Iм- PROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Becket Johnson, of Manchester, in the
County of Lancaster, Consulting Engineer, for the Invention of "Iм-
PROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES."
Sealed the 15th August 1862, and dated the 22nd February 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Becket Johnson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
22nd February 1862.
I, WILLIAM BECKET JOHNSON, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster,
Consulting Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES," to be as follows:-
My improvements relate particularly to those engines commonly called
horizontal, but are also applicable to those of other construction, and consist,
firstly, in placing the air pump at an angle to the cylinder, and in working it
by direct action from the piston rod or cross head.
Secondly, in a peculiar arrangement of air pump, foot and delivery valves.
The air pump I employ is of the plunger construction, and I cause the
plunger to pass beyond the end of the barrel thereof. The foot valve is
placed at one end, and when open, its lid or moving part occupies a space
which the plunger has left. The delivery valve is at right angles to the foot
valve, and is opposite a space which the plunger occupies when at one end of

page_text: its stroke. In the plunger I place a valve which opens for the escape of air.
In constructing foot and delivery valves I use india-rubber in such a manner
that it is confined laterally between metal surfaces. Thus I form a groove,
within which the india-rubber is placed, or I cause it to abut against a flange.
Another part of my Invention consists in placing the condenser and hot well
beneath the cylinder.
Another portion thereof relates to a method of providing for adjustment of
the piston rod in reference to the guide blocks. For this purpose I form the
said blocks with a square, which may be altered as required. by filling pieces.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Becket Johnson in-the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 21st August 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
BECKET JOHNSON, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Consulting
Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of February, One thousand
eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-sixth year of Her reign, did,
for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
William Becket Johnson, Her special license, that I, the said William
Becket Johnson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said William Becket Johnson, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES," upon the condition, amongst
others, that I, the said William Becket Johnson, by an instrument in writing
under my hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature
of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed,
and cause the
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 William Becket Johnson, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same

page_text: is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement and accompanying Drawings, that is to say :-
My improvements relate particularly to those engines commonly called
horizontal, but are also applicable to those of other constructions, and consist,
firstly, in placing the air pump at an angle to the cylinder, and in working it
by direct action from the piston rod or cross head.
Secondly, in a peculiar arrangement of air pump, foot and delivery valves.
The air pump I employ is of the plunger construction, and I cause the
plunger to pass beyond the end of the barrel thereof. The foot valve is
placed at one end, and when open, its lid or moving part occupies a spacc
which the plunger has left. The delivery valve is at right angles to the foot
valve, and is opposite a space which the plunger occupies when at one end of
its stroke. In the plunger I place a valve which opens for the escape of air.
In constructing foot and delivery valves I use india-rubber in such a manner
that it is confined laterally between metal surfaces, thus I form a groove,
within which the india-rubber is placed, or I cause it to abut against a flange.
Another part of my Invention consists in placing the condenser and hot well
beneath the cylinder.
Another portion thereof relates to a method of providing for adjustment of
the piston rod in reference to the guide blocks. For this purpose I form the
said blocks with a square, which may be altered as required by filling pieces.
In the accompanying Drawings, Figs. 1 and 2 represent part of a horizontal
engine in section and in side elevation.
The working cylinder is at a, resting upon a box-formed foundation, one
portion of which, b, constitutes the condenser, and another portion thereof, c,
the hot well, both of which portions of the engine are situate beneath the
cylinder. To an angular part of this foundation is bolted the air pump d,
provided with a solid plunger c, to which the air pump rod f is jointed, its
other end being provided with a jaw, which is connected to the piston rod
mounting pin g. The foot valve is shewn at h, and the delivery valve at i,
the two being placed so that they are at right angles to each other. Atk is
the passage leading from the hot well, there being one of such passages on
each side of the delivery valve leading into a channel 1, which communicate
with the pipe m. The injection pipe is at n; at o is a man-hole, by means of
which the foot and. delivery valves may be adapted or adjusted should any
derangement take place; and at p is another man-hole, affording access to
the injection pipe and the foot valve. The air pump plunger it will be
perceived extends beyond the end of its barrel, and sufficiently to occupy a

page_text: position which is assumed by the foot valve when open, which position is
denoted by the dotted lines. The angle which the air pump rod includes as
it is worked by the piston rod is shewn by the red lines.
Another part of my Invention is shewn upon an enlarged scale at Fig. 3,
in which is a portion of the air pump plunger, upon which is fixed a seat r
for a valve s. This valve is pressed to its seat by a spring t, the tension of
which may be regulated by a screw w, when the plunger advances towards the
delivery valve any air that may be in the barrel will upon being compressed
open the valves, so as to escape, but upon a further advance of the plunger
the delivery valve i will be opened so as to allow the water to be discharged,
and the spring t will then be enabled to close the valve s.
A small quantity
of water may, however, at times pass into the air pump barrel. This valves,
if applied, should be placed at the upper side of the air pump plunger at the
situation marked A, for instance, in Fig. 1.
The next part of my Invention is shewn at Fig. 4, which represents a foot
or a delivery valve in section. Within the valve w I form a groove extending
all round, so as to correspond with the seat x. In the groove thus formed I
place india-rubber, as at y, so that its thickness is confined laterally by
metal parts.
Another part of my Invention is shewn at Fig. 5, in which represents a
piston rod guide block of a steam engine moving in guide bars 1 and 2. The
block is formed with a rectangular aperture for the reception of the ends of
the piston rod mounting pin 3, which is similarly shaped; should the guide
block or bar become worn, it necessarily follows that the central line of action of
the piston rod becomes disturbed. In order to remedy this it will merely be
necessary to alter the filling pieces 4, 4, and the top guide bar 1, and this
facility of adjustment is also available in the original fitting up of the parts.
Having thus described and ascertained the nature of my said Invention,
and the manner of carrying the same into effect, I desire it to be understood
that I claim as secured to me under the above in part recited Letters
Patent,-
Firstly, placing the air pump at an angle to the cylinder, and working it by
direct action from the piston rod or cross head.
Secondly, causing the air pump plunger to pass beyond its barrel, in such
manner as to occupy a space which the foot valve has left.
Thirdly, placing the foot and delivery valves at right angles to each other.
Fourthly, the application of a valve to the air pump plunger, as illustrated
at Fig. 3.

page_text: Fifthly, the method of applying india-rubber to foot and delivery valves, as
llustrated by reference to Fig. 4.
Sixthly, placing the hot well and condenser beneath the cylinder.
Seventhly, the use of square fittings, as illustrated at Fig. 5, for adjusting
he piston rod in reference to the guide blocks.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Becket Johnson, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of August, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
W. B. JOHNSON. (L.S.)