IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM AND OTHER VAPOR ENGINES
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Samuel, of Great George Street, in the City of
Westminster, Civil Engineer, and John Nicholson, of Bow, in the County
of Middlesex, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM
AND OTHER VAPOR ENGINES,"
Sealed the 23rd September 1856, and dated the 2nd April 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Samuel and John
Nicholson at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their
Petition, on the 2nd April 1856.
We, JAMES 'SAMUEL, of Great George Street, in the City of Westminster,
Civil Engineer, and JOHN NICHOLSON, of Bow, in the County of Middlesex,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN STEAM AND OTHER VAPOR ENGINES," to be as follows:-
Our Invention consists in the employment of three cylinders, into one of
which only the steam or other vapor is directly admitted, and which, after
having been partially expanded in that cylinder, is admitted simultaneously
into the two other cylinders, where expansion may be carried out to its

page_text: furthest extent. The pistons in each cylinder are connected to a shaft with
three cranks, of which the central crank is at or about right angles to the
other two. For the purpose of starting or otherwise. where required, we
close the communication with one of the expansion cylinders.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said James Samuel and John Nicholson in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 2nd October 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JAMES
SAMUEL, of Great George Street, in the City of Westminster, Civil Engineer,
and JOHN NICHOLSON, of Bow, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Second day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the nineteenth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the said
James Samuel and John Nicholson, Her special licence that we, the said
James Samuel and John Nicholson, our executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as we, the said James Samuel and John Nicholson, 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 STEAM AND OTHER VAPOUR
ENGINES," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said James Samuel
and John Nicholson, our executors or administrators, by an instrument 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 James Samuel and John Nicholson,
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 thereof, reference being had to the Drawings
annexed, (that is to say):
-

page_text: Our Invention consists in the employment in steam and other vapor
engines of three cylinders, into one of which only the steam or other vapour
is directly admitted, and which, after having been partially expanded in
that cylinder, is admitted simultaneously into the other two cylinders,
where expansion may be carried out to its furthest extent.
The pistons
in each cylinder are connected to a shaft with three cranks, of which the
central crank is at or about at right angles to the other two.
For the purpose of starting or otherwise, where required, we close the
communication with one of the expansion cylinders.
Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of an engine constructed according to
our Invention, shewing the manner in which the same may be carried into
effect. A is the cylinder supplied directly from the boiler; Figure 2 is a
view of the face of this cylinder; B and C are expansion cylinders, into
which the steam flows from the main cylinder directly the piston therein
has passed in its up or down stroke the passages a, b. The steam from the
main cylinder enters above the piston in one expansion cylinder and below
the piston in the other, the cranks upon the shaft to which the piston rods
are connected being set with respect to each other to allow of the pistons
occupying the respective positions shewn in the Drawings. D, D, are the
slides, worked by eccentrics E,E, through the rods F,F; G,G, are the eduction
passages; H, H, guides for the heads of the piston rods to work in; I is a slide
for shutting off communication with the expansion cylinder C when required.
As before stated, for the purpose of starting or otherwise, where required,
we close the communication with one of the expansion cylinders, and admit
steam directly into that cylinder, which we cut off and open the passage
between such cylinder and the main cylinder after the starting has been
effected. Again, where less expansion or more power is required, steam
may be admitted directly from the boiler into all three cylinders.
Although we have shown the main steam cylinder as in the centre, and
consider that the most advantageous position for it, we do not confine our-
selves to its being so placed.
Our Invention is represented in the Drawings annexed as applied to a
reciprocating-action marine engine, but it may also be applied to oscillating
cylinders, and to rotary, locomotive, and stationary engines.
And having now described the nature of our said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, we declare that we claim as our improve-
ments in steam and other vapor engines the combination of one main cylinder
with two expansion cylinders, with the cranks and other gear arranged and

page_text: working in the manner herein-before described, whether applied to recipro-
cating, rotary, oscillating, fixed, stationary, marine, or locomotive engines.
In witness whereof, we, the said James Sanuel and John Nicholson,
have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Twenty-ninth day of
_ September, One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six.
JAMES SAMUEL. (L.S.)
JOHN NICHOLSON. (L.s.)