Improvements relating to the Distribution of the Fluid in Steam and other Engines and to Apparatus therefor.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Mar., 1898
Complete Specification Left, 7th Nov., 1898-Accepted, 10th Dec., 1898
Improvements relating to the Distribution of the Fluid in Steam and
other Engines and to Apparatus therefor.
I, CHARLES HYDE BEADLE, of Clarendon Quay, Birmingham Road, Cowes, Isle
of Wight, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention has for its main object to provide for the distribution of the fluid
in steam and other engines with less friction than is practicable with the sliding
or oscillating valves heretofore employed.
My said invention is further designed to provide simple and efficient means
for distributing the fluid in engines of the kind or class wherein rotary motion
is imparted to a shaft by means of studs or rollers mounted on reciprocating
piston-rods and acting upon inclined or zig-zag projections or ribs extending
around the said shaft or around a 'drum fixed thereon, or working in zig-zag
grooves extending around the said shaft or drum.
According to my said invention, I so construct and combine rotary distributing
valves with each other, and with corresponding valve-seats that the said valves
will be very accurately balanced, and consequently there will be but a slight
amount of friction between the said valves and their seats.
For this purpose I arrange the valve-seats opposite each other one at each end
of the cylinder or cylinders, and I arrange between the said valves one or more
suitable distance-pieces which will rotate with the said valves and will prevent
increase of friction between the valves and their seats by the fluid-pressure acting
upon the outer sides of the said valves. It will, therefore, be seen that the sur-
faces in contact that resist the fluid-pressure on the valves, will rotate with the
said valves and have no motion relatively to each other.
I find it advantageous to make the rotary valves with hollow or tubular stems
which extend from their inner sides and are of such length that their adjacent
ends, which are preferably provided with flanges, will come in contact with and
bear against each other when the valves come in contact with their seats respect-
ively. The fluid-pressure acting upon the outer sides of the said valves in inverse
directions will, therefore, simply press the said valve-stems more tightly against
each other, but cannot increase the friction between the valves and their seats.
And, as the said valves rotate at, the same rate of speed, the ends of their stems
in contact will not move relatively to each other, and consequently there will
be no rubbing or friction between these ends. The said valves can, therefore,
be so accurately fitted to their seats as to be fluid-tight with a minimum of
friction. Instead of the hollow or tubular stems on the valves, I can, if desired,
arrange a separate distance-piece between the two valves or provide other' suit-
able means for maintaining them a predetermined distance apart and thus
preventing their being pressed too forcibly against their seats.
My improved distributing valves aro applicable with great advantage to en-

page_text: gines of the kind or class more particularly herein before referred to, as the
cylinders in such engines are parallel with the axis of the main shaft, and I can,
therefore, mount the valves on the main shaft itself. For this purpose I prefer
to make the said valves with flanged hollow or tubular stems as above mentioned,
and to connect them with the shaft by means of a key or feather fixed in the
shaft and fitting, into longitudinal key-ways in the said stems. When I con-
struct an engine of this kind with my improved balanced valves, I am enabled
to so arrange the ports in the valves and valve-seats that the admission-port at
either end of the cylinder will be fully open before the piston commences its
stroke, I thus make sure of utilizing the full pressure of the fluid from the very
commencement of the stroke.
:
:
"
I also apply my improved balanced valves to crank-engines and to rotary en-
gines, the said valves being mounted upon the main shaft, or upon a separate.
rotary shaft driven by gearing therefrom, as may be necessary or desirable.
I provide suitable means for altering the relative positions of the valves for
the purpose of reversing the engines. For this purpose I sometimes use differ-
ential gearing and I sometimes employ a valve-spindle slotted over the angle
required to move the valve and arranged to move to and fro. Or I provide other
suitable means for reversing the motion of the engines.
My improved valves can be adapted, either for high-pressure engines or for
condensing, compound or multiple-expansion engines. They are formed with
suitable steam and exhaust ports, and corresponding ports are formed in the
cylinder or cylinders. In the case of, compound, or multiple-expansion cylinders,
I sometimes provide a receiver on the back of the valve, if, necessary, for putting
the exhaust-port of the valve in communication with, the admission-port of the
low-pressure or intermediate cylinder.
Deted this 19th dan L. Wa…..1 1000.
D. YOUNG, & CO.,.
11 & 12 Southampton, Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents, for the Applicant:
Improvements relating to the Distribution of the Fluid in Steam and
other Engines and to Apparatus therefor.
I, CHARLES HYDE BEADLE, of Clarendon Quay, Birmingham Road, Cowes, Isle
of Wight, 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:-
My invention has for its main object to provide for the distribution of the fluid
in steam and other fluid-pressure, engines, with, less, friction than is practicable
with the sliding or. oscillating valves, heretofore, employed:
My said invention is, further, designed to provide in a more simple and efficient
manner than heretofore, for the distribution of the fluid in engines of the kind
or class wherein the axis of the main shaft is parallel with the axes of the
cylinders, and rotary motion is imparted to the said shaft by means of studs or
rollers mounted on reciprocating piston-rods, and acting upon one or more in-
clined or zig-zag, projections or ribs extending around the said shaft or around
a drum fixed thereon, or working in one or more zig-zag grooves extending
around the said shaft or drum.
200

page_text: The main feature of my said invention consists in the. construction_and_ar-
rangement of rotary distributing-valves in such a manner that the said valves
will be very accurately balanced and cannot be forcibly pressed against their
seats by the fluid-pressure, and consequently there will be but a slight amount
of friction between the said valves and their seats, and this friction will be un-.
affected by variations of the fluid-pressure.
For this purpose I arrange the rotary valves opposite each other and between
the same I provide one or more suitable distance-pieces which will rotate with
the said valves and will prevent increase of friction between the valves and their
seats by the fluid-pressure acting upon the outer sides of the said valves. It will,
therefore, be seen that all the surfaces in contact that are employed to resist the
fluid-pressure on the valves, will rotate with the said valves and will have no
motion relatively to each other.
I find it advantageous to make the rotary valves with hollow or tubular stems
which extend from their inner sides and which are of such length that, when
their adjacent ends are pressed firmly against each other, the valves will be in
close enough contact with their seats respectively to form fluid-tight joints. The
fluid-pressure acting upon the outer sides of the said valves in inverse directions
will, therefore, simply press the said valve stems more tightly against each
other, but cannot increase the friction between the valves and their seats. And,
as the said valves rotate at the same rate of sneed, the ends of their stems in
contact will not move relatively to each other, and consequently there will be
no rubbing or friction between these ends. The said valves can, therefore, be
so accurately fitted to their seats as to be fluid-tight with a minimum of friction.
Instead of making the valves with hollow or tubular stems, I sometimes arrange
one or more separate distance-pieces between the two valves, or I provide other
suitable means for maintaining the said valves a predetermined distance apart
and thus preventing their being pressed too forcibly against their seats and at the
same time diminishing the friction as above described.
My improved distributing-gear is applicable with great advantage to engines
of the kind or class more particularly hereinbefore referred to, as I can mount
the valves; on the main shaft, the axis of the latter, in such engines, being
parallel with the cylinders. For this purpose I prefer to make the said valves
with hollow or tubular stems as above described, and to connect them with the
engine-shaft or with a spindle in axial alignment with the said shaft in such a
manner that they will rotate therewith. In constructing an engine of this kind
with my improved balanced valves, I am enabled, if desired to so arrange the
ports in the valves and valve-seats that the admission-port at either end of the
cylinder will be fully opened before the piston commences its stroke, I can thus
make sure of utilizing the full pressure of the fluid from the very commencement
of the stroke.
I also apply my improved balanced valves to crank-engines and to rotary en-
gines, the said valves being mounted upon the main shaft or upon a separate
rotary shaft driven by gearing therefrom as may be found necessary or desirable.
When necessary I provide suitable means for altering the position of the valves
relatively to the cylinder-ports for the purpose of varying the cut-off or reversing
the engine. For this purpose I sometimes use differential gearing whereby a
valve-spindle in axial alignment with the engine-shaft can be turned about its
axis relatively to the said shaft without interfering with the driving-connection
between the said shaft and spindle; or I. provide means whereby the said valve-
spindle can be moved to and fro relatively to the shaft and in such. to-and-fro
movement will be turned through the required angle to reverse the engine; or
I provide other suitable means for varying the cut-off or reversing the motion of
the engine.
In the accompanying drawings:
Figure 1 is a central longitudinal section of an engine of the kind or class
hereinbefore particularly referred to, fitted with my improved balanced valves.

page_text: 3
.
Figure 2 is a transverse section on the line a, a, Figure 1 looking towards the
left, the cover of the valve-chest being removed.
Figure 3. is a plan,, partly in section on the line, e, Figure 2:
Figure 4 is a transverse section on the line 2, 2, Figure 1, looking towards
..the left..
Figure 5 is a side elevation illustrating certain- modifications of my invention
hereinafter described. .
Figure 6 is a view of the valve-face of a modified form of my improved valve
adapted for a double compound engine of the kind herein before particularly
referred to.
"Figure 7 is a section on the line y, y, Figure 6.
Nigure 8.is. a.section on the line y', y, Figure 7, looking towards the right.
Figures 9 and 10 are sections respectively on the lines y-y, and y-y³
Figure 8.
Figure 11 is a face-view of a valve adapted for a compound crank-engine..
Figure 12 is a section on the line, z, Figure 11.
Figure 13 is a section on the line 2-2, Figure 11.
Figure 14 is a face view, partly in section, and
Figure 15 a transverse section showing my differential cut-off and reversing-
gear.
Referring to Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4, a, a are the cylinders; is the engine-shaft.
This shaft bis provided with an extension which serves as the valve-spindle
and which extends through the exhaust-space c¹ formed in the valve-chest c, and
works in stuffing-boxes in the covers of the said valve-chest. The piston-rods
d are fixed in cross-heads working on guide-rods d² and provided with rollers
d that bear against opposite sides of a zig-zag projection or rib e extending
around a drum e formed or fixed on the shaft b, so that the reciprocating motion
of the pistons will cause rotation of the said shaft about its axis. The ports a¹
of the cylinders a extend through faces or valve-seats f which are provided at
the ends of the cylinders respectively.
The rotary valves g are mounted on the valve-spindle 61 in such a manner that
they are constrained to rotate therewith but the said spindle can be moved axially
through the said valves for the purpose of varying the cut-off or reversing the
engine as hereinafter described. The valves g, in this arrangement, are con-
structed with hollow or tubular stems g¹, extending from the under or inner
sides of the said valves, and of such length that, when their flanged ends g²,
are pressed firmly against each other, the valves will just be in contact with
their respective seats f. These tubular stems keep the valves a certain distance
apart but do not connect the said valves together. The said valves are very
accurately fitted to their seats, so that, with a minimum amount of friction, they
will prevent leakage. of the fluid.
The steam or other fluid enters the steam-space 3 of the valve-chest c through
the inlet, and, the fluid-pressure acting in inverse directions upon the outer
sides of the valves g, the latter will be exactly balanced, the valve-stems g¹
being simply pressed tihtly against each other without any alteration in the
pressure of the valves against their seats.. And since the valves and their stems
are motionless relatively to one another, the friction opposing the rotation of
the valves cannot be increased by the fluid-pressure, but is independent thereof.
The steam-passages g³ and the exhaust-passages of the valves g, which are
continuously in communication. respectively with the steam-space and the ex-
haust-space of the valve-chest c, alternately register with the ports a¹ of the
cylinder a, in the rotation of the valves, and the said passages or ports can be
so arranged as to give any predetermined amount of cushioning or expansion. ·
To permit the reversal of the motion of the engine at will, I provide means
for changing the position of the valves relatively to the drum e on the shaft b.
For this purpose a slotted lever kis pivoted at k¹ to the bed-plate or other con-
venient part of the engine, and is suitably connected to one end of the valve-

page_text: spindle 6¹, which is in axial alignment with and forms an extension of the said
shaft, the other end of the said spindle b working in a central socket in the
shaft b. A pin l, secured in the valve-spindle , and extending into a spiral
slot in the said shaft, serves as the driving-connection between these two parts.
By turning the lever about its pivot in one or the other direction, the pin
can be caused to travel in the slot and thus rotate the spindle relatively to
the shaft by which operation the valve-passages can be shifted so that the
engine will be driven either ahead or astern or so as to vary the amount of
cushioning and expansion. The usual notched segment and locking bolt can be
provided for securing the lever k in any desired position.
In applying my improved balanced valves to inverted cylinder engines and to
other engines where the axis of the engine-shaft is at right angles to the axes
of the cylinders, the said valves are mounted upon a separate rotary valve-
spindle 6, as shown, for example, in Figure 5, which spindle is driven by
gearing, such as the bevel gearing 62, 63, from the engine-shaft b.
I sometimes replace tlie tubular valve-stems above described, by one or more
separate distance-pieces g, Figure 5, which will rotate with the said valves and
have the same effect as the said tubular stems in preventing increase of resist-
ance to the rotation of the valves due to friction.
In applying my invention to a rotary engine, the valves can be mounted on
the engine-shaft substantially as herein before described.
In Figures 6 to 13 I have shown different forms of balanced valves adapted
for compound engines.
Figures 6 to 10 show a valve adapted for a double compound engine of the
kind hereinbefore described, that is to say, a reciprocating engine in which there
are two high-pressure and two low-pressure cylinders, the pistons, of which are
arranged to rotate a shaft or drum having a zig-zag rib or groove around it. In
the rotation of the valve, the steam or other fluid is admitted to the high-pressure
cylinders through the high-pressure inlet valve-passage and is afterwards ex-
hausted through one or other of the high-pressure exhaust-passages g, g³ into
one or other of the annular receivers or receiving channels h, h¹, at the back of
the valve g, through which it is conducted to one or other of the low-pressure
inlet-passages, j' whence it enters the corresponding low-pressure: cylinder.
From the low-pressure cylinders, the fluid is exhausted through the low-pressure
exhaust-passage into the exhaust-space of the valve-chest and thence passes
into the condenser.
In the case of a compound crank-engine with the cranks set at an angle of
ninety degrees, I use valves such as that shown in Figures 11, 12 and 13, in .
which g is the high-pressure inlet-passage, the high-pressure exhaust-passage,
h the annular receiver, j. the low-pressure (or intermediate) inlet-passage and
the low-pressure (or intermediate) exhaust-passage.. These valves are mounted
on a separate rotary valve-spindle driven from the engine-shaft through suitable
gearing.
By a proper arrangement of the openings or passages in the valves and of the
cylinder-ports, the same may be adapted for engines with cranks-set at any de-
sired angle with respect to one another.
It will therefore be seen that, by forming suitable steam and exhaust passages
in the valves and corresponding ports in. the valve-seats, my improved valves
can be adapted either for high-pressure or, for compound or multiple-expansion
engines.
In Figures. 14 and 15 I have shown the differential cut-off and reversing gear
which I sometimes, employ in conjunction with my balanced valves. A bevel
wheel m is fixed upon the valve-spindle. 61, and a bevel wheel -fixed on the
engine-shaft bis geared with. the said bevel wheel.m through, the medium of
two sets of bevel pinions p; P, 9, 9 which engage respectively with the said bevel
wheels m, n and with opposite sides of a double-faced bevel wheel r which is

page_text: mounted loosely on the spindle b¹. The bevel pinions p, p, q, q, are carried by
a rings provided with suitable means, such as a worm-wheel sl and worm t,
whereby it can be turned about its axis to change the position of the valves for
the purpose of varying the cut-off or reversing the motion of the engine, the
rotary movement of the said ring s causing the turning of the bevel wheel m
about its axis relatively to the bevel wheel in without disturbing the driving
connection between thein. It will be seen that this arrangement of reversing-
gear is very advantageous with engines of the type illustrated in Figures 1 to 4.
It is evident, however, that I can, if desired, use other suitable arrangements of
cut-off and reversing gear.
It is obvious, moreover, that in cases where the engine does not require to
be reversed, the rotary valves and distance-piece or distance-pieces can be
mounted on the engine-shaft itself.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said in-
vention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
:
1. Rotary distributing-valves arranged opposite each other and kept at a pre-
determined distance apart in such a manner that the fluid-pressure acting
equally upon them in inverse directions cannot increase the friction between the
said valves and their seats.
2. The combination, with two rotary distributing-valves situated opposite each
other, of one or more distance-pieces arranged between the said valves and
adapted to rotate therewith, substantially as, and for the purposes, herein before
described.
3. Rotary distributing-valves arranged opposite each other and having tubular
valve-stems of such length that, when they are pressed firmly against each other,
the valves will be in sufficiently close contact with their seats respectively to
prevent undue leakage of the fluid, for the purpose above specified.
"
4. A fluid-pressure engine in which the axis of the shaft is parallel with the
axes of the cylinders, and in which rotary distributing-valves are mounted on
the said shaft or on a spindle forming an extension thereof, one at each end of
the cylinders, and are kept apart by one or more distance-pieces, substantially
as, and for the purposes, herein before described.
5. The combination, in a fluid-pressure engine in which the axis of the shaft
is parallel with the axes of the cylinders, of rotary distributing-valves mounted
on a spindle in axial alignment with the said shaft, one at each end of the
cylinders, and kept apart by one or more distance-pieces, and means for changing
the position of the said valves relatively to the cylinder-ports, substantially as,
and for the purposes, hereinbefore described.
6. Rotary distributing-valves mounted opposite each other on a valve-spindle
which is geared with an engine-shaft, one at each end of the cylinder or
cylinders, with one or more distance-pieces between them, for the purposes above
specified.
7. Rotary distributing valves arranged opposite each other and held apart by
one or more distance-pieces and mounted therewith on a spindle which is con-
nected with an engine-shaft through the medium of adjustable gearing whereby
the position of the valves can be changed to vary the cut-off or reverse the motion
of the engine, substantially as hereinbefore described.
8. A rotary distributing-valve made with a receiver on the back thereof; for
the purposes above specified.
9. The improved distributing-gear constructed substantially as described with
reference to either of the forms or modifications illustrated in the accompanying
drawings and operating as above specified.
10. A fluid-pressure engine provided with my improved distributing-gear, all
constructed substantially as described with reference to Figures 1 to 4 of the
accompanying drawings and operating as above specified.

page_text: 11. The improved rotary distributing-valve constructed with the receiver on
the back thereof, substantially as described with reference to Figures 6 to 10 or
Figures 11, 12 and 13 of the drawings, for the purposes above specified.
--
Dated this 5th day of November 1898.
C. H. BEADLE.
D. Young & Co.,
11 and 12, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.
C. H. BEADLE.
D. Young & Co.,
11 and 12, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.