IMPROVE- MENTS IN STEAM ENGINES
Year: 1868

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by William Edward Gedge at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
5th March 1868.-A communication from abroad by Léon Cambier,
of Ath, Belgium, Manufacturer.
I, WILLIAM EDWARD GEDGE, of the Firm of John Gedge and Son, of
No. 11, Wellington Street, Strand, in the County of Middlesex, Patent
Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN STEAM ENGINES."-A communication to me from abroad by Léon
Cambier, of Ath, Belgium, Manufacturer, to be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is to return directly into the generator
the steam which has produced its effect in the cylinder, and this object
is attained in the following manner :-
Starting from the principle that under equal pressure the tendency
of a liquid contained in vessels communicating with each other is always
to have a same level, firstly, I place the machine above the generator;
secondly, I put one of the ends of the cylinder in communication with
the bottom part of the generator by means of a tube; this tube is pro-
vided at the end which plunges into the boiler with a valve permitting
the liquid from this tube to enter the generator, but not permitting the

page_text: liquid from the generator to enter into the tube, and at the other end
a little below the cylinder with a piston floating on the liquid to be
contained in the tube, but unable to descend lower than a collar or seat,
coming on to which it forms a valve and prevents the steam contained
in the cylinder from entering further into this tube; thirdly, I send the
steam issuing from the cylinder to condense in a worm surrounded with
cold water, the steam there liquefies and enters a tube joined to the tube
above mentioned. A valve permits the liquid from the worm to enter
into this tube, but does not permit liquid from this tube entering the
worm.
Now suppose the engine at work, the steam acting alternately, first
on one and then on the other side of the piston. At cach stroke of the
piston one of the sections of the cylinder is in communication with the
generator, and the other section in communication with the worm, now
there is at this moment an equilibrium of pressure on the liquid con-
tained in the tube placed beneath the cylinder and that contained in
the worm; this liquid therefore endeavours to place itself at one level,
and for this purpose the valve of the worm opening permits the liquid
to enter the tube placed under the cylinder, rising again together with
the floating piston when the level is established. Directly the steam is
reversed the inverse action takes place. The steam which has just acted
goes to be liquefied in the worm, and the compressed steam coming from
the boiler enters the other part of the cylinder; at this moment there is
an equilibrium of pressure on the liquid contained in the boiler and on
that contained in the tube placed under the cylinder, the liquid therefore
again seeking its level the valve placed in the boiler opens and permits
the passage of the liquid contained in the tube, which liquid however
does not lower to the level of that contained in the boiler, but only
descends until the floating piston comes on to its seat.
The two movements which I have above described are renewed at each
stroke of the piston.