INVENTION OF CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES
Year: 1847

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, AMÉDÉE
FRANCOIS REMOND, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Gentleman,
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 Ninth day of March,
One thousand eight hundred and forty-seven, in the tenth year of Her reign.
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Amédée Francois Rémond, my executors, administrators, and assigns, Her
especial license, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said
Amédée Francois Rémond, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said Amédée Francois Rémond, my executors, admini-
strators, and 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, and in the Islands of Guernsey, Jersey,
Alderney, Sark, and Man, and in all Her said Majesty's Colonies and Planta-
tions abroad, the "INVENTION OF CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES,"
communicated from abroad; in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso
that I, the said Amédée Francois Rémond, shall particularly describe and
ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and the manner in which 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

page_text: 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Amédée Francois Rémond, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
communicated to me, and the manner in which the same is to be performed,
are particularly described and ascertained in aud by the following statement
thereof, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the
figures therein contained, in which the same letters of reference indicate
similar parts in the description, that is to say:-
The improvements communicated to me consist,-
Firstly, in the disposition of the steam ports of cylinders, whatever be their
form, provided the part for exhausting be increased to a much larger area
than is the practice.
Secondly, in the use of two slides absolutely independent of each other
for a perfect and useful distribution of steam for every stroke of the piston.
Thirdly, the application of the first herein-before named'improvement to
common slides or three-port valves.
Fourthly, in giving to a hollow piston slide such proportions that the passage
for the induction of the steam being in ratio with the size of the cylinder, the
educt passage to be much larger.
Fifthly, the constructing of a double helical pulley, and its application to
the working of two independent slides.
Sixthly, in employing but one single and same slide in double cylinder
engines, and thereby economizing steam and space.
Seventhly, in a method of preventing priming or flushing in steam boilers,
by means of a plate or partition, either without communication with the edges
of the boiler or in connection with them, and in that case is perforated all
over its surface, and thereby causing the steam to rise into the upper steam
chamber from all over the surface of the water, instead of being at once
gathered in one particular point of the boiler as it now happens.
Among the progress and useful inventions which succed each other every day,
one of the most important points relating to motive power and mechanical
economy remained still to be resolved, videlicit, that of overcoming the resist-
ing force or back pressure formed by the steam itself under the pistons of all, s
either locomotives, stationary, and marine steam engines. This back pressure
has always been considerable in the best known systems as well as in the
best engines; therefore, by avoiding that pressure, the advantage obtained is
to give to the machines a greater amount of useful effect and subsequently

page_text: to economise a very large quantity of fuel. All the systems of steam slides
employed up to this day have failed in avoiding that resistance, and might
naturally be expected to fail, because all the slides made by the hitherto known
systems have not been able to prevent the resisting back pressure undergone
by the piston during the period of emitting the steam, and an endless number
of experiments made by learned engineers have proved, by the aid of the
indicator, even very recently, that the mean of the loss occasioned by the
resistance behind the piston is of a very large amount in machines of high
pressure and great speed of piston, such as locomotives. By the system com-
municated to me, and which I herein-after describe, I give to the steam at
its educt an opening much larger than the common practice, and I can leave
at discretion that outlet open to its full extent during nearly the whole time
of the stroke of the piston; thus any back pressure is next to impossible. In
that system where my improvement consists in avoiding the absolute resisting
pressure sustained up to this day by the piston during the action of emitting
the steam, one great and important advantage is, the possibility of increasing
the velocity of the piston. Having now scarcely any resistance to overcome,
on account of the facility of egress given to the steam, which resistance has
been up to the present time the principal impediment for obtaining a great
speed in locomotives, and is only overcome at a considerable expence. All the
engineers until now have directed their attention to the centre or eduction
Dassage into the atmosphere only, and have been satisfied with increasing
the size of the said passage in the three-port valves or others, neglecting
and overlooking that before reaching that opening the steam is com-
pressed in its passage from the cylinder to the middle port while issuing
from the cylinder. It is true that, in order to avoid that well-known dis-
advantage, some advance is given to the egress, but that advance is really
steam totally wasted; the piston not having reached the end of the stroke,
is consequently impelled forward the momentum already acquired and
not by the pressure of steam; and if that advance is not given, and if the
slides, having no lap on the steam side, should shut off the admission before
the end of the stroke of the piston, they would, at the same time, stop the
egress of the steam which had had its effect; there is, therefore, compression
(or back pressure), and in high-speed engines such pressure is of a very great
amount. To obviate all these impediments, I prefer to employ two slides, so
entirely independent of each other that one of them admits the steam at any
certain fixed point, whilst the other allows the steam to escape, but not until
it has produced its entire effect through an opening as large as practicable.
In order to give, motion to the independent slide,. I prefer making use of a

page_text: double helical pulley, the grooves of which are formed in it force the sides to
rise, stop, and descend at the points previously fixed, by the aid of suitable
rods, with a regularity and precision which could not be obtained with the
excentric, although two ordinary excentrics might be employed for the motion
of these said independent slides. I also obtain nearly the same effect by
having the slides dependant, similar to those employed at present, and put in
motion by a simple excentric, but in that case they require a much greater
lap on the steam side of valve.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
The Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, relate to the first of the improvements
communicated to me for the disposition of steam ports of cylinder.
Figure 1 represents the face of the nozzle of a cylinder, shewing the pro-
portion of the ports. A, A', in that Figure are the small parts of the ports,
top and bottom; they represent the ordinary proportions of the steam ports
for the admission of steam in cylinder. The other ports B, B', are the pro-
portionate additions for accomplishing the non-compression (or back pressure),
and serve as exhaust passages from the cylinder. C, C', are the exhaust
passages to the atmosphere or condenser, in low-pressure engines.
Figure 2 is a cross section of the nozzle and cylinder, with the valves placed
at about one twentieth from the beginning of the stroke of the piston. The
said slides are entirely independent, and work at different times. Their motion
is obtained by means of the independent pullies a, a, Figure 6, which may be
conveniently adjusted to the crank shaft Z of the same Figure. B, B',
Figure 2, are the exhaust parts of the ports from the cylinder; they are
represented as being four times larger in area than those employed for the
ordinary passages. C represents the exhaust port into the atmosphere, or
into the condenser or blast pipe of locomotives. D, D', are the slides. C
represents the slide spindles. E represent the piston.
I will now proceed to describe the working of the slides. If I take for basis
the position of the piston E, Figure 2, it will happen that during the half revo-
lution of the engine the piston E will ascend from J to the dotted line K, which
place it occupies at the top of its stroke, because the admission took place at
A', and the emission at B', this last part of passage having been opened
as soon as the admission had been effected at A', and having remained in that
position until the completion of the stroke of the piston. If now I take the
range of the slides at the point where the piston E now is, I shall see,
firstly, that part of the passage of ingress A' is shut by the valve D',
and that the part of the port for emission, B, is entirely open, in order to

page_text: provide a passage for the egress of the steam during the descending motion of
the piston E, and secondly, I shall also see that the slide D opens a passage
For the steam to pass from the boiler to the upper side of the piston by means
of the induction part of the port A, and that the remaining eduction part of
the port B' is shut by means of the front part of the slide D, as the passage
B has opened for the eduction B, C, consequently the piston is not hindered in
its action by the steam which has produced its effect, and has a very large
aperture for its escape. The same movement is alternately repeated for each
half revolution, or for each single stroke of the piston. As for the expansion
of the steam, it is also evident that it can be made use of, as in every other
system, to any amount, varying the slots in the sheeves of command for
working the slide valves. I will observe here, that I do not confine myself to
the use of the ports as herein-before described to obviate the compression or
back pressure of steam under the pistons, as I can obtain the same results
either by the passages set in the front of the nozzle being made much larger
than the ports commonly employed by opening the slide for the ordinary
amount of admission, and letting it fully open for eduction, or in having
the two parts of the said passages independent one of the other, the one for
induction being of the ordinary size, and the other for eduction of any desired
area, and placed either one over the other, or having two parts on one side
of the cylinder for induction, and the large exhaustion passages at any other
convenient part, with suitable slides put in motion by convenient gearing;
however, I prefer the mode herein-before described.
The second improvement relating to the use of two slides independent of
cach other, for the useful and perfect distribution of steam, is illustrated by the
Figures 1 and 2. Figure 3 represents the face of the nozzle of a cylinder,
and Figures 4 and 5, two sections of the improvement upon the ordinary three-
port steam cylinders, as in locomotives, and with the usual amount of lap and
expansion. Figure 4 shews the position of the slide, the engine being sup-
posed to be at rest. Figure 5 shews the position of the slide when the passage
of admission A is half open for the descent of the piston and the passage of
emission B is full open. Figure 6 represents the improved helical pullies or
sheaves, which I prefer for giving the movement to the independent slides.
In the above-mentioned Figure 6, a, a, are the two slots or grooves formed
according to the movements required to be given to the independent slides; b, b',
of the same Figure are two bell crank levers with friction rollers or slide
blocks d, d'; c, c', are the two rods jointed to the bell cranks b, b', and attached
to the independent slides D, D', Figure 2. Figure 6 bis is an outside view
of the sheaves, showing the way to dispose the slots for the slide blocks of the

page_text: bell crank lever b, 6. Figure 7 represents a hollow piston slide as a substitute
for the slide valve, having the same principle as shewn in Figure 2, and
applicable to locomotives; this hollow piston slide has the advantage of not
having any steam pressure upon the slide producing friction, and relates to the
fifth part of the Invention. In that Figure 7, A is the top port conducting the
steam to the cylinder. That port is represented as being in area four times that
of an ordinary steam port. A' is the bottom steam port conducting the steam to
the cylinder, and is similar to A; B is the steam pipe feeding the slides; C is
the hollow piston slide; D is the eduction pipe, equal in area to A, A'; H
represents the parts of the slide which are fitted steam-tight to admit or shut
the steam in or from the cylinder during the alternate movement of ascent
and descent. The annular space E, produced by the reduction of the middle
part of the piston slide, is equal to the area of ordinary steam ports, and the
bore through the piston slide is equal to about four times the area of common:
steam ports; a, a', are the orifices in the nozzle, equal to those in A, A'. In.
this Figure the piston is supposed to be at one fourth of the stroke down-
wards, the exhaust pipe A being completely open; the exhaust pipe also is
open four times the area of the steam passage or of the annular space round
the reduced part C of the piston slide. The area of the steam passage in
the cylinder being in this instance equal to four times the ordinary passages,
it naturally follows that the reduction of the steam passage to the ordinary
size for admission is produced by the obstruction formed by the area of the
cross section of the piston slide at the reduced part.
+
'
The sixth improvement, consisting in the use of one single and same slide
for double cylinder engines, is represented by Figures 8, 9, and 10. Figure 8
represents the front view of a nozzle for compound or double cylinder engines,
or high and low pressure engines. Figure 9 represents the section of the
nozzle and slide of the cylinder; B is the compound slide. The slide in this
Figure is in this position it occupies during the half stroke of the pistons in their
upward stroke. The high-pressure steam enters at the port a', and the expand-
ing steam comes from the top of the piston through a, hence it descends through
the passage d into the slide; and enters the port b' underneath the large piston.
The expanded steam, or low-pressure steam, passes from the top of the large
cylinder, through the port b, down through the passage e, into the port C, leading
to the condensor. By moving the slide so that the passages d and the ports a
be in connection, the motion of the pistons will be reverted. The advantages
of that slide are, its simplicity and compactness, and the little loss of steain in
the passages compared with that occasioned by the ordinary arrangements of
slides in the generality of these compound steam engines. These slides are

page_text: particularly adapted to beam engines, where the high-pressure cylinder is
placed nearer than the lower pressure one to the centre of the beam, as the
difference of length of the pistons' strokes suits the difference of distance of
the ports, and allows them to be in direct communication with their respec-
tive cylinders, without any angles or curves in the passages of cylinders, and
with the least possible waste of steam. Figure 10 represents the plan of the
cylinders, showing the arrangements of the front of the cylinders on the side of
the nozzle of a slide applicable to Woolf's, or to high and low pressure expansive
engines. A" is the front of the nozzle of the cylinders; i, i, are the steam
passages to the cylinders.
The last part of the improvements communicated to me relates to certain
arrangements for the prevention of priming or flushing in steam boilers of
stationary marine and locomotive engines. Figures 11, 11 bis, and 12 repre-
sent the mode of preventing priming in steam boilers, and is founded on the
principle of taking the steam from the several parts of the water's surface, and
diffusing its exit, and thereby increasing the area of the eduction instead
of collecting it in one single part, as usually done by that improvement. I
decrease the velocity of the steam instead of concentrating it in one part of the
boiler, videlicet, at the steam pipe or dome of the boiler in locomotives, or
steam chamber in marine engines. Figure 11 represents one of my arrange-
ments as applied to locomotive boilers. It consists of a curved plate or
suitable partition a, left open on the whole length of its upper side, and running
between the surface of the water and the top of the boiler. Its open aperture
is suitably contrived so as to correspond proportionally per inch or per foot with
the rate of evaporation along the whole length of the boiler. The Figure 11 bis
is the plan of the curved plate or partition, and shews the part left open.
Figure 12 is a cross section of the boiler of a locomotive, and shews the curved
plate a, and its aperture b. Figure 13 represents a similar arrangement
applied to the boiler of a marine engine. It consists of the plate or partition f
interposed between the water surface and the eduction pipe. This plate, not
being in contact with the edges of the boiler, naturally increases the area of
the passage of the steam to the educt pipe by some hundredfold, and conse-
quently decreases in the same ratio the velocity of exit at the edges of the
said plate or partition. I can obtain the same result by interposing a partition
. or plate between the whole of the surface of the water and the eduction pipe,
and by perforating that plate all over with small holes of about one quarter
of an inch in diameter, or by making the holes per square inch or foot,
according to the ratio of evaporation. Figures 14 and 15 represent other
arrangements of the same method, and as applied to boilers of stationary

page_text: engines, such as waggons, cylindrical, and Cornish boilers. In Figure 14 the
partition or plate f is placed horizontally across the boiler at about one foot
above the water surface; it touches the edges of the boiler, and must be
perforated as herein-before described for marine boilers. The arrangements
in Figure 15 consist in having a curved partition or plate f running about half
the length of the boiler. It is at a distance of three or four inches from the
eduction pipe, and is bent and shaped like the top of the boiler represented in
that Figure.
And having now described the nature of the Invention communicated to
me, and the manner and means by which the same is to be carried into
effect, I wish it to be understood that I do not confine myself rigidly to the
precise details of the several parts of the apparatus herein-before described and
represented in the Drawings, provided that the principle be similar to what is
hercin-before described. But what I do claim as new, and as the Invention
communicated to me, and intended to be protected by Letters Patent, is,―
Firstly, the disposition of ports of cylinder, whatever may be their form,
provided that the eduction port for the escape of steam from the cylinder be
much larger than the port actually in practice, as herein-before represented in
reference to Figures 1 and 2, 3, 4, and 5.
Secondly, the use of two slides entirely independent of each other, and
put in motion by a double sheave or helical pulley, or by any other suitable
contrivance, as hercin-before described in reference to Figures 1 and 2.
Thirdly, the mode of applying the first-described improvement to common
slides or three-port valves, as herein-before described in reference to Figures
3, 4, and 5.
Fourthly, the constructing of a hollow piston slide, and its application to
the herein-before described mode of induction and eduction for steam, and also
the proportions of steam emission being much larger than the admission, or of
the ordinary proportions as herein-before described in reference to Figure 7.
Fifthly, the construction of a double sheave or helecal pulley, and its appli-
cations for putting in motion the independant slides, as herein-before described
in reference to Figures 6 and 6 bis.
Sixthly, the arrangements of the slide when applied to compound cylinder
engines, in such a manner that one single slide will act upon both cylinders
in the manner herein before described in reference to Figures 8, 9 and 10.
Seventhly, I claim, finally, the arrangements for preventing priming in steam
boilers, being well aware, relatively to that part of the Invention communi-
cated to me, that the novelty does not consist in placing a perforated box or
pipe close to the steam pipe, but in dividing the steam room into two parts, as

page_text: herein-before described in reference to Figures 11, 11 bis, 12, 13, 14, and 15.
And such the Invention communicated to me being, to the best of my knowledge
and belief, new, and never before used within that part of Her said Majesty's
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland called England, the said
Dominion of Wales, and Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, and in the Islands of
Guernsey, Jersey, Alderney, Sark, and Man, and in all Her said Majesty's
Colonies and Plantations abroad, I do hereby declare this to be the Specifica-
tion communicated to me of the above, and that I do verily believe this the
said Specification doth comply, in all respects, with the proviso in the said
herein in part recited Letters Patent contained; wherefore I do claim hereby
to maintain exclusive right and privilege to the said Invention.
In witness whereof, I, the said Amédée Francois Rémond, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Eighth day of September, in the year of
Our Lord One thousand sight hundred and forty-seven
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the same Eighth day of September,
in the year above mentioned, the aforesaid Amédée Francois Rémond came
before our Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specifi-
cation aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained, in form above
written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the
tenor of the Statute in that case made and provided.