Improvement on the digester
Date
17 November 1686
Creator
Unknown, Artist
Object type
Archive reference number
Manuscript page number
p1
Material
Dimensions
height (page): 180mm
width (page): 178mm
width (page): 178mm
Subject
Content object
Description
Denis Papin's design of an iron plate to screw down onto a cylinder coated with pewter. The design was presented to the meeting of the Royal Society on 17 November 1686.
Transcription
AAAA is a circular Iron plate to which are fastened four Iron bars streteched upwards.
BB: an iron pin fastened in the centre of the said plate and reaching downwards
CC: the great hollow cylinder lined with pewter to be set between the four bars AD: AD: AD: AD.
EE: the cover to be applied to the said cylinder
FFFFFF an Iron plate with four screws to be set upon the cover EE between the Iron bars AD: AD and to be fastened by means of Iron rods passing through the holes DDDD: so that by turning the screws FF the cover EE may be pressed very hard against the cylinder CC and shut it very close.
GG is another Iron pin like BB reaching outwards so that the Engine being set and screwed in its frame may bear like a spitt upon the two pins BB: GG and so be continually turned by a jack or any other way: by that means the fire may be set under the engine without danger of melting the pewter or burning the materials contained in it...
Transcribed by the Making Visible project
BB: an iron pin fastened in the centre of the said plate and reaching downwards
CC: the great hollow cylinder lined with pewter to be set between the four bars AD: AD: AD: AD.
EE: the cover to be applied to the said cylinder
FFFFFF an Iron plate with four screws to be set upon the cover EE between the Iron bars AD: AD and to be fastened by means of Iron rods passing through the holes DDDD: so that by turning the screws FF the cover EE may be pressed very hard against the cylinder CC and shut it very close.
GG is another Iron pin like BB reaching outwards so that the Engine being set and screwed in its frame may bear like a spitt upon the two pins BB: GG and so be continually turned by a jack or any other way: by that means the fire may be set under the engine without danger of melting the pewter or burning the materials contained in it...
Transcribed by the Making Visible project
Object history
At the meeting of the Royal Society on 17 November 1686, ‘Two papers of Dr. Papin were read, the one about farther improvement of his digesting engine; the other about a new way of preserving fruit by boiling it in vacuo. He produced some currans preserved after that manner, and said, that by a mercurial gage he found, that there had at first been air enough produced to counterpoise a third part of the pressure of the atmosphere; but that afterwards that substance or vapour returned into the fruit. He produced likewise some cherries so preserved. The juice and smell of both were found very good, and the method of preserving approved’ (Birch 4:503).
Related fellows
Denis Papin (1647, French) , Natural philosopher
Associated place