Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Mar., 1887
Complete Left, 22nd Dec., 1887
Complete Accepted, 27th Jan., 1888
A communication from abroad by GEORGE SMITH, of the City, County, and State of
New York, United States of America, Inventor.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, F.C.S. of the Agency for Foreign Patent
Solicitors, 6 Lord Street, Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, and 323 High
Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows :-
This invention relates chiefly to steam engines, but includes all power engines,
whether driven by steam, air, gas, or liquids.
The object of this invention is to produce an engine of few and simple parts, and
occupying but little space compared with engines of ordinary types of. light weight,
not liable to get out of order, capable of running in any position, and at a high rate
of speed, economical in the use of the motive fluid or liquid at any pressure,
transmitting the pressure to the crank shaft equally at all positions thereof, entirely
obviating the "dead centre," and embodying other advantageous features as will
appear from a consideration of its construction, and mode of operation.
To accomplish all of this, the improvements involve certain new and useful
peculiarities of construction, relative arrangements or combinations of parts and
principles of operation as will be herein fully described.

page_text: In the accompanying drawings forming part of this Specification-
Figure 1 is a sectional elevation upon a plane at right angles to the axis of the
crank shaft, the axis being for purposes of illustration located in a horizontal
position.
Figure 2 is a view in cross section through line of Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 1, showing the position of the parts after the
crank has made a quarter turn from the points assumed for it in Figure 1.
In all these Figures like letters of reference, wherever they occur, indicate
corresponding parts.
According to the forms shown in the drawing, A is a square box within which is
the channel a through which the exhaust steam is conducted to an exhaust pipe B,
and within the interior of this box all the working parts are located. The sides or
ends of the box are closed by plates or heads as C, C, secured in any suitable manner.
These contain the bearings for the crank shaft, which bearings may be of any
approved forms. D is the crank shaft serving to transmit power, and D¹ is the
crank pin.
E is the piston preferably made in one piece. It is boxed upon the crank pin as
by the brass box b, b, in two parts with a suitable screw as c, by which compensation
for any wearing may be made. The single piston has four projecting parts as E, E²,
E, E, each of which is fitted to enter its corresponding cylinder represented at F1,
F, F, F. The pistons thus constructed might be described as being composed of
four different pistons, though the four are not independent one of the other.
The cylinders bear upon the interior faces of the square box and travel thereon,
operating both as valves and cylinders, and obviating the employment of any separate
valves such as are ordinarily required.
Steam or the motive fluid or liquid under pressure is admitted to the interior of the
square box at any convenient point as at the part Y and the pressure thereof upon the
exposed surfaces of the several cylinders holds them to their seats. When the engine
is to be run in the position shown in the drawing, any simple means may be employed,
for preventing the upper cylinder from dropping away from its seat when the pressure
is removed.
In the position shown in Figure 1, full steam is supposed to be entering at the
port the pressure of which counterbalances an equal amount upon the piston
outside of cylinder F* (and acting in the opposite direction) and permits an equal
amount or degree of pressure to be transmitted in a line directly at right angles to
the plane through the axis of the crank shaft, and that of the crank pin, and thus in
the most advantageous direction possible. The movement of the piston (and of the
cylinder with it) opens the port admitting steam to the outer face of E the effects
upon E and E being transmitted to the crank pin in such manner that the resultant
pressure is always at right angles to the line above mentioned.
As the piston continues its movement the pressure is admitted to the outer face of
the portions E, E³, in succession, and the exhaust ports are opened in proper
consecutive order, as will be readily understood. The exhaust ports are represented
at g', g², g³, g', and the steam ports at f¹², f³, f.
The cylinders are shown as provided with auxiliary passages or channels as h h to
facilitate exhaustion, but these are not necessary, and need not be used.
The movements of the piston are peculiar. Each section thereof travels back and
forth within its cylinder a distance equal to twice the radius of the crank, and it
travels a like distance in the direction of the corresponding face of the box carrying
its cylinder with it. Any point of the piston will therefore travel in a complete circle
and only those points within the limits of the radius of the crank will travel around a
corresponding or common centre.
Under the arrangement shown in the drawing when the engine is running, the
pressure within iwo cylinders will act simultaneously, and this kind of an engine
may be properly called a twin cylinder engine. Following the same general
principles of arrangement, instead of making the box square or four sided, it might
be made with only two sides finished to form seats for cylinder valves, or with three

page_text: such sides or any greater number of such sides. When provided with only two
cylinder valves the engine might stop upon a dead centre, but with any greater
number, that would be impossible. The engine may be started from any position
and with full power. The construction indicated is extremely simple, the cylinders
are similar, one to the other, and the whole device is easily made and mounted or
easily dismounted, and readily accessible for any required packing or repairs. The
shaft may be run in any position, and the improved engine has been found in
practice to admirably answer the purposes or object of the invention as previously
stated.
Date : no
1
1 1007
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON F.C.S. of the Agency for Foreign Patent
Solicitors, 6 Lord Street, Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, and 323 High
Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, 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:-
This invention relates chiefly to steam engines but includes all power engines,
whether driven by steam, air, gas, or liquids.
The object of the invention, is to produce an engine of few and simple parts, and
occupying but little space compared with engines of ordinary types of light weight,
not liable to get out of order, capable of running in any position and at a high rate of
speed, economical in the use of the motive fluid or liquid at any pressure, transmitting
the pressure to the crank shaft equally at all positions thereof, entirely obviating the
"dead centre" and embodying other advantageous features as will appear from a
consideration of its construction and mode of operation.
To accomplish all of this the improvements involve certain new and useful
peculiarities of construction, relative arrangements or combinations of parts, and
principles of operation, as will be herein first fully described and then pointed out in
the claims.
In the drawings filed with the provisional specification-
Figure 1 is a sectional elevation upon a plane at right angles to the axis of the crank
shaft, the axis being for the purposes of illustration located in a horizontal position.
Figure 2 is a view in cross section through line x x of Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 1 showing the position of the parts after the
crank has made a quarter turn from the points assumed for it in Figure 1.
In all these Figures like letters of reference wherever they occur indicate corre-
sponding parts.
According to the form shown in the drawing, A is a square box within which is the
channel a through which the exhaust steam is conducted to an exhaust pipe B, and
within the interior of this box, all the working parts are located. The sides or ends
of the box are closed by plates or heads as C, C, secured in any suitable manner.

page_text: These contain the bearings for the crank shaft, which bearings may be of any
approved forms. D is the crank shaft serving to transmit power, and D' is the
crank pin.
E is the piston preferably made in one piece. It is boxed upon the crank pin as
by the brass box bb in two parts with a suitable screw as c, by which compensation
for any wearing may be made. The single piston has four projecting parts as E', E,
E³, E, each of which is fitted to enter its corresponding cylinder represented at F',
F, F, F. The pistons thus constructed might be described as being composed of
four different pistons, though the four are not independent of the other.
The cylinders bear upon the interior faces of the square box, and travel thereon,
operating both as valves and cylinders, and obviating the employment of any separate
valves such as are ordinarily required.
Steam or the motive fluid or liquid under pressure is admitted to the interior of the
square box at any convenient point as at the part Y, and the pressure thereof upon
the exposed surfaces of the several cylinders holds them to their seats. When the
engine is to be run in the position shown in the drawing, any simple means may be
employed, for preventing the upper cylinder from dropping away from its seat when
the pressure is removed.
In the position shown in Figure 1 full steam is supposed to be entering at the
port, the pressure of which counterbalances an equal amount upon the piston
outside of cylinder F (and acting in the opposite direction) and permits an equal
amount or degree of pressure to be transmitted in a line directly at right angles to
the plane through the axis of the crank shaft and that of the crank piu, and thus in
the most advantageous direction possible. The movement of the piston (and of the
cylinder with it) opens the port fadmitting steam to the outer face of E the effects
upon E and E being transmitted to the crank pin in such manner that the resultant
pressure is always at right angles to the line above mentioned.
As the piston continues its movement the pressure is admitted to the outer faces of
the portions E³, E³ in succession, and the exhaust ports are opened in proper
consecutive order, as will be readily understood. The exhaust ports are represented
at g¹, g, g³, g, and the steam ports at f¹,f,ƒ³, f.
The cylinders are shown as provided with auxiliary passages or channels as h, h, to
facilitate exhaustion, but these are not necessary, and need not be used.
The movements of the piston are peculiar. Each section thereof travels back and
forth within its cylinder a distance equal to twice the radius of the crank, and it
travels a like distance in the direction of the corresponding face of the box carrying
its cylinder with it. Any point of the piston will therefore travel in a complete circle
and only those points within the limits of the radius of the crank will travel around a
corresponding or common centre.
Under the arrangement shewn in the drawing when the engine is running the pressure
within two cylinders will act simultaneously, and this kind of an engine may be
properly called a twin cylinder engine. Following the same general principles of
arrangement, instead of making the box square or four sided, it might be made with
only two sides finished to form seats for cylinder valves, or with three such sides or
any greater number of such sides. When provided with only two cylinder valves the
engine might stop upon a dead centre, but with any greater number, that would be
impossible. The engine may be started from any position, and with full power. The
construction indicated is extremely simple, the cylinders are similar one to the other,
and the whole device is easily made and mounted or easily dismounted, and readily
accessible for any required packing or repairs. The shaft may be run in any position,
and the improved engine has been found in practice to admirably answer the purposes
or object of the invention as previously stated.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to ime by my
foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is :-
1st. In an engine the piston having two or more connected parts movable back and

page_text: forth within their respective cylinders, said cylinders being made movable upon their
seats and operating as valves, and the crank pin located at the central part of the
piston, the parts being combined and arranged to operate substantially in the manner
shown and described.
2nd. In an engine, the piston composed of three or more parts, the corresponding
independent cylinders movable upon their seats, the box containing the channel for
the exhaust, the seats for the cylinder valves and the crank shaft and crank pin
combined and arranged substantially as shown and described.
3rd. The berein described engine comprising the crank shaft and crank pin a piston
mounted upon said pin and having a number of parts surrounding the same, and
fitted to enter their respective cylinders, the movable cylinders operating as valves,
the box containing the steam channels and ports, and the sides or heads all arranged
for operation, substantially in the manner and for the purposes set forth.
Dated this 21st day of December 1887
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.