AN IMPROVED COMPOUND ENGINE
Year: 1884

page_text: We, WILLIAM ROBERTSON, of 31 Lombard Street, in the City of London,
Merchant, and GEORGE ABRAHAM GOODWIN, of Fenchurch House, Fenchurch
Street, in the City of London, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said.
invention for AN IMPROVED COMPOUND ENGINE to be as follows:-
My Invention relates to that type of Engines known as Compound Engines which
are particularly suitable for Marine purposes, and is designed to render them more
effective in working, more compact in arrangement, with a low centre of gravity,
and cheaper in manufacture.
Upon a bedplate of suitable construction, of which the upper surface is provided
with facings for the Cylinders and air and circulating pumps, I bolt the high and
low pressure Cylinders, side by side, with sufficient space between for one of the
aforesaid pumps.
The front Cylinder covers are cast solid with the Cylinders, and they are
provided each with a suitable valve chest and slide valve, and a connecting pipe
from the exhaust of the high pressure Cylinder to the Steam Chest of the low
pressure Cylinder, so as to effect the compounding of the two Cylinders.
The Piston rods of each of the Cylinders is fitted into the middle boss of a
vertical loop or slot link-the sides of which are struck as a radius from the cross
head pin of the respective blocks.
From the side of the loops furthest from the Cylinders each of the loops is
continued in a shaft in the same line as the piston rods to a cross head or slide
block fitted with slippers and which works in guides fixed on the bed plate
farthest from the Cylinders.
From each of the cross-head pins passing through these slide blocks-a pair of
connecting rods return to each respective crank throw, preferably placed at right
angles to each other on the main shaft, which thus lies between the Cylinders and
slide blocks, the cranks being free to move in the aforesaid loops or slotted links in
the Piston rods. Alternatively a single return connecting rod may be used from
each block, in which case the vertical loop or slot link and the rod between the
loop and the block will be forked into two parts one on each side of the rod.
The Crank bearings are conveniently carried on the bedplate and the pedestals
are cast therewith.
The aforesaid Compounded Cylinders may be combined with a condenser or not
as required.

page_text: When used for Marine purposes the condenser and pump as hereinafter described
will be required.
Upon the centre of the Crank shaft I place an eccentric tumbler, cast in halves,
bolted together, and keyed in place, the strap of which operates a pump rod on
each side, driving an air pump and circulating pump, one placed on the bed plate
between the high and low pressure Cylinders, and the other on the bedplate
between the two slide blocks.
The circulating and air pumps draw their water and vapour and deliver the
same through suitable passages preferably cast in the bed plate underneath them,
and so leaving the working parts free of access.
The Condenser consists of a horizontal cylindrical cast iron body closed by
covers, and fixed above the slide blocks transversely across the bed plate, and
attached directly to the circulating pump underneath it.
At each end of the Condenser the body is enlarged to receive the tube plates,
which are pierced for and fitted with the necessary number of surface condensing
tubes.
One of the Condenser covers has cast upon it a diaphragm plate to project into
the enlarged portion of the Condenser body, and to fit up to the tube plate, so as
to compel the circulating water to pass through the bottom tubes and repass back
again through the top tube before being discharged.
The reversing links are constructed with the radial slots for the valve blocks
between two pairs of cheeks one pair upon each side of the solid vertical web of
the link so that the links can be turned in quantities in complete rings and cut
off afterwards into suitable sections-The eccentric rods are connected to an
extension of the solid web.
The Engine may be fitted with a governor or not as desired.
The remainder of the details which in combination with the above described
parts serve to form a complete compound surface condensing Engine being of the
usual known description and arrangement I do not here more particularly describe.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
We, WILLIAM ROBERTSON, of 81 Lombard Street, in the City of London,
Merchant, and GEORGE ABRAHAM GOODWIN, formerly of Fenchurch House,
Fenchurch Street, in the City of London, but now of 2 Victoria Mansions, Victoria
Street, in the City of Westminster, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of our
invention for "AN IMPROVED COMPOUND ENGINE" and in what manner the same
is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement:-
Our invention relates to that type of engine known as compound "engines,"
which are particularly suitable for marine purposes, and is designed to render them
more effective in working, more compact in arrangement with a low centre of
gravity, and cheaper in manufacture.

page_text: In order that our invention may be the better understood, we now proceed to
describe the same reference being had to the drawings hereto annexed, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon.
Figure 1 is a sectional plan of our improved compound engine.
Figure 2 is an elevation of the same with part section through the condenser.
Figure 3 is an end view of the same showing connections to condenser.
Figure 4 is a longitudinal section through the condenser.
Figure 5 is a detail of the reversing links.
Upon a bed plate A of suitable construction, of which the upper surface is
provided with facings, for the cylinders, and air and circulating pumps, we bolt
the high and low pressure, cylinders B, C, side by side, with sufficient space
between, for one of the aforesaid pumps D. The front cylinder covers b, c, are
cast solid with the cylinders B. C as seen in the sectional plan (figure 1), and they
are provided, each with a suitable valve chest and slide valve, and a connecting
pipe E from the exhaust of the high pressure cylinder B, to the steam chest of the
low pressure cylinder C, so as to effect the compounding of the two cylinders.
The piston rods F of each of the cylinders is fitted into a vertical loop or slot
link G, the sides of which are struck as a radius from the cross head pin h of the
respective slide blocks H. From the side of the loops G farthest from the
cylinders, each of loops is continued into a shaft F in the same line as the piston
rods, and acts as a continuation thereof, to the cross heads or slide blocks H, which
are fitted with slippers, and which work in guides H³, fixed or cast on the part of
the bed plate farthest from the cylinders. From each of the cross head pins ha
pair of connecting rods K K return to each respective crank throw L L, preferably
placed at right angles to each other on the main shaft, which thus lies between
the cylinders and slide blocks, the cranks being free to move in, but not in contact
with, the aforesaid loops or slot links G connected to the piston rods.
Alternatively, a single return connecting rod may be used from each block, in
which case the vertical loop or slot link, and the rod between the loop and the
block, will be forked into two parts, one on each side of the rod. The crank
bearings are conveniently carried or cast on the bed plate.
The aforesaid compounded cylinders may be combined with a condenser or not as
required.
When used for marine purposes, the condensers and pumps as hereinafter to. be
described, will be required. Upon the centre of the crank shaft I place an eccentric
tumbler M, cast in halves, bolted together, and keyed in place, the strap of
which operates a pump plunger on each side, driving the air pump N and the
circulating pump P, one placed on the bed plate between the high and low pressure
cylinders, and the other on the bed plate between the two slide blocks. Alterna-
tively, we form an additional crank throw in place of the eccentric.
The air pump N draws the condensed steam and air from the condenser Q,
through the hollow passage n, cast in the bed plate, and communicating through
the hollow foot q with the body of the condenser, where the condensed steam
collects. The delivery of this pump is upwards through the orifice N. Alterna-
tively, we may place the air pump immediately under the condenser and drain the
condensed steam into it directly in which case the circulating pump is placed
between the cylinders.
The circulating pump P, placed under the condenser, draws its water through a
suitable passage p, cast in the hollow bed plate, and terminating with a suitable
flange. It delivers the circulating water through the connection P' into the under
chamber of the condenser, the circulating water passing from the lower set of
tubes and returning through the upper ones, being thence discharged at the top
through the orifice Q. The exhaust steam is admitted from the low pressure
cylinder to the body of the condenser by the funnel shaped pipe R. The condenser
body Q consists of a horizontal cast iron cylinder, closed by covers S S, and fixed
above the slide blocks upon hollow feet q q¹ or directly to the tops of the guides,
transversely across the bed plate. At each end of the condenser the body is

page_text: enlarged to receive the tube plates, which are pierced for, and fitted with, the
necessary number of surface condensing tubes 8. One of the condenser covers has
cast upon it a diaphragm plate T, to project into the enlarged portion of the
condenser body, and fitted up to the tube plate, so as to compel the circulating
water to pass first through the bottom tubes, and repass back again to the top
tubes, before being discharged.
The reversing links, shown in detail figure 5, are constructed with the radial
slots U for the valve blocks, between two pairs of cheeks, one pair upon each side
of the vertical web of the link, so that the links can be turned in quantities in
complete rings, and be cut off afterwards into suitable sectors. The eccentric rods
are connected by an extension of the solid web.
The engine may be fitted with a governor or not as desired.
The remainder of the details which in combination with the above described
· parts serve to form a complete compound surface condensing engine, being of the
usual known arrangement we do do not here more particularly describe.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is
1st The construction of a compound engine in which the crank pins are free to
move without contact in a vertical loop or slot link connected to the piston rod,
the cross-head being attached to the piston rods beyond the loop or slot link, and
a return connecting rod or rods from the cross-head being employed to commu-
nicate rotation to the crank, substantially as described.
2nd The combination with such a compound engine of a multitubular surface
condenser with hollow foot and passage cast in the bed plate for the condensed
products to pass to the air pump, or the alternative arrangement of placing the air
pump immediately below the condenser, and with the circulating and air pumps
worked from one eccentric or crank throw on the crank shaft, the pumps being
attached to the bed plate one upon each side of the crank shaft, substantially as
described.
3rd In such a compound engine the construction of the reversing links, substan-
tially as described in reference to figure 5.
1
T
1007
FELL & WILDING,
1, Queen Victoria Street, London, E.C., 35
Agents for the Applicants.