IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Gillett, of Melksham Foundry, Melksham, in the
the County of Wilts, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
STEAM ENGINES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Gillett at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 6th December 1879.
JOHN GILLETT, of Melksham Foundry, Melksham, in the County of Wilts,
Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES."
My Invention has for its object improvements in steam engines, and has reference
more especially to what are known as horizontal condensing engines and compound
engines. It is designed to make such engines compact, to render the pistons and
cylinders easily accessible, and to facilitate packing of the piston rods.
I form in one piece the covers of the adjacent ends of two cylinders with their stuffing
boxes and a tubular connecting part. The two covers may be respectively those
of the steam and air pump cylinders (in the case of a horizontal condensing engine)
or those of the high and low pressure cylinders (in the case of a compound engine).
In the tubular connecting part I form openings, through which packing may be
inserted or withdrawn. The arrangement is such that when the piston rod is
newly packed the glands shall be only a short distance apart.
The glands are constructed with inclines or parts suitably formed to receive
interchangeable keys or wedges inserted between the glands, one at each side of
the piston rod; the two keys or wedges thus inserted I operate simultaneously by
means of a screw (which may be turned by a hand wheel, wrench, or screw key) in
such manner as to simultaneously tighten the two glands. I provide keys or
wedges of various widths, but with an uniform inclination or taper, so that when
the glands have been moved inward as far as can be with one pair of keys they
may be replaced by a larger pair, and so on.
In another arrangement I effect the tightening of the glands simultaneously by
means of screws as follows :—

page_text: At two opposite sides of the piston rod I provide two right and left hand studs
or screws, each provided with a head or enlargement between its right and left
hand threads. In recesses in the flanges of the glands I arrange nuts, through
which the studs or screws are passed. The nuts can be readily taken out but
cannot turn in the recesses. By turning the studs or screws one way the glands
will be simultaneously moved further apart, and by turning the contrary way the
glands will be drawn towards each other; thus the two glands may be simul-
taneously either tightened or drawn out.
To afford ready access to the interiors of steam engine cylinders I make one
cylinder (it may be with the cover of another) moveable from another cylinder by
pinion and rack or screw along a slide bed. In a horizontal condensing engine I
make thus moveable the air pump cylinder with the condenser. I do the same
in a compound engine, in which I also make the low pressure cylinder similarly
removeable from (and it may be with the cover of) the high pressure cylinder.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Gillett in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 5th June 1880.
JOHN GILLETT, of Melksham Foundry, Melksham, in the County of Wilts,
Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM-ENGINES."
My Invention has for its object improvements in steam engines, and has reference
more especially to what are known as horizontal condensing engines and compound
engines of the "tandem" type. It is designed to make such engines compact, to
reuder the pistons and cylinders easily accessible, and to facilitate packing of the
piston rods.
I form in one piece the covers of the adjacent ends of two cylinders with their
stuffing boxes and a tubular connecting part. The two covers may be respectively
those of the steam and air pump cylinders (in the case of a horizontal condensing
engine) or those of the high and low pressure cylinders (in the case of a compound
engine).
In the tubular connecting part I form openings, through which packing may be
inserted or withdrawn. The arrangement is such that when the piston rod is
newly packed the glands shall be only a short distance apart.
The glands are constructed with inclines or parts suitably formed to receive
interchangeable keys or wedges inserted between the glands, one at each side of
the piston rod; the two keys or wedges thus inserted operate simultaneously by
means of a screw (which may be turned by a hand wheel, wrench, or screw-key) in
such manner as to simultaneously tighten the two glands. I provide keys or
wedges of various widths, but with an uniform inclination or taper, so that when
the glands have been moved inward as far as can be with one pair of keys they
may be replaced by a larger pair, and so on.
To afford ready access to the interiors of steam engine cylinders I make one
cylinder (it may be with the cover of another) moveable from another cylinder by
pinion and rack along a slide bed. In a horizontal condensing engine I make thus
moveable the air pump cylinder with the condenser: I do the same in a compound
engine, in which I also make the low pressure cylinder similarly removeable from
(and it may be with the cover of) the high pressure cylinder.
C,
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, showing so much of a compound
engine as is needful to illustrate my Invention; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the
same; Fig. 3 is a vertical section in the line A, B; Fig. 4 is a section in the
line C, D. a is the bigh-pressure cylinder, and b is the low-pressure cylinder.
the condenser containing the air-pump. d, the base-plate. a' is the cover of the
high pressure cylinder; a², its stuffing box; 6' is the cover of the low pressure
cylinder. 63, its stuffing box. and e is a tubular connecting part formed in one
with the said two covers and their stuffing boxes. e¹, e³, are openings in the tubular
connecting part through which packing may be inserted or withdrawn. It will be
seen the arrangement is such that when the piston-rod is newly packed the glands
fg, will be only a short distance apart. The outer end of each gland is con-
structed with two grooves, the bottoms of which are inclined, as shewn. The
grooves of one gland are opposite those of the other; h, h, are keys or wedges
inserted between the glands, one on each side of the piston-rod. These keys or
wedges are tapered to correspond with the inclination of the bottom of the grooves
in the glands as shewn; iis a cross-bar adjustable vertically by a screw k, by
turning which the said cross-bar may be caused to force down the keys or wedges,
thus tightening up the two glands simultaneously as and when required. As already
mentioned I provide keys or wedges of various widths, but with an uniformn

page_text: inclination or taper, so that when the glands have been moved inward as far as can
be with one pair of keys they may be replaced by a larger pair, and so on.
It will be seen the adjacent covers of the low-pressure cylinder and air pump
are similarly connected, and provided with my arrangement as just described for
simultaneously tightening their glands.
Although I have described the two covers with their stuffing boxes and tubular
connecting part as formed in one piece, that being a convenient arrangement, it
will be evident this is not essential in carrying out my Invention.
The base plate d is formed with a faced bed, on which the cylinder b and and
condenser c are accurately fitted so that they can be caused to slide along either
together or separately in such manner as that all the cylinders shall remain
concentric. The cylinder b and condenser care provided each with a pinion in
gear with a fixed rack m so as to impart the necessary, sliding movement to the
cylinder b and condenser c by turning the pinions.
It will be seen that in the arrangement I have shewn the high-pressure cylinder
is fixed, but it will be evident my Invention may be applied where the low-pressure
cylinder is fixed by making the high-pressure cylinder and condenser to slide on
the bed.
Another arrangement for effecting the tightening of the glands simultaneously
by means of screws is illustrated in Figs. 5, 6, and 7, and is as follows:-
At two opposite sides of the piston-rod 1 I provide two studs or screws 2. Each
fits at 3 (so as not to turn) in a square or other hole in the one gland 4, and passes
through a slot 6 in the other gland 7. 8, 8, are nuts, by turning which the
tightening of the gland is effe
Having described the natiof my said Invention, and explained. in what
manner it is to be or. may be performed or carried into practical effect, I would
have it understood that what I consider to be novel and original and claim as
secured to me under the Letters Patent hereinbefore in part recited is,--
1. The method, substantially as herein before described with reference to Figs. 1
and 2 of the Drawings of, at one operation, tightening the glands of two cylinder
covers.
2. Making cylinders (with or without the condenser) in a steam engine moveable
along a faced bed, substantially as described.
3. The method substantially as herein before described with reference to Figs. 5,
6, and 7 of the Drawings, tightening the glands of two cylinder covers.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Gillett, havo bereunto set my hand and
seal, this Fifth day of June, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and eighty.
JOHN GILLETT. (L.S.)