IMPROVEMENTS IN OBTAINING
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Peter Armand le Comte de Fontaine Moreau, of
+
No. 4, South Street, Finsbury, London, and 39, Rue de l'Echiquier,
Paris, Patent Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN OBTAINING
.
Sealed the 23rd May 1856, and dated the 10th December 1855.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said, Peter Armand le Comte.
de Fontaine Moreau at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
his Petition, on the 10th December 1855.
I, PETER ARMAND le Comte DE FONTAINE MOREAU, of No. 4, South
Street, Finsbury, London, and 39; Rue de l'Echiquier,. Paris, Patent Agent,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
OBTAINING MOTIVE POWER BY MEANS OF HEATED COMPRESSED AIR
follows, that is to say :-
This Invention.consists in improved, apparatus for generating and employ-
ing heated compressed air as a motive, power.
The apparatus for this purpose is constructed as follows: The air reservoir
which contains the compressed air, and where it becomes partially, heated
before entering the furnace, consists of an external vertical iron cylinder,
having air-tight covers at top and bottom; secured by bolts or other means
to the cylinder; also of an internal iron cylinder about 4/5ths the length

page_text: of the external cylinder, to the cover of which it is secured so as to form a
space at bottom of the latter. A number of metallic pipes are soldered air-
tight to the cover and bottom of the internal cylinder, which pipes communicate
with a dome, in which enters the hot air and gases from the motive cylinder.
This hot air passing through the pipes before mentioned, heats the compressed
air immediately surrounding them before it enters the furnace, which it does
through a tube passing through the top of the cylinder and the dome. The
air enters from the external to the internal cylinder through holes made in
the bottom of the latter. The force pump, which compresses the air in the
reservoir, consists of a cylinder provided with a piston worked by a crank on
the main shaft.
The motive cylinder is supplied with suitable air chambers or valves for the
ingress and egress of the hot air, and by its expansion forces the piston
alternately to each end of the cylinder, so as to give motion by means of the
connecting rod to the crank and fly wheel. The furnace employed for heating
the air consists of an oblong cylindrical shaped iron casing covered in the
interior with refractory earth. It is closed at each end, so that air is
only admitted through a pipe at its bottom communicating from the air
reservoir.
Another tube is fixed on its side, from which the heated air enters the
motive cylinder to give motion to the piston.
The furnace is supplied with fuel by means of a trough placed on the top.
This trough is furnished with two slides worked by hand, one being shut while
the fuel is put in. An ash box is secured to the bottom, having a door to
allow the removal of the ashes. The fuel falls upon a series of travelling
endless chains revolving round two drums put in motion by suitable apparatus.
At the end of the furnace is a smoke box, in which is placed a refractory
partition. The smoke arising from combustion passes out through a tube
furnished with a safety valve at the end of the furnace.
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 10th June 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, PETER
ARMAND le Comte DE FONTAINE MOREAU, of No. 4, South Street, Finsbury,
London, and 39, Rue de l'Echiquier, Paris, Patent Agent, send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the nineteenth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Peter Armand le Comte de Fontaine Moreau, Her special license, full power,
that I, the said Peter Armand 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
thereafter 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 Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN OBTAINING MOTIVE POWER" BY MEANS OF HEATED COMPRESSED
AIR, 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 particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said In-
vention, 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 ascer-
tained in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had to the
Drawing hereto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked thereon,
that is to say:-
This Invention consists in improved apparatus or machinery for generating
and employing heated compressed air as a motive power. The apparatus is
composed, first, of a motive cylinder; secondly, of a closed furnace; thirdly,
of a compressed air receiver or regenerator; and, fourthly, of a force pump.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawing represents a longitudinal section of
the furnace for heating the air previous to its entering the motive cylinder;
Figure 1 A is an end view in section of the same. It is composed of an oblong
semicircular shaped casing of cast iron or other suitable material A, which is
lined in the interior with refractory earth or clay B. C is a partition (secured
to the flange of the furnace casing), also lined with the same material, which
has an opening C' forming passage for the air and gases generated by com-
bustion to enter the smoke box or chamber D. At the top of the latter, and
opposite the hole C' is secured' in the centre a refractory partition F, serving to

page_text: protect from the action of the fire the pipe G and the valve H. The latter
communicates: with a chimney when necessary, and causes a draught during
the lighting of the fire. I. is the cover of the furnace, to the flange of which
it is secured by bolts or other means; J is.a door or opening in the cover for
lighting the fire.; K is a pipe fixed to the cover for admitting the air direct
from the pump, or indirectly after the air has been previously heated in the
regenerator, thereafter described. The pipe is supplied with a stop-cock Z,
constructed as shewn in Figures! 12. Lis:another pipe for conducting the air
to the upper part of the furnace. It is fixed to the cover by suitable means.
M is the ash box, provided with a door to allow the removal of the ashes.
Fuel is admitted in the. furnace from the hopper N, composed of wood or other
material. This hopper is furnished with two slides. O, O', to be worked by
the handles P, P, attached. to rods which work in stuffing boxes Q. Fuel
being placed in the hopper, the slide O is. withdrawn by hand, by which means
the fuel falls in the empty space or chamber R, having a pipe R' connected
with the lower chamber,R²; the slide is then returned to its place. The latter.
slide is afterwards drawn out, and the fuel falls through the lower chamber
upon the traversing grate S. This arrangement prevents the escape of the
compressed heated air when the fuel is introduced. The grate consists of a
series of endless parallel chains'revolving upon the square drums T, T", worked
by means of.. the.ishaft U; put in motion by the hand, or by the machine. The
smoke box is furnished with an opening U¹ to allow of the removal of any solid
matters. To the pipe Gare attached two branch pipes L, L, Figure 13
communicating with the valves of. the cylinder V, and with another pipe Vi
communicating with the chamber E. The furnace is supported on suitable
standards V
:
Figure 2. represents an elevation in partial section of the air force pump,
and Figure 3 an end view of the same. The cylinder A is composed of cast
iron, secured to the foundation plate B by the standards. B'. The piston rod
C is attached to a cross.head D, which works in parallel cast-iron guides E, E,
fastened to the base plate B: by bolts, and nuts, F. To the cross head D there is
also attached by cotters and jibs the connecting rod: G, working freely in
bearings G, G'. The opposite end of the rod is fixed to a short stud H,
secured by a nut to the crank. I; fast on; the main shaft I, which works in
plummér blocks J; .J, secured by: bolts and nuts to the foundation plate.
K is the fly wheel, made fast by a key to the main shaft I'. The piston L is
shewn at half stroke.: M, M!; represent the valves fitted with vulcanized india-
rubber, and are fixed to the cover of cylinder. The upper valve allows the air

page_text: forced by the piston to enter the forked pipe N, by which it passes to the
furnace to be heated. The opposite cover is also furnished with valves in
the same manner as that described.
:
Figure 4 represents a partial section of the motive cylinder A, composed of
cast iron; B is an internal cast-iron cylinder, in which the 'piston C works.
They are fitted with covers D, D', secured to the flanges of the outer cylinder
by bolts and nuts. Between the two cylinders is a space or chamber E, in
which circulates the waste air of the cylinder. It thus becomes heated, and
likewise prevents the cooling of the outer cylinder E', conical valves fitting
accurately on their seats. F are the valve rods working in the stuffing boxes G.
The heated air and gases from the furnace enter the forked pipe L into the
hot air chambers I, when it becomes regulated by the valves so as to force
the piston alternately to each end of, the cylinder;, the waste hot air escaping
by the pipes J, J', to the regenerator, hereafter described; K; pipes connected
with the chamber E; L' is the piston rod working in the stuffing box M. The
external cylinder may be covered with felt, or with a casing containing
charcoal or sawdust..
Figure 5 shews an end view of the motive cylinder in partial section, and
the valves looking from the main shaft. The bevel pinion. A on the axis A',
working in bearings on the forked standard-B, is put in motion by the pinion
C. On the axes A are fixed the cams D, shewn in detail in Figure 6. These
cams work against the antifriction. rollers E, and thus give an alternate
motion to the valve rods to allow the egress and ingress of the air from the
cylinder.
Figures 7 represent the stuffing boxes, which contain metallic packing
lubricated with grease, combined with plumbago. Figure 8 is a plan of the
piston; and Figure 9, a section through the line "A, B. A, A', 'upper and
lower plates of iron, fastened together by four bolts and nuts B on the armis C.
D is a circular wedge, which is made to press against the outer rings E, thus
forming a substitute for springs; F..is the end of the piston rod; G, guide
screws.
:
Figure 10 represents a vertical section of the regenerator; and Figure 11;
a horizontal section of the same through the line A, B. It is composed of an
external: iron or copper cylinder A,' having an air-tight cover A at the top
secured by. its flange to the cylinder ;-also of an internal cylinder composed of
the same material. It is about four-fifths the length of the outer cylinder to
the inside of the cover, of which it is made fast. The bottom A" is fixed
to the other cylinder by a wooden cylinder and packing B. C, C, are holes

page_text: made in the bottom of the cylinder B for admitting compressed air from the
force pump. It is provided in the interior with a number of metallic tubes
D), D, which are secured to the top and bottom plates of the cylinder. They
communicate with the dome E and the chamber F, at the bottom, so that the
waste heated air from the motive cylinder passes through the pipe G into.
the dome, and through the aforesaid pipes to the atmosphere. The object of
the above arrangement is, that the hot air passing down the pipes will partially
heat the compressed air immediately surrounding them, which enters from the
force pump into the outer cylinder by the pipe I, thence through the holes C, C,
and which being partially. compressed and heated, passes to the furnace to be
further heated through the pipe J, fixed to the stuffing box K in the dome.
K' is a valve. The regenerator may be furnished with a guage.."
Figure 13 represents a plan of a complete engine from six to ten horse
power. A is the force or exhaust pump; it is fixed to the foundation plate
B by the standards B', Figure 3; N, forked pipe communicating with the
pipe K of the furnace C. D is another pipe attached to the former pipe by
flanges E, and to the pipe L in the furnace. V is the motive cylinder secured
to the foundation plate B by the standards F, shewn in Figure 5. G¹ is the
piston rod, which gives motion by the connecting rod H to the crank H', keyed
to the main shaft. In this view is shewn the manner of working the valves.
This is accomplished by means of a small bevel pinion I fixed to the main
shaft I. This gears with a similar one J fast to the long shaft K, working in
suitable bearings L". The two bevel pinions C gear with those of A¹. fixed
to the axes A", and thus give motion to the cams which actuate the valves:
M, guides; N,. cross head.
To set the engine in action I operate as follows:-The fire being lighted in
the furnace, and the door closed, the air is then forced into the regenerator by
means of a hand pump. The machine is then ready to act.
I now open
communication between the valves and the furnace, by which means the air is
forced into the cylinder. The air from the regenerator enters the furnace by
the pipes, and the pump acting by the power of the machine, compresses the
air into the receiver..
The proportions of the machine are such that the air being heated to a
temperature of six hundred and eighty degrees to seven hundred and fifty
degrees Fahrenheit, and acting under a standard pressure of thirty-five pounds
per square inch, will exert its force during half or two thirds of the stroke of
the piston, obtaining at the end a pressure just sufficient to overcome the
resistance offered by the pipes to its escape. The capacity: of the pump is

page_text: equal to half that of the cylinders. Slide valves may be employed in the pump,
if necessary.
The cylinders may be cleared of solid matters when required by removing
the valves. Partitions should be placed in a zig-zag manner in the con-
ducting pipe near the furnace, that the gases may enter the cylinder free
from solid particles, which might injure the movement of the pistons. The
waste heated air from the regenerator may be employed to evaporate any
liquid. In conclusion, I reserve the right of adding an additional cylinder to the
engine to employ either chloroform or sulphuret of carbon, and also of adding
water in the regenerator in order to charge the hot air with vapour.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention, and the best means
I am acquainted with for carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be under-
stood that I do not confine myself to the precise details herein laid down; but
what I claim is, the arrangement and construction of machinery for generating
and employing heated compressed air as a motive power, as herein-before
described and represented in the annexed Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Peter Armand le Comte de Fontaine
Moreau, have hereunto set my hand and seal, this Seventh day of
June, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
fifty-six.
L' DE FONTAINE MOREAU. (L.S.)