IMPROVEMENTS IN OBTAINING POWER BY MEANS OF GASSES APPLICABLE TO WORKING MACHINES
Year: 1843

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
NEVILLE, of Walworth, in the County of Surrey, Civil Engineer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Thirteenth day of July, in the seventh year of Iler reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
James Neville, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority,
that I, the said James Neville, my exors, adñiors, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said James Neville, my exors, aduiors, or assigns, should at
any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times during
the term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-
Tweed, my Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN OBTAINING POWER BY MEANS OF
GASSES APPLICABLE TO WORKING MACHINES;" in which said Letters Patent is
contained a proviso that I, the said James Neville, shall cause a particular
description of the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be inrolled in Her said Majesty's High Court
of Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately after the date
of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference
being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
James Neville, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described and
ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had to
the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked thereon,
that is to say:-
The above object I effect by the following combinations:-I employ the
rough nitrates of potass or soda combined with charcoal, bituminous coal, or any
other carbonaceous or combustible matter, which will decompose the said
nitrates at an elevated temperature; these are to be minutely mixed with the said
nitrates in such exact proportions that they will completely effect the decompo-
sition of the nitric acid of the nitrates employed, by combining with the oxygen
constituting such acid. The compound or separate gases, and the caloric
evolved or produced by this operation, I apply in the manner following:-
:-
Figure 1 represents an elevation, and Figure 2 a section of the apparatus
I employ for producing and collecting the said gases. A, A, is a strong
cylinder of wrought iron, about twenty inches long and eighteen inches
diameter, placed horizontally, and closed at each end by plates of wrought
iron B, B. which are rivetted externally thereto. This cylinder is surmounted
by another of less diameter, and of any required altitude, marked C, C, and
there is an aperture or communication between these two cylinders correspond-
ing with the diameter of the latter, or C. C; in the interior of this external
casing place another pair of cylinders, formed in a similar manner but of less
diameter and altitude, marked D, D, so as to admit of this last or internal
vessel to be surrounded with water, as shewn in the section Figure 2, and
marked E, E, E. In the plate B, which closes one end of the external cylinder
A, there is a circular aperture for the introduction of a cast iron retort or
heater. of about six inches diameter, and marked in section F, F; this is cast
with a partition G, G, and is securely bolted to the plate B. G2, G3, represents
an external stove or furnace, either square or cylindrical, lined with fire clay or
brick, in which is a coke or other fire, the heat from which passes through the
retort F, F, as shown by the arrows, and maintains a high temperature therein,
after which it is conveyed by a casing under and around the external cylinder
A, A, as shewn by H, H, the draught being produced and maintained by a
suitable flue or chimney. At the opposite end of the cylinder A there is an
eliptical opening or aperture I, I, which is closed by a plate and set screw,
similar to the manhole used in high-pressure boilers; this is for the purpose of
removing the ashes or residuum produced by the decomposition of the said
nitrates, and in order to facilitate this operation there is a sheet iron pan

page_text: K², K², to receive the same. For the gradual and uniform introduction of the
mixed or powdered nitrates and carbonaceous matter the cylinder A is sur-
mounted by a hopper or reservoir L, L, which contains the mixed powder, and
which is gradually and uniformly introduced through the pipes N, N, by
means of a brass cylinder M, M, which is filled with three solid pistons,
marked 1, 2, and 3, connected together by the piston rod k, k, which works
through packed stuffing boxes S; a reciprocating motion is communicated to
this rod and the pistons from the engine to which this power is to be applied,
whereby alternate charges of this powder will be conveyed from the hopper
L, L, to the surface of the heater or retort F, by or through the copper pipes
N, N, thus cutting off any communication between the gases evolved and the
charge contained in the hopper L, L. The pipes N, N, pass through the
corrigated case or cylinder 0, 0, which descends or is immersed in the water
contained between the cases A and D, so that the gases evolved nust pass
through such water, and communicate their high temperature thereto, and
thereby create considerable volumes of steam, which, combined with the said
gases, are to be applied for the production of mechanical power; and in order
to control and regulate the uniform production of these gases for the purposes
required, and to ensure perfect safety, I apply a small cylinder P, P, with a
metallic piston, which works a slide at the bottom of the hopper L, which will
govern or regulate the supply of the mixture, according as the internal
pressure increases or diminishes. Q is a pipe for conveying the gases and
steam to the engine; and this apparatus is furnished with force pumps, safety
valves, &c., like any ordinary steam boiler. I need only remark, that this
apparatus is intended to be worked at a much greater pressure than is now
practised by steam. Figure 3 shews a transverse section of the said apparatus,
and the same letters marked thereon represent the respective parts as before
described. The operation and effects of these arrangements will be as follows:-
When the heater F, F, arrives at the proper temperature for igniting the first
particles of the mixed powdered nitrates and carbonaceous matter to be intro-
duced, after which a few strokes or turns of the feeding apparatus will supply
sufficient powder, which will ignite or deflagrate on coming in contact with
the heater F, F, the temperature of which will be increased and maintained
by the combustion of the powder, and the intense heat thus emitted or pro-
duced will generate large volumes of steam, which will combine with. the
gases and be all available for the production of mechanical power; at the same
time the residuum of the nitrates employed, videlicet, the subcarbonate of
potass or soda, will nearly repay the original cost of the raw materials. I thus
either produce mechanical power at a comparative small cost, or furnish an

page_text: article of general and extensive consumption in the commercial market without
any expense. And, lastly, I do not confine myself to the mechanical arrange-
ments herein described. But I claim, by these, or by any other means, the
application or use of the gases and caloric obtainable from the decomposition
of the said nitrates, whether combined or not with aqueous vapor, as a means
of producing mechanical power.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Neville, bave hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of January, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and forty-four.