IMPROVEMENTS IN STRAY ENGINES AND D AND DOHLERS
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Martin Rowan and Thomas Rogers Horton,
both of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, Engineers,
for the invention "IMPROVEMENTS IN STRAY ENGINES AND D
AND DOHLERS"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Martin Rowan
and Thomas Rogers Horton at the Office of the Commissioners of
Patents, with his Petition, on the 11th November 1869.
We, JOHN MARTIN ROWAN and THOMAS ROERS HORTON, both of
Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, Engineers, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM
ENGINES AND BOILERS," to be as follows:--
This Invention bas for its object the combining of economy of fue
used in obtaining motive power by means of steam of high pressure
along with reduced cost of the apparatus, durability, non-liability to
derangement, and facilities for unavoidable repairs.
רם

page_text: The engines are of the compound type, and in one modification of the
class in which the steam having first operated in one cylinder is
simultaneously expanded in two other cylinders.
One improvement consists in leading passages from ports placed near
together at the middle of the high-pressure valve face to the opposite
ends of the high-pressure cylinder, the passages crossing each other,
and in forming in the same valve face and outside of the ports already
referred to ports or openings leading directly into valve chambers
formed between the high-pressure valve face and the cylinders, and
containing ports leading to the ends of the low-pressure cylinders and
ports leading to the exhaust. The valve in the high-pressure steam
chest admits the steam through a single central passage and may have
a cut-off valve applied to the back of it, whilst at the sides the valve is
formed with cavities covering the openings into the inner or low-pressure
chambers. There are plain slide valves in the inuer chambers which may
be both worked by the same rod or rods. With this arrangement the
passages between the low-pressure valves and the low-pressure cylinder
are made very short, which conduces to economy of steam, whilst the
consequent lengthening of the passages to the high-pressure cylinder
does not matter, as the steam in them has still to work in the low-pressure
cylinder before passing to the condenser. The high-pressure valve may
be made with crossing passages instead of the cylinder passages being
crossed. Spaces are formed in the casting between the various steam
and exhaust passages, and in the valves and low-pressure pistons, and
are filled with coke dust or other suitable non-conductor of heat to
prevent the transfer of heat from the hotter to the colder steam.
A second improvement in the engines relates to the class of compound
engine in which two high-pressure cylinders are annexed to opposite
ends of a low-pressure cylinder. The three pistons are on one rod, which
is made tubular for the free transfer of high-pressure steam from the
outside of one small piston to the outside of the other. The small
cylinders are single acting, the steam after acting on the inner side of
each small piston being transferred by valves through short passages
directly into the large low-pressure cylinder. The port faces of the
passages may be across the ends or parallel with the side of the large
cylinder.
A third improvement in the engines relates to the arrangements for
the si surface" class with

page_text: vertical tubes, into which the steam passes, the casings being made in
a rectangular or any other convenient form in a horizontal section. The
apparatus is made in two divisions, the smaller one through which the
exhaust steam first passes serving also as a feed water heater, the tubes
of it being surrounded by the water due to the condensation of the
steam itself, and which is transferred from the larger division by the
action of the air pump. The cold water for effecting the condensation
is made to enter the casing of the larger division at the bottom, and it
is made to cross the tubes in alternate directions as it goes upwards by
horizontal plates bored for the tubes to pass through, and fixed so as to
direct the currents in the desired way. Similar plates are fixed in the
smaller or feed heater division to cause the feed water to cross backwards
and forwards on its way from the bottom to the top, whence it passes
to the feed pumps.
A pipe and nozzle for a steam jet is fixed in the cold
water outlet to be used for inducing the requisite current in the event
of the circulating pumps being out of order. In some cases the feed
heater division of the condenser may be dispensed with.
The improved boilers are designed for generating steam of a high pressure,
and whilst extremely simple in construction and durable may be casily
repaired. The improvements may be carried out under a great variety
of modifications, and the boiler may be of any convenient general form
or external contour.
In one set of modifications a series of vertical tubes with the water
inside of them are fixed into upper and lower horizontal cylinders which
they connect, and upon the upper ones of which the steam chests are
fixed. The ends of the tubes are bent or curved so as to enter the
cylinders in centripetal directions.
In one modification there are two cylinders at the bottom, the tubes.
from which extend upwards and are fixed into the sides of a single
cylinder above, whilst the bottom of the latter is connected by tubes to
what may be termed an intermediate cylinder. The fire-grate is placed
across between the two bottom cylinders, and the fire-space extends
therefrom up to the intermediate cylinder. Inside the intermediate
cylinder and in any cases where a cylinder is placed directly over the fire
there is placed a seginental shell within a short distance of the bottom
to prevent the formation of non-conducting deposits on the bottom and
10 promote circulation. At the front and back and at intermediate points
larger vertical tubes or cylinders are made to connect the upper, inter

page_text: mediate, and lower horizontal cylinders, and in these there may be fixed
smaller open ended tubes or divisions to promote circulation.
In some
cases vertical cylinders may be substituted for some of the smaller tubes.
As examples of the various ways in which the parts may be arranged
it may be stated that in a second plan there are two or more intermediate
cylinders connected to a like number of upper cylinders between the two
series of tubes from two lower cylinders. In a third plan two fire spaces
are arranged between the vertical tubes rising from three lower cylinders,
there being one or more intermediate cylinders in each space.
fourth plan the tubes from each lower cylinder are connected to a
separate upper cylinder, one or more upper cylinders being added
between to be connected to as many intermediate cylinders. Square
or polygonal chambers or shells may be substituted for the cylinders.
In a
In another set of modifications each boiler is built up of a series of
hollow rectangular frames crossed by vertical tubes. These frames of
tubes are arranged in various ways to form interual fire spaces, the side
walls of which consist of the vertical members of the frames, whilst the
roofs are formed by the bottoms of hollow frame shells constituting
either the bottoms, tops, or intermediate members of the frames. In
some cases the vertical sides or members of the frame extend only up to
or down to intermediate horizontal members, whilst vertical tubes extend
across the remainder of the space to separate horizontal shells at the top
or bottom. Open end tubes are put inside the vertical members of the
hollow frames to promote circulation. An important feature of the present
improvements consists in the manner of connecting the frames together
so that a faulty one may be easily removed or replaced at any time
without taking down the entire boiler. Circular pockets are formed at
the bottom corners of each frame, and at one or more intermediate
points if wished, and these pockets have broad rings rivetted to them
which are faced and grooved to receive rings of copper with interposed
rings of iron, whereby tight joints are obtained. When a series of frames
are placed together the pockets all meet, and together form a continuous
cylindrical body, through which strong bolt rods are passed to bind the
series together. The bolt heads and nuts bear upon the outsides of open
end rings or frames, and are covered by doors bolted on.
connected together at the top in a similar way but
only one set of the joint pockets along the middle. In some cases the
tubes in the hollow frames are bent outwards from their points of
The frames are
with in general

page_text: attachment to the frames so as to be more separated at their middle
parts.
The various modifications of boilers herein-before described are suitable
for marine purposes, and in them the fire gases may be led from the fire
spaces in a great variety of ways, slabs of fire clay or iron being placed
so as to direct the gases across or up and down in the desired courses.
In one modification of the boilers suitable for land purposes sets of
two or more lower horizontal cylinders or chambers connected by tubes
to a like number of upper cylinders or chambers are arranged over a fire
in a rectangular brick building, and the fire gases pass longitudinally
under the lower cylinders, return through amongst the tubes, and
finally pass back again through flues in the walls. In another modifi
cation the pairs of cylinders or chambers connected by tubes are dis-
posed across one or more furnaces, and the fire gases after crossing
under the lower cylinders return through amongst the lower parts
of the tubes, and then pass back again through amongst the upper
parts of the tubes. The fire gases may however in both modifica-
tions be made to take any desired course by placing suitable stops or
deflecting slabs or plates between the tubes.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Martin Rowan and Thomas Rogers Horton
in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 10th May 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JOHN
MARTIN ROWAN and TЛомAS ROGERS HORTON, both of Glasgow, in
the County of Lanark, North Britain. Engineers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters l'atent, bearing date the Eleventh day of November, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the
thirty-third year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto us, the said John Martin Rowan and
Thomas Rogers Horton, Her special license that we, the said John
Martin Rowan and Thomas Rogers Horton, our executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as we, the said John Martin Rowan and
Thomas Rogers Horton, our executors, administrators, and assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and

page_text: 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 the Isle of Man,
an Invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN STEA MENGINES AND BOILERS," upon the
condition (amongst others) that we, the said John Martin Rowan and
Thomas Rogers Horton, 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 Inven-
tion, 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 John Martin Rowan and Thomas
Rogers Horton, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement in writing, reference
being had to the accompanying Drawings, that is to say -
Our said Invention has for its object the combining of economy of
fuel used in braining motive power by means of steam of high pressure
along with reduced cost of the apparatus, durability, non-liability to
derangement, and facilities for unavoidable repairs.
And in order that our said Invention and the manner of performing
we have hereunto appended
the same may be properly understood
eight Sheets of explanatory Drawings to be herein after referred to and
representing various examples of the application of our improvements.
Our improved engines are of the compound type, and one modification
is shown on Sheet 1 of the accompanying Drawings to the extent we consider
necessary for elucidating the portion of our improvements applied
thereto.
Figures 1, 2, and 3 are transverse sections; Figure 4 is a longitudinal
section; Figu es 5, 7, and 8 are longitudinal sections at right angles to
Figure 4; and Figure 6 is a face view of the high-pressure port face and
other parts seen when the high-pressure valve casing is removed. The
several Figures be ir designations referring to lines showing the positions
of the sections on other Figures, so that the various Figures may be com-
pared and the configuration of the various parts be easily comprehended.
In the engine represented in these Figures, the steam having first
operated in one cylinder 1 is simultaneously expanded in two other
cylinders 2. 3.

page_text: One improvement consists in leading passages 4, 5, from ports 4, 5,
placed near together at the middle of the high-pressure valve face 6 to
the opposite ends of the high-pressure cylinder 1, these passages crossing
cach other, and in forming in the same valve face 6 and outside of the
ports 4, 5, already referred to ports or openings 7, S, leading directly
into valve chambers 9, 10, formed between the high-pressure valve
face 6 and the cylinders 1, 2, 3, and containing ports 11, 12, leading to
the ends of the low-pressure cylinders 2, 3, and ports 13 leading to the
exhaust. The valve 14 in the high-pressure steam chest 15 is shaped to
admit the steam through a single central passage 16 and may have a
cut-off valve 17 applied to the back of it, whilst at the ends the valve
is formed with cavities 18, 19, covering the openings 7, 8, into the inner
or low-pressure chambers 9, 10. There are plain slide valves 20, 21, in
the inner chambers 9, 10, which may be both worked by the same rod
or rods 22. With this arrangement the passages 11, 12, between the
low-pressure valves 20, 21, and the low-pressure cylinders, 2, 3, are made
very short, which conduces to economy of steam, whilst the consequent
lengthening of the passages 4, 5, to the high-pressure cylinder does
not matter, as the steam in them has still to work in the low-pressure
cylinders, before passing to the condenser. The high-pressure valve 14
may be made with crossing passages instead of the cylinder passages 4, 5,
being crossed. Spaces are formed in the castings between the various
steam and exhaust passages and in the valves and low-pressure pistons,
and are filled with coke dust or other suitable non-conductor of heat to
prevent the transfer of heat from the hotter to the colder steam. The
spaces so filled are indicated in the Drawings by spottings.
Another portion of our improvements in engines relates to the class of
compound engine in which two high-pressure cylinders 1, 1, are annexed
to opposite ends of a single low-pressure cylinder 2, as shown in Figures 9
to 14 ou Sheet 2 of the Drawings. These Figures are longitudinal
sections of the cylinders, passages, and valves as on planes indicated on
the Figures themselves. The three pistons 23, 24, 25, are fixed on one
rod 26, which in some modifications, Figures 9, 10, 13, 14, is made
tubular for the free transfer of high-pressure steam from the outside of
one small piston 23 to the outside of the other 25. The steam is
supplied to the outer end of one of the small cylinders by a passage 27
from the high-pressure valve chest 15, and in some cases a similar
passage 28, Figure 11, may communicate between the outer end of the

page_text: other small cylinder and the high-pressure steam chest, the piston rod 26
in such cases not requiring to be tubular. The sinall cylinders 1, 1,
are each single acting, the steam after acting on the inner side of each
small piston 23, 25, being transferred by valves 21 through short passages
directly into the large low-pressure cylinder 2. The port faces of the
passages may be parallel with the side of the large cylinder, as shown
in Figures 9 and 11, or they may be disposed diagonally across the ends
of the large cylinder, as shown in Figures 13 and 14, and further
explained by Figure 15. The arrangement of the various valves and
passages will be easily understood from the Drawings, to facilitate which
the parts are marked with the same referenco numerals as the corres-
ponding parts in Figure 4 herein-before fully described.
A third portion of our improvements in steam engines relates to the
arrangements for condensing the steam, and is shown upon Sheets 3, 4,
and 5 of the Drawings. Figures 16 to 21 show one modification;
Figures 22 to 25, a second; and Figures 26 to 29, a third; and the
several Figures bear designations indicating what part each represents.
Our improved condenser is of the "surface" class with vertical tubes
into which the steam passes, the casings being made in a rectangular
or any other convenient form of horizontal section.
In the modification shown in Figures 16 to 21 the apparatus is made
in two divisions 31, 32, the smaller one 31 through which the exhaust
steam first passes serving also as a feed water heater, the tubes of it
being surrounded by the water due to the condensation of the steam
itself, and which is transferred from the larger division 32 by the action of
the air pump.
The arrangement and offices of the various compartments
and passages will be easily understood from the Drawings, as descriptive
notes are put on various parts, and the directions of the currents are
indicated by arrows. The cold water for effecting the condensation is
made to enter the casing of the larger division 32 by an inlet 33 at the
bottom, and it is made to cross the tubes in alternate directions as it goes
upwards by horizontal plates 34 bored for the tubes to pass through and
fixed so as to direct the currents in the desired way. Similar plates 35
are fixed in the smaller or feed heater division 31 to cause the feed water
to cross backwards and forwards on its way from the bottom to the top,
whence it passes to the hot well and feed pumps. A pipe and nozzle 36
for a steam jet is fixed in the cold water outlet to be used for inducing

page_text: the requisite current of cold water through the larger division 32 of the
condenser in the event of the circulating pumps being out of order.
In some cases the feed heater division 31 of the condenser may be
dispensed with, as shown in the modifications represented upon Sheet 5
of the Drawings. The Figures on this Sheet show two of the various
ways in which we arrange the plates 34 for causing the cold water to
cross and recross the tubes, and they also show the form in which we
prefer to make the inlets and outlets for the cold water when the con-
denser casing is cylindrical.
Our improved boilers are shown upon Sheets 2, 6, 7, and 8 of the
Drawings; they are designed for generating steam of high pressure, and
whilst extremely simple in construction and durable may be easily
repaired.
Our improvements may be carried out under a great variety of modi-
fications, and the boiler may be of any convenient general form or
external contour.
In one set of modifications shown in Figures 30 to 48 and 57 to 74, a
series of vertical tubes with the water inside of them are fixed into upper
and lower horizontal cylinders 41, 42, which they connect, and upon the
upper ones of which the steam chests 43 are fixed. The ends of the tubes
are bent or curved so as to enter the cylinders in centripetal directions or
normally to the surface.
In one modification, Figures 30, 31, 32, 35, 36, 57, there are two
cylinders 42 at the bottom, the tubes from which extend upwards, and
are fixed into the sides of a single cylinder 41 above, whilst the bottom of
the latter is connected by tubes to what may be termed an intermediate
horizontal cylinder 44. The fire-grate is to be placed across between
the two bottom cylinders 42, and the fire space extends therefrom up to
the intermediate cylinder 44. Inside the intermediate cylinder 44, and
in any cases where a horizontal cylinder is placed directly over the fire,
there is placed a segmental shell within a short distance of the bottom to
prevent the formation of non-conducting deposits on the bottom and
to promote circulation.
At the front and back and in some cases at in-
termediate points larger vertical tubes or cylinders 45 are made to
connect the upper, intermediate, and lower horizontal cylinders 41, 44,
42, and in these there may be fixed smaller open-ended tubes or partition
strips to promote circulation. In some cases vertical cylinders 46 may
be substituted for some of the smaller tubes, as shown in Figure 38.

page_text: As examples of the various ways in which the parts may be arranged
we may state that in a second plan there are two or more intermediate
cylinders 44 connected to a like number of upper cylinders 41 between
the two series of tubes from two lower cylinders, as shown in Figures
39, 40, 45, 60, 61, 62, and 70 to 74.
In a third plan two fire spaces are arranged between the vertical tubes
rising fiom three lower cylinders 42, there being one or more inter-
mediate cylinders 44 in each space, as shown in Figures 41, 42, 43, 44,
46, 47, 48, 58, 59, and 66 to 69.
In a fourth plan the tubes from each lower cylinder 42 are connected
to a separate upper cylinder 41, one or more upper cylinders 41 being
added between to be connected to as many intermediate cylinders 44,
as shown in Figures 43, 44, 47, and 48. Square or polygonal shells
or chambers may be substituted for the horizontal cylinders 41, 42, 44,
as shown in Figures 85 to 90 on Sheet 2 of the Drawings.
In another set of modifications of which examples are shown in
Figures 49 to 56 on Sheet 6 of the drawings, each boiler is built up of a
series of hollow rectangular frames 47 crossed by vertical tubes. These
frames of tubes are arranged in various ways to form internal fire spaces,
the side walls of which consist of the vertical members of the frames,
whilst the roofs are formed by the bottoms of hollow frame shells 48
constituting either the bottoms, tops, or intermediate horizontal members
of the frames. In some cases the vertical sides or members of the frames
extend only up to or down to the intermediate horizontal member,
whilst vertical tubes extend across the remainder of the space to separate
horizontal shells at the top or bottom. Open ended tubes are put inside
the vertical members of the hollow frames to promote circulation. An
important feature of this portion of our present improvements consists in
the manner of connecting the frames 47 together so that a faulty one
may be easily removed or replaced at any time without taking down the
entire boiler. Circular pockets 49, shown on an enlarged scale in
Figures 53 to 56, are formed at the bottom corners of each frame, and at
one or more intermediate points if wished, and these pockets have broad
rings 50 rivetted to them, which are faced and grooved to receive rings of
copper (coloured red) with interposed rings of iron, whereby tight joints
are obtained. When a series of frames 47 are placed together the
pockets 49 all meet and together form a continuous cylindrical body,
through which strong bolt rods 51 are passed to bind the series together.

page_text: The bolt heads and nuts bear on the outsides of open end rings or
frames 52 and are covered by doors 53 bolted on. The frames 47 are con-
nected together at the top in a similar way, but with in general only one
set of the joint pockets 49 along the middle. In some cases the tubes
in the hollow frames 47 may be bent outwards from their points of
attachment to the frames, so as to be more separated at their middle
parts, as shown in Figures 88 and 89 on Sheet 2 of the Drawings.
The various modifications of boilers herein-before described are suitable
for marine purposes, and in them the fire gases may be led from the fire
spaces in a great variety of ways, slabs of fire-clay or iron plates being
placed so as to direct the gases across or up and down in the desired
courses. The Figures on Sheet 6 of the accompanying Drawings
illustrate various modes in which the parts of boilers or of sections of
boilers may be combined according to our Invention, whilst the Figures
on Sheets 7 and 8 represent in a more complete manner boilers em-
bodying some of the combinations which we consider preferable, and in
these last are shown plates and partitions for dividing off the various
passages for the fire gases, whilst arrows indicate the directions which
those gases will take. The manner of fixing in the division plates
between the tubes is shown on an enlarged scale in Figures 63, 64, and 65
on Sheet 7 of the Drawings.
Certain modifications of our boilers suitable for land purposes are
shown in section in Figures 75 to 82 on Sheet 2 of the accompanying
Drawings, and in some of these sets of two or more lower horizontal
cylinders or chambers 42 each connected by tubes to an upper chamber 41
(as shown on an enlarged scale in Figure 84) are arranged over a fire in
a rectangular brick building, and the fire gases pass longitudinally under
the lower cylinders 42, as shown in Figures 75, 76, 79, 80, and return
through amongst the tubes and finally pass back again through flues in
the walls, as shown in Figures 75, 76.
In another modification shown in Figures 77, 78, 81, 82, the pairs of
cylinders or chambers 41, 42, connected by tubes are disposed across one
or more furnaces, and the fire gases after crossing under the lower
cylinder 42 return through amongst the lower parts of the tubes, and
then pass back again through amongst the upper parts of the tubes.
The fire gases may however in both modifications be made to take any
desired course by placing suitable stops or deflecting slabs or plates

page_text: between the tubes. In Figures 80, 81, 82, the steam chests 43' are
shown as attached to the ends of the upper cylinders 41, and as made
of cast iron, and when so arranged the flow of steam towards them causes
a vigorous circulation of the water. The water is deflected downwards
as it enters the chests 431 by internal deflecting partitions, indicated by
dotted lines in Figure 80. The tubes may be fixed into the cylinders,
chambers, or hollow frames 41, 42, 47, in the manner in which tubes
are ordinarily fixed in boiler tube plates or in any other convenient way,
and when the cylinders or chambers are each formed of two or more
plates the plates into which the tubes are fixed are made thicker than
the other plates, as shown on an enlarged scale in Figures 57 and 84.
For convenience in fixing the tubes the cylinders, chambers, or hollow
frames may have holes formed in the sides opposite to the tubes to be
afterwards filled with hollow plugs, as shown in Figures 85 to 90, and
when a single tube gives way it may be removed and its holes filled
with a hollow plug such as is shown in Figure 83 until it may be con-
venient to refit with a new tube.
Having thus particularly described our said Invention, and the manner
in which the same is to be performed, we have to state that we do not
restrict ourselves to the precise details herein described or delineated, but
that what we believe to be novel and original, and claim as the Invention
secured to us by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is―
1. The arranging of the valves, ports, and passages of compound
steam engines in the improved manner substantially as herein-before
described with reference to the Figures on Sheet 1 of the accompanying
Drawings.
2. The filling of spaces in the cylinder castings or in the pistons
of steam engines with non-conducting materials, as and for the purposes
herein before described.
3. The combining of high-pressure and low-pressure cylinders with
their passages and valves in the improved manner substantially as
herein before described with reference to Figures 9 to 15 on Sheet 2 of
the accompanying Drawings.
4. The arranging and combining together of the parts of surface con-
densers for steam engines and for the directing of the water currents in the
improved modes substantially as herein-before described with reference to
the Figures on Sheets 3, 4, and 5 of the accompanying Drawings.

page_text: 5. The providing of surface condensers for steam engines with a pipe
and nozzle for using a jet of steam to induce a current of water through,
as herein-before described.
6. The combining together of the parts of steam boilers substantially
in any of the improved modes herein-before described with reference
to Figures 30 to 90 on Sheets 2, 6, 7, and 8 of the accompanying
Drawings.
In witness whereof, we, the said John Martin Rowan and Thomas
Rogers Horton, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Niuth
day of May, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred
and soventy.

page_text: No text detected.