Specification of Samuel Seaward : economizing and applying steam.

  • Seaward, Samuel.
Date:
1854
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Specification of Samuel Seaward : economizing and applying steam. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    Seaward’s Improvements in Apparatus for Economizing Steam, fc. NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said I Samuel Seaward, do hereby declare that my improvement or improvements j in apparatus for economising steam and for other purposes are fully ascer- | tained and described as follows, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed:— 5 I construct a vessel, Z, of iron or other suitable material, and capable of with¬ standing the heat of the steam contained in the boiler Y, and of resisting the pressure of the atmosphere, and of a capacity equal to one-twentieth of the water chamber of the boiler or thereabouts. This vessel I call a receiver, and it is to be placed on the said boiler Y, as shown in the Drawing, or anywhere 10 near the boiler, of a sufficient height that any fluid contained in the said receiver will descend by its own gravity into the steam boiler Y.* To this vessel I attach four cocks or valves, and as many pipes, in the following order, viz\ one pipe A from the top of the receiver Z to the steam chamber of the steam boiler, one pipe B from the bottom of the said receiver Z to the water chamber of boiler, 15 one pipe C from the bottom of the said receiver to the water outside the ship, and one pipe D from the top of the said receiver to the well or lowest part of the ship in which the boiler is placed, each of which cocks is supplied with a cock or valve. The first operation of this apparatus for the effecting the saving of fuel is as follows: when the steam is so high as to raise the safety valves and 20 escape, either in consequence of the engines standing still or the too great quantity of fire, the cock A is to be opened and the receiver Z filled with steam, the air rushing out by a small cock E, placed at the top. The receiver being full, the cock A is to be shut, and also the cock E, and the cock C opened. The steam contained in the said receiver will by this operation be condensed, 25 and a partial vacuum thereby formed; the water will then rush from outside the ship and fill the receiver. The cock C being then shut, and the cock B opened, the water will descend slowly by its own gravity into the water chamber of the boiler Y; and this can be accelerated by again opening the cock A, by which means the water will descend at a heat not much below that of boiling 30 water. The saving of fuel will be evident, because at all times the boiler may be completely filled, and the water itself raised to a high temperature by the steam, which would otherwise escape at the safety valves and be completely lost. The second operation is that of pumping or drawing the water from the hold of the ship. To effect this, the cock A is again opened, and the receiver thereby 35 filled with steam. Upon closing the cock A, the cock D is opened, and the water will rush from the hold of the ship and fill the receiver. The cock D being shut and the cock C opened, the water contained in the receiver will run overboard, by opening the small air cock E in the top. This operation