Year: 1886

page_text: I, WILHELM SCHMIDT of 48, Leonhardtstrasse of Brunswick in the German Empire,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :---
My invention relates to improvements in steam-engines, in which the steam-
generator consists of a vessel, which possesses a very narrow space and in which
the necessary quantity of steam is generated when the steam-piston stands at its
lowest dead-point. Naturally it is then necessary to generate the steam quickly
and for that purpose I make use of a peculiarly constructed heating-vessel, which
has an inner filling-body. The outer heating-vessel is provided with ribs and
between it and the inner filling-body only a narrow space is left. The water is
forced when the piston is in the proper position into this narrow space thus formed
by the two bodies just mentioned. The outer vessel being heated directly and the
inner vessel being heated by the radiation of heat, the water heats very quickly in
this space. It is forced to move in a very thin volume along the heated bodies
forming this space and the result is quick evaporation and tension.
But not only this combination of an outer vessel (provided with ribs to conduct
the heat better) with an inner filling-body for the purpose of evaporating a thin
volume of water, is to be considered new. The combining and arranging of the
heating-vessel with the cylinder in such a way, that both are constantly in con-
nection with each other and no steam-distributor is required between the two
spaces, which would only make the whole arrangement more complicated, must
likewise be considered new. The present invention is intended to be used par-
ticularly in small engines in which simplicity and cheapness both of construction
and requirements when working are the principal things, and in such engines in
which a complete utilisation of the heat is not exactly the chief point.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
The invention is represented in the accompanying drawing in two vertical cross-
sections through the centre-axis of the engine.
Fig. I shows the lowest position of the steam-piston in the cylinder, whereas

page_text: at its upper end with an annular inner slit o which terminates in the steam-outlet-
pipe o¹ as is indicated in the drawing by dotted lines. The filling-body F is cast
in one piece with the cylinder c and fills out the heating-vessel B to such an extent
that only a very narrow air-space is left between the two vessels. The heating-
vessel B is provided as before-mentioned with ribs p¹. This heating-vessel B is
heated by the fire kept up on the grate t and the hot gases play round the vessel B
and eventually escape through an opening finto the chimney.
The filling-body F is provided with an inner pipe in which the pump-piston p is
made to ascend and descend closely packed. This motion is caused by the steam-
piston K with which the pump-piston p is firmly connected. At the lower end of
the filling-body is a valve n and an inner space m; and at the upper end of F is
a feed-pipe which is in connection with a piper. This pipe r¹ can be adjusted
by cock a as may be desirable, or turned off entirely. Water is continually con-
ducted into this pipe from a reservoir not indicated in the drawing. The way in
which the engine works is as follows: When the piston is in its highest position
(fig. II) the contents of the cylinder together with the contents of B which are
constantly in connection with each other by means of channels L, are brought in
connection with the outer atmosphere by means of the annular slit o and pipe o¹.
If the water cock a is turned on a little from time to time and a small quantity of
water allowed to enter B through the pipes 1 11 and the open valve n, the fire
burning on grate t will gradually heat this water. The steam which is generated
escapes from the engine at o' and thereby the vessel B is prevented from being
burnt through.
As soon as steam is observed to generate from the small quantity of water
admitted into the vessel B, the engine can be set in motion.
The water-cock is turned on and set so as to furnish the necessary supply of
water, and the fly-wheel is turned by hand beyond the lowest position of the piston.
When the piston descends (by turning the fly-wheel) a certain quantity of water
flows through pipes 111 into the hollow space i of the filling-body F and
accumulates above the valve. At the last moment, that is to say when the piston
has almost reached its lowest position, the pump-piston p forces this water through
valve n, which opens downwards into the narrow space left in vessel B. The
heated sides of B soon convert the water thus brought in contact with them into
steam, and the tension of steam forces the piston to ascend. When the piston
reaches the top of its course, the volume of steam, both that of the cylinder c and
that of the space in B escapes into the open air.
Owing to the tangential force of the engine the piston is made to descend again
and compresses on its downward course the steam, which is left in the space in B
and in cylinder c. When the piston first begins to descend, and when slit o and
outlet o¹ are first closed, the steam in these spaces has only a pressure of 1 atm.
but finally it reaches 3 atm. The greater part of the steam thus compressed
accumulates in space m. During the descent of the piston a certain small quantity
of water has again entered the space i and has run under the pump-piston p.
The valve n is meanwhile kept closed by the pressure of the steam in vessel B and
is not opened till the pump-piston forces the water through it, which occurs
regularly just before the piston reaches its lowest position. At the last moment
this water is injected into vessel B in which it quickly evaporates. The quickness
with which the water injected into B is converted into steam is greatly increased
by the constructing of space m, as the following remarks will show.
When the piston commences to ascend a void is rapidly formed under it, for
sufficient steam to prevent this, has not been generated from the water just injected
into B. In consequence of this, the steam contained in space m will rush with
great velocity into the space thus formed under the steam-piston and will carry
all the water just injected along with it and along the heated sides of vessel B.
Owing to the thin volume of the injected water and owing to its being brought
in direct contact with the heated sides of the vessel B the evaporation and
generation of steam-pressure is immediate and complete,

page_text: By removing the noxious space m which is indispensably necessary for the
compressing of the steam, to the interior of the filling-body F, the quickest
evaporation imaginable of the injected water is arrived at. The remaining parts
of the engine will be seen in the drawing and understood without requiring further
explanation. The ribs p¹ are intended to produce heat quickly in vessel B.
Fig. III and IV show a modification of this steam-engine before-described.
Fig. III is a vertical section, if the piston is in its lowest position, Fig. IV a
vertical section if the piston is in its highest position.
In this modification the filling-body F of the vessel B does not stand fast to
the latter, but is moved by the steam-piston K, so that the continuation F of
the steam-piston K operates as filling-body and distributes the feeding-water, if the
steam-piston K with continuation F has reached its lowest position. Then the
body fills perfectly the heating-vessel B in such a manner that only a narrow
space remains between vessel B and body -F.
The feeding-water, which stands at the bottom of the vessel B ascends to the
heated sides of the vessel B and evaporates quickly. Those parts of the water,
that are not evaporated, are gathered in the noxious space e because the generating
steam moves and leads the water into this space.
When the piston begins to raise again a very large space is soon formed in the
vessel B and now the steam gathered in the noxious space e drives the water down
along the heated sides of the vessel B, so that the remaining water evaporates
quickly and perfectly.
The vessel B is feeded by a reservoir R which stands higher than the vessel B;
a regulating-cock H opens the feeding-tube sufficiently to feed the vessel B.
Behind this cock H a back sucking valve vis employed, that no water can be
driven back into the reservoir.
The other mechanisms of this engine are the same as employed in the first
modification (fig. I) and therefore the same letters are employed as in fig. I.
Fig. V shows a third modification of the construction described in fig. I.
In this modification a sliding-valve z is arranged between the heating-vessel B
and the cylinder c. The slide-valve is moved in the well known manner by the
engine, to distribute and to cut the steam in the cylinder c. In this construction
of the motor naturally only the steam-volume that has entered the cylinder by the
sliding-valve z exhausts through y but not the whole volume of the vessel B as in
the modification fig. I.
The other mechanisms employed in fig. V are the same as in fig. I and the same
letters refer to the same features.
Fig. VI shows another modification of this improvement which works in the
same manner as the first modification and distributes the feeding-water likewise
along the heated sides of the heating-vessel B. If the steam-piston K. ascends, the
pump p brings by means of its continuation pl water into the reservoir R. The
feeding-water enters the reservoir R by the back-sucking valve v and pipe r¹.
This sucking of the plunger p p commences as soon as the little openings v in the
combined plunger pp" are covered by the filling-body F. If the steam-piston K
is in its highest position all the steam produced till now exhausts through the
opening o¹. Now the steam-piston K descends and compresses the steam in the
cylinder c and in the narrow space between the filling-body F and the heating-
vessel B, that is provided with ribs pl.-The plunger p p compresses meanwhile
the inner space of the filling-body F and as soon as the openings o of the plunger p
become free, the water contained in the reservoir R rushes rapidly into the narrow
space between B and F and begins to evaporate, so that the piston is forced to
ascend. t is the source of heat for the engine.
There are still two mechanisms employed in this engine to be described.
Firstly the elastic valve g in the reservoir R and the noxious space e, arranged
n such a manner that it produces a better distribution of the feeding-water along
the heated sides of the vessel B.

page_text: If the plunger p p¹¹ descends it compresses the water contained in reservoir R
and naturally the elastic slide-valve g is forced back so that the space of the
reservoir R becomes larger. The compression in the reservoir rises and as soon as
the openings o have become free, the feeding-water rushes with great velocity into
the heating-vessel B, so that it quickly evaporates. This quick evaporation is
augmented by the noxious space e in the same manner described in fig. I.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is:
1.) The combination in a steam-engine of a heating-vessel B with a filling-
body F, which leave a very narrow space between them, a water-tube leading to
the heating-vessel B and a noxious or compression-space m, for the purpose of
distributing and evaporating the feeding-water in thin volumes.
2.) The combination in a steam-engine of a heating-vessel B with a filling-
body F which leave a very narrow space between them and a cylinder c constantly
in connection with vessel B, and slit o and steam-outlet-pipe o¹ and the pump
which injects the feeding-water into vessel B all for the purpose as described.
3.) The combination in a steam-engine of a heating-vessel B with a filling-
body F which leave. a very narrow space between them and the noxious space m
located in the under filling-body and the opening and closing organ n for the
purpose as described.
4.) The combination in a steam-engine of a heating-vessel B with a filling-
body F which leave a very narrow space between them and the pump-piston p,
placed in the filling-body F and worked by the steam-piston K and the feed-
pipes and cock a all of which are located on the inside of the filling-body F
and the valve n, opening into the vessel B and the noxious space m, situated above
the valve n in the filling-body F and the cylinder c, constantly in connection with
the heating-vessel B and finally with the common slit o and steam-outlet pipe o¹
for the purpose as described.
5.) The combination in a steam-engine of a heating-vessel B with the plunger F
moved by the engine and forming a filling-body for the heating-vessel in its lowest
position with the water feeding-tube r¹ for the purpose as described.
6.) The combination in a steam-engine of a heating-vessel B with the plunger F
moved by the engine an forming a filling-body for the heating-vessel in its lowest
position with the water-feeding-tube and the noxious space e arranged at the
upper side of the vessel B for the purpose as described.
7.) The combination a a steam-engine of a heating-vessel B with the plunger F
moved by the engine and forming a filling-body for the heating-vessel in its lowest
position with the water-feeding-tube ¹, the noxious space e arranged at the upper
side of the vessel B and the elastic slide-valve g in the reservoir R for the purpose
as described.