1847.J 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECPS JOURNAL. 



121 



through this pipe is regulated in the ordinary manner by a valve, the 

 handle of which is seen at the end of the boiler within reach of the 

 engine-man. 



The working gear for moving the three slide-valves is of the ordi- 

 nary kind, and is actuated by four eccentrics on the main axis c ; one 

 pair of eccentrics being used for working the slide-valve of the cen- 

 tral cylinder, and the other pair for working the slide-valves of the 

 two small cylinders. 



The locomotive engine shown at fig. 1, is designed to run upon n ir- 

 row gauge railways, and for that purpose the two small cylinders are 

 fixed outside the framing ; but when this construction of engine is re- 

 quired for broad gauge railways, the small cylinder may be placed 

 within the framing ; and in this case the connecting-rods of the two 

 small cylinders, instead of being attached to crank pins on tlie driving 

 wheels, are connected to cranks formed on the axis k, within the fram- 

 ing. In place of one central steam cylinder, two small cylinders may 

 be substituted ; so that there will be four small cylinders, the piston- 

 rods of which are connected bv rods with four cranks on the main 

 axis; the cranks of one pair of cylinders being fixed at right angles to 

 the cranks of the other pair. The present improvement is also ap- 

 plicable to locomotive engines mounted on four whtels, and to loco- 

 motive engines having four or six of their wheels cunnected by rods 

 in the ordinary mode of coupling. 



The patentees, in conclusion, state, that their invention consists in 

 the improvement, hereinbefore described, of applying the steam cy- 

 linders, with their pistons, piston-rods, connecting-rods, and crnnk- 

 pins, in a locomotive engine, so that there shall be two steam cylin- 

 ders, connecting-rods, and crank-pins, disposed at equal distances on 

 each side of the middle of the breadth of the engine (or of the rails 

 whereon it is lo travel) ; those two connecting-rods acting on the s lid 

 crank-pins with like motion, in the same direction, one as tlie other, 

 at the same time, to urge their crank-pins onward in their respective 

 circular oibils. And also, that ther.- shall be one large steam cylinder, 

 with its piston, piston-iod, connecting-rod, and crank- pin, situated at 

 the said middle of the breadth of the engine, or of the rads, in the 

 manner of what has been hereinbefore termed a large central steam 

 cylinder. Or otherwise, in place of such large central cylinder, two 

 small steam cylinders, with their pistons, piston-rods, connecting-rods, 

 and crank-pins, disposed at equal distances on each side of the said 

 middle of the breadth, but as near thereto as conveniently can bi'. In 

 order, by such application of the three or four connecting-rods, and 

 corresponding crank-pins, as aforesaid, to counteract or neutralise all 

 tendency that the oblique action of the several connecting-rods, on 

 their respective crunk-pins, may have to produce a lateral vibr.ition 

 or rocking motion of the locomotive engine, from side to side, on its 

 supporting springs, when travelling with rapidity. 



STEAM BOILER FURNACES. 



Ambrose Lord, of Allerton, Chester, toll collector, for "Improve- 

 ments hi/iirnnces andthejlues 0/ sleam-boilers,/or the purposes of con- 

 suming t/ie smoke (Did economising the fuel." — Granted June 24 ; En- 

 rolled December 24, 1S4G. (Reported \n Newton's London Journal.) 

 (IVilh Engraviwjs, Plate IX.J 



This invention consists in the application, to one boiler, of two fur- 

 naces or sets of fire-bars, which are to be fed or supplied with coal 

 alternately : and also in arranging or constructing the flues and regu- 

 lating the dampers in such a manner, that the smoke, gas, and other 

 unconsnmed combustible matters evolved from the fire which has been 

 last fed shall pass under and through the other fire when at a clear 

 red heat, und be thus consumed. VVhen the fire which was last fed 

 has attained a red heat, so as to give out no smuke, the dampers are 

 to be reversed, which will reverse the draught. The other furnace 

 or fire-place may then be ted or supplied with fuel, and the smoke 

 and gas from it will pass under and through the clear red fire, and so 

 on alternately. 



In order more clearly to explain his invention, the patentee has 

 shown two modifications, one with moveable grates, and the other 

 with stationary grates. In plate IX., fig. 1 is a vertical longitudinal 

 section, and fig. 2, is an end view of a cylindrical boiler, with the 

 improvements applied thereto, a, a, a, is the brick-work, support- 

 ing a boiler 6, 6, which has two oval flues c, c, and rf, rf, extending 

 through it from end to end. The lower flue c, c, is provided with 

 rails e, e, upon which the moveable grates/, and g, run, being provid- 

 ed with wheels /;, A, for that purpose. It will be seen that the boiler 

 b, is provided with a water-space /, (, about the centre, extending 

 across the upper half of the flue c, c, and forming a bridge to direct 

 the course of the smoke (or a bridge formed of brick-work mav be 

 used); and the flue c, c, is provided with cross-bars k, k, from which 



hang swing-doors /, I. When shut, these doors serve to direct the 

 passage of the smoke and gases, and they may be opened for the 

 purpose of removing; the ashes, m, and n, are two upright flues, each 

 leading to the chimney; and 0, 0, are the fire-doors, provided with 

 air-valves, for the purpose of regulating the draught. When it is 

 desired to heat the boiler, both of the moveable grates/, and g, are 

 brought towards the fire-doors, and the fires are lighted. All the 

 dampers are then opened, by placing the levers ;», and q, (which work 

 the dampers) in a perpendicular position; but as soon as one fire (say 

 g,) has attained a clear red heat, it is pushed along the rails e, e, as 

 far backwards as the bridge i, i , and the lever q, is pulled outwards, 

 whereby the damper r, will be opened, and the damper s, closed; and 

 by means of the connecting-rod t, and lever/;, the damper u, will be 

 opened and the damper v, closed. The apparatus will then be in the 

 position shown in the drawing, and the smoke and other combustible 

 gases proceeding from the gratey; being guided by the swing-doors 

 /, I, and the bridge ;, i, will pass under the furnace and through the 

 clear red fire on the grate g, and thereby be consumed and converted 

 into pure heat; thus eB'ecting a great economy of the fuel. When 

 the fire in the grate/, has burnt clear, and the furnace requires a 

 fresh supply of fuel, the grate §■, is drawn forward towards the fire- 

 doors, and fed with fael, ,;nd (he grate yi is pushed backwards close 

 to the bridge /, i; the dampers are then reversed, by means of either 

 of the levers;;, 5, thus altering the direction of the current or draught 

 through the Hues, and causing the smoke, &c., evolved from the coal 

 upon the grate g, to pass under the furnace and through the clear fire 

 in the grate/; and so on alternately. If it is desired to reduce the 

 heat of the furnace, this may be readily dune by drawing both of the 

 grates towards the fire-doors, and opening or withdrawing all the 

 dampers. 



Fig. 3, is a horizontal section, and fig. 4, an end view of a cylindri- 

 cal boiler, showing the application of the invention with two station- 

 ary graies. a, a, is the brick-work, and 6, 6, the boiler, which has 

 two flues e, c, and d, d, extending through the same from end to end, 

 on a level with each other. These flues e, c, and d, d, contain the 

 two stationary fire-grates e, and/, one at each end of the boiler. It 

 will be seen also that at each end of the boiler there is a flue g, g*, 

 connecting the rods of the two flues c, and d-, and that the fire-doors 

 A, h*, (which must be furnished with air-valves) are fixed in the flues 

 g, g*. These flues also communicate with the vents ;', i*, which lead 

 to the chimney; and these vents ;, i*, are connected together by a 

 flue (which is nut seen in the drawing) passing under the boiler. Now, 

 supposing the fire-grate e, to have just received a fresh supply of fuel, 

 and the Uiel upon the tire-grate y, to be burning at a clear red heat, 

 then the damper /;*, in the Hue g*, must be opened by means of the 

 lever I*, which, at the same time, will close the damper nt*, communi- 

 cating with vent t* ; and the damper ?;*, in the vent r*, leading to the 

 chimney, must be closed. At the other end of the boiler, the dampe 

 m, must be opened, and the dampers k and n, closed. The smok^ 

 from the newly-fed fire e, will pass through the flue c, c, along the 

 flue g*, under and through the clear fire in the grate /, by which ie 

 will be consumed and converted mtu pure heat, which ihe draught ot 

 the chimney will cause to pass through the flue d, down the vent zf 

 under the boiler to the vent i", and thence to the chimney. When, 

 fresh fuel is supplied to the fire/, the dampers must be reversed, and 

 of course the draught; and, consequently, the passage of the smoke 

 and heated air will be reversed also. 



The patentee remarks, that although the flues, in which the fire- 

 grates are placed, are described as being oval, and also shown in the 

 drawing as such, yet he does not confine himself to that shape, al- 

 though he would preler its use, as allowing a greater width of fire- 

 bars in the same circumference or area; iior does he claim the use of 

 two fire-gi-ates to one boiler; but he claims the application to one 

 boiler of two separate or distinct fire-grates or furnaces (whether 

 moveable or stationary), which are to be fed or supplied with fuel 

 alternately, and which are to be connected together by flue.-, reguliited 

 by dampers in such a manner that the smoke and other products of 

 combustion evolved from the furnace or fire-place which was last fed 

 or supplied with fuel, shall be caused to pass under the other furnace 

 or fire-place, and upwards through the fire of the same, for the pur- 

 poses of consuming the smoke and economising the fuel. 



EXCAVATING MACHINE. 



Thojias ST^rES Prideaux, of Southampton, gentleman, for "Im- 

 provements in machinery J or excavating." — Granted July 15, 1846; 

 Enrolled January 15, 1847. (IViih Engravings, Plate IX.) 



The machine consists of a series of cutting instruments or buckets 

 placed on the end of arms, made to rotate in such a way that after 



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