IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Peters, of 89, Union Street, Borough, in
the County of Surrey, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN STEAM ENGINES."
Sealed the 3rd July 1855, and dated the 16th May 1855.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Richard Peters at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition and Declaration, on
the 16th May 1855, pursuant to the 9th Section of the Patent Law
Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, RICHARD
PETERS, of 89, Union Street, Borough, in the County of Surrey, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
STEAM ENGINES," 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:-
It consists in such a combination and arrangement of parts as will produce
one revolution or rotation of the crank and its shaft by a single stroke of the
piston of the steam cylinder, instead of requiring, as in ordinary engines, an up
and down stroke, or a double stroke of the piston or actuating rod; and this J
effect by making the stroke of the piston twice the ordinary proportional length,
that is, four times the length or radius of the crank, and of so suspending the
cylinder on an axis of motion that it is free to rotate upon the said axis. I
also so place the crank shaft that its centre of motion may be eccentric to the
axis of the cylinder to the extent of one quarter of the stroke of the piston,
or its equivalent, the radius of the crank; and I connect the actuating rod
of the piston with the crank pin by means of a bush fixed on the said rod,

page_text: and working or sliding in a groove or grooves, or other convenient guides
attached to the said cylinder, and passing through or intersecting its axis of
motion. I further use one or more of these cylinders, as convenience may
dictate, whose combined force I cause to act upon the crank shaft in a manner
herein-after described, and to facilitate the description and mode of action
generally I will refer to an arrangement adapted to a steam engine; and for
this purpose I prefer to use a double or turn cylinders, fitted with a hollow
axis, through which the steam may be conveyed to and from the cylinders; and
within a chamber at the termination of such hollow axis I place a fixed
circular disc or plate slide, having apertures in it for the passage of the steam
simultaneously to and from both cylinders, and working against a suitable face
on their side. I connect the ends of the piston rods together by a cross head,
from the centre of which a rod passes between the cylinders, and is connected
with a bush or block, which is fitted on to the crank pin and slides, or is guided
in a groove between the cylinders, such bush moving simultaneously with
the pistons, and by its rectilinear action in the direction of the length of the
cylinders causes the crank pin to rotate once round its own axis during the
period of one single stroke of the pistons; and having completed one such
rotation, its motion is continued by the steam passages being reversed by the
action of the slide, producing the retrograde motion of the pistons and another
or second rotation of the crank. The necessary consequence of this motion
of the crank is the rotation of the cylinders round their common axis, on
which they are poised, serving the purpose of a fly wheel. The continued
action of the steam produces a continuous reciprocation of the pistons, and of
consequence a continuous rotation of the crank at twice the speed ordinarily
obtained from the action of the pistons on the crank. It will be seen, on
reference to the Diagram herein-after described, that in consequence of the
combined rotation of the cylinders and crank, there is only one dead point
in the revolution of the crank instead of two, as in the ordinary construction
of engine.
The reversing or changing the direction of the motion is simply effected by
moving the circular slide partially round its axis by means of a lever, which is
retained in the required position by a stop, thus avoiding the complication.
friction, and expence of the ordinary slide gear. To insure a more perfect and
uniform action, the crank is made with a double arm, and is fitted with two
pins, the one connected with the sliding bush in the longitudinal groove or
guide
guide, as already described, and the other fitting or sliding in a groove or
on the cylinders, placed at right angles to the longitudinal guide or length of the
cylinders, and intersecting their axis of motion. It is not, however, absolutely

page_text: necessary to adopt the second or guide pin and lateral groove to effect the simul-
taneous rotation of the crank and cylinders, and consequently the double speed
of the crank, as an internal tooth'd wheel attached to the cylinders, and a pinion
attached to the crank shaft working in concert with it, will effect the same
object; but I have preferred to describe the former from the greater simplicity
of the arrangement, and whether one cylinder, twin cylinders, or two distinct
and independent cylinders be employed to give motion to the crank, or a com-
bination of several series of cylinders be used, the same effect is produced
on the crank, viz', the double rotation for the up and down stroke of each
respective series of pistons, the number of such series being merely a question
of power concentrated on the crank shaft.
Having now distinctly described the nature of my said Invention, and its
mode of action. I now proceed more particularly to shew its application by the;
accompanying Drawing and corresponding reference.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
The samo letters of reference apply to similar parts in all the Figures.
Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, are Diagrams illustrative of the principle of action as
developed in my said Invention. Figures 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, shew applications of my
Invention to steam engines having respectively one, two, and four cylinders.,
Figure 11 shews an application of my Invention, having an internal wheel;
and pinions for effecting the double motion of the crank shaft. In Figures
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, the Diagrams represent the relative positions of the cylinders
and crank at the four quarters of the stroke of the piston respectively, viz:
Figure 1, when the pistons are at the bottoms of the cylinders and commencing
the stroke, A, B, being the line of the piston's motion, turning on a centre
C; and D, the pin of the crank, rotating round a centre E; Figure 2, the
same at the first quarter of the stroke; Figure 3, the same at half stroke;
Figure 4, the same at three quarters of the stroke; and Figure 5, the same
at the full stroke, the arrow head in each case shewing the direction of the
piston's motion. Referring to Figure 7 and 8, A, A, are two cylinders, rotating
round an axis B, having grooves a, a, at right angles to each other, and
turning in a suitable frame and bearings; C, a crank; D, the crank shaft,
mounted in a frame with suitable bearings; E, the crank pin; F, the sliding
bush; G, the guide pin; H, H, the piston rods, united by a cross head I,
and connected with the bush F by a rod; K, L, a hollow axis or tube attached
to the cylinders with which it rotates; within it is contained a hollow stem or
tube M, terminating in a disc or plate slide, which seats against the face of the
ports of the cylinders, having suitable apertures for the passage of the steam.

page_text: The slide is held in its position and prevented from turning by a lever N and
suitable stops at the end of the frame, and is capable of being moved round
its centre to a sufficient extent to change the communication with the passages
of the cylinders, and so to reverse the motion of the pistons. The steam is
admitted through a branch O of a pipe which is made steam-tight in a packed
stuffing box formed in the end of the axis L, and is discharged through a
similar branch P, the branches being separated by the intervention of two
collars inserted in the said branch pipe, and seated against conical shoulders
on the tube M, through which the steam is discharged from the cylinders.
Ordinary slides with a fixed eccentric may be used for the supply of steam to
the cylinders, but I prefer that herein described, as being simpler in con-
struction, and as dispensing with the eccentric rods and extra joints of the
slide cases, &c. The action of Figures 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, are all alike, with the
exception that in Figure 10 a double series of cylinders on a two-throw crank
produces a more uniform power by causing the action of one series to be at
its maximum when that of the other is at its minimum.
Having now distinctly described my Invention, and shewn its application in
various forms, I claim the combination of parts, by means of which I obtain
two revolutions of the crank shaft with a double stroke of the piston or pistons
of the rotating engine by which it is actuated, whether such motion be effected
by slides and grooves, as herein described, or in combination with or solely by
their substitute or mechanical equivalent, viz, an internal wheel and pinion;
but I do not confine myself to the precise arrangement of parts herein
described, as the same may be varied to suit a special application of the
Invention.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Peters, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
RICHARD PETERS. (L.B.)
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the said
Richard Peters, in the presence of
WIL, Sol
58, Bartholomew Close, London.