IMPROVEMENTS IN AIR ENGINES
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Wade Kelsey, of Hope Farm, near Folk-
stone, in the County of Kent, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
AIR ENGINES,"
Sealed the 12th December 1854, and dated the 15th July 1854.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Wade Kelsey at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
15th July 1854.
I, GEORGE WADE KELSEY, of Hope Farm, near Folkstone, in the County
of Kent, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
AIR ENGINES" to be as follows:-.
This Invention relates to that class of engines where the power is obtained
by the expansion of air, and consists in a mode of expanding the air. Here-
tofore the air has been expanded by applying heat to the outside of the
chamber in which the air is contained. Now, my Invention consists in
expanding the air in the chamber, by means of a flame of gas inside the
chamber.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Wade Kelsey in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
15th January 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
WADE KELSEY, of Hope Farm, near Folkestone, in the County of Kent, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent bearing date the Fifteenth day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the eighteenth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
George Wade Kelsey, Her special licence that I, the said George Wado
Kelsey, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
George Wade Kelsey, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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 "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN AIR ENGINES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
George Wade Kelsey, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invenion, 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 next and imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said George Wade Kelsey, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof (that is to say):-
This Invention relates to that class of engines where the power is obtained
by the expansion of air, and consists in a mode of expanding the air. Hero-
tofore the air has been expanded by applying heat to the outside of the
chamber in which the air is contained. Now, my Invention consists in
expanding the air in the chamber, by means of a flame of gas inside tho
chamber.
Having thus stated the nature of my said Invention, I will proceed to
describe the manner of performing the same.
The peculiarity of my Invention consisting of the mode of heating and
expanding air, and producing elastic force to work engines, it will only be

page_text: DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 shows a sketch of a heater constructed according to my Invention.
Figure 2 shows a sketch of a gas burner and steam jet arranged in the manner
I prefer, but the same may be varied. In the apparatus shown there are three
gas pipes a, a, and three steam pipes b, b, arranged as shown at Figure 2.
Each pipe, a and b, has a stop cock, to regulate the supply of gas and steam.
The gas is kept up to a pressure commensurate with the pressure in the heater,
so that it may flow in at the several burners; and I would remark, that the
holes for the passage of gas are drilled in an inclined direction, so that the jets
of gas will incline towards each other, and to a point above the burner. To
each gas
burner there is a steam jet at c, as shown; and I would remark, that
I do not claim this arrangement of gas jets and steam jets combined separately,
as the same is not new. d is an ordinary safety valve; e is an inlet pipe for
air; f is the outlet pipe for supplying the elastic air and products to the
engine; g is an opening to admit a light to light the gas, and the cover to
such opening is connected to the lever of the safety valve in such manner as
to ensure the valve being raised before the cover is opened. Tho form and
arrangement of heater shown is that which I prefer, but the same may be
varied. The heater is thus constructed for a one-horse engine. The cylinder
is about four feet long and two feet seven inches in diameter, and is of inch
plate iron, rivited together with rivits; at the upper part of one end a
common lever safety valve is placed.
Tho gas is introduced through three in. iron pipes, which pass through the
end plate, and may be made tight by the pipe having a screw cut upon it, and
screwing a nut up on each side of the plate, as is well understood, or otherwise.
Each of these pipes is to be furnished with a stop cock on the outside extremity.
Into that portion of pipe inside the heater is screwed three burners; thus there
will be nine burners in a heater of this size. Beneath or by the side of each
of the gas pipes is introduced a steam pipe, secured to the end plate in the
same way as the gas pipes, and each is furnished with a stop cock. The
U bend is for the purpose of removing any condensed water. The portion of
steam pipe within the heater is furnished with steam jets, one passing up the
centre of each gas burner. The lever of the safety valve terminates a little
beyond the end of the heater (say, 14 in.), and the rod D, which passes through
two guides, must lift the lever before the lighting hole can be opened. The
joint of the lighting hole cover may be made tight, either by turning the metal

page_text: to parallel faces, and interposing a gasket, or by using a cone joint and grinding
the surfaces together.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I would have it understood that what I claim is the
expanding of air for working air engines by means of flames of gas inside
the chambers from which the engines are supplied, as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Wade Kelsey, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of January, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
Witness,
JNO. ALCOCK.
G. W. KELSEY. (L.S.)