SEPARATING THE STEAM FROM THE CONDENSED WATER AND MUD IN ITS TRANSIT FROM THE BOILER TO THE CYLINDER OF A STEAM ENGINE, STATIONARY OR LOCOMOTIVE
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Harris, of Nantyglo, in the Parish of
Aberystruth, in the County of Monmouth, Engineer, for the Invention
of "SEPARATING THE STEAM FROM THE CONDENSED WATER AND MUD IN ITS
TRANSIT FROM THE BOILER TO THE CYLINDER OF A STEAM ENGINE, STATIONARY
OR LOCOMOTIVE."
Sealed the 24th April 1855, and dated the 5th October 1854.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Harris at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
5th October 1854.
I, THOMAS HARRIS, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"SEPARATING THE STEAM FROM THE CONDENSED WATER AND MUD IN ITS TRANSIT
FROM THE BOILER TO THE CYLINDER OF A STEAM ENGINE, STATIONARY OR Loco-
MOTIVE to be as follows:-
This Invention is to be adopted instead of the continuous pipe by which
the steam is conveyed from the boiler to the cylinder, conveying with the steam
(as is well known to engineers) a great quantity of condensed water and mud,
which occasions an accumulation in the cylinder, very detrimental to the work-
ing of the engine, wearing away the cylinder, and rendering necessary the
frequent packing of the piston, and occasioning a large unnecessary consump-
tion of fuel, tallow, oil, &c.
To remedy all this, I purpose, instead of making the said steam pipe from
the boiler a continuous one (as at present), to divide it, and let the parts of the
pipe so divided into the upper part of a chamber or receptacle, so that the

page_text: steam with the condensed water and mud from the boiler may be discharged
into such chamber, to the bottom of which the water and mud descends, whilst
the steam alone passes through the other division of the steam pipe to the
cylinder; the water and mud in the said chamber or receptacle acting upon
a float therein, which is connected by a rod to suitable mechanism, which acts
upon a valve 'in a prolongation of this receptacle, by which such valve is opened,
and the water and mud is discharged therefrom.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, and
of an Order of the Lord Chancellor, filed by the said Thomas Harris in
the Great Seal Patent Office on the-24th April 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME; J, THOMAB
HARRIS, of Nantyglo, in the Parish of Aberystruth, in the County of Mon-
mouth, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the eighteenth year, of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Thomas Harris, Her. special licence that I, the said Thomas
Harris, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Thomas Harris, 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 Isle of Man, an Invention for "SEPARATING
THE STEAM FROM THE CONDENSED WATER AND MUD IN ITS TRANSIT FROM THE
BOILER TO THE CYLINDER OF A STEAM ENGINE, STATIONARY OR LOCOMOTIVE,"
upon the coudition (amongst others) that I, the said Thomas Harris, by an
instrument in writing under my hand and seal, 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 on or before the Twenty-fifth day of April, One thousand,
cight hundred and fifty-five.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Thomas Harris, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-

page_text: an
I. The nature of my said Invention, which has already been intimated
generally in the Provisional Specification filed on application for the said
Letters Patent, is hereby further and particularly described to be as follows:-
Instead of the pipe by which the steam is conveyed from the boiler to the
cylinder being a continuous and uninterrupted passage, conveying with the
steam (as is well known to engineers) a great quantity of condensed water and
mud, occasioning an accumulation in the cylinder, very detrimental to the
working of the engine, causing the cylinder to be quickly worn away, the
piston to require packing very frequently, and a large unnecessary consumption
of fuel, tallow, oil, and the like, I interrupt the continuity of the said passage
by introducing an arrangement of parts, such as those hereafter particularly
described, which I denominate the "separator," whereby the condensed water
and mud is caused:-to fall from the said pipe, while the steam alone passes
through the remainder of the pipe to the cylinder.
II. Description of the Drawing, and in what manner the said Invention is
to be performed or carried into practical effect. Fig. 1, vertical section of the
separator and elevation of the cylinder; Fig. 2, elevation of the separator;
Fig. 3, top plan view.
In the said Figs., A denotes the boiler, from which the steam is conducted
to the cylinder, which is, in ordinary engines, conveyed in an uninterrupted
stream from the angle at K in a horizontal direction B, B, (Fig. 1,) to the
cylinder on the right, conveying with the steam a great quantity of condensed
water and mud, as aforesaid; D, D, denote a receptacle introduced into the
steam pipe at the point indicated by the said Drawings, dividing the pipe as
shewn, whereby the steam with the condensed water and mud is first discharged
at the curved part C, and thus the water and mud descends into the said
receptacle, whilst the pure steam ascends and passes by the aperture F, along
the other division of the steam pipe marked B, to the cylinder.
It will be observed by reference to the said Drawing, that there is a float G
in the large part of the receptacle D, which is connected by a rod to the
system of levers above, and when the water and mud in the large part of the
receptacle reaches the float G, it raises it, and thus by means of the said levers
the valve H in the small part or elongation of the receptacle D is unclosed,
and the water and mud thereupon immediately discharges itself by the
aperture I. without the loss of any steam.
III. Having now described the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed or carried into practical effect, I declare
that what I claim is, the Invention for separating the steam from the con-

page_text: lensed water and mud in its transit from the boiler to the cylinder of a
steam engine, stationary or locomotive, of the nature and character herein-
before set forth and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Harris, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twentieth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five..
THOMAS HARRIS. (L.s.)
Signed and sealed in the presence of
LEWIS WALTERS,
Clk. to Messrs. Davies & Sons, Sol,
Crickhowell.