IMPROVE- MENTS IN STEAM ENGINES
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Petric and William McNaught, of Rochdale,
in the County of Lancaster, Engineers, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN STEAM ENGINES."
Sealed the 23rd June 1857, and dated the 27th December 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Petrie and William.
McNaught at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their
Petition, on the 27th December 1856.
We, JAMES PETRIE and WILLIAM MCNAUGHT, of Rochdale, in the County
of Lancaster, Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES," to be as follows:-
Our Invention consists, firstly, in an arrangement of apparatus for causing
cams to revolve around their axes for the purpose of altering the time of cutting
off the steam. To illustrate this we will refer to the Specification of a Patent
granted to James Petrie, dated May Twenty-second, One thousand eight
hundred and forty-four, from which it will be seen that the action of the cam
for cutting off the steam is varied in time by a worm and wheel, instead of
which we employ a swinging double-catch lever, which receives motion from
any convenient part of the engine, and acting upon a suitable ratchet wheel;
with which it is brought into contact by the governor. A modification of the
ratchet wheel and swinging double-catch lever may also be arranged to act

page_text: direct upon cutting off slides, so as to alter their position with respect to the
steam passages.
Another part of our Invention relates to piston valves, and consists in a
method of constructing the packing ring, which we form in one part connected
with a boss or snug for receiving the valve rod; the ring above mentioned being
forced out by suitable wedges or other such apparatus.
Another part of our Invention relates to oiling the pistons and cylinders, and
consists in arranging the pipe containing the oil around the outside of the
cylinders, to the interior of which it is conducted by suitable apertures, so that
at each stroke the piston passing over the said apertures will be lubricated.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Petrie and William McNaught in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 27th Juno 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JAMES
PETRIE and WILLIAM MAC NAUGHT, of Rochdale, in the County of Lancaster,
Engineers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the nineteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the
said James Petrie and William Mac Naught, Her especial licence that we, the
said James Petrie and William Mac Naught, our executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as we, the said James Petrie and William Mac Naught,
our 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 ENGINES,"
upon the condition, amongst others, that we, the said James Petrie and
William Mac Naught, by an instrument in writing under our 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 Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said James Petrie and William Mac Naught
do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner the

page_text: same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement and accompanying Drawing, that is to say:-
Our Invention consists, firstly, in an arrangement of apparatus for causing
cams to revolve around their axes for the purpose of altering the time of cutting
off the steam. To illustrate this we will refer to the Specification of a Patent
granted to James Petrie, dated May Third, One thousand eight hundred and
forty-four, from which it will be seen that the action of the cam for cutting off
the steam is varied in time by a worm and wheel, instead of which we employ
a swinging or vibrating double-catch lever, which receives motion from any
convenient part of the engine, and acting upon a suitable ratchet wheel, with
which it is brought into contact by the governor. A modification of the ratchet
wheel and swinging double-catch lever may also be arranged to act direct upon
cutting off slides or valves, so as to alter their position with respect to the
steam passages.
Another part of our Invention relates to piston valves, and consists in a
method of constructing the packing ring, which we form in one part connected
with a boss or snug for receiving the valve rod, the ring above mentioned being
forced out by suitable wedges or other such apparatus.
Another part of our Invention relates to oiling the pistons and cylinders.
And in order that the same may be clearly understood we will refer to the
illustrative accompanying Drawing.
The first part of our Invention is shewn at Fig. 1, which is a front or face
view of the apparatus, shewing also the mode of connection with the governor;
and Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof. The ordinary differential motion we employ
(the action of which is well understood) is enclosed in the shrouded casing
a and ax, the wheel b by means of a friction clip c being the retaining medium.
The wheel b must therefore be fast upon the shaft d. The wheel a, which
revolves on the shaft d, receives motion from the crank shaft by means of the
spur wheel e keyed thereon, and taking into the wheelf fast upon the boss of
the wheel a. Upon one end of the shaft d the ratchet wheel 9 is also keyed,
and which is actuated at suitable periods (hereafter described) by the swinging
catch levers hand h*, which are attached by suitable joints and pins to the
vibrating lever i mounted upon the stud, secured in any suitable manner to
the framework of the engine. The lever i receives motion in this instance from
the eccentric j by means of the connecting rod or link k attached thereto, so
that a vibratory motion will be imparted to the actuating clicks 1 and 1*,
attached to the aforesaid levers or arms or h*. To the lever or arm h is
also connected a rod m, the other end of which is by a suitable joint connected.
to tle bell-crank lever n, keyed on the shaft or stud.o, mounted on the bracket p.

page_text: I
The other arm of the bell-crank lever n has a rod or bar 9, connected at its
upper end to the lever 1, which partakes of the variations of the governor s.
Suppose that the speed of the engine is required to be reduced, the governor
would by means of the lever r, rod q, and bell crank n, actuate the swinging
lever h*, and click *, so as to cause it to operate against the ratchet wheel g,
thereby causing the said ratchet wheel g to turn in the direction shewn by the
arrow, at the same time by means of the retaining wheel band variable wheel
a* altering the relative position of the cam t, which effects the "cutting off"
with the valves. Should the speed of the engine require to be increased, then
the action of the swinging catches h and I would turn the ratchet wheel 9, and
.consequently the cam t, in a reverse or contrary direction, thus regulating the
expansion and speed of the engine. To prevent any undue fluctuation of the
governor, there is a spring or other suitable elastic medium Battached to the
brackets or frame p at one end; the other end thereof acts against a lever w,
fast upon the spindle or bar o. The force of the spring may be increased or
diminished by moving the part v in the slot u. The motion of the cam t may
be imparted to the valves or slides by any suitable arrangement of apparatus;
that, however, we prefer, is shewn with a friction roller or bowl x, against
which the cam acts, and is mounted in a frame y, which slides in suitably
formed grooves or slots *, and to which the rod or bar is attached that
connects it with the valve or slides, not shewn in the Drawing. The mode of
constructing the clicks or catches for actuating the ratchett wheel g is shewn on
an enlarged scale at Fig. 3, from which it will be seen that they are mounted
upon a centre in the jaw of the swinging lever h, and have also a spring A
acting on the back to prevent any tendency to turn over when in action with
the ratchet wheel g aforesaid.
A modification of the first part of our Invention is shewn at Fig. 4, which
is a front or face. view; Fig. 5 being a plan view of the same.
The differential motion is shewn, as before described, enclosed. A is tho
driving bevel wheel; B, the intermediate or retaining wheel, upon which is
mounted the usual bevil wheels c, c, which communicate motion to the
variable wheel D, shewn in dotted lines. Upon the shrouding of the wheel
D there are cams formed, as at E, the boss of which has also the heart wheel
F fast therein, and also the cam G, which communicates motion to the valves
or slides for cutting off the steam, in the manner above mentioned. The
wheel D, cams E and G, run loose on the shaft II, to which the ratchet
wheel o is attached. I is the double swinging-catch lever, mounted on the
lever or arm J, turning on the centre K in a bracket or other suitable part
formed on the framework L. The rod or bar connecting the swinging catch

page_text: I to the governor is at M. Instead of the intermediate or retaining wheel B
being locked, as before described, by means of a friction clip, it is in this
instance toothed on its periphery, and is locked or unlocked by means of the
cams E, E, acting against the double lever L*, so as to bring the locking catch
N, in contact therewith, or withdraw it therefrom. The heart wheel F is in
such an angular position with respect to the cams E, E, that it will actuate the
lever Qat the time when the wheel B is unlocked, when the double swinging
catch will, by means of the rod T, be brought into a suitable position for
effecting the desired change of the cutting off cam G, as aforesaid.
In order to prevent any unsteadiness in the intermediate wheel B when it is
unlocked, there is a spring R having teeth on it corresponding to those on the
periphery of the same, which will thus partly hook or hold it; or an arrange-
ment of friction apparatus may be employed for this purpose.
From the foregoing description it will be evident that as the governor
actuates the double swinging lever I, the heart wheel F and ratchet wheel Ọ
will effect the desired object of changing the relative position of the cutting off
cam, and consequently alter the position of the slides or valves with respect to
the steam ports or passages. The differential wheels are actuated by the wheel
S, which takes into that before mentioned on the crank shaft Z.
Our Invention relating to piston valves is shewn at Fig. 6, which represents
a vertical section of the valves and shells; Fig. 7 being a horizontal section
of the same. The ring which forms the packing is at 1, and is constructed
in one part with a snug or boss 2 for connecting it to the valve rod 3,
and which has also an inclined part formed upon it, against which the
wedge or other similar apparatus 4, having a spring 5, is forced, so as to
expand it, similarly to an ordinary metallic packing, by means of the bolt
or set screw 6 and conical nut 6*, recessed into the lid or cover 7, between
which and the lower plate 8 the packing ring 1 is secured, by means of
the valve rod 3 and lock nuts 9; the cotter 14 acts as a driving medium
for the valve when it is intended to receive an intermitting rotary motion.
The packing ring of the lower valve is attached or secured to the rod 3*
by the cotter 11. The rod 3* extends through the valve or piston, and
is secured to the rod 3 by the cotter 12; there are also projecting parts 13
formed on the cover 7*, which act as a driving medium, together with the clip
picce 10, when the valves receive motion, as above mentioned. Instead of the
wedge pin 4 being employed for forcing out the ring 1, an arrangement of
springs or other apparatus may be used to effect the desired object.
The next part of our Invention is shewn at Figs. 8, 9, and 10. The first of
these represents a steam engine cylinder, around which we form apertures in

page_text: any desired number, as at a, and supply these with oil or other lubricating
material from pipes or other suitable apparatus, so that the piston at each time
of passing withdraws therefrom a certain quantity of the said material and
distributes it upon the interior of the cylinder. The reservoir or source of
supply for the apertures a may be of ordinary construction, but we have
shewn at Figs. 9 and 10, upon an enlarged scale, two methods which we
adopt. In the former of these Figures a represents a vessel divided into two
compartments A, B, by a piston b, working in a narrowed portion, the
chamber A being filled when required with lubricating material through the
pipe c. The piston bis attached to a rod d, which passes above through a
stuffing box e, and receives a slow upward and downward motion by means of
a crank f, upon the shaft of which is mounted loosely a bell-crank lever 9; this
lever carries a click h at one end, and at the other is connected to some
moving part of the engine, so as to cause the click h to drive a ratchet wheel
mounted fast upon the shaft of the crank e. As the piston is thus caused to
move upwards it brings a circular recess i into the compartment A, the lubri-
cating material therein being then prevented from flowing into B by the part
k, which then occupies the place of the piston b; upon a downward motion
taking place the recess i will carry a supply into the compartment B, from
whence it will flow by the opening i into a pipe passing around the cylinder,
and communicating with the apertures a, Fig. 2. In cases of high-pressure
engines, an equilibrium may be established by using pipes as at m, forming a
communication between the chambers A and B. Fig. 10 represents another
apparatus which may be applied to this part of our Invention. The reservoir
for the lubricating material is shewn at a supplied through the pipe 6; at the
lower part is a conical plug c, caused to revolve slowly by means of a ratchet
wheel, or other apparatus, connected to any suitable moving part of the engine.
The plug c is provided with cavities, as at e, which are at intervals brought
beneath apertures f, formed in the bottom of the reservoir a; these cavities,
therefore, become filled with the lubricating material, which they convey
forward and deposit into pipes g, which are supposed to be connected separately
to the orifices a formed in the cylinder, as at Fig. 8. In order to force the
oil or other such material downward there is a piston h, to the upper side of
which steam is admitted by a pipe i.
Having thus described and ascertained the nature of our Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be performed, we desire it to be understood
that we do not intend to confine ourselves to the precise arrangement shewn
and described, as the same may be varied without departing from our Inven
tion; but we claim, as secured to us under the above in part recited Letters

page_text: Patent, with reference to the first part of our Invention, the use or appli-
cation of a double swinging-catch lever and ratchet wheel for the purpose of
causing cams to revolve round their axes, and thereby altering the time of
cutting off the steam. With reference to piston valves, we claim constructing
the same as above described and set forth.
In reference to the other part of our Invention, we claim conveying oil or
other lubricating material to the cylinders and pistons of steam engines, by
causing it to enter or to be drawn through apertures formed around the
periphery of the cylinder, and situate with the range of the piston's stroke.
In witness whereof, we, the said James Petrie and William McNaught,
have hereunto set our hands and scals, the Twenty-sixth day of June,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.