IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR OBTAINING FRESH WATER FROM SALT WATER
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Douglas Hebson, of Liverpool, in the County of
Lancaster, Engineer, and William Grandage Ramsden, of the same Place,
Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR OBTAINING
FRESH WATER FROM SALT WATER."
Sealed the 5th September 1861, and dated the 13th March 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Douglas Hebson and
William Grandage Ramsden at the Office of the Commissioners of
Patents, with their Petition, on the 13th March 1861.
We, DOUGLAS HEBSON, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer,
and WILLIAM GRANDAGE RAMSDEN, of the same Place, Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR
OBTAINING FRESH WATER FROM SALT WATER," to be as follows (that is to
say):
This Invention, which is chiefly applicable for obtaining a supply of fresh
water from salt or sea water on board steam ships, consists of a vessel of
cylindrical or other suitable form for containing the salt water to be evapo-
rated; a steam pipe or pipes being attached thereto, so that steam from the
boilers may be admitted into the salt water contained therein, either directly
or after first passing through a coil or other arrangement of pipes, which is in

page_text: some cases proposed to be placed in the said vessel, which salt water will
thereby be heated and evaporated into steam; the said vessel being also
provided with an exit pipe leading from the upper part thereof, by which the
steam evaporated may be conveyed to a worm or other arrangement of pipes
immersed in cold water, and thereby be condensed in the usual manner; but
in the case of steam ships having engines fitted with surface condensers, which
require an apparatus to make up the loss of water arising from leakages in
working the engines, it is proposed to connect the said exit pipe from the
evaporating vessel directly to these condensers, by which means a partial
vacuum will be maintained in the said vessel, and the water contained therein
will consequently pass into vapour more rapidly, and of a much lower tempe-
rature than the ordinary boiling point of water, and will thus require a less
supply of steam to be drawn from the boilers. To increase the economic
effect the pipe or pipes conveying steam from the boilers may be passed
through the furnaces or uptake so as to superheat the steam before dis-
charging it into the salt water which is to be evaporated. It is also proposed
to surround the evaporating vessel with 'a steam jacket, or a covering of felt or
other non-conducting material, so as to prevent loss of heat by radiation. In
cases where a donkey engine is in use on board the ship the exhaust steam
*from it may also be admitted into the evaporating vessel in the same manner
as in the case of the steam admitted from the boilers. Suitable cocks and
pipes are proposed to be fitted for the purpose of regulating the supply of
steam and water to the evaporating vessel, and also for blowing off the brine
which accumulates in working the apparatus.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Douglas Hebson and William Grandage Ramsden in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 13th September 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, DOUGLAS
HEBSON, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer, and WILLIAM
GRANDAGE RAMSDEN, of the same Place, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fourth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the
said Douglas Hebson and William Grandage Ramsden, Her special licence

page_text: that we, the said Douglas Hebson and William Grandage Ramsden, our
executors, administrators, and assigns; or such others as we, the said Douglas
Hebson and William Grandage Ramsden, our executors, administrators, and
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and
at all times thereafter 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
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR OBTAINING FRESH WATER FROM SALT WATER,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the, said Douglas Hebson and
William Grandage Ramsden, our executors or administrators, by an instru;
ment in writing under our, or their, or one of their hands and, seals, 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 we, the said Douglas Hebson and William Grandage
Ramsden, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement (that is to say):-
This our said Invention is chiefly applicable for obtaining a supply of fresh
water from salt or sea water on board steam ships, consists of a vessel of
cylindrical or other. suitable form for containing the salt water to be evapo-
rated. A steam pipe or pipes is attached thereto, so that steam from the
boilers may be admitted into the salt water contained therein, either directly
or after first passing through a coil or other arrangement of pipes or tubes,
which in some cases we proposed to place in the said vessel. (By this means
the salt water will be heated and evaporated into steam.) The said vessel we
also provide with an exit pipe leading from the upper part thereof, by which
the steam evaporated may be conveyed to a worm or other arrangement of
pipes immersed in cold water, and thereby condensed in the usual manner;
but in the case of steam ships having engines fitted with surface condensers,
the said exit pipe from the evaporating vessel may be connected directly to
these condensers,, by which means a partial vacuum, will be maintained in the
said evaporating vessel, and the water contained therein will consequently
pass into vapour more rapidly, and with a much lower temperature than the
ordinary boiling point of water under the pressure of the atmosphere, and will
thus require, a less supply of steam to be drawn.from the boilers. To increase
the economic effect the pipe, or pipes conveying steam from the boilers may

page_text: be passed through the furnaces or uptake so as to superheat the steam before
discharging it into the salt water which is to be evaporated. We also proposed
to surround the evaporating vessel with a steam jacket, or a covering of felt or
other non-conducting material, so as to prevent loss of heat by radiation. In
cases where a donkey engine is in use on board the ship the exhaust steam
from it may also be admitted into the evaporating vessel in the same manner
as in the case of the steam admitted from the boilers. We fit suitable cocks
and pipes for the purpose of regulating the supply of steam and water to the
evaporating vessel, and also for blowing off the brine which accumulates in
working the apparatus.
That this our said Invention may be the more readily seen and understood
we have hereunto annexed Drawings in partial illustration, shewing two
modifications of the practical application of the Invention, like letters and
figures marked thereon having reference to similar parts.
Figure 1 is a vertical sectional elevation of one modification of our improved
apparatus shown constructed with an internal cylinder (C) to cause a circu-
lation in the water to be evaporated; Figure 2 is a vertical sectional elevation
of another modification of the apparatus shewn constructed with a coil of pipe
for passing the steam through, the steam escaping into the water through the
rose (F); Figure 3 is a top view or plan of the circular perforated pipe used
in the modification, shewn at Figure 1, for injecting the the steam into the
water. We may remark, that in some cases it will be found of advantage to
use both the worm pipe and cylinder in one vessel.
A, an inclosed dome-ended cylindrical vessel; B, lagging on the outside of
cylindrical vessel to prevent loss of heat by radiation; C (Figure 1) is an
internal cylinder open at both ends to cause a circulation in the water to be
evaporated; D, water feed pipe; E, inlet steam pipe; F (Figure 2) a per-
forated rose head, through which the steam enters the water; G (Figure 1)
a circular pipe, which is perforated to allow the steam to be injected into the
water;. H, outlet pipe, which conveys the steam to a condenser of any con-
venient form; I, a dome-shaped plate to prevent priming; K, blow-off' 'cock;
L, water guage.
Having now fully described and ascertained the nature of our Invention,
and how we believe the same may be best carried into practical effect, we wish
it to be understood that we do not confine ourselves to the precise details,
relative proportions, form, or dimensions, as it will be readily seen that the
same may be considerably varied without departing from the Invention, but
what we claim is, the construction and use of an evaporating vessel or appa-

page_text: ratus, substantially as herein-before described and set forth, or any mere
modification of the same, in which the steam used for the purpose of heating
is blown into the salt water to be evaporated.
In witness whereof, we, the said Douglas Hebson and William Grandage
Ramsden, have hereunto set our hands and affixed our seals, this
Twelfth day of September, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-one.
0 Witness,
WILLIAM WALKER,
of 44, Castle Street,
Liverpool.
DOUGLAS (L.S.) HEBSON.
W*. G.
(L.S.) RAMSDEN.