CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN ENGINES FOR OBTAINING MOTIVE POWER FROM STEAM OR OTHER LIQUID, ALSO PARTLY APPLICABLE TO PUMPS
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Clark, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Engineer and Patent Agent, for the Invention of
"CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN ENGINES FOR OBTAINING MOTIVE POWER FROM
STEAM OR OTHER LIQUID, ALSO PARTLY APPLICABLE TO PUMPS."-A com-
munication from abroad by John Benjamin Root, of Brooklyn, King's
County, State of New York, United States of America.
Sealed the 10th November 1863, and dated the 15th June 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Clark at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 15th
June 1863.
I, WILLIAM CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Engineer and Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN ENGINES FOR OBTAINING MOTIVE POWER
PROM STEAM OR OTHER LIQUID, ALSO PARTLY APPLICABLE TO PUMPS," to be as
follows:-
The principal feature of this Invention consists in the combination of two
pistons of a rectangular form, one of which is hollow, and fitted within a
parallel sided box, which may be termed the "cylinder" of the engine,
in such manner as to be capable of a reciprocating rectilinear motion therein,
and the second piston is fitted to the interior of the first piston in such
manner as to be capable of a reciprocating rectilinear motion therein in

page_text: a direction at right angles to the first-mentioned reciprocating rectilinear
motion. The inner piston is connected directly with a crank, which passes
through its centre.
In an engine to be used as a motor, the steam or other fluid from which the
power is obtained is admitted by a suitable valve or valves to the outer box or
cylinder and to the interior of the outer piston in such manner as to act first
on one and afterward on the opposite side of each piston, and to commence
operating on either side of one piston when the other position is at half-stroke,
so that it acts upon both pistons at once to produce a rotary motion of the crank,
which is thereby made to transmit the power without ever being at a dead point.
In a pump the motion of the crank, produced--by-a-suitable application of
power to its shaft, sets the two pistons in motion at right angles to each other,
and the water or other liquid is thereby drawn into-and expelled from the
cylinder and outer piston through a suitable valve or series of valves.
The Invention also consists in a mode of preventing the leakage of steam
between the surfaces of the sides of the piston and the cylinder heads of the
engine, and for compensating for the wear of those parts of the engine.
These surfaces are perpendicular with the axis of the crank shaft. On
one side of the engine the cylinder head is simply faced flat for the
pistons to work in contact with it, but on the other side an adjustable plate
is fitted to the cylinder head, and adjusted in contact with the pistons in such
manner as to make both sides of the piston steam-tight without the aid of
other packing. The said plate may be adjusted by screws or wedges, but the
most convenient mode is by-means-of-two-series of wedges fitted between
the plate and the cylinder head, and operated by screws at each end of the
head.
The Invention also consists in the employment, for the induction and
eduction of steam or other fluid to and from an engine or pump having such
a system of pistons as above mentioned, of a valve composed of a flat disc or
ring, with an annular cavity in its face, and fitted directly to an eccentric
which is provided upon the crank shaft, and is arranged within the steam
chest or induction, chamber. The seat against which this valve works
contains four ports, two of which communicate with opposite ends; of the
cylinder, and two with, the interior of the larger or outer, piston on opposite
sides of the smaller or inner one, and the valve deriving from the eccentric an
eccentric circular motion is made to uncover each port in turn for induction,
and bring each in turn into communication with the annular cavity in its. face,
which is always in communication with an annular eduction channel formed
in the seat. This kind of valve is also applicable to engines of other con-

page_text: structions, and this Invention is considered as embracing any such applications
as may be made.
It further consists in a mode of providing for the shifting of the aforesaid
eccentric on the crank shaft for the purpose of changing the relation of the valve
to the pistons in such manner as to produce the revolution of the engine in one
direction or the other, or effect its reversal. The eccentric is fitted loosely to
the shaft, and bas firmly secured to it a toothed arc, which is concentric with
the shaft. This are gears with spur gearing, which turns freely upon a pin car-
ried by and parallel with but eccentric to the shaft, and this spur wheel gears
with a pinion which is concentric with the shaft, and arranged within a
hollow portion thereof. This pinion is attached to a spindle which is inde-
pendent of the shaft, and which protrudes through the cover of the valve
chest, outside of which it is furnished with a hand wheel, or its equivalent, by
which to turn it, and thereby shift the eccentric with the shaft to the extent
of a half revolution in one direction or the other, which sets the valve for
producing the revolution of the crank shaft in one direction or the other.
When the engine is in motion it is only necessary to seize the hand wheel to
temporarily stop the revolution of the pinion with the crank shaft to change
the position of the valve sufficiently to effect the reversal of the engine.
The Invention relates, finally, to a mode of lubricating the crank wrist and
its bearings. These being within the inner piston cannot be reached by any
ordinary means of lubrication, and owing to their being always highly heated
by the steam when the engine is in operation, it is especially desirable that
they should be well lubricated. To enable the lubrication to be effected
without difficulty, I arrange within or in connection with one of the cylinder
heads an air-tight oil chamber or oil cup, into the upper part of which, by the
opening of a suitable valve, I can admit steam. From the bottom of the said
cup a passage leads to the crank shaft journal bearing which is in that head,
and from this journal there is formed right through the wrist plate or arm and
into the wrist of the crank a passage or passages, with one or more branches
leading out through the bearing surface of the wrist. By admitting the
steam above the oil in the cup from time to time, or in a very small quantity
constantly, the oil is forced from the cup to the crank shaft bearing, in the
head, and thence through the passages leading therefrom to the wrist, whence
it issues into the bearing provided in the inner piston for its reception.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Clark in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 15th
December 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer and
Patent Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-sixth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said William Clark, Her special licence that I, the said William Clark,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William
Clark, 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 "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS
IN ENGINES FOR OBTAINING MOTIVE POWER FROM STEAM OR OTHER LIQUID, ALSO
PARTLY APPLICABLE TO PUMPS," a communication to me from abroad by John
Benjamin Root, of Brooklyn, King's County, State of New York, United
States of America, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William
Clark, 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 William Clark, 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,
reference being had to the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
The principal feature of this Invention consists in the combination of two
pistons, one of which is hollow, and fitted within a parallel sided box, which
may be termed the "cylinder" of the engine, in such manner as to be capable
of a reciprocating rectilinear motion therein, and the other is fitted to the
interior of the first one in such manner as to be capable of a reciprocating
rectilinear motion therein in a direction at right angles to the first-mentioned

page_text: reciprocating rectilinear motion, and the inner one is connected directly with a
crank. In an engine to be used as a motor, the steam or other fluid from which
the power is obtained is admitted by a suitable valve or valves to the outer box
or cylinder and to the interior of the outer piston in such manner as to act first
on one and afterwards on the opposite side of each piston, and to commence
operating on either side of one piston when the other piston is at half-stroke,
so that it acts upon both pistons at once to produce a rotary motion of the
crank, which is thereby made to transmit the power without ever being at a
dead point. In a pump the motion of the crank, produced by a suitable
application of power to its shaft, sets the two pistons in motion at right angles
to each other, and the water or other liquid is thereby drawn into and expelled
from the cylinder and outer piston through a suitable valve or series of valves.
The Invention also consists in a mode of preventing the leakage of steam
between the surfaces of the sides of the piston and the cylinder heads of the
engine, and for compensating for the wear of those parts of the engine.
These surfaces are perpendicular with the axis of the crank shaft. On one
side of the engine the cylinder head is simply faced flat for the pistons to work
in contact with it, but on the other side an adjustable plate is fitted to the
cylinder head, and adjusted in contact with the pistons in such manner as to
make both sides of the pistons steam-tight without the aid of other packing.
The said plate may be adjusted by screws or wedges, but the most convenient
mode is by means of two series of wedges fitted between the plate and the
cylinder head, and operated by screws at each end of the head. It also
consists in the employment, for the induction and eduction of steam or other
fluid to and from an engine or pump having such a system of pistons as before
mentioned of a valve composed of a flat dise or ring, with an annular cavity
in its face, and fitted directly to an eccentric which is provided upon the crank
shaft, and is arranged within the steam chest or induction chamber. The seat
against which this valve works contains four ports, two of which communicate
with opposite ends of the cylinder, and two with the interior of the larger or
outer piston on opposite sides of the smaller or inner one, and the valve
deriving from the eccentric an eccentric circular motion is made to uncover
each port in turn for induction, and bring each in turn into communication
with the annular cavity in its face, which is always into communication with
an annular eduction channel formed in the seat. This kind of valve is also
applicable to engines of other constructions, and this Invention is considered
as embracing any such applications as may be made.
It further consists in a mode of providing for the shifting of the aforesaid
eccentric on the crank shaft for the purpose of changing the relation of the

page_text: valve to the pistons in such manner as to produce the revolution of the engine
in one direction or the other or effect its reversal. . The eccentric is fitted loosely
to the shaft, and has firmly secured to it a toothed arc, which is concentric with
the shaft. This arc gears with a spur gear, which turns freely upon a pin,
which is carried by and parallel with but eccentric to the shaft, and this spur
gear gears with a pinion which is eccentric with the shaft, and arranged
within a hollow portion thereof. This pinion is attached to a spindle, which
is independent of the shaft, and which protrudes through the cover of the valve
chest, outside of which it is furnished with a hand wheel, or its equivalent, by
which to turn it, and thereby shift the eccentric with the shaft to the extent of
a half revolution in one direction or the other, which sets the valve for
producing the revolution of the crank shaft in one direction or the other.
When the engine is in motion it is only necessary to seize this hand wheel
to temporarily stop the revolution of the pinion with the crank shaft to change
the position of the valve sufficiently to effect the reversal of the engine.
The Invention relates, finally, to a mode of lubricating the crank wrist and
its bearings. These being within the inner piston, cannot be reached by any
ordinary means of lubrication, and owing to their being always highly heated
by the steam when the engine is in operation, it is especially desirable that
they should be well lubricated. To enable the lubrication to be effected
without difficulty, I arrange within or in connection with one of the cylinder
heads an air-tight oil chamber or oil cup, into the upper part of which, by the
opening of a suitable valve, I can admit steam. From the bottom of the said
cup a passage leads to the crank shaft journal bearing which is in that head,
and from this journal there is formed right through the wrist plate or arm
and into the wrist of the crank a passage or passages, with one or more
branches leading out through the bearing surface of the wrist. By admitting
the steam above the oil in the cup from time to time, or in a very small
quantity constantly, the oil is forced from the cup to the crank shaft bearing
in the head, and thence through the passages leading therefrom to the wrist,
whence it issues into the bearing provided in the inner piston for its reception.
Fig. 1 of the accompanying Drawings is an elevation, taken perpendicular
to the main shaft of a steam engine, illustrating the several features of the
Invention, representing the valve chest cover removed to expose the valve to
view; Fig. 2 is a vertical section right through the cylinder and pistons of
the engine in a plane parallel with Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a vertical section directly
through and parallel with the axis of the shaft of the engine; Fig. 4 is an
inside face view of one of the cylinder heads; Fig. 5 is a horizontal section
of the cylinder head and packing plate in the plane indicated by the line x, x,

page_text: in Fig. 4; Fig. 6 is a Diagram illustrative of the construction and arrangement
of the valve ports; Fig. 7 is a face view of the valve. Similar letters of
reference indicate corresponding parts in the several Figures.
P is the bed-plate of the engine; A is the cylinder, so called not on account of
the form, but because it corresponds in its functions with the cylinders of other'
engines. The form of the interior of this cylinder is parallelopipedal; its
body is made double to form a jacket a, and one or both of the heads B and C.
are movable. Both are represented movable in Fig. 3. D and E, Figs. 2 and 3,
are the pistons, both fitted to work steam -tight between the cylinder heads.
These pistons may be packed to one of the said heads with springing or
adjustable packing of any suitable kind, to compensate for wear of the surfaces
of the pistons and cylinder heads; but I prefer to employ the adjustable plate
herein-before mentioned, and which will be herein-after more fully described,
instead of any other packing. The outer piston D consists simply of an open
frame, the length of which is exceeded by the length of the cylinder by at
least twice the length of the crank of the engine, and the said piston is fitted
steam-tight between the upper and. lower sides of the cylinder, and packed
thereto by spring packing 6, 6, as shown in Fig. 1. The inner piston E is
made of a depth from top to bottom which is as much less than the vertical
depth of the interior of the outer piston D as the length of the exterior of the
latter is less than the length of the cylinder, and the said piston E is fitted
to work steam-tight between the flat upright sides of the piston D, and
packed thereto with elastic or other packing c, c, d, d. The steam chest F
is formed within or secured to the cylinder bead B, and of its four ports
e, e, f, f', two, e, e¹, communicate with opposite ends of the cylinder,
outside of the piston D, and two with the interior of the piston D, one
above, and the other below the piston E. The main shaft or crank shaft G
of the engine works in bearings in the centres of the two cylinder heads, and
another bearing is provided for it in a standard H, outside of the cylinder.
The wrist plate or arms G¹; G2, of the crank are received in cavities formed
in the piston E, and the wrist y is received in a bearing provided for its
reception in the centre of the said piston, Steam admitted to and exhausted
from the cylinder A by the ports and e¹ alternately produces a reciprocating
movement of the piston D within the cylinder, and steam admitted to and
exhausted from the interior of the piston D by the ports f and f¹ alternately
produces a reciprocating motion of the piston E within the piston D at right
angles to the movement of the latter within the cylinder, while the piston D
is at the same time moving with E, and the force of the steam acting on both
pistons is made instrumental in producing a rotary movement of the crank and
"

page_text: its, shaft. The admission or induction of steam to the ports e, e¹, should
commence when the piston E is at half-stroke, and the induction of f, f',
commence when the piston D is at half-stroke. The order in which the
induction to the four ports should commence will vary according to the
direction in which the shaft is intended to rotate. For the direction indicated
by the arrows 10 in Figs. 1 and 2, the order will be e, f, e, f, and for the
opposite direction it will be e, f, e', f. In order to reduce as much as
possible the friction between the piston D and the cylinder, recesses 17, 17,
are formed all across the upper and lower faces of the said piston for the
greater portion of their length, as shown in Fig. 2, for the admission of
steam between them and the upper and lower sides of the cylinder,
and corresponding recesses 18, 18, are formed in the sides of the said
piston, as shown in Fig. 3, and by dotted lines in Fig. 2, to allow steam to
pass from the interior of the said piston to the recesses 17, 17; this leaves
only a sufficient portion of the ends of the piston to insure tight working,
fitting between the heads of the cylinder, and the steam in the recesses 17, 17,
counteracts the upward and downward pressure of the steam against the upper
and lower sides of the said piston, and so prevents the excessive friction which
would otherwise be produced between the said piston and the cylinder. To
reduce in like manner the friction between the sides of the piston E and the
interior of the piston D, recesses 19, 19, are made in the outer side faces of E,
and small holes 20, 20, provided in the upright ends of D, as shown in Fig. 2, to
admit steam from the cylinder A into the said recesses. The adjustable side
plate for keeping the pistons steam-tight within the cylinder is shown at the
right side of Fig. 3, fitted to the cylinder head C, and is also shown in Fig. 5,
indicated by the letter Q. This is simply a rigid flat plate of cast iron or
other metal, of a form corresponding with the longitudinal vertical section of
the cylinder, which is shown in Fig. 2, with a central opening for the crank
shaft bearing, and it is fitted into a recess 21, of corresponding form in the
interior of the head C. No packing is employed in the opposite head, which
is simply faced flat for the pistons to work in contact with. In Fig. 3 the
plate Qis represented as adjusted to the sides of the pistons by means of set
screws. v, v, screwing through the head C, from the exterior thereof, and is
thereby not only held against the contiguous sides of the pistons in such
manner as to form a steam-tight working joint, but made to hold the opposite
sides of the pistons against the head B in such manner as to keep them steam-
tight, and the wear of pistons on both sides of the engine is compensated
for by screwing up the screws v, v. In Fig. 5 the said plate Q is represented
as adjusted to the pistons by means of wedges y, y, formed upon the outer

page_text: face of the frame R, which is arranged between the said plate and the cylinder
head G, in the inner part of the recess 21. This frame R is also shown in
Fig. 4. The wedges y, y, are arranged in two series, one series on the upper
and the other on the lower side of the said frame, and work in contact with
corresponding inclined surfaces z, z, provided in the recess 21, as shown in
Fig. 2. The adjustment of the frame R is effected and secured by means of a
set screw at each end of the cylinder, screwing through tapped holes in the
said cylinder head, and bearing against the ends of the said frame, and by this
adjustment all the wedges are brought simultaneously into operation to press
the plate against the pistons, and as they are all of similar inclination all
act equally upon the plate, and so press all parts equally against the pistons.
The advantage of the employment of the wedges attached to a frame R over
the use of the set screws v, v, is, that their uniform action on all parts of the
plate is obtained by a single screw at each end of the plate, while the
screws v, v, require to be adjusted separately, and it is difficult if not
impossible to make all press exactly alike against the plate Q. I (Figs. 1, 3,
and 7) is the valve for induction and eduction, consisting of a circular disc or
ring, having an annular cavity i in its face, which is otherwise flat, and fitted
to the flat seat provided in the steam chest, the said seat being perpendicular
to the axis of the main shaft G, and parallel with the plane of motion of the
piston E. The back of this valve is fitted to work against the flat inner
surface of the steam chest cover F¹, and provided with suitable packing j, so
that the steam only occupies the portion of the chest around the periphery of
the said valve. The central opening k of the valve is fitted loosely to the
eccentric J, which is carried by the main shaft, and the valve is thereby caused
to have an eccentric circular motion, by which it is caused to open the several
ports successively to the steam chest, and to bring them successively into
communication with the annular exhaust channel 1, which is provided in the
valve seat, and arranged concentric with the shaft G, the latter communication
being made through the annular cavity i in the valve seat. The form of the
outer orifices of the ports e, e, f, f, is illustrated in Fig. 1 and in the Diagram
Fig. 6. The mode of setting out these orifices is as follows:-First strike
around the centre of the seat coinciding with the axis of the main shaft a
concentric circle 12, and draw through the centre of the said circle a
horizontal right line 15, 15, and a vertical right line 16, 16, then with a radius
equal to half the diameter of the outer circle of the valves, from points to be
presently mentioned in the aforesaid circle, strike the lines of the outer edges
of the ports, and from the same points, with a radius equal to half the diameter
of the outer circle of the central cavity, strike the lines of the inner edges of

page_text: the ports. If the valve is to have no lead, the lines are to be struck from the
points of intersection of the lines 15 and 16 and the circle 12, but if a lead is
required they are struck from points more or less distant from opposite sides
of the aforesaid points of intersection. In the example represented the valve
has a lead, and the ports are struck from the points e*, el, f*, f*, as may be
found by applying the compasses to those points. The eccentric is set in
advance of the crank G, in the direction of their revolution to the extent
of 90° of a circle, but to these 90 degrees must be added the required
number of degrees of lead when lead is to be given to the valve: The valve
thus constructed and operated will commence opening one of the four ports to
the steam in the steam chest at every quarter revolution, at the same time
opening the opposite port to the exhaust channel 1, the order of their opening
being, as before described, according to the direction of the revolution, and the
ports each remaining open during half a revolution of the crank shaft. As
each port is wide open and its respective piston at half-stroke, and the crank at
or nearly at a right angle with the direction of the reciprocating movement of
the piston at the time when the next port is commencing to open, and
the other piston is at the charge of its stroke, and the crank in line or parallel
with the direction of its movement, when one piston is exerting the least
effect on the crank the other is exerting the greatest, and hence there are no
dead points in the operation of the engine. The exhaust steam passes from
the annular exhaust channel 7 through any suitable number of passages m, m,
dotted in Figs. 1 and 3, into the jacket a, and thence, by an opening n¹, into
the hollow bed plate P, which may also serve as a heater for heating the
feed water on its way to the boiler. The steam pipe from the boiler connects
with the cylinder at u, and communicates with the chest F by means
of a passage u¹. A valve constructed and operating in the same manner
as the valve I above described is suitable for ordinary reciprocating steam
engines as a substitute for the common slide valve, as it will work equally
well in connection with two, four, or any other desirable number of ports.
p is the toothed arc, q the spur gear, and the pinion by which the shifting
of the eccentric to set it for producing the rotation of the crank shaft in
one direction or the other. The toothed arc p is arranged and firmly
secured within a cavity s, s¹, provided in the eccentric; its teeth are on the inner
curve, and their pitch line concentric with the shaft G. The spur gear
gearing with the said, arc is arranged to turn freely upon the pin q', which is
carried by the short arm L, which is secured on the shaft G in such manner as
to rotate with it, the axis of the said pin being parallel with the axis of the
shaft. The portion of the shaft which enters and protrudes through the exterior

page_text: of the eccentric J is bored out centrally for the reception of the pinion 7,
which gears with the gear 7 and of the spindle r', to which it is secured,
and an opening is cut in one side of the said portion of the shaft to meet
the said central bore, and admit the teeth of the gear 9 to gear with the
pinion r. The spindle is furnished with a fast collar 2, which covers the
end of the shaft G, and a cap F2, screwed or otherwise secured to the exterior
of the steam chest cover F¹, fits against the said collar 2, and secures the
spindle and pinion r in place, the said cap having a central opening, through
which a portion of the spindle protrudes, for the reception of the wheel M, to
enable the spindle and pinion to be turned by hand or other means for the
purpose of turning the eccentric on the shaft. To prevent any leakage of
steam around the spindle r¹, the wheel M is arranged close against the cap F.
and fitted with a packing ring t, which is pressed against the said cap by
springs. The arm L is so arranged that a portion of it is received with
the cavity s, s, and it drives the eccentric by coming in contact with
one side or other of the said cavity, according to the direction in which
the engine is running, and no movemnet of the arc p, gear 9, and pinion r
relatively to each other takes place while the engine continues running in one
direction. The said arm L is made of such width, and the cavity s, s¹, of
such width or diameter that the eccentric will be permitted by the said arm to
turn upon and independently of the shaft to the extent of half a revolution
when no lead is given to the eccentric, or to the extent of half a revolution
minus double the amount of the lead of the eccentric when lead is given.
The eccentric is turned on the shaft to set it when the engine is at rest by
turning the wheel M, which by turning the pinion r causes the latter to
turn the gear q, and this gear operates on the toothed arc p to turn the
eccentric. When the engine is in operation the spindler rotates with the
main shaft G, and whenever it is desired to reverse the motion, all that
requires to be done is to stop the wheel M either by taking hold of it by hand,
or by applying a friction brake, or by other means, and thereby stop the
revolution of the pinion until the reversal is effected. The stoppage of
the pinion while the gear 7 is carried around it. by continuous revolution
of the arm L causes the said gear to turn on the pin q¹ in such a direction
that it will by its action upon the arc p cause the eccentric to rotate faster
than the shaft in the same direction until the opposite side of the cavity
8, s¹, to that which has previously been in contact with the arm L comes in
contact with the said arm, and the eccentric and valve are thereby brought
to the proper position relatively to the crank wrist g, for effecting the induction
and eduction to and from the several ports in the proper order of succession

page_text: to change the direction of the revolution of the crank wrist. This action of
the pinion may be perhaps rendered more intelligible by describing it with
reference to Fig. 1, where the shaft and valve are rotating in the direction of
the arrows 10, the arm L driving the eccentric by pressing against the
sidess of the cavity s, s¹, but by stopping the pinion r the gear 9 is caused to
rotate upon the pinion q¹ in a direction to turn the eccentric forward upon the
shaft in the same direction as the shaft is rotating, and bring the side s¹ into
contact with the arm L. When the reversal of the action of the pistons upon
the crank wrist has taken place, the arm L drives the eccentric in the same
direction as the crank shaft, that is to say, in the opposite direction to that
indicated by the arrows 10, 10, by pressing against the side s¹ of the cavity s.
Tis an air-tight oil chamber formed in the upper part of the cylinder head C,
with the passage 23 from the bottom leading directly to the crank shaft bearing
22 that is contained within the said head, and with an opening in the top for
supplying it with oil. The upper opening is fitted with a screw stopper
30 to make it steam-tight, and the passage 23 is fitted with a cock 24
to enable it to be closed during the time that the chamber T is being
filled. There is also a passage 25, leading from the steam passage u' into the
upper part of the said chamber, and the said passage is fitted with a valve 26,
which can be opened and closed by a screw or other device operated by a
handle 27, outside of the cylinder head. The passage 25 communicates with
a groove or channel in the interior of the bearing 22, and this channel
communicates with a passage 28, which is drilled in the centre of the crank
wrist and through the wrist plate or arm G, and from which there
branches off the radial passages 29, 29, drilled from the periphery of the
wrist, to communicate with the bearing 31. To fill the chamber T with
oil, the cock 24 is closed to prevent the steam from blowing through the
passage 23 from the interior of the cylinder A, and the valve 26 is closed
to prevent the steam in the passage from blowing through the passage 25,
and the stopper 30 is then removed and the oil poured into the chamber.
When the chamber has been charged with oil the stopper is replaced, and
when it is desired to oil the crank wrist bearing the cock 24 and the valve 26
are opened, the steam entering the upper part of the chamber and pressing
upon the
upper surface of the oil forces a portion of it through the
passage 23, the channel in the bearing 22, the passage 28 in the wrist plate
or arm and wrist, and the passages 29 in the wrist. This oiling operation may
be performed periodically, or may be made continuous by leaving the valve 26
and cock 24 a little way open to allow the oil to flow to the bearing 31. To
prevent the cutting of the crank wrist and its bearing, I propose to fit the

page_text: wrist tightly with a sleeve 32 of hardened steel, and to make the lining of the
bearing of an alloy composed of copper with a very small portion of tin. The
leakage of steam through the crank shaft bearing 22 is prevented by a collar U,
which is fitted tightly to and secured upon the shaft close to the cylinder
head C, and fitted with a packing ring 33, which is held up to the cylinder
head by springs. A pump may be constructed in precisely the same manner
as the steam engine, and operated by power applied directly to the shaft
outside of the cylinder to produce its rotary motion, the suction pipe being
connected at u and the discharge pipe with the jacket a, or directly with the
channel 7 in the valve chest, the jacket being unnecessary. The rotary motion
of the shaft produces the same reciprocating movements of the two pistons
and the eccentric circular motion of the valve as is produced by the action of
the steam upon the pistons, and by these movements of the pistons the water
is drawn into the cylinder A through the ports e and e', and into the piston D
through the ports f and f¹, and forced out through the same ports into the
channel 1, but it is obvious that in a pump, as in an engine, and more
especially in a pump, the same system of pistons may be made to work in the
same way with a different valve or system of valves.
Having described the nature of this Invention, and the manner of per-
forming the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be pro-
tected by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
First, the two pistons D and E combined with each other and with the
cylinder A and crank shaft G to operate substantially as herein specified.
Secondly, the packing plate Q applied in combination with the cylinder head
C and the two pistons D, E, substantially as and for the purpose-berein set
forth, whether set up by set screws or wedges or in any other manner.
Thirdly, the wedge frame R and its double series of wedges y, y, applied
in combination with the cylinder head C and packing plate Q, to operate
substantially as and for the purpose herein described.
Fourthly, the eccentrically moving disc or ring valve I, constructed with
an annular cavity i, and operating substantially as herein described, either
in combination with the within described system of pistons, or with an engine
or pump of any other kind.
Fifthly, combining the valve operating eccentric J with the crank shaft G
by means of the arm L and the toothed gearing p, q; r,' or its equivalent, sub-
stantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.
Sixthly, providing for the lubrication of the crank wrist by means of chan-
nels or passages made in the wrist and wrist plate or arm of the crank, and

page_text: communicating with the journal box or bearing provided for the shaft in one
of the cylinder heads, substantially as herein described.
And, finally, I claim an engine composed of a cylinder A, two pistons D, E,
working one within and at right angles to the other in the said cylinder, a crank
shaft G, furnished with a crank acting directly with the inner piston E, and a
valve I and system of ports e, e, f, f, for effecting the induction and eduction
.of the steam or other liquid to and from the cylinder and the interior of the
outer piston, the whole operating substantially as herein described, either as a
means of obtaining motive power or as a pump.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Clark, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.
Witness,
JAMES DAISH,
53, Chancery Lane,
London.
W. CLARK. (L.g.)