IMPROVEMENTS IN MADING STEAM ENGINES
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Richardson, of Hartlepool, in the County
of Durham, Engineer, and George William Jaffreys, Engineer, of Hartle-
pool, in the County of Durham, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MADING STEAM ENGINES"
Sealed the 9th September 1856, and dated the 19th March 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Richardson and
George William Jaffreys at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 19th March 1856.
We, THOMAS RICHARDSON, of Hartlepool, in the County of Durham, Engi-
neer, and GEORGE WILLIAM JAFFREYS, Engineer, of Hartlepool, in the County
of Durham, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MARINE STEAM ENGINES, to be as follows:-
1. These improvements are comprised in the application of three direct-
acting trunk cylinders in the place of two, as heretofore; the cylinders to
be placed in any position required, by the circumstances of the ship, namely,
vertical, horizontal, or angular, the cranks being placed so as to work at equal
angles to each other; the air pumps to be placed upon the same bed plate as
the cylinders, and worked from the trunk of cylinders.
2. By this arrangement a perfectly balanced motion is given to the engine
in all its parts without the aid of weights or other auxiliary counterpoise, and

page_text: the wear and tear in the various parts of the engine is reduced at least 50
per cent., the liability to disarrangement being also reduced in the same ratio
as compared to the double-cylindered engine with cranks working at right
angles.
3. An increase in the effective power of the engine, in the proportion of two-
thirds to one-half, is obtained by the arrangement of three cylinders, two
cylinders being constantly in full working power, whereas in the case of
two cylinders, one only is working at the points whilst the centres are being
passed.
4. By the constant and certain uniform motion of three cylinders, the jerking
and uneven motion, so constantly and unavoidably occurring in the case of two
cylinders, is avoided, thus leading to a great saving in the distructive working
in all the parts of the engine, and reducing the disagreeable motion so sensibly
felt in passenger ships when direct-actioned engines are made use of with two
cylinders.
5. By working an engine with the arrangement of three cylinders expan-
sively a saving of at least one-third in the consumption of fuel may be
obtained over the ordinary engines now in use thus leading to a saving
beyond calculation in the auxiliary power now being applied to full-rigged
ships.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas Richardson and George William Jaffreys in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 19th September 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, THOMAS
RICHARDSON, of Hartlepool, in the County of Durham, Engineer, and GEORGE
WILLIAM JAFFREYS, Engineer, of Hartlepool, in the County of Durham, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the nineteenth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the said
Thomas Richardson and George William Jaffreys, Her special licence, that
we, the said Thomas Richardson' and George William Jaffreys, our execu-
tors, administrators, and assigns, or such others 'a's we, the said Thomas
Richardson and George William Jaffreys, our executors, administrators, and
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and

page_text: 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 MARINE STEAM ENGINES," upon the condition (ainongst
others) that we, the said Thomas Richardson and George William Jaffreys,
our executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under our, or one
of our or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and
ascertain the nature of the said Invention, 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 we, the said Thomas Richardson and George
William Jaffreys, do hereby declare the nature of our 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:-
Our improvements consist in the combination of three direct-acting trunk
cylinders in the place of two, as heretofore. The cylinders we place in any
position required, by the circumstances of the ship, namely, vertical, horizontal,
or angular, and we connect their piston rods to cranks arranged so as to work
at equal angles to each other. The air pumps may be placed upon the same
bed plate as the cylinders, and worked from the trunk of cylinders.
The accompanying Diagram represents our improved arrangement of marine
steam engine.
A perfectly balanced motion is thus ensured to the engine in all its parts
without the aid of weights or other auxiliary counterpoise, and the wear and
tear in the various parts of the engine is reduced at least fifty per cent., the
liability to disarrangement being also reduced in the same ratio as com-
pared to the double-cylindered engine with cranks working at right angles.
An increase in the effective power of the engine, in the proportion of two-
thirds to one-half, is obtained by the arrangement of three cylinders, two
cylinders being constantly in full working power, whereas in the case of two
cylinders, one only is working at the points whilst the centres are being
passed.
By the constant and certain uniform motion of three cylinders, the jerking
and uneven motion, so constantly and unavoidably occurring in the case of two
cylinders, is avoided, thus leading to a great saving in the destructive working
in all the parts of the engine, and reducing the disagreeable motion so sensibly
felt in passenger ships when direct-action'd engines are made use of with two
cylinders.

page_text: By working an engine with the arrangement of three cylinders expan-
sively a saving of at least one-third in the consumption of fuel may be
obtained over the ordinary engines now in use, thus leading to a saving
beyond calculation in the auxiliary power now being applied to full-rigged
ships.
In witness whereof, we, the said Thomas Richardon and George William
Jaffreys, have hereunto set our bands and seals, this Twelfth day of
September, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
fifty-six.
THOMAS RICHARDSON.
(L.S.)
GEORGE WILLIAM JAFFREY
(L.B.)