IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES
Year: 1884

page_text: I, GEORGE HAWKSLEY of 420 Caledonian Road in the County of Middlesex,
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
STEAM ENGINES" to be as follows:-
This invention has for its object to dispose of the exhaust steam from steam
engines. To condense the steam and maintain a vacuum for the engine I fit a
super-atmospheric valve on to the exhaust pipe of the engine and I cause a pump
of peculiar construction to force water past a loaded valve whereby it is made to
impinge violently against the interior of a surrounding cone and is reduced to a
fine spray and brought into intimate contact with so much of the exhaust steam as
does not escape by the super atmospheric valve-This portion of the steam is made
to enter the conc at one end and is ejected together with the spray from the
opposite end To force the water so used for condensation I employ a steam pump
also provided with a super atmospheric valve on the exhaust pipe which opens to
allow the steam to escape so long as it is above atmospheric pressure, and thon
closes the direct outlet whilst opening a passage to admit the remaining steam into
the valve box of the pump or to a chamber in connection with the suction, where
the pumps keep the pressure down much below. that of the atmosphere This
portion of the steam is here condensed and the engine is obtaining the advantage
of the diminished back pressure.
The valve consists of a disc closing down on a seat and a jet delivers the steam
from the cylinder immediately beneath the disc, so that the momentum of the
steam aids in raising the valve and keeping the outlet passage open so long as the
tendency is outwards. The disc is fixed at the upper end of a cylinder surrounding
the jet pipe and fitting within an outer stationary cylinder. Both cylinders have
annular slots in them, and when the disc is on its seat these slots coincide and the
low pressure steam is able to pass through into a passage which leads it into the
water entering the pump and in this water it is condensed.
The moving valve or cylinder may be inade adjustable so that either the whole
of the exhaust steam may be allowed to pass into the open air or into the
condenser or whereby the excess of steam above atmospheric pressure may be
allowed to escape as before described.
I arrange the pump to draw directly from a chamber which stands considerably
above the pump cylinder and valves and I connect tho suction pipe near the top of

page_text: this chamber, consequently the pump cylinder and valve box always remain full of
water however long the pump may stand without being worked.
I also connect the chamber on the suction with the delivery side of the valvo
box by a pipe with a stop valve upon it-On commencing to pump I open this valvo
and keep it open until the suction pipe is freed from air; this allows the water
drawn by the pump from the suction chamber to return to it in placo of being lost
through the delivery pipe, which would leave the pump dry and not in a condition
to work efficiently.
I also connect the chamber on the suction with the valve box by another small
pipe having a valve upon it; this also 1 open when starting the pump, the pipe
leads from the top of the chamber to the part of the valve box between the suction
and delivery valves, or it may terminate below the suction valve. By this pipo
the air froin the suction pipe finds a free admission into the pump cylinder
notwithstanding that the wator may stand in the chamber above the level of the
pump cylinder.
Where an engine has already an air pump and condenser then it is only
necessary to place the super atmospheric valve on to the exhaust pipe so that the
amount of steam which has to be condensed and the temperature of the steam
before it enters the condenser can by the automatic action of the valve be reduced
to a minimum.
CARPMAEL & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in Steam Engines.
1, George Hawksley of 420 Caledonian Road, in the County of Middlesex,
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
STEAM ENGINES" and in what manner the same is to be performed to bo par-
ticularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:—
This Invention has for its object to dispose of the exhaust steam from steam
engines.
For this purpose I employ what I term a super atmospheric valve.
The valve consists of a disc closing down on a seat and a jet delivers the steam
from the cylinder immediately beneath the disc, so that the momentum of the
steam aids in raising the valvo and keeping tho outlet passage open so long as the
tendency is outwards. The disc is fixed at the upper end of a cylinder surrounding
the jet pipo and fitting within an outer stationary cylinder. Both cylinders have

page_text: annular slots in them, and when the disc is on its seat these slots coincide and the
low pressure steam is able to pass through into a passage in which by suitable
means as hereinafter described a vacuum is maintained.
To describe it more in detail my super atmospheric valve of which a vertical
section is shown at Figure 1 of the annexed drawings consists of the following
principal parts:
-
(1) A jet pipe a through which the exhaust steam is delivered from the cylinder
of the steam engine.
(2) A disc valve b immediately in front of the mouth of the jet pipe.
(3) A cylinder c surrounding the mouth of jet pipe and having a seat at its end
against which the disc valve closes.
(4) Another cylinder & sliding within the cylinder above mentioned and attached
to the disc valve b.
(5) A vacuous chamber e around the outer cylinder. The two cylinders are
slotted circumferentially with narrow slots which coincide when the disc valve is
closed.
The action is as follows:-the first rush of the exhaust steam lifts the disc valve
from its seat and a large proportion of the steam passes away by the outlet f.
When the flow through the jet pipe becomes slower the valve a falls to its seat and
the remaining steam from the jet pipe then passes through the slots into the vacuous
chamber e which is immediately connected with a larger chamber or condensor.
The steam is here condensed by a spray or otherwise. The vacuum in the chamber
may be maintained by means of an air pump in connection with the engine but
I prefer other means as hereinafter described.
The steam engine thus obtains all the advantage to be derived from the use of an
ordinary condenser whilst but a portion of the steam has to be condensed-this is
especially important where cooling water for the purpose of condensation is not
easily obtained. g represents hand gear by which the valve b may be lifted from
its scat or locked down upon it-this gear will not always bo required.
The moving valve or cylinder may be made adjustable so that either the whole
of the exhaust steam may be allowed to pass into the open air or into the condenser
or whereby the excess of steam above atmospheric pressure may be allowed to
escape as before described.
I prefer to form the disc valve with a cone b' on its underside. This cone has
curvilinear sides and it directs the steam in such a manner as to cause it to expend
its energy most efficiently in lifting the valve.
Where an engine has already an air pump and condenser then it is only necessary
to place the super atmospheric valve on to the exhaust pipo so that the amount of
steam which has to be condensed and the temperature of the steam before it
enters the condenser can by the automatic action of the valve be reduced to a
minimum.
In other cases the arrangement which I prefer for maintaining the vacuum in
the chamber or condenser is that illustrated by Figure 2 of the drawings; it is as
follows:-I cause a pump of peculiar construction to force water past a loaded
valve h whereby it is made to impinge violently against the interior of a sur-
rounding cono i and is reduced to a fine spray and brought into intimate contact
with so much of the exhaust steam as does not escape by the super atmospheric
valve. This portion of the steam is made to enter the cone at oue end at k and
is ejected together with the spray from the opposite end.
The arrangement it will be seen is to a certain extent similar to steam ejectors
which have before been employed but an essential feature of difference is that the
jet pipe by which the water is supplied terminates in a nozzle which is closed by a
valve and this valve is loaded by a spring or otherwise so that the water pressura
which should be high is just competent to lift it. The water escapes in a finely
divided state and is thrown in a forward direction, the mouth of the jet pipe being
suitably formed so as to direct the water. The spray or divided water traverses
the cone with high velocity carrying the steam with it and condensing the steam.

page_text: As the exit pipe contracts in passing away from the cono mouth the water is
brought together and forms a continuous stream flowing with sufficient energy to
pass out notwithstanding the atmospheric pressure which opposes it.
The water pressure may be provided in any convenient manner, nevertheless I
prefer the following:-I employ a steam pumping engine also provided with a
superatmospheric valve on the exhaust pipe which opens to allow the steam to
escape so long as it is above atmospheric pressure and then closes the direct outlet
whilst opening a passage to admit tho remaining steam into the valve box of the
pump or to a chamber in connection with the suction where the pumps keep the
pressure down much below that of the atmosphere,
A convenient arrangement is represented by the figures 3 to 7 of the drawings.
Figure 3 is a side elevation. Figure 4 is a plan. Figure 5 is a vertical section on
the centre line of Figures 3 and 4. Figures 6 and 7 are longitudinal and transverse
vertical sections taken through the valve box.
The arrangement here illustrated is to connect a pipe with the casing e Figure 1
of the superatmospheric valve to lead away the residue of the exhaust steam to the
valve box of the pump cylinder m The pipe enters the valve box and passes along
within the valve box iminediately below the suction valves n of the pump. Here
the pipo is perforated from end to end. The steam entering the superatmospheric
valve casing whilst the valve is on its seat is thus brought into the valve box of
the pump or into the suction and this portion of the steam is here condensed and
the engine is obtaining the advantage of the diminished back pressure.
Another novel feature in my invention is as follows:-
I arrange the pump to draw directly from a chamber which stands considerably
above the pump cylinder and valves and I connect the suction pipe near the top of
this chamber, consequently the pump cylinder and valve box always remain full
of water however long the pump may stand without being worked. I also connect
the chamber on the suction with the valve box by a small pipe; the pipe leads
from the top of the chamber to the part of the valve box between the suction and
delivery valves or it may terminate below the suction valve. By this pipe the air
from the suction pipe finds a free admission into the pump cylinder notwith-
standing that the water may stand in the chamber above the level of the pump
cylinder.
In the caso of an ordinary steam pumping engine where the steam piston and
the pump piston are directly connected by a rod it is convenient to arrange the
valve box of the pump on one side of the pump cylinder as the drawings
indicate and the chamber o which the water enters as it rises by the suction
pipe on the other side of the pump cylinder. This chamber rises to such a
height that the water may stand in it well above the pump valves and the pump
cylinder so that the valve box and cylinder may under all circumstances remain
full of water. In order that air may not accumulate in the chamber a small
pipe q is led down from near the top of the chamber to the valve box. I prefer
to divide this pipe into two branches and to insert the two branches into the valvo
box cach branch below one of the pair of delivery valves. The water delivered
by the pump carries the air with it and so the chamber is kept free from
accumulation of air.
This arrangement suffices where the pump cylinder is near to the source of supply
but where this is otherwise and where a long main has to be emptied of air before
water from the well or source can reach the cylinder a further appliance is necessary
to ensure that the valve box and pump cylinder shall always be duly supplied with
water and that they may work with full efficiency. For this purpose I also connect.
the chamber on the suction with the delivery side of the valve box by a piper
with a stop valve upon it. On commencing to pump I open this valve and keep it
open until the suction pipe is freed from air; this allows the water drawn by the
pump from the suction chamber to return to it in place of being lost through the
delivery pipo which would leave the pump dry and not in a condition to work
efficiently.

page_text: 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.) My super-atmospheric valve on the exhaust pipe or passage controlling a
direct outlet by which a portion of the steam escapes and also a passage by which
the remainder of the steam is delivered into a vacuous chamber or condenser
substantially as described.
(2.) The combination with the condenser or vacuous chamber to which exhaust
steam from a steam engine is admitted of a cone forming the outlet from the said
chamber and a jet pipe provided with a loaded valve by which water in a finely
divided state and travelling at high velocity is caused to pass through the conical
outlet carrying the steam with it and condensing the steam in its course sub-
stantially as described.
(3.) The combination with a steam pumping engine of a super-atmospheric valve
giving vent to a part of the exhaust steam and a pipe lending the remainder of the
exhaust steam into the column of water propelled forward by the pump substantially
as described.
(4.) The combination with a steam pumping engine of a chamber connected at
the upper part with the suction pipe and at the lower part with the pump valves
and cylinder, such chamber also having an air pipe connecting its upper part with
the valve box; the whole so arranged that water is retained in the chamber above
the level of tho pump valves and cylinder substantially as described.
(5.) The combination with a steam pumping engine of a chamber connected with
the suction, an air pipe as set forth above and also another pipe serving to return
water from the delivery side of the valve box into the chamber substantially as
described.