IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Edward Newton, of the Office for
Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil
Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES."
-A communication from abroad by Kellogg Hubbard Loomis,, of
the City and State of New York, United States of America..
Scaled the 28th October 1868; and dated the 14th May 1868..
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION loft by the said William Edward
Newton at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his.
Petition, on the 14th May 1868..
I, WILLIAM EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery-
Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare:
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES,"
to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to a new manner of arranging the valves in the
steam chest of a reciprocating steam engine; also those for regulating
the exhaust and the cam for operating the valves..

page_text: The Invention also relates to a new method of hanging the governor
balls to their spindle.
The Invention consists, first, in the employment of hollow perforated
cylindrical conical valves fitted into perforated shells that are secured
in the steam chest. The valves are oscillated by means of a cam fitted
on the spindle of the governor, and when so turned their perforations
come in line with those of the hollow scats, and thus let the steam into
the engine. When the projecting part of the cam does not act upon
the valve connections the valves will be closed.
The Invention consists, secondly, in the construction and arrangement
of the cam for operating the valves in the steam chest. This cam is of
cylindrical or conical form with a spiral projection, and is fitted up and
clown adjustable to the up-and-down moveable stem, which is raised
and lowered by the action of the governor balls. Levers which aro
attached to cranks projecting from the valve rods are with their ends
held against the periphery of this cam, and when the spiral projection
is brought between them and the axis of the cam they are pushed off
so as to open the valves; springs or other equivalent devices throw
them back again to close the valves as soon as the projection has passed.
The projection of the cam being spiral on one edge and not on the other
is consequently wider on one end than on the other; the opening of the
valves is therefore regulated by the height of the governor stem, and
also by its direct adjustment around the governor spindle.
The Invention also consists in attaching the balls of the governor to
the spindle by forked arms, through which pass pins placed at an angle
of 45°, so that instead of moving in the arc of a vertical plane they will
move on a spiral arc so as to allow the inertia and momentum of the
balls to be utilized in combination with the centrifugal face..
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Edward Newton in the Great Seal Patent 80
Office on the 14th November 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Civil Engincer, send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fourteenth day of May, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the thirty-
first year of Her reign, did for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said William Edward Newton, Her special
licence that I, the said William Edward Newton, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William
Edward Newton, 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, 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 ENGINES," being a communication to me from
abroad, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William
Edward Newton, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should
particularly describo 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 Edward Newton, 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 Drawing
hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is
to say):-
--
This Invention relates to a new manner of arranging the valves in the
steam chest of a reciprocating steam engine, also those for regulating the
exhaust and the cam for operating the valves.
The Invention also relates to a new method of hanging the governor
balls to their spindle.
The Invention consists, first, in the employment of hollow perforated
cylindrical conical valves fitted into perforated shells secured in the
steam chest. The valves are oscillated by means of a cam fitted on the
spindle of the governor, and when so turned their perforations come in
line with those of the hollow seats, and thus let the steam into the
:

page_text: engine. When the projecting part of the cam does not act upon the
valve connections the valves will be closed.
The Invention consists, secondly, in the construction and arrangement
of the cam for operating the valves in the steam chest. This cam is of
cylindrical or conical form with a spiral projection, and is fitted up and
down adjustable to the up-and-down movable stem, which is raised and
lowered by the action of the governor balls. Levers which are attached
to cranks projecting from the valve rods arc, with their ends, held
against the periphery of the cam, and when the spiral projection is
brought between them and the axis of the cam they are pushed off
so as to open the valves; springs or other equivalent devices throw
them back again to close the valves as soon as the projection has passed.
The projection of the cam, being spiral on one edge and not on the
other, is consequently wider on one end than on the other; the opening
of the valves is therefore regulated by the height of the governor stem,
and also by its direct adjustment around the governor spindle.
The Invention also consists in so attaching the balls to the spindle
of the governor that they instead of moving in the arc of a vertical
planc move on a spiral arc so as to allow the inertia and momentum of
the balls to be utilized in combination with the centrifugal force..
In the accompanying Drawing Fig. 1 represents a side elevation,
partly in section, of this improved steam engine; Fig. 2 is a vertical
transverse section of the same taken on the line x, x, Fig. 1; Figures 3
and 4 are detail views of the same for operating the valves in the steam
chest; Fig. 5 is a detail longitudinal section of the governor spindle
and its connection with the cam.
A is the steam cylinder; B, B, are the detached or connected steam
chests; C is the governor spindle; D is a ball formed on the upper end
of the spindle C; to this ball are pivotted by means of pins a, a, the
forks b, b, which are by means of pins c, c, pivotted to arms d, d, that
are with their lower ends secured to the inner governor stem E. The
.governor balls M, M, arc suspended from the ends of the forked arms b.
The pins a, a, are as in Fig. 2, at an angle of about forty-fivo degrees,
and stand also sideways inclined, as in Fig. 1, so that the balls when
thrown up and down by centrifugal force will (when yielding to such
force) still be able to move in the same direction in which the spindle
is rotated. The inertia or momentum of the balls is thereby utilized

page_text: and more uniform motion is produced. By means of the joints c the
twisting motion of the balls is made possible. The lower end of the
stem E has a pin e that fits through a slot in the spindle C, as in Fig. 5.
This pin carries a slotted sleeve f, on the outside of which a screw
thread is formed; g is a ring fitted around the sleeve f, and held between
two nuts h, h, thercon. The ring cannot turn loose on the sleeve f
although it can slide up and down thereon. On the ring g is formed the
tapering cam F, which is wider on its upper than it is on its lower end.
The cam can be adjusted up and down on the spindle by setting
the nuts h, h, and its position is also regulated by means of the governor
balls which draw the stem E, and with it its appendages, e, f, g,
and h, up and down as they are being spread or contracted. In each
steam chest is formed a somewhat conical perforated shell G, which
forms the seat for a conical hollow perforated valve H that is mounted
on a shaft I, as shown. The shaft has its bearings in the ends of the
steam chest or in other suitable supports, and has a crank i formed
on it, as shown. To the end of the crank i is fixed a barj which is by
means of a spring K held with its end against the cam F or cylinder g, as
shown. As the spindle C is being revolved the cam is once during every
revolution brought between the end of each lever j and the ring g and
pushes the crank i away so as to turn the valve H in its seat G, thereby
opening the port. When the lever j is not held out by the cam F the
ports are closed. Now it is evident that the lower the cam stands the
longer will the ports remain open during one revolution of the governor,
and the higher it stands the quicker will they be closed owing to the
tapering form of the cam. If the engine goes too fast the balls will
spread and will raise the cam, causing less steam to enter the cylinder
until the required equilibrium has again been obtained. The whole
device is thus self-regulating, and the engine cannot suffer from too
much or too little steam. The valve H can be ground into the scat; one
end of its shaft I rests against a spring to allow expansion and con-
traction of the parts. Valves J, J, of similar construction can also be
used for the exhaust. They are there confined within scats L, L, as
shewn, and are operated by means of a full stroke cam m mounted on
5 the rotary spindle C. The valve seat G is made with longitudinal
apertures or ports which do not extend from end to end, but which are
interrupted in the middle for the purpose of preventing the scat from
springing under the pressure of steam. In the same manner the valve
itself is also formed with longitudinal apertures corresponding to those in

page_text: the shell or seat. The seat is supported at the ends by brackets projecting
from the inside of the steam chest.
Having now described the Invention which has been communicated
to me by my foreign correspondent, and having explained the manner
of carrying the same into effect, I claim as the Invention secured to me
by Letters Patent as aforesaid,-
First. The perforated conical oscillating hollow valves H, H, fitted in
conical hollow perforated shells G, G, which are secured in the steam
chest (and exhaust) of an engine, as set forth.
Second. The oscillating valve H mounted on a shaft I which is allowed
expansion by means of a spring 1, as herein-before specified.
Third. Operating the conical hollow perforated valves H by means
of a tapering cam F which is adjustable up and down on and raised
and lowered by the governor stem E, as herein-before specified and
described.
Fourth. Hanging the governor balls in inclined position, as and for
the purpose herein described.
Fifth. Forming the joint c in the arm by which the governor ball is
suspended, as and for the purpose herein specified and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Edward Newton, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, the Second day of November,
in the year of our Lord One thousand cight hundred and
sixty-cight.
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
W. E. NEWTON. (L.S.).