Improvements in Steam Engines.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Oct., 1896-Accepted, 28th Nov., 1896
Improvements in Steam Engines.
We, JOHN GREAVES PIKE, of 2 Red Lion Street, Norwich, in the County of
Norfolk, Confectioner, and ROBERT WILLIAM WRIGHT, of 5 Ella Road, Norwich,
a foresaid, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to an improved high speed, single acting steam engine and
has for its object to provide an engine having an equal and quick distribution of
steam, few working parts and a large wearing surface.
According to our invention the outer face of the cylinder is grooved to receive
packing rings or the like so as to adapt it to fit steam tight in a cylindrical valve
which is itself provided with packing rings on its outer surface to adapt it to slide
steam tight in a suitable casing. The cylinder and valve are provided with suitable
ports so that steam can be distributed from the outer casing into the cylinder of
the engine.
To enable our invention to be fully understood we will describe it by reference
to the accompanying drawing, which represents a vertical section through the
cylinder of a triple expansion engine constructed according to our invention.
a, a', a are the three cylinders provided with flanges b, 61, 63 grooved to receive
the packing rings c, c, c² and d, d², d, are the three pistons all connected to the
piston rod d which passes through the stuffing boxes d', d.
e is our cylindrical valve the said valve being of variable diameter to adapt it
to receive the three cylinders a, a', a² and is the outer casing in which the said
valve e slides, the said casing falso being of variable diameter to suit the valve e.
el, el are grooves on the valve e for the reception of packing to ensure a steam
tight joint between the valve e and the outer casing f.
9, 9, 9 are ports in the valve e and h, h', ½ are corresponding ports in the
packing rings c, c¹, and cylinders a, a', a. i is a steam chest arranged on the
outer casing and are exhaust chambers from which the steam escapes
from the cylinders a, a, a respectively, the chambers j, j serving as the steam
chests of the cylinders a', a. are ports leading from the chambers j, j into the
cylinders a, a¹.
k is a small slide valve on the upper end of the cylinder a the said valve being
adapted to receive a reciprocating motion from the piston rod d through the
medium of the links k, k, k in order to enable steam to pass from the steam
chest i into the said cylinder through the passage 1 to form a cushion for the piston d
when reaching the end of its upward stroke.
The piston rod a drives the crank shaft in the usual mauner and the valve e can
be operated by an eccentric or in any other well known manner.
The operation of our steam engine is as follows:-
Assuming the engine to be running and the pistons and valve to be in the position
shewn in the drawing, steam passes from the steam chest i into the upper cylinder a
through the ports g and h and from the exhaust chambers j, j into the cylinders a', a²
through the porta g¹, h¹ and g³, h³ respectively and forces the pistons d, d¹, d
downwards. During the following upward or return stroke of the pistons d, d', d
the steam is forced out from the cylinders into the exhaust chambersj, j', through
the ports 9, 9', 9 in the valve e which has meanwhile moved so as to put these
chambers in communication with the ports h, h³, h³.

page_text: The slide valve k is as above described operated by the piston rod d in such a
manner that it opens communication between the steam chest i and the upper end
of the cylinder a, when the piston of the said cylinder has nearly reached the end
of its upward stroke so as to enable steam to pass into the said cylinder and form a
cushion for the piston. The passage is closed immediately after the pistons begin
to descend.
Although we have described the steam ports h, h, has formed in the packing
rings c, d, it will be understood that we can employ two rings leaving a space or
port between them. Or we can employ any other suitable packing having a steam
port formed therein.
It will be obvious that, by this construction of engine, we obtain an equal and
quick distribution of steam and that only one valve is necessary for any number of
cylinders. It will also be obvious that our engine can run at a very high speed
as the stroke of the valve can be made very short owing to the large area of
the ports. Our engine can be made reversible and its construction is such
that it affords great facility for draining off water which condenses in the same.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. A single acting steam engine wherein the cylinder or cylinders is or are
enclosed in a cylindrical valve designed to slide on the same and in an outer
casing in which it is enclosed, substantially as described.
2. In a steam engine wherein a cylindrical valve slides over the cylinder and in
an outer casing, the employment of a slide valve, adapted to slide on the cylinder
and actuated by the piston rod through the medium of suitable mechanism, sub-
stantially as, and for the purpose, herein before described.
3. The combination and arrangement of parts forming the improved steam
engine hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing.
Dated this 6th day of October 1896.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicants.