IMPROVE. MENTS IN OR APPLICABLE TO STEAM AND OTHER MOTIVE ENGINES
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Walter Charles Church, of the City of Manchester,
in the County of Lancaster, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVE.
MENTS IN OR APPLICABLE TO STEAM AND OTHER MOTIVE ENGINES."
Sealed the 24th December 1867, and dated the 6th July 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Walter Charles Church
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 6th July 1867.
I, WALTER CHARLES CHURCH, of the City of Manchester, in the County of
Lancaster, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN OR APPLICABLE TO STEAM AND OTHER MOTIVE ENGINES," to be
as follows:-
Firstly, my improvements relate to the slide valves of steam or other motive
engines, and to arrangements for removing the excess of pressure from the back
of the valve, and it consists in an improved combination and arrangement of
mechanism or apparatus, namely, the back of the valve is modified in shape so
as to receive a circular cap or ring, the upper side or edge of this cap or ring
is made to work against a fixed plate, which forms a part of or the top or cover
of the valve chest when there is only one valve, but where two valves are
arranged back to back the plate is placed between them and acts for both valves.

page_text: The cap or ring is pressed against the said fixed plate partly or wholly by the
steam or other motive power used, and partly by springs abutting against the
top of the slide valve and acting upon the under side of the cap or ring. The
joint or space between the slide valve and its cap or ring is made steam-
tight by metallic ring packing, which is pressed upwards against a "junk"
ring secured upon the top of the valve and outwards circumferentially against
the inside of the said cap or ring; thus arranged the said cap or ring will
move with the valve, and will be pressed at the same time so as to be steam-
tight against the said fixed plate, and thus the pressure of the steam or fluid
in the valve chest will be prevented from acting upon that part of the back
of the valve enclosed by the said ring or cap. The said fixed plate has a
passage formed in it which communicates with the space above the said ring
or cap and with the atmosphere, so that if there is any leakage this will be
readily ascertained. A tap may be placed at the outlet of the passage from
the said fixed plate so that the outlet may be closed if the leakage is excessive
until it can be attended to.
Secondly, my improvements relate to the pistons of steam and other motive
engines, und' consist in arrangements by which the greatest pressure of the
steam or other motive fluid may be made to act constantly and uniformly or
nearly so to press out the packing rings; these arrangements are small. valves
in the piston which will only open inwards, being closed by the pressure
within the piston, assisted by springs, and thus when the greatest pressure of
steam or fluid acts upon the piston it will enter the piston and the valve will
shut when the interior of the piston is fully charged, and this pressure will
remain the same, varying only by loss from leakage or condensation, during
the stroke, this loss being made up again at the beginning of each reciprocation
of the piston.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Walter Charles Church in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 6th January, 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WALTER
CHARLES CHURCH, of the, City of Manchester,, in the County of Lancaster,
Engineer, send greeting:
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty, Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of July, in the year of our Lord One

page_text: thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirty-first year of Mer
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Walter Charles Church, Her special license that I, the said
Walter Charles Church, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said Walter Charles Church, my executors, administrators,
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 OR APPLICABLE TO STEAM AND OTHER MOTIVE
ENGINES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Walter Charles
Church, by an instrument in writing under thy hand and seal, should particularly
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 I, the said Walter Charles Church, do hereby
eclare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and 'ascertained 'in and by the
following statement and accompanying Drawings (that is to say) :-
Firstly, niy improvements relate to the slide valves of steam or other
motive engines, and to arrangements for removing the excess of pressure from
the back of the valve, and it consists in an improved combination and arrange-
iment of mechanism of apparatus, nainely, the back of the valve is modified
in shape so as to receive a circular cap or ring, the upper side or edge of this
cap or ring is made to work against a fixed plate, which forms a part of the
top or cover of the valve chest when there is only one valve, but when two
valves are arranged back to back the plate is placed between them and acts
for both valves. The cap or ring is pressed against the said fixed plate
partly or wholly by the steam or other motive power used and partly by
springs abutting against the top of the slide valve and acting against the
under side of the cap or ring. The joint or space between the slide_valve
and its cap or ring is made steam-tight by metallic ring packing, which is
pressed upwards against a junk ring secured upon the top of the valve, and
outwards circumferentially against the inside of the said cap or ring; thus
arranged the said cap or ring will move with the valve and will be pressed at
the same time so as to be steam-tight against the said fixed plate, and thus
the pressure of the steam or fluid in the valve chest will be prevented from

page_text: acting upon that part of the back of the valve enclosed by the said ring or
cap. The said fixed plate has a passage formed in it which communicates
with the space above the said ring or cap and with the atmosphere, so that
if there is any leakage this can be readily ascertained. A tap may be placed
at the outlet of the passage from the said fixed plate, so that the outlet may
be closed if the leakage is excessive until it can be attended to.
This part
of my Invention when two valves are worked back to back also consists in
forming a plate upon or attaching a plate to the back of one valve and
allowing the cap or ring upon the other valve to work against the said plate;
this part of my Invention also consists in forming upon or attaching a plate
to the back of both valves where two work back to back, and in arranging
any suitable packing ring to come between them; also in using a plate at the
back of a single valve, and arranging a fixed packing ring to work against it';
it also consists in the use of webs of thin plate metal or other suitable
material combined with packing rings for valves, as will be more fully
explained herein-after.
Secondly, my improvements relate to the pistons of steam and other
motive engines, and consists in arrangements by which the greatest pressure
of steam or other motive fluid may be made to act constantly and uniformly
or nearly so to press out the packing ring or rings. These arrangements
are small valves in the piston, which will only open inwards, being closed by
the pressure within the piston assisted by springs, and thus when the greatest
pressure of steam or fluid acts upon the piston it will enter the piston and
the valve will shut when the interior of the piston is fully charged, and this
pressure will remain the same, varying only by loss from the leakage or
condensation during the stroke, this loss being made up again at the beginning
of each reciprocation of the piston.
The accompanying two Sheets of Drawings illustrate my improvements.
Fig. 1 is a plan view looking upon the back of the valve part of the cap or
ring and part of the junk ring being supposed removed or broken away; Fig. 2
is a longitudinal section shewing the parts of the cylinder, the valve, and the
plate at the back of the valve; and Fig. 3 is a cross section shewing a
portion of the ports in the cylinder, the valve, and plate at the back of the
valve, these three Figures illustrating one modification under the first part of
my Invention.
Fig. 4 (Sheet 2) is a plan of the valve and other parts, and Fig. 5 is
a section through the valves and "ports" shewing another modification under
the first part of my Invention with the plate upon the back of one valve.
Fig. 6 is a section shewing another modification under the first part of my

page_text: Invention, where a plate is used upon the back of each valve, and in this
view the packing ring with thin plate web is illustrated.
Fig. 7 is a plan view shewing how two caps or rings may be applied to
one valve according to the first part of my
Invention.
Fig. 8 (Sheet 1), is a diametrical section of a piston, according to the
second part of my Invention, and Fig. 9 an edge view of a portion of the piston.
In Figs. 1, 2, and 3, a are the steam ports, and 6 is the exhaust port ; c,
parts from the cylinder forming the ports or valve chest; d, an ordinary valve
with its back modified as shewn; d', the ordinary strap which gives motion
to the valve, but it is modified to suit the shape of the valve, as shewn ; e is
the circular cap or ring; and f the fixed plate against which it works, which
is secured as shewn in Fig. 3; this plate (f) may be the valve chest lid
when applied to single valves, but as shewn it acts for two valves that work
back to back. The cap or ring (e) is formed to fit upon a junk ring (9)
secured by screws (9¹), and made steam tight to the top of the valve, as
shewn. The ledge from the inside of the cap or ring (e) fits the inside
of the junk ring (9), and consequently the ring or cap (e) will be moved
to and fro with the valve, but will be free to move to and from the valve
so as to be kept constantly against the fixed plate (f) to accommodate
itself to wear and inexactness of workmanship. The junk ring (9) is con-
structed as shewn to form a recess between it and the top of the valve
for metallic packing rings (h) and (¹); these rings consist of a ring (h)
of an L section, and a ring (h') which with the other ring (h) forms a com-
plete square section (as shewn). The rings (h and h¹) are cut so as to
expand, and the joints are placed upon opposite sides so that one ring will
cover the joint of the other ring. The rings are made to fit as accurately
as possible between the junk ring (9) and top of the valve; there is a small
space (h) left between the packing rings and the valve (as shewn) all round,
and there are small slots (h³) at intervals to allow the steam to get into
the said space. The packing rings (h and h¹) form a steam-tight joint, the
pressure of the steam acting to force them against the inside of the exterior
projection from the cap or ring (e), and against the under side of the junk
ring (9); several holes are made to pass through the junk ring (9) into the
solid part of the back of the valve, and in each hole a spiral or helical spring
(k) is placed to assist in keeping the ring or cap (e) against the fixed
plate (); is a passage in the fixed plate (f) (two are shewn, one for each
valve,) which passage communicates with the space within the cap or ring
at the back of the valve, and this passage will allow of the escape of any
steam or fluid which may pass into the interior of the ring or cap, to the

page_text: exterior of the valve chest, and will thus shew if leakage exists. The outlet
of this passage (a pipe. ) may be provided with a tap so that the communica
tion with the atmosphere may be closed when required.
Fig. 5 (Sheet 2) is a view corresponding to Fig. 2 (Sheet 1). The
same letters of reference are repeated upon the same and corresponding parts.
The cap or ring (e) on the back of one valve (d) is arranged as illustrated in
Fig. 2, but it does not act upon a fixed plate, but upon and against a
plate (*) carried by the back of the other valve, and secured thereto by
screws (¹) as shewn. The form of this plate (f*) is shewn in the plan
view; Fig. 4, any leakage past the cap or ring (e) nay be taken away through
a small hole (d) in the back of the valve (d) into the exhaust cavity of the
valve; or a passage may be formed in the plate (*) so that a communication
may be formed between the space within the ring or cap (e) and the
atmosphere by means of a pipe () (shewn in dotted line) passing to the
exterior of the valve chest and working through a suitable stuffing box.
In Fig. 6 each of two valves working back to back has a plate (f*) formed
or fixed upon it and a packing ring or a combination of rings is placed
between them, which may be of any suitable construction, kept against both
valves by springs or by springs and the pressure of the steam in the valve
chest, or by a combination of the two; this packing ring or frame is arranged
so that it cannot move to and fro with the valves, but is arranged in such
manner as to be free to move to and from the valves. The leakage is taken
away from the interior of the ring by an opening or openings through the
back of the valve or valves into the exhaust, or directly by a pipe from the
packing ring to the exterior of the valve chest.
The packing arrangement shewn in Fig. 6.between the two valves is formed
of two rings or frames (e and e¹) one passing into the other as shewn, and
between. them there is a ring web (e) of thin metal of a V form in cross
section; one side of which may be soldered or brazed to one ring (e), and the
other side to the other ring (e'), but if the sides of the ring web (e) are
closely fitted they need not be soldered or brazed to the rings. With this
arrangement the steam from the valve chest cannot pass between the two
rings (a and e) into the space in the interior of the rings, but it is allowed to
enter within the web ring (e) through small holes round the ring (e), and its
pressure thus acts to press each ring (e and e¹) against the back of its valve,
and the face of each valve against its ports. With plates (f*) upon the backs
of valves the packing ring acting upon the plates may be conveniently made
large enough to take all the pressure of the steam from the valves if required,
and the necessary pressure to keep the valves tight against the ports may. be

page_text: obtained by varying the breadth of the web ring (e) so as to expose a greater
or less area as required to the pressure of the steam, this pressure acting to
keep the packing ring or rings steam-tight. against the back or backs of the
valves, and the faces of the valve or valves against the ports. The rings (e
and e¹) between the valves are kept from moving to and fro with the valves
by a rod (f) jointed to one end of the valve chest and to the outer ring (e),
as shown, thus the packing arrangement is free to move to and from the backs
of the valves. Communication may be made between the interior of the
packing rings. (e and e') and the exhaust cavity of the valves through holes in
the backs of the valves, or directly with the atmosphere by a pipe from the
side of the outer ring (e); communicating by a small passage formed in the
metal of the ring with the interior space of the packing arrangement. It
will be seen that packing arrangements. formed with elastic web rings or
frames (e) may be applied to the backs of valves in place of the caps or
rings shewn in Figs. 1 to 3 of the Drawings, and that they are applicable to
single valves as well as where two valves work back to back. When a
plate (*) is used on the back of a single valve it will only be necessary to
form or fix the ring (e) or one corresponding thereto upon the lid of the
valve chest.
Fig. 7 is a plan shewing how two caps, or rings may be applied to the:
back of a, valve where one cap or ring of sufficiently large diameter cannot,
be conveniently used. It also illustrates how two caps or rings or other packing.
arrangements may be applied to act upon and against a plate upon the back.
of a valve if required...
The second part of my, Invention is illustrated by Figs. 4 and 5.
m, the
piston rod; n, that part of the piston fixed to the rod; p, the part secured to
the part (m). by screws; 9, the packing ring, which is to be pressed against the
cylinder. This. packing ring (9), as in the usual manner, is cut so that it can
expand, and, the joint: is made by pieces (9'). The packing ring, (q) is made
to fit as accurately as possible between the parts m and n of the piston.
A space is formed between the two parts m and n of such area as multiplied.
by the pressure of the steam in the cylinder will give the required outward
pressure upon the packing ring (9). In the said space two packing
rings (rand) are fitted, the joints of which are placed upon opposite sides,
so that the inner ring (r) will cover the joints of the outer ring ("). The
rings (rand), are made a steam-tight fit, but so that they, can move so as
to expand outwards by the action of the pressure of the steam in the annular
space (8) in the interior of the piston, into which space steam is admitted
through the two valves (t) which are kept against their seatings by springs (t')

page_text: arranged as shewn, or partly by springs and partly by the pressure of the steam
within the piston. It will be seen that one valve opens to one side and the
other to the other side of the piston, and that the valves will open whenever
the pressure of the steam within the piston is less than that in the cylinder.
Split or compound packing rings may be used in' place of the single ring (9)
or the rings (r and r³).
I have now particularly described the nature of my Invention, and the
manner of carrying the same into effect, and claim as my Invention,―
Firstly, the combination and arrangement of a valve or valves as herein-
before described and illustrated by Figs. 1, 2, and 3, also forming a com-
munication between the space within the cap or caps or ring or rings (e) and
the atmosphere at the outside of the valve chest by pipes, as described; also
when working two valves back to back the use of caps or any suitable packing
rings upon the back of one valve working against a plate formed or fixed
upon the back of the other valve, substantially as herein-before described and
illustrated by Figs. 4 and 5 of the Drawings; also the arranging of packing
rings to act between plates upon valves working back to back, substantially
as herein-before described and illustrated by Fig. 6 of the Drawings; also
the use of fixed packing rings acting upon a plate upon the back of a valve,
as illustrated by Fig. 6; also the use of packing arrangements for valves
where elastic web rings or frames (2) are used, substantially in the manner
and for the purpose herein-before described and illustrated by Fig. 6 of the
Drawings.
Secondly, the construction, arrangement, and combination of parts forming
a piston, substantially as herein-before described and illustrated by the
Drawings.
.
In witness whereof, I, the said Walter Charles Church, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-seventh day of December, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
Witness,
PETER J. LIVSEY,
Manchester.
W. C. CHURCH. (L.S.)