IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CON- STRUCTION OF MOTIVE-POWER ENGINES
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Paton, of Liverpool, in the County of
Lancaster, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CON-
STRUCTION OF MOTIVE-POWER ENGINES."
Sealed the 25th October 1867, and dated the 27th April 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Paton at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
27th April 1867.
I, THOMAS PATON, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
CONSTRUCTION OF MOTIVE-POWER ENGINES," to be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is to provide means by which the full expansive
force of steam or other fluid at pressure (preferably high-pressure steam) can
be economized in engines constructed with well known and simple parts.
In motive-power engines of any ordinary construction the cylinders, of
which are provided with reciprocating pistons I make a connection or passage
from the valve chest or elsewhere to convey the steam after it has done

page_text: effective work in the cylinder into the "top" of the air pump, there by
expansion to assist in operating the main shaft or other mechanism to be
driven.
Economy in working, and proportionally in first cost, are secured by the
novel construction or arrangement of trunk engines and air pumps herein-
after mentioned.
I admit steam from the boiler into the annular space in trunk cylinders,
and after such steam has there done effective work in forcing the piston in
one direction I admit it by suitable valves and passages to the other side of
the piston in the same cylinder and at the same time or afterwards on to
the "top" of the air pump in both of these latter spaces to operate the
mechanisin in the desired direction.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas Paton in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
26th October 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
PATON, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of April, in the year. of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirtieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Thomas Paton, Her special license that I, the said Thomas Paton, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Thomas
Paton, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CON-
STRUCTION OF MOTIVE-POWER ENGINES," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said Thomas Paton, my executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals,
should particularly describe and .ascertain the nature of the said Invention,
aud 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 Thomas Paton, do hereby declare the
nature of my said .Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the accompanying illustrative Drawings,
and to the figures and letters thereon, that is to say:
The object of this Invention is to provide means by which the full expansive
force of steam or other fluid at pressure (preferably high-pressure steam)
can be economized in engines constructed with well known and simple parts.
In motive-power engines of any ordinary construction the cylinders of
which are provided with reciprocating pistons I make a connection or
passage from the valve chest or elsewhere to convey the steam after it has
done effective work in the cylinder into the "top" of the air pump, there by
expansion to assist in operating the main shaft or other mechanism to be.
driven.
Economy in working, and proportionally in first cost, are secured by the
novel construction or arrangement of trunk engines and air pumps herein-
after mentioned.
I admit steam from the boiler into the annular space in trunk cylinders,
and after such steam has there done effective work in forcing the piston in
one direction I admit it by suitable valves and passages to the other side of
the piston in the same cylinder and at the same time or afterwards on to
the "top" of the air pump in both of these latter spaces to operate the
mechanism in the desired direction.
On the accompanying Sheet of Drawings Fig. 1 is a plan view, and Fig 2
a section through lengthwise of the engines, but across ship, of that arrange-
ment of engine according to my Invention, that is to say, of the parts com-
posing an engine, which I consider acts most beneficially in respect of
utilizing the full expansive force of the steam or other fluid at pressure. In
both of these views like letters denote the same parts. For convenience I
will speak hereafter of the fluid at pressure as steam.
a, steam supply pipe; b, valve chest; c, valve; d, valve rod, receiving
motion in any ordinary or convenient manner; e and f, steam ports; g,
cylinder, which here serves both as steam cylinder and air pump; h; piston
connected by the rod i to the screw or main shaft j; k, trunk secured to h;
7, another piston connected by the rod m, cross head n, and connections o to j;
p, steam exhaust pipe leading to the surface condenser q; r, passage, and
practically continuation of the air pump to the valves & and t.
The course of the steam in this engine is as follows:-It enters past the

page_text: valve c through the port e into the annular space a surrounding the trunk k,
and forces the piston h in one direction, in fact, to the position shewn on the
Drawing; at this time, that is at the end of the stroke, the steam passes
through the valve c by way of the port f into y between the pistons h and 1,
which are caused to move in opposite directions; the space y between h
and being much larger than space the steam has sufficient space for
expansion; the space z although within the steam cylinder is really the air
pump, and the pipe r, in which a valve could be placed close to z if neccessary,
is a continuation of the air pump. The steam after acting expansively in y
passes through the exhaust pipe p into the condenser q outside the tubes, in
which part the vacumn is maintained by the air pump. The condensing
water can be circulated in any desired or usual manner.
Although the engine described above is the one which I prefer, it will be
obvious on reading the words of my Provisional Specification above recited,
that I do not confine myself thereto, my improvements being applicable to all
kinds and descriptions of motivé-power engines, in which the pistons are made
to move to and fro, and the air pump is made by itself or in combination with
any other part of the engine, and is placed in a vertical, diagonal, or horizontal
position, and whether the steam is admitted above or below the piston or
bucket of the said air pump, although when a bucket is used. it is more
advantageous to admit the steam on the top thereof. It will also be obvious
that the steam, instead of being admitted to act simultaneously on one side of
the piston and on the piston or bucket of the air pump, may be admitted to
act finally in whole or in part in the air pump.
It will also be obvious that in marine engines, although I have only shown
one engine on the Drawings, it would be advisable to use two adjusted to act
in the ordinary manner. In stationary engines of course a fly wheel would, be
used; and in all cases I prefer to use high-pressure steam.
the
same,
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and particularized
I would have it understood that what I claim is, so arranging the
parts of motive-power engines that the steam is directed, first, into the
cylinder to move the piston in one direction, is thence, second, directed
into the other end of the same cylinder to move the piston in the opposite
direction and then is made to act on and move or propel the air pump,
piston, or bucket; or the steam is, after having forced the piston in one
direction, allowed thereafter to act simultaneously on the other side of the
piston and on the piston or bucket of the air pump, substantially as herein
described, for the purpose of obtaining the full expansive force of and for

page_text: economizing steam, suitable details being shewn on the accompanying Sheet
of Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Paton, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of October, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
In the presence of
JOHN T. KING,
Patent Agent,
Liverpool.
THOMAS PATON. (L.S.)