AN IMPROVED SUPPLEMENTAL REFLUX VALVE FOR STEAM ENGINES.
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to-Henry Whitaker Butterworth, of Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania, in the United States of America, for the Invention:
of "AN IMPROVED SUPPLEMENTAL REFLUX VALVE FOR STEAM ENGINES.".
A communication.
PROVISIONAL -SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Whitaker
Butterworth at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with,
. his Petition, on the 13th October 1853
I, HENRY WHITAKER. BUTTERWORTH, of Philadelphia, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for AN IMPROVED SUPPLE-
MENTAL REFLUX VALVE FOR STEAM ENGINES to be as follows
to be as 1-
The improved supplemental reflux valve, as communicated to me,
consists in the application of a valve in the passage or passages from
the boiler to the cylinder of a steam engine, in such manner as to pre-
vent the return of the steam to the boiler. The object attained in applying

page_text: this valve is a greater pressure of steam in the cylinder than exists in
the boiler at each alternation of the stroke. By giving lead to the
steam (that is to say), allowing the steam to enter below the piston
before the completion of the down stroke, a cushion of steam receives
the impact of the piston, which under ordinary circumstances is limited
to the pressure in the boiler, whereas by the application of the "reflux
valve an excess of pressure is created, according to the amount of
compression arranged to take place.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Henry Whitaker Butterworth in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 13th April 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
HENRY WHITAKER BUTTERWORTH, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the
United States of America, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of October, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the seven-
teenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Henry Whitaker Butterworth, Her
special licence that I, the said Henry Whitaker Butterworth, my exe-
cutors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Henry
Whitaker Butterworth, 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 King-
dom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of
Man, an Invention for "AN IMPROVED SUPPLEMENTAL REFLUX VALVE
FOR STEAM ENGINES," a communication, upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Henry Whitaker Butterworth, by an instru-
ment in writing under my hand and seal, should particularly describe

page_text: 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 imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Henry Whitaker Butterworth,
do hereby declare the nature of tlie 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 Sheet of
Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked
thercon (that is to say):
1
The Invention communicated to me consists in the application
a of supplemental reflux valve to steam engines, for the purpose
of more effectually arresting the momentum of the piston and
other reciprocating parts at each alternation of the stroke, by the
pressure of steam, and utilizing the power expended in arresting such
motion.
It is well known that when lead is given to the steam valve of a
reciprocating steam engine, as is generally done to admit steam in front
of the piston near the extremity of its stroke, for the purpose of arresting
its momentum and that of the other moving parts, preparatory to
reversing their motion, without straining the machinery, there is a
reflux of the steam from the cylinder almost immediately after it has
entered, which is caused by the compression of it, by the continued
approach of the piston to the head of the cylinder; the compression of
the steam is diffused through the pipes and boiler, and is thus lost, or
nearly so.
For the purpose of utilizing the power employed in compressing the
lead steam, and more effectually arresting the momentum of moving
parts, and at the same time to prevent such casualities as knocking out
the heads of the cylinders by the piston, I have arranged a valve which
opens towards the cylinder in such position in the steam chest lid that
it will open by the pressure of the steam in the boiler, to permit the
steam to pass from the latter into the cylinder; but whenever the pres-
sure on the side next the cylinder becomes greatest, and the steam

page_text: begins to return to the boiler, then this valve will close and arrest the
reflux, so that whatever force is exerted in compressing the steam in
the cylinder-before the piston, as it approaches the end of its stroke,
will be given out again on return of the piston to aid in accelerating
its motion, so that the force expended to arrest the momentum. of the
moving parts at one stroke-is transmitted from that stroke to the next.
Again, if the weight and momentum of the moving parts is very great,
and the piston large; and the steam 'in the boiler at a very low-pres-
*sure, any practicable lead in any engine in such a case might, without
this improvement, be inadequate to arrest the momentum, but with this
improvement it would be abundant.
:
To illustrate this, suppose the steam to be admitted before the piston
at a pressure of one atmosphere when it is two inches from the head;
by the time the piston has approached within one inch of the head the
tension of the steam will have been increased to two atmospheres ;
when within half an inch, to four atmospheres; a quarter of an inch,
eight atmospheres; and when the piston has approached within one
eighth of an inch of the head the pressure of the steam before it will
be sixteen atmospheres, while the steam in the boiler and behind the
piston is but one, and of course the power is available for overcoming
the momentum of the piston, &c. is five times as great as-it. would have
been if a free reflux of the steam into the boiler had taken place, as it
would have done in the absence of this stop or reflux valve. The above
would not be the exact amount of the compression of the steam, as the
area of the steam chest in which the steam is also compressed would
somewhat detract therefrom. This would depend upon the relative
areas in the cylinder and in the steam chest into which the steam is
compressed. To obviate this réduction as much as possible the steam
chest should be as small as consistent with 'the free passage of the
steam, so that in effect the reflux valve will be as close as possible to
the steam ports of the cylinder. The pressure in front of the piston
may, upon this principle, be increased to the highest point ever re-
quired in practise, and when the piston commences its return stroke,
at which time the inertia of the moving parts has to be overcome

page_text: before their motion can be got up, there is a great force, much above
the 'average: pressure of, the steam, ready to apply itself at this point,
where it is so necessary to the equable motion of the machine. On the
return movement of the piston the pressure in the cylinder becomes
reduced: slightly below that in the boiler, the reflux-valve instantly
opens: and, permits; the steam to flow again from, the boiler into the
cylinder as if no such valve were used. This arrangement of the
valve to prevent the reflux of the steam from the cylinder protects
the engine against, strains in overcoming the momentum of the moving
parts when the motion is reversed, and against the danger of having
the heads, ofthe cylinder. Knocked out, by the piston in case the con-
necting rod or: crank breaks; it also insures a more equable motion,
and prevents the pulsations in the boiler which, are otherwise caused
by: the reflux. of the steam:..
Fig. 1, represents a longitudinal section through the cylinder and
steam chest of a direct acting, steam engine, for actuating a saw frame
direct.without the intervention of a crank and fly wheel, showing also
a portion of the frame and the valve gear. Fig. 2, represents a side
elevation of a steam cylinder attached directly to a saw frame.
Fig 3, represents, another side elevation of the same, viewed at
an- angle of ninety degrees from the position whence it is seen in
Fig. 2. Fig. 4,.represents a top view of the engine and saw frame,
shown in Figs. 2, and 3. Fig. 5, represents a section of the steam
chest, on an enlarged, scale, with, the reaction valve in position, the
arrangement of which constitutes the subject of this Invention. And
Fig. 6, represents a side and end view of said valve, which in this
example is of the winged puppet or conical variety...
The engine represented in the accompanying Drawing is of the usual
reciprocating direct acting variety, except that the cover of the steam
chest is fitted with a valve. g, opening inwards. and closing. while shut,
which is the subject of this. Invention.
a, a, is the steam cylinder; b, b, the steam or valve chest; c, the
cover of steam chest, with reacting valve g, fitted thereto; d, the slide
valve; estem or rod of slide valved; ii, levers, on rocking shaft q. q,

page_text: to actuate the slide valve d; j, is a lever arm on rocking shaft q, which
is actuated by means of a topped guide or valve gear motion taking
effect on the pin of arm j; the tappet guide is attached to the
cross head of the steam engine or other part of the saw gate, and is
arranged to give motion to valve d, so as to insure the desired lead;
7, is the piston rod; m, m, saw gate; n, n, guide for saw gate; o, o,
is the cylinder cover; and p, p, the rocking shaft bearings which
are fixed to the bottom of the cylinder; all of which parts, being
.common to ordinary reciprocating engines, require no particular
:description.
The reflux valve g, the application of which constitutes this Invention,
is fitted to the cover c of steam chest b, and opens inwards and closes
(when shut) the mouth of the steam pipe f, which conducts the steam
from the boiler to the engine. The valve g is in this case of the
puppet variety, and is pressed towards its seat by spring h, which is
of just sufficient strength to shut the valve when unaffected by pres-
sure of steam. This spring he also prevents the valve 9 jarring. The
size and range of motion of the valve is such, that when open it will
allow the steam to flow freely from the boiler to the cylinder of the
engine, but so arranged that it will close and prevent any return of
steam when a reflux takes place, and so produce the effect before
described: Any suitable valve may be substituted for the valve
mentioned.
Although I have described this Invention, and shown it applied to
an engine which acts directly on its work, in which, perhaps, it has
more beneficial effect, it is also applicable to all reciprocating steam
engines with advantageous results.
Having described the nature of this Invention, and the manner of
carrying the same into effect, I desire it to be understood that what I
claim under the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the
application of a valve or an equivalent therefore between the cylinder
of a steam engine and its boiler, in such manner as to prevent the
reflux of lead steam, by closing whenever the pressure of the steam in
the cylinder exceeds that in the boiler, and again opening whenever the

page_text: pressure is greater than that of the cylinder, substantially as herein-
before set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Whitaker Butterworth,
have hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-seventh day
of December, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and fifty-three.
HENRY WHITAKER BUTTERWORTH.
(L.S.)