IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OR. ARRANGEMENT OF THE WORKING PARTS OF ENGINES FOR ACTUATING THE PRO-< PELLING SHAFTS OF STEAM VESSELS
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Louis Winans, of Dover Street, in the County'
of Middlesex, Gentleman, and Thomas Winans, of Baltimore, in the
United States of America, but now residing at Dover Street aforesaid,
Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OR.
ARRANGEMENT OF THE WORKING PARTS OF ENGINES FOR ACTUATING THE PRO-<
PELLING SHAFTS OF STEAM VESSELS."
Sealed the 8th December 1868, and dated the 22nd June 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Louis Winans
and Thomas Winans at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 22nd, June 1863,
We, WILLIAM Louis WINANS, of Dover Street, in the County of Middlesex,'.
Gentleman, and THOMAS WINANS, of Baltimore, in the United States of
America, but now residing at Dover Street aforesaid, Gentleman, do hereby.
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CON-
STRUCTION OR ARRANGEMENT OF THE WORKING PARTS OF ENGINES FOR ACTUATING
THE PROPELLING SHAFTS OF STEAM VESSELS," to be as follows:-.
Our Invention of "Improvements in the Construction or Arrangement.of.:
the Working Parts of Engines for Actuating the Propelling Shafts- of Steam i
Vessels" has for its object to arrange the cylinders, piston rods, connecting
rods, and some other of the working parts of the engine in such a manner in
relation to the propelling shaft that a longer stroke of the piston within a

page_text: given space may be obtained than heretofore, and various other advantages
consequent on the peculiar arrangement of the parts is attainable.
In carrying out our Invention the propelling shaft, if intended to be driven
by two or more engines, is by preference divided into sections of convenient
length, which are placed above the cylinder or cylinders. These sections of
the propelling shaft are connected together at their ends in preference by a
novel form of coupling, for which we have applied for Letters Patent, and
they are mounted in suitable bearings fixed on the cylinder heads or covers, or
on frames attached to the sides of the cylinder....Every section or separate
portion of the propelling shaft is provided at each end with a separate crank,
which works down alongside the cylinder. Each cylinder is provided with
two or more piston rods, between which lies the propelling shaft. The piston
rods are attached by their upper ends to a cross head, which, as it moves up
and down, communicates motion by means of connecting rods to the cranks of
the propelling shaft. Two or more cylinders may be employed in combination
to drive the propelling shaft, and the steam ports and cranks of the several
engines are so arranged (as will be well understood by all engineers) that the
pistons shall all be working at different parts of the stroke, or shall cross each
other so that there may be no dead points.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Louis Winans and Thomas Winans in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 22nd December 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, WILLIAM
LOUIS WINANS, of Dover Street, in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman,
and THOMAS WINANS, of Baltimore, in the United States of America, but now
residing at Dover Street aforesaid, Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-seventh year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the said
William Louis Winans and Thomas Winans,, Her special license that we, the
said William Louis Winans and Thomas Winans, our executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as we, the said William Louis Winans and Thomas
Winans, our 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

page_text: vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUC-
TION OR ARRANGEMENT OF THE WORKING PARTS OF ENGINES FOR ACTUATING THE
PROPELLING SHAFTS OF STEAK VESSELS," upon the condition (amongst others)
that we, the said William Louis Winans and Thomas Winans, by an instru-
ment in writing under our hands and seals, should particularly describe and
ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was
to be performed, 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 we, the said William Louis Winans and Thomas
Winans, do hereby declare. the nature of our said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement, reference being had to the Drawings
hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is
to say):-
. Our Invention of "Improvements in the Construction or Arrangement. of
the Working Parts of Engines for Actuating the Propelling Shafts of Steam
Vessels" has for its object to arrange the cylinder or cylinders below the pro-
pelling shaft, and to place the propelling crank shaft in a suitable bearing or
bearings fixed on the cylinder head or covers, or mounted on frames attached
to the cylinders. The cranks are thus made to work down alongside the
cylinders so as to obtain a much longer stroke of piston within a given space.
than can be obtained in the ordinary construction or arrangement of marine
steam engines.
.
In carrying out our Invention, one, two, or more cylinders may be used,
and each one of the cylinders is provided with two or more piston rods, between
which lies the propelling shaft. The upper ends of the piston rods are
attached to a cross head, and motion is communicated to the propelling shaft
by the engine through connecting rods attached to the cross head and to the
crank of the propelling shaft in the usual manner. When more than one.
cylinder is used, we prefer to divide the propelling crank shaft into short
sections of convenient length, and to connect them in preference by: our
improved form of coupling, for which we have obtained. Letters Patent, dated.
20th June 1863, No. 1556.
Having thus. described the. nature of our Invention, we will, proceed to
describe the manner in which we carry the same into effect..
Fig. 1, Sheet I., in the accompanying Drawings, represents a vertical.
elevation of a pair of engines constructed and arranged according to our

page_text: improvement. In this view one of the cylinders, together with the bearing for
the propelling shaft, is shewn in section, while the other cylinder and bearings
is shewn in elevation, but with the covers of the steam ports removed.
Fig. 2, Sheet II., is an end view of one of the cylinders and its appendages;
Fig. 8' is a transverse vertical section of the same.
In Fig. 1; a, a, are the steam cylinders; bis the piston; c, c, are. the piston
rods, of which there are two to each cylinder. These rods: pass up: through
the cylinder cover and work through suitable stuffing boxes, and are attached
to the cross head'd above. The guides in which the cross head.works.are.not
shewn in the Drawing. The propeller shaft carries at each end a crank g,g,
which works down alongside of the cylinders. One of these cranks is. con-
nected to the neighbouring propeller shaft by means of our improved coupling
h, h; above referred to, and for which we have obtained Letters Patent as
aforesaid. Motion is communicated by the engine to the propeller shaft by
means of the connecting rods i, i, which are attached to the cranks 9, 9, and
to the cross head d above in the usual manner.
:
Figs. 2 and. 8, Sheet II., represent the two piston rods c, c, attached to the
cross head d above, and the propeller shafte is placed on top of the cylinder
between the two piston rods. It will be seen that from the use of our
improved coupling h, h, each section of the propeller shaft will work com-
paratively independent of the other section by reason of the coupling accom-
modating itself to any little inequalities caused by the propeller shafts getting
out of line, and which derangement might take place. without putting any
undue strain on the shafts; moreover, as the bearing for. the propeller shaft d
extends across the cylinder, there is ample bearing surface, and there is conse-
quently but little undue wear and tear of parts, and also great simplicity and
solidity, thereby diminishing the liability of accidents to the machinery. It
will also be seen that by the cranks working down by the sides of the cylinders
a much longer stroke of piston within a given space may be obtained, and con
sequently less vertical space or head room is required than is necessary for the
ordinary construction of engines with the same stroke of piston.
Having now described our Invention of "Improvements in the Construction
or Arrangement of the Working Parts of Engines for Actuating the Pro-
pelling Shafts of Steam Vessels," and having. explained the manner of
carrying the same into effect, we wish it to be understood that we do not
nean or intend to confine ourselves to. the precise details. herein given so
long as the peculiarity of any part of our Invention-be retained; but what we
do claim is, the construction of a steam engine in combination with the pro-
pelling shaft of steam vessels, with the cylinders placed below the propelling

page_text: shafts, and the propelling shaft mounted in a suitable bearing or bearings
on the cylinder cover, or on frames attached to the cylinders, with the propeller
shaft lying between two or more piston rods, and with the cranks of the pro-
peller shaft working down alongside of the cylinder or cylinders, for the purpose
herein set forth.
In witness whereof, we, the said William Louis Winans and Thomas
Winans, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Seventeenth
day of December, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred
and sixty thro
W*. L. WINANS.
(L.B.)
THOMAS WINANS. (L.B.)