162 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL, 



[May, 



BOWER'S STEAM VALVE. 

 (See Engraving, Plate XII.) 



Sir The accompanying sketch and description will convey an idea 



of a new system invented bv me of admitting steam to the cylinder of 

 the engine. If you think it has sufficient merit to entitle it to a place 

 in your Journal, I vrill be most happy to see it there. 



the invention is not protected by a patent. If any manufacturer 

 •will try the experiment, I will feel obliged if he will let me hear the 

 result, and should it realize my expectations, I shall be most willing 

 to let the public have the benefit of it. 



I am, your's, &c. 



John C. Botek. 

 Milford, Ramelton, County of Donegal, Ireland, ' 



January 28M, 1845. 



AECDEFisapipe the form, situation and connexion of which with the 

 cylinder are shewn in the drawing. It will be of capacity or sectional area 

 necessary for admitting steam in the proper quantity to the cylinder.— It is 

 shown in three pieces ; A B C and D E F are attached to and open into the 

 cylinder at the top and bottom A F ; the centre piece (coloured blue) is in- 

 tended to revolve upon its own axis in the position in w hich it is shown, the 

 end C within the upper part A B C, and the end D within the lower part D 

 E F : the motion may be communicated from the crank of the fly wheel to 

 the bevel wheels G; the vertical having its pivot in a fixed ring, H, of proper 

 strength and dimensions, passing round the descending branch A B C, and 

 the horizontal (of the same dimensions as the vertical) fixed upon the re- 

 volving part C D, by which means it will make one revolution lor every 

 stroke of the piston and turn of the fly wheel. Q R S T shows in section the 

 sides of a vertical and cylindrical chamber within which the pipe C D re- 

 volves in the manner described, and into which, at opposite sides, the steam 

 and eduction pipes are introduced. The revolving part CD is to be bored 

 through the sides as shown by the dotted lines at M N (or as looking through 

 the boring thus \0\.) The diameter of each hole to be one-fourth of the cir- 

 cumference of the pipe ; and they are to be opposite to each other, and cor- 

 respond witli the openings of the steam and eduction pipes as shown in the 

 drawing. But they are prevented from having any communication with each 

 other by an oblique division 1 .1 between them, which as the pii* revolves 

 gives an alternate direction (upwards and downwards) to the steam admitted 

 to the cylinder L, and emitted from the cylinder to the eduction pipe K. 



The engraving, Plate XII. shows the position of the parts, when the piston 

 is in the middle of the upward part of the stroke, steam is rushing in through 

 the open port N, from the steam pipe L, and forcing the piston up ; while 

 the steam from the upper part of the cylinder is escaping to the condenserj 

 at K, through the open port in the revolving pipe at M. When the piston 

 arrives at the top of the cylinder the motion is reversed, by the sides of the 

 revolving pipe changing positions ; and opening the lower part of the cylin- 

 der to the condenser, and the upper part to the boiler, until the piston de- 

 scends to the bottom, when it is again reversed by the revolving of the pipe, 

 and the motion is continued in the manner described. 



TUBULAR BOILERS OF THE " TAGUS" AND " BRAGANZA" 

 STEAM SHIPS. 



Some erroneous statements having been made resnecting the con- 

 struction of the tubular boilers put on board the " Tagus," in the autumn of 

 last year, by Messrs. Mdler, Ravenhill,& Co., for the Oriental and Peninsular 

 Steam Company, we have thought it our duty to ascertain the real state of 

 the case, and have obtained the particulars of the quantity of fuel consumed 

 during the last five voyages made by the "Tagus" when she had the old 

 boilers on board, and during the only two voyages made with the nevr tubular 

 boilers, which will shew a remarkable saving of fuel by the adoption of the 

 latter. We are also enabled to give the consumpfiou of fuel by the " Bra- 

 ganza," also fitted with tubular boilers of nearly the same length and breadth, 

 the only difference being in the number of tubes ; the boilers of the " Tagus" 

 contain 180 tubes, aud the " Braganza" 304 tubes, in both cases of brass 

 3 inches diameter. 



A reference to the following tables will clearly show the saving of fuel in 

 the " Tagus" since tubular boilers have been adopted, and also the importance 

 of having the tubes of a proper proportion, uot only as to size but also as to 

 number, as shown by our talented contributor, Mr. Buck, in the Journal of 

 last year, Vol. VII., p. 104. 



The old boilers of the " Tagus" were partly tubular and partly on the flue 

 principle, each boiler contained 4 furnaces in pairs ooer each other, the lower 

 furnaces 8 feet long and the upper 1 foot shorter. The furnaces were made 

 under the boilers in the front, from which the flame and heat passed between 

 flues at the back on a level with the fnrnace, then returned along the centre 

 to half way and back again through the tubes to the chimney. 



The new boilers of both the " Tagus" and " Braganza" were constructed 

 with furnaces under the boilers, the flaa}e passing ficiu the furnace to the 



back part of the boiler and then returning through the tubes to the chimney 



above the front of the furnaces. 



The engines of both vessels are 02 inches diameter, 5 ft. 6 in. stroke, and 

 of the nominal power of 280 horses collectively. 



Coal accotmt of the Sleam Ship " BRAGANZA," voyage commencing 2G<A 



October, and ending 18th December, 1844. 



Voyage outwards. 



Voyage inwards. 



Remains brought 



forward 

 Received at 



Constantinople 



Sui>TDa 



Athens 

 Malta 

 Gibraltar 



Total 

 Remaining 

 Consumed 



W, Hartley, very 



fast buxntng. 



Mixed, good. 

 Ditto, very fuBl 

 burning. 



Coal account of Steam Ship " TAGUS," Constantinople, voyage commencing 

 2bth Novembei'y 1844, and ending 9tk Janxtaryj 1845, 



Voyage outwards. 



Remains from last 



voyage 

 Received at 



Southamptot 



Gibraltar 



Total 

 Consumed 





Good WeUh. 



Very good. 



Mixed, most 

 ^Velsb, turned 

 out very dirty. 



Slowed. 



Voyage inwards. 



