Improvements in Steam Turbines.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Sept., 1898-Accepted, 14th Jan., 1899
Improvements in Steam Turbines.
I, JAMES HARRY KEIGHLY MCCOLLUM, of 1001, Bathurst Street, in the City of
Toronto, in the County of York, in the Province of Ontario, Canada, Electrician,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement -
My invention relates to improvements in steam turbines and more particularly to
those of the Parsons' type and the object of the invention is to design a simple and
effectual arrangement for introducing the steam into the different cylinders whereby
the engine may be effectively reversed at the same speed when required and it
consists essentially of separating the three cylinders and providing ends for same,
the steam inlet pipes being arranged on one side, so as to introduce the steam into
each cylinder at the front end and exhaust at the rear end and at the other side to
introduce the steam into the rear end first and exhaust at the front end into the
next succeeding cylinder and ending at the low pressure one, the parts being
constructed and arranged in detail as hereinafter more particularly explained.
The drawing represents a sectional plan showing my improved engine.
A is the high pressure cylinder, B is the intermediate cylinder and C is the low
pressure cylinder, which as will be noticed are all of increasing diameters starting
at the high pressure cylinder. The cylinders A B and C are provided with suitable
heads a ab b and c c¹. D is the main shaft, which extends through the three
cylinders and is provided with suitable packing and bearings. The shaft in the
cylinders is provided with drums A B₁ and C¹ as indicated by dotted lines and
obliquely set wings a² 62 and c² secured to such drums. To the inside of the
cylinders are secured alternately with the wings the directing vanes a³ ³ and c³
respectively. The vanes and wings are arranged identically to that of the Parsons'
engine.
E is the main inlet steam pipe and E' is a branch pipe leading from the port e of
E² is a pipe
the valve chest F to the port e¹ at the front end of the cylinder A.
leading from the port e² at the rear end of the cylinder A to a port e³ at the front
end of the cylinder B. E³ is a pipe leading from a port et at the rear end of the
cylinder B to a port eat the front end of the cylinder C. e is a final exhaust
port and E is the pipe leading therefrom at the rear end of the cylinder C.
F¹ is
f is a port in the valve chest F at the opposite side to that of the port e.
a pipe leading from the port f to the port f' at the rear end of the cylinder A.
F2 is a pipe leading from the port f2 at the front end of the cylinder to the
port at the rear end of the cylinder B. F3 is a pipe leading from the
port at the front end of the cylinder B to the port f5 at the rear end of
the cylinder C. f is the final exhaust port on this side from which leads the
exhaust pipe F+.
It will be noticed that on each side of the cylinders, which are separated as shown,
that the exhaust pipe from one cylinder is the inlet pipe to the next succeeding
expansion cylinder and that the ports are larger at the exit than at the entrance as
usual but the exhaust port at the exit end of the steam is equal to the inlet port of
the next succeeding cylinder. All the ports at each side are provided with slide

page_text: valves or any other suitable form of valve, those on one side being designed to be
acted simultaneously, so as to throw open all the inlet ports and the exhaust ports.
The same may be said of the other side.
'3
The valves controlling the ports- el e² 3 e4 e5 e I desiguate 2 3 4 5 6 7.
The valves controlling the ports ƒ¹ ƒ ƒ³ ƒ ƒ³ fo on the opposite side I designate
8 9 10 11 12 13. The valves 2 and 3 I connect together by a valve rod G, which
is connected to a rocking bar H suitably pivoted on the frame of the machine and
operated either by hand or by a steam piston I as indicated. The valves 4 and 5
are connected by a rod J, which is connected to the rod G by a lever ; suitably
pivoted. The valves 6 and 7 are connected by a rod K, which is connected to the
rod J by the lever k.
On the opposite side the valves 8 and 9 are connected together by the rod L,
which is connected to the rocking bar H at one end and at the other to the
lever l.
The valves 10 and 11 are connected together by the rod N, which is connected at
one end to the lever and at the other end to the lever n. The valves 12 and 13
are connected together by the rod N¹, which is connected at one end to the
lever n.
O is the throttle valve, which is connected by the rod o to the steam cylinder P
by which the throttle valve is controlled.
Although I have shown all the cylinders on the one shaft it will of course be
understood that they might be on different shafts if desired.
The operation of my invention is as follows. In the drawing the throttle valve O
is arranged so as to leave the port e uncovered and the rocking arm H is also
placed in such a position that all the ports e¹ e² e³ e¹ e5 and eª are left uncovered by
their respective slide valves. It will, therefore, be quite clear that the course of the
steam from the steam pipe E through the pipes and various cylinders out through
the exhaust port will cause the drums in the various cylinders to be rotated in the
direction indicated by arrow. To reverse it is necessary to tilt the rocking bar on
its pivot, so as to throw all the valves open on the opposite side to that herein before
mentioned and close those that were open on the other side.
By manipulating the throttle valve O so as to close the port e and open the
portf which has previously been closed, the course of the steam is directed through
the pipes and cylinders on the opposite side hereinbefore referred to and as the
steam first enters each cylinder at the rear instead of the front the rotation of the
wings on the drum of each cylinder will of course be in the opposite direction to
that indicated by arrow and consequently impart a like rotary movement to the
shaft.
In this specification which describes simply my invention it will of course be
understood that the forms of the pipes, valves and other details of construction may
be varied without departing from the spirit of my invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
-
1. The combination with the high, intermediate and low pressure cylinders
provided with stationary directing vanes and the alternately arranged rotating
vanes or wings attached to the driving shaft, each cylinder being separated and
provided with suitable heads, of suitable ports at the front and rear of each cylinder
of increasing size from the smallest to the largest, suitable valves for such ports
and suitable pipes at one side of increasing size from the smallest to the largest
connecting the ports, such pipes being connected from the rear end of one cylinder
to the front end of the next succeeding cylinder and having the final exhaust at
the rear end of the last cylinder as and for the purpose specified.
2. The combination with the high, intermediate and low pressure cylinders
provided with stationary directing vanes and the alternately arranged rotating
vanes or wings attached to the driving shaft, each cylinder being separated

page_text: and provided with suitable heads, of suitable ports at the front and rear
of each cylinder of increasing size from the smallest to the largest, suitable
valves for such ports and suitable pipes at one side of increasing size
from the smallest to the largest connecting the ports, such pipes being
connected froin the rear end of one cylinder to the front end of the next succeeding
cylinder and having the final exhaust at the rear end of the last cylinder and
suitable pipes at the opposite side of increasing size from the high pressure to the
low pressure cylinder and having the inlet pipe leading into the rear of the cylinder
and the outlet or exhaust at the front of the cylinder or vice versa to the pipes at
the opposite side and a suitable throttle valve for admitting the stean into the
high pressure cylinder from either steam pipe as and for the purpose specified.
3. The combination with the high, intermediate and low pressure cylinders
provided with stationary directing vanes and the alternately arranged rotating
vanes or wings attached to the driving shaft, each cylinder being separated and
provided with suitable heads, of suitable ports at the front and rear of each cylinder
of increasing size from the smallest to the largest, suitable valves for such ports
and suitable pipes at one side of increasing size from the smallest to the largest
connecting the ports, such pipes being connected from the rear end of one cylinder
to the front end of the next succeeding cylinder and having the final exhaust at the
rear end of the last cylinder and suitable pipes at the opposite side of increasing
size from the high pressure to the low pressure cylinder and having the inlet pipe
leading into the rear of the cylinder and the outlet or exhaust at the front of the
cylinder or vice versa to the pipes at the opposite side, a suitable throttle valve for
admitting the steam into the high pressure cylinder from either steam pipe and means
whereby when the one set of valves is closed on one side the opposite set of valves
on the other side of the cylinders is simultaneously opened as and for the purpose
specified.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.