A METHOD OF PRODUCING MOTIVE POWER BY STEAM OR VAPOR AND APPARATUS FOR THAT PURPOSE, PARTLY APPLICABLE TO HOT AIR ENGINES
Year: 1884

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION,
I, MATTHEW PIERS WATT BOULTON of Tew Park in the County of Oxford,
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "A METHOD OF
PRODUCING MOTIVE POWER BY STEAM OR VAPOR AND APPARATUS FOR THAT
PURPOSE, PARTLY APPLICABLE TO HOT AIR ENGINES," to be as follows:-
.
This invention relates to engines or apparatus in which steam or vapor is
superheated by, passage through a heater, the construction of which has been
described in the Specification of a patent granted to myself and to E. Perrett on
the 14th April 1882 N° 1788 and in the Specification of a Patent granted to us on'
the 18th December 1883 N° 5797.
In the latter Specification an engine or apparatus was described in which steam,
heated by passage through such a heater, was used for the production of motive
power. In the present invention, while the construction of the heater remains the
same, the method of operating with it for the production of motive power differs
in respects which I proceed to explain.
'
Instead of introducing the steam directly from the boiler to the heater,
I introduce it first into a cylinder in which it acts at moderate temperature, and .
discharge it from this into a chamber connected with the heater, which chamber
may be regarded as a cool part of the heater. The steam in the cylinder which
first receives it may be expanded to any extent desired, and so reduced in pressure.
Thus in this case the pressure in the heater is lower than the pressure in the boiler,
and the difference of pressure in the two vessels may be great.
The steam having been discharged from the cylinder where it first acts is
caused to pass through the heater, after which it performs work in its heated state.
If highly heated, it is proper that the piston on which it works should be protected
by a shield.
The operations above described may be performed in one cylinder, if it be
differential. In such a case the steam from the boiler enters the annular space
round the trunk of the differential cylinder, and the steam which has passed
through the heater works on the other side of the piston, where the area is
larger, the piston on this side being furnished with a shield, if the heat requires it.
If the operations are performed in two cylinders, then it is generally convenient
that the first cylinder which receives the steam from the boiler should be double

page_text: acting. Also in the same case it is frequently convenient that the cylinder which
receives the steam from the heater should communicate at its cool end with the
chamber into which the exhaust of the first cylinder is discharged, this chamber,
as previously explained, being in connection with the heater but at moderate
temperature.
After acting in the hot cylinder, the steam may proceed to a further cylinder
in which it expands or completes its expansion, and it is generally desirable
that it should do this, in order that its expansive force may be properly utilised.
It is desirable not to employ a shielded piston except when necessary, and thus
when the steam passes from the. hot cylinder to a further cylinder, it may be
desired in many cases to work in this cylinder with a piston of ordinary
construction i.e. one not furnished with shield. At the same time it may be
desired that tho steam should issue from the hot cylinder at a high temperature.
I therefore in some cases adopt the following construction.
Between the hot cylinder which receives the steam from the heater, and that
into which it next passes I provide a chamber furnished with plates or bodies like
those of a regenerator. The steam at its first issue from the one cylinder to the
other, being highly heated, deposits heat in these plates or bodies, and thus arrives
with diminished heat at the piston of the cylinder to which it is travelling; on
account of which it is easier to work that piston without a shield.
As the expansion proceeds, the temperature of the steam falls, and in passing in
contact with the plates or bodies on its way from the hot cylinder to the expansion
cylinder, the steam takes up the heat previously deposited in them, or a portion of
it, such heat being thereby utilised.
-
Two hot cylinders may be employed in connection with one expansion cylinder,
so as to render the latter double-acting.
It will be understood that the arrangement and number of the cylinders
employed may be varied.
It will also be understood that the method of operation above described as
applicable to steam, is applicable to the vapour of liquids other than water.
Also that the last described arrangement and mode of operating with respect to
the hot cylinder and expansion cylinder is applicable to engines worked by hot air
or elastic fluid other than steam or vapor.
Dated this 6th day of November 1884.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
I, MATTHEW PIERS WATT BOULTON, of Tew Park in the County of Oxford,
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "A METHOD OF
"
PRODUCING MOTIVE POWER BY STEAM OR VAPOUR AND APPARATUS FOR THAT
PURPOSE PARTLY APPLICABLE TO HOT AIR ENGINES and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement :-
This invention relates to engines or apparatus in which steam or vapour is
superheated by passage through a heater, the construction of which has been
described in the Specification of a patent granted to myself and to E. Perrett on
the 14th April 1882 N° 1788 and in the Specification of a patent granted to us on
the 18th December 1883 N° 5797.
In the latter Specification, an engine or apparatus was described in which steam,
heated by passage through such a heater, was used for the production of motive
power. In the present invention, while the construction of the heater remains the
same, the method of operating with it for tho production of motive power differs
in respects which I proceed to explain.
Instead of introducing the steam directly from the boiler to the heater, I
introduce it first into a cylinder in which it acts at moderate temperature, and
discharge it from this into a chamber connected with the heater which chamber,
may be regarded as a cool part of the heater. The steam in the cylinder which
first receives it, may be expanded to any extent desired, and so reduced in pressure.
Thus, in this case, the pressure in the heater is lower than the pressure in the
boiler and the difference of pressure in the two vessels may be great.
The steam having been discharged from the cylinder where it first acts, is caused
to pass through the heater, after which it performs work in its heated state. If
highly heated, it is proper that the piston on which it works should be protected
by a shield.
The operations above described may be performed in one cylinder if it be
differential. In such cases, the steam from the boiler enters the annular space
round the trunk of the differential cylinder and the steam which has passed
through the heater, works on the other side of the piston where the area is larger,
the piston on this side being furnished with a shield, if the heat requires it.
If the operations are performed in two cylinders, then, it is generally convenient
that the first cylinder, which receives the steam from the boiler should be double
acting. Also in the same case, it is frequently convenient that the cylinder which .
receives the steam from the heater, should communicate at its cool end with the
chamber into which the exhaust of the first cylinder is discharged, this chamber,
as previously explained, being in connection with the heater, but at moderate
temperature.

page_text: After acting in the hot cylinder, the steam may proceed to a further cylinder in
which it expands or completes its expansion and it is generally desirable that it
should do this in order that its expansive force may be properly utilised.
It is desirable not to employ a shielded piston except when necessary and thus,
when the steam passes from the hot cylinder to a further cylinder, it may be
desired in many cases to work in this cylinder with a piston of ordinary con-
struction i.e. one not furnished with a shield. At the same time, it may be desirod
that the steam should issue from the hot cylinder at a high temperature. I, there-
fore, in some cases, adopt the following construction.
Between the hot cylinder which receives the steam from the heater and that
into which it next passes, I provide a-chamber furnished with plates or bodies
like those of a regenerator, The steam, at its first issue from the one to the other,
being highly beated, deposits heat in these plates or bodies and thus arrives with
diminished heat at the piston of the cylinder to which it is travelling on account
of which it is easier to work that piston without a shield.
As the expansion proceeds, the temperature of the steam falls, and in passing in
contact with the plates or bodies on its way from the bot cylinder to the expansion
cylinder, the steam takes up the heat previously deposited in them, or a portion of
it, such heat being thus utilised:
Two hot cylinders may be employed in connection with one expansion cylinder
so as to render the latter double acting. It will be understood that the arrange-
ment and number of the cylinders employed may be varied. It will be also
understood that the method of operation above described as applicable to steam, is
applicable to the vapour of liquids other than water. Also, that the mode of
operating with plates or bodies between the hot cylinder and the expansion
cylinder and the combination of two hot cylinders with one expansion cylinder
are applicable to engines worked by hot air or elastic fluid other than steam 'or
vapour.
Sheet 1 of the accompanying drawings shews a longitudinal section of an
arrangement of engine according to my invention. A is the boiler, F the heater,
B is a differential cylinder fitted with the piston P which has, on its upper side,
the trunk C and on its lower side the shield G. L is another double acting
cylinder of ordinary construction, H is a reservoir between the two cylinders
B and L.
The.steam supplied from the boiler A first passes by the pipe a into the annular
space b around the trunk c. Having expanded in this to the extent desired, it
passes by the pipe c into the heater F, its passage being governed by the slide
valve V. It first passes into the chamber D, then through the annular passage &,
from this, through the interstices of the fire bricks F, and afterwards by the pipe f
to the lower end of the cylinder B, its passage into this being governed by the
valve g. It enters B in a highly heated state and oxpands in it, acting on the
shield b and causing the piston P to make its upstroke. During the downstroke
of P, the steam from this cylinder passes into the reservoir H, its passage being
governed by the valve h. The reservoir H supplies steam to the double acting
cylinder L in the usual way, 7 being the pipe which conducts the steam from H
to Land & being the slide valve which governs the passages for the admission and
eduction of the steam. The exhaust steam from L passes off either into the
atmosphere or into a condenser as may be desired.
The two cylinders are connected to a common crank shaft on which are placed
the eccentrics and cams for working the various valves.
In the arrangement or construction above described other things romaining the
same, the valve V might be omitted. In this case there would be free com-
munication between the annular space b and the heater and the steam in this
space would not perform useful work on the engine as the resistance of the
upstroke would be equal to the work performed in the downstroke. The entry of

page_text: the steam into this annular space would however have some advantago as serving
to keep the upper part of the cylinder L cool. This arrangement being a
modification of the plan previously described in the Specification dated
18th December 1883 N° 5797 previously referred to is not claimed as part of the
present invention.
Sheet 2 is a longitudinal view of a modified arrangement of the apparatus.
Here, as before, A is the boiler and E the heater, A¹ is an ordinary double acting
cylinder. The steam from the boiler first acts in this cylinder and, after expanding
in it to the extent desired, it passes through the pipe e to a chamber at the
bottom of the heater as previously described. This pipe e has a branch e¹ com-
municating with the annular space b round the trunk C so that this annular space
is always filled with cool steam at the pressure of the heater.
The steam discharged from the cylinder A, after passing through the heater,
flows through the pipe finto the lower part of B acting against the shielded side
of the piston P. After discharge from B, it passes to the reservoir H and thence
to the double acting cylinder L as previously described with reference to sheet 1.
Sheet 3 is a longitudinal view of another modification of the apparatus. Here
B and B are two differential cylinders each receiving steam from the boiler A.
The steam first acts in the annular spaces round the trunks C C¹ and afterwards is
discharged from these into the heater and operates, in a highly heated state, in the
lower parts of the cylinders B B¹ acting against the shielded sides of the pistons.
It subsequently passes to the double acting cylinder L which is fitted with a piston
of ordinary construction. In its way to L it passes through chambers H H¹
provided with plates or bodies like those of a regenerator.
The cylinder L has exhaust valves which are not shewn in the drawing
delivering the steam at the proper times to the atmosphere or to a condenser as
may be desired.
The cranks of the two cylinders B B¹ are placed opposite to each other and the
crank of the cylinder L is placed coincident with that of B.
One heater only is shown in the drawings but it will be understood that two or
more heaters may be employed for the purpose of maintaining continuous action
as has been explained in the Specification previously referred to.
Sheet. 4 shews a modification of the engine shewn in sheet 3 to adapt it for use
as a hot air engine. B B₁ are the two hot cylinders having the upper ends
provided with suction and delivery valves so that they act as air compressing
pumps. H H are the plates or bodies interposed (as before between the hot
cylinder and the expansion cylinder L
The pistons of B and B' ascending force air into the heater, and the heated air
acting under the pistons, causes their ascent. During their descent, the air, after
passing through H and H expands and acts on the piston in Ĺ and then is
discharged.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
:
1, The combination of a heater of the kind described in the Specifications
herein referred to, with a boiler and engine arranged in such a manner that the
heater is separated from the boiler by a cylinder and its valves, so that the steam
from the boiler performs work in the cylinder before it enters the heater and after
passing through the heater and acquiring heat therein performs further work in a
cylinder or cylinders.
2, The arrangement of apparatus, substantially as described, with reference to
sheet 1.
3. The modified arrangement, substantially as described with reference to
sheet 2.
-

page_text: 4, The modified arrangement, substantially as described with reference to
sheet 3.
5. The arrangement, substantially as described with reference to sheet 4,
whereby the apparatus is adapted for operating with compressed air instead of
steam.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant,
28, Southampton Buildings,
London, W.C.