AN IMPROVED ARRANGEMENT OF PARTS FOR SUPPLYING STEAM TO STEAM ENGINES
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Vincent Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughts-
man, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED ARRANGEMENT OF PARTS FOR
SUPPLYING STEAM TO STEAM ENGINES."-A communication from abroad
by Lucius J. Knowles, of Warren, Massachusetts, United States of'
America.
Sealed the 4th October 1860, and dated the 5th April 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Vincent Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
5th April 1860.
I, ALFRED VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, do hereby declare the:
nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED ARRANGEMENT OF PARTS FOR
SUPPLYING STEAM TO STEAM ENGINES," to be as follows:--
The object of this Invention is so to arrange the valves and steam ways of
pumping engines for feeding steam boilers that the engine may start itself
automatically whenever steam.is.admitted to the steam chest, and whatever
may be the position in which the piston or the valves are left. Attached to
the slide valve, which controls the main piston, is a hollow plunger that slides

page_text: longitudinally in a cylindrical chamber bored for the purpose in the steam
chest. Set above the main steam chest is an auxiliary steam chest, in which
slides a valve actuated by an arm attached to the piston, which arm in its
traverse strikes against adjustable tappets on the valve rod.
The valve of the auxiliary steam chest governs inlet and outlet steam
passages to and from the cylindrical chamber in which the hollow plunger
works, and by its movements directs steam alternately to the opposite ends of
the plunger, thereby causing the plunger to slide endways in its chamber, and
operate the main valve which governs the ports of the cylinder of the engine.
The plunger is furnished with annular channels near its ends, and as these
are severally brought into coincidence with the inlet steam passages, they will
open a way for the steam to pass to the ends of the plunger. The exhaust
passages terminate in advance of the inlet passages, and open into the space at
the rear of the plunger, except when closed by the movement of the plunger
in either direction. When steam is admitted to either end of the plunger by
the valve in the auxiliary steam chest, the plunger will be forced forward, and
it will carry with it the main slide, valve, which covers the inlet passages to the
cylinder. To prevent the plunger striking against the ends of the steam chest
by the expansive force of the steam acting upon its ends, a cushion is provided
by leading steam from the main valve chest through the plunger to the
ends of the cylindrical chamber, and thus the movement of the plunger will be
arrested before striking the end of the steam chest. As a further preventive
secondary exhaust ports are provided; thus, should the main valve be working
very rapidly, the plunger to which it is attached before it can strike the end
of its chamber will have opened one of these exhaust passages, when the
plunger will be returned a short distance, or until the exhaust passage is
cut off
To prevent the water of condensation interfering with the smooth and silent
action of the plunger, the ends of the plungers are recessed to receive any
water that may be confined between its ends and the ends of the valve chest.
The ways in the main valve are arranged so as, firstly, to admit the steam to
the cylinder, and the next instant to exhaust the opposite end. By this means
all shock upon the piston is prevented.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions. of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Alfred Vincent Newton in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 5th October 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALFRED
VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of April, 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 me, the
said Alfred Vincent Newton, Her special license that I, the said Alfred
Vincent Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, my executors, administrators, 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 " AN
IMPROVED ARRANGEMENT OF PARTS FOR SUPPLYING STEAM TO STEAM ENGINES,"
being a communication from abroad by Lucius J. Knowles, of Warren,
Massachusetts, United States of America, upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, by an instrument in writing
under my hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be per-
formed, 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 I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, de hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
The object of this Invention, as communicated to me from abroad, is so to
arrange the valves and steam ways of pumping engines for feeding steam
boilers, that the engine may start itself automatically whenever steam is
admitted to the steam chest, and whatever may be the position in which the
piston or the valves are left. To enable others skilled in the art to under-
stand the Invention, I will proceed to describe the manner of carrying the
same into effect.

page_text: In the accompanying Drawing, Figures 1 and 2 are longitudinal sections
taken through the steam cylinder, steam chest, and the steam and exhaust
passages, the parts B, M, L, N, f, g, G¹, and the cylinder heads being shewn
in elevation; and Fig. 3 is a section upon the line W, W, of Fig. 1.
A is the steam cylinder, B the piston, C the exhaust, and D and E the
steam passages;
F is the slide valve which controls the main piston B, and to
which is attached a hollow plunger G, that slides longitudinally in a cylinder
bored for the purpose in the steam chest H. Attached to the main steam
chest is an auxiliary steam chest I, in which slides a valve K. This valve
is actuated by means of an arm L, attached to the piston rod M, and through
this arm passes the rod N attached to the valve. As the piston B reaches
either end of its stroke, the arm L strikes one or other of the adjustable nuts
f, g, upon the rod N, and the valve K is moved, as will presently be
i
described.
Steam being admitted to the chests H and I, and the parts being in the
position represented in Fig. 1, the steam passes beneath the valve F, through
the port E, to the main cylinder, the other end of which exhausts through the
port D, and the piston B is driven in the direction of its arrow. On the
piston arriving near the end of its stroke, the arm L strikes against the nut f,
and moves the valve K into the position shewn by red lines in Fig. 1.
Steam from the chest I now passes through the induction port a, the annular
passage c, around the plunger and the auxiliary passage b, to the space a to the
right of the plunger, and the space y, at the other end of the plunger, is
exhausted through the passage h. The plunger is thus thrown into the
position shown in Fig. 2, carrying with it the valve F so as to open the steam
port D, and the exhaust from the opposite end of, the cylinder A.
In order to arrest the plunger before it shall be thrown against the head of
its cylinder, and to prevent the noise and destruction of parts consequent upon
such continued hammering, the following peculiar arrangement of the steam
and exhaust passages which govern its motion is employed :-On reaching the
point which it occupies in Fig. 2, it will be observed that the hollow plunger G
has itself cut off the steam way a, whereby the further entrance of steam into
the space is prevented, and that the exhaust from this space is closed by the
valve K. The space y at the opposite end of the plunger has by the same
motion of the valve K been exhausted through the passage h, and this passage
is now cut off by the plunger itself (Fig. 2.) So soon as this has taken place,
steam from the chest H is admitted through the interior of the hollow plunger,
which is open at O out at the secondary induction port i, and by the passage
into the space y; the expansive force of the steam in the space & is thus

page_text: counterbalanced and the motion of the plunger is arrested, the friction of the
valve F upon its seat assisting to retard it and the plunger. Should the valve
when working very rapidly be thrown past this point before it can strike
against its cylinder head t, it will have opened an exhaust passage v, when the
plunger will be returned a short distance, or until the exhaust v is cut off; it
cannot, however, be thrown sufficiently far back to cut off the port D or the
exhaust through E, for the steam way a being open, steam will again be
instantly admitted to the space x through the passages a, c, and b, and at the
same instant the secondary induction port i will be closed, and the plunger
will be held stationary; but it is evident that, with the parts in the position
represented in Fig. 2, the plunger cannot be thrown back or made to rebound
in the direction of its arrow further than is sufficient to cut off the port i, for
the next instant the exhaust through h; as well as the steam way a, c, b, will
be opened, and that would immediately arrest the plunger, and prevent its
further motion in the direction of its arrow. It cannot, however, be made to
rebound or return in the direction contrary to its arrow, for the port i will
immediately again reach the passager and the exhaust through h, as well as
the steam way a, c, b, will be cut off. All frivolous motion of the plunger is
thus prevented; the friction of the valve F upon its seat, as before stated,
also assists in causing the piston 'to work steadily. On the piston again
arriving at the right hand end of the cylinder, the arm L strikes the nut g, and
returns the valve K to the position represented in red in Fig. 2, when the
steam way p, q, r, and the exhaust z are opened, and the plunger and valve F
are thrown into the position represented in Fig. 1. The plunger is prevented
from striking its cylinder head w by an arrangement of passages precisely
similar to that described with respect to the other end of the steam chest.
:
It will be seen that the valve F and plunger G must at all times be left, on
the stoppage of the engine, in one or other of the positions represented in
Figures 1 and 2, and that steam will enter one end or the other of the
cylinder A whenever it is admitted to the steam chests H. and I, and that the
engine will start automatically whenever the steam is thrown on; for wero
the valve K to be left in a central position so as to cover all the passages
p, h, 2, a, the valve F would remain unmoved, and when steam was again
admitted, the piston B would be caused to complete its stroke, and finish the
motion of the valve K; and it is evident that the valves F and K can never
be left at the same time in a central position (the only position in which the
engine will not start automatically if steam were admitted,) for the valve F
cannot move until it is actuated by steam admitted through the valve K, and
when this valve has once moved sufliciently to start the plunger G, it will.

page_text: carry it through the whole of its stroke, and if by any possibility there should
remain in the chest H at the instant that the valve K moves but a sufficiency
of steam to carry the plunger to its central position on the readmission of
steam to the chest I, the throw of the plunger would be completed, and the
engine would move. Still further, however, to diminish the chances of the
valve F from being left in the central position above referred to, the pressure
of the steam is taken off of it at the instant that it passes its central position
by the following device.
It will be observed, that the central position of the valve F, which rests
upon the valve seat, and covers the exhaust port C, is longer than the port
itself, and that the chambers m and n of this valve are so long as to admit
steam at the instant when the valve is at the middle of its throw to both ends
of the cylinder A at once. The valve and plunger will thus move very freely
and easily through this central portion of its throw, as the. pressure of the
steam is nearly taken off of it, and if the steam have sufficient force to start
the plunger when the pressure in the chest H is upon it, it will always be
sufficient to carry it through that portion of its stroke where there is much
less pressure or friction upon it.
It is evident that this relieving of the valve from pressure will not cause it
to bound beyond its limits, for the instant it has passed the centre of its throw,
the pressure is again returned to it, and the friction between the valve F and
its seat again assists to render its motion steady, as before described.
This peculiar construction of the valve F accomplishes another end of
importance in engines of this character, as it prevents the shock upon the
piston B which would be occasioned when the work upon the engine was
light by the simultaneous opening of the steam and exhaust passages. When
constructed and arranged as above described, the valve F first admits the steam
to the cylinder, and the next instant exhausts the opposite end.
The construction of the plunger G may be slightly varied without altering
its principle of action. For instance, it may be composed of two end pistons
united into one by a rod or other suitable connection, or it may be made solid
instead of being hollow, as represented in the Drawing, but the construction
above described is preferred, as the plunger may thus be made far lighter
than by any other method of construction, and consequently will have less
momentum when in motion, and be less liable to be thrown too far. Any
water of condensation in the passages around the plunger will be worked out
into the chest H, except what may remain in the passages 6 and r, and this is
blown into the spaces x and y by the steam each time it enters through the
steam ways a and p. To prevent this water from interrupting the motion of
b

page_text: the plunger, and also to do away with the snapping and hammering occa-
sioned by the water, the plunger is recessed or turned out, as seen at e, in
Fig. 3, and the water enters this recess each time the plunger moves..
is
in. readiness to
The passage p
The peculiar arrangement of the steam and exhaust passages which govern
the motion of the plunger G have before been mentioned. It will be observed,
that the steam ports a and p, as well as the exhausts h and z, are at times
closed by the valve K, and at others by the plunger G itself (see Fig. 1).
The steam way a is closed by the valve K, but it is held
transmit steam to the space a whenever the valve K moves.
open to the steam chest I, but it is closed by the plunger G, and is held in
readiness to admit steam to the space y should the plunger be thrown by
rebound or otherwise in the direction of its arrow. In like manner the
exhaust. is open (Fig. 1) so far as regards the valve K, and this was
necessary that the space a might be exhausted when steam was injected at the
other end y, but it is equally necessary that it be closed before any steam be
admitted at s to arrest the piston, and this is accomplished by the piston itself.
To accomplish these ends, and thereby arrest the plunger before it strikes, it
is necessary that the exhaust ports z and h enter the cylinder at points nearer
to the ends of the cylinder than to the steam ports a and p, and that the latter
be employed in conjunction with suitable passages b, c, r, and q, for leading
the steam beyond the ends of the plunger, at the same time that the exhaust
passages h and 2 are nearer to the centre of the valve chest I than the steam
ports a and p. It therefore becomes necessary that the steam and exhaust
passages cross each other, as shewn in the Drawing, and enter the cylinder at
points so adjusted with respect to the other opening in the valve that the
exhausts or h shall be closed by the plunger at the instant that steam is
admitted at s or i, and that the steam way p shall be cut off before the plunger
can by its motion disclose the secondary exhaust v².
Having now set forth the nature of this Invention of "an improved arrange-
ment of parts for supplying steam to steam engines, and explained the manner
of carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be understood that I am aware
that steam valves have been operated by means of the exhaust steam as it
escapes from the cylinder, but such device will manifestly not answer in an
engine that is required to start automatically at any instant when steam is
admitted, and whatever may be the position of the main piston, as after a short
stop there will be no exhaust steam to actuate the valve. I am also aware
that the slide valve of direct-action engines has been moved partly by a tappet
arm upon the main piston rod, and through the balance of its throw by an
auxiliary piston actuated by steam admitted through a secondary valve, which

page_text: valve was opened by the tappet arm which started the main valve; and I
therefore lay claim to neither of the above devices, but what I claim, under
the above in part recited Letters Patent, is the combined arrangement of
parts constructed and operating severally, as above described, for the purpose
of effecting the starting of steam engines automatically..
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Fifth day of October, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
A. V. NEWTON. (L.S.)