IMPROVE- MENTS IN APPARATUS TO BE USED IN CONDENSING STEAM IN STEAM ENGINES, APPLICABLE ALSO TO OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Andrew Barclay, of Kilmarnock, in the County
of Ayr, North Britain, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN APPARATUS TO BE USED IN CONDENSING STEAM IN STEAM
Sealed the 2nd October 1868, and dated the 11th April 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Andrew Barclay
at the Office. of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 11th April 1868.
I, ANDREW BARCLAY, of Kilmarnock, in the County of Ayr, North
Britain, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS TO BE USED IN CONDENSING STEAM IN STEAM
ENGINES, APPLICABLE ALSO TO OTHER PURPOSES," to be as follows, that is
to say :-
This Invention relates to certain apparatus for effecting a speedy
and economical condensation of the exhaust steam escaping from the
cylinders of steam engines, by the employment of which the construc-

page_text: tion of such engines is much simplified.. The apparatus is attached
to the exhaust pipe or pipes of the engine, and consists of one or
more passages terminating in nozzles through which the exhaust
steam escapes and mixes with water or other condensing fluid or
liquid issuing from one or more nozzles or passages. The passage or
throat is extended to such length and contracted at its extremity, so
that the jet of condensed and condensing fluid in issuing therefrom
completely fills it as a stream of dense fluid or liquids so that there
may be no room for the passage of atmospheric air inwards to the
condensing instrument. To render the action of the condensing
instrument more perfect a vacuum chamber is placed between the
extended passage and the throat, and in the event of at any time
more steam passing through the instrument than the liquid or fluid
is capable of thoroughly condensing, a chamber is formed in any
convenient part of the exhaust pipe, constituting a reservoir, into
which such surplus may be received either as condensed or uncondensed
steam.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Andrew Barclay in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 10th October 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ANDREW
BARCLAY, of Kilmarnock, in the County of Ayr, North Britain, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of April, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the thirty-
first year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Andrew Barclay, Her special license,
that I, the said Andrew Barclay, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Andrew Barclay, my executors,
administrators, or 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

page_text: Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS TO BE USED IN CONDENSING STEAM ENGINES, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS
ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO OTHER PURPOSES," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Andrew Barclay, by an instrument in writing
under my hand and scal, 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 Seal
Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after
the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Andrew Barclay, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention and in what manner the
samic is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement, reference being had to the
accompanying Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon,
that is to say:
My said Invention relates to certain apparatus for effecting a speedy
and economical condensation of the exhaust steam escaping from the
cylinders of steam engines, by the employment of which the construction
of such engines is much simplified. The apparatus is attached to the
exhaust pipe or pipes of the engine and consists of one or more passages
terminating in nozzles, through which the exhaust steam escapes and
mixes with water or other condensing fluid or liquid issuing from onc
or more other nozzles or passages. The passage or throat is extended
to such length and contracted at its extremity, so that the jet of
condensed and condensing fluid in issuing therefrom completely fills
it as a stream of dense fluid or liquid so that there may be no room for
the passage of atmospheric air inwards to the condensing instrument.
To render the action of the condensing instrument more perfect a
vacuum chamber is placed between the extended passage and the throat,
and in the event of at any time more steam passing through than the
liquid or fluid is capable of thoroughly condensing a chamber is formed
in any convenient part of the exhaust pipe, constituting a reservoir
into which such surplus may be received as condensed or uncondensed
steam.
And in order that my said Invention may be properly understood I
now proceed more particularly to set forth the system, mode, or manner
in or under which the same is or may be used or practically carried

page_text: into effect, reference being had, for the sake of more complete clucidation,
to the letters and figures upon the explanatory Sheets of Drawings which
I have hereunto appended, that is to say :-
Figure 1, Sheet 1, is a vertical section showing the condensing
apparatus as it may be applied to condense the exhaust steam of
steam engines.
A is an exhaust pipe communicating with the exhaust port of the
engine cylinder, and B is an equalizing chamber into which the exhaust
steam may escape so as to equalize the flow of steam through the
condensing apparatus, and thus prevent any back pressure upon the
piston of the engine; D is a cylinder into which is fitted a steam
nozzle E, to which is connected the rod N working through the stuffing
box O, with a screw and hand wheel P supported by pillars Q, so that
the annular space a between the nozzles E and F may be increased or
diminished at pleasure. At the bottom end of the cylinder D there is
fitted a water nozzle F. The water for condensation is admitted through
the branch pipe G from a tank or other source and passes through the
nozzle or condensing passage F; C is a vacuum chamber into which
the nozzle F and the throat H extends, through which the condensed
steam and injection water passes to the chamber I through the water
locked valve J, and overflows by the pipe K; L is a pipe connecting
the equalizing chamber B with the vacuum chamber C, the pipe L is
also provided with a cock M so as to open or close the communication
at will.
The working of the apparatus is as follows:-The exhaust steam on
issuing from the engine cylinder passes through the exhaust pipe A
into the equalizing chamber B, which may be made of suflicient
capacity so as to keep up a constant flow of steam through the
condensing apparatus and prevent any back pressure upon the piston of
the engine. The steam passes from the equalizing chamber B to
the cylinder D by the branch pipe R, thence through the steam nozzle E,
at the bottom end of which it comes in contact with and is condensed
by the injection water on its issuing through the annular space a. The
condensed steam and injection water now flow through the nozzle or
condensing passage F and the vacuum chamber C into the throat II,
the force of the water rushing from the nozzle F through the throat H
iends to suck away any air or vapour which may collect in the
chamber C and the equalizing chamber B, so that the throat H acts in

page_text: place of the air pump usually applied to condensing engines, with
this advantage, that it requires no power from the engine to enable it
to act as such. The water now passes through the valve J into the
chamber I, and passes out by the overflow pipe K, and may be collected
in a tank from which it may be drawn off to supply the boilers with
feed water.
Figure 2 is another modification of the condensing apparatus. In this
case two connections R, R', are formed between the equalizing
chamber B and the cylinder D. The steam entering by the upper
branch passes through the nozzle E, at the bottom of which and on
entering the nozzle F it comes it contact with and is condensed by
the injection water entering by the annular space a, between the steam
nozzle E, and the water nozzle F. The condensed steam and injection
water now passes through the nozzle F into a second steam nozzle E',
(which forms a second condensing chamber or passage and renders the
action of the apparatus more perfect), and meets the steam entering
from the equalizing chamber B by the bottom branch R', the quantity
of steam passing through which may be regulated by the. valve S, the
whole condensed steam and water passes through the second steam
nozzle E' and into the throat H, from whence it enters the chamber I by
the valve J as herein-before described in reference to Figure 1. The
other parts of this modification are the same as hercin-before described
in reference to Figure 1.
Figure 3 is another modification of this apparatus constructed in the
same manner as shown in Figure 2, with this exception, that a double
vacuum chamber C, C, and two throats II, II', are employed. The
water after passing through the first throat H has still a considerable
velocity, and in passing through the second vacuum chamber C¹ carries
the air with it and forms a partial vacuum therein which assists the
vacuum in the first chamber C.
Figure 1, Sheet 2, is a vertical section showing another modification
of the condensing apparatus as it may be applied to condense the
exhaust steam of steam engines.
A is a condenser which communicates with the exhaust port of the
engine by the exhaust pipe B, to the bottom end of which a nozzle C is
fitted, through which the exhaust steam passes to the condenser A. The
water or condensing liquid passes into the condenser by the annular

page_text: space D, its admission being regulated by the valve E, which is opened
and closed by the rods F, operated by a wyper shaft J, provided with
a crank K, which may be actuated by any of the methods usually
employed to operate the valves of steam engines. The condensing water
is contained in the chest II, into which it flows by the pipe G. The
condenser is supplied with a "blow through" valve I, opening into the
chest V, which is provided with an overflow pipe U, through which
the water used in condensing the steam may be drawn off and used for
any purpose, or allowed to run to waste. An auxiliary condensing
apparatus L may also be applied from which the feed water required for
supplying the boiler or boilers may be taken, and which may be allowed
to be of a higher temperature than the water in the chest V. The water
is admitted to the chest L by the pipe N, and passes through a perforated
plate O fitted in the upper part of the chest L, from which the heated
water escapes by the overflow pipe P through the water locked valve Q
to the cistern R, from which the water required to supply the boiler or
boilers may be drawn by the feed pump of the engine through the
pipe S, and the surplus water may escape by the overflow pipe T.
The working of this arrangement of the condensing apparatus is as
follows: When the exhaust valve of the engine is opened the exhaust
steam escapes into the passage B', and a portion of it passes through the
valve M into the condensing chest L, into which a portion of the
injection water is admitted; the remainder of the steam passes down
the pipe B and through the nozzle C into the condenser A, where it
comes in contact with the water in the condenser and forces it through
the valve I into the chest V, part of the steam being condensed in
consequence, and the remainder is condensed by the injection water
admitted through the annular space D during cach lift of the valve E.
Figure 2 is a vertical section showing a modification of the apparatus.
A is a condenser, and B the exhaust pipe communicating with the
exhaust port of the engine. In this case the steam passes from the
chest C by the annular space D into the condenser A, and the injection
water which is contained in the cistern E passes through the pipe F, and
is admitted into the condeuser A by the annular nozzle H, (or which
may be a circular jet or rose pipe) during each lift of the valve G,
which is actuated by the crank T', and operated by the cam V' working
in the cam yoke W. I is a "blow through" valve opening into the
chest V for the emission of the condensed stcam and water from

page_text: the condenser; A and U is an overflow pipe by which the hot water
escapes.
Figure 3 is a vertical section showing another modification of the
apparatus.
A, is a condenser; B, the pipe leading to the exhaust port of the
engine cylinder; C is the cistern which contains the injection water
which escapes into the pipe D during cach lift of the valve E, thence it
passes through the perforated pipe or rose F into the condenser A; the
valve E is operated by an eccentric a actuating a crank b, on the axis
of which two cams c and d are keyed, which lift the lever by acting
upon the pawls and g; as soon as the cam c has passed the point of
the pawl the lever e drops and closes the valve E, and on the return
stroke the cam & lifts the pawl g and opens the valve, at the same time
the cam c passes under the pawl f, which is centred on the axis h, and
is ready for another lift.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and the
manner in or under which the same is or may be used or practically
carried into effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I consider
novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to
me by the hercin-before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
First. The general arrangement and construction of apparatus as
herein-before described and shown in the accompanying Sheets of
Drawings or any mere modification thereof.
Second. The application of an equalizing chamber or reservoir as
herein-before described for the purpose of maintaining a continuous flow
of steam through the ejecting and condensing apparatus, or any merc
modification thereof.
Third. The application of cocks or sluice valves for the purpose of
regulating the flow of steam from the equalizing chamber to the
condensing apparatus as herein-before described, or any mere modification
thereof.
Fourth. The application of a vacuum chamber enclosing the ejecting
nozzles, and throat or throats as shown on Figures 1, 2, and 3, Sheet 1,
or any mere modification thereof.
Fifth. The application of a water-locked valve chest as shown on
the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, or any mere modification thereof.

page_text: Sixth. The application of a blow-through condenser to double acting
engines for the purpose of condensing the exhaust steam at the end of
cach stroke as hercin-before described.
Seventh. The mode of operating the valves for regulating the flow
of the injection water to blow-through condensers on double acting
engines as shown in Figures 2 and 3, Sheet 2, or any mere modification
thercof.
Eighth. The application of an auxiliary blow-through condensing
apparatus for the purpose of heating the water for supplying the boiler
or boilers, or for other purposes as herein-before described.
Ninth. The arrangement and construction of auxiliary blow-through
condensers as herein-before described and shown in Figure 1, Sheet 2.
Tenth. The construction of annular valves for blow-through condensers
as herein-before described and shown on Figure 1, Sheet 2, or any merc
modification thereof.
In witness whereof, I, the said Andrew Barclay, have hereunto
set my hand and scal, this Ninth day of October, One thousand
eight hundred and sixty-eight.
ANDREW BARCLAY. (L.S.)