IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES.
Year: 1879

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LETTERS PATENT to Peter Jensen, of 33, Chancery Lane, London, for the.
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES.' A communication from
abroad by Gustaf Hagelin, of Stockholm, Sweden.
Sealed the 30th April 1880, and dated the 4th November 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Peter Jensen at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 4th November 1879.
PETER JENSEN, of 33, Chancery Lane, London. " IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM
ENGINES." (A communication from Gustaf Hagelin, of Stockholm, Sweden.)
These improvements are applicable for vertical or horizontal and for large or
small engines where a high speed is required.
The improvements refer mainly to a steam admission cock, which at one and
the same time serves for reversing and for steam distribution in the cylinders, and
to a steam closing piston which during part of the stroke contributes to the
working of the engine, and after the steam has been cut off from the cylinders so
sets the engine that it is ready for starting.
The engine is made with two steam or power cylinders and with a steam dis-
tribution cylinder between them;, all three cylinders are open towards the crank
shaft side; at the other end the two power cylinders are closed by cover and the
middle cylinder by a lubricating cock, which serves to lubricate most of the moving
parts of the engine. Steam is admitted to the centre cylinder from a cock working
in a casing, and by suitable ports or passages. All these parts are cast in one and
mounted on a box framing, containing a plummer block at each end, and having solid
or open worked sides. The crank shaft working in these bearings has three cranks,
one for the piston of the power cylinder and one for the piston of the centre or
distributing cylinder. The two outer cranks are at right angles to each other,
and the middle crank is intermediate, or at 135° with the two others. These angles
need not be rigidly adhered to, but the inventor has found them most suitable.
Instead of cranks may be used eccentrics and friction rollers, whereby the friction
becomes less but the cost of manufacturing greater.
The crank shaft has a fly wheel and feed pump eccentric. The plummer block
at the fly wheel end is formed with an overlapping ring or saucer for preventing
the oil from splashing out. The three connecting rods are jointed to the pistons
CD cr

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by means of pins; these connecting rods have half "brasses on the cranks on the
side towards the cylinders, and have fork ends closed each by a bolt passing
through a metal bearing piece. The pistons are made very deep, and the cylinders
have one or more fine grooves for containing water and steam to keep them
tight.
The middle piston is in two parts connected by a screw with nut and steel
washer; by the thickness of the latter the position or regulation of steam admission
and distributor may be effected. The inlet cock (instead of which may be used
a slide) serves three purposes, it forms a stop valve, it leads the steam to, between,
and from the cylinders, and it serves for reversing. For this purpose this cock
(or slide) has three passages, the first leading from the small end of the plug of the
cock (which end is towards the centre cylinder) and terminating at the side of the
plug; the other two passages are situated below the first named passage and
terminate also at the side. The exhaust passage passes off below from the cock
casing. The cock is worked by a handle or otherwise; its right position for ahead
or back is determined by two segment stops on the stuffing box gland of the cock.
The cylinder steam ports terminate as usual at the top of same, and the exhaust
passage openings are so arranged that the engine works with the required amount
of expansion. The steam distribution takes place at about the middle of the
stroke.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Peter Jensen in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 4th May 1880.
PETER JENSEN, of 33, Chancery Lane, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM
ENGINES." (A communication from abroad by Gustaf Hagelin, of Stockholm,
Sweden.)
These improvements are applicable for vertical or horizontal and for large or
small engines where a high speed is required.
And in order that this Invention may be clearly understood I will proceed to
describe the same with reference to the accompanying Drawings, of which Figure I
is a vertical longitudinal section on line x, y, through the engine arranged with
vertically inverted cylinders; Figure 2, a vertical cross section on line x¹, y¹; and
Figure 3, a plan. As will be observed the engine consists of very few and simple
parts, so that it is cheap to make and easily tended and worked; the pistons are
deep and work in cylinders open below; they are formed with circular grooves for
containing steam and water, and so keep tight without any special packing; the
crank shaft ends of the connecting rods have only half brasses, as the steam pressure is
only in one side of the pistons, the friction is thus reduced as much as possible, and the
brasses can be worn almost quite down before they want to be replaced. The
engine possesses besides the following advantages:-The loss of steam by leakages
is almost or quite done away with; the speed can be got up to more than thousand
strokes per minute without the least inconvenience, hurt, or. danger to the engine;

page_text: the engine can be applied for varying requirements of (power without losing any
of the power of the engine, and as it works with great expansion it is economical;
the position of the cranks relatively to each other and the general arrangement of
parts render it ready to start, stop, and reverse in any position.
The improvements whereby the above advantages are gained refer mainly to a
steam admission cock, which at one and the same time serves for reversing and
for steam distribution in the cylinders, and to a steam closing piston which during
part of the stroke contributes to the working of the engine, and after the steam
has been cut off from the cylinders so sets the engine that it is ready for starting.
The cock and the stean distributing piston replace the ordinary flat or round slide
valves.
The engine is made with two steam or power cylinders A and B, and with a
steam distribution cylinder C between them; all three cylinders are open towards
the crank shaft side; at the other end the two power cylinders A and B are closed
by cover, and the middle cylinder by a lubricating cock (not shewn) which serves
to lubricate most of the moving parts of the engine. Steam is admitted to the
centre cylinder C from a cock working in a casing D, and by suitable ports or
passages a, b, d, e, g, h, and k. All these parts are cast in one and mounted on a
box framing E, containing a plummer block at each end F and G, and having solid
or open worked sides. The crank shaft H working in these bearings has three
cranks I, K, and L, one for the pistons X and Y of the power cylinders A
and B, and one for the piston Z of the centre distributing cylinder C. The
two outer cranks I and L are at right angles to each other, and the middle crank K
is intermediate or at 135° with the two others. These angles need not be rigidly
adhered to, but the inventor has found them most suitable. Instead of cranks
may be used eccentrics and friction rollers, whereby the friction becomes less but
the cost of manufacture greater.
The crank shaft has a fly wheel M and feed pump eccentric N, which latter may
be placed inside the plummer block, as here shewn, or outside, according to the
position of the pump. The plummer block F at the flywheel end is formed with
an overlapping ring or saucer O for preventing the oil from splashing out. The
three connecting rods P, Q, and R are jointed to the pistons X, Y, Z, by means of
pins l, m, n; these connecting rods have half "brasses" on the cranks on the side
towards the cylinders, and have fork ends closed each by a bolt passing through a
metal bearing piece. The pistons are made very deep, and the cylinders have one
or more fine groovest for containing water and steam to keep them tight. The
middle piston is in two parts connected by a screw with nut and steel washer; by
the thickness of the latter the position or regulation of steam admission and dis-
tributor may be effected. The inlet cock u (instead of which may be used a slide)
serves three purposes, it forms a stop valve, it leads the steam to, between, and
from the cylinders, and it serves for reversing. For this purpose this cock (or slide)
has three passages c, f, i, the first c leading from the small end of the plug of the
cock (which end is towards the centre cylinder C) and terminating at the side of
the plug the other two passages f and i are situated below the first named passage
and terininate also at the side. The exhaust passage k passes off below from the
cock casing D. The cock is worked by a handle W or otherwise; its right position
for ahead or back is determined by two segment stops on the box gland of the
cock. The cylinder steam ports terminate as usual at the top of same, and the
exhaust passage openings are so arranged that the engine works with the required
amount of expansion. The steam distribution takes place at about the middle of
the stroke.
The action of the engine is as follows:-The steam passes into the centre or
steam distributing cylinder C by an inlet pipe a, at or near the top enters the end
passage c of the cock by a port b in the middle cylinder. In the position of cock
shown it cannot go further, and the engine does not move because the cock is
shown closed, but the steam will act on the end of the middle piston Z, moving
it down (in the case of a vertical inverted engine) and giving it the position shown

page_text: in the Drawings. The two outer or power pistons are in the same position, and
the engine may now be started by turning the cock to "forward" or "back." If
turned in the direction of the arrow against the stop the passage c will come right
against the passage d, the passages e and g communicate by the passage f, and the
passages h and by the passage i; the engine is then ready to go on ahead. The
steam enters the cylinder B, whereupon the piston Y begins to move downward.
When the crauk shaft has turned of a revolution the piston Z closes the port b,
at the same time the port e opens and admits steam to the cylinder A, the piston
of which then assumes its highest position. During the next quarter revolution
the steam acts expansively in both cylinders, the piston X opens the port h and
lets the steam freely exhaust through the ports i and k. After a further revo-
lution the steam cut off piston has assumed its highest position, and then begins
to move down again impelled by the steam until the engine assumes the original
position. During this period the engine is kept moving by the steam pressure on
the piston and the vis viva of the other parts of the engine. By turning the cock
in the opposite direction, or so that the port c comes just against the middle of
the port g, a perfectly similar steam distribution takes place, but the engine then
works in the opposite direction or back. The managing of the engine is thus, as
will be seen, so simple that almost anybody can work it.
From the mode the steam acts it is clear that brasses encircling the crank pins
are not needed, and also that setting up of the same is not required, and that they
may be almost quite worn out. As the bearings are open below the lubrication is
done by the oil and water from the cylinders collecting in the lower part of the
bearings, and the height of the oil and water may of course be moderated, as
desired.
I claim as the Invention communicated to me,―
First. The construction of the steam inlet and reversing cock, substantially as
set forth.
Second. The steam inlet and reversing cock in combination with the steam
distributing piston and the cylinder ports, all arranged and operating substantially
as set forth.
Third. The general combination of parts forming the improved three cylinder
engine, substantially as set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Peter Jensen, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Third day of May, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty.
TOMS TA TATT