Improvement in Exhaust Steam Utilizing Apparatus.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application (in United Kingdom), 29th Jan., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 29th Jan., 1896-Accepted, 14th Mar., 1896
Improvement in Exhaust Steam Utilizing Apparatus.
I, CHARLES GARVER, Machinist, of the City of Fort Wayne, in the County of
Allen and the State of Indiana, one of the United States of America, do hereby
declare the nature of my invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
My invention relates to improvements in apparatus for utilizing the exhaust
steam of steam engines by returning the same to the boiler.
The object of my invention is to provide a practical convenient and efficient
means of economical construction for returning the exhaust steam of either
stationary or locomotive engines to the boiler without loss or waste, thereby
effecting a great economy of fuel and water, the greatest loss of heat, when my
improvement is employed, being that by radiation from the surface of the boiler.
My improvement consists of a pair of double cylinders connected with each
other and with the exhaust port of the steam engine upon which it is mounted, and
provided at each end with proper pistons, one pair of the said pistons being driven
by the working engine, and the other pair being actuated by a system of levers
connected with the said driving pistons.
In the accompanying drawings in which similar figures of reference indicate
corresponding parts throughout the several views ;
Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improvement showing the arrangement of the
piston actuating levers, one of the cylinders being cut. away in parts to show the
relative arrangement of the diametric partition and also showing the pistons in
their respective working chambers.
Figure 2 is a plan of the same showing the connections between the cylinders and
the arrangement of the levers.
Figure 3 is a longitudinal vertical section of one of the cylinders, showing the
inlet and outlet ports therefor and the slide valve in position thereon.
Fig. 4 is a plan of one of said cylinders with steam chest removed.
Fig. 5 is a bottom plan of the slide valve.
The twin cylinders 1 and 51 are of the same dimensions and exactly alike in
construction, and are rigidly connected and fixed upon proper supporting standards 2
and 3 at or near the ends thereof, Fig. 1, which are braced by the cross pieces 4.
To the central portion of the said standards 2 and 3 are rigidly fixed the oblique
brackets 6 and 5 respectively, adapted to support the respective piston rods, in the
manner bereafter described."
The said cylinders 1 and 51, arranged in parallel relation, are provided at their
forward end with proper hends 17 and 17' respectively, and at their rear ends with

page_text: the respective heads 16 and 16', and are each provided with a steam chest 20
containing a slide valve 39 provided with the longitudinal steam passages 40
and 41, Fig. 3 and the transverse recesses 42 and 43, Fig. 5.
The forward end of the said slide valve is provided with an operating stem
whose forward end is so connected with the working engine as to receive motion
therefrom, and which passes through the forward end of the steam chest and the
adjacent packing box 13.
The two steam chests 20 are connected by the cross-pipe 30 so that the boiler
pressure is always the same in each. In the top of the chest 20 of the cylinder 1
is secured the outer end of the return pipe 29 to the boiler, Figs. 1 and 3.
The said cylinders are divided into two unequal chambers by a diametric
partition 36 so arranged therein that the forward chamber 70 is but one half
the length of the rear chamber 71 for the purpose hereafter specified. The said
chamber 70 is provided at the top thereof with the steam ports 44 and 47 adapted
to register simultaneously with the recess 43 and with the forward end of the
longitudinal channel 40 of the slide valve 39; and is also provided with a movable
piston 35 rigid on the rear end of the piston rod 11 loosely mounted in a stuffing
box 14 on the cylinder head 17.
The said piston rods 11 and 111 are connected to and driven by the working
engine in any proper manner.
The rear chamber 71 of the said cylinder is provided at its upper face with the
steam ports 45 and 46 adapted to register simultaneously with the recess 42 and
the rear end of the steam channel 40 of the said slide valve, respectively, and is
also provided with a movable piston 34 rigid on the forward end of the piston
rod 10, which is loosely mounted in a proper stuffing box 15 on the cylinder
head 16.
The said chamber 71 is also provided with an inlet port 68 for the exhaust
steam from the working engine, which is conducted thereto by the exhaust pipe 32
having a T pipe 63 upon the outer end thereof leading to the said inlet port 68
of the respective cylinders, and is provided with the check valves 64 and 65.
The internal construction and arrangement of the cylinder 51 is in all respects
identical with that of the cylinder 1 above described.
.
The said cylinders are connected by the pipes 48 and 49, and the steam chests
are connected by the cross-pipe 30.
The system of levers by which the said piston rod 11 is connected with the
piston rod 10 is duplicated in connecting the said piston rod 11' with the said
piston rod 101, and is arranged as follows:
A rectangular frame whose length is approximately double that of its width and
composed of the end pieces 7 and 8 and the sides 9 and 9', is rigidly fixed upon and
supported by the oblique brackets 5 and 51, 6 and 6'.
The end piece 7 has proper bearings 59 and 591 for the respective piston rods 10
and 10', Fig. 2, and the end piece 8 has proper bearings 60 and 60' for the piston
rods 11 and 11.
The shafts 55 & 55', have their inner ends apertured to receive the piston rods 11
and 11 respectively, to which they are rigidly secured, and their outer ends 18
aud 18' are also perforated to receive the sides of the said frame on which the said
ends are adapted to slide.
Referring now to Fig. 1, at a suitable point upon the inner face of the side 9 of
the rectangular frame is pivotally mounted in an upright position the lever 66,
whose upper end is approximately twice the length of the lower end. To the
upper end of the said lever 66 is pivotally connected the rear end of the lever 21
whose forward end is loosely mounted on the shaft 55.
At a suitable point on the side 9 of said frame is a fixed depending
bracket 26 in the lower end of which is pivotally mounted the vertical lever 25,
which is pivotally connected at its lower end by the rod 33 to the lower end of
the lever 66.
The upper end of the said lever 25 is pivotally connected to the forward end of

page_text: the horizontal rod 24 carrying at its rear end the pivotal lever 23 provided with a
guide pin 27 for the longitudinal guiding slot 28 in the side 9.
The lower end of the lever 23 is pivotally connected to the lower end of the
said lever 66 by the rod 67 and the upper end thereof is pivotally connected to
the end of the lever 22 whose forward end is pivotally mounted upon the outer
end of the shaft 58, as seen at 37.
The object of the levers is to impart to the piston rods 10 and 10' just twice as
much motion as is given the piston rods 11 and 11', whereby the piston 34 at each
stroke passes over twice the distance passed over by the piston 35. This is
effected as follows: Operating the piston rod 11 in any proper manner from the
working engine will operate the oblique lever 21 secured to the same shaft 55,
which in turn operates the vertical lever 23 through its connection lever 66 and
rod 67, which gives a to and fro motin to the lever 22, and the shaft 58 and
consequently to the piston rod 10 and the piston 34.
It will be seen that each movement of the said lever 66 actuates not only the
vertical lever 23 by means of the short rod 67, but also actnates the lever 25 by
means of the rod 33, which is pivoted on the fixed bracket 26 and is connected to
the said lever 23 at its center by the pivoted horizontal rod 24 which under the
impulse of the lever 25 is adapted to drive the lever 23 backwards and
forwards on the side 9, a distance equal to that covered by the piston 35.
This gives a double motion to the lever 22 and also the piston rod 10 to
rigidly connected, and carries the piston 34 over twice the distance
covered by the piston 35, which thereby gives room in the chamber 71 for the
exhaust steam, presently to be described."
It is obvious that the said levers may be variously arranged to move the
said piston rods 10 and 10 over double the distance covered by the said piston
rods 11 and 11, without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.
The manner of returning the exhaust steam to the boiler by the employment of
my improvement is, briefly stated as follows:
As the pistons 34 and 35 are driven forward simultaneously, the exhaust
steam enters the rear portion of the chamber 71, behind the piston 34 at the
prt 68 and at the same time the forward movement of the pistoa 35 expels the
steam in the forward end of the chamber 70 forcing one half of it out through
the port 47 and the passage 40 into the rear end of the said chamber 71, while the
other half of the charge passes out at 47, and down through the port 50, which
does not open directly into the cylinder but into the passage 40 by which it
communicates with the port 47, and thence passes into the rear chamber 71 of the
Luter cylinder 51 through the pipe 49, Fig. 2.
At the same time, the portions of the chambers 70 and 71 adjacent the partitions 36
are open to boiler pressure from the steam chest 20 through the transverse
passages 42 and 43, registering with the ports 45 and 44 respectively, Fig. 3,
thereby equalizing the pressure upon both sides of the said pistons, and all that is
necessary in operating them is to overcome their weight and the friction of the
working parts.
As the said pistons 34 and 35 move forward simultaneously in their respective
chambers to the limit of their stroke the slide valve 39 will reach the limit of its
movement in the opposite direction thereby uncovering the port 47 for the reception
of steam from the steam chest 20.
The said pistons being now at the limit of their forward movement, they begin
their return movement, and the slide valve moves simultaneously in the opposite
direction, thereby causing the steam passage 41 to register with the steam ports 44
and 45, which permits the compressed steam in the chamber 70 to escape into the
forward portion of the chamber 70', while at the same time the forward end of the
chamber 70 is supplied with fresh steam from the steam chest 20 through
the port 47 registering with the transverse passage 43, thus equalizing the
pressure on the piston 35, and at the same time the port 46 is uncovered
and the exhaust steam in the rear end of the chamber 71 admitted by the port 68

page_text: will thus upon the return of the piston 34 be forced out into the steam
chest 20 through the port 46, the check valve 65 preventing its return through
the port 68.
But prior to this and at the time when the said slide-valve upon its forward
movement reaches the point scen in Fig. 3, one half of the steam in the forward
portion of the chamber 70 of the cylinder 51, the actions of whose pistons
is alternating with that of the pistons 34 and 35, of the cylinder 1 enters the
forward portion of the chamber 71 through the pipe 48, the steam passage 42 and
the port 45.
The actions of the pistons in the similarly constructed and arranged cylinder 51
is identical with that above described, but their action while simultaneous is alternate
to that of the pistons in the cylinder 1.
As the ordinary engine exhausts twice at each revolution, it is obvious that two
cylinders are necessary as one could not receive both exhausts, and one should
always be open to receive each exhaust.
It is obvious therefore, that by the use of my improvement, the exhaust steam
is readily, economically and directly returned to the boiler, while an equalization
of pressure upon the operating pistons is uniformly maintained.
Having thus described and ascertained the nature of my invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what 1 claim is :-
1. In an apparatus for utilizing the partly expended exhaust steam of steam
engines, the combination of the cylinders 1 and 51 divided into unequal working
chambers 70 and 71 for the purpose specified, having proper ports adapted to
register with the steam passages of the slide-valve 39 in the steam chest 20, as
described, and provided at one end with the respective driving pistons 35, and at
the other end with the pistons 34 actuated by a system of levers connected with
and operated by the said driving pistons, in the manner described the said cylinders
being connected by the cross pipes 48 and 49 for the purpose specified, and are
alternately supplied with exhaust steam by the pipe 32 and with live steam by the
boiler pipe 29, and a system of levers for each cylinder operated by the said
driving pistons and so arranged as to drive the said pistons 34 at each stroke
over twice the space covered by the said driving pistons, all substantially as described.
2. The combination in an apparatus for utilizing the partly expended exhaust
steam of steam engines, the cylinders 1 and 51 provided with steam chests 20,
connected by the steam pipe 30 and a slide-valve 39 channelled as shown, and
divided into unequal working chambers 70 and 71, for the purpose specified, having
proper ports adapted to register with the steam passages of the said valve, as
described, and respectively provided with the driving pistons 35 mounted in the
chamber 70, and the driven pistons 34 mounted in the chamber 71, the said
cylinders being connected by the cross pipes 48 and 49 for the purpose stated, and
are alternately supplied with exhaust steam by the pipe 32 and the port 68, and a
system of actuating levers for each cylinder, comprising the oblique lever 21 having
its forward end connected with the driving piston and its rear end connected to the
lever 22 by one or more pivoted rods and levers, the forward end of said lever 22
being connected with the piston 34 and so arranged as to drive the same at each
stroke over twice the distance covered by the said driving piston, all substantially
as described.
3. In an apparatus for utilizing the partly expended exhaust steam of steam
engines the cylinder 1 having the unequal working chambers 70 and 71, separated
by the partition 36, a steam chest fixed thereon and connected with the boiler hy
the pipe 29, the slide-valve 39 channelled as shown and provided with an operating
stem 12, the said cylinder having an inlet port 68 for the exhaust steam from the
working engine a series of ports arranged as shown and adapted to register with
the steam channels of the said valve, and provided with the simultaneously
acting pistons 34 and 35, arranged in the respective chambers, all substantially
as described.

page_text: 4. In an apparatus for utilizing the partly expended exhaust steam for steam
engines, the combination of the steam cylinder 1 and 51, each provided with a
steam chest 20 connected by a cross pipe 30, and a slide valve 39 channelled as
shown and provided with an operating stem 12, the said cylinders having the
working chambers 70 and 71 provided with the simultaneously acting piston 35
and 34 respectively, a series of steam ports adapted to register with the steam
channels of the said valve, and an inlet steam port 68, all substantially as
described.
5. In an apparatus for utilizing the exhaust steam of steam engines, a system of
pivotally connected actuating levers, connecting the driving piston with the
driven pistons so constructed and arranged as to impart to the said driven pistons
twice the motion of the said driving pistons for the purpose specified, all sub-
stantially as described.
6. A system of levers for transmitting power comprising an oblique lever 21
fixed at one end to the driving piston rod by means of the shaft 55, and pivotally
connected at its other end with the oblique levers 22 by means of the vertical
levers 25, 23, and 66, and the connecting rods 24, 33, and 67, in combination with
the shaft 58, the piston rod 10 and the fixed supports 2 and 3, all substantially as
described.
Dated this Eleventh day of January 1896.