AN IMPROVED AUTOMATIC EXPANSION GEARING FOR STEAM ENGINES
Year: 1886

page_text: HENRY LANCELEY, and RICHARD HANKINSON LANCELEY, both of George Street
in the City of Chester; Engineers, trading under the style of Henry Lanceley and
Son do hereby, declare the nature of their invention for AN IMPROVED AUTOMATIC
EXPANSION GEARING FOR STEAM ENGINES to be as follows:-
This invention relates to that description of valve motions for Steam Engines, in
which a separate valve or valves are employed for cutting off the steam at different
points in the stroke of the piston in the cylinder; and particularly to that
description of valve or valves which are moved by a spindle or spindles having
a rotating and a reciprocating motion. Such valve, and valve motions have the
necessary variable movements communicated to them generally by two methods,
viz either by hand, (by means of a wheel, lever or handle, the moving of which
gives the necessary rotating motion to the spindle, spindles, valve or valves, for
altering the position of the valve or valves, in order to effect an earlier or later cut
off of the steam as may be desired); or automatically, by means of the engine
govenors, which operate directly upon the mechanism for moving the valve,
valves, spindle or spindles thus entailing a heavy duty on the govenors, which
necessitates high speeds, and heavy moving parts.
The object of the present invention is to make the engine govenors control the
mechanism for moving the cut off valve, or valves; spindle or spindles; rather
than to operate directly or indirectly upon such valve, valves, spindle or spindles.
Thus the engine govenors are relieved of the heavy duty above named, and
thereby a sensitive and efficient automatic valve motion is secured.
The arrangements of mechanism we propose to employ are as follows:-The cut
off valve spindle is caused to rotate by means of a bevil wheel (driven by a bevil
pinion) secured to a bush, in which the spindle has a reciprocating motion; and
the direction of rotation is changed automatically.
The pinion for driving the bevil wheel is secured to a shaft or spindle, which has
& rotating motion, the direction of which rotating motion is changed automatically,
thus causing the direction of the rotating of the bevil wheel to be changed, and
through it of the valve or valve spindle to be changed also, and the cut off effected
earlier or later as is required. The means of automatically changing the direction
of rotation of the said spindle or shaft, and through it of the valve or valve spindle
is as follows:-on the spindle or shaft there are three belt pulleys, two of which
run loose on the spindle or shaft, while the other one is secured to the same.
two loose pulleys have a rotating motion communicated to them by means of two
belts, driven from the engine shaft, or from some other shaft; the two belts are so
The

page_text: fixed on the two loose pulleys, (one being a straight belt, and the other a crossed
belt) as to cause them to revolve in opposite directions; and the direction of the
rotating motion of the shaft or spindle is changed, by causing one or other of the
belts above named to move from off one or other of the loose pulleys on to the fast
pulley, thus communicating the direction of the motion of the belt to the fast
pulley, and through it to the spindle or shaft, and wheels before described. The
method of causing the belts to move automatically as is required, from off one or
other of the loose pulleys, on to the fast one is as follows:-The belts are caused
to move transversely by means of a sliding bar having suitable guides & stops
fixed to same, the sliding bar having motion communicated to it by means of rods
and levers connected with the engine govenors-the manner of working being as
follows: When the engine govenors are driven too quickly by means of their
connection with the engine, they rise above their proper working position, and
cause the sliding bar, .by means of rods and levers before named, to move the
particular belt on to the fast pulley which shall give the necessary rotating motion
to the shaft for operating the valve or valves in the direction required for effecting
an earlier cut off of the steam; and when the engine govenors are not driven
sufficiently quick and necessarily fall below their proper working position-they
cause, in the manner before described, the other belt to come into action, thus
producing an opposite effect-viz a later cut off of the steam.
Instead of the bevil wheel & pinion described as forming the connection between
the valve spindle, or the bush through which the spindle has a reciprocating
motion, a worm and worm wheel; rack and pinion; or pinion and toothed
quadrant may be used. And in place of the three belt pulleys named for
producing the change in direction of rotation of spindle or shaft, two pulleys only
suited either for belts, ropes or cords, may be used, each being loose on the spindle,
and the motion of either one or other communicated to the spindle or shaft, by
means of a friction or other; description of clutch. Or the spindle or shaft may be
driven by means of bevil, spur or mitre gearing directly or indirectly from the
engine or other shaft, two of the wheels being loose on the spindle or shaft, and
the motion of either one or the other of them communicated to the spindle or shaft
by means of a friction or other description of clutch as before named. Or in place
of any of the before named pulleys, wheels and clutches two friction wheels may
be used; the direction of rotation being changed by causing one wheel to move.
across the face of the other to opposite sides of the centre, by means of a sliding
clutch attached to or forming part of the wheel so moved. In all cases the
necessary movement of the clutches, or other engaging or disengaging gear is
actuated by means of the sliding bar, rods and levers controlled by the engine
govenors. And in place of the spindle shaft before named, the pulleys, (whether
for belts, ropes or cords) spur, bevil, mitre or friction wheels, may be placed
on the bush through which the valve spindle has a reciprocating motion-motion
being communicated to them from the engine or other shaft, and the govenors
controling & actuating. the dis-engaging & engaging gear in the manner
before described. In all cases the connection between the valve or valves, spindle
or spindles are such as will prevent the valve or valves from travelling or being
moved beyond the two extreme positions for effecting the latest and earliest cut
off required.

page_text: An improved Automatio Expansion Gearing for steam Engine8;
HENRY LANCELEY, and RICHARD HANKINSON LANCELEY both of George Street,
in the City of Chester; Engineers, trading under the style of Henry Lanceley and
Sön do hereby declare the nature of their invention for AN IMPROVED AUTOMATIC.
EXPANSION GEARING FOR STEAM ENGINES and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
This invention relates to that description of valve motions for steam engines in
which a separate valve or valves are employed for cutting off the steam at different
points in the stroke of the piston in the cylinder, and particularly to that descrip-
tion of valve or valves which are moved by a spindle, or spindles having a rotating
and a reciprocating motion. Such valves and valve motions have the necessary
variable movements communicated to them generally by two methods, viz either
by hand, (by means of a wheel, lever or handle, the moving of which gives the
necessary rotating motion to the spindle, spindles, valve or valves, for altering the
position of the valve or valves, in order to effect an earlier or later cut off of
the steam as may be desired) or automatically by means of the engine govenors,
which operate directly upon the mechanism for moving the valve, valves, spindle or
spindles thus entailing a heavy duty on the govenors, which necessitates high
speeds, and heavy moving parts.
The object of the present invention is to make the engine govenors control the
mechanism for moving the cut off valve or valves; spindle or spindles; rather to!
operate directly or indirectly upon such valve, valves, spindle or spindles.
Thus the engine govenors are releived of the heavy duty before named, and
thereby a sensitive and efficient automatic valve motion is secured: The arrange-
ments of mechanism we propose to employ are as follows:-The cut off valvo
spindle A, Figures 1, 2, and 3, is caused to rotate by means of a bevil wheel B
(driven by a bevil pinion C) secured to a bush D, in which the spindle A has a
reciprocating motion, and the direction of rotation is changed automatically.
The pinion for driving the bevil wheel is secured to a shaft, or spindle E, which
has a rotating motion; the direction of which rotating motion is changed auto-
matically, thus causing the direction of the rotating of the bevil wheel B to be
changed, and through it of the valve or valve spindle to be changed also, and the
cut off effected earlier or later as is required. The means of automatically changing
the direction of rotation of the spindle or shaft E, and through it of the valve or
valve spindle is as follows:-On the spindle or shaft E, there are three belt
pulleys F, F, F, two of which F' and run loose on the spindle or shaft, while
the other one F is secured to the spindle or shaft. The two loose pulleys F
and F have a rotating motion communicated to them by means of two belts G¹,
and G³, driven from the engine shaft, or from some other shaft; the two belts are
J

page_text: so fixed on the loose pulleys (one being a straight belt, and the other crossed belt)
as to cause them to revolve in opposite directions; and the direction of the
rotating motion of the spindle or shaft E, is changed by causing one or other of
the belts before named to move from off one or other of the loose pulleys, on to
the fast pulley F³, thus communicating the direction of the motion of the belt to
the fast pulley F, and through it to the spindle or shaft E, and wheels B.and O
before described.
The method of causing the belts to move automatically as is required, from off
one or other of the loose pulleys, on to the fast one is as follows:-The belts are
caused to move transversely by means of a sliding bar H having suitable guides I¹
and 12, and stops fixed to same; the sliding bar having motion communicated to
it by means of rods, and levers connected with the engine govenors, the manner of
working being as follows:-When the engine govenors are driven too quickly by
means of their connection with the engine, they rise above their proper working
position, and cause the sliding bar H, by means of rods and levers before named,
to move the particular belt on to the fast pulley, which shall give the necessary
rotating motion to the shaft or spindle E, for operating the valve or valves in the
direction required for effecting an earlier cut off of the steam; and when the engine
govenors are not driven sufficiently quick, and necessarily fall below their proper
working position; they cause in the manner before described, the other belt to
come into action, thus producing an opposite effect-viz; a later cut off of the
steam.
Instead of the bevil wheel and pinion B and C, described as forming the
connection between the valve spindle A, or the bush D through which the valve
spindle has a reciprocating motion; a worm and worm wheel; rack and pinion; or
pinion and toothed quadrant may be used; and in place of the three belt
pulleys F¹, F' and F³, named, for producing the change in direction of rotation of
shaft, or spindle E, two pulleys only, suited either for belts, ropes or cords, may be
used; each being loose on the spindle or shaft, and the motion of either one or the
other communicated to the spindle or shaft, by means of a friction or other
description of clutch; this arrangement is shewn in Figure 4, or the spindle or
shaft may be driven by means of bevil, spur, or mitre wheel gearing, directly or
indirectly from the engine or other shaft; two of the wheels being loose on the
spindle or shaft, and the motion of either one or the other of them communicated
to the spindle or shaft by means of a friction or other description of clutch as
before named; Figure 5 shews such an arrangement with mitre wheels; or in place
of any of the above named pulleys, wheels and clutches, two friction wheels may
be used; the direction of rotation being changed by causing one wheel to move
across the face of the other to opposite sides of the centre, by means of a sliding
clutch attached to, or forming part of, the wheel so moved-this arrangement is
shewn by Figure 6.
In all cases the necessary movement of the clutches, or other engaging or dis-
engaging gear, is actuated by means of the sliding bar, rods and levers, controlled
by the engine govenors as before described; and the connections between the valve
or valves, spindle or spindles may be such as will prevent the valve or valves from
travelling, or being moved beyond the two extreme positions for effecting the latest
and earliest cut off of the steam as required; or fixed stops may be provided, so
that when the valve or valves reach the extreme positions, the belts, ropes, cords or
friction clutches will slip, and not be driven by the pulleys or wheels with which
they are in contact.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is ;-
The methods of applying the combinations of mechanism herein described for

page_text: spindle or spindles; thereby causing the steam to be cut off sooner or later as is
required. We do not claim the combinations of pulleys, wheels, sliding bar, levers
and rods herein described; these are in common use for causing reverse motions in
rack saw benches, planing, screwing and other machines, What we claim is the
methods of applying the combinations to the valve motions of steam engines for
the purpose herein described.
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