SEVERAL VALUABLE IMPROVE- MENTS UPON THE FIRE OR STEAM ENGINE AND FURNACE
Year: 1801

page_text: WILLCOX'S SPECIFICATION.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, RICHARD
WILLCOX, of the City of Bristol, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty King George the Third, did, by
His Letters Patent, under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Thirtieth day of April. in the forty-first year of His reign.
give and grant unto me, the said Richard Willcox, His especial licence that I,
the said Richard Willcox, during the term of years therein mentioned, should
and lawfully might use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the
Town of Berwick upon Tweed, my Invention of "SEVERAL VALUABLE IMPROVE-
MENTS UPON THE FIRE OR STEAM ENGINE AND FURNACE;" in which said Letters
Patent there is contained a proviso obliging me, the said Richard Willcox, by
an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, to cause a particular
description of the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be enrolled in His Majesty's High Court of Chancery
within one calendar month after the date of the said recited Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Richard Willcox, in compliance with
the said proviso, do hereby declare that my said Invention is described by the
above Drawing and in manner following, that is to say:-
My valuable improvements aforesaid consist in (first) modes or methods of
nereasing the product of steam without adding to the consumption of fuel;
econdly, an addition to the chimney flue of a furnace, by which the descent
f the smoke and heated matter to a lower level than that of the fire-place is
egulated and adjusted at pleasure; and, thirdly, certain new arrangements
nd constructions of the parts of the steam engine by which its power and
Fects are
greatly encreased. These improvements, as well with regard to the

page_text: generar and serenane principies upon which the same are established, as also
with regard to the requisite variations of structure which every engineer of
competent skill must adopt to the local and other circumstances of the work
he undertakes, may easily be deduced from the following description, with the
Figure 1 represents a view or section of a
improvements are adopted.
Drawings thereunto annexed.
steam engine with its furnace in which my new
A, A, represent the furnace, composed of wrought, plate, or cast iron or other
metals, which may be constructed of various forms; but the figure here
delineated is one of the best. In Figure 1 it is seen sideways, but in
Figure 3 it is seen in front. In this last Figure a, a, represent the external
metallic part formed conical. 6 represents an interior part or dome, fixed at
hottom to the piece a, a, by means of flanches and screws. The interior
cavity between the conical piece and the dome is perfectly closed, excepting
that it has an aperture for the admission of regulated portions of water, and
another aperture through which steam can be suffered to pass.
C is the door
or opening of a fire-place beneath the dome. e is the grate, and f, the ash hole.
The grate occupies about three-fourths of the space measured by a line from
the front of the furnace, and terminates against an upright inclined plate d,
represented in Figure 1 by D, which causes the flame or heated vapour to
pass more immediately upwards against the dome, and then downwards behind
the plate through an opening which leads into the chimney. The dark line
or shaded part G represents a vertical register or sliding plate, which affords
the peculiar advantage that when the fire is first lighted, it may be drawn up,
and the current of vapours through the chimney will be extremely rapid; but
as soon as this current has fairly taken place the piece G may be slided down
to any required position, and by that means cause the vapour to descend as
low as the judgment or experience of the operator may dietate. Figure 1", E
represents an intermediate cylinder or reservoir of steam communicating with
the upper part of the furnace; from this vessel à communication F is made
with the nozle pipe or receptacle, which contains the usual set of valves, and
from this receptacle another pipe H conducts the steam into the cylinder I.
K represents the piston of a peculiar construction, exhibited and to be
described at Figure 4; L, the condensing cylinder, which, contrary to the
universal practice. I keep on a higher level than the bottom of the steam
cylinder, for reasons which will be evident in the subsequent account of the
process. The smaller shaded part represents a thin cylinder of metal, for
which copper is to be preferred, supported by a skeleton within composed of
stouter metal, sufficiently strong to support the thin vessel against the pressure
of the atmosphere. This thin vessel is the principal part of the condenser.

page_text: and serves, in consequence of its sides being kept cold by surrounding water,
to condense the steam without any actual injection. At the top of this con-
denser the valve called a blowing valve is fixed, opening outwards, and there
is also a buoy or float which serves to keep the water about one foot high in
5 the bottom of the condenser.
M represents a pump which supplies the
furnace with water, and regulates the engine in the following manner :-One
extremity of a pipe terminates in the condenser L, and the other passes
thro' the external part A of the furnace to the top of the dome. The pump,
of which the piston is solid, unperforated, (a valve being placed in the upper
of the pipe to prevent the return of water to the condenser,) is raised by
10 part
the plug tree which acts upon its handle, but its return is produced and
steadily regulated by the weight P; at Q in the pipe below the
which, being set partly open, permits the water from the pump to pass in such
pump is a cock,
quantity as may be found most suitable. The tail of this cock is connected
15 with a rod passing from R, the safety valve, by which means, if at any time
the steam should exceed the pressure of that valve and lift it up, the cock will
be more or less closed or shut, and diminish the production of steam by
limitting the supply of water.
N, the air pump, communicating with the
condenser, which is required to be worked till the water within is purified
from its elastic fluids, after which it may be detached from the apparatus; 0,
the leaver beam, parallel motion, etc. as usual; S, the fly wheel; T, U, an
apparatus for the still more effectual equalizing the power of the engine. It
is composed of a circular tube, in each end of which is fixed a valve opening
outwards, and in the cross pipe which joins the extremities and communicates
with T. V, there are two valves opening inwards; the first-mentioned or lower
arved pipe does not communicate with T, V, but is partly filled with mercury,
hence it follows that when the beam loses its horizontal position, the
ercury running towards one end of the curved tube drives out the air
fore it, and leaving an enlarged space behind it produces a partial vacuum
the pipe T, V, and so likewise in its return it drives out a portion of air
m the other leg, and operates to increase the vacuum in T, V, by the com-
nication between its enlarged space and that tube through the opposite side
e. Thus the tube or pipe T, V, may be applied to any of the working
rations distinguished by the name of suction, and thus also will the mass of
cury, according to its relative position on one or the other side of the
king beam, produce an equality in its action by opposing the strong and
ting the weak parts of the pressure. To render this description more
icuous I will now describe the method of working the engine. Water
introduced into L. part thereof enters the condenser to the height

page_text: urnace.
the moat; the fire being lighted in the furnace heats the dome
which dome being made thick, or otherwise the heat of the furnace being d
regulated, the heat or temperature of the metal can never arise to ignition
a luminous heat. The cock Q underneath the jack pump being then turne
a portion of water is injected upon the dome, and being immediately convert
into a steam, blows or drives the air out of the vessel E, and the condens
and the lower part of the cylinder, and the whole internal cavity of th
machine through the blowing valve, for which purpose the feeding and con
densing valves in the nozle pipe are to be opened, as usual. The piston is now
supposed to be down and the engine is ready for working, the supply of wate
to the dome being kept up, as before described. It immediately starts upor
shutting the valve that leads to the condenser. The steam enters beneath the
piston through the steam valve and nozle F, which valve, upon the ascent of
the piston, is shut by the plug tree, at the same time that the upper valve
leading to the condenser is opened, and the steam rushing up comes in contact
with the cold sides of the copper condenser, where it is instantly reduced to
water. The permanently elastic fluids having fallen to the lower part of the
condensing pipe, where they were drawn out by a stroke of the air
piston must consequently descend, and by a like alternation be again driven
pump, the
up, in which manner the operation will proceed, until after a few strokes the
water within the engine will by this distillation have been deprived of all its
permanently elastic fluids. At this period the air pump is to be detached by
taking out the pin which connects it to the plug tree or by any other simple
means; and in order to prevent other air from accumulating from new water
which may be introduced into the condenser, a small snifting valve is fixed in
the piston as near as convenient to the piston rod, and through which valve
this air is blown by the steam in the usual manner; hence by working the
same water over again and keeping the condenser above the cylinder, we are
enabled to work without an air pump, as is usual, and have the great advantage
of keeping the whole of the parts upon which the steam may act at or above the 30
temperature of boiling water, which has never yet been effected, and by which
consequently the engine must acquire a great increase to its power. Figure 4
represents a newly invented piston; the bottom of the piston H projects about
two inches, forming a chamfered face in an obtuse angle; with the axis upon
this chamfered face is placed a wedge-like piece, composed of the different $5
segments of the circle, ploughed and tongued into the extremity of each other
with accuracy, and ground to fit the cylinder and inclined face of the piston.
I represents a compressing ring, which applies itself to the upper face of the
said wedge-like piece by a chamfered face similar to the piston beneath; the
2

page_text: Engine and Parnace.
and remain constantly in contact with the cylinder.
very upon the wedge-like piece canses it to bear
Figure 2
presents a view of a steam engine with my improvements, of which the
cylinder is not connected with the furnace, and the furnace itself is made so
5 large as not to require any additional vessel E, as shewn in Figure 1. (I
proceed with Figure 2), B is the condenser surrounded with cold water; C,
the small feeding pipe, with its cock attached to the safety valve; F, the steam
cylinder, having the piston inverted and the steam introduced at top. The air
pump similar to that in Figure 1, is fixed at II. I, I, is the fly wheel with its
0 connecting crank, and the operation of this engine resembles that of the former
so closely that a particular description is unnecessary. Figure 5 represents a
conical hollow cock or valve, the lower end of which is closed; it has a
pipe D soldered to the upper part, which communicates by three or more side
holes into E, a hollow conical socket with both ends open and ground to fit
the corresponding conical part. When these two pieces are separated there is
a free passage for steam or any other fluid, either inwards through the external
part, or from the internal part outwards; but when they are applied together
the concave part of E effectually closes the holes in D. Figure 6, side view
of a furnace for generating steam in the form of a wheel, particularly adapted
to produce power for machinery by the application of waste heat from
founderies, breweries, etc.; A. the cast iron or metal wheel or shallow
cylinder, in which is fixed two heads or ends with vanes, resembling an under-
shot wheel upon its external circumference; see also Figure 7. This cylinder
is placed on its horizontal hollow arbors or axels in the flow of a chimney, in
which it is so closed up that the ascending current of heated vapour passing
on one side and acting upon its vanes must carry it round and heat it on all
sides alike; water is introduced at B, and the steam passes off at C, where it
s employed to work the steam engine here annexed or any other steam engine.
The joinings are secured in the usual manner, and the motion rendered easier
by friction wheels, particularly under the larger hollow axis C. The steam
ngine, Figure 7, in its structure and parts exhibits others of my said new im
rovements. E is the pipe for communicating steam; the cylinder F. 11
onsists of an upper part F, kept hot, and separated from the lower H by
ring of wood, which, being a non-conductor of heat, prevents its communica
on from F to H. I is a cylindrical vessel of wood furnished with metallic ring
arrounding its upper and lower extremities, so fashioned as to admit of th
acking described in Figure 4, one of which constantly acts against the part
nd the other against II; in the cylinder at M is the steam valve for introduci
eam above the wooden evlinder. K is the barrel of the air pump fixed in t

page_text: and Furnace.
us pump, which is fixed and operates by its relative motion. The valves of t
pump and piston open downwards, but the top valve S opens upwards a
remains either open or shut according to the last pressure it may have suffere
R is a rod passing through a stuffing box and communicating with a bea
and counterpoise N. and serving to assist the rise of I in the cylinder. T
operation:-When the piston is up the whole of the engine below I is to be fill
with water. The steam valve M being then opened, the vessel I is presse
down by the steam, and part of the water flows out through the valve P:
the lower end of the stroke an injection is suffered to take place by any of th
well-known simple methods into the space between L and S; a vacuun
begins to be formed by condensation, and which is soon completed by the
rushing of the steam into the air pump where the condensed water is received
and passes out through the valve in the piston and the side valve T. The
valve S, which was opened by its descent upon L, continues open till its
approach to the top of the cylinder, where it is again closed, and by the usual
operation of the gear the steam valve is again opened, previous to which last
operation the pressure of the atmosphere must again have compleatly filled
the whole cavity of the engine through the valve 0; the subsequent descent
of T will, therefore, exclude a like quantity of water through P, and in this
manner the alternations will be incessantly continued. Among the advantages
of this engine it is evident that the constant heat of F and I, which can never
come in contact with the cold water, and the increasing heat of the water in I.
which soon acquires a high temperature, and then continues its place by its
diminished specific gravity, must tend in the highest degree to prevent the
wastful condensation of steam which is so remarkable in Captain Savary's
engine, of which this construction in its several parts, and the disposition
thereof, is an improvement, as the fire passing up the chimney in various
manufactories is very considerable, and much more than sufficient to work an
ordinary steam engine by condensation, as usual. I do in such cases load the 30
safety valve and construct the engine of the requisite strength to bear an
elastic action of from fifteen to one hundred and fifty pounds on the inch and
pwards, and in this manner I work by its elasticity only, and suffer each
upply of steam to escape into the air after it has performed its office: by this
neans the power of a four inch cylinder may be made to equal that of a 35
ylinder of one foot, etc., whereby the engine will be considerably more simple,
heap, and portable, and require less room. Lastly, I must here observe that
he method of generating steam by projecting water upon a heated metallic or
her surface is not claimed by me as a new Invention to its intire and alse-
ug up and down with it. L. Q, is the piston ro

page_text: Engine and Furnace.
and the regulated application of the heat, as herein-before described and
invented by me, do justify my claim to the exclusive priviledge thereof; and
as a further instruction to the engineer in this respect, I do hereby state and
declare that the principal novelty or leading characteristic of this part of my
said new Invention consists in disposing the parts of the apparatus and
working so that the heat shall not be great enough to decompose the water,
and thereby separate it from the elastic principle called inflammable air.
the new and convenient structure of my furnace
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Willeox, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Thirtieth day of May, in the year of our I
thousand eight hundred and one.