CHAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES."
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Clarkson Kay, of Bury, in the County of
Lancaster, and William Hartley, of the same Place, Engineers, for the
Tavention of "CHAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Clarkson Kay
and William Hartley at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 4th April 1862.
We, JAMES CLARKSON KAY, of Bury, in the County of Lancaster, and
WILLIAM HARTLEY, of the same Place, Engineers, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES,"
to be as follows:-
The nature of our Invention consists in certain improved arrangements of
the air pump, condenser, and hot well of horizontal and other condensing
steam engines, and of the suction and delivery valves connected therewith.
The object of our improvements is to increase the effective condensing surface,
and by this and other means to secure a good vacuum, to economise space, to
obtain greater stability, and to afford facility in obtaining access to the valves
and various parts.
One mode of performing our Invention is as follows:-The air pump is
placed parallel to and underneath the steam cylinder, and the air pump piston

page_text: is worked by a short arm connected to the cross bar or piston rod slide blocks
of the steam cylinder. The air pump has the same length of stroke as the
engine, and is double-acting, and it is placed over the suction valves, which are
placed at each end. The delivery valves are placed on one side of the air
pump, and open into the hot well; the condenser is placed on the opposite
side of the air pump. The valve boxes, condenser, and hot well form the
stand on to which the bed plate or steam cylinder is fixed. To each end and
at the top of the air pump is connected an air valve opening into the hot
well, the object of which is to carry off any air that might accumulate or mix
with the water in the passages between the air pump piston and the delivery
valves. Access can be had to each set of valves through a separate opening
covered by a lid, thereby obviating the necessity of breaking the joints of the
air pump or other covers.
A modification of our Invention consists in placing the condenser and hot
well at one side of the air pump, but the arrangements described can be con-
.siderably modified, and the condenser, hot well, and valve boxes may all be
.cast in. one piece, with the air pump placed outside and close to the steam
cylinder.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Clarkson Kay and William Hartley in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 24th September 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JAMES
CLARKSON KAY, of Bury, in the County of Lancaster, and WILLIAM HARTLEY,
of the same Place, Engineers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-fifth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the said
James Clarkson Kay and William Hartley, Her special license that we, the
said James Clarkson Kay and William Hartley, our executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said James Clarkson Kay and
William Hartley, our executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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 "CERTAIN

page_text: IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES," upon the condition (amongst others) that
we, the said James Clarkson Kay and William Hartley, our executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under our, or their, or one of our
or 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 James Clarkson Kay and William
Hartley, do hereby declare the nature of our said. Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement (that is to say) :-
:-
The nature of our Invention consists in certain improved arrangements of
the air pump, condenser, and hot well of horizontal and other condensing
steam engines, and of the suction and delivery valves connected therewith..
The object of our improvements is, by increasing the effective condensing
surface, and providing for the free discharge of air and water, to secure a
good vacuum, to simplify the mechanical arrangements for working the air
pump, to economise space, to obtain greater stability, and to afford facility in.
obtaining access to the valves and various parts.
And in order that our Invention may be fully understood and readily
carried into operation, we will proceed to describe the two accompanying
Sheets of Drawings, reference being had to the figures and letters marked.
thereon.
On Sheet 1, Fig. 1 is a transverse section of part of a horizontal condensing
steam engine to which our improvements are applied; Figs. 2 and 3 are
elevations of the same from opposite sides; Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section ;.
Fig. 5, an elevation; Fig. 6, an end view; Fig. 7, a plan in section; and
Fig. 8, a plan of the same.
a is the steam cylinder; a¹, the side pipe; as, the exhaust chamber; 'and-
6, the air pump, the piston or bucket of which, marked in Fig. 4, is worked:
by a short arm connected to the cross bar or piston rod slide blocks of the
steam cylinder a, the air pump piston b¹ has consequently the same length of
stroke as the piston of the steam cylinder, and the air pump, which is double-
acting, is placed under the cylinder a, and over the suction valves c, c, four of
which are placed at each end of the condenser, as shewn best in Figs. 4.
and 7; the number of valves may be either more or less. The delivery.
valves d, d, are placed in two sets of four in each on one side of the air
pump b, and they open into the hot well e. The number of these valves may,

page_text: also be either more or less. The condenser f is placed on the opposite side
of the air pump. The valve box, condensor, and hot well form the stand on
which the cylinder end of the foundation frame g, g, rests. To each end and
at the top of the air pump is placed a valve opening into the hot well, as
shewn at h in Fig. 1, for carrying off air and water. i is the injection branch,
which is circular at the flange, and varies its form to that of a narrow slot
for spreading the injection water into a sheet. Access can be had to each
set of suction valves c through the lids c', and to the valves & through the
lids d¹, thereby obviating the necessity of breaking the joints of the air. pump
or other covers when the valves require examining.
On Sheet 2 we have shewn a modification of our Invention. Fig. 1 is a
transverse section, and Figs. 2 and 3 are side elevations, of part of a horizontal
steam engine to which our improvements are applied; Fig. 4 is a side view
of the air pump, partly in section; Fig. 5 is a section of the condensor ;
Fig. 6 is a section of the hot well; Fig. 7 is an end view of Fig. 1; Fig. 8
is a plan in section; and Fig. 9, a plan of the same. In these views similar
letters of reference are placed upon corresponding parts as in Sheet 1.
On referring to Fig. 1 of Sheet 2 it will be seen that the seating of the
delivery valves d is on a level with the upper part of the air pump, thereby
allowing a free escape for the water and air, and dispensing with the air
valves described in reference to Fig. 1 of Sheet 1. The air pump b is. cast
with two branches at each end for suction and delivery. The suction branches
are at the lower part of the pump barrel, and the delivery branches at the
upper part, as shewn in Figs. 1, 7, 8, and 9. The lower part of the suction
branches come in a line with the flange of the pump barrel, and the barrel
itself projects partly into the branch, as shewn in section in Fig. 4, thus
allowing space for the free ingress and egress of the water and air.
The arrangement of parts shewn in the various Figures in Sheet 2 is of a
simpler construction than that shewn in Sheet 1, there being no joints
requisite excepting those of the air pump branches, and the lids for obtaining
access to the valves.
From the foregoing description and Drawings it will be seen that the air
pump is double-acting, and of the same stroke as the engine, consequently
with a cross sectional area of one-fourth of that usually required for beam
engines, and will be of equal effective capacity; also, in consequence of the
small diameter of the air pump, the openings in the suction and delivery valve
seatings can be made with an area equal to that of the air pump; also, in.
consequence of the condenser being in a horizontal position, there is a greater
effective condensing surface of water, which, combined with the free ingress

page_text: to and egress of the air and water from the air pump, secure a good vacuum.
Economy in construction and space, great stability, and facility of access to
the valves and other parts are also obtained in the arrangements shewn.
Having thus stated the nature of our Invention, and described two modes
of carrying the same into operation, we wish it to be understood that we do
not intend to limit ourselves to the precise details given, as the same may
be modified without departing from the peculiar character thereof, we claim
as our improvements in steam engines, the improved arrangements of the
air pump, condenser, and hot well, with the suction and delivery valves, as
shewn and described.
In witness whereof, we, the said James Clarkson Kay and William
Hartley, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Eighteenth
day of September, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred
and sixty-two.
JAMES CLARKSON KAY. (L.S.)
WILLIAM HARTLEY.
(L.S.)