IMPROVEMENTS IN LOCOMOTIVE STEAM ENGINES
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Léon Isidore Molinos, Civil Engineer, and Charles
Pronnier, Civil Engineer, both of Paris, in the Empire of France, for
the invention
ΟΙ
IMPROVEMENTS IN LOCOMOTIVE STEAM ENGINES.
Sealed the 20th October 1854, and dated the 31st May 1854.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Léon Isidore Molinos
and Charles Pronnier at the Office of, the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 31st May 1854.
We LEON ISIDORE MOLINOS, Civil Engineer, and CHARLES PRONNIER, Civil
Engineer, both of Paris, in the Empire of France, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN LOCOMOTIVE STEAM ENGINES"
to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to the construction of locomotive engines, and consists
in the application of certain means for effecting the combustion of smoke
derived from the use of coal in the fire box or chamber of such engines. The
fire box is provided with a hollow bridge, which stands up from the inner end
of the fire bars to near the top of the box, and is intended to turn the flame
upwards, and cause it to meet a stream of air which enters the fire box through
pipes which pass through the boiler. By thus bringing a stream of air to act
upon the flame and heated gases, all smoke that comes over therewith will be
consumed before the flame reaches the tubular flues of the boiler. It is pro-
posed to raise the top of the fire box above the level of the cylindrical portion
of the boiler, and to place the steam chamber above the fire box. The outer

page_text: ends of the air tubes are commanded by valves, which may be opened or closed
by the engineer to let on or cut off the supply of air to the flame as required
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Leon Isidore Molinos and Charles Pronnier in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 30th November 1854...
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, LEON
ISIDORE MOLINOS, Civil Engineer, and CHARLES PRONNIER, Civil Engineer,
both of Paris, in the Empire of France, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirty-first day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the seventeenth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto us, the said Leon Isidore Molinos and Charles Pronnier, Her special
license that we, the said Leon Isidore Molinos and Charles Pronnier, our
exccutors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said Leon
Isidore Molinos and Charles Pronnier, our 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 Tuvention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN LOCOMOTIVE STEAM ENGINES," upon the condition (amongst
others) that we, the said Leon Isidore Molinos and Charles Pronnier, by an
instrument in writing under our hands and seals, or under the hand and seal
of one of us, 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
Lext and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Leon Isidore Molinos and Charles
Pronnier, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement, reference being had to the Drawings
hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is
to say):-
This Invention relates to certain improvements in the construction of the
boiler and furnace of locomotive engines, the main object being, first, to
permit of coal being used in the furnace as a fuel, by providing proper means

page_text: for effecting the combustion of the smoke generated by the combustion of the
coal; and, secondly, to increase the amount of heating surface of the boiler.
In carrying out our improvements, we provide the fire box with a hollow bridge,
which stands up from the inner end of the fire bars to near the top of the box,
and is intended to turn the flame upwards, and cause it to meet a stream of air
which enters the fire box through pipes which pass through the hoiler. By
thus bringing a stream of air to act upon the flame and heated gases, all smoke
that comes over therewith will be consumed before the flame reaches the
tubular flues of the boiler. We also propose to raise the top of the fire box
above the level of the cylindrical portion of the boiler, and to place the steam
chamber above the fire box, by which means we are enabled to increase the
number of tubular flues in the boiler.
In the accompanying Drawings, Fig. 1 represents a longitudinal vertical
section, and Fig. 2 a compound transverse vertical section (taken through the
lines 1, 2, and 3, 4, of Fig. 1,) of so much of a locomotive engine as will serve
to explain our improvements. We have not thought it necessary to shew the
other parts, as they are constructed in the ordinary manner, and our improve-
ments refer solely to those parts which relate to the generation of steam.
A are the fire bars, beyond which stands up from the bottom of the fire box
a hollow fire bridge B, for the purpose of diverting the course of the flame and
heated gases of the furnace, and causing them to meet and mingle with a stream
or streams of atmospheric air forced or drawn into the upper part of the
furnace. This hollow bridge is in free communication with the water spaces
of the sides of the fire box, and therefore forms part of the heating surface of
the boiler. C is the cylindrical body of the boiler of the locomotive, which
in order to obtain an increased heating surface, we fill with tubular flues,
reserving no space in the cylindrical part of the boiler as a chamber for the
steam.
The level of the water, which in ordinary locomotive boilers is below the
upper tubular flue, is in our arrangement raised above the cylindrical body of
the locomotive, in order that the steam chamber C, which forms a continuation
of the boiler, and is set above the fire box, as before mentioned, may have a
protecting water surface. D, D, D, are a series of pipes, through which air is
caused to pass to meet the gases of combustion and flame coming over the fire
bridge B. The supply of air admitted by these pipes is regulated by means of
valves E, connected to and worked by a rod F, within reach of the engine
driver. This air may pass into the fire box direct from the atmosphere, as
indicated in the Drawing; or, before being admitted it may be heated, if
thought desirable. G is a pipe (surrounded by a casing) for conducting the

page_text: steam from the steam chamber C to the cylinders. H is the steam regulator
box or casing.
By this improved arrangement of parts we are enabled to consume the smoke
generated in the furnace, and also greatly to increase the heating surface in the
fire box. An incidental advantage of our arrangement is, that it allows of
the centre of gravity being situated at a very low point, and permits of the
employment of wheels of large diameter; and, lastly, the working of the engine
is thereby greatly facilitated.
Our improved arrangement is intended to be applied to the three kinds of
engines known, viz, firstly, passenger locomotives, the general arrangement of
which is represented in the Drawings; secondly, goods' engines; and, thirdly,
mixed locomotive engines, (that is to say, locomotive engines adapted to both
these purposes.) As this improved arrangement provides for the combustion
of smoke, it will be found especially adapted to engines in which coal, wood,
or fuel of inferior quality is consumed; but it will be obvious that coke may
also be used in connection therewith, if thought desirable.
Having now set forth the nature of our Improvements in Locomotive Steam
Engines, and explained the manner of carrying the same into effect, we wish it
to be understood that under the above in part recited Letters Patent we
claim,
Firstly, the arrangement of fire box, as described and shewn in the Drawing,
whereby the flame and gases of combustion in passing to the tubular flues are
caused to mingle with a stream or streams of hot or cold air moving in a
direction contrary to that of the products of combustion, which air may either
be allowed to flow freely or may be forcibly injected into the. fire box.
And, secondly, we claim the means herein shewn and described for enlarging
the heating surface of locomotive engine boilers.
In witness whereof, we, the said Leon Isidore Molinos and Charles
Pronnier, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Twenty-sixth day
of November, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred
and fifty-four.
Witness,
A. PERPIGNA,
46, R/ Ste Anne, Paris.
L. I. MOLINOS. (L.S.)
CH. PRONNIER. (L.S.)