CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Peter Armand Le Comte de Fontaine Moreau,
of 89, Rue de l'Echiquier, Paris, France, and 4, South Street,
Finsbury, London, Patent Agent, for the Invention of " CERTAIN
T
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Peter Armand
Le Conite de Fontaine Moreau at the Office of the Commis-
sioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 14th May 1853.
I, PETER ARMAND LE COMTE DE FONTAINE MOREAU, of 39, Rue de
l'Echiquier, Paris, France, and 4, South Street, Finsbury, London,
Patent Agent, do hereby declare that the nature of the Invention for
"CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES" to be as follows:-
The Invention consists in arrangements for compensating the loss
of steam from the feeding pipes of the cylinders, and the resistance
created by the pressure of steam on the slides.
T, T, Figure 1, are two cast-iron slides, both perforated with two
orifices. The orifice i, serves for the ingress of steam, and e, for its
egress. They are connected together by means of bolts, which act as
guides, and enable them to be put further apart or brought closer

page_text: together at discretion, as also to modify the distribution of steam.
The slides work on two perfectly even surfaces; one of them that of the
cylinder, and the other that of the steam chest B, B; they are moveable,
and receive the usual to and fro motion in the ordinary manner.
The ingress and egress of steam takes place through the ingress
slide, when the ingress orifices i, i, and egress orifices e, e, of the
cylinder and steam chest are in communication.
The compensating system of the apparatus is formed by the steam
chest B. B, being subject, firstly, to a pressure from top to bottom,
occasioned by its own weight and the pressure caused by the action of
the steam on the interior of the cylinder, and which enters the ingress
pipe t, i, Figure 2, through an india-rubber gearing; secondly, to a
pressure from bottom to top, produced by the ingress orifices and a
variable pressure, which takes places when the slide shuts after the
introduction of stean into the cylinder.
The steam chest is stationary. Its cylindrical part is maintained by
means of an india-rubber gearing, pressed by a stuffing box to prevent the
steam from escaping; and it is also maintained between two guides g, y,
Fig. 2, which prevent its being carried away by the movement of the
slides. One of the guides serves to support the cast-iron ingress pipe
t, i, which is in direct communication with the boiler, and has at its
extremity a groove G, G, Fig. 1, containing the india-rubber gearing.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Peter Armand Le Comte de Fontaine Moreau
in the Great Seal Patent Office, on the 14th November 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,.
PETER ARMAND LE COMTE DE FONTAINE MOREAU, of 39, Rue de
l'Echiquier, Paris, France, and 4, South Street, Finsbury, London,
Patent Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty. Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fourteenth day of May, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the sixteenth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give

page_text: and grant unto me, the said Peter Armand Le Comte de Fontaine
Moreau, Her special licence that I, the said Peter Arinand Le Comte
de Fontaine Moreau, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said Peter Armand Le Comte de Fontaine Moreau,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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 In-
vention for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES," communicated
to me from a foreigner residing abroad, upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Peter Armand Le Comte de Fontaine Moreau,
by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should par-
ticularly 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 Peter Armand Le Comte de
Fontaine Moreau, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement thereof,
reference being had to the Drawings hereto annexed, and to the figures
and letters marked thereon (that is to say):
The Invention consists in a new mode of constructing the distribut-
ing organs of the steam engine, and has for object the releiving the
pressure on the said organs, and suppressing the pipes for the ingress of
steam into the cylinders.
Figure 1, a longitudinal section through the line C, D, of Figure 3,
of the distributing organs of the engine, constructed according to my
Invention.
Figure 2, a transverse section on line A, B. Figure 3.
Figure 3, a plan.
T, T, are cast-iron slide valves, pierced with the ports i, for the
ingress of the steam, and e, for its egress. The slide valves are
coupled together by iron bolts b, the length of which is variable, and
permits of their being put farther apart or brought closer together; by

page_text: which means the distribution of steam may be increased or diminished,
according to the effect required from the engine.
The slides are set, and move between two even surfaces; the upper
surface is formed by the bottom of the steam chest B, B, and the
lower surface by the upper part of the cylinder. The slidle valves, which
are moveable, receive their alternate motion by the usual means. The
introduction of steam through the slide valves takes place when the
orifice i, of the slide valves causes the ports i, i, of tlic steam chest and
cylinder to communicate.
The egress of the steam from the cylinder takes place when the
orifice, of the cylinder and the egress orifice c, at the extremity
of the steam chest are in communication, through the orifice e, of the
slide valve, without changing the present arrangement.
The steam chest forms the compensating system of the apparatus.
It is submitted to a pressure (of the steam) internally from bottom to
top, acting on a surface equal to the two ports of introduction. It is
also submitted to a variable pressure underneath, formed by the steam
in the orifices of the slide valves, when the ports are no longer oppo-
site to each other. This latter pressure is equal to the other pressure,
and being added to it serves to determine the diameter of the open
cylindrical part of the steam chest; for, as the pressure from top to
bottom of that surface is combined with the weight of the steam chest,
it must at least equilibrate the greatest pressure from bottom to top.
The steam chest is not fixed, but remains immoveable, by the result of
the forces to which it is submitted, as above described; its upper cylin
drical part is maintained by an elastic stuffing G, pressed round it to
avoid the escape of steam. At the sides of the steam chest, towards
its middle part, car plates are set, between which pass the friction
guides, which merely serve to prevent it from being drawn along in
the motion of the slide valves. The steam chest will lower of itself, in
proportion to the wear of the slide valves and supports, and will con-
tinue to exert the same pressure on the slides, which pressure varies
only according to the tension of the steam.
The pipe t, i, for the introduction of the steam, is in direct commu-
nication with the steam boiler, and is provided at its extremity with
a circular groove, to receive the stuffing G. The escape of steam takes

page_text: place through the slide valve and steam chest through the ports e, c,
with which the escape pipes t, e, communicate. The lower extremities
of the escape pipes, which are independent of the steam chest, are fixed
to the smoke box or cylinder (for locomotives), and are protected from
pressure by means of small ferrules. The upper rings of the ogress
orifices of the steam chest and ferrules of the egress pipes are exter-
nally of the same form, and, being opposite each other, a washer of
caoutchouc set over their point of junction will suffice to prevent any
escape of steam. Any other suitable means may be employed for the
same purpose.
And having now described the nature of the Invention communicated
to me, and the best manner I am acquainted with of putting the
same into execution, I wish it to be understood that I do not claim any
of the several organs taken separately; but what I claim as of the
Invention communicated to me, and intended to be protected by the
said Letters Patent, is,-
Firstly, the constructing of steam engines with two slide valves, by
which I am enabled to relieve the pressure without increasing the
resistance, as herein-before described, reference being had to the figures
of the Drawing.
Secondly, the suppressing the introduction steam pipes of cylinders,
as herein-before described, reference being had to the figures of the
Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said Peter Armand Le Comte de
Fontaine Moreau, have hereto set my hand and scal, this
Fourteenth day of November, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-three.
Witness,
30
A. H. PATTISON.
(LS.) I DE FONTAINE MOREAU.