1M9.T 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECTS JOURNAL 



113 



6, through the opening g' in the valve- face, tvhich will now be 

 covered by the valverf', and by it directed through the passage e' 

 into the bottom of the low-pressure cylinder ; the opening a, to 

 the passage h, during this part of the stroke, being covered by the 

 expansion-valve c. During the upward stroke of the pistons the 

 high-pressure steam in tlie valve-case will pass in at the opening 

 a', thence by the passage 6' to the bottom of the high-pressure 

 cylinder, the opening g to this passage being now covered by the 

 lap of the valve d ; but th« valves being again changed, the steam 

 will rush from the bottom of the cylinder B, through the passage 

 6', where it passes through the opening (/ in the valve-face, and 

 is directed by the valve d into the top of the cylinder C, by the 

 passage; when the down-stroke takes place, during this part of 

 its course through the passage 6", the openings" is covered by 

 the expansive-valve c', preventing any admission of steam from 

 the \ah'e-case. The steam from the top and bottom of the low- 

 pressure cylinder is exhausted by the condenser through the pas- 

 sages/, and/', which communicate alternately therewith by the 

 change in the valves, rf, and d' ; when the opening is covered by the 

 valve d and the steam directed thereby to the condenser, the open- 

 ing/' is covered by the lap /(' of the valve d, and when the opening 

 /' is covered by the valve d',/is in its turn covered by the lap 

 h of the valve d. 



The object aimed at in these improvements, besides the simplicity 

 of construction, are, that a more effective pressure is obtained 

 from the admission of the steam immediate on the opening of the 

 steam-valves to the low-pressure cylinder, and, consequently, a 

 more effective result is obtained Drawings are represented in the 

 specification, showing the application of Cornish or disc-valves 

 adapted to effect the admission of steam to the low-pressure 

 cylinder in a similar manner, and so as to obtain a similar bene- 

 ficial result, as with the slide-vahes already described ; but, from 

 the simplicity of the principle of the invention, it will be unne- 

 cessary to give any description. In combination with these fore- 

 going improvements, they also si)ecify an improved apparatus for 

 what is techically termed " blow ing through" when an engine is to 

 be started, the improvements being for the purpose of preventing 

 the engine starting in the wrong direction. The improvement 

 consists in arranging two passages from the blow-through valve 

 to the low-pressure cylinder, one of these passages being con- 

 nected from the blow-through vi\\ve to the top of the low-pressure 

 cylinder, and the other passage from the blow-through valve to the 

 bottom of the low-pressure cylinder — the openings into these pas- 

 sages being so regulated by a three-way cock or valve, that when 

 the operation of blowing through is performed, the steam pnters 

 simultaneously on each side of the piston in the low-pressure 

 cylinder ; and that when the said valve is closed, any communica- 

 tion between the passages will be entirely prevented. Having 

 described the nature of their invention, and in what manner the 

 same may be carried into practical effect, they remark that they 

 do not claim the application of one valve-box to high and low- 

 pressure cylinders, but what they claim as their invention is : — 

 First, the peculiar arrangement of the valves and openings as they 

 are represented in the cuts and hereinbefore described in detail ; 

 that is to say, the adaptation and application of a reduced number 

 of valves, of the ordinary construction, to effect the necessary 

 communications betvveen the steam-chest, cylinders, and condenser; 

 and the arrangement of ports or openings, whereby the steam is 

 reduced as little as possible in passing from the higli-pressure 

 cylinder to the low-pressure cylinder. Secondly, they claim the 

 Ki)plication of two high-pressure steam-cylinders to one low-pressure 

 steam-cylinder, and in so arranging the ports or passages that the 

 same number of valve-boxes and openings which serve for one 

 high-pressure and one low-pressure steam-cylinder, will also be 

 sufficient for two or more high-pressure cylinders and one low- 

 pressure cylinder. They desire it to be understood that they do 

 not confine themselves, in the application of the improvements, 

 exclusively to compound-cylinder engines with condensation, but 

 ;Jso claim the application of their improvements to compound- 

 cylinder engines without condensation, passing the steam from 

 the second or low-pressure cylinder into the atmosphere instead of 

 into the condenser. Thirdly, they claim the application of their 

 improvements in the methods of blowing through for the purpose 

 of starting engines, as applicable to every description of double- 

 acting condensing engines, whether with compound cylinders or a 

 single-cylinder engine. They also claim any combination of the 

 improvements herein specified, whereby similar objects may be ac- 

 complished. 



CONSUMING SMOKE. 



William Edward Kvan, of Aresthourne-park -villas. Padding- 

 ton, clerk, for " Improvements in consuming the smoke and economis- 

 ing the fuel of steam-engines, breweries, and manufactories generally." 

 —Granted July 25, 1817 ; Enrolled January 25," 1818. 



This invention consists of a combination of mechanical means, 

 to be applied to the furnaces, ash-jiits, flues, fire-doors, door-frames, 

 and chimneys of steam-engines, boilers, coppers, stills, and pans 

 generally, for consuming the smoke and gas and lessening the 

 expense of fuel. 



First, to regulate the draught of the chimneys, whatever may be 

 their altitude, so that their area of cubical capacity shall not ex- 

 ceed the conjoint areas of the furnace, — the space above the bridge 

 and the fire-flue under the boiler, &c. Secondly, by adjusting the 

 admission of atmospheric air, at given points, to afford the precise 

 proportion of air needful to effect the perfect combustion of fuel, 

 and its products of gas and smoke. 



Fig. 1 is a longitudinal vertical section 

 of a steam-boiler of cylindrical form, with 

 its furnace, o, the furnace-doors ; /», the 

 plate ; c, the fire-bars ; rf, the bridge ; 

 e, the air-flue ; / the fire-flue under the 

 boiler ; g, the lateral or side fire-flues. 



Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of the fur- 

 nace-doors, which are in two heights ; 

 the upper one has ventilators with 



Fig. 2, 



Fig. 1. 



regulating slides to admit the air over the fuel (without lessening 



the temperature of the furnace 

 which partly opening the door occa- 

 sions), and is opened to supply 

 fuel ; and when that is done, it is 

 closed, and tlie lower (plain) door 

 is then opened to arrange the posi- 

 tion of the fuel on the bars, e is 

 the air-flue with ventilator to regu- 

 late the air admitted. A, h, are the 

 ash-pit doors with their ventilators, 

 by wliich the needful quantity of 

 air is allowed to ente?. There is a 

 second air-flue marked A", which 

 enters the side flue into which the 

 blaze first passes from the boiler, and this has likewise a ventilator 

 marked /. 



In addition to the horizontal damper in the machinery to con- 

 tract cand regulate the draught, there is also a vertical damper 

 fixed on one side of the chimney with a counterpoise weight, which 

 damper is raised as occasion may require, to supply a volume of 

 air to the chimney, and thereby lessen or stop the draught through 

 the furnace at the time when fuel is supplied and arranged on the 

 bars. 



The air is to be admitted gradually as required. Thus — by the 

 admission of a moderate quantity through tlie ventilators of the 

 ash-pit doors, the fuel is ignited — by the sujiplj' of air through the 

 ventilating holes regulated by slides in the door-frame, above the 

 doors, or in the upper door (as the case may be), combustion is af- 

 forded to the gas and smoke while arising in the body of the fur- 

 nace, by the air supplied from the ventilator in the air-tube or flue 

 which communicates to the back of the bridge, any gas and smoke 

 which escapes from the furnace to the flue under the boiler, is 

 ignited. And again, by the ventilator in the second air-flue, 

 marked k, entering the side flue at the end of the boiler, near the 

 chimney, still further ignition is attained, and the full completion 

 of the combustion is thus secured by the conjoint action of the 

 whole of these arrangements, which could not be effected by the 



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