CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES, AND IN PROPELLING BOATS AND OTHER FLOATING BODIES, PARTS OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE APPLICABLE TO OTHER PUE- POSES
Year: 1831

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, MOSES
POOLE, of the Patent Office, Lincoln's Inn, in the County of Middlesex,
Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS His present most Excellent Majesty King William the Fourth,
by His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Thirteenth day of July, in the second year of His reign,
did, for Himself, His heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Moses Poole, His especial licence, sole privilege and authority, that I, the
said Moses Poole, my exors, adñiors, or assigns, or such others as I, the said
Moses Poole, my exors, adññiors, 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 mentioned, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend,
within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, and also in
all His said Majesty's Colonies and Plantations abroad, the Invention of
"CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES, AND IN PROPELLING BOATS AND OTHER
FLOATING BODIES, PARTS OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE APPLICABLE TO OTHER PUE-
POSES," communicated to me by a certain Foreigner residing abroad; in which
said Letters Patent is contained a proviso that I, the said Moses Poole,
shall cause a particular description of the nature of the said Invention, and
in what mannner the same is to be performed, to bo inrolled in His said
Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and

page_text: 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Moses Poole, do hereby declare that the nature of the said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, is particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following description thereof, that is to say:-
The object of the first improvement I declare to be to improve or increase
the draft in the flue or chimney of the boilers of engines, and this is effected by
forcing air into the flue above or beyond the furnace, and giving it an impulse
within the flue in the direction of the draft. This may be done by the use of
bellows, condensing pump, or any of the other ordinary modes of compressing
air. The air may be passed through one or more apertures as may appear
expedient, but it should always be under. material pressure. The greater tho
pressure the greater will be the increase of the draft. A pressure of from one
to two pounds to the square inch will in general be found to be efficient.
The injected air acts by giving, motion to the other, air, within the chimney..
very
The second improvement relates to the piston of steam engines, and this is
effected thus: I use a metallic piston consisting of a short cylinder or ring,
made very nearly to fit the inside of the steam cylinder. The interior of this
cylinder or ring is formed as part of an inverted hollow cone. Several small
ribs stand out from the inner surface of such inverted cone to the extent of
from half an inch to an inch or so, but all equally, and within them is placed
another-portion-of-another cone, which is also open in the middle to allow the
piston rod to pass through. This second portion of a cone is made to fit
closely within the ribs of the former one. The first portion of a cone is cut
through in one place, so as to admit of its opening like a ring with a joint
when the inner cone is pressed downwards within it. The interior cone has
soveral holes or chambers cut or bored out of its upper, surface, but not going
quite through it. In these chambers spiral springs are inserted. A top and
bottom plate are added above and below these segments of cones with the
said springs, which plates are made to fit steam-tight upon the edges of tho
cones or rings, and a small tongue is placed to break or cover the cut or
opening in the outer cone or ring. The piston rod is passed through the top
and bottom plates as usual. The spiral springs are left to press against the
upper plate. They thus seek to force the inner cone or ring down within the
outer one, acting against the ribs; and thus keep the outer cone or ring con-
stantly pressing and seeking to dilate against the interior of the steam cylinder.
The third improvement relates to the mode of feeding with water the boiler,

page_text: and also the condenser where condensers acting by exterior surfaces are used.
It has for its object in a great measure to produce a constant and uniform
supply of water, and this is effected by employing one or more of the improved
rotatory pumps herein-after described, which I call the wiper pump; and this
pump consists of two wipers of the ordinary shape of wipers, and, as, here-
after described, fixed each on a separate spindle or shaft placed in respect to
their lengths, that is, the length of the said wipers at right angles to cach
other, and just at such distance from each other as to admit of their revolving
upon or with their respective spindles, so as to keep constantly in contact with
one another, or very nearly so, and this within an enclosed case just large
enough to admit of their respective rotation. One end of each of the spindles
is made to work in one side of the case, and the other end of each spindle is
made to pass through the case to the outside, and there a cog or spur-wheel
is placed upon each, and simultaneous motion is given to the two by means of
these wheels. These wipers with their case form the pump. The wipers are
each formed, as it were, by the uniting of two cylinders sideways, with just so
much filling up betwixt the two cylinders as to cause the projecting part of
each wiper always to revolve or work close into the hollow or concave part of
its fellow. The case is made to fit close to the wipers sideways, or in the
direction of their thickness or the length of their cylinders, and becomes of
nearly an oval form, and the wipers are made to revolve in opposite directions,
having stuffing boxes on the spindles passing through the case.
A sucțion
pipe is made to open into the lower part of the circumference of the case,
and a force pipe into the upper part of the same circumference, each in the
middle. The wipers moving in opposite course, as they revolve their outer
extremities bring up water against the inner side of the case; and, as this
water cannot escape downwards betwixt the two wipers because of their
always keeping in contact, as each successive action of the pump takes place
the water is forced through a force pipe into the boiler or condenser. The
pump above described may be used as a cither suction or force pump, and
should be furnished with a valve to prevent the escape of water when the
pump is not in use, unless opportunity should offer of placing the pump. below
the level of the surface of the water whence the feed water is to be drawn.
In such case the pump may be used without any valve, and such a use of it
will generally be expedient on board of steamboats.
Part of the improvements in propelling boats, ships, or other floating bodies
I declare to consist in the use of the above-mentioned improved draft piston
and pump with steam engines for propelling such subjects. The said draft
piston and pump, I further declare, may be beneficially used for various other

page_text: purposes besides that of aiding in propelling boats, ships, or other floating
bodies.
The further improvement in propelling boats, ships, or other floating bodies
I declare to consist in the use of an oar or paddle of the following con-
struction: Such oar or paddle is formed of three parts, namely, the socket
piece, the shaft or arm, and the blade. The socket piece is made about
one third the length of the shaft or arm, and consists of a square casting of
iron, with a boss at about the middle of its length, through which boss a hole
is made to fit the same thereby upon a shaft passing over or through the side
of the subject to be propelled. This socket piece is placed vertically. The lower
part of it is perforated nearly up the middle or to the boss, and at the upper
extremity of this perforation, one fourth of the outer part of the socket
piece is cut out for some small length. This part so cut out is the forward
quarter of the socket piece next the propelled subject's side, and it is so cut
out to form a stop or stay for the united shaft or arm and blade of the paddle,
as after mentioned. The shaft bearing or carrying the socket piece is placed
at any convenient height above the water's surface. The shaft or arm of the
paddle is made of iron of sufficient strength to bear the required action, and of
sufficient length to reach nearly from the boss of the socket piece to the
level of the bottom of the propelled subject. The upper part of the paddle
shaft or arm is made round, and of such dimensions as to fit well within the
longitudinal perforation of the socket piece, but still to admit of its freely
turning therein. It is also inserted therein and retained in its place by a
collar and flanch at the bottom of the socket piece, or some other convenient
mode. The lower part of the paddle shaft or arm is made round, and also
tapering for some distance below the socket piece. Towards the extremity it
is made flat, and there the blade, which is a flat piece of iron of an oblong
form, is in its greater length securely fastened to it in such wise that the edge
of one of the faces of the shaft or arm shall be flush with one long edge of the
blade, whilst the opposite side of the blade shall very materially overhang the
opposite edge of the arm or shaft. At the upper end of the paddle arm or
shaft, and at the side thereof opposite to that side whereon the blade overhangs
below, and so as to work within the aforesaid cut-out quadrant of the socket
piece, is fixed a strong stop or short bar. The oar or paddle thus formed and
arranged is to be subjected by any ordinary mechanical means to a recipro-
cating forwards and retreating motion in the water vibrating upon the arm
within the boss, and need not come out of the water. As it moves forwards it
will present the thin edge of the blade to the resistance of the water, and
thus move with great facility. Upon its return it will present the broad

page_text: surface of the blade of the paddle, and the blade will be kept steady in pre-
senting its broad surface by the stop at the upper end of its arm or shaft.
The water will now be forcibly driven backwards by the paddle blade, and by
the consequent reaction against the paddle, the subject to be propelled will be
driven a-head. This paddle, as well as the aforesaid pump, may either of
them be used in either a vertical, horizontal, or any inclined direction, and
may be made of iron, as above described, or any other convenient material
of sufficient strength.
I claim the benefit of originality in respect to and consequently the right to
the exclusive right of manufacturing, using, and vending within the limits of
the said Letters Patent all the several aforesaid Inventions of the air draft,
the conical piston, the rotatory pump, and the reciprocating paddle, as above
described, and their like for all purposes whatsoever.
In witness whereof, I, the said Moses Poole, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Thirteenth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and thirty-two.