CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS ON STEAM CARRIAGES AND IN BOILERS, AND A METHOD OF PRODUCING INCREASED DRAFT
Year: 1830

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JOHN
RAWE, the younger, of Albany Street, Regent's Park, in the County of Mid-
dlesex (being one of the people called Quakers), and JOHN BOASE, of the same
place, Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS His present most Excellent Majesty King William the Fourth,
by His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Nineteenth day of July, One thousand eight hundred and
thirty, in the first year of His reign, did, for Himself, His heirs and successors,
give and grant unto us, the said John Rawe, the younger, and John Boase, His
especial licence that we, the said John Rawe, the younger, and John Boase,
our exors, adiñors, and assigns, or such others as we, the said John Rawe, the
younger, and John Boase, our exors, adiñors, or assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and all times during the term
of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,
and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick upon Tweed, and
also in all His Majesty's Colonies and Plantations abroad, our Invention of
"CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS ON STEAM CARRIAGES AND IN BOILERS, AND A METHOD OF
PRODUCING INCREASED DRAFT;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a
proviso obliging us, or one of us, the said John Rawe, the younger, and John
Boase, by an instrument in writing under our or one of our hands and seals,
particularly to describe and ascertain the nature of our said Invention, and in

page_text: what manner the same is to be performed, and to cause the same to be
inrolled in His Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months
next and immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent,.
as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had, may more fully and at
large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, we, the said
John Rawe, the younger, and John Boase, do hereby declare the nature of our
said Invention to consist, first, in a boiler composed of a novel arrangement of
spiral tubes; secondly, in a method for creating increased draft for the fire of
the said boiler, and to all other boilers to which the same may be applied;
and, thirdly, in a new apparatus for guiding steam carriages, as also a new
mode of fixing the main or driving cranked axle to the propelling wheels of
the carriage, and the application of rods or stays to the cranked axle to allow
of the engines to be supported on springs and of regulating the supply of water
to the boiler, and in further compliance with the said proviso, we the said John
Rawe, the younger, and John Boase, do hereby describe the manner in which
our said Invention is to be performed, by the following description thereof,
referenco being had to the Drawings annexed, and to the figures and letters
thereon (that is to say):-
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 represents a side elevation of a steam carriage, with our said im-
provements partly shown in section, the better to explain the Invention. A is
the frame of wrought iron; B, B, B, the steam boiler or generator; C, one
of the propelling steam cylinders, there being one on each side of the carriage;
D, the cranked axle; E, E, one of the propelling wheels; F, F, F, F, iron
arms or stays, securely keyed to the axle D, and bolted at their extremities
through the iron ring G, G, which is screwed to the spokes of the propelling
wheel, and thus communicate the rotary motion from the axle; L, L, one of the
fore wheels; M, the guiding wheel, which will be hereafter explained; 5 is a
lever handle for operating on the guide wheel, and g is a handle for regulating
the steam; J-is a spiral spring, inserted between the transit iron of the front
wheels and the bar to which the guide wheel is attached; there is a nut and
screw on the axis of the spring to regulate the necessary degree of pressure on
the guide wheel, according to the state of the road; W is the coach body, for
the passengers; S is the water tank; and T is the place for the stoker or
engine attendant.
'
Having now described the principal arrangements of the carriage, as repre-
sented in Figure 1, we will proceed to describe the boiler in detail. It

page_text: consists of a series of spiral tubes, one coil within the other; producing by such
combination a spirally inclined plane, with a cylindrical vessel 6 in its centre ;
the fire bars are placed about a foot below the lowermost ends of the spiral
tubes, which are supported in their places by small bars framed across from
the sides of the boiler to the cylinder in the centre. The whole of the boiler
and furnace is enclosed by a case of sheet iron fitting tight around it, and this
case is again surrounded by a larger case of sheet iron, leaving about two
inches between them; the vessel b, which for reasons hereafter explained we
call the float chamber, the lower part of which is in the form of an inverted
cone, and is continued down through the fire bars, having a flange at its lower
end, to which is screwed a solid iron cap. A similar cap and flange closes the
upper end of the chamber or vessel; a straight piece of tube is inserted in the
centre of the said chamber, and projects a short way through both caps, in
which it is made stanch by nuts and packing on the outsides: both ends of
this tube are open for the purposes herein-after explained. Within the float
chamber there is a copper float, from which a rod passes downwards through a
small stuffing box in the lower cap, and is connected by a lever with the steam
cock of the engine or cylinder which works the pump that feeds the supply
pipe; and thus the float, by rising and falling, regulates the supply. The upper
ends of the several spiral tubes open into a strong receptacle e, to which they
are firmly secured in a steam-tight manner; and the lower ends of the said
tubes open into another similar receptacle d, to which they are also properly
fastened, which may be, as represented, by hollow screwed bolts, with nuts and
collars, in the manner following:-A small tube f is fixed to the end of each of
the spiral tubes, and each of the small tubes is passed through the receptacles;
and the shoulders formed by the ends of the large tubes are, with suitable
packing interposed, brought by means of screwed nuts r, close up to the sides
of the receptacles, which it will be seen by the Drawing at d, are flattered for
the purpose; solid plugs p are screwed into the ends of the small tubes, which
can be taken out to allow the deposit of the water to be removed. The steam
pipe in our boiler commences at the top of the float chamber b, and is carried
down by the side of and in contact with the inner casing, and also three or
four times round the furnace chamber, thus forming a protection to the casing,
while the steam derives in consequence an increase of expansive force. In
order to rise our improved boiler, water is forced by the feed pump into the
lower receptacle d; it then flows through apertures in the small tubes f, into
the lower ends of the spiral tubes; there ebulition takes place, and the water
mixed with steam is driven up and thro' the spiral tubes. The inclined
position of these tubes gives the water a tendency to flow back under the

page_text: steam; some, however, will be forced on, the quantity of which will decrease
as it ascends by being converted into steam on arriving at the upper receptacle e.
A very small quantity of water will be contained in the steam which passes
from the upper receptacle e into the float chamber b, where the water falls to
the bottom and supports the float, while the steam passes into the steam pipe;
when a greater quantity of water accumulates than is evaporated in the float
chamber, a rise of the float will be produced, and a proportionate decrease
made in the quantity of water pumped into the boiler, occasioned by the coin-
munication, as before described, of the float with the steam cock of the small
engine. K, K, is an apparatus for producing draft through the furnace and
the boiler B, which latter in fact serves the purpose of a flue from the fire by
the heat, smoke, &c., following the course of the spiral to the top of the boiler,
where it escapes. K, K, are thin plates of metal, fixed to the centre piece n,
with their flat surfaces inclined to the plane of their motion on to a vertical
shaft or axis, which passes down the before-mentioned tube, open at both ends
through the centre of the float chamber b; at the lower end of this shaft is
fixed a toothed pinion working into the large wheel o; motion is communicated
to this wheel and pinion by a connecting rod proceeding from the piston rod
of the small engine or steam clynder, shewn in Figures 2 and 4, herein-after
described, applied to a toc-piece in the wheel. By this arrangement the strokes
of the small engine give a quick rotary motion to the vanes K, K, and these
having their surfaces oblique to the motion, and revolving in the right direc-
tion, will strike the air in contact with them upward with force, while the air
below rushes in to supply its place, thus constituting a draft in the furnace and
flue. When the vanes are set radially, as in the common method, a greater
degree of resistance is experienced to the dispersion of the rising column of air
than when set by our improved method, which if that of giving them a curva-
ture backward throughout their length, as represented in Drawings Figures 3
and 4, although the method we have described of encreasing the draft of air
thro' the flue by means of the curved vanes, produces a beneficial effect in
exciting combustion; the peculiar method to which we lay an exclusive claim
consists in forcing heated atmospheric air mixed with steam into the midst
of the ignited fuel, and for this purpose we employ an apparatus of the follow-
ing description, reference being made to the Diagrams marked Figures &
and 9 in elucidation. Figure 8 represents a side elevation, and Fig. 9 a
plan, of the apparatus as far as is necessary for explanation. V is a pair of
double bellows, which is worked by a small steam engine W, (or any other con-
venient power,) to inject atmospheric air into the chamber X by means of the

page_text: pipe Y, which is shewn as broken off, as the said pipe is first carried round the
ash pit, or otherwise subjected to a process of heating prior to its entering into
the chamber X. Z is a pipe for conveying steam into the same chamber X.
In this chamber the air and steam become intimately mixed, whence they pro-
ceeded in their mixed state through vertical tubes 10, 10, (of which there may
be any number,) into the hollow bars of the grate, marked in the plan, Figure
9, 11, 11, 11, &c., and thence through the nozzles (represented by small
concentric circles) into the fire; 12 is an angle iron formed into a circular ring,
and to which are rivitted the bars, whether hollow or otherwise, those having
no letters of reference being not necessarily hollow; the parts marked V and
Z on the plan denote the bellows and steam pipe, as before explained in
Figure 8.
Figure 2 is a plan of our improved steam carriage, and whose
parts, similar to those in Figure 1, are shewn; similar letters are used to
denote them, thus; B, B, is the boiler; E, E, the propelling wheels; F, F,
the arms, fixed on the cranked axle, which are bolted to the ring that is
fastened to the spokes. H is the small engine which works the feed pump
and drives the shaft on which the vanes of the draft apparatus are fixed. N is
the induction pipe; and O is the eduction pipe; i is a throttle valve acted upon
by the handle g and the rod h connected with it. P, P, are piston rods work-
ing in stuffing boxes a, a. Q, Q, connecting rods to communicate the motion
of the piston rods to the cranks of the axle D, which cranks are made at right
angles to each other with a throw of eight inches; this axle is placed under
the frame A, and attached to it by the two strong springs R, R. The whole
of the frame and engine is supported on springs; and to allow springs to be
applied to the cranked axle, two strong rods k, k, are used; each of these is
firmly jointed at one end to the frame, and attached at the other end to the
cranked axle by bearings, by which means the frame is allowed to rise or
fall freely, while derangement thereupon is prevented. The guiding or
directing apparatus consists of two rings of iron 1, 2, turned truly to each
other; 2 being about half an inch narrower than 1; to the lower ring is
attached, by brass bearings, the axle 3 of wheel M; the parts 4 are firmly
fixed to the circle 1, and attached at the other end to the front axle U, by two
joints; these joints allow the wheel M and parts connected to rise and fall
freely, but prevent its side motion without moving the wheels L, L, and axle U,
with them. 5, the handles by which the shaft 6 is turned, and motion given
to the guide wheel. 7 is a cross piece, resembling that of the bandle 5, fixed
to the lower end of the shaft 6, near the axle U, having a joint at each end;
from these joints proceed the rods 8, 8, connected also by joints at the other

page_text: end by the parts 9 proceeding from the bearings on the ring 1. At z, z, are
small antifriction wheels, their axis being formed of bolts that are passed
through them and screwed up firmly into the ring 1; cach antifriction wheel
works in a groove turned in the inside of the ring 2; by these means the rings
are screwed and kept concentric with each other, and the ring 2 is at the
same time allowed to turn freely. To turn the carriage when in motion, the
handle on the side towards which it is required to turn must be pushed forward;
this acts through the shaft 6, cross piece 7, and rods 8, 8, on the ring 2,
making it traverse under 1; and the wheel M being attached to 2, moves
with it and is set at an angle with the line of motion. The carriage proceed-
ing, the wheel M runs out in the angular line and immediately sets the front
wheels L, L, in the position to produce the required turn of the carriage, the
rapidity of the turn will be exactly in proportion to the angle at which the
wheel M is set; 45° is as great as will ever be required. Figure 3 is a plan
of the fan or vane for creating the draft; and Figure 4 is a seperate view in
section of the float chamber b, and part of its internal arrangement with
reference to the shaft of the fan and the hollow tube through which that shaft
passes, as herein-before described. Figure 5 is a separate view of the com-
mon receptacle d, and part of the spiral tubes, showing how they are secured
to it. Figure 6 is a separate,side view of the receptacle only, and Figure 7 is
a plan of the float.
Now whereas we claim as our Invention, first, the peculiar arrangement
described of the spiral tubes of the boiler and the application of the float and
float chamber, in manner aforesaid; secondly, the particular method of
creating increased draft, by the forcing of a mixture of heated air and steam
through the fire, in manner aforesaid; and thirdly, in directing or guiding the
carriage, by means of a wheel or wheels or other suitable apparatus for guiding,
situate and acting behind the front axle, as also the manner of fixing the
cranked axle to the propelling wheels by means of the arms F, F, F, F, and
the rings G, G, and the application of rods or stays to the cranked axle as
aforesaid in a direction parallel with the strokes of the engine, to allow the
engine to be supported on the axle by springs. And such our Invention being
to the best of our knowledge and belief entirely new and never before used
within that part of His Majesty's United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland called England, His said Dominion of Wales, and Town of
Berwick upon Tweed, and also His Majesty's Colonies and Plantations
abroad, we do hereby declare this to be our Specification of the same, and that
we do verily believe this our said Specification doth comply in all respects, fully

page_text: and without reserve or disguise, with the proviso in the said herein-before in
part recited Letters Patent contained. Wherefore we do hereby claim to maintain
exclusive right and privilege to our said Invention.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Boase, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of January, in the first year of
the reign of Our Sovereign Lord William the Fourth, by the grace of
God of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, King,
Defender of the Faith, and the year of our Lord One thousand eight