AN IMPROVED HYDRO-THERMIC PRESS
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Ferdinando Tommasi, of Paris, in the Depart-
ment of the Seine, and Republic of France, Gentleman, for the
... }}
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Ferdinando Tommasi,
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 24th August 1874.
I, FERDINANDO TOMMASI, of Paris, in the Department of the Seine,
and Republic of France, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED HYDRO-THERMIC PRESS," to be as
follows:-
My improved hydro-thermic press is composed of a cast-iron frame, in
which is hollowed a cylindrical space lined with wood, millboard, or
other isolating material, and filled with oil, glycerine, or other suitable
liquid. Into this liquid plunge a certain quantity of small copper or
other metal tubes bent into the form of a lengthened U. The two ends

page_text: of each tube each terminato in one or two basins contained in a bronze
piece, upon which all the tubes are fixed and soldered. A bronze washer
fits on the two basins in such a manner as to completely separate tlicm.
Two tubes are fixed upon this washer, cach tube corresponding with a
basin. The result of this arrangement is that by causing either steam
or hot water to penetrate into one of the last-mentioned tubes this lot
water or this steam immediately spreads in one of the basins, enters onc
of the ends of the small tubes, and immediately issues by the other tube
of the washer after passing out of the other end of the small tubes and
by the other basin. The oil or the glycerine heated by contact with the
small tubes, in which circulates the hot water or steam, immediately
expands, thereby lifting the piston of the press, and consequently its
platform. This platform, the columns which guide it, and the other
necessary parts of a press are arranged as in ordinary hydraulic presses.
By a special arrangement of cocks or slide boxes the circulation of
the steam or hot water and of the cold water may be stopped, at the
samo time causing the stoppage of the piston and consequently of the
platform.
If it is desired to lower the platform the crank of the cocks is turned
in another direction, causing the stoppage of the circulation of the steam
or hot water, it replacing it by that of the cold water. The oil or the
glycerine is then condensed, the natural result being the descent of the
piston, and consequently of the platform. An index, to which move-
ment is given by the crank which works the cocks, turns on a dial, upon
which are the words " lift," " 'stop," "lower." When the index is
placed on the word "lift" the platform rises, when it is placed on the
word "stop" the platform stops, and when placed on the word "lower"
the platform descends. The cocks are arranged in such a manner that
the cold and the hot water issue separately, so that the one may be
utilised as well as the other.
A small bronze basin with inner clack valve is placed in a suitable
part of the frame. This basin being always filled with glycerine or oil
serves to feed automatically the hollowed part of the frame. If by the
effects of cold it should be too much condensed the interior clack valve
prevents the issue of the liquid when expanded.
The safety valve presses upon a solid washer made of "clinquant,"

page_text: which prevents all running or oozing of the liquid, but which is torn by
this latter if the required pressure is exceeded.
The cold water may be replaced at pleasure by a refrigerating mixture
of any kind to obtain more rapidly the condensation of the liquid what-
ever it may be.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Ferdinando Tommasi in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 22nd February 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, FERDINANDO
TOMMASI, of Paris, in the Department of the Seine and Republic of
France, Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of August, in the year of
our Lord One thousand cight hundred and seventy-four, in the thirty-
eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Ferdinando Tommasi, Her special licence
that I, the said Ferdinando Tommasi, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Ferdinando Tommasi, 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 "AN IMPROVED
HYDRO-THERMIC PRESS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said Ferdinando Tommasi, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing under my, 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,

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Ferdinando Tommasi, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement:-
This machine is composed of several vertical cylinders of cast iron or
other metal united in form of a frame, and supporting the various pieces
composing the press (which in no way differs from an ordinary hydraulic
press) in a similar manner to a frame of masonry. These cylinders,
lined with wood, millboard, or other isolating material, are filled with
oil, glycerine, or other suitable liquid, and are in communication with
each other as well as with the cylinder containing the piston of the
press. Into the liquid plunge a certain quantity of small copper or
other metal tubes, all bent into the form of a very much lengthened U.
The two ends of each tube each terminate in one of two basins formed
of two bronze washers, the one placed above the other so as to com-
pletely separate the two basins. Two tubes are fixed upon the upper
washer so that each tube corresponds with a basin. The whole is firmly
secured by the aid of strong bolts upon the orifice of the cylinder so as
to render any escape of liquid absolutely impossible (sec A, Figs. 1,
2, 3, 7, and 8. The result of this arrangement is that by causing
steam, hot water, or other hot liquid to penetrate into one of these tubes
this steam, water, or other liquid immediately spreads into one of the
basins, enters one of the ends of the small tubes, and immediately issues
by the other tube of the washer after passing out of the other end of
the small tubes and by the other basin. The oil or glycerine heated by
contact with the small tubes, in which circulates the heat, immediately
expands. This expansion taking place at the same time in all the
cylinders, and all the cylinders being in communication with the basin.
or cylinder which contains the driving piston of the press, this piston is
compelled to rise, and consequently to raise the platform, which carries
with it two other small pistons placed beneath the platform. These two
pistons are contained in two cylinders under the same conditions as the
pistons of hydraulic presses, with this difference however, that instead
of being active pistons they are simply passive ones. When carried
along by the ascending movement they rise in their cylinders; they
suck in water held in a receiver with which they are in communi-
cation. At the moment when by reason of the stoppage of the hot
circulation within the small tubes the platform stops, the hot circulation -

page_text: within these tubes may be immediately replaced by the cold circulation
without thereby causing the descent of the platform, for if on the one
hand the condensation of the cooled oil or glycerine gives to the platform
a downward tendency, this tendency is absolutely interdicted by the two
small pistons, which by pressing on the water with which the two
(cylinders are filled, and which can no longer escape thanks to a valve
placed between them and the water receiver, compel the platform to
remain immoveable in its place. To increase the resistance of the water
in the said cylinders a small pump is provided, by means of which the
workman injects into these cylinders the small quantity of water required
to produce the tension required to keep the pistons, and consequently
the platform stationary.
When it is desired to lower the platform it is only necessary to open
the cock, which permits the water contained in the two cylinders to..
discharge itself into the. receiver; the platform then descends. with a
rapidity regulated by the extent to which the above mentioned cock is
opened. These two small pumps and their accessaries are not shewn
on the Drawing in order to prevent confusion, and also if desired,
these pumps might be suppressed without other inconvenience than a
less rapid descent of the driving piston. The distribution of heat and of
cold within the small tubes is operated by the aid of distributing slido
boxes, valves, or cocks worked by a single crank B (Figs. 1 and 5.)
According to the position of this crank heat or cold is made to circulate
within the small tubes, or the two circulations may be arrested at the
same time. The cold circulation is produced by cold water or any other
cold liquid. The aforesaid distributing slide boxes or cocks are arranged
so as also to give separate exit to the hot and cold water which have
circulated in the small tubes so that both the one and the other may
be utilized.
A small bronze basin provided with an inner clack valve is placed in
a suitable position above one of these cylinders. This basin being always
filled with the same kind of liquid as that contained in the cylinders.
serves to feed these cylinders automatically. If by the effect of cold
this liquid should be too much condensed the clack valve prevents the
issue of the liquid under expansion. The safety valve presses upon a solid
washer made of "clinquant" (very thin copper), which prevents all
running or oozing out of the liquid, but which is torn by this latter if its

page_text: pressure exceeds the degree fixed beforehand. To avoid any confusion
this valve and this basin are not shown in the Drawings.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING.
On the accompanying Sheet of Drawing: Figure 1 is an elevation of a
machine embodying my Invention; Figure 2 is a plan view of same at.
p, q, Fig. 1; Figure 3 is a vertical section at i, k, Fig. 2; Figure 4 is a
horizontal section at g, h, Fig. 1.
Figure 5 represents inlet and outlet cock for the cold and warm water.
Figure 6 is an elevation of one of the four pieces forming cylinder
frame; Figure 7, vertical section of same at l, m, (Fig. 8); Figure 8,
plan of same; and Figure 9, horizontal section of same at n, o, Fig. 6.
Figures 1, 2, 3, 4 are drawn to a scale of 20th, and Figures 5, 6, 7, 8,
9 to a scale of 1/10th.
A indicates connection between tube and basin; B, crank for working
distributing valves or cocks; a, cold water inlet; b, steam inlet (or for
warm water); c, cold water outlet; d, warm water outlet; e, f, water
level.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and ascer-
tained in what manner the same is or may be performed, I claim as
secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, the 2
use for working "hydro-thermic presses" of the motive power developed
by the successive and alternate expansion and condensation of any kind
of liquid, this expansion and condensation being produced by a liquid or
gaseous current, alternately and successively hot and cold, which circu-
lates by the action of the mechanical means above set forth in the small 2
tubes plunged into the aforesaid liquid.
In witness whereof, I, the said Ferdinando Tommasi, have hercunto
set my hand and seal, this Nineteenth day of February, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five.
PAUL PERROT.
JEAN BAPTISTE GIRARD.
FERDINANDO TOMMASI. (L.S.)