IMPROVEMENTS IN LOCOMOTIVES, PART OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE APPLICABLE TO OTHER STEAM ENGINES
Year: 1853

page_text: Petition, on the 3d March 1853.
(Void by reason of notice to proceed not having been given within the
time prescribed by the Act.).
I, AUGUSTE EDOUARD LORADOUX BELLFORD, of 16, Castle Strect, Hol-
born, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN LOCOMOTIVES, PART OF
WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE APPLICABLE TO OTHER STEAM ENGINES," to be
as follows:-
Figures 1, 2, and 3, of the drawings represent, drawn to a scale of one-
tenth, the side elevation, a longitudinal vertical section, and a horizontal
section of that engine. A, B, C, are the three chief parts of the boiler
A, is the fire box; B, the cylindrical body of the boiler; and C, the
smoke box. Within the chamber A, there is one compartment, b, c,
in which the coal undergoes the carbonizing distillation, and is turned
into coke before falling on the grate G, whilst its carburetted hydrogen
is burnt out without giving any smoke. The distilling compartment
b, c, is situated between the fore side of the fire box and the partition
fg; being about one-third of the depth of the fire box. The partition
is a cast-iron plate, the faces of which are ridged all over; it is plastered

page_text: with a fire-clay mixture stuck in these ridges, and bound all around
with the same matter against the upper and side internal faces of the
fire box. The lower edge of the partition is above the grate G, at such
a distance that when the compartment b, c, is filled up, the fuel shall
rise in the chamber a, up to the first row of fire tubes. The fuel is
introduced into the fire place through the door P. The first time,
both the fire chamber a, and compartment b, c, are filled up with coke,
then the fire is kindled.
.
When the burning up causes the fuel to fall in the chamber b, c, it
is filled up over with coal. This coal bearing on the burning coke is
partly distilled out and partly burned off by the atmospheric air that is
entering in the upper portion of the chamber through a small aperture
cut in the door. The down-rushing flame and gases from the distilla-
tion, being sucked in by the draft of the chimney, are compelled to pass
through the burning coke, and in that passage the smoke is consumed
before entering the fire tubes. The coal thus decomposed is turned
. into coke, which falls into a, when the upper chamber b, c, is charged
with a fresh supply of coal. To clean the entrance of the fire tubes,
and plug them in when there is a leaking, 'a sliding door P¹, has been
set into the partition opposite to the door P.
IMPROVEMENTS OF THE MECHANISM.
The working part of the engine is composed of four similar cast-iron
cylinders, two of them being of one piece, or set fast together, so as to have
their axes in parallel lines. These coupled cylinders are fixed on the
side frames of the carriage, on both sides of the smoke box. Each set
is formed of a steam cylinder V, and an air cylinder S, Fig. 1. The
rod D, of the piston driven by steam is united by an iron arm F, with
the rod E, of the piston S. E, E, is in the same time the plunger of
the feed pump, the steady barrel N, N, of which is subservient, instead
of guiding pieces, for the parallel line of the piston rods.
The steam chests are placed within the smoke box, Fig. 2 and 3;
the slides of each couple run simultaneously on a plane surface common
to each coupled cylinder.
On this face there are two inlets separated by the outlet aperture.

page_text: The rods H, I, are united by the iron arm K, which obliges the slides
to move together when the rod M, of the eccentric L., drives H, to and
fro (Fig. 2).
Nevertheless, as both the slides must run in contrary directions, the
inlets of the upper cylinder are so disposed that the posterior inlet X',
is in communication with the anterior side of the cylinder, whilst the
anterior inlet Y', is in communication with the atmosphere, by means of
a pipe Y, which is crossing through the lower part of the partition of
the smoke box. The steam chest communicates with the boiler through
the nine Y
инстой
accumulate, would get beyond the limits of the determined resistance
of each boiler, an improved valve is represented by A', B', D', (Fig. 2).
The steam of the boiler communicates through C', with a standing
barrel M', closed at each end by the valves A', B', of different sizes.
These two valves connected, are composed of two brass spherical caps
set on the same rod D', moveable in guiding pieces. The exterior edge
of each cap rests on a ring of vulcanized caoutchouc; each one of these
flat rings is let in a groove made around the aperture of the metallic
bearing of the valve.
The force tending to lift up simultaneously A', and B', is equal to
(A-B',)f; f, being the maximum pressure of the steam; A', and BỊ,
being the areas of both the valves. The latter are kept tight shut up,
the one by a spring r', and the other by the weight of the lever L'.
What may be the size of the valve A', the pressure of which tends
to lift it up, may be balanced by either a spring or weight, compara-
tively very weak if the area of the valve B', is more or less approach-
ing the size of A¹.
When the variable pressure A'-B', f, gets beyond the limit determined
by the bending force of the spring r', or the weight of the lever, both
valves are lifted up at once, to let the steam flow out largely and the
air that is imprisoned within the boiler. The rings of vulcanized
caoutchouc resist the temperature of steam, and render very easy

page_text: the simultaneous tight shutting of both the valves, which was very
difficult when both those valves were to be simultaneously adjusted on
their metallic bearings. This new arrangement presenting two outlets;
more certain and spacious than the only aperture of the common valves,
will always restrain the gradually increasing force inclosed in the boilers,
the ordinary burstings of which it will prevent.
APPARATUS TO PREVENT THE FULMINATORY BURSTINGS.
The fulminatory burstings are all of them caused by most immoderate
heating of a considerable portion of the boiler's surrounding partitions.
In order to prevent that excess of heating, a hole is made through the
top of the fire box, and a like one through the corresponding part of the
boiler's shell. Both holes are stopped up by the tubo N', the one by the
shoulder of the tube, the other by the flange of the stopping cock R',
which is screwed up at the upper part of the tube, the cock shutting up
the upper hole of the tube, the lower aperture of which is closely stopped
up by a bullet of fusible metal. The tube N', is in communication
with the boiler's steam by means of the stopping cock P", capable of
intercepting that communication. Let us suppose that, from some cause
or another, the heating partition reaches the maximum heat which is the
melting point of the metallic plug or bullet inclosed within the tube;
the former melts away, and the steam of the boiler, rushing downwards
on the burning fuel, puts it out or abates its intenseness, whilst it forces
out the atmospheric air necessary for the combustion, which, being no
longer capable of generating the steam the engine is spending away,
the temperature of the boiler quickly decreases.
When the steam guage shows the normal pressure, the driver must
stop the flowing of the steam into the fire. To do this, a little recess
or hollow place has been made into the key of the cock R'; it does
not cross through it: in this recess (the opening of which is in com-
munication with the external air) another fusible bullet has been
previously placed. As soon as the driver turns the key half round, the
bullet falls into the tube N', and the shoot of steam which is rushing
on forces it against the lower contracted aperture, where it is forcibly
moulded perfectly tight.

page_text: METALLIC WATER GUAGE.
The fulminating burstings are nearly always caused by a considerable
and lasting lowering of the level of the water. It is important to furnish
the boiler with a water guage of another kind, besides the common one,
(Fig. 3, bis,) the glass tube m, n, of which can be easily bruised.
Our metallic water guage is represented Fig. 4, where the external
face C, D, of the fire box is represented. A hole e, f, has been cut
through it, corresponding to the middle level m, n, of the water; this
hole is stopped up by the bolted settlering B, A, of a stopping cock:
the key a, b, of this cock, set in an horizontal position, is pierced
through lengthwise, and it is embodied with a square bent tube, so as
to form a channel a, b, c: the outer end of this channel is stopped up by
a little cock r, whilst the inner end dips in the water or steam.
By turning round the key a, b, c, with the handle d, the aperture c,
is lifted up its position inside of the boiler is shown by the corresponding
position of the hand g, travelling round, and the line of the water level
n, n, on the outer face of the boiler between its two confining lines
X, X, Y, Y. When the driver of the engine turns open the stopping
cock, then either water or steam will shoot out, according as the aperture
c, is dipping into water or steam.
The moveable position of the lower aperture c, shown out by the hand
g, will advantageously replace all the water-guage cocks set on metallic
tubes in correspondence with the glass one.