AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE WORKING OF MARINE ENGINES
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Champion Russell, of Stubbers, near Romford, in
the County of Essex, Esquire, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVEMENT
IN THE WORKING OF MARINE ENGINES."
Sealed the 29th September 1859, and dated the 4th April 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Champion Russell at tho
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 4th
April 1859.
I, CHAMPION RUSSELL, of Stubbers, near Romford, in the County of Essex,
Esquire, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IM-
PROVEMENT IN THE WORKING OF MARINE ENGINES," to be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is to make the pitching motion of a vessel
available for cutting off the supply of steam or other motor to marine engines
when the vessel is descending a wave, and throwing it' on again before
ascending another, thereby preventing the vessel from cutting through instead
of mounting the advancing wave. This, I propose to effect by the use of a
pendulum, which is suspended from a fulcrum near the roof of the engine
room, or placed in other convenient position, and is moveable only in the
direction of the length of the vessel.
As an illustration of the mode of making the pendulum available for the
working of the cut-off valve, I may state that the pendulum is caused to
traverse a fixed guide or guides, part of which is made adjustable, for a
purpose to be presently explained. Fitted to the lower end of the pendulum

page_text: is a rock lever, one limb of which slides over the guide as the pendulum
vibrates, while the other limb acts as a stop pin. By the side of the pen-
dulum is mounted a vertical shaft, from which project two studs, set at different
elevations and angles for the purpose of receiving a blow from the rock lever
of the pendulum, and thereby transmitting a rocking motion to the vertical
shaft at required periods. Connected with this vertical shaft is a steam cut-
off valve, which is brought into and thrown out of action by the axial motion
of the shaft. The pendulum guide is made concentric in one part, and so long
as the pitching of the vessel is not in excess the traverse of the pendulum will
be confined to this part; when, however, the pitching is in excess, an ad-
justable excentric portion of the guide comes into action, and by pressing on
one limb of the rock lever, brings its other limb into a line with one of the
stops on the vertical shaft. The return motion, therefore, of the pendulum
will cause the lever to strike this stop and rock the shaft, and thereby cut off
the steam. To turn on the steam (which is necessary to enable the ship to
mount the next wave) the rock lever is made to meet a second incline, which
reverses its position, and causes it on the return movement of the pendulum
to strike the second stop, and thus reverse the position of the cut-off valve,
and turn on the steam.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Champion Russell in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 4th
October 1859..
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHAMPION
RUSSELL, of Stubbers, near Romford, in the County of Essex, Esquire, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters:
Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-second year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Champion Russell, Her special license that I, the said Champion
Russell, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Champion Russell, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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

page_text: "AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE WORKING OF MARINE ENGINES," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Champion Russell, by an instrument in
writing under my 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 Champion Russell, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
The object of this Invention is so to apply the vibrating motion of a pendulum
derived from the pitching of a steam vessel at sea, as to make it available for
cutting off the supply of steam to the engines when the vessel is descending a
wave, provided the immediately preceding ascending pitch has equalled a
given amount of elevation; the chief advantage being to prevent the vessel
from cutting through instead of mounting the advancing waves.
I am aware that pendulums have already been proposed to be used for
regulating the action of marine engines afloat, but as arranged, they have been
rendered incapable of fulfilling the duty required for a regulator of the cut-off
under the pre-supposed circumstance.
. In the accompanying Drawing, Fig. 1 shews, in side elevation, a pendulum
mounted and fitted according to my Invention; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the
same, partly in section; Fig. 3 is a side elevation, with the pendulum race in
cross section; and Figures 4, 5, and 6 are detached views of parts to be here-
after particularly referred to drawn to an enlarged scale. a, a, is the pen-
dulum suspended from a fulcrum b, and capable of swinging in the direction
of the length of the vessel. This pendulum is grooved on its lower edge, to
allow of its passing over a curved race c, c, as over a fixed guide. Mounted in
the pendulum are two rock levers d, d', which, for convenience, "I prefer
to make adjustable laterally on the rod e, securing them in position by a
binding screw, as shewn in the détached sectional view, Fig. 4. These lovers
(shewn in plan and side views at Figures 5 and 6) are carried by a collar, and
a tendency is given to them to retain the position in which they are placed by:
means of a spring bearing upon one or other of the two flat faces made on
their respective bosses. The levers d, d', are so constructed as to be capable
of being brought up into contact with each other, and form virtually one lever,
but when set at a little distance apart or out of the centre of the pendulum,.

page_text: the action of the apparatus will be modified to suit varying requirements as will
be hereafter explained..
By the side of the pendulum is mounted a vertical rock shaft 9, which is
furnished with two projecting studs or tappets h, h', set at different angles, for
the purpose of receiving a blow from one or other of the rock levers d, d¹, of
the pendulum, and thereby transmitting a rocking motion to the vertical shaft
at required periods. Connected with this tappet shaft by means of crank
arms and a connecting rod, is a steam cut-off valve, which is brought into and
thrown out of action by the axial motion of the shaft. The pendulum race or
guide.c, c, is made concentric for a portion of its length, but its rear end is
provided with an adjustable wedge-shaped or excentric piece i, for the purpose
of acting upon the rock levér d, and bringing it into a position to act upon
the tappet h of the rock shaft and shut the cut-off valve; k is another guide
picce affixed to the race, and forming a stop for adjusting the position of the
levers d and d'; so long as the pitching of the vessel is not in excess, or does
not exceed a determinate angular amount, the traverse of the pendulum will
be confined to the concentric part of the raco, and no effect will be produced
on the cut-off valve l. When, however, through the increasing size of the
waves, the pitching of the vessel is in excess, the pendulum will be caused to
traverse over a. greater portion of its race, and by bringing the rock lever d
into contact with the wedge-shaped piece i, that lever will be rocked into the
position for striking (on the return motion of the pendulum) the tappet h.
This return motion of the pendulum, it will be understood, takes place on the
vessel commencing its descending pitch, and at this period, therefore, of the
vessel's progress, the steam will be suddenly cut off by the closing of the valvel.
This movement of the valve and its subsequent opening is facilitated by a
helical spring m, which pulls it over in the direction indicated by the tappet
movement. A stop may, however, be provided on the steam pipe, to prevent
the complete closing of the cut-off valve, if thought desirable.
As the forward motion of the pendulum causes the lever d to operate upon
the tappet h, it will also bring the lever d¹ into contact with the incline k, and
set that lever in the position for striking the tappet h¹ on the return traverso
of the pendulum caused by the ascent of the vessel out of the trough of the
sea. As soon therefore as the head of the vessel begins to risc, the pendulum
will cause the lever d¹ to strike the tappet h', and throw the steam full on,
thereby giving the vessel the power to mount the wave.
From the above explanation, it will be understood that the cut-off motion
is derived mainly from the adjustable wedge i. When, therefore, it is desired
to contract or increase the effective traverse motion of the pendulum, it will

page_text: only be necessary to advance or draw back the wedge i. In like manner, if
the cut off or supply of steam is required to be adjusted relatively to the
ascending or descending pitch, it will only be necessary to shift the position of
the rock levers in the pendulum, the advance of either along the rod € serving
to bring it more easily into action relatively to the backward and forward
traverse of the pendulum. When the pitch becomes high enough to bring
both the levers d, d', on to the wedge i, both levers will be set for action, and
the forward lever d' will then act upon the tappet h, and cut off the steam.
If desired, each of the levers may be made with a yielding end, as shown at
Figures 7, so that each can act only in one direction, the one cutting off and
the other letting on the steam. The several arrangements above described
will admit of the steam being cut off at any position of the vessel while the
head is descending, and let on at any position of the vessel while the head
is rising.
Having now set forth the nature of my Invention of "An Improvement in
the Working of Marine Engines," and explained the manner of carrying the
same into effect, I wish it to be understood that under the above in part
recited Letters Patent, I claim applying the vibrating motion of a pendulum
(derived from the pitching of a steam vessel) for cutting off the steam during
the descending pitch through the intervention of a tappet shaft connected
with the cut-off valve, which will ensure a sudden, in contradistinction to a
wire-drawn, cut off. And in conjunction with this combination, I claim the
use of a race, which will allow of the pendulum vibrating to a given extent
without operating upon the cut-off valve, and will ensure the efficient action
of the pendulum when the pitching of the vessel exceeds the given limit.
In witness whereof, I, the said Champion Russell, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Third day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine.
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lanc.
C. RUSSELL. (L.S.)