IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES
Year: 1868

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by John Badger and William
Badger at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their
Petition, on the 1st September 1868.
We, JOHN BADGER and WILLIAM BADGER, both of Rotherham, in
the County of York, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES," to be as follows:-
One part of this Invention consists in certain improvements in the
construction and arrangement of governors and expansion gear, whereby
the necessity for the use of the ordinary throttle valve in regulating the
speed of steam engines is obviated and a more regular speed insured
than can be accomplished by the means commonly employed.
These arrangements will be clearly understood by reference to the
annexed Drawing.
A is a vertical spindle, to which is attached the horizontal arm b
(the same being secured to the spindle by the nuts a, a, and the cotter c)

page_text: in such a manner that it may be raised or depressed. Upon the arm b
two balls or other weights are placed so as to slide freely thereon, the
balls or weights being connected to the slider d by the links e, e. The
slider d is made sufficiently heavy as by its weight to counteract the
centrifugal force of the balls or weights. The collar or rest fis moveable
on the spindle A. A rotary motion being given to the latter the balls
or weights fly from the centre and raise the slider d, to which the beam B
is attached, together with suitable mechanism for working the valve
which regulates the admission of steam to the cylinder. The compound
valve C, which forms the exhaust and steam valve in one, is constructed
by superimposing a small cylinder upon the ordinary gridiron valve, the
steam ports terminating in annular or other spaces in the small cylinder,
which is bored and fitted with a cylindrical valve g, which valve is
worked by the spindle and a lever or expansion link h. The expansion
link is suspended from the end of the beam B, so that as the expansion
cam rod D is raised or depressed by the action of the governor the
expansion valve rod E is actuated, and the traverse of the valve and
the supply of steam regulated. Instead of the small cylinder being
employed a square box may be placed on the back of the valve.
This Invention further consists in certain arrangements in the con-
struction of pistons, whereby the necessity of taking off the cylinder
cover in order to tighten the rings of the piston is prevented, and the
piston is rendered self-lubricating. A piston block is secured in the
usual way to the piston rod. The piston ring or packing is made
eccentric, the outer circumference being turned so as to exactly coincide
with the size of the cylinder, and is expanded by means of a cone in
the following manner :-A ring is placed on the piston rod having two
pieces of metal upon it, on one of which is placed a spiral spring. At
the side opposite to the spring three brass pieces are placed, one of which
has a conical-shaped end, and is fitted to the packing ring so as to form
a wedge and block; the other two pieces are made to fit the before-
mentioned pieces of metal upon the ring, and at their junction a 'conical
holė is bored, in which is placed a conical plug coinciding with the
conical end of the wedge piece. Upon the plug being screwed down
the two brass pieces are separated and the packing ring expanded to
fit the cylinder. A plug is screwed into the cylinder cover, by removing
which a spanner can be introduced into the cylinder and the cone

page_text: screwed down. To obviate the necessity for the use of lubricating matter
the piston ring or rings is or are provided with grooves in order to collect
the water resulting from the condensation of the steam, and which serves
to lubricate the cylinder.