IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES
Year: 1876

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LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Morgan Secretary of the Inventors' Patent Right
Association, Limited, 21, Cockspur Street, Charing Cross, in the County of
Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES."
communication from abroad by Gideon Blackman Massey, Engineer, and Junius
Nelson Petty, Gentleman, of the City, County, and State of New York, United
States of America.
Sealed the 13th February 1877, and dated the 19th August 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Morgan at the Office
of the Commissioners of.Patents on the 19th August 1876.
THOMAS MORGAN, Secretary of the Inventors' Patent Right Association, Limited,
21, Cockspur Street, Charing Cross, in the County of Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS
IN STEAM ENGINES." A communication from abroad by Gideon Blackman Massey
Engineer, and Junius Nelson Petty, Gentleman, of the City, County, and State of
New York, United States of America.
This Invention consists mainly of three pistons in one cylinder, two of which
work together on one crank, and the other works between the first two on another.
crank at right angles to the first, together with ports contrived for working the
steam between the cylinder heads and the end pistons, and also between the middle
piston and the end pistons, in such manner as to overcome the dead centres; and
the Invention also consists of an enlarged middle section of the cylinder and middle
piston, and so as to work the steam expansively on the large piston after doing its
duty on the small ones, and thus combining a simple and a compound engine in
one. Cranks are arranged at right angles and steam acts alternately on the small
and large pistons, so that they pass the centres without obstruction. Steam is
admitted at the end ports into the small part of the cylinder, and after pushing the
pistons on small cylinder to the end of their strokes enters the large port and
pushes the upper piston through its course and exhausts through the ports, thus
operating the same as in compound engines of the ordinary kind, but without back
pressure on the small pistons, which the latter are subject to in the common
arrangement. The valve gear inay be arranged in different ways, using one or two
valves or more. The steam acts between the ends of the cylinder and the end
pistons when the crank of the middle piston is passing its centres, and between the

page_text: middle piston and one of the end pistons when the crank of the latter is passing its
centres. As soon as the steam passes by the sinall pistons to act on the large one
the pressure is balanced on the small ones by acting alike on both sides, and thus
there is no back pressure on the small ones as in other compound engines.
Important points in this Invention are―
1st. The combination of the large middle cylinder and its piston with the smaller
end cylinders and their pistons, the same forming a compound engine.
2nd. The combination of a single cylinder, connected end pistons, and middle
piston, with the driving shaft, having cranks all suitably arranged so as to cause
the steam to pass directly from the end pistons on to the middle one without
returning through the ports at the ends of the cylinder, and to permit the steam to
exhaust from the middle and ends independently and at different points of the
revolution.
3rd. In a cylinder having two end pistons and a middle one, the two end pistons
connected by rods working through the middle piston, and the rod of the middle
piston working through the tubular rod of the end pistons.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by the
the said Thomas Morgan in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 17th February
1877.
THOMAS MORGAN, Secretary of the Inventors' Patent Right Association, Limited,
21, Cockspur Street, Charing Cross, in the County of Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS
IN STEAM ENGINES." A communication from abroad by Gideon Blackman Massey,
Engineer, and Junius Nelson Petty, Gentleman, of the City, County, and State of
New York, United States of America..
This Invention consists of three pistons in one cylinder, two of which work
together on one crank, and the other works between the first two on another crank
at right angles to the first, together with ports contrived for working the steam
between the cylinder heads and the end pistons, and also between the middle piston
and the end pistons in such manner as to overcome the dead centres; and the
Invention also consists of an enlarged middle section of the cylinder and middle
piston, together with provision for working the steam expansively on the large
piston after doing its duty on the small ones, and thus combining a simple and a
compound engine in one.
Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of this improved engine (on line x, x,
Fig. 2), and Figure 2 is a plan view.
A represents the small end portions of the cylinder containing pistons B;
C represents the large middle portion containing piston D. The rod E of piston D
works through the tubular rod F of pistons B and connects cross head G and
crank H. The pistons B are connected together by rods I working through piston D,
and thus rod F connects cross head J and crank K. Cranks K and H are arranged
at right angles, and steam acts alternately on the small and large pistons, so that
they pass the centres without obstruction. Steam is admitted at the end ports L
into the small parts of the cylinder, and after pushing the pistons B to the end of
their strokes enters the large part C and pushes piston D through its course and
exhausts through ports M, thus operating the same as in compound engines of the
ordinary kind, but without back pressure on the small pistons, which the latter are
subject to in the common arrangement. The valve gear may be arranged in
different ways, using one or two valves, or more; in this example the small pistons
are represented as running out of parts A into part C, to let steam pass on to
piston D, in which case the packing will of course be contrived to retain its position,
but ports O may be made to conduct the steam from A to C without the pistons B
passing out of their parts of the cylinder, the ports being uncovered by the pistons

page_text: at the proper time. Cylinders A. and C may be made separate and he joined by
flanges N bolted together. The steam admitted at one end port, say the right-hand
end port L, may be exhausted at the left-hand middle port M, but by keeping that
port closed and retaining it till crank H passes the centre it reacts on right-hand
piston B until it gets well back to the cylinder head again, when it may be exhausted
at the right-hand port M, thus still further expanding the steam. The steam acts
between the ends of the cylinder and the end pistons when the crank of the middle
piston is passing its centres, and between the middle piston and one of the end
pistons when the cranks of the latter is passing its centres. It will be noticed that
as soon as the steam passes by the small pistons to act on the large one the pressure
is balanced on the small ones by acting alike on both sides, and thus there is no
back pressure on the small ones, as in other compound engines.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I hereby declare that
I claim in respect of the said Invention,―
1st. The combination of the large middle cylinder C and its piston with the
smaller end cylinders A and their pistons, the same forming a compound engine,
substantially as described.
2nd. The combination of a single cylinder A, C, connected end pistons B, and
middle piston D, with the driving shaft, having cranks H and K, all arranged
substantially as shewn, so as to cause the steam to pass directly from the end pistons
under the middle one without returning through the ports at the ends of the
cylinder, to permit the steam to exhaust froin the middle and ends independently and
at different points of the revolution, as described.
3d. In a cylinder having two end pistons and a middle one, the two end pistons
connected by rods I working through the middle piston, working through the
tubular rod of the end pistons, substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Morgan, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Seventeenth day of February, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.
FATTAR MADA