CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS. IN STEAM ENGINES
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Jaiñes Petrie, of Rochdale, in the County of
Lancaster, Engineer, for the Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS.
IN STEAM ENGINES."
Sealed the 6th October 1853, and dated the 21st April 1853.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Petric at-the
-
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 21st April 1853.
I, JAMES PETRIE, of Rochdale, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "CERTAIN
IMPROVEMENTS, IN STEAM ENGINES" to be as follows:-
My improvements in steam engines apply principally to what are
called condensing steam engines, and relate to a certain peculiar novel:
arrangement of apparatus, to be applied to the same, for heating the
water previous to its being fed into the boiler by the force pump. The
exhaust pipe, which connects the side pipes of the steam engine with
the condenser, is inclined, and to the lower side of the inclined part of
the pipe or vertical tuble or pocket is connected, leading to a vessel

page_text: or reservoir, from the upper part of which a pipe communicates to the
"hot well." The water is admitted from the hot well by a tube at or
near the lowest part of the side pipes, and mingling with the exhaust
steam on its passage to the condenser becomes thereby raised to a high
temperature. As soon as the steam and water arrives at that point of
the inclined pipe leading to the condenser, where the vertical pipe
or pocket joins to it, the water, from its superior gravity, being at the
lower side of the inclined pipe, separates from the steam, and flows
down the vertical pipe or tube into the above mentioned vessel, whence
it is pumped or fenced in the ordinary manner into the boiler.
Thus it will be evident that a constant circulation of water through
the exhaust pipe takes place, by which means it becomes heated, and
the boiler being thus supplied with water ranging about 150 degrees
in temperature, a great economy of fuel is thereby effected.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said James Petric, in the Great Seal Patent Office,
on the 19th October 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
JAMES PETRIE, of Rochdale, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of April, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the six-
teenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said James Petrie, Her especial licence
that I, the said James Petrie, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said James Petrie, 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 the Isle of Man, an Invention for "CERTAIN

page_text: IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said James Petric, by an instrument in writing under my
hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature
of the said Invention, and in what manuer the same was to be per-
formed, 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 James Petrie, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, that is to say:
My improvements in steam engines apply principally to those which
are ordinarily called condensing steam engines, and relate to a certain
novel and peculiar arrangement of apparatus, to be applied or adapted
to the same, for the purpose of heating the water previously to its being
fed into the steam boiler by the ordinary force pump. The water is
heated by the exhaust steam, during its passage from the exhaust side of
the valves to the condenser. The exhaust pipe which connects the side
pipes of the steam engine with the condenser is inclined or curved, and
to the lower side of this inclined or curved part of the said pipe a ver-
tical tube or "pocket" is connected, from the lower part of which tube
or "pocket," a tube communicates with the ordinary force pump. I
would here observe, that it is desirable that the diameter of the said
pipe should be about equal to that of the "ram" of the force pump;
and that the said pump be placed as low as convenient, in order that
the water may feed the pump by its own gravity, otherwise the vacuum
in the condenser would have a counteracting tendency. The water is
admitted from the hot well by means of a pipe dipping therein, the
upper extremity of which communicates with about the lowest part of
the side pipes on the opposite side to the exhaust pipe. The pipe
leading from the hot well is furnished with a stop cock, in order to allow
of a supply of water being regulated according to the quantity necessary
to feed the force pump.
Immediately above the opening of the tube leading from the hot well
is fixed a disc, which acts as a breakwater, and prevents the water

page_text: from rushing in a column up the side pipe, as it would otherwise
have a tendency as soon as the stop cock is opened.
Upon the said stop cock being opened, the water from the hot 'well
is drawn into the said pipes, by means of the vacuum therein, and
mingling with the exhaust steam on its passage through the side pipes
to the condenser, becomes thereby raised to a high temperature. As
soon as the steam and water, thus mingled, arrive at that point of the
curved or inclined part of the exhaust pipe leading to the condenser,
where the vertical. pipe or "pocket" joins to it, the water, owing to its
superior gravity, being at the lower side of the inclined or curved part
of the pipe, separates from the steam, and flows into the vertical tube or
pocket, and thence to the force punip, whence it is pumped or fed into
the boiler in the ordinary manner, whilst the steam proceeds as usual to
the condenser. Thus, it will be evident, that a constant circulation of
water through the exhaust pipe takes place, by which means it becomes
heated, and the boiler being thus supplied or fed with water at a high
degree of temperature, a great economy of fuel is thereby effected.
In order more clearly to shew the practical application of my said In-
vention, I have annexed hereunto a drawing illustrative of the same, and
have marked thereon letters of reference, corresponding with those in the
following explanation thereof. The said drawing represents a vertical
section of the side pipes and valve casings of an ordinary steam engine.
a, a, is the feed or steam pipe from the boiler; and b, b, c, c, are the side
pipes; b, b, being the pipe for the ingress of steam, and c, c, the pipe
for the egress of the steam. d, d; are the valve casings; and e, e, are the
piston valves. The valves are merely represented in this form for the
sake of illustration, as it is evident that my improvement is equally
applicable wliere any other form of valve is employed. ff, is the
exhaust pipe leading to the condenser. It will be observed, that this
pipe f. f, is inclined or curved towards the left hand, and that to the
lower side of the said inclined or curved part a vertical tube or
pocket" y, 9, is connected. h, h, is a pipe leading from the. said tube
or "pocket" g, g, to the force pump. i, i, is the pipe leading from the
hot well, which is furnished with a stop. cock k, k. The lower extremity
of this said pipe i, i, as before described, dips into the water in the hot

page_text: well, the end thereof being "plugged" and drilled with a number of
small holes. 1, 1, is a disc supported upon rods m, m, and is for the
purpose of distributing the water, and preventing it from rushing in a
column up the exhaust side pipe c, c. As soon as the stop cock k, k, is
opened, the water is drawn into the side pipes by the vacuum therein,
and being broken (as it were) by the disc 1, 1, passes off with the exhaust
steam towards the condenser, and being at the lower part of the curved
or inclined pipe f, f, becomes caught in the tube or pocket y, 9, and
flows thence down the pipe h, h, to the force pump.
Having thus described the nature and object of my said Invention of
certain improvements in steam engines, together with the manner of
carrying the same into practical effect, I would remark in conclusion,
that I claim as my Invention the novel and peculiar arrangement of
apparatus above described and shewn in the drawing annexed, for
heating the water previously to its being fed or pumped into the boiler,
more especially the vertical tube or "pocket," to arrest the water, and
separate it from the steam, without the necessity of any breakwater or
other impediment in the exhaust pipe leading to the condenser.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Petrie, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of October, One thousand
eight hundred and fifty-three.
JAMES PETRIE. (L.S.)