IMPROVE- MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF ENGINES WORKED BY STEAM OR OTHER MOTIVE POWER
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Simpson and Alfred Gardner, both
of Ilford, in the County of Essex, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF ENGINES WORKED BY STEAM OR OTHER MOTIVE
POWER."
Sealed the 1st June 1869, and dated the 1st March 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Simpson and
Alfred Gardner at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 1st March 1869.
We, WILLIAM SIMPSON and ALFRED GARDNER, both of Ilford, in the
County of Essex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF ENGINES WORKED BY STEAM OR OTHER
MOTIVE POWER," to be as follows:-
The first feature of novelty of this Invention consists in combining
together two truly bored cylinders fixed one within the other, the ends
thereof being enclosed by cylinder lids or a top and bottom lid
according to the description of engine, whether horizontal or vertical.

page_text: The innermost cylinder which should be turned, bored, and ground
true and smooth both on the inside and outside is fitted with a solid
piston of the ordinary kind, and the space between the aforesaid inner
cylinder and the outer cylinder in which it is placed concentrically is
fitted with an annular shaped piston or flat ring, the inner and outer
peripheries whereof are fitted with suitable steam or vapour tight
packings, the inside of the aforesaid outermost cylinder being also truly
bored and ground. The inner piston is fitted with a piston rod of the
ordinary kind, and the outer or annular piston has two piston rods
affixed thereto one above and the other below or at each side of the
central piston rod, and in a line with the centre thereof. These three
piston rods work through stuffing boxes in the cylinder lid and are
connected by their outer ends to a vertical crosshead or casting
supposing the engine to be a horizontal one, in which case we fix
another similar compound cylinder fitted with pistons, piston rod, and a
crosshead as 'before, the cylinders being bolted in proper position to a
bed or foundation plate. The two crossheads before mentioned we
connect together by six tie rods, the two central rods serving as guides
for relieving the weight of the pistons and rods and for causing them
to move in a straight line by means of a collar fixed on the excentric or
driving shaft of the engine, which shaft extends across the bed plate of
the engine at right angles to the aforesaid piston and tie rods, and
works in bearings centrally between the two guide rods, the diameter of
the aforesaid collar being equal to the space between the said rods. We
also fix an excentric plate on the said shaft, the diameter of the said
plate being equal to the space between the two crossheads aforesaid,
between which the periphery of the said excentric plate is intended to
fit and revolve, the throw of the said excentric plate being equal to the
length of the stroke of the pistons. The said excentric plate, which is
intended to replace the ordinary crank, forms an important feature of
novelty in this Invention as by the pressure of one or other of the
crossheads against the edge of the said excentric plate we are enabled
to convert the reciprocating motion of the piston rods into rotatory
motion of the main driving shaft on which the excentric plate is fixed.
Another feature of novelty in this Invention consists in making
one slide to serve the purpose of opening the several ports or passages
by which the steam or other motive power is to enter and leave the
compound cylinders at the proper times.

page_text: The operations of an engine of the above construction are as
follows: Suppose steam to be the motive power employed the steam is
admitted into the inner cylinder at full pressure and after it has impelled
the piston to the extent of its range of action, it is then allowed to
pass therefrom into the outer cylinder, and there act expansively and
finally passes out at the exhaust. For marine engines it will be desirable
to employ two engines of the above construction, taking care to place
the excentric of one engine in advance of the excentric of the other
engine to assist in passing the null points as is now the case with engines
worked with cranks. We would also remark that in constructing vertical
engines. on the above principle one compound cylinder only may be.
employed with two crossheads, tic rods, and guide rods as above stated.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Simpson and Alfred Gardner in the.
Great Scal Patent Office on the 1st September 1869..
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, WILLIAM
SIMPSON and ALFRED GARDNER, both of Ilford, in the County of Essex,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the First day of March, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the thirty-
second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,.
give and grant unto us, the said William Simpson and Alfred Gardner,.
Her special licence that we, the said William Simpson and Alfred
Gardner, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
we, the said William Simpson and Alfred Gardner, our executors, ad-
ministrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,
from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein
expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend,
within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CON-
STRUCTION OF ENGINES WORKED BY STEAM OR OTHER MOTIVE POWER," upon the
condition (amongst others) that we, the said William Simpson and
Alfred Gardner, our executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under our, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should par-

page_text: ticularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in
what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be
filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next
and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said William Simpson and Alfred
Gardner, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement, that is to say :-
This Invention has for its object a new mode of converting the
reciprocating motion of the piston rod into rotary motion of the main
driving shaft without the use of a crank as heretoforc.
And in order to explain our said Invention more completely, we now
proceed to describe the best means we are acquainted with for carrying
the same into practical effect, reference being had to the illustrative
Sheet of Drawings accompanying these Presents, and to the numeral
figures and letters of reference marked thereon as follows:-
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 represents an elevation drawn to a scale of one inch to a
foot of our arrangement adapted for a 20 horse-power engine con-
structed with one piston rod; Figure 2 is an edge view of Figure 1;
Figures 3 and 4 are similar views of a modification of the arrangement
shewn at Figures 1 and 2 drawn to a scale of one inch and a half to
a foot; Figures 5 and 6 are sections through the lines A, B, and C, D,
of Figures 1 and 3; Figures 7, 8, and 9, 10 respectively represent
similar views to Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, shewn applied to three piston rods.
At each of the Figures of the Drawing we employ similar letters of
reference to denote corresponding parts in so far as such parts appear
or can be seen at each of such said Figures respectively.
A, B, mark two crossheads embracing the excentric plate C at
opposite points of its periphery throughout its rotation; D and E are
tie and guide rods for securing the crossheads A, B, at a parallel distance
from each other, so as to allow the plate C to rotate freely between
them without play or shake. G is the driving shaft of the engine on
which the plate Ċ is keyed or otherwise fixed; H is the piston rod
keyed to the boss a of the crosshead A. The plate C is formed with
a boss I in which is turned a groove which fits in between the rods E

page_text: as shewn at Figure 5 to preserve the vertical or direct movement of
the piston rod. The Drawing at Figures 1 and 2 shews the aforesaid
boss made smaller and plain or without a groove in its periphery, and
in this case there is a boss formed at each side of the plate C as at
Figure 6, which fits between the rods E for preserving the direct action
of the piston rod as above stated.
plate C, and in like manner the crosshead B pushes against the plate C
in the inward stroke of the piston, in both cases the boss a and guides D
and E preserves the direct action of the piston rod.
Having now fully described and set forth the nature and object of
our said Invention for "Improvements in the Construction of Engines
worked by Steam or other Motive Power," we would remark in con-
clusion that what we claim as our Invention intended to be secured
to us by the hercin-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the general
combination and arrangement of the parts above described and shewn
in the Drawing in the construction of engines worked by steam or
other motive power whereby the reciprocating motion of the piston
rod is converted into rotary motion of the driving shaft.
In witness whereof, we, the said William Simpson and Alfred
Gardner, have hereunto set our hands and scals, this Twenty-
seventh day of August, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and sixty-nine,
W. SIMPSON. (L.S.)
A. GARDNER. (L.S.)