AN IMPROVED VAPOUR ENGINE
Year: 1884

page_text: I HENRY MARTYN NICHOLLS of 13, Grove Place Brompton Road in the County
of Middlesex, Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention for AN
IMPROVED VAPOUR ENGINE to be as follows:-
My invention has reference to the employment of the vapour of the moro
valatile liquids such as ether or alcohol for the purpose of obtaining motive power
but applies to steam also, and consists in the combination and arrangement of the
parts of apparatus hereinafter described, wherein and by means of which heat is
applied (by preference) to the more volatile liquids to convert them to vapour
which is employed as the motive power.
Cylinders or like suitable vessels in which the liquid is converted into vapour
and caused to act with the required pressure are employed by preference in pairs.
These are fitted with movable plungers caused to move air and steam tight and so
connected that the expansive force of the vapour acting on the plunger of one
cylinder to force it through the end of its upward or outward stroke forces at the
same time (through the intervention of connecting rods and a vibrating beam) the
plunger in the other cylinder downwards or inwards.
This vibrating beam is loose on a shaft which is supported in bearings in the
framing which connects the cylinders, and has its motion transmitted to the shaft
by means of a double ratchet movement and a second parallel shaft geared
positively with the first shaft by means of toothed wheels.
By this arrangement the upward or outward movement of each plunger
alternately will impart motion to the said first named shaft causing it to turn
constantly in the same direction and to give off the power developed in the
cylinders.
The plungers are packed air and steam tight in their passage in and out of the
cylinders by preference with a packing which consists of entire rings hollow or
solid and composed of comparatively soft metal which rings are forced into contact
with the surfaces to be kept steam tight by elastic pressure caused either by air or
other elastic fluid acting through the intervention of a liquid such as water or oil
or by an elastic material such as hemp, asbestos or like substance.
The cylinders or vessels are so connected together that the liquid contained in
the one can pass to the other alternately, and on the stroke of the plunger in the
first cylinder being completed a communication between the two is opened, and the

page_text: vapour in the first forces the liquid into the second cylinder or vessel, and then the
communication between the two is closed.
There are two pipes each fitted with a valve and cock which pipes lead from the
bottom of one cylinder to that of the other, by means of which the necessary
communication between the interiors of the cylinders can be opened and closed as
required. The valves for the purpose are self-acting and ouly allow of a passage
through the pipes in one direction.
The fire which may consist of a lamp, gas or other suitable source of heat is
mounted so that it can be caused to revolve round a centre and so may be brought
under cach cylinder of a pair in succession. This is effected by a lever action so
that the fire or source of heat is caused to leave the one cylinder and to pass
underneath the other when the stroke of the plunger is complete, the same move-
ment actuating the cocks in the pipes which communicate between the cylinders
and also the valve in the condensing pipe hereinafter described.
The engine will in any case, where a pair of cylinders is employed, be worked
by the difference in the expansive force of the vapour in each cylinder condensation
if used being employed more rapidly to increase the said difference by lowering
the temperature of the vapour which is free to surround a pipe or pipes of thin
metal fitted steam tight in a vessel connected with each cylinder through which
pipe or pipes on the plunger having completed its outstroke water or air under
pressure is forced in the required quantity.
In order to maintain uniformity in the power of the engine, two pairs of
cylinders or vessels are employed and so worked that when the plungers of one
pair are at the termination of their stroke the plungers of the other pair are at
half stroke.
The before numed lever action is arranged to control the fires or sources of heat
for two pairs of cylinders, when two pairs are employed. When the plungers in
the first pair are at half stroke those of the second pair are at the termination of
their stroke and the lever action connected with the first pair is caused to change
the fire or source of heat for the second pair bringing it from under one cylinder
and moving it under the other, and at the same time opening and closing the cocks
which allow of the liquid passing from one cylinder to the other, also opening the
passage for the condensing water when that is eruployed.
In order to reduce the duration of the stoppage where one cylinder only is
employed, a close vessel similarly connected by pipes with the interior of the
cylinder is substituted for the second cylinder into which the liquid is forced on
the outstroke of the plunger being complete, and underneath which the fire is
transfered, and from which on the plunger having been forced back into the
cylinder by the pressure of the atmosphere the liquid is returned together with the
fire, similarly to the case where a pair of cylinders is employed.
The speed of the plungers is comparatively slow and the desired working speed
is obtained by suitable intermediate gearing.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
I HENRY MARTYN NICHOLLS of 13 Grove Place Brompton Road in the County
of Middlesex Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my Invention for AN
IMPROVED VAPOUR ENGINE and in what manner the same is to be performed, to
be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
Having in my Provisional Specification described the nature and object of my
said Invention, I will now proceed more particularly to ascertain and describe tho
manner in which the same is to be performed, reference being had to the accom-
panying drawings, in which similar letters of referenco indicate corresponding parts,
and arrows indicate the direction of motion.
Fig 1 represents a side elevation of the engine partly in section, a portion of the
near side of the framing being removed also the near side of the beam, and the
lever C¹.
Fig 2 is a vertical transverse view of the engine at the centre, partly in section.
Fig 3 is a plan of the engine, part of the near side of the frame being removed.
Fig 4 is a sectional plan taken through one of the condensers and the pipes of
communication between the cylinders.
Fig 5 is an arrangement showing the hollow packing rings in section.
Fig 6 is another arrangement of packing rings where solid rings are employed
drawn to a larger scale.
The engine consists of the following principal parts -The cylinders a. and b.
fitted with the plungers c and d and united by the framing e.
The packing for each plunger consists of the hollow ring f, which communicates
with the air vessel g through the pipe h. The air vessel g, is fitted with a pipo i
and stop cock; The packing ring is kept in its place by the gland l.
The necessary alternate communication between the cylinders is maintained by
means of the pipes m and n, in which are the valves o and p, which are closed by
springs and only allow of a passage.in one direction, and the cock q common to both
pipes, The cock q is fitted above with a toothed quadrant r, which is actuated by
the toothed rack 8, attached to the side of the hollow cylindrical slide t which is
guided in the frame e-In the interior of this slide are two spiral springs u and v
(see Fig 3)-these springs are separated by a stud w which passes through slots in
the slide t, and is secured at its two extremities in another slide which is
free to move on the slide t and is guided by the round rod y, which is again guided
in the framing at 3- -The slide x is formed with vertical projections a¹, which
alternately are engaged by the stud b', in the lever c'.-Two lovers e' fl free to
turn on the centres g¹ h¹ actuate bolts which are constantly pressed down by
the spring which acts on both.
These bolts i¹ and ¹ alternately enter notches m² n' formed in the slott and
secure it in its position against the pressure of tho springs u and v which are
alternately under pressure caused by the movement of the slide t.
The condenser is cast on the side of each cylinder, and consists of a cylindrical
vessels o¹, through which passes the thin metal tube p¹ made steam tight in its
passage.
The space q surrounding the pipe 2 is always in communication with the
interior of the cylinder through the passage -A throttle valve s' allows of a free
passage through the pipe p², or closes it-These valves are actuated by the before
named slide t, by means of the arms to which are attached the rods u¹ which

page_text: engage the studs v¹ in the levers w¹ These rods slide in the cylindrical cases ¹ in
which are spiral springs, which insure the valve shutting tight.-Above the con-
denser, in communication with the space q' is the safety valvo y¹.
The fire or source of heat (in this case supposed to be obtained from gas) consists
of the pipe z formed into a spiral a², from which the gas issues, The said pipe s¹
is attached at its inner extremity to the vertical rod b suitably mounted and free
to turn in the framing e, and fitted at its upper extremity with a toothed wheel c¹
which gears into the before named toothed quadrant r.
The motion of the plungers is transmitted to the main shaft in order to cause
it to turn constantly in the direction indicated by the arrows, by means of the con-
necting rods e, f, which engage the extremities of the beam g' and which is free
to turn on the shaft d³, and the ratchet wheel fast on the shaft d³ actuated by
the pawl in the beam g¹ the lower shaft k on which the second ratchet wheel i
is made fast in gear with the pawl m³ in the lever c' which is in gear with the
beam g2 by means of the links n² n³ The shafts d³ and k³ are geared together by
the toothed wheels o³ and 22 (see Fig 2).
The mode of operation is as follows:-The various parts of the engine being
supposed to be in the relative positions shewn in the drawings the plunger c being
at the bottom of its stroke, and the plunger in the opposite position-If the
hollow packing rings faro employ-d to keep the plungers steam tight, they are
first filled with a liquid such as oil, or water, which is forced into them through
the pipe h; for which purpose a suitable force pump is attached to the pipe i in
the air vessel g-On the packing ring being filled the liquid rises in the air
vessel g, compressing the air in it till the pressure is obtained which will force the
packing ring inwards against the plungers, and outwards against the interior of
the cylinder with the requisite degree of force to prevent the escape of the vapour
or steam from underneath the plunger. After shutting the cock the force pump
may be disconnected.
The air (in the first instance) is withdrawn from underneath the plungers by
means of an exhaust pump applied to the pipes 9² 9 successively-After the
cylinder a is exhausted the cock in the supply pipe q, is shut and the required
quantity of the liquid from which the vapour or steam is to be generated is
introduced into the pump through a cock in the barrel, care being taken to fill the
pump barrel The cock in the pump barrel is now closed, and that in the pipe q
is again opened and the liquid is passed into the cylinder a entering the space
underneath the plunger c The fire a is now lighted, and as soon as the pressure
of the vapour or steam overcomes the load on the engine, the plunger crises, and
through the rod e², the beam y², and the rod f forces down the plunger d.
On the upstroke of the plunger c being completed the lever c¹ acting on the
locking lever el causes it to lift the bolt when the slide t is moved towards the
cylinder b by the action of the spring u in its interior. The slide t in moving by
means of the toothed rack s acting on the toothed quadrant 7, turns the cock q a
quarter turn, and so opens a communication through the pipo n between the
cylinders The same movement of the cock closes the passage through the pipe m
The vapour in the cylinder a will now drive the liquid from the cylinder & into the
cylinder b. The slide t, in giving motion to the toothed quadrant causes the
vertical rod b carrying the fire a³ to revolve, so that the fire is brought from
underneath the cylinder a and moved underneath the cylinder b-In addition to
which the slide, by its motion, opens the throttle valve in the condensing pipe 2¹
and water or air under pressure is forced through the pipe p' in the required
quantity the corresponding valve in the other condensing pipe at the same time
being closed. The vapour remaining in the cylinder a is condensed-The valve
in the pipe n is closed by the action of the spring, and the increasing pressure of
the vapour in the cylinder b. The plunger d will now begin to rise, and the
plunger c to descend.-Un the stroke of the plunger c being completed similar
actions are caused by the movement of the slide t, which now moves towards the
cylinder a and thus the action of the engine is rendered continuous.

page_text: The vibratory motion of the beam g' acting through the pawls i³ and m², on the
ratchet wheels 2 and 3, causes the main shaft & to turn continually in the
direction indicated by the arrows.-The lower shaft is geared with the main
shaft by the toothed wheels o³ p².
On the main shaft a suitable toothed wheel may be fitted to drive a pinion
on a second shaft, and so by means of a train of wheels and pinions the slow
notion of the main shaft may be developed and utilized at a corresponding
diminution of the initial power, till the required working speed and power is
obtained.
Where two or more pairs of engines are connected or compounded so as to act
together to turn the same shaft, the action is under the control of the first engine
by causing the ratchet wheel to be fixed on the main shaft, so that the second
engine may bo half a tooth of the ratchet behind or in advance of the ratchet
wheel of the first engine.-The ratchet wheel of the third engine would correspond
in position with that of the first, the fourth with that of the second, and so on.
This secures the engines acting in unison with one another, and serves to equalize
the rotative power-The lever c³ of the first engine governing the movement of
the others.
Where one cylinder only is employed, and the engine is consequently singlo
acting a vessel is employed in place of the second cylinder, but without a plunger,
and closed steam tight above, into which the liquid is driven at the termination of
the outstroke of the plunger-Underneath this vessel the fire is also transferred at
the same time, and from it the liquid is again returned, together with the fire, on
the atmospheric pressure having forced back the plunger into the cylinder-The
condenser is attached to the side of the vessel, as in the case where the second
cylinder is employed. Here the ratchet wheel only is employed, the lever c¹
being retained to actuate the slide t. The beam gå may be shortened on the side
next the said vessel, there being no connection with a second plunger..
Fig 5: represents a section of a modification of the hollow packing ring, where
the ring is formed of two parts, the liquid coming into actual contact with the
plunger and cylinder at the point between the letters a and c..
Fig 6 represent a section (on a larger scale) showing another form and arrange-
ment of packing where solid rings are employed-The space & above the rings
between the rings and the gland may be filled with hemp asbestos or analogous
material or the rings may be pressed upon by steel springs.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
The general construction, combination, and arrangement of the several and
respective parts, by means of which I obtain motive power from the vapour (by
preference) of the more volatile liquids, and maintain the same in continuous
operation, including the means of preventing the escape of the vapour past the
plungers, and the means of condensing the vapour substantially as described and
shewn on the drawings. And I make this claim in conjunction and in combination
with the means of applying the said motive power so generated, and maintained,
whereby the original slow motion of the plungers is increased by intermediate
gearing with a corresponding diminution of power, to suit the requirements of
each particular case, as to amount of power and speed combined.
H. M. NICHOLLS.