Im- PROVEMENTS IN STEAM, WATER, OR OTHER FLUID ENGINES." PROVEMENTS IN STEAM, WATER, OR OTHER FLUID ENGINES.
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Knowclden, Engineer, of Cottage Row,
Bermondsey, in the County of Surrey, for the Invention of “Im-
PROVEMENTS IN STEAM, WATER, OR OTHER FLUID ENGINES."
PROVEMENTS IN STEAM, WATER, OR OTHER FLUID ENGINES.'
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Knowelden at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
25th August 1874.
I, JOHN KNOWELDEN, Engineer, of Cottage Row, Bermondsey, in
the County of Surrey, do hereby declare the nature of the said In-
vention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM, WATER, OR OTHER FLUID ENGINES,” to
be as follows:-
This Invention relates to valves employed in the construction of
engines to be worked by steam, water, air, or other fluids where the
cylinders of such engines are arranged around a central shaft perpen-
dicular to its axis, as described and illustrated in Letters Patent,
No. 1016, granted to me, and dated 9th April 1862. On the shaft

page_text: of such engines I place a crank, eccentric, or other suitable arrangement
to give the required throw or movement to the valve. The valve itself
consists of a circular ring or rings of metal, and is provided with suitable
means for connecting it to the crank, eccentric, or other like arrange-
ment. The ports or passages leading to the cylinders are arranged in a
circle on a flat surface, and are by the eccentric movement given to the
valve opened alternately to the steam or other fluid, and to the exhaust
ports or passages. The valve moves freely but steam tight between the
face of the ports and the cover of the slide box.
To give reverse motion to such engines I turn the steam or other
fluid by means of a cock or valve to the opposite side of the ring or
rings which form the valve, whereby the pressure side becomes the
exhaust side.
I also make the ring valves in such manner as will cause them to
expand to fit the surfaces of the cover of the slide box and the face which
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Knowelden in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 25th February 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
KNOWELDEN, Engineer, of Cottage Row, Bermondsey; in the County of
Surrey, send grecting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of August, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the ?
38th year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said John Knowelden, Her special license
that I, the said John Knowelden, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said John Knowelden, my executors,
administrators, or 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

page_text: Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
STEAM, WATER, OR OTHER FLUID ENGINES," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said John Knowelden, my executors or admini-
strators, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should
particularly describe 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 immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Knowelden, do hereby declare
the nature of my 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 accompanying
Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to
say:
---
The said Invention relates to valves employed in the construction
of engines to be worked by steam, water, air, or other fluids where the
cylinders of such engines are arranged around a central shaft perpen-
dicular to their axes, as described in the Specification of Letters Patent
granted to me on the Ninth April One thousand eight hundred and
sixty-two, No. 1016, and it consists chiefly of an improved construction
and arrangement of the valve whereby the friction and consequent wear
of the surfaces in contact aro greatly diminished.
In carrying out my Invention I place on the shaft of such engines
a crank, eccentric, or other suitable apparatus for imparting the required
throw or movement to the valve, and I construct the latter in the
following manner :-The valve consists of a circular ring or rings of
metal, and is provided with suitable means for connecting it to the
crank, eccentric, or other like apparatus. The ports or passages leading
to the cylinders are arranged in a circle on a flat-surface, and are, by
the eccentric movement given to the valve, opened alternately to the
steam or other fluid, and to the exhaust ports or passages. The valve
moves freely but steam tight between the face of the ports and the
cover of the slide box.
t
In order to reverse the motion of such engines I turn the steam or
other fluid by means of a cock or valve to the opposite side of the ring

page_text: -
exhaust side; or I employ an equivalent mechanical arrangement for
effecting the same object.
I also make the ring valves in such a manner that they will be caused
to expand to fit the surfaces of the cover of the slide box and the face
which contains the ports.
And in order that the said Invention may be fully understood I shall
now proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose
shall refer to the several Figures on the annexed Sheet of Drawings,
the same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts in all the
corresponding Figures.
]
Figure 1 (Sheet 1) of my Drawings represents a longitudinal section
of a valve or slide box containing my improved valve as adapted for.
use with single-acting engines of the class herein-before referred to, the
steam acting on one side only of the pistons; Figure 2 is a front elevation
with the cover of the valve box removed; and Figure 3 is a vertical 1
section taken along the line 1, 2, (Figure 1).
Figure 4 (Sheet 2) represents a longitudinal section of a valve or
slide box shewing the arrangement of the valve as applied to double-
acting engines of the before-mentioned class, and in which the steam
acts on both sides of the pistons; Figures ŏ and 6 aro sectional :
views taken along the line 3-4, (Figure 4), and looking in opposite
directions ; and Figure 7 is a detail which will be herein-after
referred to.
Figure 8 (Sheet 3) is a front elevation shewing the valve arranged for
use with trunk engines of the class herein-before referred to.
The valve, Figures 1, 2, and 3, is composed of a ring A which is
formed with arms a, a, connecting it with a boss 6 fitted loosely upon
the crank pin c which is carried by the crank disc d on the driving
shaft B. The valve A bas thus an eccentric motion imparted to it,
and it is fitted so as to move freely but steam tight between the cover Ca
and the port face D, in which latter are formed the ports E, F, G,
communicating respectively with the several cylinders. The steam (for
example) from the boiler enters the passage H through the steam
passage I, and may be caused to pass either to the chamber e outside
of the ring, or into the chamber f in the interior of the ring A at a
option; but in my Drawings it is assumed as passing to the chamber e

page_text: surrounding the ring. As the valve performs its eccentric sliding
motion each of the ports E, F, G, are gradually and successively opened
or uncovered by the ring A for the admission of fresh steam to the
cylinders, and for the escape of the exhaust steam from the cylinders,
which latter passes into the chamber f in the interior of the ring A,
and thence through the passage f, and is discharged from the exhaust
outlet K.
In the position shewn in the Drawing the port G (Figure 2) is
represented as fully open for the admission of steam, whilst the ports
E and F are partially open to the exhaust. L is a cock which is fitted
in the cover C across the passage H, by turning which cock in one
direction or the other thic steam may be caused to pass cither to the
interior or exterior of the ring, as required. Assuming the steam to be
entering the chamber e by the passages I and e¹, and to be exhausting
from the chamber ƒ through the passages f¹ and K, as shewn by the
full arrows, when it is required to reverse the engine the cock L is
turned round- so as to bring it into the position indicated by the dotted
lines, and the steam will then be directed through the passage f¹ into
the chamber f, the exhaust being effected from the chamber e through
the passages c¹ and K, as shewn by the dotted arrows, and the motion
of the engine accordingly reversed.
Any suitable arrangement of valve may be substituted for the cock
herein before described.
In the arrangement, Figures 4, 5, 6, and 7, which is adapted for use
in double-acting engines, the valve consists of two rings A, A¹, con-
nected by means of the arms a, a, to the boss b, and two ports
E, E, F, F, and G, G', respectively are provided for each cylinder.
Assuming the valve to be in the position shewn in the Drawing the
steam entering from the boiler at I passes through the passage e' into
the chamber g between the rings A, A¹, and thence through the port G¹
into the cylinder, say for example, above the piston, and the exhaust
steam from below the piston in such cylinder passes out of the port G
into the chamber f in the interior of the ring A, whence it escapes
through the passage f¹ and the outlet K. The steam is simultaneously
entering the other two cylinders through the ports E, F, which are
partially opened, and acts on the under side of the pistons whilst it is
exhausting from the upper side of the pistons through the ports E¹, F,

page_text: (which are also partially open) into the chamber e surrounding the
ring A³, whence it escapes through the passage f and the outlet K.
As the valve continues its eccentric motion the port G¹ will be first
gradually closed by the ring A¹, and the steam cut off from the upper
side of the piston of the corresponding cylinder, and then gradually
opened to the chamber e in communication with the exhaust outlet K,
the port G being simultaneously first gradually closed by the ring A,
and then opened to the chamber g in communication with the steam.
inlet I. A similar series of operations takes place in the case of the
other two cylinders during the motion of the valve, the ports E, E¹,
and F, F¹, being successively opened and closed in the manner herein-
before described in reference to the ports G, G¹.
If desired a separate exhaust port may be employed for each cylinder,
in which case the three exhaust ports are formed in the port face D,
as shewn by the red lines K' (Figures 4 and 5), the exhaust outlet K:
common to the three cylinders being then dispensed with.
When the valve is applied to double-acting engines, as in the present
example, I adopt the modified form of reversing gear illustrated in
Figures 4, 5, 6, and 7 (Sheet 2). According to this arrangement, in
lieu of employing a separate cock or valve, by the act of turning which
the steam is directed to the opposite side of the valve A and the engine
is reversed, I change the position of the valve A, A', itself, whereby
steam from the boiler is caused to enter the ports from which the steam
was exhausting, and vice versa, and an equivalent result is obtained.
This is effected in the following manner, viz., the crank disc d carrying
the crank pin c is made separate from the driving shaft B, but is
provided with a pin or stud ½ on which is mounted a crank M (shewn
in detail in Figure 7) formed with a curved slot i of sufficient length
to admit of the valve moving the exact distance round for reversing the
engine. In the slot i engages a pin k carried by a crank disc N formed a
on or attached to the driving shaft B, which pin during the working
of the engine bears against the solid portion at one end or other of the
slot i and transmits the motion of the driving shaft B to the valve A, A',
in one direction or the other accordingly. A chamber or casing O is
provided for containing or enclosing the slotted crank M and its a
actuating crank disc N, as shewn. On the opposite end of the crank
pin c to that which is carried by the crank disc d there is fitted a
crank boss carrying a stud m. arranged concentric with or in the same

page_text: axial line as the driving shaft B, which stud passes through a stuffing
box n, and may be provided on its outer end with a hand wheel or
lever for the convenience of manipulating or shifting the valve.
Assuming the pin h to be in the position shewn by the black lines in
Figure 7, when it is required to reverse the engine, the hand wheel or
lever is turned so as to throw the valve to the opposite side of its
chamber, whereby the engine will be reversed, and the slotted crank
will be brought into the position shewn by red lines in Figure 7, and the
valve operated in the opposite direction.
This arrangement of reversing gear may also if desired be adopted
in the case of single-acting engines in substitution for the cock shewn
in Figures 1 and 3.
Figure 8, Sheet 3, is an clevation shewing the arrangement of the
valve and ports which I employ for compound trunk engines worked by
the steam acting first on the trunk side of the piston, and then passing to
'the opposite side of the piston after completing its stroke on the trunk side,
the expansion being regulated by the size of the trunk. E¹, F¹, G', are
the steam ports to the trunk side of the piston; E, F, G, are the steam
ports to the large side of the piston; K³, K¹, K', are the exhaust ports.
The valve is operated and the engine reversed in a manner similar to
that described in reference to the arrangement, Figures 4, 5, 6, and 7.
It is obvious that although I have described my improved valve
as employed in combination with 3 cylinder engines, it is also applicable
to engines having a single cylinder, or two cylinders, and of other classes
than that herein-before referred to.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my
said Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or
-carried into effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I consider to
be novel and original and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me
by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
1st. The application and use of a valve consisting of a ring or rings
having an eccentric motion, arranged so as to cause such ring or rings
to successively open and close the several ports or passages, substantially
as herein-before described and illustrated by my Drawings.
2nd. The combination with the before-mentioned ring or rings of a
cock or valve for changing the direction of the steam or other fluid, or'

page_text: of an equivalent mechanical arrangement for the purpose of reversing
the motion of the engine, substantially as herein-before described and
illustrated by my Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Knowelden, have to this
my Specification, set my hand and seal, the Twenty-fourth day of 5
February One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five.