IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Parsons, of Martock, in the County of
Somerset, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM
ENGINES."
Sealed the 10th August 1860, and dated. the 16th February. 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Parsons at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
16th February 1860.
I, GEORGE PARSONS, of Martock, in the County of Somerset, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
STEAM ENGINES," to be as follows:-
The first part of my Invention refers to horizontal condensing engines, and
consists in certain new arrangements of parts whereby the engines can be
employed either as condensing or as non-condensing engines. Instead of placing
the condenser at the end of the cylinder, as is usual in horizontal engines, I
fix it between the crank shaft and the ends of the guide rods, which carry the
crosshead. I employ either one or two air pumps. When two are employed
I connect one end of each air pump rod to the crosshead, one on each side of
the connecting rod; when only one air pump is employed, I place it on one
side of the connecting rod, as before, and the force pump for supplying the
boiler on the opposite side in the place of the second air pump, in order to
correct or counterbalance any unequal strain on the crosshead. When from
any cause there is not sufficient water for condensation, or it is wished to work

page_text: the engine without a condenser, the air pump rod or rods is or are merely
disconnected from the crosshead, and a pipe attached to the exhaust passage
to convey away the steam to the chimney, or otherwise. The foregoing part
of my Invention is also applicable to beam engines. When from want of
water, or from any part of the condensing apparatus being out of order, it is
desirable to work the engine as a non-condensing engine, the air pump rod
must be disconnected, and a pipe must be provided to take away the exhaust
steam.
The second part of my Invention consists of a means of adjusting and main-
taining the parallelism of the guide rods or bars over which the crosshead of
the piston works. Through both guide rods or bars at each end I pass a
shaft or bolt, cut with screw threads, and both above and below each guide
rod I place a nut, so that the end of each rod or bar lies or is placed between
two nuts. By means of the two nuts the guide rods or bars can be adjusted
to the greatest nicety, and their parallelism with the piston rod maintained.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Parsons in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
16th August 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
PARSONS, of Martock, in the County of Somerset, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixteenth day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-third year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
'George Parsons, Her special licence that I, the said George Parsons, my
'executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said George
Parsons, 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 George
Parsons, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under
'my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, 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

page_text: Dear fatent nice within six calendar months next and immediately arter
the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said George Parsons, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed,
that is to say:-
The first part of my Invention refers to horizontal condensing engines, and
consists in certain new arrangements of parts, whereby the engines can be
employed either as condensing or non-condensing engines. Instead of placing
the condenser at the end or under the cylinder, as is usual in horizontal
engines, I fix it between the crank, or fly-wheel shaft and the ends of the
guide rods which carry the crosshead. I employ either one or two air pumps;
when two are employed, I connect one end of each air pump rod to the cross-
head, one on each side of the connecting rod; when only one air pump is
employed, I place it one one side of the connecting rod, as before, and the
force pump for supplying the boiler may be placed on the opposite side, in
the place of the second air pump, in order to correct or counterbalance any
unequal strain on the crosshead. When from any cause there is not sufficient
water for condensation, or it is wished to work the engine without a condenser,
the air pump rod or rods is or are merely disconnected from the crosshead,
and a pipe attached to the exhaust passage to convey away the steam to the
chimney, or otherwise. The foregoing part of my Invention is also applicable
to beam engines.
The second part of my Invention consists of a means of adjusting and
maintaining the parallelism of the guide rods or bars over which the cross-
head of the piston works, and is applicable to portable and fixed engines..
Through both guide rods or bars at each end I pass a shaft or bolt.cut with
screw threads, and both above and below each guide rod I place a nut, so
that the end of each rod or bar lies or is placed between two nuts. By means
of the two nuts the guide rods or bars can be adjusted to the greatest nicety,
and their parallelism with the piston rod maintained.
The manner in which I carry the first part of my Invention into effect is
illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 of the Drawings hereunto annexed, of which
Figure 1 is a plan, and Figure 2 a side elevation. A is the cylinder, and
B the crank. The condenser C is placed, as already explained, between the
crank B and the ends of the guide rods D, D, which carry the crosshead D'.
Two air pumps are shewn in the plan, Figure 1, E, E', being their respective
pump rods, which are shewn connected one on either side of the crosshead D'.

page_text: 1
F is the feed pump, which, in the arrangement illustrated, is situated on the
outside of the condenser, but which, where but one air pump is employed,
may take the place of either of the air pumps shewn in the Drawing, in order
to avoid the bringing of unequal strains upon the crosshead. In order to
convert the engine, shown in the Drawing into a non-condensing engine,
it is only necessary to disconnect the rods E, E', from the crosshead D',
and lead a pipe for the exhaust steam from the exhaust passage to the.
chimney.
The manner in which I carry the second part of my Invention into effect
is illustrated in Figures 3 and 4 of the Drawings hereunto annexed, of which
Figure 3 is an end view, and Figure 4 a side elevation. A, A', are the
guide rods or bars, through each end of which I pass a shaft or bolt B, cut
with screw threads at b, and furnished with nuts C, C, both above and below
each guide rod. It is manifest that by suitably turning these nuts C, C, the
guide rods or bars can be relatively adjusted, and can be readily made truly
parallel. to the piston rod, notwithstanding the wear to which the rubbing
surfaces are subjected.
And having now described the nature of the said. Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim,-
First, the arrangement of horizontal condensing engines wherein the con-
denser is placed between the crank or fly wheel shaft and the ends of the
guide rods, and the air-pump rod or rods is connected to the crosshead, in the
manner and for the purposes herein-before. described,,and illustrated in the
Drawings hereunto annexed.
Secondly, the method of adjusting the positions of the guide rods of steam
engines, in which the crosshead of the piston rod works by means of through
.bolts and nuts, in the manner and for the purpose herein-before described, and
illustrated in the Drawings hereunto annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Parsons, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of August, One thousand eight
hundred and sixty.
GEO. PARSONS. (L.S.)