AN IMPROVED METHOD OF CONDENSING THE STEAM IN STEAM ENGINES, AND SUPPLYING THEIR BOILERS WITH WATER THEREBY FORMED
Year: 1838

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JOB CUTLer,
of Lady Poole Lane, Sparkbrook, in the Parish of Aston, in the Borough of
Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Gentleman, and THOMAS GREGORY
HANCOCK, of Princep Street, in the Borough of Birmingham aforesaid,
Mechanist, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at Westminster,
the Twelfth day of July, in the second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her
heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the said Job Cutler and Thomas
Gregory Hancock, Her especial licence that we, the said Job Cutler and
Thomas Gregory Hancock, our exors, adiñors, and assigns, or such others
as we, the said Job Cutler and Thomas Gregory Hancock, our exors, admors,
and 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, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales,
and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, and also within all Her Majesty's
Colonies and Plantations abroad, our Invention of "AN IMPROVED METHOD OF
CONDENSING THE STEAM IN STEAM ENGINES, AND SUPPLYING THEIR BOILERS WITH
WATER THEREBY FORMED;" in which said Letters Patent there is contained a
proviso obliging us, the said Job Cutler and Thomas Gregory Hancock, by an

page_text: Instrument in writing under our hands and seals, particularly to describe and
ascertain the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, and to cause the same to be inrolled in Her Majesty's
High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same,
reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance-with-the said proviso, we, the said
Job Cutler and Thomas Gregory Hancock, do hereby declare that the nature
of our said Invention, and the manner in which the same is to be performed,
is described and ascertained by the Drawings hereunto annexed, and as
follows (that is to say):
-
Our said Invention consists in condensing the steam in steam engines as it
escapes
from the cylinder, by means of certain apparatus and machinery par-
ticularly described and explained by the Drawings hereto annexed and
hereby explained, and whereby the water of the steam so condensed is pre-
served and supplied to the boilers, as thereby explained and described.
A, Figure 1, is the steam cylinder; and B, Figures 1 and 2, is the eduction
pipe, which are similar to those of common condensing steam engines;
C, D, E, F, is a cistern, in which is placed the condensing apparatus G, H, I.
This cistern is kept full of water by a current of cold water, which may be
passed into it by means of a pump K, K, worked by the steam engine, which
may be in a convenient situation near the cistern. The water is intended to
run off from the surface through a pipe, parts of which are seen L', M.,
. When the engine is on board a vessel the cistern may be supplied from the
sea, and the water be returned to the sea, by means of pumps or other con-
venient, mode. The method by which the, water may be supplied or conveyed
away is immaterial, depending upon the circumstances and situation of the
engine. The quantity of water passing through, the cistern should be from
three to five gallons per minute per horse power; but should conveniences offer
a greater quantity may be useful, particularly, where the engine is large.. The
condensing apparatus should be immersed in the water. The eduction pipe B
is inserted into a box S, which may be of copper or other metal, into which is
fitted at a, a, a metallic plate, steam tight, and into which are fitted also
steam-tight copper tubes of about an inch in diameter, and about four. to each
horse power of the engine. These tubes are in a similar manner fitted into. a
plate at 6, 6, in a similar box to that described S, and through these tubes and
boxes the steam is conveyed by means of the pipes c; c, c, in the direction of the
arrows into the first condenser H. The number of tubes may be considerably

page_text: "
increased without injury to the apparatus, but these tubes are not designed to
condense the steam into water, but to lower the temperature, so that it may
more conveniently pass to and be condensed in the condensers. d, d, d, d, is an
external pipe through which that part of the pipe c, c, c, passes which is within
the condenser. The pipe d, d, d, d, is open at the top and closed at the bottom.
This pipe is not absolutely necessary, though by its means the condensation is
effected more quietly and regularly. f, f, and g, g, are two cylindrical vessels
fixed firmly to the external sides of the condenser by means of bars and
nuts
ts i, i, i, i; these form a passage for the steam in the direction of the arrows
into the water. They are separated from each other about two inches for an
engine of six-horse power, and will require very little increase for any larger
engine. The cylindrical vessel f, f, is closed at the top, and g, g, is also closed,
except where the pipe d, d, d,'d, passes through the top, where they are united
so as to be steam-tight; h, h, is a pipe and stopcock opening into the receptacle
within the cylindrical vessel g, g, for the purpose of allowing the escape of
any air which may accumulate there in a course of working. The pipe L
forms a passage for the water and steam accumulating in the first condenser
to pass into the second condenser, which is formed like the first. M is'a pump
intended to pump the water and gases from the condenser I, as they accuimu-
late there, and convey them through the pipe N, in the direction of the arrows,
into the receiver. k, k, is an external cylinder into which the pipe O opens, and
through which the water and gases are drawn by the pump M. The receiver P
is a cistern, and receives the water of condensation so conveyed by the pipe N.
In ordinary engines, working part of the twenty-four hours, it will be sufficiently
large if it can contain from one eighth to one tenth of the contents of the
boiler, but, where the working continues without intermission for several days,
it will be more convenient to contain one third of the contents of the boiler.
In long voyages it should be sufficiently large to supply the waste of water from
the stean escaping by the safety valve during the voyage, and should in such
case not contain less than the contents of the boiler; from this receiver the water
may be conveyed into the boiler by means of a force pump R, and the quantity
to be supplied to the boiler may be regulated by means of a float within the
boiler or a stopcock to the force pump in the usual method, or by any method
proper for that purpose. The receiver may have a man-hole at the top, through
which water may be supplied when necessary
t
:
0
The condensing apparatus, Fig, 2,, is taken on the scale of three quarters
of an inch to a foot, and will be well adapted to an engine of six-horse
power, working at twelve pounds to the inch.
Where the pressure is
greater the condensers should be larger in proportion, so that when the

page_text: It is better
pressure is fifty pounds to the inch the condensers should be large enough
to contain together one third of the contents of the boiler.
not materially to increase the height of the condenser with the increase of
size, but when the engine is large it may be convenient and desirable to
increase the number of condensers, each similar in construction, so that
altogether they shall be capable of containing the quantities proportioned to
the contents of the boiler, as herein-before mentioned, from the last of which
the water and gases will be abstracted by the pump, as herein-before described.
The condensers may be placed in such a situation, in relation to the engine, as
shall be according to the circumstances most convenient. When the engine is
used on board a vessel it will generally be better to be placed in a space under
the engine room. Where circumstances admit, it will also generally, in fixed
engines, be better beneath the engine. When the engine first commences
working the condensers must be opened at m, m, at the top, and when filled, as
after mentioned, they can be fastened down steam-tight. They must then be
filled with water to the opening of the pipes L and O respectively, when the
apertures must be both closed steam-tight. The receiver also must have the
quantity of water put into it according to the circumstances, as herein-before
mentioned; the steam engine will then keep the condensers and receiver
supplied. When the engine works for long periods without intermission, care
must be taken to keep a sufficiency of water in the receiver, as it will be
gradually lessened by the waste at the safety valve and other parts of the
engine. The depth of water in the receiver may be indicated by means of a
float communicating externally, or any other ordinary means; or it may be
ascertained and replenished at any time by means of the man-hole, without
stopping the engine.
We do not claim as our Invention the condensing the steam from the
cylinder by means of the external application of cold water to the condenser;
nor do we claim the manner by which the water is returned from the receiver
into the boiler. But we claim the whole combination as an improved method of
condensing the steam in steam engines, and supplying their boilers with water
thereby formed.
In witness whereof, we, the said Job Cutler and Thomas Gregory Han-
cock, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Twelfth day of
January, One thousand eight hundred and thirty-nine.
JOB (L.B.) CUTLER.
THOMAS GREGORY (L.S.) HANCOCK.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Twelfth day of January,
in the year of our Lord 1839, the aforesaid Job Cutler and Thomas Gregory
Hancock came before our said Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknow-
ledged the Specification aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained
and specified, in form above written. And also the Specification aforesaid
was stamped according to the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Inrolled the Twelfth day of January, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and thirty-nine.