drum, or wheel revolving with great velocity
and power when pressure is applied at or near to the periphery of such
shaft, drum, or wheel, and that the power is multiplied in proportion to
the diameter of such shaft, drum, or wheel and the force applied to it.
As however what I call the "working inlet" of steam might in some
cases meet with a dead point, and thus be prevented from rushing
round, through, over, or upon the grooves, chambers, recesses, spirals,
or screws upon the shafts, drums, or wheels it is desirable and may be in
some cases necessary that the shafts, drums, or wheels should make one
or more revolutions before the machine gets fairly in to work. To insure
this I in some cases have a reserve force of steam perfectly independent
of the "working inlet" and which I introduce by what I call the
starting inlet," this current of steam may be of greater diameter and
power than that entering by the working inlet; it acts directly upon
the periphery or near to the periphery of a distinct part of the shafts,
drums, or wheels, and allows such reserve force of steam to rush into
and round or partially round and through certain other chambers or
recesses cast or wrought upon the shafts, drums, or wheels until it
<<

page_text: "
escapes at the same, or in some cases at another and distinct outlet
from that of the " working outlet." When the engine is once in
motion it is desirable that the steam entering by the "starting inlet"
should be turned off and be only used when increased speed is desired,
for if constantly turned on it would probably exhaust too much steam.
The inertia having thus been overcome the motion would then be
kept up by a comparatively slight pressure of steam entering the
"working inlet," and rushing round, through, over, or upon the grooves,
chambers, recesses, spirals, or screws, and in some cases continuing
its course through "the certain other chambers or recesses above
mentioned, which are acted upon by the starting inlet until it arrives
at the exhaust outlet or outlets. Comparatively little injurious friction
is occasioned, and this only upon ordinary engine packing or upon
metal bushes or rings easily renewable, and which engine packings,
metal bushes, or rings are fitted into the ends or centre or about the
centre of the outside cylinder and between it and the shafts, drums,
or wheels so as to allow of the shafts, drums, or wheels turning easily
within it. Through the outside cylinder holes may be made to allow
of such portions of the shafts, drums, or wheels as are in contact with
the engine packing, metal bushes, or rings, being properly lubricated,
whilst steam-tight grease cocks prevent any leakage of steam. The oil
or grease employed to lubricate the engine can moreover be efficiently
mixed with the steam to render it oily or greasy and its use not destruc-
tive to the material with which it is in contact.
An engine having the proper working and starting inlets at cach
end or in the centre of the outsido cylinder with their respective
exhaust outlet or outlets and the requisite return grooves, chambers,
recesses, spirals, or screws upon the shafts, drums, or wheels will work
with cither a backward or forward motion, whilst if made with the
grooves, chambers, recesses, spirals, or screws so to lead the steam it
may be made to work one way only. In some cases it may be desirable
to use one or more of my engines on the same shafting or axle.
Between the power thus applied and the work to be done, I in some
cases interpose well known mechanical contrivances, such as the crank
and fly wheel, governor, throttle valve, exhaust chamber, and frictional
and cog gearing.
I in some cases cut off the supply of steam at such points as I desire

page_text: is by this revolution open to the working inlet C, and while the lead
plate on the shaft, drum, or wheel is passing receives through it a charge
of steam which rushes round the spiral B until it escapes at the spiral
outlet G into the recesses E, and continuing its course escapes at the
exhaust outlet H. The packing L prevents the steam escaping in any
other direction than by the exhaust outlet H.
To reverse the motion, starting the machine from left to right, the
steam will be introduced by the starting inlet F, and the motion main-
tained by the steam entering the working inlet C¹.
Having now described and ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is or may be performed, I would
have it understood that I do not confine myself to the precise details
herein mentioned, as these must necessarily vary to suit the require-
ments of particular cases. The sizes of shafts, drums, or wheels, their
different diameters at different parts, the sizes, positions, and shapes of
grooves, chambers, recesses, spirals, or screws, as well as the chambers
and recesses for "starting" inlet or inlets, the number and position of
steam inlets and exhaust outlets, and the form of and position of
packing and lead or leads for steam, must all depend upon such
circumstances as the nature of the work to be done by the engine and
the facilities afforded by its position will best admit of, and that I claim
as secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent,
the method of imparting motive power to engines, machinery, and
carriages of all kinds by means of steam conducted in steam-tight
grooves, chambers, recesses, spirals, or screws round shafts, drums, or
wheels in the path of a helix, or partially in the path of a helix, or
through an oblique conduit of a uniform or of an expanded or contracted
pitch, substantially as is licrein set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Featherstone Griffin, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Third day of January, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
two.