CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN OR APPLICABLE TO STEAM ENGINES
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Ellis, of Droylsden, in the County of Lancaster,
Engineer, and William Winterbottom, and John Bradock, of the same
Place, Managers, for the Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN OR
APPLICABLE TO STEAM ENGINES"
Sealed the 12th September 1860, and dated the 19th March 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Ellis, William
Winterbottom and John Bradock, at the Office of the Commissioners
of Patents, with their Petition, on the 19th March 1860.
We, JOHN ELLIS, of Droylsden, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer, and
WILLIAM WINTERBOTTOM and JOHN BRADOCK, of the same Place, Managers,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVE-
MENTS IN OR APPLICABLE TO STEAM ENGINES," to be as follows:-
The first part of our Invention consists in an improved equilbrium slide
valve, which is constructed in the following manner :-The slide valve fits
accurately in the valve box, one side of which is furnished with two openings
through which the steam from the side pipe enters the slide valve by which it
is delivered to the ports of the steam cylinder. The exhaust steam is conveyed
through the slide valve to the exhaust steam pipe in the usual manner.
The

page_text: slide valve is made with one or more adjustable guides to compensate for the
wear.
The second part of our Invention consists in an improved apparatus for
lubricating the slide valves, pistons, and cylinders of steam engines, which
lubricating apparatus is particularly applicable to the equilibrium slide valve
above described, but may be applied to steam engines with other slide valves.
The vessel containing the lubricating material is attached to a hollow spindle
fixed to the slide valve, which spindle works in a gland or stuffing box fixed to
the valve box; the lubricating material is discharged at intervals by hand or
self-acting machinery and enters the slide valve by which it is delivered to the
cylinder with the steam.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Ellis, William Winterbottom and John Bradock in
the Great Seal Patent Office on the 18th September 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JOHN ELLIS,
of Droylesden, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer, and WILLIAM WINTER-
BOTTOM and JOHN BRADOCK, of the same Place, Managers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-third year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the
said John Ellis, William Winterbottom and John Bradock, Her special licence
that we, the John Ellis, William Winterbottom and John Bradock, our
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said
John Ellis, William Winterbottom and John Bradock, our executors, admi-
nistrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,
from time to time and at all times thereafter 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 "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN
OR APPLICABLE TO STEAM ENGINES," upon the condition (amongst others)
that we, the said John Ellis, William Winterbottom and John Bradock,
our executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under our,
or their, or one of our or their hands and seals, should particularly describe
and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same

page_text: 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 we, the said John Ellis, William Winterbottom
and John Bradock, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement (that is to say):-
The first part of our Invention consists in an improved equilibrium slide
valve, which is constructed in the following manner :-The slide valve is fur-
nished with openings through which the steam from the side pipe enters the
slide valve, and by which it is delivered to the ports of the steam cylinder; the
exhaust steam is conveyed through the slide valve to the exhaust steam pipe
in the usual manner. The slide valve is made with one or more adjustable
guides to compensate for the wear.
The second part of our Invention consists in an improved apparatus for
lubricating the slide valves, pistons, and cylinders of steam engines, which
Jubricating apparatus is particularly applicable to the equilibrium slide valve
above described, but may be applied to steam engines with other slide valves.
The vessel containing the lubricating material is attached to a hollow spindle
fixed to the slide valve. The lubricating material is discharged at intervals
by hand or self-acting machinery and enters the slide valve by which it is
delivered to the cylinder with the steam.
And in order that our Invention may be fully understood and readily carried
into effect, we will proceed to describe the accompanying Sheet of Drawings,
reference being had to the figures and letters marked thereon.
Figure 1, is a longitudinal section through a steam engine cylinder to which
our improvements are applied. Figure 2 is a transverse section, and Figure 3
another longitudinal section through the same. a is the cylinder; b and c,
the admission ports and passages, and d, the exhaust port, which are made in
the usual manner; e is a flange cast or fixed to the cylinder, which flange, with
the valve seating f, form two sides of the valve box; the other sides of the valve
box may be dispensed with; g is the equilibrium valve, which is held against
the flange e and seating by the two adjustable guides h and i; j is part of
the side pipe which admits the steam through the port k, in the flange e;. 1, 1
are two ports in the face of the valve working on the flange e, and m, m³,
are the ports in the valve working against the seating f; the valve is
divided in the centre by a partition g' shewn in Figure 3, and in section in
the detached Figure 4; o is the passage in the valve for the exhaust steam;

page_text: q. is the branch to which the exhaust steam pipe is connected. In Figure 1,
the valve is shewn in the centre of the stroke, that is to say, no steam is
entering the valve or the cylinder, as the blank space of the valve between the
ports and is opposite the admission port k, and the ports m, m³, are closed
by the seating f. When the valve is down as shewn in Figure 3 the steam
passing through the port k enters the valve through the port / and passes thence
to the cylinder through the port m, and through the port and passage b; at
this time the passage c is open to the passage o in the valve through which the
steam passes to the exhaust pipe q through the passage d.
is up the steam enters the passage c through the ports and m¹, and the
other end of the cylinder is in communication with the condenser through
the passages b, o, and d. From the foregoing description and drawing it will
be seen that the ordinary valve box or steam chest is dispensed with, and
that the valve works in perfect equilibrium, as the back of the valve is open to
the atmosphere, and consequently there is no pressure on the seating; the
power required to work the valve, and the wear on the seatings, are greatly
reduced.
When the valve
Our improved equilibrium slide valve is also applicable as a throttle or feed
valve. In cylinders of large dimensions there are two steam ports in the
flange e, and four parts in the valve; in other respects the arrangement of
the valve would be similar to that shewn in the Drawing.
Our improved apparatus for lubricating consists of the vessel r, which is
fixed to the upper part of the valve 9; this vessel is attached to a hollow
spindle and is furnished with a stop cock in the usual manner; the stop cock
must be opened at intervals by hand or by any suitable self-acting machinery
when the valve is in the position shewn in Figure 1, that is to say, when there
is no pressure of steam in the inside of the valve; the lubricating material is
then at liberty to drop into the valve, and as soon as the valve is moved so as
to uncover the port 6, the lubricating material enters the cylinder with the
steam and lubricates at the same time the faces of the valve. When our
improvements in apparatus for lubricating are applied to steam engines with
the usual steam chest, the spindle of the lubricator works through a gland or
stuffing box in the valve box.
Having thus stated the nature of our Invention, and described the manner
of performing the same, we wish it to be understood that we do not limit our-
selves to the precise details given, but what we do claim is,-
First, the improved equilibrium slide valve described, in which the openings

page_text: or ports for admitting and discharging the steam are made in the sides of the
valve, and by which the steam chest or valve box is dispensed with.
And, secondly, the improved mode of lubricating the valves, pistons, and
cylinders of steam engines, as described.
In witness whereof, we, the said John Ellis, William Winterbottom and
John Bradock, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Fourteenth
day of September, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred
and sixty.
JOHN ELLIS.
(L.S.)
WILLIAM WINTERBOTTOM. (L.S.)
JOHN BRADOCK.
(L.S.)