CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edwin Travis, of Oldham, in the County of Lancaster,
Engineer, and Joseph Louis Casartelli, of Manchester, in the County of
Lancaster, Optician, for the Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN
STEAM ENGINES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edwin Travis and Joseph
Louis Casartelli at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their
Petition, on the 5th July 1856.
We, EDWIN TRAVIS, of Oldham, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer, and
JOSEPH LOUIS CASARTELLI, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster,
Optician, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention for "CERTAIN
IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES," to be as follows:-
Our improvements apply to such steam engines as are called "condensing
engines," and consist in a certain novel arrangement connected with the air-
pump and condensing apparatus, for the purpose of effecting more perfect
condensation of the steam, and also more effectually freeing the engine of air.
This is accomplished by a novel construction of air pump, whereby it becomes
the "condenser" also; the action of the air pump being reversed, the valve or
lid opening on the under side. Hitherto the single-acting air pump has lifted
the water by the immersion of the bucket, the closing of the lid of which, in
its ascent, has carried the water upon its upper surface, and has discharged the
same through a delivery valve at the upper part of the pump barrel. In our

page_text: improved arrangement the water is depressed by the descent of the bucket,
and is discharged through a suitable valve at the lower part of the pump
barrel, forcing all the uncondensed steam and air along with the water out of
the air pump. The admission of steam, and the water for injection, is ac-
complished in the ordinary manner, with this exception, that if both are
admitted direct into the upper part of the air pump, passing through the
bucket in a condensed state into the lower portion of the air pump, and dis-
charged, as above described,. entirely dispensing with the necessity of an
independent condenser.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Edwin.Travis and Joseph Louis Casartelli in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 5th January 1857..
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, EDWIN
TRAVIS, of Oldham, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer, and JOSEPH LOUIS
CASARTELLI, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Optician, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of July, in the year of our Lord One thou-
sand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the twentieth year of Her reign, did, for
Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the said Edwin
Travis and Joseph Louis Casartelli, Her especial license that we, the said
Edwin Travis and Joseph Louis Casartelli, our executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as we, the said Edwin Travis and Joseph Louis Casar-
telli, our 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 "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES,"
upon the condition, amongs others, that we, the said Edwin Travis and Joseph
Louis Casartelli, by an instrument in writing under our hands and seals, or
under the hand and seal of one of us, 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that 1, the said Edwin Travis, do hereby declare the
nature of our said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement
and accompanying Drawings, that is to say :-
Our improvements apply to such steam engines as are called condensing
engines, and consist in a certain novel arrangement connected with the air
pump and condensing apparatus, for the purpose of effecting more perfect
condensation of the steam, and also more effectually freeing the engine of air.
This is accomplished by a novel construction of air pump, whereby it becomes
the "condenser" also, the action of the air pump being reversed, the. valve or
lid opening on the under side. Hitherto the single-acting air pump has lifted
the water by the immersion of the bucket, the closing of the lid of which in
its ascent has carried the water upon its upper surface, and has discharged the
same through a delivery valve at the upper part of the pump barrel. In our
improved arrangement the water is depressed by the descent of the bucket,
and is discharged through a suitable valve and the lower part of the pump
barrel, forcing all the uncondensed steam and air along with the water out of
the air pump. The admission of steam and the water for injection is ac-
complished in the ordinary manner, with this exception, that both are admitted
direct into the upper part of the air pump, passing through the bucket in a
condensed state into the lower portion of the air pump, and discharged, as
above described, entirely dispensing with the necessity of an independent
condenser.
.
But in order that our Invention may be better understood, we have here-
unto attached a Sheet of Drawings, made upon a scale of about one inch and
a half to the foot, and having similar letters of reference marked upon
corresponding parts of the mechanism in both the Figures shewn.
;
Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of the improved air pump and "condenser,"
shewing the novel invention and application of the piston valves, as made of.
india-rubber or other elastic substance. Fig. 2 is also a sectional view of the
upper portion of the air pump and piston, shewing another method of forming
the valve by the application of a plate and spring to form a yielding valve.
In Fig. 1, a is a piston of the air pump, having the passages b, b, formed
therein for a admission of steam; and c, c, is a piece of clastic substance,
such as india-rubber, for covering the said passages, supported by a metallic-
cone or curve. d is the air pipe from the engine, in which is situated the
injection pipe for condensing the steam; also in the pipe d is place a valve e,
for the purpose of preventing the steam and air returning to the engine.
In Fig. 2, f is the plate sliding valve, to which a similar yielding action is

page_text: given by means of the spring 9. A chamber is provided for the reception of
vapour or water, so that the extraction of the same may be rendered more
complete upon the descent of the piston. The operation of the air pump as
combined with the condenser will be more readily understood upon reference
to the Drawings and the following working description thereof :-
;
Supposing the piston a to be at the upper end of the air pump cylinder, as
shewn in the two Figures, ready to descend to the lower, the elastic valve will
remain partly open until the piston descends so as to allow all the vapour,
water, and air to pass through the passages b, b, into the lower part of the
cylinder during this point of the stroke the valve e is open, but immediately
the piston is caused to descend the india-rubber valve is pressed against the
bottom of the piston, so as to close the apertures b, b, and form a solid body, by
which means the vapour, air, and water become expelled from beneath it
through the delivery valve at the lower end of the cylinder. When the piston
has reached the full extent of its downward stroke it ascends, the valves e and c
becomes opened, allowing the air, steam, and water to pass to the bottom of
the cylinder through the passages b, b, and so on at every rise and fall of the
piston. The plate facts after the same manner, the spring 9 giving it elasticity
in lieu of the india-rubber valve.
Having now described the nature and object of our said Invention, we wish
it to be distinctly understood that we claim,-
First, the novel combination and arrangement of the air pump with the
condenser, so as to perform the same operations as when used separately.
Secondly, the application and employment of the elastic valve, whether
formed of india-rubber or other suitable equivalent.
Thirdly, the use of a piston having passages formed therein for the admitting
of air, steam, water, &c., which are opened and closed by the elastic valve.
And, lastly, we claim the general arrangement of mechanism from affecting
the above-named, as herein-before described, set forth, and fully exhibited in
the Drawings attached, or any other modification or variation thereof which
shall produce a substantially similar effect.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edwin Travis, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Third day of January, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
EDWIN TRAVIS. (L.S.)