IMPROVEMENTS IN THE VALVE GEAR OF STEAM ENGINES
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Edward Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE VALVE GEAR OF STEAM ENGINES."-A
communication from abroad by William Wright, of the City and State
of New York, United States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edward Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
26th March 1867.
I, WILLIAM EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE VALVE GEAR OF STEAM ENGINES,'
to be as follows:-
This Invention consists, firstly, in a novel valve gear or combination of
devices for operating the induction valves of a steam engine, whereby the
valves are made to produce a variable cut-off, which may be automatically
adjustable under the control of a governor, or adjustable by other means.
The first part of the Invention consists in the use of a cogged sliding toe or
toes and a spirally grooved or threaded longitudinally moving spindle and
cam in combination with the valves, and also consists in combining the
spindle with the governor and sliding toe or toes of the valve operating cam,
so as to have a longitudinal movement as the governor rises and falls, and

page_text: also to be capable of turning independently of the governor as the latter so
moves.
The second part of the Invention relates to raising and lowering the cut-off
valves of steam and other engines by a cam action adjustable by hand at
pleasure or by the governor of the engine, so as to regulate the range or
action of the valves by causing them to close at any desired point in the
piston stroke. The improved device consists of a revolving toothed cam or
lifter, excentric cam or hub, and revolving toothed spindle, which is also
provided with spiral grooves or threads for giving the necessary action by a
longitudinally sliding movement of the spindle to the toothed cam or lifter to
determine the period of closing and range of the valve without altering the
point or period at which the valve commences to open. Such variable cut-off
valve gear is not only applicable to puppet but also to sliding or other valves,
and may be used in duplicate for operating two or more valves, and may either
be worked by hand or by the engine governor.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filel
by the said William Edward Newton in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 23rd September 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, WILLIAM
EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirtieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said William Edward Newton, Her special licence that I, the said William
Edward Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said William Edward 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE VALVE GEAR OF STEAM ENGINES," being a
communication to me from abroad, upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said William Edward Newton, my executors or administrators, by
an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals,

page_text: should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the saine 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 I, the said William Edward Newton, do 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) :-
This Invention consists, firstly, in a novel valve gear or combination of
devices for operating the induction valves of a steam engine, whereby the
said valves are made to produce a variable cut-off, which may be auto-
matically adjustable under the control of a governor, or adjustable by other
means.
The first part of the Invention consists in the use of a cogged sliding toe or
toes and a spirally grooved or threaded longitudinally moving spindle and cam
in combination with the valves, and also in combining the spindle with the
governor and sliding toe or toes of the valve operating cam, so as to have a
longitudinal movement as the governor rises and falls, and also to be capable
of turning independently of the governor as the latter so moves.
.
The second part of the Invention relates to raising and lowering the cut-off
valves of steam and other engines by a cam action adjustable by hand at
pleasure or by the governor of the engine, so as to regulate the range or action
of the valves by causing them to close at any desired point in the piston stroke.
The improved device consists of a revolving toothed cam or lifter, excentric
cam or hub, and revolving toothed spindle, which is also provided with spiral
grooves or threads for giving the necessary action by a longitudinally sliding
movement of the spindle to the toothed cam or lifter to determine the period
of closing and range of the valve without altering the point or period at which
the valve commences to open. Such variable cut-off valve gear is not only
applicable to puppet but also to sliding or other valves, and may be used in
duplicate for operating two or more valves, and may either be worked by hand
or by the engine governor.
In the accompanying Drawing Figures 1, 2, 8, and 4 illustrate the first
part of the Invention. Fig. 1 is a longitudinal view of the cylinder of a
horizontal steam engine and of the induction valve boxes in connection with
the valve gear; Fig. 2, a side view of the same, showing the governor in
section; Fig. 3, a longitudinal sectional view of the spindle and gearing by
which the valve operating cams or toes are adjusted by the governor or other-

page_text: wise to make the induction valves operate as a variable cut-off; and Fig. 4, a
transverse view of the cylinder and pertaining parts.
In these Figures A represents the cylinder of the engine, having separate
ports for the induction and for the eduction of the steam, the induction ports
communicating with two separate steam chests S, S¹, on one side of the
cylinder, which are kept filled with steam from the boiler when the engine is
in operation by means of a passage connecting them with one common steam
pipe, and the eduction ports communicating with separate eduction chests C, C¹,
under the cylinder, which latter are connected with one common eduction
pipe D (Fig. 4). Each of the steam chests S, S¹, contains one induction
valve. The stems or valve rods f, f, are arranged parallel with the cylinder,
and pass through stuffing boxes 9, g', of their respective steam chests S, S¹.
The inner ends of the said stems are furnished with bevilled or rounded
ends h, h³, in order that they may be the better acted upon by the toes j, Ì,
and j, j, of the valve operating cam F; these valves only effect the induction
and cutting-off of the steam, separate valves being used for eduction. The
induction valve operating cam is carried by a hollow upright shaft K,
arranged in suitable fixed bearings in a position between the heads of the
valve stems f,f; this cam has a cylindrical body, and has in its exterior
surface straight tangential grooves of dovetail form in their transverse section
for the reception of the sliding toes j, j, and ",, which act upon the heads of
the valve stems to produce the opening movements of the valves. The toes j,j,
for operating the one induction valve are arranged above and at right angles
to those j,, for operating the other induction valve, and the heads of the
valve stems are arranged in a corresponding manner. The hollow cam shaft K
is geared to an intermediate hollow horizontal shaft L by bevel gearing K¹, L'.
At the opposite end the shaft L is geared to the horizontal shaft M by the
bevil gear L, M; this shaft M is driven bevil gearing from the crank
shaft of the engine. As there are two toes for operating each induction valve,
and each of such valves is required to be operated but once for each stroke of
the piston, the hollow cam shaft is so geared as to make but one revolution for
every two revolutions of the shaft M and crank shaft. The toes j, j, and 7,7,
have on their straight inner faces rack teeth in gear (as shown in section,
Fig. 1,) with the long pinion n, n, mounted on the upright spindle N, which
passes loosely through the hollow main spindle T of a governor P (Fig. 2);
this spindle T revolves freely without any longitudinal movement in a hollow
fixed column Q. The upper end of the spindle N is so suspended from the
governor at k (Fig. 2) that it will rise as the governor balls fly out from the
centre, and descend as the governor balls fall towards the centre. The spindle N

page_text: has on its lower part a series of loug spiral or worm cogs or threads r, r, which
work like a screw in a nut fittted or firmly secured within the lower part of
the hollow shaft K. The governor is driven by bevil gearing m, p, q, (Fig. 2)
from the hollow cam shaft K, the gear m being fast on the cani shaft, the
intermediate gear p turning loosely on a fixed stud pin s, and the gear 9 being
fast on the main spindle T of the governor. The toes j,j, and j, j³, of the
cam F produce the opening movement of the induction valves. The return
movement for cutting off the steam may be produced by weights, springs, or
any other suitable means, or by steam pressure acting on the stems to throw
back the valves. In the closing movement the valves may be stopped by fixed
stops suitably arranged, but they are represented as being stopped by the inner
ends of the stems coming into contact with the cylindrical portions of the cam F
between the toes. The opening movement of the induction valves is greater
or less, and the said valves are caused to remain open a longer or shorter time
according to the degree of protrusion of the toes j, j, and j³, j, beyond the
cylindrical portion of the cam K. The amount of this protrusion is regulated
by the higher or lower position of the spindle N. When the balls of the
governor are thrown outward the spindle N on rising is caused to turn on its
axis (within and independent of the hollow cam shaft K) by the spiral teeth
or threads r, r, working in the nut in the lower part of the cam shaft F, and
by this independent turning movement the teeth of the long pinion n, n, are
caused so to act upon the rack teeth of the toes j, j, and j, j, and draw the
points of the latter inward during the descent of the spindle N; this action is
by the same means reversed and caused to produce an opposite result. It will
thus be understood that the governor as it begins to rise by any increase of speed
raises the spindle N, and so draws in the toes j and 7, and reduces the length
of the opening movement of the induction valves and the time which they are
allowed to remain open, and as it falls in consequence of diminution of spee!
it depresses the said spindle, and therefore produces an opposite result, thereby
regulating the speed of the engine. To permit the above action of the governor
the connection of the spindle at k must be such that the spindle N may be
capable of turning independently of the governor; this must be the case
whether the governor rotates in the same ci ection with the cam shaft K or
in the reverse direction, as it does with the system of gearing m, p, q, herein-
before described. The proper direction of the pitch of the spiral teeth or
threads r, r, will depend upon whether the governor rotates in the same
direction to the cam shaft K owing to the spindle N rotating with the cani
shaft. By the use of two toes for operating each valve, and thereby enabling
the cam shaft to be run at half the velocity of the crank shaft of the engine,

page_text: the engine may be run very fast, and yet the valve operating cam may rotate
slowly, and a very steep pitch of the spiral cogs or threads may be used. If
the cam shaft rotates at the same velocity as the crank shaft a single toe may
be used with the same variable adjustment to operate both valves. This
method of operating the valve to obtain a variable cut-off is applicable to
engines without a governor, the spindle N in such case being adjustable
lengthwise to produce the variable action of the cut-off either by a screw lever
or other contrivance operated by hand. The eduction valves working in the
chests C, C³, below the cylinder are connected with and operated by separate
cranks Y, Y', on the shaft M, which is parallel with the cylinder; these valves
may be of ordinary construction.
Figures 5 and 6 of the Drawing relate to the second part of the Invention,
Fig. 5 representing a vertical longitudinal section of an improved variable
valve gear as applied to a single valve, and Fig. 6 a transverse view of the
same, partly in section.
for operating the cam
A³ is the valve shaft working in a suitable frame or bearing B³, and made
to revolve by any appropriate means; this shaft is made hollow to receive
within it a longitudinally sliding spindle C³ that also revolves with the shaft As,
but which may be turned in opposite directions independently of it by meaus:
of spiral ribs or threads a cut on or in the spindle, and made to fit into and
gear with. a. correspondingly threaded nut D fast to the valve shaft ; this
spindle C³ is also provided or made with a long pinion
or revolving lifter Es, which regulates the rise of the valve by its action on or
under a toe piece of a sliding yoke F³ that carries the valve stem d³. Fast
to the valve shaft is an excentric or cam projection G³, receiving within or
through it the pinion of the spindle C, and the outer periphery of which is
excentrie to the spindle C³ and valve shaft A³. Fast also to the valve shaft is
the arc of a boss H³, the inner surface of which may serve as a seat or
bearing in part to the toothed cam or revolving lifter E³, while the
periphery of the same may be made concentric to the valve shaft, and serve
either separately or in conjunction with a portion or portions of the periphery
of the lifter E³ to receive upon it in a state of rest the toe piece c³ of the
yoke F³, so as to relieve the valve of undue pressure, or the valve may be
otherwise relieved when closed. The lifter E³ lies within the arc of a boss H³,
and in the course of adjustment turns within the same; internally it is made
to fit so as to turn upon the excentric G³, and is provided with teeth d', which
gear with the long pinion 63 of the spindle C³. Externally the lifter is formed
with a toe e³, which (as the valve shaft, the longitudinally sliding spindle, and
the lifter all revolve together,) will give more or less lift to the valve accordingly.

page_text: as the said toe is projected more or less out of the arc of the boss II³, and
which in consequence of the action of the excentric G³ will be more or less
distant from the-centre of the valve shaft. This action is to be regulated by
sliding in or out the internal spindle C³, which by means of its spiral grooves
or threads acting in the nut D³ of the valve shaft gives an independent turn in
either direction by the toothed portion or pinion 63 of the spindle C³ to the
lifter Es; in this way without (of necessity) changing the period at which the
valve commences to lift is the range or action of it and period for closing the
same determined.
Having now described the Invention of improvements in the valve gear
of steam engines, and having explained the manner of carrying the same
into effect as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent, I claim as
the Invention secured to me by Letters Patent as aforesaid,-
First, the cogged sliding toe or toes and the spirally grooved or threaded
longitudinally moving spindle N in combination with each other and with the
cam F and valves, as and for the purposes herein set forth with reference more
particularly to Figures 1, 2, and 3 of the Drawing.
Second, the spirally cogged or threaded spindle N so combined with the
governor and with the sliding toe or toes of the valve operating cam as to
have a longitudinal movement as the governor rises and falls, and also to be
capable of turning independently of the governor as the latter rises and falls,
as specified and illustrated in Figures 1, 2, and 3.
Third, the combination of the revolving toothed lifter E, excentric G³, fast
to the valve shaft, and toothed and spirally grooved or ribbed longitudinally
sliding spindle C³, arranged for operation together and with the hollow valve
shaft.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Edward Newton, bave hereunto set
my hand and seal, the Eleventh day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
W. E. NEWTON. (L.S.)