IM- PROVEMENTS IN STEAM AND OTHER MOTIVE POWER ENGINES
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Elias Robison Handcock, of No. 23, Norfolk Street,
Strand, in the County of Middlesex, Esquire, for the Invention of "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN STEAM AND OTHER MOTIVE POWER ENGINES."
Sealed the 29th September 1859, and dated the 8th April 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Elias Robison Handcock
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 8th April 1859.
I, ELIAS ROBISON HANDCOCK, of No. 28, Norfolk Street, Strand, in the
County of Middlesex, Esquire, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM AND OTHER MOTIVE POWER ENGINES,"
to be as follows:―
The Invention consists in a mechanical arrangement in connection with the
crank axle of the engine, as will obviate the necessity of a fly-wheel or second
engine to help or force the crank to greater advantage over the dead points,
and for that purpose in some cases I have an additional or auxiliary crank
partially loose on the axle, and placed at such an angle as will give sufficient
leverage to put the shaft in motion at the first starting of the engine, and to
force or aid the crank over the dead points during its revolutions. And in

page_text: some cases I use a single bolt inserted into a piece of metal, which is firmly
fixed to the shaft, so that the bolt may be acted on by means of a cradle, or
other convenient arrangement, and when reverse action is required, 1 use two
bolts suitably fixed for the purpose.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Elias Robison Handcock in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 8th October 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ELIAS
ROBISON HANDCOCK, of No. 23, Norfolk Street, Strand, in the County of
Middlesex, Esquire, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-second year of Her
reign, did, for Пerself, Fler heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Elias Robison Handcock, Her special licence that I, the said Elias
Robison Handcock, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as 1, the said Elias Robison Handcock, 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 STEAM AND OTHER MOTIVE POWER ENGINES,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Elias Robison Handcock,
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 Scal Patent Office
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Elias Robison Handcock, do hereby declarc
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, and by reference to the Sheet of Drawings and the figures
and letters marked thereon, that is to say:-
My improvements consist in the mechanical arrangements in connection

page_text: with the crank axle of the engine, to obviate the necessity of a fly-wheel or
second engine to help or force the crank to greater advantage over the dead
points, and for that purpose in some cases I have an additional or auxiliary
crank loose on the axle, and placed at such an angle as will give sufficient
leverage to put the shaft in motion at the first starting of the engine, and to
force or aid the crank over the dead points during its revolutions, and in some
cases I use a single bolt inserted into a piece of metal, which is firmly fixed to
the shaft, so that the bolt may be acted on by means of a cradle, or other
convenient arrangement, and when reverse action is required I use two bolts
suitably fixed for the purpose.
Fig. 1 shows an elevation view of an engine peculiarly adapted for the
screw for marine purposes; the piston rod may be elongated and allowed to
pass through an aperture in the cross bar of the guide rails, in order to relieve
inequality of strain, as seen in Figs. 1 and 2, letter R. Fig. 2 shows a side
elevation of Fig. 1. In Figs. 1, 2, and 3, letter D shows a crank which I
denominate the auxiliary crank. This auxiliary crank is furnished with a
slot, as seen in Figs. 3 and 5, which extends down to about one-half of the
length of the crank, and in the slot is placed a slide block C, through which
the crank pin passes, and which slide block is allowed to travel up and down the
slot as required. 1 prefer the auxiliary crank to be about one-half longer
than the short crank, and such auxiliary crank is loose on the shaft, and
should be allowed as much play as will enable it to move about one quarter of
a circle before it is stopped by the shoulder of the boss, as seen in Figs. 1, 2,
8, 6, letter E, against which shoulder it abuts, and as such boss forms a solid
part of the shaft, or is firmly keyed thereon, it has the effect at the first
starting of the engine of enabling the auxiliary crank to press against tho
shoulder of the boss, and force the shaft round and continue to do so until
the short crank arrives at such an angle (as herein-after described), as will
enable it to take up the action and propel the machinery. The auxiliary
crank being of greater length and moving at a different velocity than the
short crank, ceases to act when the latter begins to do so, and being loose on
its bearings presses against the spring and recedes until it arrives at such an
angle as to enable the slide block to slip down the slot until the two cranks
coincide or nearly so in point of leverage, when the auxiliary crank is drawn
by means of the connecting rod to a vertical or horizontal position, according
to the position of the engine, and it is then forced over the centre and retained
at its proper angle by means of the spring, as seen in Figs. 2 and 3, letter H,
or by other suitable contrivance. I prefer the auxiliary crank to be placed at

page_text: the time of the first starting of the piston, top and bottom, at an angle of from
35 to 40 degrees from that at which the short crank is placed. To prevent
the slide block of the auxiliary crank, and the crank pin from slipping down
the slot before the proper time for its doing so, I permanently affix to the
shaft a flat or other shaped piece of metal, as seen in Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4,
letter C, or any other convenient arrangement, which piece of metal is
retained at the same angle that the auxiliary crank occupies at the first
starting of the piston. Fig. 3, letter C, shows the position of this piece of
metal just before the short crank arrives at the dead point. Figs. 1, 2, 7, 8,
letter A, shows the connecting rods which are attached to the short crank.
In these connecting rods there is a slot, straight or curved, as in Fig. 7, 8,
and 16, and it may be placed at the top or bottom of the connecting rod, as
seen in these Figures; at the top, as seen in Fig. 8, so that the crosshead may
move along it, or it may be at the bottom of the connecting rod, as seen in
Figs. 2, 7, and 16, or there may be no slot or connecting rod, but merely an
aperture in the crosshead for the top of the connecting rod to work through,
as seen in Fig. 9. The object of this slot is to enable the short crank to
move along with the shaft without exerting any, power on the crank or
machinery during the time the auxiliary crank is driving the shaft and
machinery. Fig. 10 shows a side view of another modification of my
Invention. Fig. 11 shows a plan of the same; letters L and I show a rack
or cradle in which there are openings; the cradle acts upon the bolt G,
which is inserted in a circular or other shaped piece of metal, firmly bolted
or affixed to the shaft, as seen in Figs. 10 and 12, letter M, which bolt is acted
on by a spring, letter H, or by a cam or excentric, which spring keeps the
bolt up. to its work until the bolt is forced out of its socket by the action of
the rack in passing over the back of the bolt, the bolt being in this instance a
substitute for the auxiliary crank (as seen in Fig. 1 and 2), the short crank
acting in the same manner as in Fig. 1 and 2. Fig. 14 shows another
modification of my Invention; in this case the bolt is transferred to the cradle,
and a block of metal (letter R) is firmnly affixed to the shaft. The cradle
and bolt at the first starting of the piston, top and bottom, acts upon the
block of metal, and so propels the shaft and machinery until the crank pin and
slide block slip down the slot in the connecting rod to such an angle as will
enable the crank to take up the action and propel the machinery, at which
point the bolt ceases to act, and the crank, as in the former instance, acts as an
ordinary crank during the remainder of the stroke.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention and in what manner

page_text: the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I do not claim
any of the parts taken separately, but that what I claim as my Invention is,-
the several combinations of parts as shown in Figs. 1, 2, 10, 11; and -14,
and as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Elias Robison Handcock, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Eighth day of October, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine.
E. R. HANDCOCK. (L.S.)