Improved Manner of and Means for Obtaining Motive Power.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Mar., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 7th Dec., 1894-Accepted, 2nd Mar.. 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Manner of and Means for Obtaining Motive Power.
1, RIDLEY JAMES URQUHART of 57 Barton Arcade Manchester in the County
of Lancaster, Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to utilize as a motive power the expansive force
of liquids when subjected to heat below their boiling points.
In order to utilize that force, water, alcohol, ether, mercury or other suitable
liquid is made to flow into a vessel or vessels having a sufficient heating surface,
and having inlet and outlet valves, the said vessel or vessels being surrounded by a
jacket into which steam, hot water, or oil may circulate or the vessel or vessels
may be subjected to the direct or indirect heat of a fire or flame or other
heating agent. The advantage of oil is that a high temperature is obtained without
pressure.
Water, alcohol or whatever liquid is employed enters the vessel or vessels by
the inlet valve and when filled the outlet and inlet valves are closed, the liquid
coming in contact with the heated surface of the vessel rises in temperature and
consequently expands. A tube leads the expanding liquid to a cylinder with piston
or to a vessel closed by a diaphragm and produces motion which may be employed
for any purpose.
The expanding chambers may be of a solid casting or it may be formed of tubes
communicating with one chamber.
The expansion chambers may be of various forms provided the essential features.
as described above are preserved. Preferably two expansion chambers are used;
during the expansion in one chamber the inlet valves of the other are open and
allow it to be filled, at the end of the stroke of the piston the valves of the second
chamber are closed the liquid again expands and the same cycle commences.
valves are actuated by suitable levers connected to the piston rod or other suitable
moving parts.
The
The valve or clapet motion may consist of a single sliding bar which is connected
with the valves of both sides and has a backward and forward movement and shuts
in one movement one valve and opens the other, the reverse movement doing the
same. This sliding bar is actuated by the oscilating movement of a forked beam.
The beam is actuated by two sliding tappet rods, these sliding rods receive
independent movements one wheu released from the piston rod or other actuating
bar draws the fork forward the other sliding bar when released draws it backwards.
at the end of each stroke.
The water which is compressed in the cylinder after acting on the water
motor may be again returned to the heater and thus form a continuous circulation.
The expansion chamber may be heated by exhaust steam and the water after
being heated in the expansion chamber may be used to supply heated water for
injection into steam boiler or other desired use.
When alcohol, ether, mercury or similar liquids are used these liquids after
passing through and being heated in the expansion chamber are passed through, a
series of tubes or other suitable receptacles surrounded by a suitable cooling medium
afterwards to be again returned and go through the same cycle; the same means
can also be adopted for water. The motor thus or suitably constructed may be
used for various purposes.
The cylinder could be used also as an air compressor or

page_text: again the piston may be single or double-acting to act directly on a crank to give
suitable motion.
Dated this 6th day of March 1894.
R. J. URQUHART,
57, Barton Arcade, Manchester, and 5, Clayton Square, Liverpool,
Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Manner of and Means for Obtaining Motive Power.
I RIDLEY JAMES URQUIART of 57 Barton Arcade, Manchester in the County
of Lancaster, Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention, which has been communicated to me by Dr. David Browne
and Juan Bantista Steinfort both of 4 Rue de Hornes, Brussels, Belgium, and the
manner in which the same is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
The object of this invention is to utilize as a motive power the expansive force
of liquids when subjected to heat below the boiling point.
In order to utilize that force, water, alcohol, ether, mercury or other suitable
liquid is made to flow into a vessel or vessels having a sufficient heating surface and
inlet and outlet valves, the said vessel or vessels being surrounded by a jacket or
jackets or provided with equivalent appliances in which steam, hot water or oil may
circulate, or the vessel or vessels may be subjected to the direct or indirect heat
of a fire or flame or other heating agent. Preferably we use heated oil for heating
the liquid in the vessel as it has the advantage that a high temperature can be
obtained without pressure.
The water, alcohol or other liquid employed is let into the vessel or vessels
through the inlet valve and when the vessel or vessels are filled, the inlet and outlet
valves are closed. The liquid coming into contact with the heated surface of
the vessel rises in temperature and consequently expands. The expanding liquid
is caused to act upon a piston contained in a cylinder communicating with the
heating vessel, or upon a diaphragm stretched over a vessel in communication with
the heating chamber, and produces a motion of the piston or diaphragm, which may
be utilised for any suitable purpose.
The heating vessels or chambers may consist of a simple solid vessel, or may be
formed of tubes communicating with the vessel or chamber; or may be of other
form or construction provided the essential features as described are preserved.
On the Sheet of drawings appended hereunto the application to a press of the
herein before described method of producing motion or motive power is shewn as one
of the various applications of said method; Fig. 1 shewing a section and Fig. 2
a side view of the apparatus.
The press is constructed as follows:-
The beating chamber A is supported on a stand a and provided with an inlet
pipe with cock or valve a¹ and outlet pipe with valve or cock a² for filling and
emptying the chamber A. At the side thereof is an oil cistern B which may be
fitted with a safety valve and is connected through the tee pipe b to a coiled pipe B
and a pipe 2 screwed into the side of chamber A, the pipe being joined to a
coil B inside the chamber, which at the bottom end is connected to the coil B'.
When the latter is heated, say by a gas jet under the same, the hot oil will ascend
the coil B and pass down the coil B2 and thus circulate through the coils. The
upper part of the chamber A is connected to or formed with a cylinder A' in which
a piston c attached to the press plate C can move. The piston is formed with a
tube O having an outlet O' through the press plate C and containing a small
inverted valve, for the purpose of allowing air to escape while the chamber A is
filled, and to enter the chamber when it is emptied. The cylindrical part A¹ has

page_text: ears A formed thereon carrying the transverse bar E in which the screw spindle &
carrying the press plate D can be adjusted.
When the chamber A has been filled through the cock a¹ the latter is closed;
the liquid in A. becomes heated by contact with the coil B2 and expands, thereby
closes the valve in the piston and forces the latter upwards and compresses the
articles placed between the press plates C and D. The cock a² being then opened
the liquid is run out of the chamber A, after which the cock a² is closed and the
chamber refilled and the action repeated.
Obviously the cylinder A' may be made separate from the heating chamber A
and be closed at the bottom end and communicate with the chamber through a pipe,
the cylinder being provided with a valve or valves for letting the liquid into the
same from the chamber, and allowing it to flow out after it has been used for pressing,
and the chamber A being fitted with an air valve.
By making a cylinder of small area compared with the capacity of the chamber A,
a longer stroke of the piston under great pressure is obtainable, which can be
utilized for any suitable purpose, such as forcing liquids, compressing gases etc.,
where great pressure is required. By arranging two heating vessels or chambers
connected at opposite ends to a cylinder containing a piston, a double acting
engine will be obtained. The in and outlet valves of the chambers and the cylinder
in these cases are preferably operated by means of any suitable mechanism similar
to that ordinarily used in direct acting pumping or water pressure engines with
tappet valve motions.
On Sheet 2 of the drawings a double acting motor arranged in this manner is
shewn in partly sectioned elevation. Two chambers 2 are mounted at opposite
ends on a baseplate and fitted with inlets 3 and outlets 4 for the steam, hot oil or
other beating fluid. Inside each chamber 2 a gridiron shaped hollow vessel 1 for
heating the acting liquid is placed which communicates at its lower end through
the inlet pipe 5, back pressure valve 6, pipe 7 and valve box 8 with the inlet
pipe 10, which is in communication with a reservoir 28 at a higher level or a main
under pressure.
At the top the heater 1 has an outlet pipe 13 communicating with the valve
casing 14 above the valve 14" so that when this valve and the slide valve 9 are
moved to open the respective ports, the liquid from the reservoir or under pressure
flows into the heater 1 at the bottom and forces its contents out at the top. The
heater is further in open communication through pipe 11 with one end of a
cylinder 12, containing a piston 15 attached to a piston rod 16, which passes
through the cylinder 17 of a pump, air compressor or other engine. A stud fixed
on the piston rod engages in a slot of the lever 21 oscillating on pivot 19 in
stand 20, the upper end of which lever moves between the flanges of a sliding
bush 25, between which the end of lever 25 fulcrumed at 24 engages. A slot in
the upper arm of lever 25 engages a stud fixed upon the valve rod 18, which
operates the valve 8 directly and has fixed upon it an inclined tappet 27 acting on
the spindle of valve 14ª. The apparatus and mechanism is duplicated at the other
end of the baseplate.
The action of this arrangement is as follows:-The drawing shows the pistons at
the end of their stroke to the left; on the left the heater 1 has been filled with fresh
liquid through inlet 5 and the valves 9 and 14" are closed, while they are open for
the heater on the right. The heating fluid in chamber 2 heats that enclosed in the
left hand heater between the back pressure valve 6, discharge valve 14ª aud
piston 15, and as the liquid in the heater expands in consequence, it forces the
piston to the right, the piston in the right hand cylinder being simultaneously
forced inwards, and that in the pump or other engine 17 making the same movement
and performing work. When the left piston 15 approaches the end of its course,
the lever 21 shifts the bush 25 to the left, and thereby moves through lever 25 the
valve rod 18 to the right. The slide valve 9 in consequence uncovers the port
leading to pipe and the inclined tappet 27 lifts the valve 14ª off its seat, in the
apparatus on the left, so that the pressure in the heater therein is relieved and the

page_text: liquid from the reservoir can expel the heated liquid from the heater and refill it
with fresh liquid. At the same time the cam 27 on the right slides from under the
valve spindle and allows the valve to close, and the slide valve is shifted to close
the port leading to pipe 7. The liquid in the heater on the right is thus enclosed
and by expanding forces the right hand piston to the left. The play of the parts
is then repeated.
Obviously the motion of the piston rod may be used to perform any other suitable
kind of mechanical work than operating the piston of a pump or air compressor 17,
and the mechanism for operating the valves may be replaced by any other suitable
valve mechanism similar to that ordinarily used for operating water pressure or
other engines without rotary motion. The piston rod however may also be connected
by a rod to a crank shaft, and the valves operated from this.
Two heating chambers may be used also in case of single acting engines or
motors, one being filled while in the other the liquid is heated and expands. In
the case of double acting motors, instead of using two cylinders as shewn on
Sheet 2, one cylinder communicating at each end with one of the heaters may be
used, either in open communication therewith, or fitted with separate in- and outlet
valves operated in a similar manner as described herein before with reference to the
heater valves 8 and 14", the latter of which acts simultaneously as outlet valve for
the cylinder in the arrangement shewn on Sheet 2, and as air valve for the
heater.
If water is used as acting liquid, the beated water after being used for acting on
the piston or diaphragm by expansion may be used for feeding steam boilers or for
any other purpose.
When alcohol, ether, mercury or similar liquids are employed, these liquids after
passing through and being heated in the expansion or heating chamber are passed
through tubes or similar receptacles surrounded by a suitable cooling medium an
cooled thereby, to be used afterwards over again in the heating chamber and pass
through the same cycle; the same may be done where water is used.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what mauner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The hereinbefore described method or manner of utilising the expansive force
of a liquid heated in a closed chamber for acting upon a piston or diaphragm and
thus obtaining motive power.
2. The use and arrangement of motors actuated by the expansive force of a
liquid heated in a closed vessel communicating with the cylinder of the motor
and acting upon a piston or diaphragm in said cylinder substantially as hereinbefore
described.
3. The arrrangement of one or two heating chambers provided with inlet, outlet
and air valves and communicating with one or both ends of a cylinder or cylinders
containing a piston or pistons and provided with inlet and outlet ports with or
without valves, and mechanism for operating the valves so as to produce a
reciprocating motion of the piston or pistons by the expansion of liquid contained
in the beating chamber or chambers substantially as hereinbefore described with
reference to Sheet 2 of the drawings.
4. The arrangement or construction of a press actuated by the expansive force
produced by heating a liquid in a closed chamber substantially as herein before
described and illustrated by Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings.
Dated this 6th dow of Dasamban 1001
R. J. URQUHART,
57, Barton Arcade, Manchester, and 5, Clayton Square, Liverpool,
Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent.