AN IMPROVED ENGINE TO BE WORKED BY STEAM, AIR, OR WATER
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Davis, of the Low Furness Iron
Works, near Ulverstone, in the County of Lancaster, Iron
Master, and Robert Ramsay, of the same place, Engineer and
Fitter, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED ENGINE TO BE WORKED
BY STEAM, AIR, OR WATER."
Sealed the 19th December 1853, and dated the 6th September 1853.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Davis and
Robert Ramsay at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 6th September 1853.
We, JAMES DAVIS and ROBERT RAMSAY, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED ENGINE TO BE WORKED
BY STEAM, AIR, OR WATER," to be as follows:-
The improved engine which forms the subject of the present Inven-
tion consists of a cylinder provided internally with two, three, or more
fixed steam stops projecting radially from the sides of the cylinder
towards the centre.
A central shaft passes through the cylinder, and is mounted therein

page_text: in such a manner as to fit steam-tight against the inner edges of the
fixed steam stops. The central shaft is provided with radial pistons,
which are fixed thereon, and correspond in number to the steam
stops in the cylinder. Now supposing there are three steam stops,
the cylinder will be divided internally into three compartments or
chambers, each of which will be provided with a piston secured to the
main central shaft, and is inade vibrate in its chamber when steam is
admitted therein through suitable valves at the end of the cylinder.
On one end of the central shaft is mounted a crank or lever which,
by means of a connecting rod, communicates motion to another crank
on the shaft or axle to be driven. It will now be understood that as
the pistons are made to vibrate they will communicate a vibratory
motion to their shaft, and by means of the connecting rod and crank
transmit a rotary motion to the second shaft or axle to be driven.
This engine may be driven either by steam, air, or water; and the
same construction of parts is applicable to air pumps to be employed
for condensing engines or otherwise; the only change in the parts re-
quisite for this application of the Invention being a modification of the
valves.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said James Davis and Robert Ramsay in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 6th March 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we,
JAMES DAVIS, of the Low Furness Iron Works, near Ulverston, in the
County of Lancaster, Iron Master, and ROBERT RAMSAY, of the same
place, Engineer and Fitter, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters l'atent, bearing date the Sixth day of September, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the
seventeenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto us, the said James Davis and Robert Ramsay,
Her special license that we, the said James Davis and Robert

page_text: Ramsay, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
we, the said James Davis and Robert Ramsay, our executors, admi-
nistrators, 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 "AN IMPROVED ENGINE TO
BE WORKED BY STEAM, AIR, OR WATER," upon the condition (amongst
others) that we, the said James Davis and Robert Ramsay, by an.
instrument in writing under our hands and seals, or under the hand and
seal of one of us, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature
of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be per-
formed, 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 James Davis, on behalf of
myself and of the said Robert Ramsay, do hereby declare the nature of.
our said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):
The improved engine which forms the subject of the present Inven-
tion consists of a cylinder provided internally with two, three, or more
fixed steam stops projecting radially from the sides of the cylinder to-
wards the centre. A central shaft passes through the cylinder, and is
mounted therein in such a manner as to fit steam-tight against the
inner edges of the fixed steam stops. The central shaft is provided
with radial pistous, which are fixed thereon, and correspond in number
to the steam stops in the cylinder. Now supposing there are three
steam stops, the cylinder will be divided internally into three compart-
ments or chambers, each of which will be provided with a piston secured
to the main central shaft, and is made to vibrate in its chamber when
steam is admitted therein through suitable valves at the end of the
cylinder. On one end of the central shaft is mounted a crank or lever
which, by means of a connecting rod, communicates motion to another

page_text: crank on the shaft or axle to be driven.
It will now be understood
that as the pistons are made to vibrate they will communicate a
vibratory motion to their shaft, and by means of the connecting rod and
crank transmit a rotary motion to the second shaft or axle to be driven.
This engine may be driven either by steam, ai or water; and the
same construction of parts is applicable to air pumps to be employed
for condensing engines or otherwise; the only change in the parts requi-
site for this application of the Invention being a modification of the
valves.
In order, however, that the construction, arrangement, and opera-
tion of the several parts of our improved engine may be clearly under-
stood we have shewn iu the accompanying Drawings various views of
the same. Fig. 1, Sheet I., is a transverse vertical section of the
cylinder, shewing the radial or wedged shape partitions A, whereby the
interior of the cylinder is divided into three compartments. Fig. 2, is a
longitudinal vertical section of the same, shewing also the steam valves
and ports and the piston C, with its wings or radial arms B, mounted
on the shaft D. Fig. 3, is an elevation or front view of the face of the
valve. Fig. 4, is an elevation of the end of the cylinder, the valve and
other contiguous parts belonging thereto having been removed in order
to shew the steam ports. Fig. 5, is an end view of the piston C,
which is composed of three wing pieces or radial arms B, B, B. Fig. 6,
is a front view of the piston mounted on its shaft D, ready to be placed
in the cylinder.
Fig. 7, Sheet II., is an end view or elevation of the engine, shewing
the fly wheel and shaft G, the excentric F, and its connecting rod F*,
which being attached to the end of the lever I, upon the shaft J,
serves to work the valve E, as shewn in Fig. 2. Fig. 8, is a view of
the opposite end of the engine, shewing the lever h, upon the piston
shaft D, which is connected with the crank F*, on the fly wheel shaft
by the rod E. Fig. 9, is a vertical section taken through the cylinder,
valves, and steam pipes. The part colored blue in this as well as in
Fig. 2, represents the slide valve and its appendages, and is worked by
the excentric F, on the fly wheel shaft through the intervention of the
excentric rod F*. It will be seen that by this mode of constructing

page_text: and arranging the valve and steam chest a great saving is effected in
the cost of making the engine, besides reducing the wear and tear of
the valve, as the steam is made to press on the back of the valve as
well as the face.
Fig. 10, Sheet III., is an elevation of the engine showing the
general arrangement of the parts. Fig. 11, is another elevation shew-
ing the fly wheel, shaft, and excentric, as before, connected by a pin or
stud O, on the slide valve. A, (Fig. 10,) is the cylinder; D, the piston
shaft; K, a lever or crank arm fixed thereon to communicate rotary
motion to any shaft with which it may be connected. E, is the slide
valve, which is worked by a rod attached to the pin O, as above men-
tioned. I, is the steam pipe which supplies steam to the chamber at
the back of the valve E, as shewn in Fig. 9. At the end of the
vibrating piston shaft 1), are studs M, which are by means of suitable
links connected to the piston rods of the force pumps, and made to
work the same.
Fig. 12, Sheet IV., is a plan view of the engine, on which similar
letters of reference are marked on corresponding parts.
The operation of some of the working parts is as follows:-Steam is
admitted through the pipe L, which is supported in the bracket c; it
then passes into the valve, as shewn by the arrows in Fig. 9; then
between the face plate and the back plate of the valve. Both these
plates are connected and move together, and the space between them
forms the steam chest, or answers the purpose of one. The valve plates
are not kept in their situation by any collar or other similar mechanical
contrivance, but solely by the difference of pressure between that
exerted by the steam upon a surface equal to the area of the steam
pipe outside the measurement, and the area of the ports.
The adjustment of the pressure is effected simply by making the
area of the steam pipe (inside measurement) equal to the arca of the
other parts collectivoly; the difference of pressure between that upon
the area of the inside measurement of the steam pipe, and the area
of the outside measurement thereof, being all the pressure that is
exerted upon the valve plate, or is required to keep the parts together.
Steam being admitted in the cylinder at three places simultaneously,

page_text: or nearly so, will exert its clastic force against the stationary steam
stops A, A, A, of the cylinder, as shewn in Fig. 1, and the moveable
radial arms B, B, B, of the piston shaft D, and by so doing will force
forward the arms B, and cause the shaft D, to turn on its axis. During
this motion, however, the steam will be cut off, and afterwards
admitted to the opposite side of the radial arms B, when the latter
will be driven back again, and so on, thereby causing the shaft D, to
vibrate in its Bearings, and by means of the crank or arm K, Fig. 10,
to communicate rotary motion to the fly wheel shaft G, through the
intervention of a suitable connecting rod.
Fig. 13, is a section of a cylinder adapted for the air pump of a
condensing engine. Fig. 14, is a sectional view of the cylinder taken
in the line 9, 9, of Fig. 18, and shewing the arrangement for keeping
the two sets of ports distinct, so that while water is being expelled
through one set of ports on one side of the wings, the opposite side of
the wings in the cylinder is filling at the same time, thus forming a
double action air pump for any construction of condensing engine.
Fig. 15, is a view of the right-hand end of the cylinder, showing the
wings and divisions suitably arranged.
Having nowy described our Invention, and the best means with which
we are at present acquainted for carrying the same jpto effect, we would
observe in conclusion, that we do not mean or intend to confine our-
selves rigidly to the precise arrangement or construction of parts herein
shewn and described, as they may perhaps be varied without departing
from the nature and object of our improvements; nor do we claim the
exclusive use of a radial piston mounted on a shaft, and made to
vibrate in a cylinder; but that which we consider to be new in the above-
described engine to be worked by steam, air, or water, and therefore
desire to secure by Letters Patent as aforesaid, is,-
First, the general arrangement of the parts of the engine herein
shewn and described, or any mere modification thereof, in which a
vibratory motion is communicated to the driving shaft by causing the
steam, air, or other motive agent to act on radial arms or wedge-shaped
picces, whereby the cylinder is divided internally into three or more
compartments or steam spaces.

page_text: Second, we claim the arrangement and construction of the steam
passages, and also the arrangement, construction, and mode of work-
ing the slide valves, whereby no more pressure is placed on the valves
than is required to keep them in contact with their seats.
Third, the arrangement and construction of air pump herein shown
and described, in which the piston and cylinder are made to act as a
double action force and air pump, the water being supplied by the
ordinary arrangements of pipes and valves.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Davis, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Second day of March, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four.
JAS DAVIS. (L.S.)