IMPROVEMENTS IN LOCOMOTIVE ENGINES, AND IN THE MODE OF AND APPARATUS FOR CONDENSING STEAM IN SUCH OB OTHER ENGINES
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Harry Whiteside Cook, of Thurloe Square,
Brompton, in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN LOCOMOTIVE ENGINES, AND IN THE
MODE OF AND APPARATUS FOR CONDENSING STEAM IN SUCH OB OTHER
ENGINES."
Sealed the 9th September 1873, and dated the 17th March 1873.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Harry Whiteside Cook
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 17th March 1873.
I, HARRY WHITESIDE COOK, of Thurloe Square, Brompton, in the
County of Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN LOCOMOTIVE ENGINES, AND IN THE MODE
OP AND APPARATUS FOR CONDENSING STEAM IN SUCH OR OTHER ENGINES," to be as
0.11

page_text: The Invention is intended particularly to be applied to locomotive
engines.
The condenser is in the nature of a surface condenser, but the
chamber in which the steam is to be condensed instead of being as
nearly empty as possible (as in those generally used) is almost full of
water, the necessary vacuum (or rather absence of pressure) being
obtained by first filling the condenser with water and then pumping out
a small portion of it by means of the feed pump of the engine, and
afterwards withdrawing water as fast as it is added by the condensation
of steam. The main advantage obtained by thus exhausting the steam
into water lies in the fact that it renders the air pump unnecessary. To
effect this the condenser and its accessories are arranged as follows:-
The steam passes from the cylinders down through a large tube, which is
encased in a larger tube. Through the annular conduit thus formed the
feed water is drawn so as to utilise (as far as practicable in each particular
case) the heat of the steam. The steam then passes into a sort of fan of
short small tubes, which convey it to the bottom of one end of the
condenser while a series of diaphragms prevent it from rising directly
and immediately to the top of the water, but cause it to pass from end
to end of the condenser as often as may be necessary to condense it.
Over that part of the condenser at which the steam enters is a dome
from which a large tube descends nearly to the bottom of the condenser,
and is so arranged that the steam will not enter it. The water is
always kept within a foot of the top of this dome, which is the highest
part of the whole apparatus, so that the rest of the condenser is in its
normal state full of water, and the pulsatory rise and fall due to the
sudden admission and condensation of steam will take place at the
surface of the water in this dome. Should any air enter the condenser
it will (not being able to reach the dome) rise to the highest part of the
condenser, and here a smaller dome receives it. This smaller dome
communicates by a tap or taps with a box above, into which the air
passes. Over the box and also connected with it (by a tap or taps) is a
small open tank containing water. From time to time when air has
accumulated in the box (this is shewn by an ordinary level indicator)
the taps connecting it with the condensers are closed, those above are a
then opened, and the air is replaced with water.
The following is the mode in which I apply my condenser to loco-

page_text: of the funnel there is a pair of two-way cocks, which are under the control
of the driver, who can turn the exhaust steam from either or both
cylinders either up the funnel or into a large copper tube, which passing
up the funnel and then back over the driver's head either conveys the
steam direct to the tank of the tender (arranged to form a condenser as
above described) or else conveys it to a large cylinder working at low
-pressure and exhausting into the condenser. This last cylinder actuates
two or more wheels of the tender, which thus becomes an auxiliary
engine, the eccentric governing its valves being arranged in the well-
known manner to reverse the action of the cylinder when the direction
of revolution of the wheel is changed. This latter arrangement is
preferable to exhausting direct into the condenser, as some of the licat
would be utilized for working the auxiliary engine, thus reducing the
temperature of the condenser, and effecting a considerable economy of
fuel.
In either case the condenser should be covered with canvas or other
suitable material kept wet by water from a small auxiliary tank either
by capillary action or other suitable means, the evaporation from
which aided by the rapid motion of the train would suffice to keep the
water in the condenser at the temperature of about 100°.
The two cylinders of the locomotive being separately connected with
-the condenser one would be exhausting up the funnel while the other
was exhausting into the auxiliary cylinder (or other condenser), thus
keeping up the draught.
If it be desired to exhaust both into the auxiliary cylinder (or the
condenser) at the same time this may be done by the driver turning the
exhaust cocks in the required direction.
In order to produce a proper draught through the fire-place when the
engine is in motion the locomotive is provided with an air tubo mado
with an open trumpet mouth, so that as the locomotive passes rapidly
along the railway the air will enter the air tube, and be conducted to
the fire-place to support the combination of the fuel.
In order that the air thus supplied may be warmed before it enters the
fire-place I attach this air tube to some convenient part of the boiler, so
that it will be heated thereby.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Harry Whiteside Cook in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 17th September 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HARRY
WHITESIDE COOK, of Thurloe Square, Brompton, in the County of
Middlesex, Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Seventeenth day of March, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the
thirty-sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors
give and grant unto me, the said Harry Whiteside Cook, Her special
licence that I, the said Harry Whiteside Cook, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Harry Whiteside Cook,
my executors, administrators, and 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 Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN LOCOMOTIVE ENGINES, AND IN THE MODE OF AND APPARATUS FOR CONDENSING
STEAM IN SUCH OR OTHER ENGINES," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Harry Whiteside Cook, my executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or
one of their hands and seals, 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 Harry Whiteside Cook, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement, reference being had to the Drawing here.
unto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to
say) :-

page_text: improved apparatus for condensing the steam of such engines, but the
improved mode of and apparatus for condensing steam is applicable to
other engines whether worked at high pressure or low pressure,
PP
1 аррисало во
other engines whether worked at high pressure or low pressure.
As the Invention is intended particularly to be applied to loco-
motive engines I will describe the Invention as adapted to an engine
of that class.
The condenser is in the nature of a surface condenser, but the
chamber in which the steam is to be condensed instead of being as
nearly empty as possible (as in those generally used) is almost full
of water, the necessary vacuum (or rather absence of pressure) being
obtained by first filling the condenser with water and then pumping
out a small portion of it by means of the feed pump of the engine,
and afterwards withdrawing water as fast as it is added by the con-
densation of steam. The main advantage obtained by thus exhausting
the steam into water lies in the fact that it renders the air pump
unnecessary. To effect this object the condenser and its accessories
are arranged in the manner shewn in the accompanying Drawings,
in which Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of a locomotive engine and
tender with my improvements adapted thereto. The steam passes from
the working cylinder a along a large tube which is encased in a larger
tube b. Through the annular conduit thus formed the feed water may
be drawn, so as to utilize (as far as practicable in each particular case)
the heat of the steam. The steam then passes into a sort of fan of
short small tubes which convey it through a suitable pipe 6¹ to the
bottom of one end of the condenser c, while a series of diaphragms d
prevent it from rising directly and immediately to the top of the water,
but cause it pass to and fro, as indicated by the arrows, from end to
end of the condenser as often as may be necessary to condense it.
Over that part of the condenser at which the steam enters is a dome e
from which a large tube e¹ descends nearly to the bottom of the con-
denser c, and is so arranged that the steam will not enter it. The
water is always kept within a foot of the top of this dome, which
is the highest part of the whole apparatus, so that the rest of the
condenser is in its normal state full of water, and the pulsatory rise
and fall due to the sudden admission and condensation of steam will
take place at the surface of the water in this dome. Should any air

page_text: enter the condenser it will (not being able to reach the dome) rise
to the highest part of the condenser, and here a domed plate f receives
it. The space under this domed plate f communicates by a tap (or
taps) t, with a box 9 above, into which the air passes. Over the box,
and also connected with it (by a tap or taps) is a small open spaco
containing water. From time to time when air has accumulated in
the box (which will be shown by an ordinary level indicator) the
taps connecting it with the condenser are closed, those above are then
opened and the air in the box g is replaced with water.
"In applying my condenser to locomotives, as shewn in the Figure
(and for which indeed it is more especially intended), I place at the
base of the funnel at h a pair of two-way cocks, which by means
of the long rod shewn in the Drawing are under the control of the
driver, who can turn the exhaust steam from either or both cylinders,
either up the funnel i or into the large copper tube b, which passing
up the funnel and then back to the rear part, either conveys the steam
direct to the tank of the tender (arranged to form a condenser, as above
described), or else it will convey the steam to a large cylinder ; working
at low pressure and exhausting into the condenser. This last cylinder j
actuates two or more wheels of the tender, which thus becomes an
auxiliary engine, the excentric for governing its valves being arranged
in the well-known manner to reverse the action of the cylinder when
the direction of revolution of the wheel is changed. This latter arrange-
ment is preferable to exhausting direct into the condenser, as some of
the heat would be utilized for working the auxiliary engine, thus
reducing the temperature of the condenser and effecting a considerable
economy of fuel.
In either case the condenser should be covered with canvas or other
suitable material kept wet by water from a small auxiliary tank, either by
capillary action or other suitable means, the evaporation from which,
aided by the rapid motion of the train would suffice to keep the water
in the condenser at the temperature of about 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
The two working cylinders of the locomotive being separately con-
nected with the condenser, one would be exhausting up the funnel
while the other might be exhausting into the auxiliary cylinder (or the
condenser), thus keeping up the draught.

page_text: If it be desired to exhaust both into the auxiliary cylinder j (or the
condenser), at the same time this may be done by the driver turning
the exhaust cocks in the required direction.
In order to produce a proper draught through the fire-place when
5 the engine is in motion, the locomotive is provided with an air tube
made with an open trumpet mouth, so that as the locomotive passes
rapidly along the railway the air will enter the air tube, be conducted
to the fire-place to support the combustion of the fuel.
If it be desired that the air thus supplied should be warmed before
it enters the fire-place, this air tube may be attached to some convenient
part of the boiler, so that it will be heated thereby.
Fig. 2 represents the condenser separate and as applicable to a
stationary or marine engine. A, A, is the body of the condenser
which is filled with water open to the air; F is the feed pump to
the boiler. The exhaust steam enters at c and passing down the
coiled pipe c, c, c, warms the water supplied to the pump F, and
enters the condenser proper below the diaphragm D. Guided by the
inclined diaphragm d, d, d, d, d, it will follow the serpentine course,
indicated by the arrows, and will be condensed before it reaches the
top of the condenser. Any air that may enter with the steam will
follow the same course, only that not being condensed it will reach
the top of the condenser, and passing through the tap T will enter
the box or receptacle R where (the tap T¹ being closed) it will remain.
From time to time the tap T must be closed, and on the tap T" being
then opened the air in R will pass out and water will flow in instead.
In this way (surplus air being always replaced by water) the air pump
becomes unnecessary, its functions being fulfilled by the joint action
of the feed pump and the arrangement above described. It will be
seen that as the steam enters below D it cannot pass into the perpen-
dicular tube W.

page_text: steam of engines, and also the apparatus above shewn and described,
whereby this object may be effected.
In witness whereof, I, the said Harry Whiteside Cook, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, the Fifteenth day of September, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
three.