System of Distributing Gear for Cylinders and other Apparatus Operated by Motive Fluids.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application (in United Kingdom), 24th Mar., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 21st Dec.. 1894-Accepted, 16th Feb., 1895
System of Distributing Gear for Cylinders and other Apparatus
Operated by Motive Fluids.
I JAMES TIBURCE FÉLIX CONTI, of 54 Rue de la Chaussée d'Antin, Paris,
France, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
In the numerous cases where steam, compressed air or other fluid is employed
as the motive power agent and for operating accessory apparatus or machines for
performing given work it is frequently necessary that an exact correlation should
be maintained between the action upon said accessory apparatus and the precise
moment of the action produced or of the effects thereof in the motor cylinder.
I attain this result by means of the improved system of distribution which forms
the subject of the present application for Letters Patent and which consists in
actuating all the organs of distribution from the same shaft, so that only one motion
is required.
The system is susceptible of numerous applications and generally in all cases in
which the motive fluid serves either directly or otherwise, to operate accessory
apparatus appertaining either to the motor itself or to machines operated
therefrom.
In order to define the invention, I will describe one of the chief applications
of my system to a compressed air tramway car wherein the air used for the motor
is also employed to operate the brakes.
Figure 1 is a transverse section and Figure 2 a longitudinal section of the
distributing apparatus.
Figure 3 represents an accessory apparatus which in this particular case serves
to progressively regulate the pressure by which the brake gear is operated.
It is supposed that the traincar is provided with two kinds of brakes, viz., an
ordinary brake and a safety skid brake, both of which are operated by a com-
pressed air cylinder supplied from the reservoir or connected to a branch on the air
supply pipe to the motor. In this case, when on descending a gradient, for
example, it is desired to apply first the ordinary and then the safety brake it is
necessary to have previously shut off the air from the motor cylinders. These
different movements require to be effected successively in a given order and there
would be danger of injuring the machinery if this order were reversed. My
improvements render impossible any such inversion whilst simplifying the operation
and combining the several movements in one. With this object 1 employ a single
shaft A extending the whole length of the framing of the vehicle, and provided
at each end with a crank handle to enable the distributing mechanism to be operated
while travelling in one or other direction.

page_text: The distributing gear is composed of four cocks R, R1, R2, R³, operated in
succession by a toothed segment P upon the shaft A, which is prevented from
making a complete revolution by a double acting pawl B hereinafter described, in
the path of the crank handle by which the shaft is operated.
In the present example the distributing gear is supposed to be applied to a
system of tramear propulsion in which two motor cylinders of different areas are
worked on the compound principle. By means of the cock R' the compound may
in certain cases be replaced by simple action. This cock has four ways, the
first a communicating with the admission to the large cylinder, the second & with
the exhaust from the small cylinder, the third c with the open air and the fourth d
with the compressed air inlet from the reservoirs. The plug of this cock has two
cavities for coupling the ways in pairs. The position of this cock shown in
Figure 1 is that for compound working, that is to say, the inlet orificed for com-
pressed air from the reservoirs is closed and the eduction b from the small cylinder
is coupled to the induction a to the large cylinder. On rotating the shaft A to a
given extent in the direction of the arrow, the toothed segment P gears with a
corresponding toothed segment upon cock R' and turns it. When turned to its
full extent the stop B will meet the crank handle and prevent its further move-
ment, thus placing the orifices c, bin communication with each other, at same time
that orifice d is also put in communication with a, so that the exhaust from the
small cylinder will be open to the atmosphere and the air pressure to the large
cylinder. In order to then act on cock R2, as the stop B prevents further rotation
in the same direction, the segment P must be rotated in the opposite direction, so
as to return cock R₁ to the position represented in Figure 1 and continue the
movement until the segment P gears with that of cock R2. In this figure the
orifice e opens to the atmosphere, orifice d communicates with the reservoir and
orifice e with the induction to the small cylinder. The movement indicated would
place the small cylinder in communication with the atmosphere whereas it is shewo
in the figure as in communication with the pressure. On continuing to rotate the
crank handle in the same direction, it will be seen that the small cylinder remains
open to the atmosphere, the toothed segment on cock R³ which operates the
ordinary brake is rotated by the segment P so as to admit the air pressure through
orifice to the cylinder which operates the brake blocks which it enters by
passage. The position represented in the figure shows this cylinder as being in
communication with the atmosphere. The same effect is produced upon the cock R
by which the air pressure is admitted to the safety skid brake on continuing to
turn the crank handle.
From the foregoing it will be understood that in order to operate the brakes it
was first necessary to put the motor cylinders in communication with the
atmosphere; as the stop B is a double one, the movement of the crank handle will
then be arrested and it should be returned to the position for normal working
shown in Figure 1.
In
To guard against the effects of vibration, I provide a means for locking the
toothed segments of each of the cocks in one or other of the extreme positions,
consisting of a spring latch L Figure 2 engaging in a notch g³ in said segment.
To enable the segments to be released the locking lever L is provided with a
friction roller bearing against a cam S, keyed on shaft A and provided with
swells suitably disposed for forcing the latch out of the notch." For certain
purposes the admission of the motive fluid requires to be gradual, as well in one
direction as the other and this is especially necessary in acting on the brakes.
order to produce these graduations of pressure in the several positions of shaft A,
the regulating apparatus represented in vertical section in Figure 3 is employed in
connection with the distributing gear. This apparatus comprises two parallel
cylinders c', c connected by a passage c. The cylinder c' contains a double piston
whose two heads p p² are connected by a rod t'. The lower piston is pressed by
a coiled spring bearing against the end of a loose sleeve m having at its outer
end a friction roller which bears against a cam disc D keyed on shaft A whereby

page_text: an inward and outward movement is imparted to the piston the face of said cam-
disc having inclines which act on the friction roller g, so as to produce the inward
and outward movements of the sleeve. By the rising or inward movement the
spring is compressed and caused to bear against the piston pl.
The cylinder is also provided with a double piston p, p, united by a rod t³,
and connected to that of pistons p, p', by links b', b, respectively jointed at l¹, 1ª, to
a lever arm l, oscillating upon a centre F.
The piston pt, when in its position of rest is opposite to and closes the ports t
which communicate with an annular channel g', to which the pipes is connected.
The space comprised between the two pistons p³, p, is in constant communication
with the pressure reservoir and is put in communication with ports t by the rising
movement of piston p, while its downward movement places the ports t in com-
munication with the upper end of the cylinder 2 which is open to the atmosphere.
The pipes is in communication by the pipe o with the upper end of the cylinder c',
and the passage a being connected with the compressed air reservoir the apparatus
is connected by means of the pipes with the pressure inlet orifices d of the cocks
of the distributing gear corresponding to the brakes. So long as the sleeve m
exerts no pressure upon spring and supposing cock R³ to be open, the regulator
will not admit pressure thereto, until one of the inclines of cam disc D raises the
sleeve m, compresses spring r, and slightly raises piston p-p². As this movement,
multiplied by the difference of the arms of lever L will be transmitted to
piston p-p the latter will uncover the ports and admit pressure to pipes and
thence by pipe o to piston p whereby the movement of piston p will be reversed and
spring compressed, the piston being thus returned to its initial position in which
equilibrium is again established when the pressure on p equals that of spring r
beneath piston p³, the pressure on the spring being proportional to the height to
which the sleeve m is raised. The downward movement of the sleeve produces a
like movement of the pistons p³, p*, the latter in uncovering the ports t and opening
them to the atmosphere reduces the pressure upon piston p and establishes
equilibrium between it and the spring.
Dated this 24th day of March 1894
J. T. F. CONTI,
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.
System of Distributing Gear for Cylinders and other Apparatus
Operated by Motive Fluids.
I, JAMES TIBURCE FÉLIX CONTI, of 54, Rue de la Chaussée d'Antin, Paris,
France, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement :—
In the numerous cases where steam, compressed air, or other fluid, is employed
as the motive power agent and for operating accessory apparatus or machines for
performing given work, it is frequently necessary that an exact correlation should
be maintained between the action upon said accessory apparatus and the precise
moment of the action produced or of the effects thereof in the motor cylinder.
I attain this result by means of the improved system of distribution which forms
the subject of the present application for Letters Patent and which consists in
actuating all the organs of distribution from the same shaft, so that only one motion
is required.
The system is susceptible of numerous applications and generally in all cases in

page_text: which the motive fluid serves, either directly or otherwise, to operate accessory
apparatus appertaining either to the motor itself or to machines operated therefrom.
In order to define the invention, I will describe one of the chief applications of
my system to a compressed air tramway car wherein the air used for the motor is
also employed to operate the brakes.
Referring to the drawings filed with my Provisional Specification,
Figure 1 is a transverse section and Figure 2 a longitudinal section of the
distributing apparatus.
Figure 3 represents an accessory apparatus which, in this particular case, serves
to progressively regulate the pressure by which the brake gear is operated.
It is supposed that the tramcar is provided with two kinds of brakes, viz.:-an
ordinary brake and a safety skid brake, both of which are operated by a compressed
air cylinder supplied from the reservoir or connected to a branch on the air supply
pipe to the motor. In this case, when, on descending a gradient for example, it is
desired to apply first the ordinary and then the safety brake, it is necessary to
have previously shut off the air from the motor cylinders. These different move-
ments require to be effected successively in a given order and there would be
danger of injuring the machinery if this order were reversed. My improvements
render impossible any such inversion, whilst simplifying the operation and combining
the several movements in one. With this object I employ a single shaft A
extending the whole length of the framing of the vehicle and provided at each end
with a crank handle to enable the distributing mechanisin to be operated while
travelling in either direction.
The distributing gear is composed of four cocks R, R', R2, R³, operated in
succession by a toothed segment P upon the shaft A which is prevented from
making a complete revolution by a double acting pawl B hereinafter described, in
the path of the crank handle by which the shaft is operated.
In the present example the distributing gear is supposed to be applied to a
system of tramcar propulsion in which two motor cylinders of different areas are
worked on the compound principle. By means of the cock R¹ the compound, may,
in certain cases, be replaced by simple, action. This cock has four ways, the first a
communicating with the admission to the large cylinder, the second 6 with the
exhaust from the small cylinder, the third c with the open air, and the fourth d
with the compressed air inlet from the reservoirs. The plug of this cock has two
cavities for coupling the ways in pairs. The position of this cock, shewn in
Figure 1, is that for compound working, that is to say the inlet orifice d for com-
pressed air from the reservoirs is closed and the eduction from the small cylinder
is coupled to the induction a to the large cylinder. On rotating the shaft A to a
given extent in the direction of the arrow, the toothed segment P gears with a
corresponding toothed segment upon cock R' and turns it. When the cock R' is
turned to its full extent the stop B will meet the crank handle and prevent its
further movement, thus placing the orifices c, b, in communication with each other,
at same time that orifice d is also put in communication with a so that the exhaust
from the small cylinder will be open to the atmosphere and the air pressure to the
large cylinder. In order to then act on cock R2, as the stop B prevents further
rotation in the same direction, the segment P must be rotated in the opposite
direction, so as to return cock R' to the position represented in Figure 1 and
continue the movement until the segment P gears with that of cock R². In this
figure the orifice c opens to the atmosphere, orifice d communicates with the
reservoir and orifice e with the induction to the small cylinder. The movement
indicated would place the small cylinder in communication with the atmosphere,
whereas it is shewn in the figure as in communication with the pressure.
continuing to rotate the crank bandle in the same direction, it will be seen that the
small cylinder remains open to the atmosphere, the toothed segment on cock R³
which operates the ordinary brake is rotated by the segment P so as to admit the
air pressure through orificed to the cylinder which operates the brake blocks, which
it enters by passage f. The position represented in the figure shews this cylinder
On

page_text: as being in communication with the atmosphere. The same effect is produced upon
the cock R by which the air pressure is admitted to the safety skid brake on
continuing to turn the crank handle.
From the foregoing it will be understood that in order to operate the brakes it
was first necessary to put the motor cylinders in communication with the atino-
sphere, as the stop B is a double one the movement of the crank handle will then be
arrested and it should be returned to the position for normal working shewn in
Figure 1.
In
To guard against the effects of vibration I provide a means for locking the
toothed segments of each of the cocks in one or other of the extreme positions,
consisting of a spring latch L, Figure 2, engaging in a notch g³ in said segment.
To enable each of the segments to be released, the locking lever L is provided
with a friction roller h bearing against a cam S keyed on shaft A and provided
with swells suitably disposed for forcing the latch out of the notch. For certain
purposes the admission of the motive fluid requires to be gradual, as well in one
direction as the other, and this is especially necessary in acting on the brakes
order to produce these graduations of pressure in the several positions of shaft A,
the regulating apparatus represented in vertical section in Figure 3 is employed in
connection with the distributing gear. This apparatus comprises two parallel
cylinders c¹, c², connected by a passage c. The cylinder c¹ contains a double piston
whose two heads p, p', are connected by a rod t. The lower piston is pressed
by a coiled spring bearing against the end of a loose sleeve m having at its outer
end a friction roller y which bears against a cam disc D keyed on shaft A whereby
an inward and outward movement is imparted to the piston, the face of said cam
disc having inclines which act on the friction roller g, so as to produce the inward
and outward movements of the sleeve. By the rising or inward movement the
spring is compressed and caused to bear against the piston p'. The cylinder c² is
also provided with a double piston p³, p, united by a rod t and connected to that
of pistons p, p, by links, b², respectively jointed at ', 12, to a lever arm / oscil-
lating upon a centre F. The piston when in its position of rest is opposite to,
and closes, the ports t which communicate with an annular channel ', to which the
pipes is connected. The space comprised between the two pistons p³, p, is in
constant communication with the pressure reservoir and is put in communication
with ports t by the rising movement of piston p', while its downward movement
places the ports t in communication with the upper end of the cylinder 2 which is
open to the atmosphere. The pipe s is in communication, by the pipe o, with the
upper end of the cylinder c, and the passage a being connected with the compressed
air reservoir, the apparatus is connected by means of the pipes with the pressure
inlet orifices d of the cocks of the distributing gear corresponding to the brakes.
So long as the sleeve m exerts no pressure upon spring r, and supposing cock R³
to be open, the regulator will not admit pressure thereto until one of the inclines of
cam disc D raises the sleeve m, compresses spring r, and slightly raises piston p, p²,
this movement, multiplied by the difference of the arms of lever L, will be trans-
mitted to piston p, p, the latter will uncover the ports t, and admit pressure to
pipes and thence by pipe o to piston p whereby the movement of piston p will be
reversed and spring r compressed, the piston being thus returned to its initial
position in which equilibrium is again established when the pressure on p equals
that of spring beneath piston p', the pressure on the spring being proportional to
the height to which the sleeve m is raised. The downward movement of the
sleeve produces a like movement of the piston p³, p, which latter in uncovering the
ports and opening them to the atmosphere reduces the pressure upon piston p and
establishes equilibrium between it and the spring.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1st. A system of distributing gear for motive fluids in which the cocks or slide

page_text: valves controlling the admission to the accessory parts of the motor or motors are
actuated in one direction and at given moments by the action of a toothed segment
keyed on a single shaft, which is capable of being operated in both directions
without, however, making an entire revolution, as shewn and described.
2nd. The combination, with a system of distributing gear herein before described
and claimed, of a regulating apparatus consisting of a pair of cylinders in each of
which moves a double piston, the two double pistons being connected by means of
links coupled to a lever, as shewn and described, the whole having for object to
admit and regulate in both directions the pressure to be utilized.
3rd. The particular application of the herein described distributing gear to
tramway cars operated by compressed air in which the several air admissions are
controlled from either end of the car, in the manner described.
Dated this 21st day of December 1894.
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.