IMPROVE- MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF STEAM ENGINES
Year: 1843

page_text: TO ALL
WHOM
HESE PRESENT:
TOWNSEND CHRISTIAN, of Saint Martin's Place, Saint Martin's Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, East India Army Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at West-
minster, the Twenty-seventh day of June, in the seventh year of Her reign, did,
for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said Charles
Townsend Christian, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and
authority, that I, the said Charles Townsend Christian, my exors, adiñiors,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Charles Townsend Christian, my
exors, adiiors, 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 expressed,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England,
Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF STEAM ENGINES," communicated to me by a certain
foreigner residing abroad; in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso
that I, the said Charles Townsend Christian, shall cause a particular descrip-
tion of the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be inrolled in Her said Majesty's 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Charles Townsend Christian, do hereby declare that the nature of the said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully
described and ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, reference
being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters
marked thereon (that is to say):
:-
Figure 1. The steam having operated in the cylinder, passes out in the
usual manner through the eduction pipe A into the condenser B, where it is
partly received in the extra condenser or receiver C, carrying along with it the
water admitted by the small injection pipe D, the force of the steam striking
the water into small particles and heating it, and is so prepared for the
regeneration of steam. This supply of water is regulated by the cock E, and
from whence it is drawn out of C at F by the ordinary boiler pump. The
steam, from its expansive force, would blow all the water out of any ordinary
shaped vessel, to obviate which difficulty the extra condenser or receiver is so
formed that its return into the condenser B is prevented. I will further
explain its construction. The vessel C is a hollow cone, a little larger at top
than the eduction pipe A, to allow the surplus steam to escape freely into B,
and is reduced at the bottom to the size of the suction pipe m¹ of the boiler
pump F; the outward cone, which forms a kind of conical tube, is furnished
with a number of smaller hollow cones, all of which are connected at their tops
to the outer cone or tube, each one from the top discharging itself into the
next lower in succession, and so on to the bottom. The water and steam is
forced to the bottom by the sudden rush on exhausting, and the steam being of
an expansive nature, instead of blowing out, forces the water outwards by its
natural tendency to expand. When it is intercepted and lodged in the spaces
between these small cones and the outward cone or tube, when the first rush
of steam has subsided, and a vacuum been formed by means of cold water
being injected into the condenser B, then the condensed steam and water
having formed into a body falls instantaneously to the bottom of the cone,
into the suction pipe F, from whence it is received by the boiler pump. The
overplus steam, which is not condensed in C, forces open and passes out by the
valve G and up the waste pipe H, pressing down the reverse injection valve I,
and allowing the condensed water contained in the condenser B to discharge
itself by its own weight in the pipe J, through the valve K, and the instant
(or rather before on account of the gravity of the valves K and G) the resis-
tance of the steam becomes nearly equal to the pressure of the atmosphere, the
column of cold water in L descends by its own weight, and forces open the
valve I, and injecting itself into the condenser B, and thereby forming a

page_text: vacuum in the ordinary manner, at which instant the delivery valves G and K
suddenly close, the cold water still pouring in at the injection valve I, keeps the
vacuum perfect to the end of the stroke. When passing the centres the
reaction is again produced by the exhausting steam again entering the con-
denser B, depositing its condensed particles in C, and closing the injection
valve I, and by its momentary destruction of the effect of the vacuum allows
the water taken in for condensing the preceding half stroke to discharge
itself at the valve K, the steam discharging itself as before mentioned at the
same instant by the valve G and the waste H, when the cold water in L again
injects itself into the condenser B, and again forms the vacuum, and so on in
succession. The vessel M is a head or reserve, and the quantity of water
required for injection is regulated by the valve N; the injection pipe D can
receive its supply of cold water from M, or any other convenient place, as it
forms a suction or injection pipe, and will draw its water from a depth by
means of the vacuum. The vessel M can be supplied by a common pump,
or otherwise, at O, in case of the valve G being too heavy and causing a
resistance thereby; it is counterbalanced by the weight P, which may be
regulated at pleasure during the working of the engine. The advantage of
the improved system of condensation consists, first, in supplying the boiler
with hot water, which is heated by the exhausting steam, thereby returning a
great portion of the same steam, in a condensed state, into the boiler, without
any unusual resistance to the engine; and, secondly, that the steam when
generated from water pumped hot into the boiler is much more effective for
condensing engines, hot water being more free from air than cold. Thirdly,
from the return of condensed steam to the boiler, and the escape through the
valve G, a much less quantity of cold water is required to be pumped for con-
densation than on the ordinary system, when all the steam is required to be
condensed in the condenser.
Figure 2 shews a method by which the extra condenser or receiver is applied
to the ordinary condenser of the common low-pressure engine, with air pump,
for the reception of the condensed. particles of steam and hot water to supply
the boiler, and for the regeneration of steam, A' being the eduction pipe;
B', the ordinary condenser; C, the extra condenser or receiver; D', the small
suction or injection pipe; E', the regulating cock; G¹, the ordinary injection
pipe; H', the discharge pipe leading to the air pump; F, the suction pipe of
the boiler pump. Figure 5 is a plan view of the receiver or extra condenser C,
shewn in section in Figure 2.
Figure 3 shews another form of condenser acting without air pump, as
already fully described in Figure 1. From recent experiments I find that

page_text: the cold water to be pumped into the column L can be easily reduced
by placing the injection valve I outside the condenser, the column of
water resting upon the top instead of the under side of the said injection
valve I, so that instead of allowing the water to descend the whole length
of the stroke, the valve must be lifted and let fall again suddenly by
any tappet or excentric motion from the engine on passing the centre
(that being the time when the water taken in the previous half strokes is
supposed to have been cleared); as the steam valve of the cylinder begins to
exhaust before reaching the centre, the sudden injection causes the instan-
taneous formation of the vacuum, when the condenser B supplies itself the
remainder of the stroke by means of the common suction or injection pipe M,
the quantity to be regulated by the cock N, as in the ordinary condenser. By
the use of this method of condensation, instead of the cone or receiver being
used inside the condenser for heating the water necessary for feeding the boiler,
to enter over the escape valve G, through the small pipe D, the necessary
quantity being regulated by the cock E³, so that on every return of stroke the
steam when escaping by the escape valve G, through the small pipe D, the
quantity of water required being regulated by the small cock E; so that on
every reaction of stroke, the steam, when escaping by the valve G², takes a
small quantity of water with it, being first conducted to the hot well C by the
partition N, which is merely a piece of thin copper or other suitable metal so
curved as to throw the water and steam into the hot well; the steam still continues
its course, but the water, being heavier, remains in the hot well where it was
first thrown, to be drawn out by the ordinary boiler pump at F. The small
curve at n shews another small partition used for the purpose of arresting the
water in the hot well, that it may not escape along with the steam; in all
other respects this condenser is the same in action as the one shewn in
Figure 1, A being the eduction pipe; K, the condensing water discharge
valve; P, the balance weight for same.
Figure 4 is a form of eondenser which differs from the last described in
these particulars:-First, that instead of a column of cold water, as in the
others, the cold water pump, instead of supplying the column L, as in Figures
1 and 3, injects it at once through the pump pipe O into the condenser B,
thus saving the expence and incumbrance of the valve I and column L, as in
Figure 3, with the advantage of injecting it with any force that may be
required, independently of weight or height of column; with respect to a
column it is only necessary where a steam engine is built lower than a stream
or body of water at command independently of the pumps; therefore, in all
the Drawings annexed, be it understood that by taking away the column L and

page_text: valve G from them, and connecting the pump pipe in lieu thereof, the same
purpose will be answered. Another peculiarity in this form of condenser is,
that I use two receivers, the one, C³, acting as in Figure 1; the other, S, is an
inverted cone placed over the valve G, and is intended to increase the supply
of hot water to the boiler or other purposes, the supply of cold water being
received from the pump or injection pipe g, and regulated by the cock R,
which must be a little closed when more water is required, and that by throwing
more stress upon the under side of cock R, where the small pipe W is attached,
causes the water to rush with more force into the cone S, when it discharges
upon the escape valve G, so that the steam when escaping forces the water
along with it in its ascent to waste pipe H; but when, as in the other cone,
the expansive motion of the steam forces the water to the side of this cone,
when it is interrupted by the smaller cones or funnels, from whence it falls,
after the rush of steam has subsided, into the hot well X, X, which hot well
forms a circle round the escape valve G, from whence it passes in its heated
state through the pipe U. An advantage is also gained by the valve G being
kept covered with water. so as to prevent, in case of defection of valve, the air
from entering the condenser to destroy a portion of a vacuum. The boiler
pump is attached at F, taking the water out of hot well V, in which the
valve P is kept covered with water, there being an objection to attaching the
boiler pump directly to the cone itself, as in the other modes described in
Figures 1 and 2, because of its immediate connection with the condenser; for,
should there be any derangement of the clacks of the boiler pump, the water
from the boiler would return to the condenser and injure the effective working
of the engine; in all other respects this form of condenser is similar in principle
and action to that of Figure 1. But I would observe, that the condensing
water discharged at the discharge valve G works always under water in its
own cistern, where it discharges its water, A being the eduction pipe; B, the
condenser; C, the cone or receiver; D, the small suction pipe for the cone;
E, the regulating cock for same; M, the common suction pipe; N, the
regulating cock.
Figure 6 shews another form of condenser working with a slide valve;
this, although differing in form and action, produces the same effect, except
that this slide valve is less liable to imperfect action where the water
happens to contain sandy, gravelly, or other sedimental matter, which might
obstruct the working of the other form of valves by preventing them
from shutting close; and in steam boats, where the motion of the vessel
would throw them out of their perpendicular position and prevent the
1 will now particularly describe its construc-
proper action of the valves.

page_text: tion and action. A, Figure 6, shews the passage leading to the condenser,
and which is screwed to the exhausting steam passage or the nearest part of
the eduction pipe to the cylinder. The steam after leaving the cylinder by
the eduction pipe passes directly to the condenser, where it is received into the
cone or receiver C, the slide valve opening at the same time, and so much of
the steam and water which is drawn in by the vacuum through the small
pipe D as can pass through C by the passage I to F before the slide valve
can shut again, passes out by the pipe H at or near the boiling point, and is
intended to supply the boiler, but can be used for any other purpose; the
quantity of water required to be so heated can be regulated by the cock E.
The passage I and J are open at the same time, so that whilst one part of the
body of steam is escaping with the hot water at I, the other is forcing out the
water used for condensation, the preceding half stroke by the passage having
free communication with the overflow pipe J, from whence it passes; by the
time the valve closes, the steam is supposed to have nearly exhausted itself, for
when the small quantity of water which is used for injection has been cleared
from the condenser, the remaining steam of course follows after the water,
clearing the condenser of all that might have remained therein, leaving but a
weak portion of itself, thereby acting the part of and dispensing entirely with
the use of the air pump. The instant the slide valve is closed the valve
K is opened, and let fall again suddenly by means of any tappet motion
connected with the engine and attached to the chain L, which chain passes
down the column M and is attached to the valve K; the column M being
continually supplied with cold water by means of pump or otherwise, so that
on the sudden opening and shutting of valve K. the weight of water in column
M injects suddenly a portion of itself into the condenser B, and instantly forms
a vacuum, all valves remaining shut the remainder of the half stroke to give
the full advantage of the vacuum in condenser, with the exception of the
pipe N, which is commonly called the suction or injection pipe, which feeds
the condenser with cold water during the remainder of the half stroke. The
quantity of water required to be admitted to be regulated by cock 0; the
reaction to form the alternating half strokes is exactly the same.
K' is a safety
discharge valve to relieve the condenser if overcharged with water or steam.
I will now describe the construction of the slide valve. This is a valve
which is worked in the ordinary manner, and attached to the same working
gear as the slide valve of the engine. The slide valve is so divided in its
passages and facings as to open and shut once in ascending and once in
descending, and so as to perform at about the same time that the steam valve
is allowed to exhaust, which is just before reaching the centres, so as to admit

page_text: of the reaction being as perfectly completed as possible on passing the centres.
This slide valve is formed of three separate compartments formed by the two
partitions P and O for the three different degrees of water, which waters
are kept asunder by means of the two packings R and S, of hemp or any
suitable material, which packings are kept tight by the two pinch screws T, U,
which screws, by being screwed down upon the two blocks V and W formed
to the slope of the valve, forces the packing into its place and makes all
steam-tight, so that the cold injection water entering by the valve K, and
through the passage X to the condenser, is prevented mixing with the hot
water in F by means of the packing R, and the hot water prevented from
passing to Y by means of the packing S.
The second Invention of improvements consists in an improved method of
rogulating or tightening the packings of steam-eugine pistons. a is the
ordinary piston; b, the piston ring formed in the usual manner, except that it
is made deeper in the ring for the purpose of securing or following up the
packing, being also without bolts or bolt holes, as the ring is screwed or
regulated by nut & acting upon the outer tube e of the piston rod, by being
screwed to the inner rod f. At the bottom of piston is screwed a boss 9 to
bear upon the ring b, between which boss and the outer tube of piston rod is a
washer h, of hemp or other suitable material, to prevent the steam from escaping
between the inner and outer rods. At the top of the tube of piston rod e, e,
is placed a stuffing box j, j, the nut d forming the gland thereof, between
which and the bottom of the stuffing box j, j, is placed also a washer or
suitable stuffing, so that in case of any derangement of washer h there will
always be a dependence on the outer stuffing box j, j. In order to ensure
regularity in the tightness of the packing, I have placed a spiral spring i, which
is attached one end to nut d and the other end to the outward box or
covering, so that by winding the covering box k round the nut d until the
spring is entirely wound up, after which the box ke is secured to the stuffing
box j, j, by means of the pinch screw t, and acting in the ordinary manner of
a spring, in its endeavor to uncoil itself, keeps a regular stress upon nut d,
tending to turn or screw it forward in case it should become slack, so that
when the packing gives way by the pressure of steam upon the ring 6, the
outward tube of the piston rod, being slightly secured to the ring b, descends
with it; e, e, sliding loose upon the piston rod f, whereupon the tube sliding
down the rod would separate itself from nut d, but is followed up by the nut d,
which is made to act loose upon the piston rod f by the action of the spring in
its endeavor to uncoil itself. This spring is not intended to screw down the
packing, but merely to follow up the shrinking, as the steam when acting

page_text: upon the top side of the piston will always press the ring b upon the packing
sufficiently, the nut & following only to prevent its returning.
Having thus explained the mechanical arrangements which I have employed
for carrying out my Invention, I will shortly stato the peculiar character
of the principle part of my Invention in contradistinction to what has
before been practised; in doing so it will be desirable to state that I am
aware that it has before been proposed to obtain vacuity in condensers
and in the steam cylinders of steam engines without the aid of the air
pumps, but in such case the experiment was made with a high-pressure
engine working with steam of twenty-seven pounds on the square inch,
and the apparatus was arranged with a view to obtain a condensation
of all the steam, using a very large quantity of water for such purpose, the air
being driven from the condenser once in each double stroke of the engine to
the atmosphere, the valve to the atmosphere opening but every other half
stroke, the injection water coming in simultaneous with the exhaustion of the
steam from the steam cylinder into the condenser; and I call attention
to this circumstance in order to state that I do not claim condensing steam
of steam engines under such circumstances, as not only is the quantity
of water required for condensation very great, but the vacuum obtained in
the condenser is not commensurate with the quantity of water necessary
for condensation. Now, according to my Invention, the steam, in passing
from the steam cylinder into the condenser at each half stroke of the
engine, is permitted to rush into the atmosphere, so as to bring down to nearly
atmospheric pressure before allowing the injection water to rush into the
condenser, by which means only steam slightly above the atmospheric pressure
will be in the condenser requiring condensation, and therefore there will be
proportionably very little condensing water required to be injected to obtain a
vacuum in the condenser for the next half stroke of the engine. It will
therefore be seen that the vacuum obtained in the condenser according to my
Invention may be said to be similar to a succession of blowings through of
the steam during the working of the engine, the steam being blown through
the condenser for each half stroke of the engine, the injection water being
thrown in each half stroke to condense the steam remaining in the condenser,
when the valve through which the steam is allowed to escape from the con-
denser is closed.
Having thus described the nature of the Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I do not
confine myself to the precise details shown, so long as the peculiar character
of the Invention be retained; but what I claim is,―

page_text: First, the so arranging condensers, in combination with steam engines,
that the steam, of whatever pressure used, may, by the working of the
engine, be blown through the condenser cach half stroke before injection, the
steam being condensed by injection water after the excess of steam has
rushed into the atmosphere.
Secondly, I claim the mode of constructing and applying the apparatus
marked respectively C, C, C, and C', in condensers of steam engines, as
above described.
Thirdly, I claim the mode of constructing and applying the apparatus
S, Figure 4, as above described.
Fourthly, I claim the mode of applying a suction pipe D, D1, D2, D3, and
D', and I also claim the mode of applying a suction ejection pipe as shewn
at M, M, and M', as described.
Fifthly, I claim the mode of combining the condenser and slide valves as
described in respect to Figure 6 to Figure 18 inclusive.
And, sixthly, I claim the mode of tightening the packing of steam engine
pistons as described in respect to Figures 20 and 21.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Townshend Christian, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-seventh day of December,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and forty-three.