IMPROVE- MENTS IN OBTAINING MOTIVE POWER WHEN STEAM AND AIR ARE USED
Year: 1849

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
HOULSTON, of Nelson Square, in the County of Surry, Surgeon, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Seventh day of June,
One thousand eight hundred and forty-nine, in the twelfth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said John Houston, my exors, admors, and assigns, Her especial licence,
full power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said John Houston, my
exors, admors, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Houston,
my exors, admors, 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 expressed,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England,
Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN OBTAINING MOTIVE POWER WHEN STEAM AND AIR ARE USED;" in which
said Letters Patent is contained a proviso that I, the said John Houston,
should cause a particular description of the nature of my said Invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed, by an instrument in writing
under my hand and seal, to be inrolled in Her said Majesty's High Court
of Chancery within six calendar months next and 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
John Houston, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described and
ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, that is to say:-
My Invention consists of a mode of producing and combining steam and
heated air, and causing them to work conjointly in an engine, with a view
thereby to obtain motive power.
And in order that my Invention may be
most fully understood, and readily carried into effect, I will proceed to describe
the means pursued by me.
I cause an air pump to be put in motion by the engine so as to cause a
supply of air to be kept up to a pressure similar to that at which steam
is generated in the boiler or boilers of the engine, the air being caused to pass
through tubes or other hollow surfaces contained in the boiler, so that the air
may be subjected thereto without mixing with the steam or water in the boiler,
and the air having passed through the boiler or boilers (without passing into
it so as to mix with the steam) is conducted into a vessel previous to its
entering into the engine; and the steam from the boiler or boilers is also
conducted into such vessel, so that the steam and the air come together and
mix in such vessel, and then pass into the engine and actuate the same, the
engine being similar in construction to a steam engine, the only difference
being that it is actuated, when according to my Invention; by the conjoined
effort of the compressed air and the steam. It will therefore be understood
than an engine, constructed according to my Invention, will consist of a steam
boiler or boilers, with tubes or other hollow apparatus within, for the passage
through of compressed air; also of an air pump or pumps, or machinery for
condensing air and forcing it through the tubes or apparatus in the boiler;
also a vessel to receive the air and steam, and to allow them to combine before
entering the engine or engines; also of an engine or engines working similarly
to a steam engine, and the steam boiler or boilers will be provided with safety
valves and other apparatus, with means of keeping up a supply of water, as in
ordinary steam engines.
To neither of these separately do I make any claim, they being old and well
known; nor is there any novelty in the combination so far as the parts work
together as a steam engine; and my Invention may, in fact, be shortly stated
'to consist of combining means of forcing air through apparatus contained in the
boiler or boilers of a steam engine, and then, in place of the steam acting alone, it
combines, after it leaves the boiler, with the compressed air, and then they together
go into and work the engine. The relative dimensions or capacity of the engine
and of the air pump or apparatus for supplying the air may be varied without

page_text: departing from my Invention; but I have found that a combination of parts
having the following relation to each other to be very efficient:-A cylinder of
six inches diameter, with a stroke of twelve inches; an air pump cylinder of six
inches diameter and twelve inches stroke, making the same number of strokes
as the engine; a steam boiler somewhat less than what would be requisite for
obtaining steam for working a steam engine of the dimensions above stated.
And the steam boiler is to have as many tubes through it, (or it may be other
arrangement of apparatus, as may be conveniently introduced for the passage
of air before it arrives into the vessel where it mixes with the steam; and such
vessel for the engine above given, I have found should be of two feet cubic
contents. An engineer, having these dimensions of the various principal parts,
will readily construct an engine according to my Invention, either for larger or
smaller power. I have worked the above engine usually at about one hundred
pounds on the square inch; but the pressure at which an engine according to
my Invention may be made to work, may (as is the case in constructing steam
engines) be varied, the air being kept up to a like pressure to the steam
employed.
Having thus described my Invention, and the manner of performing the
same, I would have it understood that what I claim is, the mode herein
described of combining machinery for obtaining motive power when steam and
air are used.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Houston, have hereunto set my
hand and seals, this First day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and forty-nine.