IMPROVEMENTS IN VALVE GEAR FOR DIRECT-ACTING STEAM ENGINES
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Haseltine, of the "International Patent
Office," Southampton Buildings, London, Doctor of Laws, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN VALVE GEAR FOR DIRECT-ACTING STEAM
ENGINES." A communication from abroad by John Tesseyman and
Edmund Irving Howard, both of Dayton, Ohio, United States of
America, Gentlemen.”
Sealed the 15th August 1873, and dated the 28th June 1873.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said George Haseltine at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition and
Declaration, on the 28th June 1873, pursuant to the 9th Section
of the Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
HASELTINE, of the "International Patent Office," Southampton Build-
ings, London, Doctor of Laws, send greeting.
WHEREAS I am in possession of an Invention for “IMPROVEMENTS IN
VALVE GEAR FOR DIRECT-ACTING STEAM ENGINES," and have petitioned
Her Majesty to grant unto me, my executors, administrators, and

page_text: assigns, Her Royal Letters Patent for the same, and have made
solemn Declaration that it has been communicated to me from abroad
by John Tesseyman and Edmund Irving Howard, both of Dayton,
Ohio, United States of America, Gentlemen.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said George Haseltine, do hereby
declare that the following Complete Specification, under my hand and
seal, fully describes and ascertains the nature of the said Invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed, in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawing, forming
a part of this Specification :---
The purpose of this Invention is to increase the efficiency, economy,
and durability of direct-acting engines. It consists principally in the
employment of a reciprocating head, provided within one of its vertical
sides, with two substantially horizontal grooves, which are connected at
their ends and diverge vertically at their centres to a distance equal to
the throw of the valve, and through suitable mechanism impart motion
to the said valve, as and for the purpose herein-after described. It
consists farther in the construction of an adjustable spring attachment
for leading the wrist pin of the rocker shaft from one groove to the
other in the reciprocating head, as and for the purpose herein-after
shown. It consists finally in the device, as a whole, when constructed
to operate substantially as and for the purpose herein-after set forth.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 is a side elevation of a pumping engine, constructed
according to these improvements. Figure 2 is a plan of the upper side
of the same, and Figures 3 and 4 are side elevations of modifications
of the reciprocating head used for operating the valve. Similar letters
indicate the same parts throughout the Drawing.
Although the said Invention is applicable to all classes of direct
acting engines I will more particularly describe its use upon a pumping
engine. A represents the water cylinder and B the steam cylinder,
secured upon opposite ends of a base plate C and provided with a piston
rod D, which is connected at its ends with the piston and plunger in
the usual manner: Secured upon the piston rod D at its longitudinal
centre is a head E which preferably extends above and below the said
rod, and has its lower end contained within a corresponding groove F

page_text: "
formed within the bed plate C, and which serves as a guide for said
head. Upon one side of the head E is a plate G, within whose outer
vertical face are cut two grooves H that are formed upon circular lines,
and at their ends intersect each other, so as to present in plan a double
convex form. The steam chest B¹ is preferably placed upon the side of
its cylinder, which corresponds to the position of the plate G, and the
valve stem K extending horizontally forward is pivoted upon a vertical
arm L of a rock shaft which rests within a standard M extending
upward from the bed plate C. The inner arm L' of the rock shaft
extends horizontally forward to a point midway between the cylinders
A and B, and at its end is provided with a wrist pin that extends
laterally inward and fits in the grooves H. If the head E is caused to
reciprocate and the wrist pin to follow alternately the line of the
upper and lower grooves the said pin will be moved vertically to a
distance equal to the space between the said grooves at the point of
their greatest divergence. This motion being communicated through the
rocker arms L' and L and valve rod K to the valve will cause the course
of the steam to be changed to and from the ends of the cylinder B
in the usual manner. In order that the wrist pin 7 may be caused to
change automatically from one groove to the other at the instant the.
motion of the cross head is reversed the following. mechanism is
employed: Upon the inner end of the rocker shaft is secured a third
arm L", which extends upward in a line with the arm L, and has
pivoted to its upper end and inner face a rod N, which extends thence
horizontally and in a line with the piston rod D, to and through a
suitable guide O attached to and extending upward from the water
cylinder A. An arm E¹ extends upward from the cross head E, and at
its upper end is provided with a cylindrical enlargement e' which
loosely encircles the rod N, and when the said cross head is in motion
slides over the said rod. Upon the rod N near its ends are placed two:
adjustable collars P, and around the said rod immediately within each
collar is placed a spiral spring Q. The said collars are adjusted to
position upon the rod to cause each spiral spring to receive a blow from
the enlargement e¹ just before the cross head reaches the limit of its :
stroke; by this contrivance the said rod is pressed in the same direction":
and through the rocker arms L" and L, the wrist pin is caused to pass
from the groove through which it has just passed into the end of
the intersecting groove at the instant when such point of intersection
is reached. A rubber buffer h placed within the outer side of cach

page_text: groove H in such a position as to receive the impact of the wrist pin
when the latter passes from the end of one of said grooves into
the connecting end of the other deadens the force of the blow, and
causes the engine to change its motion without a shock. By moving the
collars towards or from the longitudinal centre of their rod the pressure
upon the springs will be correspondingly increased or diminished, as
may be required, in order to cause the wrist pin to be thrown from one
groove to another as the engine runs at a high or low rate of speed.
The aforesaid grooves will give to the valve, substantially, the same
motion as would be obtained by the use of an ordinary excentric, and
will allow the steam to be used expansively to cause the piston to have
a low rate of speed at either end of its stroke and a high rate at the
central portion thereof, instead, as is usually the case, of having the
speed of the piston continued to or near the limit of motion and
then suddenly checked, and the said piston thrown back with a
shock.
Although the form of groove shown is preferably employed the same
may be varied to give any desired motion to the valve. As an
illustration of its modifications, Figure 3 shows grooves arranged to
cause a full head of steam to be carried to nearly the end of the stroke,
when the valve will be suddenly changed and steam thrown upon the
opposite side of the piston, the motion produced being similar to that
of most pumping engines.
Figure 4 shows an arrangement of grooves to cause the supply of
steam to be shut off at one half stroke, whence to near the termination
of the stroke the steam is used expansively, after which the valve is
changed, either quickly, as seen by the full lines, or more slowly, as
indicated by the dotted lines.
Tho especial advantages obtained by these improvements arc,-
First. Any desired motion may be given to the valve, which motion
instead of being constant in either direction may be variable to any
degree and in any manner.
Second. The valve gearing is more simple in construction, costs less,

page_text: me by my foreign correspondents, and the manner of performing the
same, I wish it understood that I claim,-
First. In a direct-acting steam engine a reciprocating head provided
with two longitudinal grooves intersecting at their ends and diverging at
their centres and through suitable mechanism connected with and im-
parting motion to the steam valve as herein set forth and for the purpose
specified.
Second. In combination with the reciprocating cross head E provided
with the intersecting grooves H, and arm E', and with the valve rod K,
and rocker arms L, L', and L", the rod N, provided with the adjustable
collars P, and springs Q, as herein set forth, and for the purpose
specified.
Third. The improved valve gearing constructed and arranged to
operate as herein set forth, and for the purpose specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Haseltine, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of June, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
three.
Witness,
JAMES EDWARDS,
8, Southampton Buildings,
London.
GEORGE HASELTINE. (L.s.)