IMPROVEMENTS IN MULTIPLE CYLINDER ENGINES
Year: 1885

page_text: I, HERBERT JOHN HADDAN, of 67, Strand, in the City of Westminster, Civil
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of said invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN
MULTIPLE CYLINDER ENGINES, a communication to me from abroad by Robert
Hall Cowdrey, of Chicago, United States, Manufacturer, to be as follows:-
This invention relates to an improved construction in steam engines, and has
reference more especially to improvements in the valves for such engines. Referring
to the accompanying drawings :-
Fig. 1 is a central vertical section of a steam engine embodying one form of the
invention, taken upon line < x of Fig. 2.
----
Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the same taken upon line x - - x of Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 is a section taken upon line y - y of Fig. 2 showing the valve
controlling the admission of steam to the several cylinders and its seat.
Fig. 4 is a section taken upon line g
reversing the engine.
g of Fig. 2 illustrating devices for
As shown in Figs 1 and 2, A A¹ are two pairs of opposite cylinders arranged at
equal distances apart about a single driving shaft B said cylinder being located
radially with reference to the axis of said shaft. In the form of engine herein
shown the cylinders A and A' are cast integral with the walls A2 of a central box
or chamber A within which a crank B¹ upon the shaft B is located; and the
several cylinders and chambers are supported upon a base A* which also forms the
end of the lower cylinder A.
The shaft B as herein shown is supported in bearings 661 in the casing A one
end of the shaft being arranged to pass outwardly through the bearing which is
provided with a suitable packing to prevent the escape of steam.
The cylinders A and A¹ are provided with pistons Cand C₁ respectively, the said
pistons being rigidly attached to short piston rods c c which are rigidly secured at
their inner ends to yokes D and D₁ having transverse slots or apertures &
which are engaged by the crank pin 6 secured in crank disks B¹ upon the crauk
shaft. The crank pin is preferably fitted in bearing blocks E and E¹ constructed
to slide in the slots d d in the yokes D and D¹, each of said blocks as herein shown,

page_text: consisting of two parts e e and e' e¹ which are held in contact with the pin by
being held within the slot of the yoke. The blocks E E¹, may however be made
in one piece and slipped in the end of the end of the crank pin, or said blocks may
be made in two pieces and bolted or otherwise fastened together so as to form a
single block.
The inner ends of the cylinders A and A¹, as shown in Figs 1, 2 and 3 and
preferably constructed, are in open communication with the chamber As in which
the crank B¹ is located and the several pistons are actuated by the admission of
steam and to the several cylinders successively in such manner that each pair
operates alternately upon the crank pin in a direction at right angles to each other.
The opposite pistons Cand C, in the construction described, being rigidly connected
by means of the piston rods c¹ and the yokes D and D¹, each opposite pair of
pistons will operate, as far as the action of the steam is concerned, as one piston; that
is to say, the opposite pairs of pistons will be moved in one direction by the pressure
of steam in the outer end of one cylinder and in the other direction by the pressure
in the outer end of the opposite cylinder. By arranging the cylinders and pistons
in the manner above described, the important advantage is gained that stuffing
boxes for the piston rod are entirely dispensed with-the only packing connected
with the cylinders being that upon the pistons.
In the casting A2, at a point adjacent to the bearing b at the inner end of the
shaft B, is located a valve chamber F, which is preferably circular in form and
concentric with said shaft and is provided with opposite parallel, plain sides
forming valve seats F1 and F2 which are arranged in planes at right angles to the
axis of the shaft, the valve seat F¹ being located at the side of the chamber adjacent
to the cylinders. Suitable steam passages G and G¹ are formed at the sides of the
cylinders A and A' and in the casting A2, said passages terminating at their inner
ends in ports g, g¹, formed in the valve seat F1 at equal distances from the axis of
the shaft B, as clearly shown in Fig. 3. Within the chamber F, and operating in
contact with the opposite valve seats F¹ and F2, is placed a valve H (Figs 2 and 3)
said valve consisting of an outer, annular portion or open ring H fitted closely at
its edges to the valve seats F' and F' and joined by means of arms to a central
part or hub H2, which is provided with a central, cylindrical aperture which is
placed over a correspondingly shaped pin B³ attached eccentrically to the end of
the shaft B which extends through the bearing b into the said chamber F. By
this construction it is obvious that when said shaft B is rotated, the valve H will
have a continuous revolving or gyratory motion about the axis of the shaft so as
to bring the ports g and g₁ alternately into communication with the steam inlet
and exhaust passages of the chamber F, as hereinafter more particularly described.
Steam is admitted to the chamber F exterior to the ring H¹ by an inlet passage
I
and is permitted to escape from the chamber by means of a passage J entering the
central part of the chamber within the said ring, the passages I and J as shown,
being formed in a plate or head A' forming the bearing surface or valve seat F³,
opposite the valve seat F¹. The passages I and J as herein shown terminate in
ports and formed in a valve chamber K, which is provided with a slide valve L
that operates to bring either of said ports into communication with the inlet or
exhaust, as desired in order to enable the direction of the motion of the engine to
be readily reversed, as hereinafter more particularly set forth.
The said passages I and J way however, be connected with suitable pipes so that
they will themselves form the inlet and exhaust passages to the valve chamber F,
or the inlet and exhaust passages may be otherwise connected with the said valve
chamber as for instance, is illustrated in dotted lines in Fig. 2, in which an annular
passage, indicated at J₁, is forined in the casting A upon the side of the chamber
adjacent to the cylinders, said annular passage being connected with a pipe,
indicated at J2, which may serve either as a steam supply or exhaust pipe, and in
which a separate passage I, operating in connection with the passage at J¹ either
as an inlet or exhaust, is also indicated in dotted lines as entering the side wall of
the chamber F.

page_text: When the steam inlet and exhaust passages communicate directly with the
chamber F, as last described and indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2; means for
reversing the engine may be entirely dispensed with; or said passages may com-
municate with a four way cock arranged to bring either of them into communi-
cation with the steam supply pipe as desired.
The ring H¹, before mentioned as forming part of the valve H, is made of the
same width or thickness in both of its opposite bearing faces, so that it will have
the same area of contact with both valve seats F and F¹; and is preferably
provided with a separate packing ring he constructed to form a steam tight joint
between the valve and the sides of the chamber. Said packing ring may be of any
well known or preferred construction; as for instance, metal or other springs may
be applied to hold the said packing ring and the ring H in contact with the opposite
valve sents, or a steam packing may be formed by the entrance of steam between
the packing ring and the adjacent part of the valve, in a well known manner.
The port H' of the valve H is made of such diameter, and the ports g g¹ are so
located with reference thereto that when the pin B³ is at one limit of its throw
with reference to the two opposite ports, as g, one of said ports will be outside of
the ring and in communication with the steam space of the chamber exterior
thereto, and the opposite port will be. within the ring and in communication with
the space formed by the annular passage between said ring and a hub H*; this
position of the ports being clearly illustrated in Figs 2 and 3. The motion of the
gyratory valve H obviously has no effect upon the inlet and outlet passages I
and J one of said passages being constantly in communication with the space
within said annular valve, and the other of said passages with the space of the
valve chambe exterior thereto.
In the operation of the valve described in connection with the form of engine
herein illustrated, the gyratory movement of the valve operates to open and close
the several ports communicating with the ends of the cylinders successively, and
the ports are so constructed and located that as soon as one piston is given its
forward movement and has carried the crank-pin past the dead centre, steam will
be admitted behind the piston at right angles thereto, and cause such piston to
operate, with the piston first mentioned to carry the crank pin through the
quadrant lying between the axial lines of the two adjacent cylinders.
The operation of the said gyratory valve is the same with reference to all four
of the ports shown in the drawings and it is therefore obviously possible to arrange
any number of pairs of parts around the axis of rotation of the valve to operate in
connection with the said valve, according to the number of cylinders it is desired
to group about a single shaft. A single pair of ports will operate equally well in
connection with the valve shown, and such valve may therefore be advantageously
used in connection with a single steam cylinder; and in the latter case, the valve
may be operated by a pin upon the crank shaft, as herein shown, or by suitable
intermediate driving connections as preferred.
In case an annular passage or port J¹ is used as indicated in dotted lines in
Fig. 2, such passage will obviously be constantly in communication at some point'
in its circumference with the space inside of the ring H¹ in the same manner as is
the passage
J shown in full lines in said figure.
The ports
and g¹ may be of any shape found desirable to properly admit the
steam to the cylinders. As herein shown however, the outlines of said ports are
formed upon curves disposed in a manner calculated to cause said ports to be
entirely opened and shut by a relatively slight movement of the valve. For this
purpose the outer margins of the aperture forming the ports are preferably formed
of two short arcs g arranged approximately parallel with the periphery of the
ring H when the port is covered by the ring as illustrated in the case of the
ports gl shown in Fig. 3 and portions of the inner margins of the ports are formed
upon lines g³ approximately concentric with the inner surface of the ring H¹ when'
the ring is in position to cover the ports, as are shown in the case of the ports gl.
shown in Fig. 3.
}

page_text: It is obviously not essential that the gyratory valve above described should be
operated directly from the crank shaft of the engine, and the valve chamber F may
be otherwise located than is herein shown and the valve operated by any suitable
connection with the driving shaft. By actuating the valve directly from the shaft,
however, an exceedingly cheap and simple construction in the engine is obtained;
and an accurate operation of the valve with reference to the ports always results
without the necessity of adjusting or changing the relative location of the ports for
this purpose. The valve described, being hung loosely upon the pivot pin B³, is free
to rotate upon said pin and the gyratory movement of the valve will obviously
tend to produce a slight movement thereof upon its axis of rotation. By this
means, the wearing surfaces in contact are constantly being changed during the
operation of the valve, so that the wear will be uniform throughout such surfaces,
and a perfect joint thereby constantly maintained between the valve and its seat.
The hub H2 of the valve H is preferably fitted closely to the valve seat F1 in
its portion around the shaft B, so as to prevent the escape of steam from the
chamber F through the bearing of the shaft. The opposite side of the said hub
may be extended so as to come in contact with the seat F2, but a space is desirably
left between the hub and the seat, so as to avoid the friction which would be
consequent upon the contact of the parts mentioned and to allow the free move-
ment of steain within the valve.
In order to provide means for gaining access to the interior of the chamber A²
of the engine shown in Figs 1 and 2 and to enable the shaft B to be removed from
the engine when desired, the end wall of said chamber, or a portion thereof
adjacent to the bearing of the shaft B is made removable, such removable part,
as hercin shown, consisting of a circular plate a adopted to cover a circular
aperture in the side of the chamber A formed by an inwardly projecting flange a¹
to which the said plate a is bolted at its margin.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1. The combination, with the crank shaft of a steam engine and a cylinder
provided with a suitable piston and piston-rod of a valve clamber, an annular,
gyratory, valve H located within said chamber driving connections for actuating
the valve from the crank shaft, ports in the said valve chamber communicating by
suitable passages with the said cylinder and located at equal distances from the
centre of motion of the valve, an auxiliary valve chamber K, a centrally open slide
valve within said chamber K, ports, i and j in said chamber K communicating by
suitable passages with said valve chamber F in its portion inside of and exterior
to, the said annular valve, and suitable steam inlet and exhaust passages com-
municating with the said chamber K, substantially as and for the purpose
set forth.
2. The combination, with a steam engine crank shaft, of two or more radially
arranged steam cylinders provided with suitable pistons and piston-rods having
operative connection with the crank pin of the shaft, a valve chamber provided
with opposite parallel valve seats arranged parallel with the axis of the cylinders,
steam ports g and g' in said chamber, located at equal distances from the axis of
the crank shaft and communicating with the said cylinders, steam inlet and
exhaust passages communicating with the said valve chamber, and an annular,
gyratory valve H constructed to operate in connection with the said ports, the said
crank shaft being arranged to extend through one wall of the valve chamber only
and having upon its end a crank pin B3 engaged with and constructed to actuate
the said valve, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
3. The combination with a steam engine cylinder and crank shaft of a valve
chamber F, having opposite parallel valve seats and provided with ports g com-
municating with the cylinder, a shaft B provided with an eccentric or crank pin B³,
and a valve H comprising a central hub H having an aperture ¹ engaged with

page_text: the pin B³, and annular portion H, and arms & connecting said annular portion
with the said hub, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
4. The combination, with a steam engine cylinder and a crank shaft provided
with a cylindrical crank pin B3, of a valve chamber F, having opposite, parallel
valve seats and provided with ports communicating with the cylinder, an annular
gyratory valve H constructed to work in contact with the opposite valve seats and
provided with an aperture h' fitted to the crank pin, whereby the valve may freely
rotate on said pin, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
5. The combination with the steam cylinder and crank shaft of a steam engine,
of a valve chamber F, having opposite parallel valve seats and provided with ports
communicating with the cylinder, an annular, gyratory valve H constructed to
work in contact with the opposite valve seats and provided with a suitable packing
and driving connections between the crank shaft and the said valve constructed to
actuate the latter, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

page_text: Steam BRZINUS.
I, HERBERT JOHN HADDAN, of 67 Strand, in the County of Middlesex, Civil
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention, a communication to me
from abroad by Robert Hall Cowdrey, of Chicago, United States, Manufacturer, and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to an improved construction in steam engines, and has
reference more especially to improvements in the valves for such engines; and the
invention consists in the matter bereinafter described and pointed out and described
in the claims.
The engine herein illustrated as embodying one form of the invention is provided
with four cylinders arranged at equal distances apart around the centre of a crank
shaft having a single crank, the pistons in the opposite cylinder being rigidly con-
nected with yokes having transverse slots with which the crank pin is engaged.
The cylinders are preferably open at their ends adjacent to the crank-shaft, and
steam is adınitted at the outer ends of the cylinders only, the steam pressure being
arranged to operate in alternation upon the opposite rigidly connected piston. The
valve for controlling the admission of steam to the several cylinders, as herein
shown embodies improved features of construction that will hereinafter be
described.
In the drawings filed with provisional specification :-
Fig. 1 is a central vertical section of a steam engine embodying one form of the
invention, taken upon line < x of Fig. 2.
Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the same taken upon line x - - - x of Fig. 1.
--
Fig. 3 is a section taken upon line y- - -y of Fig. 2 showing the valve controlling
the admission of steam to the several cylinders and its seat.
Fig. 4 is a section taken upon line zz of Fig. 2 illustrating devices for
reversing the engine.
As shown in Figs 1 and 2 A A¹ are two pairs of opposite cylinders arranged at
equal distances apart about a single driving shaft B said cylinder being located
radially with reference to the axis of said shaft. In the form of engine herein
shown the cylinders A and A' are cast integral with the walls A² of a central box
or chamber A3 within which a crank B¹ upon the shaft B is located; and the several
cylinders and chambers are supported upon a base A* which also forms the end of
the lower cylinder A.
The shaft B as herein shown is supported in bearings bb in the casting A² one
end of the shaft being arranged to pass outwardly through the bearing 61 which is
provided with a suitable packing to prevent the escape of steam.
The cylinders A and A¹ are provided with pistons C and. C respectively, the said
pistons being rigidly attached to short piston rods cc which are rigidly secured at
their inner ends to yokes D and D' having transverse slots or apertures d d which
are engaged by the crank pin 62 secured in crank discs B' upon the crank shaft.
The crank pin is preferably fitted in bearing blocks E and E¹ constructed to slide

page_text: in the slots d d in the yokes D and D', each of said blocks as herein shown, con-
sisting of two parts ee and e¹ el which are held in contact with the pin by being
held within the slot of the yoke. The blocks E E¹, may however be made in one
piece and slipped in the end of the end of the crank pin, or said blocks may be
made in two pieces and bolted or otherwise fastened together so as to form a single
block.
The inner ends of the cylinders A and A', as shown in Figs 1 2 and 3 and prefer-
ably constructed, are in open communication with the chamber A3 in which the
crank B is located and the several positions are actuated by the admission of steam
and to the several cylinders successively in such manner that each pair operates
alternately upon the crank pin in a direction at right angles to each other. The
opposite pistons C and C¹, in the construction described, being rigidly connected by
means of the piston rods c c¹ and the yokes D and D¹, each opposite pair of pistons
will operate, as far as the action of the steam is concerned, as one piston; that is
to say, the opposite pairs of pistons will be moved in one direction by the pressure
of steam in the outer end of one cylinder and in the other direction by the pressure
in the outer end of the opposite cylinder. By arranging the cylinders and pistons
in the manner above described, the important advantage is gained that stuffing
boxes for the piston rod are entirely dispensed with the only packing connected
with the the cylinders being that upon the pistons. In the construction described,
there will obviously be no steam pressure in the chamber A³, and the packing
shown in the bearing b¹, through which the shaft passes to the outside of the
chamber, is not essential, but is merely used to prevent the escape around the shaft
bearing, of steam that may accidentally enter the said chamber.
As an improved construction in steam valves for engines adapted for use with
one or more steam cylinders, and when said cylinders are or are not arranged as
herein shown, a valve is herein illustrated which is constructed as follows:
In the casting A³, at a point adjacent to the bearing b at the inner end of the
shaft B, is located a valve chamber F, which is preferably circular in form and
concentric with said shaft and is provided with opposite parallel, plain sides forming
valve seats F and F which are arranged in planes at right angles to the axis of
the shaft, the valve seat F¹ being located at the side of the chamber adjacent to
the cylinders. Suitable steam passages G and G¹ are formed at the sides of the
cylinders A and A' and in the casting A2, said passages terminating at their inner
ends in ports g, g', formed in the valve seat F¹ at equal distances from the axis of
the shaft B, as clearly shown in Fig. 3. Within the chamber F, and operating in
contact with the opposite valve seats F1 and F2, is placed a valve H (Figs 2 and 3)
said valve consisting of an outer, annular portion or open ring H₁ fitted closely at
its edges to the valve seats F1 and F2 and joined by means of arms to a central
part or hub H2, which is provided with a central, cylindrical aperture which is
placed over a correspondingly shaped pin B³ attached eccentrically to the end of the
shaft B which extends through the bearing b into the said chamber F. By this
construction it is obvious that when said shaft B is rotated, the valve H will have
a continuous revolving or gyratory motion about the axis of the shaft so as to bring
the ports g and g₁ alternately into communication with the steam inlet and exhaust
passages of the chamber F, as hereinafter more particularly. described.
I
Steam is admitted to the chamber F exterior to the ring H₁ by an inlet passage
and is permitted to escape from the chamber by means of a passage J entering the
central part of the chamber within the said ring, the passage I and J as shown,
being formed in a plate or head A³ forming the bearing surface or valve seat F2,
opposite the valve seat F¹. The passages I and J as herein shown terminate in
ports i and j formed in a valve chamber K, which is provided with a slide valve L
that operates to bring either of said ports into communication with the inlet or
exhaust, as desired in order to enable the direction of the motion of the engine to
be readily reversed, as hereinafter more particularly set forth.
The said passages I and J may however, be connected with suitable pipes so that
they will themselves form the inlet and exhaust passages to the valve chamber F,

page_text: or the inlet and exhaust passages may be otherwise connected with the said valvė
chamber as for instance, as illustrated in dotted lines in Fig. 2, in which an
annular passage, indicated at J, is formed in the casting A2 upon the side of the
chamber adjacent to the cylinders, said annular passage being connected with a
pipe, indicated at J', which may serve either as a steam supply or exhaust pipe, and
in which a separate passage 1', operating in connection with the passage at JI either
as an inlet or exhaust, is also indicated in dotted lines as entering the side wall of
the chamber F.
When the steam inlet and exhaust passages communicate directly with the
chamber F, as last described and indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2; means for
reversing the engine may be entirely dispensed with; or said passages may com-
municate with a four way cock arranged to bring either of them into communication
with the steam supply pipe as desired.
The ring H, before mentioned as forming part of the valve H, is made of the
same width or thickness in both of its opposite bearing faces, so that it will have
the same area of contact with both valve seats F and F¹; and is preferably
provided with a separate packing ring h² constructed to form a steam tight joint
between the valve and the sides of the chamber. Said packing ring may be of any
well known or preferred construction; as for instance, metal or other springs may
be applied to hold the said packing ring and the ring H in contact with the
opposite valve seats, or a steam packing may be formed by the entrance of steam
between the packing ring and the adjacent part of the valve, in a well known
manner.
An important advantage of the construction by which the valve is constructed
with an annular portion H' constructed to operate in contact with the opposite,
parallel valve seats F1 and F' of the chamber F is, that the surfaces of the said
annular port which are in contact with the opposite valve seats being the same,
the steam pressure has no tendency to press the valves against either seat and a
perfectly balanced valve is thereby obtained.
.
The port H' of the valve H is made of such diameter, and the ports g g' are so
located with reference thereto that when the pin B³ is at one limit of its throw
with reference to the two opposite ports, as g, one of said ports will be outside of
the ring and in communication with the steam space of the chamber exterior
thereto, and the opposite port will be within the ring and in communication with
the space formed by the annular passage between said ring and a hub H2; this
position of the ports being clearly illustrated in Figs 2 and 3. The motion of the
gyratory valve H. obviously has no effect upon the inlet and outlet passages I
and J-one of said passages being constantly in communication with the space
within said annular valve, and the other of said passages with the space of the
valve chamber exterior thereto.
In the operation of the valve described in connection with the form of engine
herein illustrated, the gyratory movement of the valve operates to open and close
the several ports communicating with the ends of the cylinders successively, and
the ports are so constructed and located that as soon as one piston is given its
forward movement and has carried the crank-pin past the dead centre, steam will
be admitted behind the piston at right angles thereto, and cause such piston to
operate, with the piston first mentioned to carry the crank pin through the
quadrant lying between the axial lines of the two adjacent cylinders.
The operation of the said gyratory valve is the same with reference to all four
of the ports shown in the drawings and it is therefore obviously possible to arrange
any number of pairs of ports around the axis of rotation of the valve to operate in
connection with the said valve, according to the number of cylinders it is desired
to group about a single shaft. A single pair of ports will operate equally well in
connection with the valve shown, and such valve may therefore be advantageously
used in connection with a single steam cylinder; and in the latter case, the valve
may be operated by a pin upon the crank shaft, as herein shown, or by suitable
intermediate driving connections as preferred,

page_text: In case an annular passage or port J is used as indicated in dotted lines in
Fig. 2, such passage will obviously be constantly in communication at some point
in its circumference with the space inside of the ring H in the same manner as is
the passage J shown in full lines in said figure.
The ports g and g¹ may be of any shape found desirable to properly admit the
steam to the cylinders. As herein shown however, the outlines of said ports are
formed upon curves disposed in a manner calculated to cause said ports to be
entirely opened and shut by a relatively slight movement of the valve. For this
purpose the outer margins of the aperture forming the ports are preferably formed
of two short arcs g² arranged approximately parallel with the periphery of the
ring H when the port is covered by the ring as illustrated in the case of the
ports g shown in Fig. 3 and portions of the inner margins of the ports are formed
upon lines g approximately concentric with the inner surface of the ring H¹ when
the ring is in position to cover the ports, as are shown in the case of the ports g¹
shown in Fig. 3.
;
It is obviously not essential that the gyratory valve above described should be
operated directly from the crank shaft of the engine, and the valve chamber F may
be otherwise located than is herein shown and the valve operated by any suitable
connection with the driving shaft. By actuating the valve directly from the shaft,
however, an exceedingly cheap and simple construction in the engine is obtained
and an accurate operation of the valve with reference to the ports always results
without the necessity of adjusting or changing the relative location of the ports for
this purpose.
The valve described, being hung loosely upon the pivot pin B³, is
free to rotate upon said pin and the gyratory movement of the valve will obviously
tend to produce a slight movement thereof upon its axis of rotation. By this
means, the wearing surfaces in contact are constantly being changed during the
operation of the valve, so that the wear will be uniform throughout such surfaces,
and a perfect joint thereby constantly maintained between the valve and its seat.
The hub of the valve H is preferably fitted closely to the valve seat F¹ in its
portion around the shaft B, so as to prevent the escape of steam from the chamber F
through the bearing of the shaft. The opposite side of the said hub may be
extended so as to come in contact with the seat F, but a space is desirably left
between the hub and the seat, so as to avoid the friction which would be con-
sequent upon the contact of the parts mentioned and to allow the free movement
of steam within the valve.
The means for reversing the engine, consisting of the valve chamber K and slide
valve L operating in connection with the passages I and J as herein before
mentioned, forms the subject matter of another application for patent hereafter to
be made by me, and is herein claimed only in connection with the gyratory valve
described. The construction of this device and its operation in connection with
the said gyratory valve, may be briefly described as follows:
The slide valve L.is of rectangular form and provided with four walls fitted at
their edges to opposite valve seats L and L2 formed in the chamber K, spaces being"
left between the sides of the slide valve and the side walls of the chamber, as
clearly shown in Fig. 4, to permit the passage of steam from one end of the chamber
to the other, around the valve. The said valve is as shown, operated by means of
stein extending through a suitable stuffing box k in the wall of the chamber K,
and is held in position by suitable parallel guides k¹ at either side of the seats L¹
and L of the chamber. The steam inlet passage M is connected with the central
part of the chamber so as to remain constantly in communication with the interior
of the valve L, and the steam exhaust passage N is connected with said chamber in
its portion exterior to the valve. The passages I and J terminate in ports i and j
formed in the valve seats L¹, and the valve L is constructed with transverse end
portions located at the same distance apart as the ports i and j, so that by moving
the valve a distance equal to the width to one of the ports plus the thickness of one of
the parts L, said parts will be carried over the ports in a well known manner. The
said valve is preferably provided with a packing & eonstructed and operating in

page_text: the same manner as described in connection with the packing of the annular form
of valve herein described. When the valve is in the position shown in full lines in
Figs 2 and 4, the passage I is in communication with the steam inlet passage M,
and said passage I thus forms the inlet passage to the valve chamber of the engine,
and the passage is in connection with the exhaust pipe N and thus forms the
exhaust passage. By moving the valve L in the position indicated in dotted lines
in Fig. 4, the functions of the passages I and J are reversed, the passage I being
brought into communication with the exhaust pipe N and the passage J with the
inlet M. The advantages of the reversing valve described, when used in connection
with the gyratory valve, are obvious, the important one being the simplicity and
cheapness of construction thereby attained.
It will be observed that the valve L, having equal bearing faces upon the
opposite valve seats L' and L2 is perfectly balanced, and has no tendency to press
upon one seat more than upon the other the valve L operating, as far as this
feature of construction is concerned substantially in the manner before described in
connection with the gyratory valve herein shown.
In order to provide means for gaining access to the interior of the chamber A²
of the engine shown in Fige 1 and 2 and to enable the shaft B to be removed from
the engine when desired, the end wall of said chamber, or a portion thereof
adjacent to the bearing b¹ of the shaft B is made removable, such removable part,
as herein shown, consisting of a circular plate a adopted to cover a circular aperture
in the side of the chamber A formed by an inwardly projecting flange a a¹ to which
the said plate a is bolted at its margin.
I am aware that a gyratory valve has heretofore been used for controlling the
admission of steam to several cylinders grouped around a common shaft which
extends through the valve chamber and by which the said valve was actuated, and
1 do not, therefore claim broadly such a construction, but the invention as it relates
to the parts above mentioned is limited to a construction in which the shaft
extends through one wall only of the valve chamber and is provided with a crank
pin engaged with the valve, as set forth in the 2nd claim hereto appended.
One particular advantage of the construction last mentioned is that the valve
may thereby remain accurately in position between the opposite valve seats, not-
withstanding any slight change in the position of the shaft caused by the bearings
thereof getting out of line or otherwise, for the reason that the valve is held in
position and guided by the valve seats, the crank pin usually being made relatively
short and slightly rounding so as to permit the said valve to freely adjust itself in
its bearings and to thereby run between the latter without binding. Additional
advantages of this construction are, that the resistance due to the frictional contact
of the moving parts is much lessened by the use of a crank pin instead of an
eccentric upon the shaft, and that the construction is rendered much more simple
than that heretofore used and above referred to, by the absence of a steam packing
around the crank shaft at the outer wall of the valve chamber.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1. The combination, with the crank shaft of a steam engine and a cylinder
provided with a suitable piston and piston-rod of a valve chamber, an annular,
gyratory, valve H located within said chamber driving connections for actuating
the valve from the crank shaft, ports in the said valve chamber communicating by
suitable passages with the said cylinder and located at equal distances from the
centre of motion of the valve, an auxiliary valve chamber K, a centrally open slide
valve within said chamber K, ports, i and j in said chamber K communicating by
suitable passages with said valve chamber F in its portion inside of and exterior
to, the said annular valve, and suitable steam inlet and exhaust passages com-
municating with the said chamber K, substantially as and for the purpose set
forth,

page_text: 2. The combination, with a steam engine crank shaft, of two or more radially
arranged steam cylinders provided with suitable pistons and piston-rods having
operative connection with the crank pin of the shaft, a valve chamber provided
with opposite parallel valve seats arranged parallel with the axis of the cylinders,
steam ports g and g¹ in said chamber, located at equal distances from the axis of
the crank shaft and communicating with the said cylinders, steam inlet and
exhaust passages communicating with the said valve chamber, and an annular,
gyratory valve H constructed to operate in connection with the said ports, the said
crank shaft being arranged to extend through one wall of the valve chamber only
and having upon its end a crank pin B³ engaged with and constructed to actuate
the said valve, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
3. The combination with a steam engine cylinder and crank shaft of a valve
chamber F, having opposite parallel valve seats and provided with ports g.
communicating with the cylinder, a shaft B provided with an eccentric or crank
pin B, and a valve H comprising a central hub H2 having an aperture ¹ engaged
with the pin B³, and annular portion H¹, and arms h connecting said annular
portion with the said hub, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
4. The combination, with a steam engine cylinder and a crank shaft provided
with a cylindrical crank pin B³, of a valve chamber F, having opposite, parallel
valve seats and provided with ports communicating with the cylinder, an annular
gyratory valve H constructed to work in contact with the opposite valve seats and
provided with an aperature ¹ fitted to the crank pin, whereby the valve may
freely rotate on said pin, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
5. The combination with the steam cylinder and crank shaft of a steam engine,
of a valve chamber F, having opposite parallel valve seats and provided with ports
communicating with the cylinder, an annular, gyratory valve H constructed to
work in contact with the opposite valve seats and provided with a suitable
packing and driving connections between the crank shaft and the said valve
constructed to actuate the latter, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
Doted this 9th day of December 1885