Engines in Use During Period

[Mission]

I was reading about James Watt this morning when I learned that Thomas Savery had created a (permanently stationed) engine during period.

He patented his steam engine in 1698, calling it "A new invention for raiseing of water and occasioning motion to all sorts of mill work by the impellent force of fire, which will be of great use and advantage for drayning mines, serveing townes with water, and for the working of all sorts of mills where they have not the benefitt of water nor constant windes."

It worked by building steam in the boiler which then entered another chamber. Once full of steam the tap between the boiler and the chamber was shut. The steam condensed, creating a partial vacuum, and atmospheric pressure pushed water up the downpipe until the chamber was full. At this point the tap below the chamber was closed, and the tap between it and the up-pipe opened, and more steam was admitted from the boiler. As steam pressure built, it forced water into the up-pipe to the top of the mine. The engine was inefficient because when water was entered the chamber a lot of the heat was wasted warming the water that was being pumped. It could only pump water up about 40 feet.

It was also hampered by the dependability of the soldered joints; they could barely contain the high-pressure steam. So Savery hired blacksmith Thomas Newcomen to forge for his engine. Newcomen made a copy of the Savery machine and set it up in his own backyard, so he could improve the design. By 1712, Newcomen had designed an engine worked purely by atmospheric pressure which used a piston. His first engine rand at 6-8 strokes/minute which he eventually doubled. Wiki has a nice model of his engine on their page.

Of course, it was James Watt who really made the engine workable on a wider scale in the 1780s. Still, I thought it was interesting that there were engines being used during period.

[Silver]

i'm now adding goggles to my period attire !!!

[Fox]

I'll see your stationary Savery engine, and I'll raise you this:

From 'The Evening Post', Tuesday, March 9, 1725

"His Majesty has been graciously pleased to Grant his Royal Letters Patent to Thomas Smith Esq, who for the Improvement of Navigation, hath Invented an Engine to Row Ships a Head with Oars, against Wind or Tide, or Swimming a Current, carrying Ships of War in or out of Harbours or Line of Battle, useful for Fireships or Bomb Vessels, also to get up with or leave any Ship at Sea, when Wind is wanting, convenient in many Cases, especially when Ships have lost their Mast, for Packets and Cruisers and of Service in suppressing of Pirates and Smuglers, which will be of great Advantage to the Nation and Merchants in general, but more particularly to those that use the Lisbon, Streights, Gibraltar, Vere of Messine and the East and west India Trades."

Edited November 3, 2009 by Foxe

[Mission]

Oho! (Except it's only a patent, not an actual device. Still, veddy cool.)

[Fox]

Unless I'm much mistaken he did build one and test it on the Thames, just struggling to find the reference now...

[blackjohn]

I remember when we discussed this on the Pirate Brethren forum. For some reason I'm thinking there was evidence suggesting he made one, but I can't find it. Our thread there was short, and it ended with me finding a link to something that sounded interesting.

http://www.worldcat.org/search?q=no:023618118

or...

http://books.google.com/books?id=zNjyQAAACAAJ&dq=Thomas+Savery+%3B+Edmund+Dummer

[Fox]

OK, here we go...

Daily Journal, 19 July 1723

'On Tuesday Next, being the 23d of this Instant, will be launched at Deptford His Majesty's Ship Berwick of 70 Guns, and likewise an Experiment made of an Engine to Row any Ship against Wind or Tide, at the tryal of which there will be several persons of Quality'

British Journal, 20 July 1723.

'On Monday last, at Deptford, Capt. Dunning of Devon's new invented Engine to force Ships against Wind and Tide, was try'd upon a 30 gun Ship in Presence of the Lords of the Admiralty, the Commissioners of the Navy Board, and about ten thousand Spectators. The Engine answer'd the Expectations of the Beholders, and the Success was proclaimed by the common Voice of the People, and the Discharge of the Cannon on the River. It is said, that by this new Invention, our Merchants will not only avoid the Dangers of Salle and other Rovers, Gallies and Pyrates, but our Men of War will be capable of taking 'em in Calms. Ships may at any time go out of Harbours, and save their Market, or come in to save themselves; so that the greatest Part of the Dangers of the Sea may be avoided. The Engine is but of little Charge, and no way incommodious'

Daily Journal, 24 July 1723

'Yesterday many persons of Distinction went down to the River to see... a Repetition of the Experiment for Rowing Ships out of and into Harbours against Wind and Tide: This Experiment was then to me made by His Majesty's Ship the Tartar Pink, a Frigate of 20 Guns'

London Journal, 10 August 1723

'The Engine lately tryed on Board his Majesty's Ship the Tartar, to force a ship against Wind and Tide, we are told is no new Invention; for a Projection of the like Nature has been formerly proposed, by a Shipwright at Portsmouth, to the Navy Board, whereupon the Commissioners gave Directions to the Proper Officers to examine into it, and report their Opinion, which was, That Oars would perform the same service with less Inconveniency; of which the Shipwright was soon convinced by the weighty Reasons given against his Machine: And there is no doubt but this Engine will be found equally impracticable, notwithstanding all that is said for it by those who are intire Strangers to the Sea.'

London Journal 17 August 1723

[This article is too long for me to be bothered to type out, and shows that Dunning's engine was powered by hand, but for the sake of interest, here's an extract]

'an Iron Bar crosses the Vessel Amidships between Decks, the Ends of which pass through the sides of the ship to a convenient distance: At Each end of this Bar two Naves (like those of a Wheel) are fasten'd; and in each of these naves are fixed four paddles of such a length, that the Blades of them will strike into the Water: The Capston being hove by 50 or 60 men sets this engine to work... At the last trial of it the Coggs, fixed on the Capston between Decks were faulty...'

Whether or not Smith's engine was powered manually remains unclear, but on reflection, it seems likely. Although steam engines had been developed by this time, the combination of steam and the rotary mechanism required for 'rowing' a ship would have been very advanced. Still, pre-Industrial mechanics, and controversy as well! I'm good to you people

Edited November 3, 2009 by Foxe

[Mission]

Good stuff. Thanks for typing it in. It makes an engineer proud, it does.

[Silver]

this tread has gotten intresting, so i got my "time table of history" third adition out. i found two early entries on steam. the first 1690 "Fr. engineer Denis Papin (1647-1714) devises pump with pistion raised by steam" the second 1707 he "invents high pressure boiler".

[Dutchman]

now i know simple machines were powered by wind and water at the time, but are there any examples of machines effectively being driven by steam?