CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN OSCILLATING ENGINES
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Clark, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Engineer and Patent Agent, for the Invention of " CERTAIN
IMPROVEMENTS IN OSCILLATING ENGINES."-A communication from abroad
by Messrs. Mark Runkel, of New York City, and Frederick Franch, of
San Francisco, in the State of California.
Scaled the 17th January 1860, and dated the 12th August 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Clark at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 12th
August 1859.
I, WILLIAM CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Engineer and Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN OSCILLATING ENGINES," to be as
follows:-
This Invention consists in the particular arrangement of a segment to
oscillate in a stationary shell on the principle of a rotary engine, the steam
being admitted alternately on one side or on the other of an abutment
that is rigidly attached to the shell, and which has some sort of packing
inserted in its lower edge in such a manner that it works steain-tight against
the upper surface of the segment, the said segment being furnished with

page_text: two projections, one on each side of the abutment, which works steam-tight
against the inner surface of the shell, the change of steam being made by a
common slide valve, or by any other means generally employed for oscillating
engines, so that said segment assumes an oscillating motion, which being con-
verted into rotary motion serves as a motor in the usual manner.
This Invention is represented in the accompanying Drawing, in which Fig. 1
represents a vertical longitudinal section of an oscillating engine constructed
according to this Invention; and Fig. 2 is a plan or-top-view of the same, the
cover of the steam chest having been removed in order to show the ports.
Similar letters in boths views refer to corresponding parts. A represents a bed
or foundation which supports a segmental shell B, which is open at both
ends, the side plates a being rigidly attached to the bed A, and these two side
plates are united by a curved plate 6, the longitudinal section of which forms
part of a circle, as clearly shown in Fig. 1. The plates a form the bearings
for a shaft C, the centre of which coincides-with the centre of the circular
plate b; and rigidly attached to the shaft C is the segment D, which is ground
steam-tight to the side plates a. Its upper convex surface is at a certain
distance from the inner surface of the plate b, and rigidly secured to this
plate is the abutment c, which is filled in with some sort of packing c', so that
it works steam-tight on the upper surface of the segment D. Two projections
d and d' are attached one to each end of the upper surface of the segment D,
and these projections are furnished with packings e, so that they work steam-
tight against the inner surface of the plate b, and against the side plates a of
the shell B.
Firmly secured to the upper part of the shell B is the steam chest E, which
contains the slide valve F, and to which steam is admitted by the steam pipe G.
The exhaust pipes f communicate with the steam chest E by means of openings
9, and the steam chest communicates with the space d*, between the upper
surface of the segment D and the inner surface of the plate 6 by means of the
steam ports hand ', the exhaust ports i and i, the ports h and i being on one,
and the ports h¹ and i' on the 'other side of the abutment c. These ports may,
however, be so arranged, that those on the same side of the abutment c unite
below the slide valve F, so that only two openings are required in the top of
the shell B. His a crank which is rigidly fastened to the shaft C, and this
crank communicates with the fly-wheel shaft I by means of a connection rod J,
and by a crank j, which is attached to the shaft I, and firmly secured on this
shaft is the fly-wheel K, which at the same time may serve as a band wheel
to communicate motion to the working machines, or a separate pulley may be
secured on the shaft I for this purpose. The slide valve F is operated by means

page_text: of a cam L, which is secured on the shaft C, extending from the same in an
opposite direction to the crank EI; this can actuates a sliding bar M, which
connects with the valve stem k by means of a lever l, which is mounted on a
rock shaft m, which has its bearings in two supports 1, attached to the outside
of the shell B. The upper end of the lever connects with the valve stem
by means of a link o, and its lower end is furnished with a pin n, that works
in the slotted end of the standard n', which is rigidly secured to the sliding
bar M. This bar slides on the top of the bed A, being guided in its motion
by studs p, which work in slots in the bar, as clearly represented in Fig. 1.
Various methods of admiting and changing the stean may, however, be
employed, and, in fact, all the different methods commonly used with oscillating
engines for this purpose may also be applied to this engine.
The operation of this engine is as follows:-In the position represented in
the Drawing, the segment D moves in the direction of the arrow 1, steam
being admitted through the port h¹ and exhausted through the port i; on the
other side of the abutment c; the ports h and 2 are closed. The crank; on
the fly-wheel shaft moves in the direction of the arrow marked on the same.
By the time this crank has arrived on its centre, that is, when the same is in
line with the connection rod J, which is the case when the segment D has
travelled far enough in the direction of arrow 1 to bring the projection d in
close proximity with the abutment c, the cam L strikes the sliding bar M,
causing the same to move in the direction of the arrow marked on the same,
and the slide valve is moved in the direction of arrow 2. The exhaust port i
and the steam port are closed, and the parts h and are opened, and the
segment D begins to move in the other direction.
It will be noticed that the proportion between the crank II on the shaft C,
and between the crank j and the fly-wheel shaft I must be such that the latter
accomplishes exactly one-half of a revolution while the segment D makes one
stroke, and the cam L may be brought in such relation to the sliding bar M,
that the steam is changed rapidly or more gradually, according to necessity.
The working parts of this engine can be very easily kept steam-tight when
the sides of the segment D are ground to the side plates a of the shell B, and
one or both of these plates may be so arranged that they can be adjusted if the
rubbing surfaces should wear out. The abutment c, and the proportions d, d',
are made tight by means of packing as above described.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Clark in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 9th
February 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer & Patent
Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-third year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said William Clark, Her special licence that I, the said William Clark, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William
Clark, 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 "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN
OSCILLATING ENGINES," a communication from abroad by Messrs. Mark Runkel,
of New York City, and Frederick Franch, of San Francisco, in the State of
California, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Clark,
my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or
their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascer-
tain 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 I, the said William Clark, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):
:-
This Invention consists in a particular arrangement of a segment to oscillate
in a stationary shell on the principle of a rotary engine, the steam being
admitted alternately on one side or on the other of an abutment that is rigidly
attached to the shell, and which has some sort of packing inserted in its lower
edge in such a manner that it works steam-tight against the upper surface of
the segment, and said segment being furnished with two projections, one on
each side of the abutment, which works steam-tight against the inner surface

page_text: of the shell, the change of steam being made by a common slide valve, or by
any other means generally employed for oscillating engines, so that said
segment assumes an oscillating motion, which being converted into a rotary
motion, serves as a motor in the usual manner.
This Invention is represented in the accompanying Drawings, in which
Fig. 1 represents a vertical longitudinal section of an oscillating engine con-
structed according to this Invention; and Fig. 2 is a plan or top view of the
same, the cover of the steam chest having been removed in order to show the
ports. Similar letters in both views refer to corresponding parts. A represents
a bed or foundation which supports a segmental shell B, which is open at both
ends, the side plates a being rigidly attached to the bed A, and these two side
plates are united by a curved plate b, the longitudinal section of which forms
part of a circle, as clearly shown in Fig. 1. The plates a form the bearings
for the shaft C, the centre of which coincides with the centre of the circular
plate 6; and rigidly attached to the shaft C is the segment D, which is ground
steam-tight to the side plates a. Its upper convex surface is at a certain
distance from the inner surface of the plate and rigidly secured to this plate
is the abutment c, which is filled in with some sort of packing c¹, so that it
works steam-tight on the upper surface of the segment D. Two projections
d and are attached one to cach end of the upper surface of the segment D,
and these projections are furnished with packings e, so that they work steam-
tight against the inner surface of the plate b, and against the side plates a of
the shell B.
Firmly secured to the upper part of the shell B is the steam chest E, which
contains the slide valve F, and to which steam is admitted by the steam pipe G.
The exhaust pipes f communicate with the steam chest E by means of open-
ings g, and the steam chest communicates with the space between the
upper surface of the segment D, and the inner surface of the plate 6 by means
of the steam ports hand and exhaust ports i, and i, the ports h and i
being on one, and the ports and on the other side of the abutment c.
These ports may, however, be so arranged that those on the same side
of the abutment c unite below the slide valve F, so that only two openings
are required in the top of the shell B. H is a crank which is rigidly
fastened to the shaft C, and this crank communicates with the fly-wheel shaft
I by means of a connection rod J and by a crank j, which is attached to the
shaft I, and firmly secured to this shaft is the fly-wheel K, which at the
same time may serve as a band wheel to communicate motion to the working
machines, or a separate pulley may be secured on the shaft I for this purpose.

page_text: The slide valve F is operated by means of a cam L which is secured on the
shaft C, extending from the same in an opposite direction to the crank H.
This cam actuates a sliding bar M, which connects with the valve stem k by
means of a lever l, which is mounted on a rock shaft m, which has its bearings
in two supports
attached to the outside of shell B. The upper end of the
lever connects with the valve stem by means of a link o, and its lower end
is furnished with a pin n that works in the slotted end of the standard n',
which is rigidly secured to the sliding bar M. This bar slides on the top of
the bed A, being guided in its motion by studs p, which works in slots q in the
bar, as clearly represented in Fig. 1. Various methods of admitting & changing
the steam may, however, be employed, and in fact all the different methods
commonly used with oscillating engines for this purpose may also be applied
to this engine.
The operation of this engine is as follows:-In the position represented in
the Drawings, the segment D moves in the direction of arrow 1, steam being
admitted through the port h', and exhausted through the port i on the other
side of the abutment c. The ports & are closed. The crank j on the fly-
wheel shaft moves in the direction of the arrow marked on the same. By
the time this crank has arrived on its centre, that is, when the same is in line
with the connection rod J, which is the case when the segment D has travelled
far enough in the direction of arrow 1 to bring the projection d in close prox-
imity with the abutment c, the cam L strikes the sliding bar M, causing the
same to move in the direction of arrow marked on the same, and the slide valve
is moved in the direction of arrow 2. The exhaust port i and the steam
port h³ are closed and the ports and ¹ are opened, and the segment D begins
to move in the other direction.
It will be noticed that the proportion between the crank H on the shaft C,
and between the crank; on the fly-wheel shaft I, must be such that the latter
accomplishes exactly one-half of a revolution while the segment D makes one
stroke, and the cam L may be brought in such relation to the sliding bar M,
that the steam is changed rapidly or more gradually, according to necessity.
The working parts of this engine can be very casily kept steam-tight when
the sides of the segment D are ground to the side plates a of the shell B, and
one or both of these plates may be so arranged that they can be adjusted if
the rubbing surfaces should wear out. The abutment c and the projections d, d³,
are made tight by means of packing as above described.
Having described the nature of the Invention, and the manner of perform-
ing the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be protected by

page_text: the berein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the segment D with the
projections d, d, in combination with the shell B, and the abutment c or its
equivalent arranged substantially as and for the purpose specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Clark, have hereunto set my
hand and scal, this Ninth day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
Witness,
W. G. E. SWINNOCK,
58, Chancery Lane.
W. CLARK. (L.S.)