Improvements in Apparatus for Regenerating Exhaust Steam.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Nov., 1898 -Accepted, 11th Mar.,
1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Regenerating Exhaust Steam.
I, HUGII JAMES BARRON, of No. 145, West 117th Street, in the City of New York,
in the County and State of New York, United States of America, Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
My invention relates to improvements in steam engines, and has for its object,
more particularly, to provide an apparatus whereby to economically regenerate
the exhaust steam, discharged from the engine, partly by contact or association
with high pressure live steam maintained intermediate the boiler and engine, and
partly by compressing and superheating said exhaust and unregenerated steam.
These objects above set forth I am enabled to attain by means of my invention
which consists in the novel details of construction, and in the combination, connec-
tion and arrangement of parts as hereinafter more fully described and then pointed
out in the claims.
In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, wherein like
letters of reference indicate like parts,
Figure 1 is a front view of an apparatus constructed according to, and embodying
my invention;
Figure 2 is a section taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1 showing the apparatus
proper in plan;
Figure 3 is a front view, partly in section, illustrating a modified form of appar-
atus, and
Figure 4 is a side or end view thereof.
In Figures 1 and 2 of said drawings A denotes the apparatus which is here shown
as a duplex or alternating apparatus comprising two separate cylinders B, B¹ suit-
ably mounted longitudinally upon a base B²; C, and E denote pipes connecting
said cylinders B, B₁ which are secured upon the upper surfaces thereof adjacent
to their ends, similar pipes (not seen) connect said cylinders, and are secured
thereto upon their lower surfaces adjacent to their ends; C¹, D, E, F denote
valves arranged in the pipes adjacent to their ends secured to the cylinder B, and
C, D, E, F denote similar valves arranged in said pipes adjacent to the ends
secured to the cylinder B¹, and a, a denote levers which are secured to the pro-
jecting ends of the stems of said valves C¹, D¹, E¹, F¹, C², D², E², F2.
To one side of the apparatus A is situated an exhauster and compressor which
may be of the ordinary piston form or any other form which will serve to effectually
reniove the unregenerated steam or vapour from said apparatus A. However, I prefer
to employ the apparatus herein shown and described comprising a casing G having
two separate compartments G3, G³ therein, and suitably supported upon a base Gi
Within the upper compartment G2 is supported in bearings a shaft H, both ends
of which project beyond the walls of the compartment, and upon the portion of said
shaft H within the compartment G³ are fixed blades H'; upon the rear end of

page_text: said shaft are fixed four eccentrics I, which are encircled by straps b and connected
to the levers a of the valves C2, D2, E2, F2 of the cylinder B₁ by links I', and
adjacent to the casing is fixed a fly-wheel J, and upon the forward end of said
shaft H are fixed four eccentrics K, encircled by straps d and connected to the
levers a of the valves C, D, E, F, of the cylinder B by links K¹, and adjacent
to the casing is fixed a gear wheel L. Within the lower compartment G³ is sup-
ported a shorter shaft L having fixed thereon within the casing the blades M,
and upon its forward projecting portion adjacent to the casing a gear wheel M¹
in gear with the gear wheel L on the shaft H.
To the side of the exhauster and compressor is mounted upon a base N¹ a
cylinder N having arranged therein a coil of pipe N2, the ends N of which extend
through the wall of said cylinder and are connected to a suitable heating apparatus,
such, for example, as a hot water heater arranged in the boiler furnace.
O denotes the main live steam pipe leading from the boiler to the engine, and
O¹ denotes a reducing valve arranged in said main live steam pipe. From the sec-
tion of said main live steam pipe 0 intermediate the boiler and reducing valve 0¹
extends an inlet pipe 02 which is connected, intermediate the valves C1, C2, to the
pipe C connecting the cylinders B, 13 and P denotes a live steam outlet pipe one
end of which is connected, intermediate the valves E1, E2 to the pipe E, and its
other end connected to the inlet port of the upper compartment G² of the exhauster
and compressor, and a further section P1 of said pipe is connected to the outlet port
of said compartment G2 and the section of the main live steam pipe 0 intermediate
the reducing valve 0 and the engine. The live steam from the apparatus striking
the blades H in said compartment G2 being adapted to rotate said shaft H, in one
direction and the shaft L in the lower compartment G3 in an opposite direction.
Q denotes the exhaust steam inlet pipe leading from the engine. and connected
intermediate the valves D1, D2 to the pipe D connecting the cylinders B, 13, and
Q denotes a diaphragm arranged in said pipe Q directly below the reducing
valve 01 in the main steam pipe 0 having a stem e projecting
upward therefrom terminating in a yoke f connected to the reducing
valve O' whereby to automatically open or close the reducing valve as the pressure
of the exhaust steam within the pipe Q, increases or diminishes, and R denotes
the vapor or unregenerated steam pipe which is connected intermediate the
valves F1, F2 in the pipe F, and to the inlet port of the lower compartment G³ of
the exhauster and compressor G. R¹ denotes a pipe connected with the outlet
port of said compartment G³ and the inlet in the base of the cylinder N, and
R* denotes a pipe connecting the outlet in the top of said cylinder N with the
section of the live steam pipe 0 intermediate the reducing valve 01 and the
engine.
In the modification illustrated at Figures 3 and 4 I have shown a single or inter-
mittent apparatus for regenerating the exhaust steam, and in said figures A¹
designates a cylinder enclosed by a jacket A2, and supported in a vertical position
upon a casting or frame A³.
.
B2 denotes a shaft supported within the casting A3 near its base having a double
crank 133 near its middle, eccentrics C³, C3 fixed upon said shaft to the rear of said
crank B3, and similar eccentrics D³ fixed thereon to the front of said crank B3, and E3
denotes a fly-wheel fixed upon the forward projecting end of said shaft 132.
F3 denotes the piston head working within the cylinder A having a rod F
provided with a cross-head G4 working in guides g in the casting A3, and G³ denotes
a pitman connected to said cross head G+ and the double crank B3 on the shaft B2.
03 denotes the main live steam pipe leading from the boiler to the engine
provided with a reducing valve 0*; from the section of said main steam pipe 03
intermediate the boiler and reducing valve 0+ extends a live steam inlet pipe 05
which extends through the jacket A2 and is connected to the cylinder A¹, and
provided adjacent to said cylinder A with a valve 06 having a lever a¹ secured to
the end of the rearwardly projecting stem of said valve, and P2 denotes the live
steam outlet pipe which is similarly connected to the cylinder A¹ opposite to

page_text: where the pipe 05 enters the same, and to the section of the main steam pipe 0³
intermediate the reducing valve 0 and the engine, and P³ denotes a valve arranged
in said pipe 1 adjacent to the cylinder A¹ and provided with a lever a¹ secured
to the end of the rearwardly projecting stem of said valve.
R³ denotes the exhaust inlet pipe leading from the engine to the cylinder A¹
and provided with a valve R4, having a lever b¹ secured to the forwardly projecting
end of the stem of said valve, and S denotes the unregenerated steam or vapor
outlet pipe which is connected to the cylinder A¹ directly opposite to where the
exhaust inlet pipe R³ enters the same, and is provided with a valve S' having a
lever which is secured to the forwardly projecting end of said valve stem, and
K denote links having their lower ends strapped to the eccentrics D3 D³ on the
shaft 13 and their upper ends connected to the levers 61 61 of the valves R4, S₁ of
the exhaust steam inlet pipe R³, and the vapor outlet pipe S, and K³ denote similar
links having their lower ends strapped to the eccentrics C³, C3 and their upper
ends secured to the levers a¹, a¹ of the valves 06, P3 in the steam inlet pipe 05 and
the outlet pipe P², respectively.
T, T denote the ends of pipes which are connected to a source of steam supply
or other heating agent.
The operation of the apparatus illustrated at Figures 1 and 2 is as follows:
If we assume the apparatus A to be in the position indicated at Figure 1, and
the cylinder B to contain exhaust steam, the live steam from the boiler with a
pressure, for example, of 125 pounds conducted from the boiler through the main
steam pipe 0, and after passing through the reducing valve 0¹ be supplied to the
engine at a uniform pressure of about 100 pounds. At the same time, the excess
of steam, or a portion thereof, contained in the section of the pipe 0 intermediate
the boiler and valve 0₁ will be diverted and conducted into the cylinder B through
the pipe 03, pipe C, valve C and unite with the exhaust steam contained therein
and thereby regenerate the same. The regenerated steam of a pressure about
105 pounds, will thence pass out of said cylinder B by way of the valve E¹, pipe E
and pipe P into the compartment G2 of the exhauster G and strike the blades H¹
therein cause the same and the shaft H to which they are secured to revolve in the
direction of the arrow (Fig. 1) and thence pass out of said compartment by way
of the pipe P¹ into the main steam pipe 0 and thence to the engine.
At the same time the exhaust steam from the engine will be returned directly
to the cylinder B¹ through the exhaust steam pipe Q, and valve D2, and at about
the same time, but before the reversal of the valve mechanism, the unregenerated
steam which may remain in said cylinder B will be withdrawn therefrom through
the valve F and pipe R by the exhauster in the compartment G³, which is operated
by the gear wheel M¹ in gear with the gear wheel L on the shaft H in the upper
compartment G2, and thence conducted through the pipe R¹ and compressed into
the cylinder N superheated and expanded by the heat imparted thereto from the
coil N within said cylinder, and the steam thus regenerated then conducted from
said cylinder to the main steam pipe O through the pipe R³.
As soon as the operation above described has taken place the valve mechanism
of both cylinders B and B will be reversed by the eccentrics on the shaft H, and
cause the live steam to enter the cylinder B¹ through the pipes 0³, C and valve C¹
and after regenerating the exhaust steam therein pass out of said cylinder B¹
through the valve E³, pipes E and P through the upper compartment of G³, the
apparatus G to the main steam pipe 0. The exhaust steam now being returned
directly to the cylinder B from the engine through the pipe Q, and valve D' and
the unregenerated steam remaining in the cylinder B withdrawn therefrom
through the valve F3, pipe R by the exhauster in the compartment G³ of the
apparatus G, and thence conducted by the pipe R' to the cylinder N wherein the
said unregenerated steam will be compressed and superheated and thence conducted
to the main steam pipe 0 through the pipe R³. Hereupon the valve mechanism
will be again shifted by the operation of the eccentrics on the shaft H and the
initial operation repeated, and so on.

page_text: The operation of the single or intermittent apparatus, illustrated at Figures 3
and 4 is as follows:
If we assume the apparatus to be in the position illustrated at Figure 3 and
the piston just about to rise, the valve R will be opened for an instant and
cause an influx of exhaust steam within the cylinder A which has been rendered
a vacuum by the last fall of the piston, hereupon the piston rises and compresses
the exhaust steam which is thereupon superheated and expanded by reason of the
heat imparted to said cylinder A¹ by its surrounding jacket, and as soon as said
piston rises to a point adjacent to the live steam inlet and outlet ports the
valves 0 and 13 are simultaneously opened, and live steam passed into the upper
part of said cylinder A' and mixed with the regenerated steam, forced out through
the valve P³ and conducted to the main live steam pipe 03 by the pipe P³. Here-
upon the valves 06 and P3 again close, the piston F3 falls, and after passing the
outlet communicating with the pipe S the valve S₁ therein opens and the un-
regenerated steam withdrawn from the cylinder, and the valve again closed, and
the valve R opened, and the operation above detailed repeated, and so on.
It will, of course, be understood that an apparatus similar to the apparatus G
in the structure illustrated at Figures 1 and 2 or any other form of compressor
and exhauster may be used in combination with this structure to effect the requisite
exhausting and compressing.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said in-
vention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. The combination with a boiler and engine and a live steam pipe connecting
the same of an apparatus adapted to receive steam to regenerate the same, and
means for compressing and superheating the unregenerated steam remaining
therein, and delivering said superheated steam to the live steam pipe connecting
the boiler and engine, substantially as specified.
2. The combination with a boiler and engine having a live steam inlet pipe
and an exhaust pipe of means for compressing and superheating said exhaust
steam, and delivering the same to the live steam pipe, substantially as specified.
3. The combination with a boiler and engine having a live steam pipe con-
necting the same comprising a section containing steam under high pressure and
a section containing steam under relatively low pressure, of an apparatus adapted
to receive steam communicating with the high pressure section of the live steam
pipe and the exhaust side of the engine, and means for taking the unregenerated
steam or vapor from said apparatus, compressing and superheating the same,
and delivering said superheated vapor or steam to the low pressure section of the
live steam pipe, substantially as specified.
4. The combination with a boiler and engine having a live steam pipe con-
necting the same comprising a section containing steam under high pressure and
a section containing steam under relatively low pressure, of an apparatus adapted
to receive steam communicating with the high pressure section of the live steam
pipe and the exhaust side of the engine, an apparatus adapted to exhaust the un-
regenerated steam or vapor from the first-named apparatus, and compress the
same, and an apparatus in communication with the apparatus last named and the
low pressure section of the live steam pipe, adapted to receive the compressed
vapor to superheat the same, substantially as specified.
5. The combination with a boiler and engine having a main live steam pipe
connecting the same comprising a section containing steam under high pressure,
and a section containing steam under relatively low pressure, of an apparatus
adapted to receive live and exhaust steam to regenerate said exhaust steam, a live
steam inlet pipe connecting said apparatus with the high pressure section of the
main live steam pipe, and a live steam outlet pipe connecting said apparatus with
the low pressure section of the main live steam pipe, an exhaust steam inlet pipe
connected to said apparatus and the exhaust side of the engine, a vapor or un-

page_text: regenerated steam outlet pipe connected to said apparatus, an exhauster and com-
pressor connected to said vapor or unregenerated steam outlet pipe, and a super-
heating cylinder connected to said exhauster and compressor and the low pressure
section of the main live steam pipe, substantially as specified.
6. The combination with a boiler and engine, of a main steam pipe connecting
the same, a reducing valve arranged in said main steam pipe, an apparatus adapted
to receive steam comprising a high pressure receptacle in communication with the
section of the main steam pipe intermediate the boiler and reducing valve and the
working side of the engine, and a low pressure receptacle in communication with
the section of the main steam pipe intermediate the reducing valve and engine,
and the exhaust side of the engine and means for automatically opening or closing
the reducing valve, as the pressure of the exhaust steam intermediate the engine
and apparatus rises or falls, substantially as specified.
7. The combination with a boiler and engine of a main live steam pipe con-
necting the same having a reducing valve arranged therein, an apparatus adapted
to receive steam comprising a plurality of connected receptacles having live steam
inlet, and discharge valves, a live steam inlet pipe communicating with the main
live steam pipe intermediate the boiler and reducing valve and the live steam
inlet valves, a live steam outlet pipe communicating with the main
live steam pipe intermediate the reducing valve and engine, and the live steam
outlet valves, an exhaust steam inlet pipe communicating with the engine and the
exhaust inlet valves, a device arranged in said exhaust steam inlet pipe connected
with the reducing valve in the main live steam pipe, and a discharge pipe com-
municating with the exhaust steam discharge valves and the main steam inlet pipe
intermediate the reducing valve, and engine, substantially as specified.
8. The combination with a boiler and engine, of a main live steam pipe con-
necting the same having a reducing valve arranged therein, an apparatus adapted
to receive steam comprising a plurality of connected receptacles having live steam
inlet and discharge valves and exhaust inlet and discharge valves, a live steam
inlet pipe communicating with the main live steam pipe intermediate the boiler
and reducing valve, and the live steam inlet valve, a live steam outlet pipe com-
municating with the main live steam pipe intermediate the reducing valve and
engine, and the live steam outlet valves, an exhaust steam inlet pipe, communicating
with the engine and the exhaust inlet valves, a diaphragm arranged in said
exhaust inlet pipe having a stem secured thereto projecting upward and terminating
in a loop and secured to the reducing valve in the main live steam pipe, a discharge
pipe communicating with the exhaust discharge valves, and the main live steam
pipe intermediate the reducing valve and engine, and an apparatus arranged
in said discharge pipe adapted to receive the exhaust steam, compress the same,
and deliver the compressed steam to the main live steam pipe, substantially as
specified.
9. In an apparatus for the purposes specified, an exhausting and compressing
apparatus comprising a casing having a plurality of compartments therein pro-
vided with inlet and outlet ports shafts supported by said compartments and ex-
tending through the same, blades fixed upon said shafts within the compartments,
gear wheels, in mesh, fixed upon said shafts without the compartments, and a fly
wheel fixed upon one of said shafts, substantially as specified.
10. In an apparatus for the purposes specified, an exhausting and compressing
apparatus comprising a casing having two separate compartments therein, pro-
vided with inlet and outlet ports, shafts supported thereby partly within and partly
without said compartments, said shafts having blades fixed thereon within the
compartments, and gear wheels, in mesh, fixed thereon without the compartment,
and a fly-wheel fixed upon one of said shafts without its compartment, substan-
tially as specified.
11. The combination with a boiler and engine having a live steam pipe con-
necting the same, of an interposed apparatus comprising a plurality of connected
receptacles provided with valve mechanism for alternately admitting high and

page_text: relatively low pressure steam to said receptacles, a superheating cylinder normally
in communication with the low-pressure receptacle, and the live steam pipe, an
apparatus adapted to receive and compress steam comprising a plurality of com-
partments, one of said compartments being normally in communication with the
high-pressure receptacle and the live steam pipe, and the other of said compartments
in communication with the low-pressure receptacle, and the superheating cylinder,
substantially as specified.
Dated this W
1000
HUGH JAMES BARRON.
Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.