Year: 1886

page_text: I, JOHN SPENCE, of Lorne House, Dunfermline, Fifeshire, Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of my invention to be as follows:-
-
This Invention has reference to a new or improved construction of oscillating, or it
might be rotating valve and its casing or chest and arrangement of the parts and
passages or ports of the same, suitable for shutting off the flow or pressure of fluids,
or the reversing of these to and from motive power engines, or for other purposes
where these operations are required to be performed.
And the nature and novelty of the improvements consist all as follows:-By one
arrangement suitable for the reversing valve of a steam engine the oscillating moving
part of the valve is formed with a disc working face plate; with two opposite quadrant
segments cut out of its outer periphery corresponding to similar ports formed on a
circular face plate of the valve chest, the one port in the chest leading to the inlet, and
the other to the outlet or exhaust pipes or ducts in the valve chest leading to or from
the engine, as will hereinafter be explained. The one quadrant port is cut quite out
or through the disc of the valve so that when left over one of the said ports in the
face plate, admits the steam or pressure fluid from the valve casing above and around
it down into the inlet port of the stationary valve face and chest; while the other or
opposite quadrant port in the valve face opens into a close exhaust chamber on the
back of the valve, leading into a central circular port in the valve face, and in the
stationary working face of the valve chest down through an exhaust central pipe and
branch in the chest, lead by any outlet pipe desired, as to the atmosphere, or to a
condenser when applied to condensing steam engines. The valve chest with its
central or circular exhaust port and outlet pipe, would be formed with a deep annular
outer chamber all round the central pipe, below the working face into which the inlet
and outlet port would enter this annular outer chamber, having two longitudinal ribs
or divisions to divide it into two separate chambers, each formed with a separate
lateral branch of its own, the one leading to the inlet port or ports, and the other from
the outlet ports of the valves of the engine, or engines as the case may be. The

page_text: turning of this quadrant or segmental ported disc valve, a half turn on or over the
said reverse segmental ports in the working face of its chest, reverses the direction of
the steam (or other acting pressure fluid) changing what was previously the exhaust
outlet ducts and ports of the chest into the inlet, and those which were the inlet now
into the exhaust and outlet passages. Or by a quarter turn of the valve in either
direction from the said two open positions, it would shut both ports and passages in
the reversing chest. The upper part of the chest is formed with a broad circular
flange to which the corresponding flange of the close valve casing over and in closing
the valve would be jointed, having a lateral branch for admitting the steam or other
acting fluid all round the valve. On the back of the casing a stuffing box would be
formed concentric with the axis and actuating boss of the oscillating or rotating valve,
for passing its actuating spindle through, and keeping it steam or fluid pressure tight.
A square or other polygonal stem on the lower end of the spindle, would enter a
correspondingly shaped recess in the eye or boss formed on the back of the valve for
turning it by and the lower bush of the stuffing box might be made loose so as to be
inserted after or along with the spindle to allow of the polygonal actuating stem of the
spindle being larger than the rod. The spindle of this valve could be actuated outside
its casing and stuffing box by a hand wheel, or it might be by a lever and rods from
a distance, or by wheels when required to rotate.
This stop or reversing valve and valve chest would be particularly applicable for
leading the steam to and from the double ported pipes leading to and from the
trunnions of oscillating engines, or reversing the motion rotary or reciprocating fluid
engines in which the reversing is effected by the changing of the outlet passages into
the exhaust, and the exhaust into the inlet, and vice versa for reversing back again.
Or it would be suitable for any situation where currents of fluid have to be reversed
through the same set of ports and pipes or passages.

page_text: I JOHN SPENCE, of Lorne House, Dunfermline, Fifeshire, Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of iny said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement in writing, reference being had to the accompanying Sheet of Drawings,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:-
My said Invention has reference to a new or improved construction of oscillating,
or it might be rotating valve and its casing or chest, and arrangement of the parts and
passages or ports of the same, suitable for shutting off the flow or pressure of fluids,
or the reversing of these to and from motive-power engines, or for other purposes
where the shutting off and reversing of the currents of fluids are required to be
performed.
And in order that my said Invention, and the manner of performing or carrying
the same into effect or practice may be properly understood, I have hereunto appended
an explanatory Sheet of Drawings, in which the same reference letters are used to
indicate corresponding parts in all the Figures where shown. Figure 1, shows an
end elevation of one arrangement of reversing valve A A¹ and its chest C and
casing as applied to a double cylinder horizontal engine with reciprocating
valves E, one of which with the pipes D and passages D1 D2 leading to the valve H,
and its valve casing 1, are all shown in section to illustrate the details and action more
clearly, of the duplex passages D1 D2 in the pipe D leading from the reversing valve
chest CE. Figure 2, shows a sectional elevation, as taken on the line 1---1 in
Figure 1, of the new or improved reversing valve chest C casing E and valve A A¹.
Figure 3, is an end view of the said reversing valve chest C with the valve A A' and
casing E removed, to show the two ports c, c, in the face of the chest (C, entering
respectively into the inlet and outlet divisions c², c³, of the chest C and those D¹ D² of
the pipes D, leading to the valves H of the cylinders J; while Figure 4, is a back
view and transverse section taken on the line 2--2 in Figure 4 of the reve: sing
valve A. A¹, detached from its casing E and chest C, corresponding to the other
Figures 1 to 3, formed with only two ports a, a, in it also. Figures 5 and 6 show
a longitudinal section and end view respectively of a slightly different arrangement
of reversing valve A A', and its chest C, and casing E, corresponding to Figures 2
and 3, but showing two ports a and a¹ entering the reverse divisions or ducts c² and c³
respectively in the face C¹ of the reversing chest C, and corresponding closing

page_text: faces A A¹, and ports a, a' in the valve A A¹, shown in face and back elevation
respectively in Figures 7 and 8.
Referring to the arrangement shown in Figures 1 to 4 of the Drawings, the nature
and novelty of the Invention or Improvements consist all as follows.-The oscillating
or moving valve A of the reversing valve arrangement is formed with a disc working
face plate A¹ with two or more opposite quadrant segments a, a¹, cut out of its outer
periphery corresponding to similar ports e, c¹ formed through the circular face
plate of the valve chest C. The one port c in the chest C leads to the one
division which may be the inlet, and the other to the division c³, which may be
the outlet or exhaust in the valve chest C and pipes leading to or from the engine for
the time being by the ducts D₁ D², in the pipes D connected to the engine, or vice
versa, as will hereinafter be explained. The one quadrant port a is cut quite out or
through the disc face A¹ of the valve A, so that when this port a is left over one of
the said ports c or c¹ in the face C³ of the chest. C, it admits the steam, or pressure
fluid, from the valve casing E above and around the valve down into the inlet
port c, c², of the stationary valve face and chest C; while the other or opposite
quadrant port a¹ in the valve face A¹ opens into a close exhaust chamber and port a
within and formed through the valve face A' and in through the port C2 in stationary
working face C of the valve chest C, down through an exhaust central pipe and
branch C³ in the chest C led by any outlet pipe desired, as to the atmosphere, or to
a condenser when applied to condensing steam engines. The valve chest C, with its
central or circular exhaust port 02 and outlet pipe C³, is formed with a deep annular
outer chamber c², c³, (round the central pipe C2, C3, below the working face C) into
which the inlet and outlet ports a and c¹ enter. This annular outer chamber c², c³, has
two longitudinal ribs or divisions d to divide it into the two separate chambers c², c³,
formed with a duplex lateral branch for each cylinder, the one chamber c² leading
to the inlet ducts D¹, and ports d² in the pipes D, and the other c³ from the outlet
ducts D2 and internal ports a² of the valves A, A, of the cylinders J, J', of the engine,
or engines as the case may be. The turning of this quadrant or segmental ported dise
valve A, A, a half turn, on or over the said reverse segmental ports e, e, in the
working face of its chest C, reverses the direction of the steam, (or other acting
pressure fluid) admitted to the valve casing E, changing what was previously the
exhaust outlet ports c¹ and ducts c³, D2, of the chest C and pipes D, into the inlet, and
those, c, c² and D which were the inlet now into the exhaust and outlet passages.
By turning the valve a quarter round in either direction from the said two open
positions, this would shut both ports c, c¹, and passages c², c³, in the reversing chest C,
the valve A A¹ being shown in this shut position in Figures 2 and 4.
The upper
part of the chest C is formed with a broad circular flange to which is jointed the
corresponding flange of the close inlet valve casing over and enclosing the
valve A A¹
A lateral branch E' is formed on the casing E, for admitting the steam
or other pressure acting fluid all round the valve A A¹. The valve A A' is preferably
formed on the back with a turned cylindrical rim surrounding its inner chamber a2,
for entering and fitting into a turned cylindrical recess f, on the inside of the cover E²,
fitted steam tight with metallic angied packing rings f, and a pressing ring f
tightened up by pinching screws f³ from the outside passing through the cover of
the casing E. On the back or cover of the casing E a stuffing box F is formed
concentric with the axis and actuating boss a³ of the oscillating or rotating valve A A',
for passing its actuating spindle G through, and keeping it steam or fluid pressure
tight. A square or other polygonal stem e, may be formed on the. inner end of the
spindle G, to enter a correspondingly shaped recess in the eye or boss a³ formed on
the back of the valve A A¹ for turning it by as shown in Figure 5; and the rod G
might be made with a large collar at el, or have the lower bush of the stuffing box F
made loose so as to be inserted after or along with the spindle G, to allow of the
polygonal actuating turning stem e of the spindle being larger than the rod G. The
spindle G may be keyed to the valve A at el, and pass right through the steam chest C
and have a stuffing box F¹ in the end of the centre branch C³ and be actuated outside

page_text: its casing and stuffing boxes F or F¹, by a hand wheel or lever, as indicated at G¹;
or it might be by a lever and rods from a distance, or by wheels when required to
rotate; in which case the lever G¹ might be formed as an index hand or pointer g
which would show the position of the valve outside on a dial as indicated more
particularly in Figure 2.
This stop or reversing valve A A² and valve chest C E, is particularly applicable for
leading the steam to and from the double channels or ports D1, D2, of the pipes D
leading to and from the trunnions of oscillating engines, or the reciprocating valves H
and valve chests I of the cylinders J J of horizontal engines as shown in Figure 1,
for reversing the motion of these as indicated in Figure 1, and also for reversing
rotary and other steam or pressure fluid engines, in which the reversing is effected by
changing the inlet passages into the exhaust, and the exhaust or outlet into the inlet,
and vice versa for reversing back again. Or this reversing valve would be suitable
for any situation where currents of fluids have to be reversed through the same set of
ports and pipes or passages.
In the example and application shown in Figure 1, the one passage D₁ in the
pipes D D, leads the steam to the slide valve casing I, I, of the valves H, H, of each
cylinder J and J'; for admitting the steam to this in the ordinary manner from the
casing I past the end faces of the valve H; while the exhaust takes place through a
central port in the valve past its inner faces through a hollow stuffing box chamber H¹
on the back of the valve fitted on the inner end of the pipe D, to the division D' of
this pipe back through the reversing valve, and out by its outlet branch C³, all as
indicated by the arrows in Figure 1, for going in the forward direction, but vice versa,
in the reverse direction to the arrows in this Figure when the engines are driven in
the backward direction by the reversing of the valve A, A', in its chest C, E, all as
hereinbefore described; that is by each cylinder getting its steam from the passages
D'
in its pipe D, through the centre of its valve H, and exhausting through the casing I,
and passages d', D₁, out through the reversing valve arrangement A, C, E.
Referring to the construction of this improved reversing valve as shown in
Figures 5 to 8, this is substantially the same as that described in reference to and
shown in Figures 1 to 4, and the parts all lettered to correspond, except that the valve
chest C has two ports c, c, and c', c¹, through its face C₁, leading into the annular or
segmental pockets 2 and 3, respectively, leading to the passages or ducts D1, D2, in
the branches and pipes leading to the slide valve casings I of the cylinders J, and the
reciprocating valve itself A is made with four faces A¹ to cover these ports c, c
and c, c', when set in the position shown in Figure 8, and having a port a, a, formed
on each side of these closing faces A': (that is three ports a, and three ports a¹, as
seen particularly in Figure 7) the one set a opening in from the admission casing E
of the valve, and the other set a opening into the interior space a² of the valve itself,
and to the exit branch C³, C², in the centre of the valve chest C, all so as to turn the
engine in either direction from the stopping position g, by turning the valve A by its
spindle G to the extent of a tenth of a revolution or so, that is to g¹ or y², or reverse
the engine by turning the valve to a fifth of a revolution from g¹ to g², or vice versa,
as indicated by the dotted pointer in Figure 8.
Although in this new or improved construction of shutting off and reversing valve
for motive engines and other purposes, the steam or other motive fluid has been
described in reference to and indicated by the arrows in Figures 2 and 5, as entering
by the casing E, surrounding the moving valve A A', and escaping by the central
pipe C, C3, of the valve chest C, this being considered the best for keeping the
valve A A on to its seat C, it will however be understood that the steam might be
made to enter by the central pipe C³, C, and exhaust through the casing E, and
branch E' in it, when this arrangement was preferred.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is:-
-
First. The construction, or arrangement and combination of the parts of valves for
shutting off, and reversing the flow of steam or other pressure fluid to and from the

page_text: distributing pipes and valves of engines, or for other shutting off and reversing
purposes, all substantially as herein described, in reference to and shown in the
accompanying Drawings.
Second. In shutting and reversing rotating or oscillating circular valves, the
forming of the moving valve A A¹ with disc face A and an internal circular close
chamber a², and set of radial ports a leading therefrom, and a set of radial ports a
through the disc face outside said chamber a², working within a close casing E over
corresponding ports e, e in separate annular divisions c², c³, in the valve chest C,
surrounding a central port and branch C2, C3, all substantially as herein described, in
reference to and shown in the accompanying Drawings.