CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MA- CHINERY OR APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED IN THE TRANSPORTATION OF GOODS OR PASSENGERS, PARTS OF WHICH SAID IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO THE ORDINARY PURPOSES OF STEAM ENGINES
Year: 1833

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
CHURCH, of Heywood House, Bordesley Green, near Birmingham, in the
County of Warwick, Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS His present most Excellent Majesty King William the Fourth,
by His Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing
date at Westminster, the Seventh day of September, in the fourth year of His
reign, did, for Himself, His heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said William Church His especial licence, full power, sole privilege and autho-
rity, that I, the said William Church, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said William Church, my executors, administrators,.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, my Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MA-
CHINERY OR APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED IN THE TRANSPORTATION OF GOODS OR
PASSENGERS, PARTS OF WHICH SAID IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO THE
ORDINARY PURPOSES OF STEAM ENGINES;" in which said Letters Patent is con-
tained a proviso obliging me, the said William Church, by an instrument in
writing under my hand and seal, particularly to describe and ascertain the
nature of my 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 six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said in
part 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, 1, the said
William Church, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, are particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following description, reference being had to the
Drawings hereunto annexed (that is to say):-
My Invention of Improvements in Machinery or Apparatus to be employed
in the Transportation of Goods or Passengers, Parts of which said Improvements
are also applicable to the ordinary Purposes of Steam Engines," consist, in the
first instance, in certain variations from the construction and arrangement of
apparatus described in the Specification of a Patent granted to me, the said
William Church, and dated the Twenty-ninth day of November, One thousand
eight hundred and thirty, "for certain Improvements in Apparatus applicable to
propelling Boats and driving Machinery by the Agency of Steam, Parts of which
Improvements are also applicable to the Purposes of Evaporation," and apply
to the principles upon which I then proposed to take up or recover heat from
the eduction vapour. of an engine, and transmit it to the generator.
My, improvements in the second-instance apply to the construction and
arrangement of apparatus described in the, Specification of another Patent
granted to me, the said William Church, dated the Ninth day of February,
One thousand, eight hundred and thirty-two, for Improvements in Appa-
ratus to be employed in the Transportation of Goods or Passengers, Parts of
which. Improvements are also applicable to the ordinary Purposes of Steam
Engines," and consist in the construction and arrangement of boilers, dr
generators and furnaces applicable to. locomotive and other engines; and
further, my improvements consist in the means of distilling or evaporating
water by the heat of the passing eduction steam, in order to supply to the
boilers or generators any deficiency of distilled water caused by leakage or
other escape, and also to the construction of condensors adapted for locomotive
engines.
I proceed to describe the improved mode by which I take up heat from the
eduction vapour of an engine, and transmit that heat to the generator.
In my improved construction of apparatus the eduction vapour, in its pro-
gress to the lowest, point of temperature in the refrigerator, is conducted by
several series of tubes through several distinct vessels, in order that the heat
may be abstracted by colder mediums, and these refrigerating medii, being
conveyed in an opposite direction to that of the eduction vapour, transmit
the heat thus abstracted again to the generator. In order to explain the
manner in which I carry these principles into operation,. I have; in, the
accompanying Drawings at Figure 1, given a diagram representing an appa

page_text: ratus in section, by which the transmission.of heat may be effected upon the
principles above stated. A represent a boiler or generator, from whence a
tube B conducts steam or vapour through the working cylinder C to the educ-
tion tube D; this tube leads into the replenishing steam generator E, the
particular construction and adaptation of which, not being essential to our
present consideration, will be described hereafter. From the eduction tube D
the vapour passes.through the replenisher E, and by the tube F enters the
chamber G of the condensor, thence proceeding through a system of descending
pipes a, a, a, occupying the vessel H, the ends of these pipes are passed through
and fixed into partition plates b, b, at top, and c, c, at bottom. Two other
similarly constructed systems of pipes d, d, d, and e, e, e, forming a continuation
of the condenser occupying the vessels I and K, through which pipes the educ-
tion vapour continues its progress to the lowest point of temperature, the well of
distilled water L. The boiler being heated by a close furnace, the air to sup-
port combustion is entirely supplied by the pipe M, leading from the vessel H
to the ash-pit, and this vessel H being perforated on the sides, near the bottom,.
the atmospheric air enters in at these perforations, and in its progress to the
furnace takes up and conducts to the generator a portion of that heat which.is
contained in the eduction steam as it passes through the pipes a, a, a, in its
progress of condensation. In order to give lateral support to the pipes a, a,
d, d, and c, e, discs of metal fare inserted into the vessels H, I, and K, at
surable distances apart. through which the systems of pipes pass. These discs.
are also perforated with a multitude of small holes, in order to allow the air and
water or other condensing mediums to flow through the vessels and take up:
the heat from the pipes. The distilled water collected in the well L is drawn
therefrom by the air-pump N, whence it passes to the hot-water pump O, which
forces it by the pipe P through the vessel I and pipe Q into the boiler, and in
this course it takes up a further portion of the heat from the eduction' vapour
proceeding through the pipes d. In order to perfect the condensation a current:
of cold water is forced by the pump R through the pipe S and vessel K, and
escapes from thence by the by the discharge pipe T. This Figure, however, is to
be considered merely as a diagram illustrative of the principles on which this part
of my improvements is founded. By any arrangement of apparatus constructed
upon these principles a considerable portion of the heat of the eduction vapour
from an engine, as that vapour undergoes the process of condensation, may be
transmitted to the boiler for the purpose of reproducing an elastic vapour
capable of exerting mechanical power. In adopting these principles to an
engine to be impelled by the expansive force of atmospheric air or other permi-
nent gases, I should conduct the operation in the manner represented in the

page_text: diagram, Figure 2. In this Figure it will be perceived that the air pump N
is open to the atmosphere at bottom, and that by its action a volume of cold
air is forced through that part of the refrigeratory apparatus marked I, where
it takes up a portion of the heat from the eduction current of hot air, and being
so heated proceeds through the ascending pipe Q to the chamber Z, at top of
the generator. From thence the air is impelled through small straight
pipes y, y, y, nearly to the bottom of the generator, where it is discharged
into the water or other liquid heating medium, and rising through the said
medium in small bubbles passes off in a highly elastic state to the working
cylinder by the induction tube B. The heated air after exerted its elastic
force upon the piston in the working cylinder, proceeds through the eduction
passages to the condensor, where, in, its progress through the several systems of
pipes a, a, d, d, and e, e, it gives off its heat to the refrigerating medium in the
same way as I have described above when treating of steam, and is discharged
at bottom into the open atmosphere. In order to enable a high degree of tem-
perature to be communicated to the air or other permanent gases without
injuring the vessel in which it is heated, I employ a liquid medium in the
generator, which liquid must be kept under pressure sufficiently great in rela-
tion to the temperature of such liquid as to prevent ebullition. In the event
of a portion of the heating medium being lost by evaporation, that deficiency
may be supplied by the replenisher E as described, and passing down through
the condensor with the eduction air, descends to the well L, and is thence
raised to the generator by the pump O. In this last described arrangement of
the apparatus, the tubes e, e, e, and the vessel K which encloses them, is em-
ployed simply for the condensation of that small portion of vapour which pro-
ceeds from the replenisher E, and therefore might bear a much less proportion
to the entire refrigerating apparatus than is shewn in the diagram, and the
vessel I in this instance should be considerably larger in proportion to the whole;
but it is to be remarked that no definite proportions are intended to be given in
these diagrams, as they are designed simply to illustrate the principles of my
Invention.
My improvements in boilers and furnaces are represented in the Drawings
at Figures 3 to 10 inclusive. Figure 3 is a side elevation of the boiler and
furnace complete. Figure 4 is a section of the same, taken through the
middle. Figure 5 is a horizontal view of the boiler, furnace, and chimney.
Figure 6 is a similar view, the chimney and top of the boiler being removed.
The boiler consists of a box or vessel having a thin stratum of water surround-
ing the fire, and of a vertical part also containing water, through which a
system of tubular flues conduct the flame and heat generated in the furnace.

page_text: The base or horizontal part of the boiler containing the fire is formed by
double plates of iron placed at about two inches apart, and secured together
by bolts, leaving a space for water a, a, a, surrounding the fire on every
side. This water vessel communicates with the vertical part of the boiler b, b,
through which the tubes c, c, c, constituting the flues ascend, which are bent at
their upper parts, and lead off laterally into the jacket or chimney. The
motive for bending these tubes is, that the joints may not be disturbed by any
expansion or contraction of the metal. A hollow bridge d, having open com-
munication at the top and ends with the strature of water surrounding the fire-
place, descends sufficiently to obstruct and cause the smoke to pass immediately
over and in contact with the ignited fuel, where being met by a current of air
from the ash-pit, more perfect combustion is effected. The feeding pipe, by
which air is conveyed to the furnace, as described in reference to the diagram,
Figure 1, is shewn at e, and the steam evolved passes from the upper part of
the boiler through the induction pipef on its way to the working cylinder.
The fuel is supplied to the furnace through the door, and it is progressively
carried forward toward the other extremity of the furnace by the rotation of
the fire bars. These fire bars are caused to revolve upon their own axis by
any convenient means. A method which I have found to answer the purpose
is represented in the detached Figures 9 and 10. The axles of the several
bars are supported by side bearing rails a, a, and to the end of each bar is
affixed a ratchett wheel b, b, b. Above this, a sliding bar c, c, is mounted,
carrying a series of palls or clicks d, d, d, which respectively take into the
teeth of the rachett wheels; by giving to the bar c a sliding longitudinal recipro-
cating motion the palls or clicks will cause the ratchet wheels, and with them
the fire bars, to turn upon their respective axles, and in so doing to conduct
the fuel progressively along the furnace. The sliding motion of the bar c may
be effected by connecting it to any convenient reciprocating part of the engine.
By this contrivance of revolving fire bar the fuel is kept in constant agitation,
is progressively carried forward under the generator in a state of ignition, the
ashes are discharged into the ash-pit, and the bars are prevented from becoming
injuriously heated.
A variation in the construction of the boiler is shewn in section in Figure 11,
in which the bent tubes b, b, b, contain water, and are externally acted upon
by the heat of the furnace below. These tubes communicates at bottom with
the stratum of water a, a, a, surrounding the vessel in which they are situate,
and at top are open to the steam chamber. The smoke and hot air from the
furnace passes off into the jacket and to the chimney through the short tubes or
openings c, c, c. As it is extremely important to prevent deposits or incrustation

page_text: upon the internal surfaces of steam boilers, particularly in such as have very
narrow or contracted passages, I think it desirable in my improved apparatus
to condense the eduction steam by bringing it in contact with refrigerating
surfaces, by doing which I am enabled to return to the generator the greater
portion of the water contained in the eduction steam; but it is evident that
some loss must be occasioned by leakage and other causes. Now, in order to
supply the deficiency of water in the boiler, I have recourse to what I call the
replenisher E before alluded to, and which I shall now proceed to describe more
particularly. The replenisher is a box E, see Figure 1, having two partitions
9,9, into which the ends of the pipes h, h, h, are inserted. The space between
the two partitions is partially occupied with water surrounding the pipes h, and
the eduction steam from the tube D passing through these pipes raises the tem-
perature of the water in the box E, causing steam to be generated therefrom,
which steam rises into the dome i, from whence it proceeds to the small pipe k,
to the chamber at the end of the box E, where it unites with the eduction steam,
and passes off with it through the condensor to the well L below. In adapting
these principles to a locomotive engine or steam carriage, I allow the induction
steam to escape into close refrigerating boxes. These boxes are constructed
with a great number of tubes inserted into them, through which the cold
atmosphere is caused to pass, and the eduction steam coming in contact with
the surfaces of these refrigeratory tubes, a considerable condensation is effected.
Figures 13 and 14 exhibit an elevation and horizontal section of a convenient
construction of condensor adapted to a locomotive engine. It is formed by
plates of metal a, a, a, perforated with a multitude of holes, into which the
small tubes b, b, b, are inserted transversely, and secured by soldering. The
eduction steam enters the box by the pipe c, and defusing itself among the
tubes becomes condensed by the contact of the cold surfaces, the water
running off through tubes d, d, below into suitable reservoirs, and the
remaining uncondensed escapes by the tubes e, c, into the chimney. The
current of atmospheric air drawn or forced through the tubes by a rotary
fan or other suitable contrivance, laving become heated in its progress, is
impelled from the chamber f through the tube g into the ash-pit of the
furnace, and thereby transmits the absorbed heat to the generator. In the
event of working an engine by the expansive force of air or permanent gas,
it is necessary to adapt an apparatus which shall be capable of regulating
the supply of air to the generator, such supply of air only being required as
shall preserve any determined proportion between the elasticity of the air and
its temperature within the generator. Figure 12 represents in section an
apparatus designed to effect this object; a glass bulb 4, containing mercury,

page_text: is immersed in the heated air within the generator, in the cylindrical stem of
which is introduced an iron plunger b, accurately but loosely fitted, allowing
a thin stratum of mercury to encircle it. The mercury in this bulb acting as a
thermometer, will, as it expands and contracts, cause the plunger b to rise and
fall. An open tube c, inserted into the top of the generator, has a plunger d
accurately and closely fitted air-tight, which is raised by the expansive
force of the air against the resistance of a helical spring; the upper parts of the
stems of the plungers b and d are formed with racks, which take into and
support a toothed segment lever e, f. It is evident that as the segment lever
is supported by. the racks of the plungers only, that as they are elevated or
depressed the segment lever will be moved up or down with them; but if the
plungers b and d are unequally raised or depressed, the segment lever will
receive a corresponding degree of rotative movement. From the centre of this
centre of this segment lever a long spindle extends, and at its opposite end
turns in a bearing, and its extremity is connected by a crank lever to a throttle
valve situated in the induction tube of the cold air pump. It will now be
perceived that when the temperature of the air in the generator is in excess,
that the inercury will cause the plunger b to elevate the end e of the segment
lever, whereby the crank at the extremity of the spindle will be turned, and
the throttle valve consequently opened, by which a greater supply of cold air
will be admitted into the, cold, air pump, and forced into the generator, and the
temperature is thereby reduced. On the contrary, when the elastic force within
the generator is in excess, the plunger & will be raised and the end f of the
segment lever relatively elevated, and through the medium of the spindle
the throttle valve will be relatively closed.
ს;
In further illustration of these improvements, I have exhibited in elevation,
at Figures 15 and 16, a pair of engines embodying the principles above set
out, which are suited to marine and other purposes. In these Figures the
parellel motion and gearing for working the side valves are omitted, as not
essential to the explanation of the present improvements. Figure 17 is a hori-
zontal section taken through the upper part of the framework in the line a,
and Figure 18 is another horizontal section taken through the bottom of the frame-
work in the line c, d. Figure 19 is a vertical section taken through the framework
in the line e, f; and Figure 20 is a similar section taken in the line g, h; all which
said sectional Figures are designed to shew the arrangement of the refrigerating
chambers and passages for the eduction vapour. In the last six Figures the
respective letters of reference point out corresponding parts of the apparatus
as described in the diagram, Figure 1. A is the generator and furnace; B,
the induction pipe; C, the working cylinder; D, the eduction tube leading to

page_text: l
the replenisher E, from whence the eduction vapour passes to the chamber G,
and descends through the system of pipes a, a, a, in the vessel H, to the
chambers g, g, then proceeding upward by the passages h, h, it enters the
chambers i, i, and passes down the pipes d, d, d, contained in the vessel I.
The eduction vapour having arrived at the chamber k, will now rise through
the middle passage into the upper chamber m, whence it will descend by the
pipes e, e, e, occupying the vessel K, into the well L, from which the distilled
water is to be drawn by the pump N, and conveyed by the hot water pump O 0
through the pipe P into the vessel I, whence it will pass by the pipe Q to the
generator. The supply of cold water to the third refrigerating vessels K, K,
is forced by the pump R through the pipe S into those vessels, and is dis-
charged by the pipe T. The supply of air to the furnace rises the vessels H, H,
and is conducted by the passages M as before described. The supply of water
to the replenisher E may be effected by an convenient means.
Lastly, it may be necessary to observe, that although in the above descrip-
tion I have represented the eduction vapour as passing through the several
systems of tubes, yet it must be obvious that a similar object might be effected
by passing that refrigerating mediums through the tubes, and the vapour
through the vessels in any opposite direction.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Church, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Seventh day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and thirty-four
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Seventh day of March, in the
fourth year of the reign of His Majesty King William the Fourth, the said
William Church came before our said Lord the King in His Chancery, and
acknowledged the Instrument aforesaid, and all and every thing therein con-
tained and specified, in form above written. And also the Instrument aforesaid
was stamped according to the tenor of the Statute made in the fifty-fifth year
of the reign of His late Majesty King George the Third.
Inrolled the Seventh day of March, One thousand eight hundred and
thirty-four.