IMPROVEMENTS IN CONDENSING AND DISTILLING APPARATUS IN STEAM SHIPS
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Tweedy, of Walker, in the County of Northumberland,
Engineer for an Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN CONDENSING AND DISTILLING
APPARATUS IN STEAM SHIPS
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Tweedy at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 19th February 1883.
JOHN TWEEDY of Walker in the County of Northumberland, Engineer,
"IMPROVEMENTS IN CONDENSING AND DISTILLING APPARATUS IN STEAM SHIPS
"
This invention has for its object the improvement of the machinery and
appliances used on board ship and consists in fitting a surface condenser to be
used either for condensing the exhaust steam from the winches, cranes or other
similar machines, or for distilling fresh water from salt or other impure water,
combined and fitted with donkey pumps so arranged that the pumps shall be
available both for performing the ordinary duties of such pumps on board ship
and for being used as air and circulating pumps in connection with the condenser,
when condensing exhaust steam or as circulating pumps when distilling fresh
water.
In carrying out this invention a surface condenser is fitted in any convenient
part of the ship, pipes from the winches or other exhausts, from the donkey boiler
and from the main boiler when required, are attached to the steam side of the
condenser, suitable cocks or valves being fitted to enable the condenser to be put
in connection with the winches when discharging cargo or with the boilers for
distilling water during the voyage. A donkey pump, having its valves arranged
to act as an air pump on any of the well known plans, has in addition to the
suction and discharge connections usually fitted to donkey pumps on board ship
a suction from the bottom of the steam side of the condenser and a discharge into
a hot well from which latter the winch or auxiliary boiler is supplied by the feed
pump. When acting to condense exhaust steam the water is forced or drawn
through the condenser by an ordinary ship's donkey pump. A modification of
the pumping arrangements consists in making one side of the pump to act as a
Price 1

page_text: circulating pump while the other side of the pump acts as an air pump; one pump
HO fitted performing the duties of a single or double acting donkey pump or of a
single acting air pump or circulating pump. Instead of fitting a separate boiler
feeding engine, a small pump may be formed in the cover of either of the herein-
before described arrangements of air pumps.
Another modification consists in supplementing the gravitation method of
circulating water through condensers by forming in the pipes ejector nozzles.
When, owing to the motion or unfavourable triin of the ship, or to the large
volume of steam to be condensed, the condensing water does not circulate through
the condenser with sufficient velocity, steam admitted to the nozzles from the boiler
will produce any required acceleration. In this modification an air pump and
feeding pump only are required for condensing exhaust steam, while for distilling
steam from the boilers no pump whatever is needed.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said John Tweedy in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 17th August
1883.
JOHN TWEEDY of Walker in the County of Northumberland Engineer
"IMPROVEMENTS IN CONDENSING AND DISTILLING APPARATUS IN STEAM SHIPS
This invention has for its object the improvement of the machinery and
appliances used on board ship and consists in fitting a surface condenser to be
used either for condensing the exhaust steam from the winches, cranes, or other
similar machines, or for distilling fresh water from salt or other impure water,
combined and fitted with donkey pumps so arranged that the pumps shall be
available both for performing the ordinary duties of such pumps on board ship and
for being used as air and circulating pumps in connection with the condenser,
when condensing exhaust steam or as circulating pumps when distilling fresh
water.
In carrying out this invention a surface condenser is fitted in any convenient
part of the ship exhaust pipes from the winches and other engines; steam pipes
from the donkey boiler and from the main boiler, when required, are attached to
the steam side of the condenser, suitable cocks or valves being fitted to enable the
condenser to be put in connection with the winches when discharging cargo or
with the boilers for distilling water during the voyage. A donkey pump, having its
valves arranged to act as an air pump on any of the well known plans, has, in addition
to the suction and discharge connections usually fitted to donkey pumps on board
ship, a suction from the bottom of the steam side of the condenser and a discharge
into a hot well, from which latter the winch or auxiliary boiler is supplied by the
feed pump. When acting to condense exhaust steam the water is preferably forced
or drawn through the condenser by an ordinary ship's donkey pump. A modi-
fication of the pumping arrangements consists in making one side of the
pump to
act as a circulating pump while the other side of the pump acts as an air pump;
one pump so fitted performing the duties of a single or double acting donkey pump,
or of a single acting air pump or circulating pump, or by an arrangement of cocks
or valves a double acting air or circulating pump. Instead of fitting a separate
boiler feeding engine, a small pump may be formed in the cover of either of the
hereinbefore described arrangements of air pumps
Another modification consists in supplementing the gravitation method of
circulating water through condensers by forming in the pipes ejector nozzles.
When, owing to the motion or unfavourable trim of the ship, or to the large
volume of steam to be condensed, the condensing water does not circulate through
the condenser with sufficient velocity, steam admitted to the nozzles from the
boiler will produce any required acceleration. In this modification one air pump
and feeding pump only are required for condensing exhaust steam, while for
distilling steam from the boilers no pump whatever is needed.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
In order that my said invention and the manner of performing the same may
be properly understood I herewith append a sheet of explanatory drawings-In
these drawings the same reference numerals are used to mark the same or like
parts wherever they are repeated, the general features only of the arrangement are
shown; and it is to be understood that any parts.or details-which are not delineated

page_text: or described are to be constructed and arranged as in existing steam ships or in an
analogous manner. Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings is a longitudinal
section. Figure 2 a transverse section and Figure 3 a plan of part of a steamship.
Figures 4, 5 and 6 illustrate in detail certain portions of my invention.
The surface condenser 10 is fitted in any convenient place, pipes 11, 11, 11
and 12 for conveying the exhaust steam from the winches and other engines are
'connected to the steam side of the condenser
A donkey pump 13 arranged to act as an air pump on any of the usual plans
bas in addition to the connections 14 usually fitted to donkey pumps, a suction 15
from the bottom of the steam side of the condenser, the condensed water is pumped
from the discharge chest or hot-well 17 into the auxiliary boiler 18 by the small
feeding engine 19. When required a small feeding pump 28 is fitted to the cover
of the air pump donkey, a prolongation of the main pump rod forming the ram of
the feeding pump, or the feeding pump may be fitted to the side of the main pump
as shown at 29
The cold water for condensing the exhaust steam is circulated through the
condenser by the donkey engine 20 or simply by gravitation assisted when
necessary by an ejector fitted in any convenient place in the discharge passages, in
the drawing the ejector is shown at 21
When it is required to produce fresh water for the ships general use steam is
admitted to the condenser direct from the main or auxiliary boilers, through the
pipe and cock or valve 22 The connection between the condenser and the branch
exhaust pipes 11 is closed automatically, by a valve 24 in the chest 23 shewn more
clearly by Figure 4 another-valve 25, by preference in the same chest, opens auto-
matically to the atmosphere when the pressure in the branch exhaust pipes exceeds
atmospheric pressure
The cold water for condensing, the steam, supplied direct from the main or
auxiliary boilers, is circulated through the condenser by any of the methods described
above for condensing exhaust steam or by the pump 13 through the pipe 26 or by
the main engine circulating pump through the pipe 35. These circulating con-
nections are by preference made through a valve chest 36 shown more clearly by
Figure 5, in this figure 37 is the air pump donkey discharge valve, 38 the circulating
discharge valve to condenser, the pipe 39 is the discharge overboard
A modification of the air pump donkey is shewn by Figure 6 one side 30 of the
pump is arranged to act as an air pump while the other side 31 acts as a single
acting circulating or bilge and ballast pump
The valves or cocks 32 on the suction side and 33. 34 on the discharge side,
allow the pump being converted at will into a double acting pump available as such
for extracting air from the condenser, circulating water through the condenser or
performing any of the other duties of pumps on board ship
Having described my said invention for "Improvements in condensing and
distilling apparatus in steam ships" and having explained the manner of carrying
the same into practical effect I desire to have it understood that I do not, save and
except as hereinafter mentioned, claim any of the mechanical parts of the apparatus
hereinbefore shewn and described when taken separately and apart from the combi-
nation or application thereof, in manner and for the purpose herein described, but
what I consider to be novel and original, and therefore claim as secured to me by
the hereinbefore in part recited Letters Patent is
First. The arrangement and application of an auxiliary condenser or condensers
with a donkey pump or pumps and their connections, on board ship in such a way
that they may be used as an apparatus for condensing exhaust steam from the
winches and other engines and for distilling fresh water from steam supplied from
the main or auxiliary boilers substantially as shewn and described.
Second. In combination with such condensing and distilling apparatus, the
arrangement and application of the donkey pump, or pumps usually fitted on board
ships, in such a way that they may act as air and circulating pumps combined, or

page_text: separately as air or circulating pumps respectively substantially as shewn and
described.
Third. In condensing and distilling apparatus, circulating by gravitation, the
application of a steam jet to increase the circulation of the water in combination
with the arrangement of air pump and connections substantially as shewn and
described
In witness whereof I the said John Tweedy have hereunto set my hand and
seal this sixteenth day of August in the year of our Lord one thousand eight
hundred and eighty three
Witness:
T. J. DANSON F. Inst. P. A
Consulting Engineer & Patent Agent
Newcastle on Tyne
JOHN TWEEDY (LS)