IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM CYLINDERS, COMPRESSED AIR CYLINDERS, AND WATER CYLINDERS FOR USE IN STEAM PUMPING ENGINES AND MACHINERY."
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Wilks, of No. 62, Swinton Street, Saint
Pancras, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM CYLINDERS, COMPRESSED AIR CYLINDERS, AND
WATER CYLINDERS FOR USE IN STEAM PUMPING ENGINES AND MACHINERY."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Wilks at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
21st October 1874.
I, GEORGE WILKS, of 62, Swinton Strect, Saint Pancras, in the County
of Middlesex, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for " IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM CYLINDERS, COMPRESSED AIR
CYLINDERS, AND WATER CYLINDERS FOR USE IN STEAM PUMPING ENGINES AND
MACHINERY," to be as follows:-
The Invention relates to improvements in steam, compressed air, and
water cylinders for use in steam pumping engines and machinery, and is
designed as a simple and reliable means for shifting the main valve so as
to direct the flow of steam to alternate ends of the main cylinder and
cause the desired reciprocation of the piston and rod. To carry the

page_text: Invention into effect I provide a cylindrical slide valve with valve
spindle, either solid with the valve or lose with a flat end, so that the
valve may slide freely along it. The valve is turned to fit the interior of
the valve chamber, the Invention, firstly, having especial reference to
the arrangement of the ports in the valve and valve casing for causing
the said change. I also provide a small auxiliary cylinder with piston
and rod. The piston rod is connected to the valve spindle (which
extends through a stuffing box on the valve chamber cover) by a lever;
the Invention, secondly, having especial reference to the improved
means of causing the valve to rotate after its stroke is completed from
end to end of the valve chamber, the object and working of which I
will hereafter describe.
In addition to the usual main steam passages I provide two ports
communicating from the main cylinder (one near the termination of each
stroke of the piston), which admit steam at certain times between the
valve chamber cover and the. end of the valve. Two other ports com-
municate from the main steam inlet and admit steam at certain times
also between the valve chamber cover and the end of the valve. Two
other ports, one from each end of the valve, between the valve chamber
and the valve, communicate with the common exhaust. Two other
ports, one from each of the main steam passages communicate to the
small auxiliary cylinder, which alternately act as induction and eduction
ports to and from the cylinder.
.
Supposing the piston is moving in the cylinder from left to right when
it has passed the right one of the first-mentioned additional ports, the
steam from the cylinder passes through the same into the space between
the valvo chamber cover and the valve, and forces the valve forward in
the direction towards the other end of the valve chamber. When the
valve has travelled a certain distance one of the second-mentioned
additional ports admit steam also between the valve chamber cover and
the end of the valve, by which means the stroke of the valve is com-
pleted. One of the third-mentioned additional ports is always open to
allow the steam to exhaust from between one end or other of the valve
chamber cover and the valve. When the valve has reached the end of
its stroke one of the fourth-mentioned additional ports is open to admit
steam to one side of the piston in the small auxiliary cylinder, the port
on the opposite side of the piston being open to the exhaust, the piston
is therefore forced to the other end of the cylinder, in doing which the
valve is turned round sufficient to close the ports, so that no steam can

page_text: "
escape into the exhaust. It will therefore be seen that immediately the
main piston has uncovered the port near the termination of its stroke
the valve is forced to the other end of the valve chamber, steam being
at once admitted to the front of the piston, causing a reliable cushion
for the piston.
The small auxiliary cylinder and piston are only used to turn the
valve so as to close the induction ports and open the exhaust port, which
action may be allowed to take the whole time the main piston is
travelling from one end of the cylinder to the other end, and can be
regulated by a screw, which closes or opens the passages leading to tho
cylinder, thus ensuring reliability of its action.
The whole action at the other end is similar to the above described, with
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said George Wilks in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 20th April 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
WILKS, of 62, Swinton Street, Saint Pancras, in the County of Middlesex,
Engineer, send greeting.
•
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of October, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the
thirty-eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said George Wilks, Her special
license that I, the said George Wilks, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said George Wilks, my exc-
cutors, administrators, and 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, usc, exercise;
and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN STEAM CYLINDERS, COMPRESSED AIR CYLINDERS, AND WATER CYLINDERS FOR
USE IN STEAM PUMPING ENGINES AND MACHINERY," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said George Wilks, my exccutors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one

page_text: of their hands and seals, 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 George Wilks, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, that is to say:-
The Invention relates to improvements- in steam, compressed air, and
water cylinders for use in steam pumping engines and machinery, and is
designed as a simple and reliable means for shifting the main valve so as
to direct the flow of steam to alternate ends of the main cylinder and
cause the desired reciprocation of the piston and rod. For this purpose
I employ a cylindrical slide valve turned to fit the interior of a cylindrical
valve chamber, so that it may be free to turn and also move endwise
therein. The endway movement of the valve is obtained as herein-after
described through an arrangement of the ports in the valve and valve
chamber, by which steam is admitted to the valve chamber from cither
end of the main cylinder. Immediately after the completion of cach
stroke of the valve the valve is caused to make a partial turn, the object
and working of which is herein-after described. This partial turn is
given to the valve by a spindle, cither solid with the valve or loose with
a flat end, so that the valve may slide freely upon it. The spindle
extends through a stuffing box on the valve chamber cover, and a lover
arm upon it is connected to a piston working in a small auxiliary
cylinder, the opposite ends of which are by an arrangement of ports in
the valve and valve chamber herein-after described alternately supplied
with steam or other fluid under pressure and opened to the exhaust at
each end of the stroke of the main slide valve.
In order that the arrangement of the ports and the general con-
struction of the cylinder or engine may be fully understood I have in the
Drawings hereunto annexed shewn various views of a cylinder or engine
constructed according to my Invention.
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of the engine; Figure 2, an end
elevation of the same; Figure 3, a section taken through the line C, D,
Figure 1 and Figure 4, a section taken through the line A, B,
Figure 1. In these Figures A is the main cylinder with a piston B

page_text: working therein; C is the piston rod passing through a stuffing box at
one end of the cylinder, and may be used for working a pump or other
machinery; D, D¹, is the cylindrical valve chamber; E, the cylindrical
valve working therein. In the top of the valve is a long slot, through
which steam is admitted to the interior of the valve from the steam
inlet F. E, E, are the ports in the valve for allowing steam to pass to
the opposite ends of the main cylinder A; and E³ is a recess through
which the exhaust takes place; G, G', are ports leading from the
cylinder A to the valve chamber D near its two ends, but at such a dis-
tance from them that the ends of the passages are always overlapped by
the valve. Whilst the piston B is travelling from left to right, as shown
by the arrow in Figure 1, the port G is closed by reason of its end being
covered by the end of the valve, and the port G¹ is open to the end of
the valve chamber, as a port in the valve is then above it. So soon as
the piston has passed the port G' steam passes through the port to the
end D of the valve chamber, and shifts the valve E a distance sufficient
to cause a port in the valve to come opposite to a port H' in the valve
chamber, which is in constant communication with the steam supply
through a passage H*, as shewn. A free passage of steam from the
steam supply is thus admitted to the space between the valve and the
end D' of the valve chamber, and the movement of the valve to the
opposite end D of the valve chamber is thereby completed, so putting
the left-hand end of the steam cylinder A in communication with the
exhaust and admitting steam to it at the right-hand end.
The right-hand end of the valve slides freely upon the flattened end of
a spindle K, which passes out through a stuffing box at the end of the
valve chamber, and has upon.it an arm K², by which a partial turn can
be given to it and consequently to the valve. To give this turn to the
spindle the arm K' is connected, as shewn at Figures 2 and 3, to a piston
working in a small cylinder L, from the opposite ends of which are
passages leading to ports M, M², which are covered alternately by the
steam and exhaust ports in the valve. When the valve has been moved
up to the left-hand end of the valve chamber as before described, the
port M is covered by the exhaust passage of the valve whilst the port M'
is below the steam port, so that steam passes to the top of cylinder L,
driving the piston therein downwards and giving a partial turn to the
valve. By this partial turn the entrance of steam through the port H¹
to the end D' of the valve chamber is shut off and both ends of the

page_text: valve chamber are opened to the exhaust, the right-hand end through a
port N¹ leading directly to the exhaust and the left-hand end by the
port G, which leads to the left-hand end of the cylinder, which is then
open to the exhaust. The valve thus remains at rest until the piston B
has travelled past the port G, and steam passes through it to again shift
the valve from left to right when the same series of operations is repeated.
The turning of the valve in the manner above described may occupy the
greater part of the time taken by the piston of the main cylinder to com-
plete its stroke, and the admission of steam to the opposite ends of the
small cylinder L may consequently be regulated by a screw valve, which
opens or closes the passages leading to it.
The arrangement of the ports in the valve chamber is clearly seen in
Figure 3. By this Figure it will be seen that in addition to the ordinary
steam and exhaust ports there are in addition two ports G, G', for
admitting steam at times from the main cylinder to the opposite ends of
the valve chamber, also two exhaust ports N, N¹, for at times opening
cither end of the valve chamber to the exhaust, also two ports H, H³, for
at times admitting steam from the steam supply to either of the ends of
the valve chamber, and also two ports M, M', for connecting the ends of
the small cylinder L alternately with the steam supply and exhaust.
The steam and exhaust ports of the valve are as shewn in the under-
side view of the valve at Figure 5, made of sufficient length to allow
them in whatever position the valve is turned not only to cover the
ordinary steam and exhaust ports in the valve chamber, but also the
ports M, M', leading to the small cylinder L. In addition there are at
each end of the valve two other ports, one to work with the port H or H¹
for admitting steam from the steam supply to the ends of the valve
chamber and the other for working alternately with the ports G and N
or G¹ and N¹ for putting the ends of the valve chamber in direct con-
nection with the exhaust or with the ends of the main cylinder.
I would remark that I do not confine myself to the employment of a
cylindrical slide valve, as an ordinary flat slide valve received between
two cylindrical valves which work in cylinders at the end of the valvo
chamber may be employed. The two cylindrical valves being connected
together by a spindle and being caused to move to and fro by the same
means as are herein-before described, in this case the flat slide valve
would be made of sufficient width not only to cover the ordinary steam
and exhaust passages but also the small ports N, N¼

page_text: Having thus described the nature of my Invention and the manner of
performing the same, I would have it understood that I claim the com-
bined arrangement of apparatus substantially as herein described for
alternately admitting and exhausting steam or other fluid from the
opposite ends of a cylinder.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Wilks, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Nineteenth day of April, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five.