IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ENGINES DRIVEN BY STEAM OR OTHER VAPOUR
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Ferdinando Foggi, of 24, Southampton Place, New
Road, in the County of Middlesex, Professor of Mathematics, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ENGINES DRIVEN BY
STEAM OR OTHER VAPOUR."
Sealed the 17th April 1857, and dated the 17th October 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Ferdinando Foggi at the
1.
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
17th October 1856.
I, FERDINANDO FOGGI, of 24, Southampton Place, New Road, in the
County of. Middlesex; Professor of. Mathematics, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTUFE OF ENGINES
DRIVEN BY STEAM OR OTHER VAPOUR," to be as follows:-
My Invention has for its object .the conversion of the reciprocating motion
of a piston.or. plunger working by steam or other vapour within a cylinder or
vessel (whether such motion be rectilinear or otherwise) into a continuous
rectilinear or rotary motion, as required, and consists in effecting the said
required inotion (without the use of cranks) upon the principle of action and
reaction, by the adaptation to the cylinder or vessel, and to the rod of the
piston or plunger working therein, of palls or catches acting against racks or
ratchets in such manner that the said cylinder or vessel and the said rod shall
impart a progressive action or force to each other, which progressive action is

page_text: maintained or kept up by the racks or ratchets being either formed upon or
fixed to the apparatus or machine to be set in motion, or else by their serving
as the resistance against which the power of the engine (that is to say, of the
cylinder or vessel,) is to be exerted to give a continuous motion to itself.
And my said Invention further consists in a modification of the foregoing
plan, by the substitution of racks or ratchets in the place of the palls or
catches adapted to the cylinder or vessel and to its piston rod or plunger, and
by the substitution of palls or catches in the place of the racks or ratchets
adapted to the apparatus or machine to be driven, or which racks or ratchets
serve as a resistance, as aforesaid.
It is to be understood that the Invention further comprises the adaptation
of the improved engine to locomotives, to common road carriages, and to ships
or floating vessels, such adaptation involving the construction of the said
locomotives, common road carriages, and ships or floating vessels; some or all
of them with boilers, suspended or otherwise, and capable of revolution upon
or around a horizontal or other axis.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Fordinando Foggi in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 17th April 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE, PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, FERDINANDO
FOGGI, of 24, Southampton Place, New Road, in the County of Middlesex,
Professor of Mathematics, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventeenth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the twentieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Ferdinando Foggi, Her special licence that I, the said Ferdinando Foggi,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Ferdinando Foggi, 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
THE MANUFACTURE OF ENGINES DRIVEN BY STEAM OR OTHER VAPOUR," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Ferdinando Foggi, my executors
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of

page_text: 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 Ferdinando Foggi, do hereby declare
the nature of the 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 thereof:-
My Invention has for its object the conversion of the reciprocating motion
of a piston or plunger working by steam or other vapour within a cylinder or
vessel (whether such motion be rectilinear or otherwise) into a continuous
rectilinear or rotary motion, as required, and consists in effecting the said
required motion (without the use of cranks) upon the principle of action and
reaction, by the adaptation to the cylinder or vessel, and to the rod of the piston
or plunger working therein, of palls or catches acting against racks or ratchets
in such manner that the said cylinder or vessel, and the said rod shall impart
a progressive action or force to each other, which progressive action is main-
tained or kept up by the racks or ratchets being either formed upon or fixed
to the apparatus or machine to be set in motion, or else by their serving as
the resistance against which the power of the engine (that is to say, of the
cylinder or vessel,) is to be exerted to give a continuous motion to itself.
And my said Invention further consists in a modification of the foregoing
plan, by the substitution of racks or ratchets in the place of the palls or
catches adapted to the cylinder or vessel and to its piston rod or plunger, and
by the substitution of palls or catches in the place of the racks or ratchets.
adapted to the apparatus or machine to be driven, or which racks or ratchets
serve as a resistance, as aforesaid.
The principle upon which my Invention is based is one of the most
elementary in mechanics, and consists in the simple law or circumstance that
every action excites an equal and opposite reaction. If, for instance, the
cylinder of a steam engine forces the piston and its rod forwards, the piston
equally forces the cylinder backwards; and, on the contrary, if the piston is
attracted inwardly the cylinder must equally be attracted also. In apply-
ing this very simple principle, suppose that the cylinder A, B, with its
rod B, G, (see Figure I.,) both furnished with palls, is free to move between
the two racks D, E, and F, G, it is clear that when condensation takes
place in the cylinder, the rod being prevented by its palls from going back-
ward must oblige the cylinder itself to move forward, and, on the contrary,

page_text: on expansion taking place, the cylinder being prevented by its palls from
returning. must also push the rod forward, and so on. The result is as
follows: Firstly, that the apparatus moves continuously in a straightforward
direction; and, secondly, notwithstanding that the whole moves by successive
fits and starts, nevertheless there is always in some one part or other of the
apparatus something continually progressing onward. Now, suppose further,
that while one of the racks, for instance, F, G, remains fixed, as represented
in the Figure II. by K, L, the other rack is not only reversed, together with
the palls bearing against it, but is also allowed to slide on upwards, as shewn
in the position H, I, and indicated by the arrows: if the apparatus be put in
motion by the introduction of steam or vapour into its cylinder (alternately
expanding and condensing) it is evident that the rack H, I, must acquire the
desired continuous straightforward movement with a velocity double of that of
the cylinder.
:
The new steam or vapour engine which I am now about to explain is only
a modification of the apparatus above described, specially adapted to produce
a rotary motion. The Figures III. and IV. represent, the former a simple or
single effect, and the latter a compound or double effect. The following
description refers more or less indifferently to both Figures. The cylinders
represented in Figures I. and II. are in these Figures replaced by curved
quadrangular boxes, and the entire apparatus is,disposed in a circular form.
An inspection of the Figure III. will render it at once obvious, that if the
central notched or ratchet wheel be fixed, the exterior notched or ratchet
wheel will acquire a continuous rotary motion double the velocity of the
steam boxes; and if, on the contrary, the exterior wheel be fixed, the central
one will assume the continuous rotary movement, as represented by the
contrary direction of the arrows on the two wheels.
It is here to be observed that it is not necessary that the notched or ratchet
wheels should be the one central and the other external, but they may be
at pleasure either both central or both external, as they are supposed to be in
the Figure IV.
It is also to be noticed, that if the diameter of the entire machine be
increased, so as to allow a sufficient length of stroke for the pistons, six,
eight, or more steam boxes may be introduced instead of two or four, as
represented in the Figures, whereby an immense rotary; power may be
obtained directly, produced by the joint action of, all the steam boxes simul
taneously exerting their full power without any intervention of cranks, and of
course without any bindrance from having to overcome their dead or, null
points.

page_text: The axis of the machine is tubular, as represented at G, and the tube
divided into two portions or chambers by a partition across it in the middle.
One of its extremities is placed in communication (through a stuffing box)
with a boiler, and the other with a condenser, as usual. The first portion of
the tube communicates by means of two pipes A, B, and D, E, with two valve
boxes F, G, and H, I, and the other portion communicates through two other
pipes with two other valve boxes lying behind the preceding ones. The
valves indicated in the Figure may be made as usual on the "three port'
system or on any other approved system, in any case giving them a circular
shape, and actuating them either by connecting them as usual by means of
a rod (or, to speak more correctly, a bow) with the main beam K, L, or by
the older inethod of making them directly dependent upon the action of the
piston.
The air pump, regulator, &c., &c. may be made as usual, and worked by
any suitable gearing or apparatus.
The four springs M, N, O, P, or, more correctly, the eight springs, (because
four more are supposed behind the first four,) are merely a secondary ap-
pendage, intended to check the force of the pistons at the end of every stroke,
and to return the same power on the beginning of every next stroke,
whereby I obtain an effect similar or equivalent to the ordinary lap of the
valves and the cushioning of the piston.
I wish it to be understood that I contemplate adapting my improved engine
not only as a motive power generally, but also specially to locomotives, to
common road carriages, and to ships or floating vessels, such adaptation,
involving the construction of the said locomotives, common road carriages,
and ships or floating vessels, some or all of them with boilers suspended or
otherwise, and capable of revolution upon or around a horizontal or other
axis.
In witness whereof, I, the said Ferdinando Foggi, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of April, One thousand eight
hundred and fifty savon
FERDINANDO FOGGI. (L.S.)