Improvements in Steam Engines.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Aug., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 21st May, 1889-Accepted, 22nd June, 1989
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Steam Engines.
We, ROBERT HENRY FOWLER and GUSTAV ACHILLES both of the Steam Plough
Works Leeds in the County of York. Engineers do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
This invention has for its object improvements in steam engines.
In order to maintain the temperature of the cylinders we jacket them with hot
water which we supply and keep in circulation in the following manner. Within the
fire box in front of the tube plate we provide a pipe or chamber the ends of which
extend to the outside of the boiler and are closed by caps which can be removed
when it is necessary to clean the interior of the chamber. A tube passes from the
chamber and enters a receptacle in communication with the steam space of the boiler
and in which receptacle space is afforded for the separation of the water and steam
delivered into it by the pipe. In this receptacle the water will stand above the
water level in the boiler. The steam mixes with the boiler steam whilst the water
descends from the receptacle by a tube which leads it into the jacket. Another tube
conveys the water back from the jacket into the chamber in the boiler where it is
again heated and it then again circulates as before. The portion of the circulating
water which is converted into steam is compensated by an admission of hot water
from the boiler into the jacket.
By these means an efficient circulation of hot water under hoiler pressure is main-
tained through the cylinder jacket.
Another way in which we maintain hot water circulation through the jacket is to
provide within the water space around the fire box of the boiler a catch ring which
intercepts the ascending stream of water and steam and leads it into the receptacle
where the steam and water separate as before; the steam mixing with the boiler
steam and the water being conveyed by a tube into the jacket.
Dated this 26th day of August 1888
CARPMAEL & Co.,
Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Steam Engines.
We, ROBERT HENRY FOWLER, and GUSTAV ACHILLES, both of the Steam Plough
Works, Leeds, in the County of York, Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention has for its object improvements in steam engines and relates more
particularly to engines in which the cylinders are under the water level of the.
boiler.
We maintain the heat of the steam in the cylinder and impart heat to the
expanding steam by automatic circulation of hot water in a jacket surrounding the
cylinder and steam space. The difficulty in connection with such water jackets lies
in obtaining an efficient circulation; because heat being abstracted from the water in
the jacket, it is rendered specifically heavier than the water in the hotter parts of the
boiler.
To raise the heavier water out of the jacket we so arrange that by the generation
of steam in the boiler or in a chamber connected therewith a water level above the
water level in the boiler is maintained in a suitable receptacle connected with the
jacket. This head of water produces the circulation required causing hot water to

page_text: descend from the receptacle into the jacket and thereby expelling cooler water from
the jacket.
"The annexed drawings illustrate the invention and show its application to a semi-
portable compound engine with the cylinders under the boiler.
Figure 1 is a longitudinal and vertical section of such an engine,
Figures 2 and 3 are transverse sections.
Figure 4 is a longitudinal section showing another arrangement.
Figure 5 is a transverse section.
In Figures 1, 2 and 3 the cylinders aa are enclosed in a jacket bin which a
circulation of hot water is maintained in the following manner :—Within the fire
box and in front of the tube plate d we provide a pipe or chamber e the ends of
which extend to the outside of the boiler and are closed by caps ff which can be
removed when it is necessary to clean the interior of the chamber. A tube g passes
from the chamber e and enters a receptacle in communication with the steam space
of the boiler. In the receptacle h space is afforded for the separation of the water
and steam delivered into it by the pipe g. To facilitate this separation a partition is
provided in the receptacle as the drawing indicates. In this receptacle the water
will stand above the water level in the boiler. The steam passes away by a
suitable passage and mixes with the boiler steam whilst the water descends from the
receptacle by a tube i which leads it into the jacket . Another tube k conveys the
water back from the jacket into the chamber e of the boiler where it is again heated
and it then again circulates as before. The portion of the circulating water which is
converted into steam is compensated by an admission at of hot water from the boiler
into the jacket.
By these means an effecient circulation of hot water under boiler pressure is main-
tained through the cylinder jacket.
The steam escapes through a small hole from the receptacle to the boiler and has
rather more pressure in the receptacle than there is in the boiler; this will assist the
higher volume of water in causing desired circulation.
The inlet of the water at the top of the jacket and the outlet at the bottom are
best arranged so that the slowly moving water may strike many parts of the
cylinder and steam chest. The receptacle is partly under the water level of the
boiler and partly above it, so that hot water can circulate before steam is developed.
Such a circulation is similar to that in an ordinary hot water heater.
In Figures 4 and 5 we maintain hot water circulation through the jacket b by
providing within the water space around the fire box c of the boiler a catch ring m
which intercepts the ascending stream of water and steam and leads it into the
receptacle where the steam and water separate as before; the steam mixing with
the boiler steam and the water being conveyed by a tube i into the jacket.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. The means by which an automatic circulation of hot water is kept up through
the cylinder jacket; such means consisting in maintaining in a receptacle by the
generation of steam in the boiler or in a chamber connectod therewith, a head of
water above the water level in the boiler; and in connecting the jacket with the
said receptacle and also with the boiler by suitable water passages substantially as
described.
2. The arrangements substantially as described and illustrated by the annexed
drawings for maintaining an automatic circulation of hot water through the cylinder
jackets of steam engines.
R. H. FOWLER.
G. ACHILLES.