IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES AND IN PROPELLING VESSELS
Year: 1849

page_text: TO ALL. TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, WILLIAM
BUCKWELL, of the Artificial Granite Works, Battersea, in the County of Surrey,
Civil Engineer, and JOSEPH APSEY, of Blackfriars, in the same County,
Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Second day of November,
One thousand eight hundred and forty-nine, in the thirteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the
said William Buckwell and Joseph Apsey, our exors, admors, and assigns, Her
especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that we, the said
William Buckwell and Joseph Apsey, our exors, adñors, and assigns, and such
others as we, the said William Buckwell and Joseph Apsey, our exors,'
adiñiors, 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, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and
the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, our Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM
ENGINES AND IN PROPELLING VESSELS;" in which said Letters Patent is contained
a proviso that we, the said William Buckwell and Joseph Apsey, or one of us,
should cause a particular description of the nature of our said Invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed, by an instrument in writing
under our hands and seals, or under the hand and seal of one of us, 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, we, the said
William Buckwell and Joseph Apsey, do hereby declare that the nature of our
said Invention, and the manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully
described and ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, that is to
say:_
First, our Invention consists of a new construction of double cylinder steam
engines, effecting a saving in space heretofore required for like engines, and
an arrangement of such engines for obtaining uniform 'action in applying the
power to rotatory motion.
Secondly, our Invention consists of the application of a valve, with a channel
or channels therein, to the new construction of steam engines, by which we
effect the object heretofore attained by two or more valves, and the making
of one crank advantageously sufficient for the piston rods of one or more double
cylinders with the air, hot and cold water pumps, and improvements in the
connecting parallel motion gear for working of the pumps.
Thirdly, our Invention consists of improvements in steam engines, in 'the
saving of fuel by improvements in the construction and setting or fixing of
boilers, by which the surface to the action of heat used is increased, and the
quantity of metal in regard to like horse power of boiler heretofore used
diminished.
_
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Fourthly, our Invention consists of improvements in propelling vessels, in
the construction and application of propellers having the parts termed plyers,
or inclined planes or surfaces, projecting from or fixed to a cone. The plyers
or inclined surfaces being more or less a triangular, superfices from a conical
axis, or the axis of which may more or less form a cone, or be in section of the
hyperbola or parabola section of a cone, being generally of the form of the fin
or tail of a fish, with the inclined plane surface or plyer projecting from it
(parallel to a central axis), or more at the apex end of the cone. Secondly,
in regard to application or position, the arrangements of such propellers, by
which they may be made accessible for renewal, repairs, or inspection, and great a
velocity of direct action obtained.
In order that our Invention may be most fully understood and readily
carried into effect, we will proceed to describe the means pursued by us in
carrying out the first part of our Invention, and in doing so we will first
remark, that heretofore double cylinder engines have been placed (that is, the
two cylinders,) in a line with the crank shaft, and each cylinder worked by a
separate valve, thereby occupying in width that of the extreme diameter
of the two cylinders and appendages. We construct the engines so as to place
or fix the double cylinders transversely with the crank shaft, by which the
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page_text: space only in width of the diameter of the larger cylinder and its appendages is
occupied. In double cylinder vibrating engines we fix the gudgeons or axes
of bearing between the two cylinders, that is, transversely to the straight line
that would pass through the diameters of both cylinders, and we prefer and
recommend using the gudgeons as heretofore used for the induction and
exhaust steam channels. The piston rods of both cylinders are connected as
one rod, fixed or attached to the crank arm, and where a large amount
of power and rotatory motion is required, we prefer and recommend the using
of two or three double cylinders; in the latter case placed so that each of their
vertical axes form equal angles one with the other, and, in the former case, so
that their vertical axes form right angles, being adjusted to work in rotation
to obtain uniformity and great effective power, the treble power of the three
cylinders-only occupying the same space in width of one cylinder; the renew-
ing one or more of the cylinders, as well as lessening the amount of power by
placing one or more out of use, being attainable by this arrangement. For a
large amount of power, we prefer using two or more double or treble sets of
cylinders.
We will now describe the second part of our Invention. As the two piston
rods of a double cylinder work as one rod, we apply (and prefer on the induc-
tion pipe side of the two cylinders) one valve to the two cylinders, having a
channel or channels therein, so that on the port to the top of the smaller
cylinder being open, the channel in the valve connects or forms the communi-
cation from the bottom of the small cylinder to the top of the large cylinder,
and the bottom port of the large cylinder with the exhaust port, so that with
this one valve the steam is brought to act upon the top of both pistons, and by
shifting the valve the top port of the small cylinder is closed against ingress
of steam, and brought into communication by the channel in the valve with
the bottom port of the large cylinder, the port at the bottom of the small
cylinder being at the same time open to the ingress of steam, and the top port
of large cylinder open to the exhaust port. We prefer making the ports to the
small cylinder only one half the area of those to the large one. In using a long
slide valve, the steam may pass from the smaller cylinder to the larger by one
channel, and from the larger cylinder to the exhaust by another channel in the
slide valve; in this case the slide valve having two channels therein when
using only one port to the exhaust channel, but by using two ports to the
exhaust, close to induction ports, the long slide valve may be used with one
channel, the one valve to the two cylinders being used where heretofore
two have been required; the piston rods being joined together by the journal
connecting them to the crank arm pin, forming the parallel sides of a rectangle,

page_text: and on to the same one or more crank arms, one, two, or more pairs of piston
rods of double cylinders being connected by the journal or journals forming
the end to the rectangle, of which the piston rods form the sides. From an
extended crank pin, or from the side of a journal, the pump rod or rods may
be fixed, and a plunger air pump used, the parallel motion and connection of
other pumps being obtained as follows:-As the air pump to be connected
within a short distance of the crank shaft would not always admit of the oscil-
lating movement of the piston rod, crank, or a separate eccentric or other
crank, we make the piston rod of pump to fork or divide into two rods to work
outside of the pump barrel, and attach the fork end of the rod to the gudgeons
of a ring which is made to slide on the outside of the barrel of the pump, and
from this ring we attach the plunger rod of the air pump, and from the
gudgeons of the ring to which the working rod from crank is attached, or from
other gudgeons on the same ring, we attach the other pumps.. In using a
plunger air pump, and working the same from the crank arm or journal con-
necting cylinder piston rods, the cylinders being used inverted to work the
pumps beneath, we obtain the pressure of the atmosphere on the plunger, and
dispense with bucket plungers; or, from the connection before mentioned, we
work an oscillating plunger pump without obtaining the parallel motion herein
last described.
.
Prefering the use of high-pressure steam, we do so as in the third part of
our Invention, which we will now describe; our object is the safety and
economy of using it. By the following method of constructing boilers, and
setting or fixing them, a large quantity of steam at high pressure we have
generated with a saving of fuel. We will first remark, that boilers for
stationary engines have heretofore been made generally of large diameters,
exceeding four feet to a length of twenty or thirty feet; and cylindrical
boilers with bearings or brackets for supporting them, each boiler having a
furnace, and being encased partially or wholly by brickwork forming a flue
or flues. For stationary engines we prefer boilers of such a diameter that five-
sixteenths or three-eighths plate may be safely proved to three hundred pounds
cold pressure on the square inch, consequently under four feet diameter, and we
prefer and recommend as advantageous for them to be twelve times their
diameter in length, but other lengths may be used; and in place of one boiler
of the required horse power we use two boilers, and prefer them with one or
niore steam chest to each boiler. The weight of the two of greater strength
and equal power may be made less than the one; and instead of, as heretofore,
having brackets or bearings on cylindrical boilers, we support the boilers at or near
the line of centre of gravity on iron rests or fire lumps, using the boilers in couples.

page_text: The two will press against each other by placing the rests or fire lumps a little
wider apart than the sum of the two semi-diameters. To this width under the
two boilers we form the furnace (being one furnace to two boilers), and a
channel from the furnace bars to the other end of the two boilers, but recom-
mend this to diminish in height space by a slightly inclined ascent, the height
from furnace bars to underside of boiler being the same as heretofore adopted
to the single furnace to each boiler; the sides of the channel, as well as those
of the furnace, being about half the height of the space between the bottom of
the channel and the boilers. From these sides of channel we diminish the
space from them to the boiler water line gradually, that at the water line in
the boilers the brickwork will touch the boilers; the first fourth of the length
of the boilers, the space from sides of channel at furnace, being larger than
the second fourth, and the second larger than the third, and the third larger
than the last fourth or other portion of the length of the boilers. The boilers
being covered to the water line, a segment arch is to be carried over them, the
space between the boilers being left as an air chamber, or filled with any good
non-conductor of heat, as broken bricks or brick rubbish. By this means
nearly the entire surface of the boilers are fully developed in the heat from the
furnace; as it weakens in power its escape is resisted by decrease of space, and
that which ascends above the water line is retained in the air chamber or by
the non-conductor placed in that space under the arch and between the boilers.
To cause the heat to act diffusely over the largest surface, moveable bridges. of
cast-iron are introduced at distances of one-fourth or other length of boilers,
at which a diminution of space is constructed, each bridge leaving a less space
between its top and the under surface of boilers, and the egress into shaft, or
flue to shaft, having the least space. We prefer the bridges to be connected
together, so that they may be pulled out at the furnace, the furnace opening
being made of dimensions to admit of this. The above is by way of example;
but other means in detail may be used, by placing nearly the entire surface of
the boiler to the action of heat, involving our principle of developing the large
surface described, and using one furnace to two or more boilers, without flues,
brackets, or bearings. For marine engines and others, where the length of
boiler by which a large amount of surface is obtained in the stationary engine is
objectionable, we use and recommend as advantageous short cylindrical tubular
boilers, having their diameters the same as we prefer for stationary engines, the
furnace being in an internal cylinder or segment, the chord or base of which is
formed by the boiler cylinder. The furnace being thus kept close to the
bottom, or the bottom and external plate of boiler forming the bottom of
furnace, a larger amount of space is obtained for tubes. above the furnace,

page_text: giving a great increase of surface for the heat to act on by increasing the num-
ber of tubes without diminishing the steam space. The end opposite the furnace
we prefer to be made double, to contain water in communication with the
water in the boiler generally. The furnace fire will first act against the sides
towards the end, where it must return through the tubes to the chimney, or
exit at the furnace end.
Although the boiler last described, from being short and of small diameter,
diminishes the liability of the tubes being uncovered, and, from large surface
obtained for the heat to act on, steam is quickly generated, we prefer to
use for sea-going vessels and otherwise, where space is an object of import-
ance, an improved vertical boiler, by which the tubes in rough weather all
remain perfectly covered, and the quantity of fuel reduced very materially, and
which we will now describe; but will first remark that heretofore vertical
boilers have been more or less. deficient of steam room, and the tubes liable to
be uncovered, or have been imperfectly covered. We construct a short cylin-
drical boiler with a spherical end, which end we will call the top. Within this
boiler or part we place a flue or fire-box cylinder on one side, and join this
cylinder to the top and bottom tube plate, apertures being made therein to the
size of the cylinder; the bottom tube plate being firmly connected to the boiler
cylinder, the top tube plate being made about one inch smaller than the
boiler cylinder, and connected thereto by rivets, pins, or bolts passing through
ferrules, keeping it clear of the boiler cylinder. To this top tube plate we join
a dome, which may be hemispherical or half globe, from the top of this to the
spherical top of boiler, sufficient steam room being left above the covering
of the tube plate dome with water; the water being always above the tube plate
dome, the tubes must remain perfectly covered, and the rolling or pitching of
the vessel will not cause any part to be uncovered. In the side of boiler
towards which the fire box or flue is placed, the fire door is made at the height
of about one-third from top of tubes, leaving about two-thirds or one-half length
of tubes for depth of fire box, the fire box resembling a cupola furnace, the
heat first acting on sides of fire box or flue, and ascending against the dome
over top tube plate, and descending through tubes which, for a boiler four feet
diameter may be the same length, and on going through the bottom tube plate
the whole re-ascends on the outside of boiler within a case, which should be
about one inch clear, more or less, with a spherical end at the top, terminating
in the chimney, which may be by this boiler but a few feet above deck, sufficient
to obviate any discomfort to persons walking on the deck. By this improved
boiler we can increase the tubes in number or size, and obtain steam room of
much larger amount. In reference to space occupied by water and tubes, it

page_text: will be obvious that the dome, joined to the top tube plate, admits the ready
access to the top end of tubes by the workman entering from fire door up; the
fire box or flue and the lower end of tubes are accessible from ash-pit. We
use these boilers of a small diameter as before mentioned, and in numbers so
that, being distinct from each other, one or more may be repaired, inspected,
or renewed, without prejudice to the engines working, the vertical boilers being
placed side by side of each other, and the others also, or on top of each other,
or in any other suitable stowage way. In these boilers we prefer and recom-
mend the use of the fuel made under Letters Patent of one of us. :
The fourth part of our Invention consists of improvements in propelling
vessels. We use a cone, as before stated, and which we will call a conical pro-
peller. From the cone we project or fix to two or more inclined surfaces or
plyers of a pyramidal or triangular formn, to act against the water in the turn-
ing of the cone to which they are fixed. The width of the inclined surface or
plyer at the apex end of the cone should be such that its outer edge extend
to a line parallel to the vertical axis of the cone, but we prefer it to extend
beyond the parallel line at the apex and of the cone; at the other end it may
curve or diminisli in a straight line to or near the base of the cone. The two
or more surfaces may project beyond the apex end of the cone, or finish at the
end at right angles to the vertical axis of the 'cone' and the inclined surfaces
or plyers described; in winding round the cone we prefer the inclination or
direction to be less than the angle of forty-five degrees to a transverse line, and
the two or more inclined surfaces or plyers to wind on the cone so that at the
apex end the surfaces shall present in appearance only "the closed end of a
cylinder, the diameter of which we prefer to be double the diameter of the base
of the cone, and the length of the cone we prefer to be about or less than double
the diameter of its base. We use and prefer applying them' one on each side
of the keel, at the after part of the vessel, or more or less towards the sides of
the vessel, from the keel at the stern of the vessel, and we prefer them of only
or less than one half the diameter of screw propellers. We prefer the conical
propellers to be made of malleable iron, but they may be made of other metals
or of other materials...
..
Secondly, our improvements in propelling vessels, the application of sub-
merged propellers, which we will now describe. We prefer to project the base
end of the cone from a case, or from a part of the vessel carried or
constructed to run into the cone shape or containing the cone, into the lines
of the vessel, by which head resistance to the base of cone is avoided; and, if
desired, the case or part of vessel may be formed to admit the drawing into the
vessel the conical propeller, and a valve screwed down, closing the outer end of
the case, and the propeller' inspected, taken out, and repaired, or replaced

page_text: at sea, the case or part of vessel being constructed sufficiently large to take
apex end of propeller, when the surfaces or plyers wound round the cone are
of a form causing that to be the largest. The base of the cone may be flanged
to the size of the case, such flange being curved into the cone. We prefer the
conical propeller to be placed as deep in the water draught of the vessel as
practicable, to act against the water of greatest density; and for quick speed
we prefer the vessels in which the stern is very much depressed, having full
broad bows, the keel line at all times forming an incline up to the bows or
head, and the bilge from greatest breadth of beam, as though the vessel was,
in going forward, rising out of the water, and with full bows on meeting a
swell or wave; the stern to become more depressed, so as to give the propeller
or propellers greater depth of water to act against with that at the head or
bows decreased in depth; and we prefer the greatest breadth of beam to be
about one-fourth length from bows, and the breadth to diminish from thence to
stern with a flat curve. In applying the power from the engine to the pro-
peller we prefer the engines being placed so that the crank shaft and axes of
propellers are in the same line; and we prefer communicating motion to the
conical propellers from loose and fixed pulleys, so as to reverse or stop either
one or both without stopping engine; and by obtaining uniform power in a
rotatory motion from the use of the three double cylinders placed as before
described, we also obtain great velocity of direct action on the propeller; and
in using our improvements in steam engines to paddle wheels, we prefer the parts
termed float or float boards to be cylinders.
Having thus described the nature of our Invention, and the manner in which
the same is to be performed, we would have it understood we do not confine
ourselves to the details so long as the peculiar character of any part of our
Invention be retained. But what we claim is,-
First, a new construction of double cylinder engines, as herein described,
effecting a saving in space, and applying the power to a rotatory motion, as
herein also described.
Secondly, the constructing and applying of valves effecting the object herein
described, and the working on one crank the piston rods and connections of
pumps, as herein also described.
Thirdly, the construction, setting, and fixing of boilers, as herein described.
And, lastly, the propelling of vessels by the construction, application, and
arrangement of propellers herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Apsey, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Thirtieth day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty.
JOSEPH ADSTV
JOSEPH ADSLY

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Thirtieth day of April, in the
year of our Lord 1850, the aforesaid Joseph Apsey came before our said Lady
the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged 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.
Enrolled the Second day of May, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and fifty.