CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OP STEAM ENGINES AND THE APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH
Year: 1828

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOSEPH
D'ARCY, of Leicester Square, in the County of Middlesex, Esquire, Executor
of Charles Broderip, late of Spring Gardens, in the Parish of Saint Martins
in the Fields, in the County of Middlesex, Esquire, deceased, send greeting.
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty King George the Fourth, by His
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Twenty-ninth day of November, in the ninth year of His
reign, did, for Himself, His heirs and successors, give and grant unto me
His especial licence that I, my exors, adiiors, and assigns, or such others
as I, my exors, adiñors, 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, the Invention of
the said Charles Broderip, of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OP
STEAM ENGINES AND THE APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH;" in which said
Letters there is contained a proviso obliging me, by an instrument in writing
under my hand and seal, particularly to describe and ascertain the nature of the
said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, and to cause
the same to be inrolled in His Majesty's High Court of Chancery within
eighteen months next and immediately next after the date of the said 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
Joseph D'Arcy, do hereby declare that the nature and character of the
said Inventions consist of Certain Improvements in the Construction of
Steam Engines and the Apparatus connected therewith, and which I shall
hereafter more particularly describe by reference to the annexed Drawings.
The first section of my improvements are comprehended in Figures 1, 2, 3,
4, 5, and 6. Figures 1 and 2 shew views of a steam cylinder with its cover,
sliding stuffing box, piston and rod, the rod connected at ono end to the piston
and at the other end to the crank of engine without the intervention of any
cross head, side rods, guide frame, or parallel motion to keep the piston in a
perpendicular position whilst it is ascending and descending in the cylinder;
the improved method of connecting the piston of any cylinder used in a steam
engine to its rod by means of any convenient joint, or by a ball and socket
which will allow the piston rod to oscillate or yield to the motion of its crank
or beam without altering the vertical or horizontal position of the piston whilst
acting either in a cylinder placed vertically or horizontally, as circumstances
may require. This oscillating piston rod I claim as the Invention of the said
Charles Broderip, and which forms a distinguished feature in the first section
of the improvements, and by the introduction of the sliding stuffing box I am
enabled to apply the oscillating piston rod as well to a closed as an open cylinder,
and also to the steam cylinder of an engine in which the steam is alternately
employed on the upper and under surface of its piston whilst operating in any
such cylinder. A, A, the cylinder; B, B, the piston; C, C, the center of the
joint of piston, into which the joint of the piston rod D, D, is fitted and united.
D, D, shews the rod forming it's greatest angle by the motion of the crank G;
E, E, the sliding stuffing box working in grooves, rabbets, or dovetails, made
perfectly air and steam tight, and placed securely on the top of the cylinder
cover F, F; H is the gland or top of stuffing box that confines the packing
through which the cylindrical piston rod D, D, passes, and thereby prevents
any escape of steam from the cylinder as well as the admission of air into the
cylinder as the piston rod traverses through the packing of stuffing box. I, I,
is the recess in the piston B, B, which allows sufficient space for the oscillation
which the rod D, D, makes in the piston above it's center of motion. Figure 3
is an eud view of the sliding stuffing box with dovetail sides. The same
letters apply to the same parts in Figure 2 as in Figure 1. Figures 4 and 5
also shew the improved method of uniting the piston to it's rod, by which it
allows it to oscillate and yield to the motion of the crank: but I do not use in
the Figures 4 and 5 the sliding stuffing box, as shewn at E, E, in Figures 1
and 2, for which I, however, substitute the trough or socket K, K, firmly

page_text: connected to the piston, and which trough or socket must be made hollow and
of sufficient capacity to allow the piston rod D, D, to oscillate freely in it, an
end view of which is shewn at Figure. 6, and the exterior of K, K, must in it's
whole length be uniformly of one exact size in it's width, thickness, and area, so
that in it's traverse through the fixed stuffing box E, E, and by the gland H, tho
trough or socket K, K, may be rendered as securely air and steam tight in it's
connection with the cylinder A, A, as if it was a cylindrical piston rod. This
method of using an oscillating piston rod, as shewn in Figures 4 and 5 not
only answers very well but it enables me to dispense with the sliding stuffing
box E, E, as represented in Figures 1 and 2, yet it is preferable for many
reasons to use the sliding stuffing box in conjunction with the oscillating piston
rod in all double engines. The benefits and advantages resulting from an
oscillating piston rod and a sliding stuffing. box are so manifest that every person
conversant with steam engines will readily admit them, as far as regards their
simplicity, efficacy, and a saving of room are concerned; and, valuable as they
are for land steam engines, they are still more valuable in engines employed
for navigable purposes. Section 2, Figure 7, represents an improved com-
pound connecting beam or rod for receiving motion and power from one crank
and conveying such motion and power to another and at any required distance
from each other. This compound connecting beam or rod will be found to be
a most convenient agent for horizontal marine engines, and which will allow
such engines to be fixed lower in any vessel or boar, and at the same time
convey the motion and power of such engines, by means of the compound
connecting beam or rod, to the shafts of the paddle wheels at any suitable
distance from the first point of rotation which such engines may produce.
A is a spur wheel, which is put in motion by another wheel, which is turned by
the action of a piston in a steam cylinder; B is the shaft of the wheel A; C is
a crank that is fixed on B with the crank pin D, or the crank pin, if more
convenient, may be securely fixed in the wheel A; E, E, is the clip that
contains and secures the brasses for the crank pin D; and F, F, the gib and
key that connect E, E, to the compound connecting beam or rod G, G, G;
Lis the shaft on which the guide crank I is fixed; H is the crank pin to
which the centre arm of the compound connecting beam or rod is united,
and it acts as a stay or guide to regulate, support and direct it's motion. J, J,
is the clip which holds the brasses of H; and K, K, the gib and key for
connecting and securing the clip J, J, to the centre arm of the compound
connecting beam; M, the shaft of a paddle wheel; N, the crank of such
wheel; O, its crank pin and brasses; P, P, its clip to hold the brasses O by
the gib and key Q, Q, which unite to the extreme end of the compound

page_text: connecting beam or rod. It will be obvious that the revolving of the wheel A
will turn the paddle wheel fixed on M, and thus its rotation will be continued
as long as the motion of A is impelled by the power of its steam engine.
Section 3, which contains Figures 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12, these comprehend
the improvements for economizing the supply and consumption of steam
generated in any ordinary boiler or boilers for the use of steam engines. The
essence of this part of the Invention is in constructing and applying a valve or
valves, cock or cocks, for keeping open and closing the communication, when
required, between the steam-receiving vessel and the boiler or boilers with
which it is connected. A considerable portion of such steam-receiving vessel
is inserted and enclosed in any boiler with which it is united, but in boilers
used for marine engines the chimney which receives the smoke and heated air
from all the flues of such boilers is conveyed through the steam-receiving
vessel in a horizontal direction to the greatest convenient distance it will
permit, and then the chimney quits the steam-receiving vessel in a vertical
position, the heated air imparting in its passage through the chimney as much
caloric to the steam as it will absorb. This receiving vessel is refilled with
steam from the boiler or boilers at every three or more strokes of the engine
as may be required, by means of valves, which are opened and closed by such
suitable machinery as I shall bereafter describe, according to the dimensions
of such steam-receiving vessel and the capacity of any cylinder or cylinders to
be supplied with steam from it. Having by this steam-receiving vessel the
means of depositing in it any desired quantity of steam of any required
pressure by the judicious management of any ordinary throttle or intermediate
valve, the same will regulate the supply of steam to the cylinder or cylinders
in such manner as shall effect the greatest possible saving of steam in reference
to the resistance on such piston or pistons of such cylinder or cylinders.
Figure 8 is an end view or latitudinal section of a marine boiler, with a
view of the steam-receiving vessel inserted and inclosed in such boiler,
shewing the elevation of the chimney in the boiler as it quits the receiving
vessel; E, E, and E, E, shew the improved valves which are connected to
the boiler and the receiving vessel, and which open and close the communi-
cation between the boiler and the steam-receiving vessel. A, A, the boiler;
B, B, the steam-receiving vessel; C, C, part of the vertical chimney; D, D,
the steam pipes which allow the steam to pass to the steam cylinders, subject to
such regulation by throttle and intermediate valves as may be necessary to limit
and economize their consumption of steam; F, F, is a partition placed in the
steam-receiving vessel so as to form it into two compartments; in such case
there must be placed in the top of boiler two valves, as shewn by E, E, and

page_text: E, E, for supplying each compartment with steam and for shutting off, when
required, their communication with the boiler or boilers. Figures 9, 10, 11,
and 12, are views of the valves and their apparatus, which I recommend to
connect to the boilers and steam-receiving vessel, and which constitutes the
essential part of the improvements. In Section 3, E, E, is the body of main
chamber of valve; g, the bridge through which the spindle of the valve h is
correctly guided; 1, 1, the weights which load the valve to any required
pressure; m, the stuffing box, through which the upper part of the spindle
of valve passes; n, the standard or piller from which the lever p, p, is
supported; o is the joint of standard to which the lever p, p, is united; q, the
guide piller which keeps the lever p, p, in its proper situation for the cams u, v,
to lift the valve when required; /, the weight to bring the lever p, p, back
again after it has lifted the valve h from its seat for a sufficient time to allow
one compartment of the receiving vessel to be filled with steam, the weight/
thus bringing the lever p, p, to its proper place to be again acted upon by the
cams v, v; r, r, is a sling with a mortice cut in it to receive the lever p, p,
and which is keyed to the top of the valve spindle h; t, t, is the cam shaft;
u, u, the clicket wheel to lift the valve, which is formed into six divisions, and
which provide for the opening of the valve at every three double strokes of the
engine by means of the lever w, which is put in operation by any convenient
apparatus at each stroke of the engine, which will be very familiar to any
competent person acquainted with the action and working of steam engines.
The same letters denote the same parts in Figures 9, 10, 11, and 12, as far as
they extend in each Figure.
I do not claim as the Invention of the said Charles Broderip, the introduc-
tion or use of a steam-receiving vessel, nor of any of the apparatus for regulating
the quantity of steam to be admitted into a steam cylinder or cylinders by
means of throttle and other valves being placed between the receiving vessel
and steam cylinder of any engine, because I am aware that these contrivances
and expedients have been used with more or less success; the improvement
upon these contrivances is the introduction of valves or cocks to supply the
steam-receiving vessel from the boiler or boilers, and when this is effected then
to close and shut off, by the agency of the steam engine, the communication
between the boiler or boilers and the steam-receiving vessel, and to open and
close their communication at any desired and stipulated periods. The particular
description of valve and apparatus described in Figures 9, 10, 11, and 12, are
preferable, although other cocks, slides, or valves, may accomplish the desired
object with more or less effect; but it is the expedient of placing any suitable
apparatus between the boiler and the steam-receiving vessel; with competent

page_text: means to open and close the communication between them at any stipulated
period or for any stipulated time, that constitutes the leading feature of this
part of the improvements.
I declare that I do not claim the separate parts of machinery herein
referred to, the same being well known to all mechanists and engineers, but
that the Invention of the said Charles Broderip consists in the modifications
and combinations herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph D'Arcy, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Twenty-ninth day of May, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and thirty.