STARTING, STOPPING, AND REVERSING STEAM ENGINES.
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Shaw, of. Portlaw, in the County of
Waterford, in Ireland, Cotton Spinner and Manufacturer, for
the Invention of. "STARTING, STOPPING, AND REVERSING STEAM
ENGINES.".
Sealed the 22nd July 1853; and dated the 28th January 1853.
PROVISIONAL. SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Shaw at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 28th January 1853.
I, ROBERT SHAW, of Portlaw, in the County of Waterford, in
Ireland, Cotton Spinner & Manufacturer, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "STARTING, STOPPING, AND REVERSING
STEAM ENGINES," to be as follows, reference being had to the annexed
sketches, in the upper one of which A. represents the crank shaft
of an engine; B, & C, wheels on same, the former keyed fast thereto,
the latter running loose, and driven by the carrier wheel D; E,
is an excentric pulley connected with the wheel C, from which the
engine valves may be wrought in the usual way; F, is a starting
handle or lever, on which the carrier wheel D revolves, its fulcrum
being the crank shaft, so that as it is raised or lowered the carrier

page_text: wheel aforesaid is brought round concentric, and in correct gear
with the wheels B, & C. As shown in sketch, with the starting
handle F set horizontal, let us suppose the steam valves to be in
a neutral position; by raising this handle to G it will be obvious
(from the wheel B being fast on the shaft) that the wheel and
excentric E, & C, must revolve in the direction of the arrow, and
that as a consequence the valves must take a new position on the
cylinder ports, say for going "ahead," while on the same principle
by depressing the handle to H they assume an opposite position,
causing the engine go "reverse."
In the lower sketch A is the crank shaft; B, a loose bush with a
spiral groove cut in it, and an excentric C keyed fast on to it; D,
is a sliding clutch in connexion with the rod E, set freely in a
horizontal slot in the crank shaft, with a lug F at one end fitted to
traverse in the spiral groove; as now shown in the sketch the
valves are in their neutral position, but by working the handle to
the right the action of the lug F along the spiral will cause the
excentric to revolve in the direction of the arrow, and in conse
quence the valves take a new place, say for going forward. Again,
by working the handle to the left they must assume an opposite
direction, and cause the engine to reverse. It is to be understood
that the shafts A, with their attachments, may represent other
shafts in connexion with the engine as well as crank shafts, and
that rotary, tappit, or other may be substituted for the excentric
action described; also, that where desirable spur wheels may be
used as well as bevil or mitre.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters
Patent, filed by the said Robert Shaw in the Great Seal,
Patent Office on the 27th July 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
ROBERT SHAW, of Portlaw, in the County of Waterford, in Ireland,
Cotton Spinner and Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her

page_text: Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of January, in
the year. of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three,
in the sixteenth year of Her. reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said Robert Shaw, Her
special licence that I, the said Robert Shaw, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Robert Shaw, 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 "STARTING, STOPPING, AND REVERSING STEAM: ENGINES,”.
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Robert Shaw,
by an instrument in. writing under my hand and seal, 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
month's next and immediately after. the date of the said Letters:
.
Patent.
.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Robert Shaw, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement (that is to say):
My Invention consists of improved combinations of machinery
applicable to steam engines, whereby the position of the valve or
valves for admitting steam to the cylinder is changed with great
facility. And in order that my Invention may be fully understood,
and readily carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the
annexed Sheet of Drawings, reference being had to the letters and
figures marked thereon.
Figures 1, 2, and are three views of one of my improved, com-
binations of machinery for changing the position of steain valves
for starting, stopping, and reversing steam engines. In these views
A is part of the crank shaft, or other shaft driven by. the steam
engine; B, is a bevel wheel keyed on the shaft A; C, is another

page_text: bevel wheel loose on the shaft A, but fixed to the excentric E; the
two wheels B, and C, are in gear with a similar wheel D revolving
loose on the handle F. The valve or valves of the steam engine are
put in motion by a connecting rod actuated by the excentric E in
the ordinary manner. The mode of operation is as follows:-When
the lever F is in the position shewn in Figure 1, the steam valves
are closed, or in neutral position, but as soon as the engineer
raises the handle F to the point G, the wheel D being in gear with
the fixed wheel B imparts motion to the wheel C, and excentric E,
thereby altering the position of the valves, and causing the engine
to move forward by depressing the lever F until it reaches the
point H; the wheel D imparts motion in the contrary direction to
the wheel C, and excentric E, thereby changing the position of the
valves and reversing the motion of the engine.
Figures 4, 5, and 6, represent three views of another combination
of machinery for changing the position of steam valves; in these.
views the bevel wheels are dispensed with; and the requisite motion
is given to the excentric E .by. means of a spiral groove E¹ in the
tube E2, which is fixed to or cast with the excentric E. The shaft
A is in this instance furnished with a groove, or. is bored through
the centre for the key or bar 1, which is bent up at one end, as scen
in Figure 6, and fits into the spiral groove E'; the other end of
the key or bar I is secured to the bush K, which is slidden to and
fro' on the shaft A by the lever L. The tube E2, and excentric E,
are at liberty to turn on the shaft A, but they are prevented moving
endway's by the set washers M. The mode of operation of this com-
bination is as follows: When the various parts are in the relative
position's shewn in Figure 5, the valves are closed, and the engine is
stopped; on moving the handle or lever. L to the right, as shewn by
the line N, the key I, by acting on the spiral groove E' in the tube
E2, causes the excentric E to move in the direction, of the arrow,
thereby giving the necessary motion to the valves for starting thic
engine; but when the handle I is moved to O, the contrary action
takes place on the valves, and the direction of motion in the engine
is reversed.

page_text: I wish it to be understood that the variations in the position of
the valves may be produced by spur wheels instead of bevel wheels,
and the valves may be worked by cranks or tappets instead of
excentrics, as shewn in the Drawings. Instead of the lever F,
shewn in Figures 1, 2, and 3, a spur or worm wheel P, as seen,
Figures 7, and 8, may be used. In these views the wheel D
revolves on one of the arms of the worm wheel P. Q, represents
part of the crank shaft of a marine engine; on this shaft is fixed a
spur wheel Q', which gears into the wheel R, fixed on the same
bush as the loose bevel wheel B. The bevel wheel C is fast on the
shaft A, which serves as a fulcrum for the worm wheel P, and the
tappet or excentric E is fixed on a vertical shaft S, driven by mitre
wheels from the shaft A, as shewn in Figure 8; the worm T, fixed
on the same shaft as the starting wheel U, communicates the requi-
site motion to the worm wheel P, and bevel wheel D, for starting,
stopping, and reversing the engine as above described in reference
to the preceding Figures.
The lever L, in Figure 5, may be substituted by a screw or
wheel to work the bush K, or other attachment to the key or bar I.
It may also be desirable in some cases to make the shaft A, - sec
Figure 2, in two pieces joining at P¹.
-
I would observe, in conclusion, that I do not confine or restrict
myself to the details or arrangements shewn and described, but
what I consider to be novel or original, and therefore claim as the
Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters
Patent, is, the improved combinations of machinery, as shewn and
as described, for starting, stopping, and reversing steain engines.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Shaw, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of July, One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-three.
KOB SHAW. (L.S.)