Improvements in Steam or other Motive Power Engines.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Mar., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 29th Dec., 1892-Accepted, 4th Feb., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Steam or other Motive Power Engines.
JOHN HANDSLEY DALES of 45 Lofthouse Place, Leeds, in the County of
York, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The object of the invention is to provide for motive power engines having a
double reciprocating action of pressure power in any one cylinder, an arrange-
ment of pistons, piston rods, connecting rods and bearing brasses, which shall run
with a continuous elastic contact on their respective bearing parts, and so prevent
noise or "knock" of such parts in performing their functions, in a similar manner
to single acting engines. The invention is also applied to the main shaft bearings,
valve rods and valves of the engines aforesaid.
The invention consists in the first place of making the pistons of engine
cylinders, in two separate parts, one of which is acted upon by the front end
pressure, and the other by the back end pressure in the cylinder.
The pressure power of each end of the cylinder is transmitted to the bearing or
bearing brasses on which such working pressure acts and to the pin or neck to
which such power is transmitted, by separate mediums. By preference the front
end pressure of the cylinder is transmitted from the front end piston, by means of
a tubular or hollow piston rod, to the front brasses of the cross head and thence by
a tubular or hollow connecting rod to the corresponding front brass of the crank
pin or other part. The back end pressure of the same cylinder is transmitted
from the back end piston by means of a rod which by preference, passes down the
centre of the tubular rod, which belongs to the front end piston aforesaid, to about
the centre of the gudgeon and there bears on the end of a second rod which passes
down the centre of the connecting rod aforesaid, to the back end brasses of the
crank pin or otherwise, and bears clear on such brasses.
The action of the arrangement, is, that the front end pressure on the piston,
causes the front end brasses to bear on their respective pins or necks during the
working stroke of the engine and the piston friction and cushion pressure, has the
same effect, on the exhaust stroke of the same end and maintains an elastic
contact of the said front end brasses. In the same way the back end bearing
brasses and necks are maintained in continuous elastic contact by the pressure on
and friction of the back end piston. All after the manner of single acting
engines.
The slide or other valves of the engines named, are worked in part and the
bearing surfaces by which they are actuated, are maintained in continuous elastic
contact, by pistons or rams, which work in cylinders in the front or back end of
the steam chests as the case may require, and are connected to and act upon
the valve spindles in such a way that the thrust or pull, as the case may be,
on the valve connecting rod bearings or brasses, is all in one direction.
The main bearings of the engines named are maintained in continuous elastic

page_text: contact with their necks, by the working pressure in the cylinder acting upon the
cylinder lid or lids, which are held in position by rods connecting them with the
respective bearing brasses, on which the respective working pressures of the two
ends of the cylinder, takes effect.
The pressure rods of the back end piston may be made steam tight in the
tubular rods of the front end pistons by any suitable packing. Other arrangements
of piston and connecting rods may be used to connect the several parts of the
invention.
Dated this 29th day of March 1802
JOHN HANDSLEY DALES.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION (AMENDED).
Improvements in Steam or other Motive Power Engines.
JOHN HANDSLEY DALES of 45 Lofthouse Place Leeds in the County of York,
Civil Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement :-
The object of the invention is to provide for motive power engines, having a
double reciprocating action of pressure power in one cylinder; an arrangement of
pistons, piston rods, connecting rods and bearing brasses which shall run or work
with a continuous contact on their respective bearing parts, and so prevent noise or
"knock" of such parts in performing their functions, in a similar manner to single
acting engines.
The invention is also applied to main or crank shaft bearings, valve rods and
valves of the engines aforesaid.
The invention arrangements consist in the first place of making the pistons of double
acting engine cylinders in two separate parts, which shall constitute two single
acting pistons, one of which is operated by the front end pressure and the other
by the back end pressure in the cylinder. The pressure power of each
end of the cylinder is transmitted to the bearing or bearing brasses, on
which such working pressure acts, and to the pin or neck to which such
power is applied, by separate mediums. By preference the front end working
pressure in the cylinder is transmitted from the front end piston, by means
of a tubular or hollow piston rod to the front brasses of the crosshead, and thence
by a tubular rod or otherwise to the corresponding front brasses of the crank pin
or similar part. The back end working pressure of the same cylinder, is
transmitted from the back end piston by means of a rod, which by preference
passes down the centre of the tubular rod which belongs to the front end piston
aforesaid, to about the centre of the gudgeon, or to a connection to an independent
slide and bearing on the crosshead slipper; and thence to the back end brasses of
the crank neck, by means of a rod passing through the longitudinal centre of the
said tubular rod or by an outside separate rod, which bears clear on such brasses.
The action of the arrangements is, that the front end pressure on the piston,
causes all the front end brasses to bear on their respective necks or journals,
during the working stroke of the engine piston and the friction of the piston in the
cylinder and the cushion pressure has the same effect during the exhaust stroke of
the same end and thus maintains a constant contact of all the bearing-surfaces
during the working of the engine. In the same way the back end bearing brasses
and necks or journals are maintained in continuous contact by the working
pressure on and the friction and cushion of the back end piston. All after the
manner of single acting engines.
The slide or other valves of the engines named and the bearing parts of their
working gear are maintained in constant. contact with their working surfaces, by
pistons or rams on which pressure is caused to act in one direction only and which
pressure is sufficient to move the said valves by suitable connections in perforining

page_text: their functions; thus causing the connecting and controlling parts of the engine to
act in one direction only and that opposite to the said pistons. The main bearings
of the engines named are maintained in continuous contact with their respective
necks or journals, by the working pressure in the cylinder, acting upon the cylinder
lid or lids, which are connected to the proper brasses of the said main bearings by
means of rods in such a manner that the reciprocating power of the engines does
not cause the journals to leave their bearing surfaces, but on the contrary
maintains them in constant contact during the working of the engines.
Several different arrangements of the principles of connections between the
pistons of the engines and the necks to which their power is transmitted, may be
made to suit circumstances.
The centre piston rod may be packed in the tubular rod to prevent leakage of
pressure down the tubular rod.
In order to prevent any leakage of steam, which may pass the piston rings
from accumulating between the two piston blocks or bodies, and thus interfering
with the correct action of the principles of the invention, I provide valves in the
said piston blocks which are closed by the working pressure of the cylinder but
which valves are opened towards the exhaust end of the cylinder, by any
accumulated pressure between the piston blocks.
The accompanying sheet of drawings shew in Figure 1. a sectional plan of a
horizontal engine in which (a) is the back end of cylinder (c) and (b) is the front
end of the cylinder (c). (a) is the back end half of the compound piston and
(b) is the front end half of the same. The back end working pressure is in
cylinder (c) is transmitted in performing its functions from the piston (a) by the
centre rod (a) to half a compound crosshead (a³) and its gudgeon pin (a) and
from thence by the solid rod (a) to the neck (d) of the crank of the engine shaft,
and thus acting upon the said crank neck on the side nearest the cylinder. The
front end working pressure in the cylinder is transmitted in performing its functions
from the piston (61) by the tubular rod (62) to the other half of the compound
crosshead (63) and its gudgeon pin (4) and thence by the solid rod (6)
to the crank neck at (d) of the engine shaft, thus acting on the side of
the crank neck furthest away from the cylinder. One of the halves of the
compound crosshead may be fixed to the crosshead slipper (e) whilst the other half
of the crosshead is made to slide freely on the said slipper through a suitable range
of distance thus allowing separate and free action to each set of parts which
belong to each of the two halves of the compound piston of the engine and thus
actually constituting two single acting engines but having only one common
cylinder. The waste valves which exhaust any leaked pressure in the intermediate
space (f) between the two pistons or half pistons are shewn by (ƒ') (ƒ³) (ƒ'') (ƒ)
and also by the same letters on an enlarged section of the piston at Figure 2, in
which latter view the back end pressure represented by the arrow (a) has closed
the valves against. its passage through the holes (a') (a) whilst pressure leaked
through the piston rings has opened the set of valves in (61) and is passing to the
exhaust end of the cylinder for the time being in the direction of the arrows
through the holes (67) (67). The action of the valves is reversed by the working
pressure of the engine at every pulsation of the same. In Figure 1 a lid (g) is
provided for the cylinder and made steam tight to the same by means of a
gland (9) and packing (92) and the working pressure in the front end of the
cylinder on the said lid is resisted by rods (h) (h) which transmit the said pressure
to the back end brasses (/') of the crank shaft necks or those nearest the
cylinder.
The area of the said lid is in excess of that of the piston in order that the
pressure on the lid may not only resist that on the piston but may also follow up
any wear of the crank shaft brasses and thus prevent knock of the main bearings
of the crank shaft.
The distribution valve rod (r) is fitted with a piston (r) which has sufficient"
area to move the distribution valve by means of the pressure in the chest (3).

page_text: An outlet () is provided for leakage past the rings of the piston (¹). A similar
piston to (r) but of less area where admissable is provided on the cut off spindle
or rod (*) at (b) and also an outlet for leakage past the same. These pistons (¹)
and (3) maintain all slackness of the bearings in one direction and thus ensure
silent working.
Figure 3 represents an alternative arrangement of pushing and pulling rods for
transmitting the power of the pistons separately to the crank neck.
In this case
the centre rod (j) transmits the working power from the centre piston rod (a³)
from a sliding bearing (¹) on the crosshead to the back of the crank neck (k)
whilst the two side rods (2) (3) transmit the working power from the tubular
piston rod (2) to the front of the crank neck (¹) (¹). Set screws are provided
which pass through the gudgeon pins to take out any side shake of the centre
rod () between them.
.
Figure 4 is a side elevation of the crosshead arrangement shewn by Figure 3
and the same letters refer to the same parts. This view is shewn part in section.
Figure 5 shews the arrangement of rods described in the fore part of this
Specification, the tubular rod (4) transmitting the working power from the tubular
piston rod (2) to the front end brass and side of the crank pin at (4) whilst the
inner rod (2) transmits the working power from the inner piston (a) to the back
end brass and side of the crank neck at (1) and adjusting cotter for maintaining
the correct length of the rod (1) being provided at (*).
Figure 6. is a vertical section shewing the arrangement of the junction of the
rods (a) and (1²).
The intermediate space (f) may be made of such a distance between the piston
blocks that the stroke of the engine can be worked without allowing the pistons to
run over a leakage outlet made in the bore of the cylinder.
In cases where the invention is applied to condensing engines, a second fixed lid
outside the lid (g) is applied for the purpose of excluding the atmospheric
pressure from the lid (g) space between the said lids being maintained in
connection with the condenser.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
First The-making of pressure pistons of two-separate parts, working in one
e-linder,-constituting two single noting pistons, the working power from -onch,
transmitted by separate-mediums, to the working parts and engine bearings, to
which it is to be applied, for the purpose-of-maintaining constant contact of ench
working parts and their bearings, substantially-us shewn and described.
Second-The-arrangement of the details of the parts of the invention as
applied to un-engine, substantially as shewn and described.
Third: The application of the working pressures in the cylinder to the
adjustment of engine shaft bearings for the purpose of maintaining constant
contact of the working surfaces of the same substantially as shown and described.
Fourth- -The arrangement of pistons or other spring power, on the valve rods
or connections of engine valve gears, for maintaining all slackness of the bearings
in one-direction substantially as shewn and described.
Fifth The provision of valves or equivalents for exhausting leaked-pressure
from between-eylinder pistons according to the invention substantially as shewn
and described.
Sixth The separate and combined use of all or any of the parts of my said
invention for the purposes named.
1. In steam and other fluid motors as aforesaid, having pistons formed in two parts,
and concentric or other twin or double rods attached thereto, the combination therewith
of relief valves fitted to the piston, for the purpose of preventing an undue accumulation
of pressure between the parts of the piston, substantially as herein before described and
illustrated.by the drawings.

page_text: 2. In steam and other fluid motors as aforesaid, the application of the working
pressure and cushion in the cylinder to the adjustment of the main bearings of the engine
shaft, for the purpose of maintaining constant contact of the working surfaces, and
ensuring silent working, substantially as herein before described and illustrated by the
drawings.
3. In combination with steam and other fluid motors as aforesaid, the application and
use of pistons, or other spring power, to the slide valve gears, for the purpose of
maintaining pressure in one direction only, and thereby preventing slackness and
ensuring silent working, substantially as herein before described and illustrated by the
drawings.
4. The improvements in steam or other motive power engines, substantially as herein
before described and illustrated by the drawings.
.
Dated this 28th day of December 1892.
JOHN HANDSLEY DALES.