IMPROVEMENTS IN MARINE STEAM ENGINES
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Scott Russell, of Great George Street,
Westminster, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MARINE
STEAM ENGINES."
Sealed the 28th June 1858, and dated the 4th May 1853.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Scott Russell
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 4th May 1853.
I, JOHN SCOTT RUSSELL, of Great George Street, Westminster, do
hereby declare the nature of my said Invention for " IMPROVEMENTS IN
MARINE STEAM ENGINES" to be as follows:-
This Invention consists of combining the piston rods of three
oscillating steam engines with one crank pin in such manner that,
when working, one of the piston rods is fixed to the boss on the crank
pin, and the other two are loose, jointed thereto; and in giving motion
to the propeller shaft means are provided for connecting and dis-
connecting the propeller by the rotation of the shaft itself, which is
caused to act on a friction driving band or surface by means of gearing
applied between the shaft and the friction band or surface. And in

page_text: order to facilitate the oiling of some of the bearings I connect a fixed
oil vessel with a moveable oil vessel by tubes sliding one within
another, which will admit of the distance between the two oil vessels to
varv.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Scott Russell in the Great Seal Patent
Office, on the 4th November 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
JOHN SCOTT RUSSELL, of Great George Street, Westminster, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of May, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the six-
teenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said John Scott Russell, Her special
licence that I, the said John Scott Russell, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Scott Russell,
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 MARINE STEAM ENGINES," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said John Scott Russell, by an instru
ment 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 months next and imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Scott Russell, 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):

page_text: This Invention consists of combining the piston rods of three
oscillating steam engines with one crank pin in such manner that,
when working, one of the piston rods is fixed to the boss on the crank
pin, and the other two are loose, jointed thereto; and in giving motion
to the propeller shaft means are provided for connecting and discon-
necting the propeller by the rotation of the shaft itself, which is caused
to act on a friction driving band or surface by means of gearing
applied between the shaft and the friction band or surface. And in
order to facilitate the oiling of some of the bearings I connect a fixed
oil vessel with a moveable oil vessel by tubes sliding one within
another, which will admit of the distance between the two oil vessels
to vary.
Having thus stated the nature of my said Invention, I will proceed
to describe the manner in which I perform the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1, shows, in part, a marine steam engine, consisting of three
oscillating steam cylinders A, B, C, the piston rods of which are con-
nected with the same crank pin D, as is shewn. The piston rod of the
cylinder A, is connected with the crank pin D, in the ordinary
nanner, but the piston rods of the cylinders B, C, are loose, jointed to
the boss E, on the crank pin D. By these means the piston rods of
three steam cylinders may be connected with one crank pin. In order
to supply lubricating matter to the crank pin, the oil vessel F, is
employed, the tube G, descending from which is arranged, in a proper
manner, to admit of its assuming an angular position, as is indicated
by the dotted lines. Within the tube G, another tube G', slides; hence
the oil tube G, G, may be extended and contracted in length, similarly
to a telescope. The oil or lubricating matter is raised by a revolving
wheel in the upper vessel as heretofore practised, and runs into the
upper end of the telescopic tube, down which it descends into the lower
cup H.
Figure 2, shows a transverse section; Figure 3, a plan of discon-
necting and connecting apparatus; and Figure 4, a section taken

page_text: spur
through the line 1, 2, in the plan. a, is the engine shaft, on which a
wheel b, and friction drum c, combined together, revolve freely; d, e, are
a similar
spur wheel and drum, to disconnect the propeller shaft from
the engine shaft; f, is a friction pulley, keyed on the propeller shaft,
bas
around which pulley is placed the friction strap y; the strap g,
bosses g', y, which receive the drivers or pins g³, g²; the pins' are
aflixed to the disc h, (keyed on the engine shaft) by nuts h³, h'. When
it is desired to disconnect the engine shaft from the propeller shaft, the
mode of proceeding is as follows:-The hand break is to be pressed on
the friction drum e, so as to prevent its revolving with the engine shaft;
the spur wheel d, combined therewith, takes into and gives motion to
the spur wheel i, on the axis j, of which is a screw j', taking into and
driving the worm wheel , on the axis l. The axis 1, is, at one end,
provided with a screw and fixed nut l'. The friction band g, is open at g³,
and as the axis, turns in the parts g,g", of the band g, in the direction
caused by prossure on the friction drum e, the parts g, of the
band g, will be opened ont, and allow of the disc f, on the propeller
shaft travelling independantly of the engine shaft. To connect the pro-
peller shaft again with the engine shaft, the engine is to be in motion;
then the hand break is to be pressed on the drum c, and the spur
wheel b, connected therewith, will give motion to the pinion m, which
takes into and gives motion to the spur wheel n, also on the axis j, .by
which the axis receives the reverse motion to that described for discon-
necting the propeller and engine shafts; consequently the worm wheel Z,
and axis 7, with its screw, will also be reversed, and the parts g', 9',
will thereby be drawn together in such manner as to embrace tightly
the disc or pulley f, when all the parts will revolve together.
Having thus described my Invention, and the manner of performing
the same, I wish it to be understood that I do not confine myself to
the precise details herein given, so long as the peculiarity of any part of
my Invention be retained. But what I claim is, the connecting the
piston rods of three steam cylinders to one crank pin, as herein
described. I also claim the connecting oil cups or vessels of steam
engines by sliding tubes in order to supply lubricating matter, as de-
scribed. And I also claim the combination of mechanism described for

page_text: connecting and disconnecting the propeller by the rotation of the shaft,
as herein explained.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Scott Russell, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Fourth day of November,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-
Witness,
JNO. COOK,
12, Cursitor Street,
Chancery Lane.
J. SCOTT RUSSELL. (L.S.)