CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF STEAM ENGINES, CONSISTING OF A ROTATORY CIRCULAR VALVE FOR THE REGULAR ADMISSION OF STEAM FROM THE BOILER ALTERNATELY INTO THE CHAMBERS OF THE TWO CYLINDERS OF DOUBLE-ACTING ENGINES
Year: 1852

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
Cook, of the Town or Borough of Kingston-upon-Hull, Working Copper-
smith, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Twelfth day of January, in the fifteenth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
William Cook, Her especial license, full power, sole privilege and autho-
rity, that I, the said William Cook, my exors, adñiors, and assigns, and
every of them, by himself and themselves, or by his and their deputy or
deputies, servants or agents, or such others as I, the said William Cook,
my exors, adiñors, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,
from time to time and at all times during the term of years therein expressed,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England,
Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, and in the Islands of Jersey,
Guernsey, Alderney, Sark, and Man, and also in all Her said Majesty's Colonies
and Plantations abroad, my Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
CONSTRUCTION OF STEAM ENGINES, CONSISTING OF A ROTATORY CIRCULAR VALVE
FOR THE REGULAR ADMISSION OF STEAM FROM THE BOILER ALTERNATELY INTO THE
CHAMBERS OF THE TWO CYLINDERS OF DOUBLE-ACTING ENGINES;" in which said
Letters Patent is contained a proviso that I, the said William Cook, shall
cause a particular description, by an instrument in writing under my hand and
seal, of the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be inrolled in Her said Majesty's High of Chancery

page_text: within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being there-
unto had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
William Cook, do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had to
the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked thereon
(that is to say) -
The improvements in the construction of steam engines which I have
invented consist of a circular valve, to which a rotatory motion is communi-
cated by means of a cogged pinion fixed on the crank shaft of the engine,
working on a cogged bevil wheel fixed at the top of a shaft, to the lower end
of which last-mentioned shaft my rotatory circular valve is fixed.
It is placed
between the two cylinders of a double-acting engine inclosed in a circular
frame and seat of iron or other metal, tightly boxed up, and within which the
circular valve revolves, the pinion and cogged wheel above mentioned being so
arranged as to cause one revolution of the valve to three revolutions of the
engine crank shaft. My valve is made of a circular plate of iron, brass, bell
or other metal, according to the discertion of the manufacturer, the circle on
the lower side or face of the valve being divided by six lines or radii into the
same number of equal segmental parts. In three of such parts (the faces of
which are turned or ground perfectly flat and smooth), holes, or apertures (of
the shape shewn in Figure 4 of the Drawing hereunto annexed), are cut
quite through the plate. These apertures form the steamways for the steam
to pass, in the mode herein-after described, from the boiler, steam chest, and
valve box into the two cylinders. The other three parts of the lower face
of the revolving circular valve, which are not perforated with holes or aper-
tures, and also a small portion in the centre of the face of the valve, are cut
away or hollowed out so as to form a chamber or passage through which the
steam is exhausted in the same manner as in ordinary slide valves. The seat
upon which the circular valve above described is made to revolve and work, is
formed of a circular plate of iron or other metal, the entire upper face of which
is turned or ground perfectly flat and smooth. This last-mentioned circular
plate or seat is perforated with four holes or apertures (of the form shewn in
Figure 1, Numbers 3, 4, 5, and 6 of the Drawing hereunto annexed). These
four holes or apertures are made at equal distances from each other round that
portion of the seat where the apertures in the revolving valve above pass in the
course of their revolution, so that the holes or apertures in the revolving valve, and

page_text: those in the seat below, open upon each other alternately in passing as the valve
revolves, and by so opening allow the steam to pass through both the valve and
seat. Thus it will be apparent that when each of the holes or apertures through
the revolving valve passes over one of the holes or apertures in the seat, steam
is admitted (by means of pipes or passages similar to those used in ordinary
steam engines with slide valves,) into the upper and lower chambers alternately
above and below the pistons in the two cylinders. Thus it will appear that
the rotatory valve, as above described, consists of four parts,-
First, the cogged wheels and shaft for communicating rotatory motion from
the engine crank shaft to the valve.
Secondly, the circular revolving valve, divided on its face into six parts or
compartments, and perforated with three apertures.
Thirdly, the circular seat below the valve, perforated with four apertures.
And, fourthly, the circular valve box, with its stuffing box and appendages,
for retaining or securing the revolving shaft and valve in their proper working
position, as shewn in Figures 2 and 5 of the said Drawing hereunto annexed.
My Invention is more particulary intended for and adapted to dowble-
acting engines (namely), to engines having two cylinders, such as are gencrally
used for railway locomotives, and steam boats or vessels, but it is nevertheless
applicable also to engines with one cylinder. By the arrangement I have
adopted we have the following working of the three apertures in the valve over
the four apertures in the seat; and, in order that my Invention and improve-
ment may be as clearly understood as possible, I have, in Figure 4 of the
Drawing hereunto annexed, marked the three apertures in the valve
respectively with the letters a, b, and c, and in Figure 1 of the said Drawing
numbered the four apertures in the seat respectively with the numbers 3, 4,
5, and 6. Supposing, then, the valve to be revolving in the direction pointed
out by the arrow drawn on Figure 1, the aperture a in the valve is open over
the aperture Number 5 in the seat. The aperture 6 in the valve will next
open the aperture Number 3 in the seat. The aperture c in the valve will
next open over the aperture Number 6 in the seat. The apertures Num-
ber 4 and 5 in the seat will be then entirely shut, and the aperture a in the
valve begins to open over Number 4 in the seat. The apertures b in the valve,
and Number 5 in the seat, will then be shut, and the aperture c in the valve
then begins to shut Number 3 in the seat, and so on alternately as the revolu-
tion of the valve goes on.
By means of the Invention above described the valve apparatus is simplified,
the engine is divested of unnecessary working parts, is consequently less liable
to derangement, the surfaces for friction are diminished throughout the whole

page_text: mechanism of the engine, and there will be a consequent saving of power, and
of fuel, of oil, tallow (et cetera), and in the general wear. These engines,
having the cranks fixed at an angle of 90°, are consequently well adapted both
for locomotive and marine purposes. And my improvements are applicable
both to condensing and noncondensing double-acting engines of every kind.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in
which I carry it into effect, I would have it understood that I do not confine
myself to the precise dimensions of the valve, or to the particular mode of
effecting the rotation of the valve herein-before described, as these may be
varied according to circumstances or the fancy of the engineer; but what I
claim is a rotating valve, divided and arranged as above described.
In witness whereof I, the said William Cook, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-two.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Sixth day of July, in the
year of our Lord 1852, the aforesaid William Cook came before our said
Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification afore-
said, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form above
written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the
tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.