IMPROVEMENTS IN SEEAM ENGINES
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Elder, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark,
North Britain, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SEEAM
ENGINES."
Sealed the 10th May 1864, and dated the 19th November 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Elder at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 19th
November 1863.
I, JOHN ELDER, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN STEAM ENGINES," to be as follows, that is to say:-
This Invention relates more particularly to inverted cylinder steam engines
suitable for driving screw propellers, and has principally for its object a
compact, convenient, and accessible disposition of the various parts.
In a modification embodying a portion of the improvements two cylinders
are disposed in the vertical plane of the shaft, a small one receiving the high-
pressure steam direct from the boiler and a large one receiving the partly used
steam from the bigh-pressure cylinder. The admission of the high-pressure
steam is by valves in a casing at the side of the small cylinder, by preference
including a cut-off or expansion valve, and the transference of the steam to the
large cylinder, and thence to the condenser or condensers, is by valves in a
casing between the two cylinders. The steam is condensed in two surface
condensers with horizontal tubes disposed parallel to the shaft and formed one
on each side in the framing which supports the cylinders. This framing is
by preference in one casting, the lower part of which below the condensers is

page_text: formed with arches or openings, both parallel and at right angles to the
shaft, with the four corners or feet bolted to the sole plate or bed frame. The
water of condensation drains from both condensers by passages in the frame
casting down one corner or foot to the air pump disposed outside thereof. The
air, cold water, and other pumps are disposed at one side conveniently under
a rocking shaft working them by levers, and itself worked by a lever
linked to the slide block of the low-pressure piston rod. The valves are
by preference actuated by a modification of "Randolph and Elder's valve
gearing," provision being made for reversing by the direct action of steam on
a piston on the reversing shaft, whilst screw gear is also provided for reversing
by hand. The cylinders are steam jacketed.
In another modification of the engines with high-pressure and low-pressure
cylinders, each low-pressure cylinder has two single-acting high-pressure cylin-
ders, one above it and the other below it, the three pistons being on the same
rod or rods. In each high-pressure cylinder the steam acts in the end nearest
the low-pressure cylinder, and the valve passages are made as short as possible,
the valves and casings between the cylinders being by preference similar to
those described in the Specification of Letters Patent granted to the present
applicant, and dated 25th April 1862 (No. 1214), but placed across the
covers of the low-pressure cylinder instead of along the sides, and by preference
fitted with rings to diminish the pressure on the back of the valves. It is
preferred to keep the high-pressure cylinders heated internally by having
steam constantly on the non-acting sides, and all three pistons are by pre-
ference constructed to receive steam internally, being in communication with
each other through the rod or rods, made tubular for the purpose, or through
separate pipes working through stuffing boxes. The cylinders are entirely
steam jacketed, and the condensers and framing are by preference arranged as
in the modification previously described.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Elder in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 19th
May 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
ELDER, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, Engineer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of November, in the year of

page_text: our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-seventh
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said John Elder, Her special license that I, the said
John Elder, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said John Elder, my executors, administrators, or assigns, should at
any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and 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 "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN STEAM ENGINES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
John Elder, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my hand and seal, or under the hand and seal of one of them, 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 I, the said John Elder, 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 in writing, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings and
to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
My said Invention relates more particularly to inverted cylinder steam
engines suitable for driving screw propellers, and has principally for object
a compact, convenient, and accessible disposition of the various parts.
And in order that my said Invention and the manner of performing the
same may be properly understood, I have hereunto appended two Sheets of
explanatory Drawings, to be herein-after referred to, and representing three
modifications embodying my improvements.
A modification of engines embodying a portion of my improvements is
represented upon Sheet 1 of the Drawings, Figure 1 being a plan, Figure 2
a front elevation, and Figure 8 a side elevation. In this modification two
cylinders 1, 2, are used, being disposed in the vertical plane of the shaft 3, a
small one, 1, receiving the high-pressure steam direct from the boiler, and
a larger one, 2, receiving the partly used steam from the high-pressure
cylinder 1. The admission of the high-pressure steam is by valves in a
casing 4, at the side of the small cylinder 1 by preference, including a
cut-off or expansion valve, and the transference of the steam to the large
cylinder 2, and thence to the condenser or condensers is by valves in a casing
5, between the two cylinders 1, 2 The steam is condensed in two surface

page_text: condensers 6, 6, with horizontal tubes disposed parallel to the shaft 3, and
formed one on each side in the framing 7, which supports the cylinders 1, 2.
This framing 7 is by preference in one casting, the lower part of which below
the condensers is formed with arches 8, both parallel and at right angles to
the shaft, with the four corners or feet bolted to the sole plate or bed frame 9,
The water of condensation drains from both condensers 6, 6, by passages in
the frame casting 7, down one corner or foot to the air pump 10, disposed
outside thereof. The air pump 10, cold water pump 11, and other pumps 12,
are disposed at one side conveniently under a rocking shaft 13, working them
by levers, and itself worked by a lever 14, linked to the slide block of the
piston rod of the low-pressure cylinder 2. The valves are by preference
actuated by a modification of "Randolph and Elder's valve gearing," a
secondary or valve shaft 15 being driven by spur gearing simultaneously with
the main shaft 3, and carrying the valve eccentrics, which are reversed by a
longitudinal movement of the valve shaft 15, acting by spiral grooves, and
feathers. Provision is made for reversing by the direct action of steam in a
cylinder 18, on a piston on the shaft 15, this shaft passing into or through the
cylinder 18. A han wheel and screw 19 is also applied for reversing by
band. The steam cylinders 1, 2, and their covers are steam jacketed.
A second modification of my improved engines with high-pressure and low-
pressure cylinders is represented in Figures 4, 5, 6, on Sheet 2 of the
Drawings, Figure 4 being a transverse vertical section, Figure 5 a front
elevation, and Figure 6 a longitudinal vertical section, showing one half of the
set of engines. Each low-pressure cylinder 21, has two single acting high-pres-
sure cylinders, one 22 above, and the other 28 below it, the three pistons 24, 25,
26, being on the same rod 27. In each high-pressure cylinder the steam acts
in the end nearest the low-pressure cylinder, and the valve passages 28, froin
each high-pressure cylinder into the adjacent ends of the low-pressure cylinder,
are made as short as possible, the valves and casings between the cylinders being
by preference similar to those described in the Specification of Letters Patent,
granted to me and dated 25th April, 1862, (No. 1214), but placed across the
covers of the low-pressure cylinder 21, instead of being along the sides. I
prefer to keep the high-pressure cylinders 22, 23, heated internally by having
steam constantly on the non-acting sides of the pistons 24, 26, and all three
pistons 24, 25, 26, are by preference constructed to receive steam internally
being in communication which each other through the rod 27, made tubular
for the purpose, or it might be through separate pipes working through
stuffing boxes between the cylinders. This heating of the cylinders and
pistons is conveniently obtained by forming ports in the outer ends of the high-

page_text: pressure cylinders 22, 23, to admit steam from the steam jacket spaces, with
which all the cylinders are completely provided, and the tubular piston rod 27
is open completely through, so as to put the outer ends of the high-pressure
cylinders in direct communication with each other. The framing of the
engines with the condenser valve gear and other details is by preference
arranged much as in the modification previously described.
In the modification shown in Figures 4, 5, 6, the connection with the
crank shaft 29 is by a pair of connecting rods 30, jointed to additional piston
rods 31, attached to the low-pressure piston 25, and having their slide blocks
working in guides on opposite sides of the lower high-pressure cylinder 23.
A third modification of my improved engines is shown in transverse vertical
section in Figure 7, Sheet 2, but differs from that last herein-before described
only in having a single piston rod 27, which passing out through a stuffing
box in the bottom cover of the lower high-pressure cylinder 23, is connected
directly to the crank shaft 29 by the connecting rod 30.
Having thus particularly described my said Invention, and the manner in
which the same is or may be performed, I have to state that I do not restrict
myself to the precise details herein described or delineated, but that what I
believe to be novel and original, and claim as the Invention secured to me by
the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is,―
1. The arranging or combining together of the parts of steam engines with
combined high-pressure and low-pressure cylinders, substantially in the
improved manner herein-before described.
And 2. The disposing of the condenser details of inverted cylinder engines
in two portions, one on each side of, but above the shaft, and with the tubes
parallel to the shaft.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Elder, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
Witness,
EDMUND HUNT,
Patent Agent,
28, St. Enoch Square.
Glasgow.
JOHN ELDER. (L.S.)