AN IMPROVED PNEUMATIC ENGINE.
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the "International
Patent Office," Southampton Buildings, London, Consulting En-
gineer, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED PNEUMATIC ENGINE.". -A
communication from abroad by John S. Morton, of Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania, United States of America.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said William Robert Lake
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition and
Declaration, on the 21st February 1870, pursuant to the 9th Section
of the Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ROBERT LAKE, of the "International Patent Office," Southampton
Buildings, London, Consulting Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS I am in possession of an Invention for "AN IMPROVED
PNEUMATIC ENGINE," and have petitioned Her Majesty to grant unto me,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, Her Royal Letters Patent for
the same, and have made solemn Declaration that it has been com-
:

page_text: municated to me from abroad by John S
Pennsylvania, United States of America.
Morton, of Philadelphia,
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Robert Lake, do hereby
declare that the following Complete Specification, under my hand and
seal, fully describes and ascertains the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings forming a
part of this Specification :-

page_text: rod; is the valve seat which is a casting attached to the cylinder. It
is provided with the ports g and for the induction of air, and with the
ports and which lead into the vessels j (Figure 1), which connect
the cylinder a with the vacuum chambers.
In Figure 8, is a slide valvo for opening and closing the ports
g, h, i, k; m is the air chest into which atmospheric air is admitted
more or less freely as required through the aperture n, which is con-
trolled by the valve o; p, Figure 2, is the vacuum vessel; q and r,
Figure 3, are the two vacuum chambers. They are surrounded by the
water jacket 8. The said chambers are connected by the two vessels j
(Figure 1) with the cylinder a.
In the fire-box or furnace t, Figures 2 and 3, a flame is generated by
the combustion of naptha or oil supplied from an elevated reservoir u,
Figures 1 and 2, and conducted by means of a pipe v nearly to the
bottom of the tube wo (which is open at each end) in the furnace or fire-
box t..
A burner or device, a plan of which is shown in Figure 12, with two
or more perforations for the escape of the naptha or oil is applied to the
extremity of the pipe v. The oil or naptha being ignited will soon by
its combustion heat that parts of pipe v within the tube to sufficiently to
convert the escaping naptha or oil into gas which supports the flame.
The open topped tank w², Figures 1 and 2, contains water. It is
connected to the water jacket 8, Figure 3, by pipes z and a', Figures
1 and 2, the pipe being attached at its lower end to the hollow arm b',
Figure 2, which projects from the hollow base c¹, which is connected
with the upper part of the jacket & by an outside pipe d', as shewn in
Figure 2. The pipe a¹ is attached to the top of the water jacket, thus
providing means for the constant circulation of water through the tank
and water jacket.
c¹ and f¹, Figures 3 and 5, represent the slide valves by which tho
vacuum chambers
and are alternately opened and closed. The valve e¹
is impelled by the bar g', which is part of the valve frame 2, whereof a
plan is shewn in Figure 1. The valve f¹ when not in action rests loosely
on the bar h¹, Figures 3, 5, and 6, and is impelled by the said bar /',
5 which forms part of a frame similar to the frame . The connecting
pieces and ¹, Figure 1,, of the valve frames are tubes, each made
open at both ends, in order that the air may pass through them to keep

page_text: :
them cool. m and n the guide rods of the valves; e" and f" are also
tubes left open at each end, as appears in Figure 3.
او
The V-shaped guard o¹, Figures 3 and 5, extends along under the
valve for its full length, it being attached to the bar h¹, and serving
to shield the last-named valve from the direct influence of the flame
which it at the same time directs into the vacuum chambers q and r
alternately.
-
The piston rode (see Figure 8) is connected in the usual manner to
the crosshead p¹, Figure 1, which slides in the guides q and
s¹, Figure 1, is the rod which_connects-the-crosshead p₁ with the
–crank-t‐which is on the shaft u¹ of the fly wheel v¹.
The valve (Figure 8) is worked in the manner usually employed
for steam valves of like construction, its stem a² being attached. to an
upright lever 10', Figure 1, proceeding from the rock shaft x'; the latter
has a crank y¹ which is operated by a lever attached to an ordinary
eccentric 6. on the shaft u¹ of the fly wheel.
The valves e¹ and f¹; Figures 1, 3, and 5, for opening and closing the
vacuum chambers q and 2 are operated primarily by an eccentric c³,
Figure 1, which is also placed on the shaft of the fly wheel.
The valve stems m¹ and n², Figures 2 and 3, are attached by flexible
joints to arms d³ and e respectively, Figure 2, of the upright rock
shaft which is attached by a short arm gå to the self-adjusting
device h², Figure 1, the frame k², Figure 2, of which is connected by a
pivot joint to the yoke of the eccentric lever &, Figure 1, and has an
independent longitudinal motion on its spindle m² sufficient to allow
the eccentric c³ to turn through a large part of its revolution without
moving the valves e¹ and f¹, while it at the right time gives an
instantaneous throw to these valves.
n2, Figure 2, represents a removeable chimney or device for increasing
the draft of the flame into the vacuum chambers 9 and 1, Figure 3.
q
o and 2 (Figure 9) are valves in vessels j, Figures 1 and 9. These
, valves open towards the vacuum chambers q and alternately as the
vacuum is produced in the said chambers respectively.
2, Figure 2, is a fauset for emptying the water jacket & when it is
desired to do so.

page_text: The following is a description of the operation of the said engine:
The chamber q being open at both ends, as shewn in Figure 3, the flame
or heat and rarified air from the fire-box enter through the lower
aperture of the said chamber q, consuming and expanding the air
therein, and driving it out through the upper aperture of this chamber.
At the same time the atmosphere presses through the open port h,
Figure 8, on the piston d, and drives it to the opposite end of the cylinder
toward the vacuum already formed in the chamber the arrangement
of the valve rods a³, m³, and n³, and their connected operating parts is
such that the instant the piston d reaches the end of its stroke the air
port h and the upper and lower apertures of the vacuum chamber q arc
closed, the valve f¹ having the lead, and the air port g and upper and
lower apertures of the vacuum chamber are at the same time opened.
The opening of the apertures last named allows the heat or flame and
rarified air from the fire-box t to enter the vacuum chamber » through
the lower aperture of this chamber, consuming and expanding the air
therein, and driving it out of the said chamber through its upper
aperture. At the same time through the open port g, Figure 8, the
atmosphere presses on the piston d, and drives it towards the opposite
end of the cylinder a. Thus it will be seen that a partial vacuum is
alternately formed in the chambers q and in front of the piston d, and
that the motion of the said piston into or towards either such vacuum
is due wholly to the pressure of the atmosphere exterted alternately on
opposite faces of the piston. The body of the vacuum chambers q and r
is a casting of iron, and is surrounded with a casing which constitutes
the outer wall of the water jacket. The casing may be of light boiler
iron attached to the body of the vacuum chambers by bolts or rivets, or
in any other substantial manner..
The top and bottom portions of the vacuum chambers q and "",
Figure 3, on which the valves e¹ and f¹ slide may be made remove-
able, so that they can be renewed or repaired with facility in case. of
wear.
The pipe, Figure 2, is shown to be attached to the hollow arm b¹ of
the support for the lower valve frame; it may, however, be attached
directly to the side of the water jacket s.
Instead of employing the two connecting vessels marked ; one con-
necting vessel o², Figure 10, provided with two valves and may be

page_text: employed, and in that case a D-valve q² and a single exhaust port u² may
be used. Instead of naptha or oil for fuel the ordinary illuminating
gas may be employed.
The object of surrounding the vacuum chambers with a water jacket 8,
and connecting the jacket with an open reservoir to keep up circulation, is 5
the maintenance of a uniform temperature not exceeding 212° Fahrenheit
in the chambers by allowing the evaporation of the water to go on.
Similar results will be accomplished, but in a less convenient and
efficient manner and without circulation through a separate reservoir, by
1
leaving the top of the jacket open, or by attaching to its top open
pipes or a single_open_pipe-to-allow-the-evaporation of the water to
go on.
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondent, and shewn how the same may be
conveniently and advantageously carried into practice, I claim,-
First. Forming a vacuum or partial vacuum on alternate sides of the
piston to work an engine by the pressure of the atmosphere, substantially
as set forth.
Second. The single vacuum vessel p comprising two distinct vacuum
chambers and a surrounding water jacket and single valves for the top
and bottom apertures of the chambers, substantially as set forth.
Third. The combination of the said vacuum vessel p, the two con-
necting vessels j, with their respective valves, the cylinder a, piston d,.
and air valve 1, substantially as set forth.
Fourth. The combination of the said vacuum vessel p, the single con-
necting vessel o³ with its two valves and 1, the cylinder a, piston d,
and valve q³, substantially as set forth.
Fifth. The eccentric c³ in combination with the self-adjusting device h²,
and valves e¹ and f¹ at the top and bottom of the vacuum chambers q
and r, substantially as set forth.
Sixth. The frames for the valves e¹ and f1 constructed wholly or
partly of open tubes to allow the passage of air through them, sub-
stantially as set forth.
Seventh. The v-shaped guard o¹ to shield the valve f¹ from the direct
influence of the heat, and for directing the heat alternately into the
two vacuum chambers q and 7, substantially as set forth.

page_text: Eighth. The vacuum vessel P in combination with the herein described
evices for generating heat.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have here-
unto set my hand and scal, this Twenty-first day of February,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
seventy.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE. (L.S.)
Witness,
H. J. GEDGE,
Clerk to Messrs. Haseltine, Lake, & Co.,
Southampton Buildings,
London.