MENTS IN AND RELATING TO MARINE STEAM ENGINES
Year: 1878

page_text: IMPROVE-
LETTERS PATENT to Robert Sindon and William Russell, both of Liverpool,
in the County of Lancaster, Engineers, for the Invention of
MENTS IN AND RELATING TO MARINE STEAM ENGINES."
Sealed the 18th April 1879, and dated the 31st October 1878.
ROBERT SINDON and WILLIAM RUSSELL, both of Liverpool, in the County of
Lancaster, Engineers. "IMPROVEMENTS IN
AND RELATING TO MARINE STEAM
ENGINES."
Our Invention relates,-
Firstly. To improvements in single marine steam screw engines of the compound
type, that is, engines arranged to work and drive a single crank and provided with
a fly wheel.
Secondly. To certain improvements in marine steam screw engines and the
method of applying thereto the Corliss valve.
In carrying out the first part of our Invention we use three cylinders, one high
pressure and two low pressure, using steam in the high pressure at not less than
one hundred pounds pressure on the square inch, and expanding into the low-
pressure cylinders. The cylinders are placed vertically, the low pressure or
expansion cylinders being below and the high-pressure cylinder being above and
placed centrally between the low-pressure cylinders. The piston rods of the low-
pressure cylinders work through the upper covers of the cylinders and are connected
to a common cross head, which cross head is also connected to the piston rod of the
high pressure or central cylinder. The connecting rod is attached to the cross
head in line with the piston rod of the high-pressure cylinder, and descends
between the two low-pressure cylinders until it reaches the crank to the pin of
which it is attached. The valves of the high and low pressure cylinders may be of
the ordinary type as used in single and other marine engines. The valves of the
Posice dl

page_text: low-pressure cylinders are worked by eccentrics and rods, and the valves of the
high-pressure cylinder are worked from a cross head or levers, which receive motion
from the valve spindles of the low-pressure-cylinders: The-low-pressure-cylinders
are secured in front of a surface condenser, and additionally supported by wrought-
iron columns from the frame or entablature which carries the shaft. The high-
-pressure-cylinder is carried on a column which forms the exhaust passage for the
steam from the high-pressure cylinder to the low-pressure cylinders, and is
additionally supported by wrought-iron columns from the low-pressure cylinders:
The whole front or starting side of the engine is opened, so that all the working
parts can be readily got at. Further, by this arrangement of cylinders and parts
long stroke engines-with-long-connecting-rod-working-upon-a-narrow-single.crank.
can be obtained. The pistons of the cylinders are set on their piston rods to
correspond with each other, and the cylinders by preference are of equal diameters,
steam being used in the high-pressure cylinder at not less than one hundred pounds
on the square inch. The piston rods of the cylinders are by preference guided by
passing through stuffing boxes at both ends of the cylinders, but other guides may
be provided if preferred.
In carrying out the second part of our Invention we arrange the cylinders as
described in the first part of our Invention, but the arrangement is duplicated so
as to form a pair of engines of the compound type, having six cylinders, the two
upper being high pressure supplied with Corliss valves, and the four lower being
low pressure supplied with ordinary slide valves. The high-pressure cylinders are
arranged with two steam and two exhaust valves, driven or operated by rods
which receive motion from a disc which is rocked by a rod, which receives motion
from a lever in connection with the valve spindles of the low-pressure cylinders.
By preference we use two rocking discs on each high-pressure cylinder worked by
the respective valve spindles of the low-pressure cylinders, and arranged one on
each side of the high-pressure cylinder, one to work the steam admission valves and
the other to work the steam exhaust valves, which are of the ordinary Corliss type,
which are well known for their economy, regularity, and ease of working and
facility of access.

page_text: Lancaster, Engineers.
ENGINES."
"IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO MARINE STEAM
Our Invention relates,-
Firstly. To improvements in single marine steam screw engines of the compound
type, that is, engines arranged to work and drive a single crank and provided with
a fly wheel.
Secondly. To certain improvements in marine steam screw engines and the
method of applying thereto the Corliss valve.
In carrying out the first part of our Invention we use three cylinders, one high
pressure and two low pressure, using steam in the high pressure at, say, one
hundred pounds pressure on the square inch and expanding into the low-pressure
cylinders. The cylinders are placed vertically, the low pressure or expansion
cylinders being below and the high-pressure cylinder being above and placed
centrally between the low-pressure cylinders. The piston rods of the low-pressure
cylinders work through the upper covers of the cylinders and are connected to a
common cross head, which cross head is also connected to the piston rod of the
high pressure or central cylinder. The connecting rod is attached to the cross head
in line with the piston rod of the high-pressure cylinder, and descends between the
two low-pressure cylinders until it reaches the crank to the pin of which it is
attached. The valves of the high and low pressure cylinders may be of the ordinary
type as used in single and other marine engines, or the valves of the high-pressure
cylinder may be of the Corliss type. The valves of the low-pressure cylinders are
worked by eccentrics and rods, and the valves of the high-pressure cylinder are
worked from a cross head, or lever, or gear, which receives motion from the same
eccentrics as the valves of the low-pressure cylinders. The low-pressure cylinders
are secured in front of a surface condenser, and are additionally supported by
columns from the frame or entablature which carries the shaft. The high-pressure
cylinder is carried on a column which forms the exhaust passage for the steam
from the high-pressure cylinder to the low-pressure cylinders, and is additionally
supported by wrought-iron columns from the low-pressure cylinders. The whole
front or starting side of the engine is open, so that all the working parts can be
readily got at. Further, by this arrangement of cylinders and parts long stroke
engines with a long connecting rod working upon a narrow single crank can be
obtained. The pistons of the cylinders are set on their piston rods to correspond
with each other, and the piston rods of the cylinders are by preference guided by
passing through stuffing boxes at both ends of the cylinders, but other guides may
be provided if preferred.
In carrying out the second part of our Invention we arrange the cylinders as
described in the first part of our Invention, but the arrangement is duplicated so
as to form a pair of engines of the compound type, having six cylinders, the two
upper being high pressure supplied with Corliss valves, and the four lower being
low pressure supplied with ordinary slide valves. The high-pressure cylinders are
arranged with two steam and two exhaust valves, driven, or operated by rods which
receive motion from a disc, which is rocked by a rod which receives motion from a
lever and gear in connection with the eccentrics which work the valves of the low-
pressure cylinders. By preference we use two rocking discs on each high-pressure
cylinder and arranged one on each side of the high-pressure cylinder, one to work
the steam admission valves and the other to work the steam exhaust valves, which
are of the ordinary Corliss type, which are well known for their economy, regu-
larity, and case of working and facility of access,

page_text: Figure 2 is a front elevation shown partly in section of Figure 1.
Figure-3-is-a-plan-partly-in-section-taken-at-X,-Figure 2.---
Figure 4 is a complete plan of Figures 1 and 2.
The engine illustrated by the Drawings is a single engine of the compound-type,
but it will be evident that by duplicating the parts and prolonging the frame a
double engine having six cylinders will be produced.
Upon reference to the Drawings it will be seen that a single engine according to
our Invention is illustrated. Three cylinders A, B, C, are used, the upper
cylinder A. being the high pressure and say twenty-six inches in diameter, the
lower and side cylinders B, C, being the low pressure and say thirty inches in
diameter, all the cylinders A, B, and C having an equal stroke of say three feet,
and having their pistons by the respective rods D, E, F, connected to one common
cross head Hand working together, and supported by the guide H. The low-
pressure cylinders B and C are bolted to a surface condenser J, and also supported
by the columns I. The high-pressure cylinder A is carried by the columns K, and
also attached to and supported by the coluinn L and the exhaust passage M. The
crank shaft N (which in the case of a single engine is provided with a fly wheel O)
is driven direct by one long connecting rod P, which receives its motion from the
horizontal cross head H common to the three piston rods D, E, F. The slide
valves Q, R, of the low-pressure cylinders B, C, are of ordinary construction and
are worked by the eccentrics S the link motion T and the weigh shaft T'. The
valves of the high-pressure cylinder A are of the Corliss type and receive their
motion from the rod U, which is operated by the gear V in connection with the
link motion T and weight shaft T₁ which works the valves of the low-pressure
cylinders B, C. In the Corliss valve arrangement of the cylinder A, a, a, are the
steam valves and b, b, the exhaust valves. The steam valves a, a, are worked by
the links e, e, and the exhaust valves b, b, are worked by the links f, f, all receiving
motion from the rocking disc g which is worked by the rod U; W is a steam
starting and reversing gear for working the link motion T; X is the air pump;
Y, the circulating pump; Z, the feed and bilge pumps.
It is proposed that steam should be used in the high-pressure cylinder A at one
hundred pounds pressure per square inch admitted through the steam pipe h.
From the cylinder A the steam is exhausted through the passage M and through
the pipe i, and allowed to expand equally into the two low-pressure cylinders B, C.
Amongst the advantages consequent upon the design according to our Invention,
as illustrated in the Drawings, Figures 1 to 4, may be mentioned the obtainment
of a long connecting rod P (in this particular case fully three times the length of
stroke of piston between centres), the reduction of gear and working parts by the
absence of beams, links, and connections, compactness in the matter of space,
,simplicity of parts, particularly in relation to the valve gear; the use of the Corliss
valve entailing great advantages in easy and economical working, more especially
where steam of high pressure is used.
The air and circulating pumps are simply geared and worked and easily got at,
as likewise the feed and bilge pumps and other parts, and the valves which are
vertical are in a convenient position for inspection.
Among the various modifications of style of engine as illustrated in the Drawings
may be mentioned the adoption of the common slide or other valves instead of
Corliss valves, as shown, for the high-pressure cylinder.
Having now described our Invention and the best mode known to us of carrying
it into effect, we wish it to be understood that what we believe to be new, and

page_text: claim as the Invention secured to us by the herein-before in part recited Letters
Patent is,
First. The construction and arrangement of single marine steam engines of the
compound type with three cylinders, arranged substantially in the manner herein-
before described, with their piston rods actuating one common cross head and one
long connecting rod, and as illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.
Second. The arrangement of Corliss valve and gear applied to engines of the
type herein described whether such engines be single or double, substantially as set
forth and as shown in the accompanying Drawings.
Third. The adaptation of engines, as herein described and illustrated, as double
engines by duplicating the cylinders and leading parts.
Fourth. The general arrangement of marine steam engines, substantially as
described and illustrated.
In witness whereof, we, the said Robert Sindon and William Russell, have
hereunto set our hands and seals, this Fifteenth day of April, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-nine.
ROBERT SINDON.
(L.S.)
WILLIAM RUSSELL. (L.S.)