IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION. OF STEAM ENGINES AND PISTONS AND ATTACHMENTS CONNECTED. THERE WITH
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS. PATENT to John Garrett Tongue, of the Firm of Tongue
& Birkbeck, Patent Agents & Engineers, of 34, Southampton.
Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, for the
Invention of " IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION. OF STEAM ENGINES
AND PISTONS AND ATTACHMENTS CONNECTED. THERE WITH."-A commu-
nication from abroad by George Merrill, Treasurer to the Sewing
Machine Engine Company, New York, United States of America.
-
PROVISIONAL, SPECIFICATION left by the said John Garrett Tongue
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 28th July 1878.
L, JOHN GARRETT TONGUE of the Firm of Tongue and, Birkbeck,
Patent Agents, and Engineers, of 84, Southampton Buildings,. Chancery
Lane, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for“ IMPROVEMENTS IN. THE CONSTRUCTION OF STEAM ENGINES AND
PISTONS AND ATTACHMENTS CONNECTED. THEREWITH," to be as follows:
The first part of this. Invention relates to the construction of a practical
steam engine in such manner that the cost of manufacture shall be

page_text: small, the operation of the machine simple in all its parts, and the
wearing parts so arranged as to make it next to impossible to get out of
order.
The Invention also relates to the attachment of the engine to a sewing
machine, small lathe, or other light running machinery in such manner
as to require no stand or framework other than that belonging to the
engine and the machine to which the power is applied.
The frame of the engine has suitable lugs, by which the engine may
be attached to the framework of a sewing machine, lathe, or other
mechanism. Pillars are arranged having bearings for the main shaft,
upon which the balance and crank wheels are arranged. The front or
face of the frame forming the valve seat has suitable ports drilled or.
bored to meet vertical steam passages, which connect with horizontal
passages, to which the steam and exhaust pipes are attached. The
cylinder has solid trunnions, one of which is journaled in the face of the
frame, and the other in a yoke, which is secured to the frame by lugs.
A set screw is arranged in a boss in the yoke, by which the cylinder is
adjusted, to compensate for wear. The piston rod, having a piston head,
is connected to a wrist pin on the crank wheel by a suitable connection.
The crank wheel is provided with a groove, by which it may be connected
to the machinery to be run by a suitable belt.
This engine is designed to drive light machinery, more particularly
sewing machines and light lathes. The advantages are great simplicity
and economy, and that it is not liable to get out of order. It may also
be readily attached to the framework of any light machine, either with
or without a suitable bracket, and in connection with the different styles
of sewing machines this great advantage will be apparent.
The second part of this Invention relates to a simple and effective
piston packing for steam and other motive-power engines, pumps, and
other purposes.
The piston head or block is made of any suitable metal, having a
groove turned in it to receive the packing. This head may be made of
two or more pieces, so arranged as to form the desired groove. Segments
of two metallic rings are placed in the groove, the outside diameter of
which coincides with the inside diameter of the cylinder. These segments
are placed in the groove in such manner as to reform the two rings, one
lying on the other, and when so arranged should fill the width of the.

page_text: groove, but should leave a space between the inside of the rings and the
bottom of the groove. A flat slotted spring properly bent is placed
inside the rings, where it not only forces out the segments to compen-
sate for the wear, but also makes the packing nearly steam or air-tight
by closing up the openings caused by the joints. In placing the seg-
ments in the groove they should be so arranged that the joints in the one
ring will not be directly over the joints in the other, and that they may
remain in this position cavities are made between the upper and lower
segments, into which small spherical balls are placed. The spherical
balls do not fill the cavities, but are large enough to project beyond the
dividing line of the segments. While therefore they do not interfere
with the free moving of the segmental rings they accomplish the desired
result. This packing is more particularly adapted to small engines, and
its advantages are great simplicity, economy, and durability.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Garrett Tongue in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 28th January 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
GARRETT TONGUE, of the Firm of Tongue & Birkbeck, Patent Agents
and Engineers, of 34, Southampton Buildings, Ohancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of July, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the thirty-
seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said John Garrett Tongue, Her special license
that I, the said John Garrett: Tongue, my-executors,.. administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Garrett Tongue, my
executors, 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, use,
exercise, and vend; within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
" IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF STEAM ENGINES AND PISTONS AND

page_text: ATTACHMENTS CONNECTED THEREWITH," a communication to me from abroad
by George Merrill, Treasurer to the Sewing Machine Engine Company,
New York, United States of America, upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said John Garrett Tongue, my executors or administrators, by
an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one 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 John Garrett Tongue, 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 first part of this Invention relates to the improved construction
of a practical steam engine in such manner that the cost of manufacture
shall be small, the operation of the machine simple in all its parts, and
the wearing parts so arranged as to make it next to impossible to get out
of order, whereby a cheap, simple, durable, and compact engine is
constructed capable of being readily adapted to the machine to be
driven.
The Invention also relates to the attachment of the engine to a sewing
machine, small lathe, or other light running machinery in such manner
as to require no stand or framework other than that belonging to the
engine and the machine to which the power is applied.
The frame of the engine has suitable lugs by which the engine may
be attached to the framework of a sewing machine, lathe, or other
mechanism. Pillars are arranged having bearings for the main shaft,
upon which the balance and crank wheels are arranged. The front or
face of the frame forming the valve seat has suitable ports drilled or
bored to meet vertical steam passages, which connect with horizontal
passages, to which the steam and exhaust pipes are attached. The
cylinder has solid trunnions, one of which is journaled in the face of the
frame, and the other is a yoke, which is secured to the frame of lugs.
A set screw is arranged in a boss in the yoke, by which the cylinder is
adjusted to compensate for wear. The piston rod, having a piston head,
is connected to a crank pin on the crank wheel by a suitable connection.

page_text: The crank wheel is provided with a groove by which it may be connected
to the machinery to be run by a suitable belt.
This engine is designed to drive light machinery, more particularly
sewing machines and light lathes. The advantages are great simplicity
and economy, and that it is not liable to get out of order. It may also
be readily attached to the framework of any light machine, either with
or without a suitable bracket, and in connection with the different styles
of sewing machines this great advantage will be apparent.
The second part of this Invention relates to a simple and effective
piston packing for steam and other motive-power engines, pumps, and
other purposes.
The piston head or block is made of any suitable metal, having a
groove turned in it to receive the packing. The head may be made of
two or more pieces so arranged as to form the desired groove. Segments
of two metallic rings are placed in the groove, the outside diameter of
which coincides with the inside diameter of the cylinder. These segiments
are placed in the groove in such manner as to reform the two rings, one
lying on the other, and when so arranged should fill the width of the
groove, but should leave a space between the inside of the rings and the
bottom of the groove. A flat slotted spring properly bent is placed
inside the rings, where it not only forces out the segments to compen-
sate for the wear, but also makes the packing nearly steam or air tight
by closing up the openings caused by the joints. In placing the seg-
ments in the groove they should be so arranged that the joints in the
one ring will not be directly over the joints in the other, and that they
may remain in this position cavities are made between the upper and
lower segments, into which small balls are placed. The spherical balls
do not fill the cavities, but are large enough to project beyond the
dividing line of the segments. While therefore they do not interfere
with the free moving of the segmental rings they accomplish the desired
result. This packing is more particularly-adapted to small engines, and
its advantages are great simplicity, economy, and durability.
In the accompanying Drawings Figure 1. represents a front view of so
much of an engine constructed in accordance with these improvements
as is necessary to illustrate the nature and novel features of this part of
the Invention;. Figure 2 is a side view.
Figure 8, a view of the details of supporting lugs and steam passages.

page_text: Figure 5 a horizontal section through the supporting yoke and
cylinder.
Figure 6 represents a vertical section of the cylinder and packing.
Figure 7, a horizontal section of the packing; Figure 8 is the spring;
and Figure 9, the vertical section of the packing taken through the
line X, X, in Figure 7:
In order to carry out the objects of this part of the Invention a light
but rigid frame A. is constructed with suitable lugs a, a', a³, through
which bolts or screws pass to clamp the frame firmly to the machine to
be driven. In the lower front side of the frame A two parallel vertical
steam passages i, ¹, are bored, and being intersected by its respective
transverse steam passages, the face I of the frame being planed smooth
to form an accurately fitting valve seat, upon which a corresponding face
of an oscillating cylinder c works on the trunnions f,f, one of which fits
in a socket or bearing in the frame, whilst the other is supported by the
set screw f¹, mounted in a yoke, which set screw regulates the pressure
and wear of the valve faces, and allows ready attachment or separation
of the cylinder and frame.
The cylinder is provided with ordinary heads, stuffing box, and piston,
but the piston is preferably provided with improved packing in accord-
ance with one part of this Invention, as illustrated in Figures 6, 7, 8,
and 9, wherein the piston A, made of any suitable metal, has a groove
formed in its face to receive the packing, which consists of the
segments B, B, of two metallic rings, which segments are placed in the
groove in such a manner as to form two entire rings, one lying on the
other, and completely filling the face of the groove, but leaving a space
between the inside of the rings and the bottom of the groove, as shown
in Figure 6. A flat spring cut from a solid piece, shaped similarly to
Figure 8, and properly bent and placed inside the rings, as shewn in
Figures 6 and 7, not only forces out the segments to compensate for the
wear, but also makes the packing nearly steam tight by closing up the
joints.
In order that the segments may remain always to break joints one

page_text: to interfere with the free moving of the segmental rings produce the
desired result. This packing is particularly adapted to engines of the
above described class, and its advantages great simplicity, economy,
and durability.
The piston is connected in the usual way with a crank pin & on a crank
wheel F, secured on a shaft H, mounted in suitable bearings which form
part of the frame A.
The crank wheel F may be used also as a balance or fly wheel, or the
fly wheel may be separate, if preferred.
The crank wheel F. has a groove F in the periphery to receive a
suitable bell to drive the machinery directly from it, thereby dispensing
with the necessity of a separate balance wheel on the sewing machine;
and thus diminishing the power requisite to drive the same.
Under the engine the drip cup M is arranged, which may be either
an integral part of the frame or of the machine driven, or attachable
and detachable to or from, either to intercept any drippings of oil or
water from the engine or the steam pipes connected therewith, and thus
prevent damage to floors, carpets, or other things by carelessness or
accident.
. The operation of this improved arrangement and construction of
engine is such that the steam from the boiler enters the steam passages
through one of the pipes i,, passes alternately into the opposite ends
of the cylinder through the corresponding passages, and escapes in a
similar manner from the opposite passage, no other valve gear being.
employed other than that performed by the oscillations of the cylinder.
The engine can be run either with or against the sun by changing the
side where the steam is received, and entirely stopped by putting the
crank on "dead centre," which brings the steam ports against the space
between the steam passages.
.
The advantages of the adaptation of a steam engine of simple and
cheap construction to any of the numerous styles of sewing machines
are obvious, where the engine can be easily managed and attached to
the machine to be driven directly or indirectly, as may be found most
convenient...
Having this described the nature of the Invention, and the manner
of performing or carrying the same into practice, what I claim under
the above in part recited Letters Patent is,―

page_text: First. The improved construction of a steam engine having a sup-
porting frame in combination with supporting journals for the main
shaft, and passages for the entrance and escape of the steam arranged to
act substantially in the manner and for the purposes herein-before
described and represented in the Drawings hereunto annexed.
Secondly. The improved construction of a steam engine and supporting
frame, with lugs on one face for attaching it to the machine to be driven,
and lugs on the other for securing the cylinder to the frame, substantially
in the manner and for the purposes herein-before set forth and repre-
sented in the Drawings hereunto annexed.
Thirdly. The improved arrangement and combination of the engine
frame and steam passages therein, the cylinder oscillating thereon, the
crank wheel, balance wheel, and shaft combined and arranged so as to
act substantially in the manner and for the purposes herein-before
described and represented in the Drawings hereunto annexed.
Fourthly. The improved combination of the piston of a steam engine,
substantially in the manner and for the purposes previously set forth,
being composed of segments, springs, cavities, and balls constructed
and arranged to act substantially in the manner and for the purposes
previously set forth and represented in the Drawings hereunto annexed.
Fifthly. The improved arrangement and combination of a steam
engine constructed substantially as herein-before set forth and adapted
for direct application to a sewing machine, its table or frame, and pre-
ferably provided with a drip cup or its equivalent, as herein shown and
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Garrett Tongue, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of January, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
four.