IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES AND IN STEAM GENERATORS
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Giles, of No. 8, Cannon Street, London, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES AND IN STEAM
GENERATORS."
Sealed the 7th. February 1861, and dated the 10th August 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Giles at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 10th August
1860.
I, JOHN GILES, of No. 8; Cannon Street, London, .do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES AND IN
STEAM GENERATORS," to be as follows:
The purpose of these improvements in their application to steam generators
is the attainment of the following objects; lightness of weight, smallness of
size, rapidity in the generation of steam, safety, and an effectual separation of
the steam and water before its passage into the steam pipes. These improve-
ments are effected in the following manner :-By increasing the heating effi-
ciency of the furnace in comparison with the bulk of water on which that
efficiency is expressed; by providing a supplementary flue furnished with a
damper passing outside the shell of the boiler for the purpose of diverting at
will the products of combustion from their passage through the boiler tubes;
and by placing a damper in the chimney, by the use of which the draught
through the tubes may be regulated; by placing one or more perforated dia-
phragms within the boiler, so that the agitated water may be localized and
circulation facilitated; by making the tubes with larger diameters at the extre-
mities near the fire,box than at the other or opposite extremities. The tube
plates to which these tubes are, secured may be made as follows, that. near
the fire box convex on its outside, the other concave on its outside, the, latter

page_text: being less in diameter than the former. The outer shell of the boiler is
prolonged beyond the smaller extremities of the tubes, and a water or steam
space is formed around the smoke box.
The improvements relating to steam engines are for the purpose of obtaining
lightness of weight and simplicity of construction, and a constant development
of power without the aid of a fly-wheel.
These improvements are. effected in the following manner:-A cylinder
called the "main cylinder" is divided longitudinally into two equal parts by a
partition; the partition is perforated at its centre, the two cylinder heads are
also perforated, and a bearing and stuffing box, if necessary, placed on the
outside of each. In these bearings is placed a shaft, to which are attached
excentrically and pointing in opposite directions two cylinders called "se-
condary cylinders," a metal strap encircles each of these; the rods or continua-
tions of the straps, which are by preference flat or oval, pass through slides
moveable on their axis, which slides are let into the top, sides, or other
suitable part of the main cylinder. The steam and eduction pipes are placed
on each side of these slides. The slides may be used as steam pipes, the
rods passing through them being grooved so as to allow the passage of the
steam into the main cylinder when required. One or more springs may be
placed between that part of each of the secondary cylinders most distant from
its centre of rotation, and the strap which encircles-it. A crank motion may
be substituted for the excentric motion. The partition in the main cylinder
may be formed in parts or whole, and it may be secured to the main cylinder
'or to the shaft; or the partition and the main cylinder heads may form part of
the crank shaft revolving with it. In the latter case the bearings which
sustain the shaft are not fixed to the cylinder heads, but are otherwise secured.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Giles in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 9th
February 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
GILES, of No. 8, Cannon Street, London, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of August, in the year of our Lord
'One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-fourth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said John Giles, Her special licence that I, the said John Giles,- my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John

page_text: .
Giles, 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
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
STEAM ENGINES AND STEAM GENERATORS," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said John Giles, my executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under my or their, or one of their hands and seals, should' par-
ticularly 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 John Giles, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
The purpose of these improvements in their application to steam generators
is the attainment of the following objects, lightness of weight, smallness
of size, rapidity in the generation of steam, safety, and an effectual separation
of steam and water before its passage into the steam pipes.
These improvements are effected in the following manner:-By increasing
the heating efficiency of the furnace in comparison with the bulk of water
on which that efficiency is expressed; by providing a supplementary flue fur-
nished with a damper passing outside the shell of the boiler for the purpose of
diverting at will the products of combustion from their passage through the
boiler tubes, and by placing a damper in the chimney, by the use of which the
draught through the tubes may be regulated; by placing one or more perforated
diaphragms within the boiler, so that the agitation of the water may be
localized, and circulation facilitated; by making the tubes with larger diameters
at the extremities near the fire box than at their other or opposite extremities.
The tube plates to which the tubes are secured may be made as follows, that
near the fire-box convex on its outside, the other concave on its outside, the
latter being less in diameter than the forner. The outer shell of the boiler is
prolonged beyond the small extremity of the tubes, and a water or steam space
is formed round the smoke box.
The improvements relating to steam engines are for the purpose of obtaining
lightness of weight and simplicity of construction and a constant developement
of power without the aid of a fly-wheel.
These improvements are effected in the following, manner:-A cylinder

page_text: .called the "main cylinder" is divided longitudinally into the equal parts by a
-partition, this partition is perforated at its centre, the two cylinder heads are
also perforated, and a bearing and stuffing box, if necessary, placed on the
outside of each. In these bearings is placed a shaft to which are attached
.excentrically and pointing in opposite directions two cylinders.called "secondary
cylinders," a metal strap encircles each of these, the rods or continuations of
the straps which are by preference flat or soal-pass through slides moveable on
their axis, which slides are let into the top, sides, or other suitable part of
the main cylinder, the steam and eduction pipes are placed on each side of these
slides. The slides may be used as steam pipes, the rods passing through
them being grooved, so as to allow the passage of the steam into the main
cylinder when required. One or more springs may be placed between that
part.of each of the secondary cylinders most distant from its centre of rotation,
and the strap which encircles it. A crank motion may be substituted for the
excentric motion, the partition in the main cylinder may be formed in parts or
whole, and it may be secured to the main cylinder or to the shaft,
or the
par-
tition, and the main cylinder heads may form part of the crank shaft revolving
with it. In the latter case the bearings which sustain the shaft are not fixed
to the cylinder heads, but are.otherwise secured.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS..
Fig. 1, a sectional elevation of the fire-box and generator; Fig. 2, a sec
tional plan of the same through the line Y, Z.; Fig. 3, a cross section of the
engine; Fig. 4, elevation of discs and pins; Fig. 5, longitudinal elevation
of engine; Fig. 6, section of the valves through the dotted lines in Fig. 5.
The boiler is composed of 2 parts, the fire-box and the generator; Fig. 1
representing a vertical section of the same, the fire-box B is surrounded by a
water space G. Opposite the fire door is a vent through which the heated gas
from the fire can be diverted into the chimney F, by the use of the damper FI,
which moves on an axis L¹ to which a handle is attached; the plate connecting
the inner and outer shells at the top is perforated with holes C through each
of which a hollow screw I passes into a plate inside the water space. The
screws I, Fig. 1, secure the generator to the fire box and form a connection by
which the contents can pass from one to another. The generator comprizes
an external shell, in the bottom of which the tapering tubes K' are secured;
and an internal smoke box L submerged below the water level and communi-
cating with the chimney by the flue M, the top ends of the tubes are secured by
screwing, or other convenient manner into the smoke box, and the stays W,
and the short tubes K, are placed alternately around them; the top of the

page_text: smoke box is removable, and a stay and water and steam conduit is provided
in the pipe S, through which also a stay rod R passes from the tube plate
to the summit of the generator; other stays 0,0, also are placed between the
smoke box and the outer shell; the feed water enters the fire-box at its lowest
part or near G¹, and as it is gradually heated follows the direction of the arrows
in the steam generator proper T.
The engine is composed of a main cylinder I, see Figs. 3 in which are
placed the three discs A, A, A, Figs. 3 and 4 connected by the pins B, B, &
supported by the axles R, R, secured to the cylinder ends; these pins B pass
within the piston C, part of the circumference of the pin being cut away to
allow of the insertion of the plate P and the packing P¹ the joint being thus
made steam-tight. To the piston C is attached the slide bar D, in which
a passage is made for the steam which follows the direction of the arrows
from the steam chest G. In this steam passage Q is placed a double
valve S turning on the pivot S'; this valve commands the two openings V
and V made in the sides of the steam passage Q, the slide D is guided by the
oscillating slide E; F, F, are exhaust valves placed on each side of the slide
and are moveable by means of the handles F, they may thus be made to open
or close the steam passage from the interior of the cylinder into the steam
jacket K, and exhaust pipe N; the piston with the steam acting upon it in
the direction of the small arrows would revolve in the direction shewn by the
large arrow, and the exhaust would pass out as shewn by the dotted arrows.
To reverse the direction of motion of the engine turn the valve F¹, so that it closes
the passage to the steam jacket K, as shewn by dotted lines and open the
reversing cock W, the steam will then pass into the cylinder at the left-
hand side of the slide D; then if the steam is shut off from the steam chest G
and the valve F opened so that it opens the communication to the steam
jacket and exhaust pipe, the steam entering by the cock W¹ will force the
valve S on the other side, & the direction of, motion of the engine will be
reversed on again admitting the steam.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Giles, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Ninth day of February, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-one.
(L.S.) JOHN GILES.