CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE STEAM ENGINE, AND IN THE APPARATUS TO BE USED THEREWITH, OR WITH ANY OTHER CONSTRUCTION OF THE STEAM ENGINE .OR OTHER MOTIVE POWER, FOR THE MORE SMOOTH AND EASY CONVEYANCE OF GOODS AND PASSENGERS ON LAND AND WATER, PART OF WHICH WILL BE APPLICABLE TO WATER POWER
Year: 1838

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, TIMOTHY
BURSTALL, late of Leith, in that part of the United Kingdom called Scotland,
but now of Bristol, in the County of Gloucester, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date
at Westminster, the Sixth day of September, in the second year of Her reign,
and in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and thirty-eight, did,
for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Timothy Burstall, Her especial license, full power, sole privilege and authority,
that I, the said Timothy Burstall, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
and such others as I, the said Timothy Burstall, my executors, administrators,
or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time
and at all times during the term of years therein mentioned, should and
lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and
the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE STEAM ENGINE, AND IN THE APPARATUS TO BE USED THEREWITH, OR WITH ANY
OTHER CONSTRUCTION OF THE STEAM ENGINE .OR OTHER MOTIVE POWER, FOR THE
MORE SMOOTH AND EASY CONVEYANCE OF GOODS AND PASSENGERS ON LAND AND
WATER, PART OF WHICH WILL BE APPLICABLE TO WATER POWER;" in which said
Letters Patent is contained a proviso obliging me, the said Timothy Burstall,
by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, particularly to describe
and ascertain the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, and to cause the same to be inrolled in Her Majesty's

page_text: 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, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Timothy Burstall, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, are particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following description thereof, reference being
had to the Drawings hereunto annexed and to the letters and figures marked
thereon (that is to say):-
My Invention of certain Improvements in the Steam Engine, and in the
Apparatus to be used therewith, or with any other Construction of the Steam
Engine or other Motive Power, for the more smooth and easy Conveyance
of Goods and Passengers on Land and Water, part of which will be applicable
to Water Power, consists in,-
First, an improvement in the construction of a steam engine boiler, having
internal tubes or pipes for the flues, with a movable furnace.
Second, in the construction of a rotary steam engine on the principle of
"Barker's Mill."
Third, the application of the said rotary steam engine to any description of
locomotive carriages.
Fourth, the construction and adaptation of an air buffer and spring for
railway and other carriages.
Fifth, an improved method of propelling steam boats.
Sixth, the adaptation of the same construction of rotary engine as a first
mover worked by water.
The accompanying Drawings to such parts as they refer, with the following
description, will fully describe the nature and intention of my several con-
trivances, the same letters and figures of reference applying to the same parts
throughout the Drawings.
Fig. 1, Drawing No. 1, represents a longitudinal section of my improved
boiler intended for marine purposes. Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the same,
cut through in the line A, B, of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken
through the line D, E, in Fig. 1. c, c, the fire-place or furnace. .d, d, the
fire bars. The flues are formed by angular pipes or tubes f, f, f, made slightly
conical at the ends in order to fit the holes, which are drilled in a cylindrical
form through the furnace plate e and the top plate g. The other ends of the
detail by the enlarged
pipe are screwed into elbow sockets, as seen more in
Figures 8 and 9. These pipes are held.in.their places and made steam and
water tight at the extreme ends by tension rods h, h, one end of each of which
---

page_text: rods is fastened to a screwed pin tapped into the plates e or g, and the other
end is furnished with a nut which is to be screwed tight on the cross bar i.
This cross bar I propose to make of steel, with sufficient elasticity to act as a
spring to compensate for the unequal expansion which may take place between
the pipes and the tension rods; there will be two tension rods to each pair of
pipes or tubes (viz.), one horizontal and one vertical. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal
section of a boiler intended for a locomotive carriage. Fig. 5 represents the
front of the furnace or fire-place of the same. Fig. 6 is a horizontal section
of the above, shewing the horizontal and vertical pipes and furnace. The ash
pit under the furnace of this boiler is proposed to be closed on all sides, but
with a door for the purpose of taking out the ashes, and blast holes j, j, into
which is to be inserted the end of a wind pipe from any convenient blower for
the purpose of urging the fire. The method before described for uniting and
fastening the pipes applies also to this boiler. The front of the furnace or
fire-place in both these boilers is proposed to be constructed of an iron frame,
to which is fastened fire bricks or tiles, thereby avoiding many difficulties of
workmanship in constructing without any considerable sacrifice of heating
surface. This method of construction is fully shewn by Figures 1, 3, 4, 5, 6,
and 7. Fig. 7 represents a horizontal section of a furnace similar to Fig. 4,
except that instead of being furnished with fire bars the bottom is made with
fire bricks or tiles, with one, two, or more blast holes j, j, in which case the
fire or fuel in active combustion lays immediately on the brick bottom, and is
similar in this respect to the cupula used for smelting cast iron. The object
I have in view in this arrangement is, avoiding the destructive effect of the
intense heat on the fire bars, which is found to be a great disadvantage on
railways and other locomotive engines. The advantages of this arrangement
of boiler over the usual construction will be, first, a greater quantity of heating
surfaces or a more powerful boiler of the same external dimensions, as will be
evident on inspection; second, great facilities in making at first, and in the
necessary repairs afterwards; third, the impossibility of the pipes being
strained or giving way in consequence of the expansion, as is now so frequently
the case in locomotive carriage boilers; and fourth, constructing the furnace
with a brick hearth, as in Fig. 7, without fire bars, whereby the disadvantages
before alluded to are obviated. I do not confine myself to the use of any
particular kind of materials, but generally iron or copper, but shall recommend
such are found most efficient and economical, nor to any decided proportion of
the various parts; but I believe those represented in the Drawings will be
found fully effective.
Drawing No. 2 represents my rotary steam engine, which is constructed, as

page_text: either direction, by
Figs. 4 and 5 still
Suppose it to be
before stated, upon the principle of Barker's Mill, and consists in enclosing the
steam arms within a metal case for the purpose of insulating them, and also
for adapting a second set of steam arms for the purpose of reversing the motion
of the engine. Fig. 1 is a side elevation; Fig. 2 an end elevation; Fig. 3
a top view of the same. Fig. 4 a section of the revolving wheel, with its
hollow axis, steam pipes, &c., drawn upon a larger scale. Fig. 5 is a side
view of the interior of the wheel, (one plate being removed for the purpose of
exhibiting the steam pipes); and Fig. 6 is an external side view of the same
engine, differing only in the manner in which the power is communicated from
the hollow axle to the periphery of the band wheel. c, c, in Figs. 1 and 3, are
the steam pipes leading from the boiler to the engine. D are stopcocks or
valves for the purpose of reversing or driving the engine in
admitting steam to either side or set of discharging pipes.
further explain the manner in which this is to be done.
desired to propel the engine in the direction of the arrow L, the steam must
be admitted into the side corresponding with the pipes B, which will be on the
side C, I, Figs. 3 and 4; but if the required direction be as the arrow M, the
steam must be admitted on the opposite side corresponding with the dis-
charging pipes A. The junction of the steam pipes to the hollow axle is
made by forming the ends of each, as seen at C*, Fig. 4, and inserting the
end of the steam pipe into the end of the axle until the shoulder of the steam
pipes (whether it be flat or conical) is pressed up against the end of the axle,
and ground or fitted until it is steam tight. E, E, are spring levers, and F, F,
are screwed rods and nuts for the purpose of giving only the necessary
pressure on the before-mentioned steam joint to make it perfectly steam tight.
The steam pipes c, c, may be supposed to be united in their course towards
the boiler, and furnished with a throttle valve to be acted upon by a governor
in the usual way. G is a pipe for conveying away the waste steam from the
case; H, H, the case containing the steam or revolving wheel; I, I, are
antifriction wheels supporting the axle of the revolving wheel. In Figs. 1, 2,
and 3, the power given out by the steam wheel is communicated to the
wheels J, J, by a band or strap, as seen by reference to Figs. 1, 2, and 3.
Fig. 6 represents a method of communicating the power from the steam wheel
by allowing the axle to lay on the periphery of the wheel J, by which means
the revolving contact of the axle will give motion to the wheel. In this case
I should recommend that the ring of the wheel J be made of wood, and that
the outer surface of the axle be made rough or fluted, so that it may take a
greater hold on the wheel than if perfectly smooth. The antifriction wheels
K, K, in this Figure will be required only for the purpose of diminishing the

page_text: or artificial, so that it may retain the air when under considerable pressure
when aided by the cylinder; and by this means I construct a spring of perfect
elasticity with little friction, and which may be made to support almost any
weight. I also construct buffers upon this principle, as seen in plan and
section at the end of the carriage in Figs. 1 and 3, at H, H; these are single
buffers. Fig. 5 is a sectional plan of a double buffer, with convenience to
affix drag chains, so as to make an elastic drag as well as a buffer. I, I, are
iron wheels, which are constructed as the ordinary wrought iron wheels are
usually made, either by rivetting or welding the outer ends of the spokes to
the periphery, and securing the other ends of the spokes by casting the nave
upon them. But to produce greater ease of motion all the spokes are curved
one way, to give a slight degree of elasticity to the wheel and ameliorate the
effects of any concussion that may be received on the spoke. I have found
that opening the compasses to about 1/6th the circumference of the wheel,
and sitting one leg in the rim of the wheel; gives a convenient curve.
Drawing 4 contains a plan of my improvement for propelling ships and boats
on the water. Fig. 1 is a sectional plan; Fig. 2, an elevation, but partly in
section, the better to shew the paddle arms and the course of the water;
Fig. 3 is a back view; Fig. 4, a vertical section taken through the feed pipe
and valve; and Fig 5 is an outline of a boat, to shew more clearly the ends of
the exit pipes, both when the vessel moves forward and when backed.
A, A, A, A, in Figs. 1, 2, and 4, are strong wrought iron radial paddle
arms, inclosed in a strong water-tight case B, B, B, and fixed securely on the
main shaft K. To this shaft I connect my improved steam engine by means
of belts, or in any other suitable manner. When my Invention is applied to
canals or on small rivers, where it is desirable for the engines to be high pres-
sure, and the machinery to be as light as possible, I construct the engine on the
same plan as is applied to railway or locomotive purposes, therefore I have not
considered it necessary to introduce a plan here. But in large class vessels,
where a condensing engine is considered desirable, I connect the shaft K by
wheels or otherwise, as may be most convenient to produce the proper speed.
D, Fig. 4, is a pipe passed through the bottom, side, or end of the boat to
admit the water freely into the paddle case, which water will flow in the
direction of the arrow through the opening L, L, made in the side of the case
around the axle, which water being put into a rapid rotary motion by the
engine driving the paddle, will be expelled through the valve F and tube E
(see Figs. 1 and 2) by the two passages, which are proposed to lead to each.
side of the boat's keel under the run and near the stem. This is indicated in.
Fig. 5 at G. But it is necessary, in some cases, to back the boat, but at a much

page_text: friction of the axle sideways. The steam pipes, joints, levers, &c., in this Figure
will be the same as before described. In some particular adaptations of this
steam engine it will probably be found necessary to put a toothed pinion on the
end of the hollow axle to work into another toothed wheel for driving the
machinery; but this I shall avoid in every case where either contact, as in
Fig. 6, or the belt or band, as in Figs. 1 and 2, will be found sufficient.
The wheel and pinion, shewn on Figs. 1, 2, and 3, are for the purpose of.
working the force pump to supply the boiler with water, and which will be so
easily understood as not to require further description.
My plan of producing a smooth motion when travelling on land, either in.
rail or common road engines, is by so applying my aforesaid boiler and engine,
which being rotary will be much easier than a crank or reciprocating motion,
as shewn in Drawing 3. Fig. 1 is an elevation, with part of the framework
removed; Fig. 2 is a vertical section; and Fig. 3 a plan view. A, A, A, A,
in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, is the steam engine, as before described. Fig 4 represents
a horizontal section of the double engine and steam pipes, which are on the
same principle as the engine before described, except that the steam tubes are
kept in contact with the engine by a double-acting spring. B, B, are pulley
wheels, which may be made for either round or flat bands, one to each end of
each hollow shaft. These bands are connected with two other large pulley.
wheels B, B, in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, which are fixed below upon a shaft C, that
runs across the carriage, and on which shaft is fixed the pinion C*. On the
two carriage axles K are fixed two toothed wheels C**, into which the.
pinion C* works, and thus causes the running wheels to revolve. G is a strong
bar of iron, to which the bearings in which the pinion shaft and the axles of
the running wheels are attached. These bearings are guided by, but not
fixed to, the frames of the carriages. By this means the springs hereafter.
described will act on the bar G, and thus the teeth of the wheels and pinion
will not be subjected to any cross strain. E is a rotary blower, driven by a
band and pulley, fixed on any convenient shaft. For railway carriages, or
on other occasions where the motion will be reversed, I make the air
passage of or about the shape shewn in the Drawing, so that in whichever
way the engine revolves a constant blast upon the fire may be kept up. F, F,
represents my improved air springs, shewn at Fig. 3 in plan, and Fig. 1. in
section and side elevation. They consist of one or more metal cylinders with
pistons and rods, as seen in Fig. 2 at F*. In the cylinders, between the end
of the cylinders and the piston, I place an air-tight bag filled with air, and of
a size, sufficient to fill the space. This bag I make of caoutchouc or some
combination of it with silk, cotton, leather, or other suitable material, natural.

page_text: less speed than is needful to propel her forward. I propose to effect this in
two ways. The first is, by making a branch pipe at or about the dotted line
M to lead to the bow of the vessel, and to open externally, as at H in Fig. 5.
This opening I propose to make downwards, as in the Figure, in preference to
making it straightforward, that it may not be so much an impediment to the
progress of the vessel when she is propelled forward. This end may be
attained by making an opening, as shewn at I, and reversing the engine, the
tube I leading to the bow from the branch M, as before described.
C is a
valve in the pipe D, which can be screwed down to its seat should any thing
require to be done to the paddle when afloat. F is a self-acting valve in the
pipe E for the like purpose; but, to enable the water to be driven out at the
bow, valves will be requisite. I therefore fix them in such places as will stop
the current one way and open it the other, as the case may require. These
valves I have not shewn, as any strong construction of sluice valve, such as
is applied to water or gas, will answer the purpose. As the main object to
be attained is a strong current produced by the centrifugal motion given to
the water, this current may be effected with considerable convenience by the
aid of pumps driven by a steam engine or other power, when adapted to an
air vessel, to produce as near as may be a continuous and equal flow of water
(and as I believe little or no good will be attained in this plan unless the
water is expelled with great force, say from 20 to 60, or even 80 feet per
second), I construct the paddle wheel upon such proportions, and regulate the
speed at which the pump is driven with the size of the exit pipe, so that
in all cases the speed may be properly maintained. To explain my object,
I will suppose the two outlets are equal to one square foot, and that the speed
best for the boat's progress is to give the water a velocity of sixty feet per
second; then, as the power of water moving at that speed is nearly in pounds
as the square of velocity in feet per, second, it will be 60 × 60 = 3600 lb.
at 60 feet per second.
My claim under the above in part recited Letters Patent consists,-
First, in constructing a tubular boiler, either for a locomotive carriage,
steam boat, or other purpose, having the tubes secured into an angle socket at
one end, and made conical at the other end for the purpose of being firmly
fixed into cylindrical or nearly cylindrical holes, and held in those holes by stays
having steel springs across the ends of the tubes, affording a moderate degree
of elasticity to compensate for expansion and contraction under variation of
temperature between the tube and stay.
Second, making the front of the fire-place with an iron framing, for the pur-

page_text: pose of holding fire bricks or fire-stone pannels next the fire, and iron pannels
with a stratum of air intervening between them and the brick or stone.
Third, constructing the bottom of the fire-place all round of fire bricks, and
introducing the blast through one or more troyers.
Fourth, improvements in the steam engine constructed on the Barker's
Mill principle, consisting in inclosing the arms within a conical or cylindrical
case, or of the segment of two globes, or a combination of these, for the
purpose of causing the steam arms to pass freely through the air; likewise for
fixing a double set of steam arms or tubes, with their mouths placed reverse-
wise, and making the shaft hollow throughout, except a partition in or about
the centre of the steam engine, by which means, by a double set of steam pipes,
one at each end, I reverse the engine, by merely shutting one steam pipe and
opening the other, the said double set of steam pipes being so fixed into the
hollow shaft that one set communicates with one end and the other with the
other. And here I would remark, that I prefer driving the outer extremities
of such arms at a velocity equal to their passage through about fifty thousand
feet per minute.
Fifth, the spring lever or springs which hold the steam pipes against the.
hollow shaft, where they are ground together, for the purpose of so adjusting
the pressure to the strength of the steam that the friction may be as little as
possible.
Sixth, running the shaft of the steam engine upon friction wheels.
Seventh, the adaptation of an air-spring buffer, as above described.
Eighth, the peculiar construction of radial paddle wheels enclosed in a
strong water-tight box, as shewn in the Drawings, for the purpose of producing
by centrifugal force a powerful current of water out of the vessel.
Ninth, producing a similar current by means of pumps in conjunction with
air vessels.
And, tenth, the general arrangement of the mechanism, as shewn in the
Plans, particularly the double set of drums and bands, and driving by friction
surfaces.
Lastly, I claim the application of a similar construction of Barker's Mill, as
a machine for communicating water power. The only instructions necessary
to properly construct it is, to so proportion the ends of the pipes that the
streams shall all flow out, but not so fast as to lower the head; and I recom-
mend that the main pipe from the reservoir to the engine should at least be
ten times the area of the sum of all the eduction tubes; if more, perhaps
better. And if the water to which this is applied should be liable to much

page_text: variation in quantity, I recommend providing that the mouths of the tubes
shall be of various sizes, so that they may be changed when requisite to suit
the water, it being of much importance that the head should always be kept
up at its full height.
In witness whereof, I, the said Timothy Burstall, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Sixth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and thirty-nine.
TIMOTHY (L.S.) BURSTALL.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Sixth day of March, in the
second year of the reign of Her Majesty Queen Victoria, the said Timothy
Burstall came before our said Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and
acknowledged the Instrument aforesaid, and all and every thing therein con
tained and specified, in form above written. And also the Instrument afore
said was stamped according to the tenor of the Statute made in the fifty-fift
year of the reign of His late Majesty King George the Third.