Improvements in Steam Engines.
Year: 1899

page_text: Improvements in Steam Engines.
I, MICHAEL FITZ-MICHAEL MULREADY, of 47, Victoria Street, Westminster, in
the County of London, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
My invention relates to an arrangement of single action quick speed steam
engine of very simple construction and action, the working parts of which when
worn can be readily replaced at a moderate expense.
For this purpose the cylinder which is preferably of some length for reasons
hereinafter stated has on opposite sides thereof an inlet port for steam and an
outlet port for exhaust.
The piston of the cylinder is of trunk form and contains a cylindrical cavity
arranged with its axis horizontal and transversely of the piston being open at
both ends so that as the piston reciprocates, the one open end of the cavity passes
the steam port of the cylinder and the other end passes the exhaust port. In
the said cylindrical cavity or preferably in a cylindrical lining fixed therein,
is fitted a cylindrical valve which constitutes the pin of the connecting rod,
whose other end is pivoted to the crank pin of the engine shaft, so that as the
connecting rod, performs its oscillatory motion, it turns the valve to a slight
extent to and fro in its seat formed by the cylindrical cavity of the piston.
The cylindrical valve is divided by a longitudinal partition into two compart-
ments, one of which is open at the end facing the inlet port of the cylinder
and is closed at the other end while the second one is open at the end facing
the exhaust port and closed at the other end.
The peripheries of these two compartments as also their seats are formed with
suitable ports in such manner that by the oscillating motion imparted to the
valve by the connecting rod the ports of the steam compartment thereof uncover
the ports of the seat during the time the valve is passing the inlet port of the
cylinder so that steam can then enter the cylinder through such ports, while
when the valve is passing the exhaust port the ports in the exhaust compart-
ment of the valve establish a communication with the cylinder, so that the
steam can escape from the latter, the steam supply and exhaust being cut off
when the respective edges of the cylindrical piston cavity pass beyond the steam
and exhaust ports. If required the steam supply can be made to continue some
time beyond that point by forming a longitudinal groove extending any desired
length on the periphery of the piston from the edge of the valve seat.
valve is preferably provided on the steam inlet end with an external flange
fitting closely against a corresponding shoulder on the valve seat, so that the
steam pressure in exercising an end thrust on the valve will keep the flange
and shoulder in steam tight contact and thus prevent leakage.
The
The steam entering the interior of the trunk niston from the valve passes
up through the open upper end thereof and in acting on its annular end surface
causes it to perform its forward stroke. The piston is made of sufficient length

page_text: for ensuring that its inner end shall not uncover the steam port of the cylinder
at the end of the out stroke, and in order to prevent waste of steam there is fixed
on the end cover of the cylinder a cylindrical block fitting into the rear end of
the piston so as to fill this out when the piston is at the end of its instroke.
For cushioning the piston at the end of the outstroke, I provide a cylindrical
extension of small diameter at the upper or rear end of the engine cylinder and
formed on the cover thereto in which cylinder is a piston connected by a tail
rod to the engine piston so that as the latter performs its outstroke the air in
the small cylinder will be compressed by its piston.
The tail rod passes through a bush in the cylinder cover serving as packing
and this bush projects into the engine cylinder and serves as means for fixing
the before mentioned filling piece in. the cylinder in the following manner.
The bush has an external screw thread formed on it on which is screwed an
internally threaded sleeve fitted into the upper end of a central longitudinal
perforation of the filling piece through which passes the tail rod. A tubular
metal lining is passed through the perforation of the filling piece, screwing into
the said sleeve at the outer end and having screwed on to its inner end a plate
that bears against the filling piece (which is preferably of wood) and thus secures
this on the tubular lining.
The connecting rod of the engine piston is formed as a flat steel plate with a
threaded cylindrical enlargement at its inner end which screws into a corres-
ponding internally threaded socket formed as an enlargement on the before
mentioned longitudinal partition of the cylindrical valve; the outer end of the
connecting rod plate is secured by bolts or rivets to a lug on an eye that form's
the connecting rod head working on the crank pin. I prefer to arrange the
crank pin removeably in a crank plate. The crank pin is for this purpose made
taper where it fits into the crank plate, the hole of which is correspondingly
tapered. A bolt is passed through a central bore of the crank pin, from the
back of the crank plate against which the head of the bolt bears, while a nut
screwed on to the projecting end of the bolt bears against the end face of the
crank pin and thus secures this firmly in its tapered hole.
I prefer to make the crank shaft with case-hardened surface working in case
hardened steel bushes fitted in a tubular bearing formed on the box shaped
base of the engine. As such case hardened surfaces will run for a long time
without wear, no provision is made for taking up wear, the bushes being simply
replaced by new ones when necessary.
The box shaped base is entirely closed by doors fitting watertight, so that
the base can be kept more or less filled with oil and water of condensation which
will flow down from the cylinder and piston; by this means the slight excess
of pressure produced in the base by the outstroke of the piston will force the
oil through the bearings of the engine shaft.
The said doors are opened for gaining access to the crank pin, crank and
shaft for inspection or for removal and re-fitting.
Dotal this 24th day of Inril 1899
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement;
My invention relates to an arrangement of single action quick speed steam
engine of very simple construction and action, the working parts of which when
worn can be readily replaced at a moderate expense.
I will describe the same with reference to the accompanying drawings, in
which Figs. 1 and 2 shew vertical sections of the engine taken at right angles
to each other, while Figs. 3 to 7 shew detached details.
The cylinder A which is preferably of some length for reasons hereinafter
stated, has on opposite sides thereof an inlet port B for steam and an outlet
port C for exhaust.
The piston 1 of the cylinder is of trunk form and contains a cylindrical
cavity E arranged with its axis horizontal and transversely of the piston, being
open at both ends so that as the piston reciprocates, the one open end of the
cavity passes the steam port B of the cylinder and the other end passes the
exhaust port C. In the said cylindrical cavity or preferably in a cylindrical
lining F fixed therein, is fitted a cylindrical valve G, which constitutes the pin
of the connecting rod H, whose other end is pivoted to the crank pin I of the
engine shaft, so that as the connecting rod H performs its oscillatory motion,
it turns the valve G to a slight extent to and fro in its seat formed by the cylin-
drical cavity of the piston.
The cylindrical valve which is shewn separately in side view and two oppo-
site end views at Figs. 3, 4 and 5 and in sectional plan at Fig. 6, is divided by
a longitudinal partition J into two compartments K K', of which K is open at
the end facing the inlet port B of the cylinder and is closed at the other end
while the second one K¹ is open at the end facing the exhaust port C and closed
at the other end.
The peripheries of these two compartments as also their seats F are formed
with suitable ports, such as shewn at Fig. 2, in such manner that by the oscillat-
ing motion imparted to the valve G by the connecting rod H the ports of the
steam compartment K thereof uncover the ports of the seat F during the time
the valve is passing the inlet port of the cylinder so that steam can then enter
the cylinder A through such ports, while when the valve G is passing the ex-
haust port C, the ports in the exhaust compartment K of the valve establish a
communication with the cylinder, so that the steam can escape from the latter,
the steam supply and exhaust being cut off when the respective edges of the
cylindrical piston cavity E pass beyond the steam and exhaust ports. If required,
the steam supply can be made to continue some time beyond that point by form-
ing a longitudinal groove extending any desired length on the periphery of the
piston from the edge of the valve seat." The valve G is preferably provided on
the steam inlet end with an external flange G¹ fitting closely against a corres-
ponding shoulder on the valve seat, so that the steam pressure in exercising
an end thrust on the valve will keep the flange and shoulder in steam tight
contact and thus prevent leakage.
The steam entering the interior of the trunk piston D from the valve G passes
up through the open upper end thereof and in acting on its annular end surface
causes it to perform its downward or forward stroke. The piston is made of
sufficient length for ensuring that its inner end shall not uncover the steam
port B of the cylinder at the end of the down or out stroke, and in order to
prevent waste of steam there is fixed on the end cover L of the cylinder, a cylin-
drical block M fitting into the upper or rear end of the piston so as to fill this
out when the piston is at the end of its up or instroke, as shewn at Figs. 1 and 2.
For cushioning the piston at the end of the outstroke. I provide a cylindrical
extension N of small diameter at the upper or rear end of the engine cylinder
and formed on the cover thereto, in which cylinder is a piston 0 connected by
a tail rod P to the engine piston at D¹ so that as the latter performs its out-
stroke the air in the small cylinder N will be compressed by its piston 0.

page_text: The tail rod passes through a bush Q in the cylinder cover serving as packing
and this bush projects into the engine cylinder and serves as means for fixing
the before mentioned filling piece in the cylinder in the following manner.
The bush Q has an external screw thread formed on it, on which is screwed
an internally threaded sleeve R fitted into the upper end of a central longi-
tudinal perforation of the filling piece M through which passes the tail rod P.
A tubular metal lining S is passed through the perforations of the filling piece,
screwing into the said sleeve R at the outer end and having screwed on to its
inner end a plate T that bears against the filling piece (which is preferably of
wood) and thus secures this on the tubular lining.
The connecting rod H of the engine piston is formed as a flat steel plate with
a threaded cylindrical enlargement H at its upper or inner end which screws
into a corresponding internally threaded socket J formed as an enlargement on
the before mentioned longitudinal partition J of the cylindrical valve G, the
outer end of the connecting rod plate is secured by bolts or rivets to a lug U1
on an eye U that forms the connecting rod head working on the crank pin I.
I prefer to arrange the crank pin removably in a crank plate V. The crank
pin is for this purpose made taper where it fits into the crank plate, the hole of
which is correspondingly tapered. A bolt W is passed through a central bore
of the crank pin from the back of the crank plate against which the head Wi
of the bolt bears, while a nut screwed on to the projecting end of the bolt
bears against the end face of the crank pin and thus secures this firmly in its
tapered hole.
I prefer to make the crank shaft X with case-hardened surface working in
case hardened steel bushes Y fitted in a tubular bearing Z₁ formed on the box
shaped base Z of the engine. As such case-hardened surfaces will run for a
long time without wear, no provision is made for taking up wear, the bushes Y
being simply replaced by new ones when necessary.
The box shaped base Z is entirely closed by a door a shewn detached at Fig. 7,
fitting watertight, so that the base can be kept more or less filled with oil and
water of condensation which will flow down from the cylinder and piston; by
this means the slight excess of pressure produced in the base by the down or
outstroke of the piston will force the oil through the bearings of the engine
shaft.
The said door is opened for gaining access to the crank pin, crank and shaft
for inspection or for removal and refitting. A second small door is provided at b
through which the bolt W which holds the crank pin in place may be removed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. The improved construction of steam engine combined and operating sub-
stantially as herein described.
2. The combination of the trunk piston D with cylindrical cavity E, the
cylindrical valve G divided by a longitudinal partition J into two compart-
ments K K¹ communicating respectively with the steam inlet and the exhaust,
and the connecting rod I fixed to valve G by screwing into a threaded boss on
the partition J, the said parts being arranged and operating as herein described
with reference to the drawings.
Dated this 18th day of January 1900.