IMPROVE- MENTS IN ENGINES WORKED BY STEAM OR OTHER FLUID PRESSURE, AND IN ROTATING SLIDE VALVES FOR THE SAME, THE SAID ENGINES BEING APPLI- CABLE AS PUMPS, AND THE SAID ROTATING VALVES BEING APPLICABLE TO MULTIPLE CYLINDER ENGINES AND PUMPS GENERALLY."
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Algernon Parsons, of No. 2, Queen's Gate,
Kensington, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN ENGINES WORKED BY STEAM OR OTHER FLUID PRESSURE, AND IN
ROTATING SLIDE VALVES FOR THE SAME, THE SAID ENGINES BEING APPLI-
CABLE AS PUMPS, AND THE SAID ROTATING VALVES BEING APPLICABLE TO
MULTIPLE CYLINDER ENGINES AND PUMPS GENERALLY."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Algernon Parsons at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 24th October 1878.
CHARLES ALGERNON PARSONS, of No. 2, Queen's Gate, Kensington, in the
County of Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN ENGINES WORKED BY STEAM OR OTHER
FLUID PRESSURE, AND IN ROTATING SLIDE VALVES FOR THE SAME, THE SAID
ENGINES BEING APPLICABLE AS PUMPS, AND THE SAID ROTATING VALVES BEING
APPLICABLE TO MULTIPLE CYLINDER ENGINES AND PUMPS GENERALLY."
In the Specification to Letters Patent granted to me on the 15th June 1877,
No. 2344, I described a construction of engine consisting of four cylinders fixed on
a revolving frame, and having the pistons of each pair connected to opposite cranks
on a shaft mounted in bearings eccentric to those of the cylinder frame, the opera-
tion of the engine being such that while the four pistons make their strokes to and
fro in their respective cylinders the frame carrying the cylinders revolves, and the
crank shaft is caused to revolve at double the speed. Apparatus of similar
.construction may be used as a pump for drawing or forcing fluids, the crank shaft
in that case being driven by extraneous power, and the fluid pumped being admitted
to and discharged from the cylinders successively. My present Invention relates to
improvements in the construction of engines and pumps of this description, whereby
I am enabled to provide steady bearings and complete lubrication for the moving
parts, and accurate control of the admission and emission of the fluid, the passages
to the several cylinders being governed by a rotating slide valve of novel.construç

page_text: tion, which valve is applicable also to other kinds of multiple cylinder engines and
pumps. In the engine described in my Specification above referred to the fixed
framing had on its one side a bearing to receive the trunnion of the revolving
cylinder frame, and on its other side it had a bearing eccentric to the former to
carry the crank shaft. Thus both the cylinder frame and also the crank shaft
-overhung-their-bearings, and-were consequently subjected to undue strains, which
in the working of the engine occasioned shaking and unsteadiness. According to
my present improvements, I provide support for both the cylinder frame and also
for the crank shaft on both sides of the engine. For this purpose, on the one side
frame of the engine I make a trunnion on which the cylinder frame revolves, this
trunnion being large enough to let the crank shaft. pass through it in a line eccen-
tric to the axis of the trunnion, and being provided with a stuffing box to prevent
-leakage-past-the shaft. On the other side frame of the engine I fix an axle on
which the cylinder frame revolves, and at the inner end-of-this-axle-I_provide_an_
eccentric socket to receive the end of the crank shaft, which is thus supported on
both sides of its cranks, on the one side in the trunnion, and on the other side
in the socket of the axle, the cylinder frame being also in like manner supported
on both sides by the trunnion and axle respectively. To provide for lubrication of
the crank pins and crank shaft bearings, which being within the cylinder frame are
inaccessible from the exterior, I adopt the following arrangements :-
In the interior of the cylinder frame, which is of cylindrical form, carrying the
cylinders on its outer circumference, I provide near one end a groove or annular
recess in which, as the frame revolves, oil admitted to its interior collects. Into
<this recess is directed the open end of a bent tube which communicates through the
stationary trunnion with an external vessel. From the lower part of this vessel an
overflow pipe extends a few feet in height, and from its upper part a pipe is led
into the trunnion, communicating with a hole drilled obliquely through the axle to
the socket which receives the end of the crank shaft. A hole is also drilled obliquely
in the crank shaft itself, with branch holes drilled to it from the crank pins and
bearings of the shaft. The oil from the recess of the cylinder frame mingled with
water of condensation is caused by its momentum to flow up the bent tube, and
thence to the external vessel, in which the oil mostly separates from the water.
The oil flows by the passages above mentioned to lubricate the several bearings,
and the water when in excess escapes by the overflow pipe.
The rotating slide valve which I employ for governing the admission of fluid to the
four cylinders successively, and its emission therefrom, is of the following construction.
The axle, on wbich, as already stated, the one end of the cylinder frame revolves, is
itself fixed in a trunnion projecting from the fixed framing, and the cylinder frame
is made with a hollow boss enclosing and revolving round this trunnion, which is
stationary. Passages leading to the four cylinders open into the interior of this
hollow boss, and in the trunnion round which it revolves there are passages leading
respectively to a supply and a discharge pipe. These passages open into an annular
space or groove in the trunnion, on each side of which there are spring packing
rings or other suitable packing to prevent leakage between the outer surface of the
trunnion and the inner surface of the revolving boss. The groove in the trunnion
-corresponds in position with the mouths of the passages leading to the four
.cylinders. In this groove there are fitted three segments abutting. against each
other which are free to move a little radially, but are prevented from revolv-
ing by studs fixed to the trunnion and bearing against shoulders on two of the
segments. Between these two segments on the one side there is an open space into
which opens the passage of supply, and on the opposite side there is the third
segment, which has an external cavity communicating with the discharge passage.
As the cylinder frame revolves the passage to each of the four cylinders comes
successively to face the supply space of the groove whilst the passage opposite to it
is facing the discharge space, and thus the admission and emission of the fluid are
governed in due succession. The segments of the slide having freedom to move

page_text: radially are inade by the fluid pressure to bear against the interior of the revolving
boss, thereby preventing leakage past them. When the engine is arranged to work
as a compound engine, the steam after performing work in some of the cylinders
expanding into others of the cylinders, the rotating valve is made in duplicate, one
being placed behind the other on the same trunnion with suitable packing between
them. For a reversible engine the studs which prevent rotation of the segments
may be arranged to be moved round by an external handle, so as to turn the
segments to a position suitable for reversal. Or the studs may be arranged like
the stops sometimes employed for driving eccentrics, permitting the segments to
move in either direction sufficiently far to suit either direction of revolution of the
engine. When either of these arrangements is adopted the supply and discharge
passages in the trunnion are so shaped as to suit either position of the segments.
To provide for working the engine with variable expansion I extend one of the
three segments so as to cover the supply space above mentioned, and make through
the extended part holes covered inside by another segment which can be shifted so
as to more or less uncover these holes and so determine the point of cut-off of the
supply. It is obvious that this construction of slide might be employed in an
inverse manner, that is to say, the trunnion containing the supply and discharge
passages and the slide segments might revolve within a stationary boss containing
the passages to the several cylinders, also that the number of these passages may be
more or less than four, according to the number of the cylinders to which they lead.
And thus a slide of the kind described might be applied to multiple cylinder
engines or pumps to govern by rotation the successive supply to and discharge from
their cylinders.

page_text: :
.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Charles Algernon Parsons in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
23rd April 1879.
CHARLES ALGERNON PARSONS,-of-No-2, Queen's Gate, Kensington, in the
County of Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN ENGINES WORKED BY STEAM OR OTHER
FLUID PRESSURE, AND IN ROTATING SLIDE VALVES FOR THE SAME, THE SAID
ENGINES BEING APPLICABLE AS PUMPS, AND THE SAID ROTATING VALVES BEING
APPLICABLE TO MULTIPLE CYLINDER ENGINES AND PUMPS GENERALLY."
In the Specification to Letters Patent granted to me on the 15th June 1877,
No.-2344, I described a construction of engine consisting of four cylinders fixed on
a revolving frame, and having the pistons-of-each-pair_connected to opposite cranks
on a shaft mounted in bearings eccentric to those of the cylinder frame, the-
operation of the engine being such that while the four pistons make their strokes
to and fro in their respective cylinders, the frame carrying the cylinders revolves,
and the crank shaft is caused to revolve at double the speed. Apparatus of similar
construction may be used as a pump for drawing or forcing fluids, the crank shaft
in that case being driven by extraneous power, and the fluid pumped being
admitted to and discharged from the cylinders successively. My present Invention
relates to improvements in the construction of engines and pumps of this descrip-
tion, whereby I am enabled to provide steady bearings and complete lubrication for
the moving parts, and accurate control of the admission and emission of the fluid,
the passages to the several cylinders being governed by a rotating slide valve of
novel construction, which valve is applicable also to other kinds of multiple
cylinder engines and pumps. In the engine described in my Specification above
referred to the fixed framing had on its one side a bearing to receive the trunnion
of the revolving cylinder frame, and on its other side it had a bearing eccentric to
the former to carry the crank shaft. Thus, both the cylinder frame and also the
crank shaft overhung their bearings and were consequently subjected to undue
strains, which in the working of the engine occasioned shaking and unsteadiness.
According to my present improvements I provide support for both the cylinder
frame and also for the crank shaft on both sides of the engine. For this purpose
on the one side frame of the engine I make a trunnion on which the cylinder frame
revolves, this trunnion being large enough to let the crank shaft pass through it in
a line eccentric to the axis of the trunnion, and being provided with a stuffing box
to prevent leakage past the shaft. On the other side frame of the engine I fix
an axle on which the cylinder frame revolves, and at the inner end of this axle
I provide an eccentric socket to receive the end of the crank shaft, which is thus
supported on both sides of its cranks on the one side in the trunnion and on the
other side in the socket of the axle, the cylinder frame being also in like manner
supported on both sides by the trunnion and axle respectively. To provide for
lubrication of the crank pins and crank shaft bearings, which being within the
cylinder frame are inaccessible from the exterior, I adopt the following arrange-
ments.
In the interior of the cylinder frame, which is of cylindrical form carrying the
cylinders on its outer circumference, I provide near one end a groove or annular
recess in which as the frame revolves oil admitted to its interior collects. Into this
recess is directed the open end of a bent tube, which communicates through the
stationary trunnion with an external vessel. From the lower part of this vessel an
overflow pipe extends a few feet in height, and from its upper part a pipe is led
into the trunnion communicating with a hole drilled obliquely through the axle to
the socket which receives the end of the crank shaft. A hole is also drilled
obliquely in the crank shaft itself with branch holes drilled to it from the crank
pins and bearings of the shaft. The oil from the recess of the cylinder frame
mingled with water of condensation is caused by its momentum to flow up the bent

page_text: tube, and thence to the external vessel in which the oil mostly separates from the
water. The oil flows by the passages above mentioned to lubricate the several
bearings, and the water when in excess escapes by the overflow pipe.
The rotating slide valve which I employ for governing the admission of fluid to
the four cylinders successively and its emission therefrom is of the following
construction:-The axle, on which, as already stated, the one end of the cylinder
frame revolves, is itself fixed in a trunnion projecting from the fixed framing, and
the cylinder frame is made with a hollow boss enclosing and revolving round this
trunnion, which is stationary. Passages leading to the four cylinders open into the
interior of this hollow boss, and in the trunnion round which it revolves there are
passages leading respectively to a supply and a discharge pipe. These passages
open into an annular space or groove in the trunnion, on each side of which there
are spring packing rings or other suitable packing to prevent leakage between the
outer surface of the trunnion and the inner surface of the revolving boss. The
groove in the trunnion corresponds in position with the mouths of the passages
leading to the four cylinders. In this groove there are fitted three segments
abutting against each other, which are free to move a little radially, but are
prevented from revolving by studs fixed to the trunnion, and bearing against
shoulders on two of the seginents. Between these two segments on the one side
there is an open space into which opens the passage of supply, and on the opposite
side there is the third segment which has an external cavity communicating with
the discharge passage. As the cylinder frame revolves the passage to each of the
four cylinders comes successively to face the supply space of the groove whilst the
passage opposite to it is facing the discharge space, and thus the admission and
emission of the fluid are governed in due succession. The segments of the slide
having freedom to move radially are made by the fluid pressure to bear against
the interior of the revolving hoss, thereby preventing leakage past them. When
the engine is arranged to work as a compound engine, the steam after performing
work in some of the cylinders expanding into others of the cylinders, the rotating
valve is made in duplicate, one being placed behind the other on the same trunnion
with suitable packing between them. For a reversible engine the studs which
prevent rotation of the segments may be arranged to be moved round by an
external handle, so as to turn the segments to a position suitable for reversal.
Or the studs may be arranged like the stops sometimes employed for driving
eccentrics, permitting the segments to move in either direction sufficiently far to
suit either direction of revolution of the engine. When either of these arrange-
ments is adopted the supply and discharge passages in the trunnion are so shaped
as to suit either position of the segments. To provide for working the engine
with variable expansion I extend one of the three segments so as to cover the
supply space above mentioned, and make through the extended part holes covered
inside by another segment, which can be shifted so as to more or less uncover
these holes, and so determine the point of cut-off of the supply. It is obvious
that this construction of slide might be employed in an inverse manner, that is
to say, the trunnion containing the supply and discharge passages and the slide
segments might revolve within a stationary boss containing the passages to the
several cylinders; also that the number of these passages may be more or less
than four, according to the number of the cylinders to which they lead. And
thus a slide of the kind described might be applied to multiple cylinder engines
or pumps to govern by rotation the successive supply to and discharge from their
evlinders

page_text: cranks being on one shaft. This shaft has one of its ends passed through a
stationary bush C³ and stuffing box C³ on the one end frame of the engine.. The
other end of the shaft works in a bearing C in the cranked end of a bolt C³ which
is secured by a cotter C in the other end frame of the engine. The cylinder frame A
at its end A' is bushed so as to revolve round the boss A2, which is eccentric
relatively to the crank shaft, and projects from the stationary end frame. The other
end of the frame A is bushed at A³ so as to revolve round a similar eccentric boss E
projecting from the other end frame, this boss being formed with passages to act
as a slide governing the ports and passages in the frame A leading to the several
cylinders B and B'. A cone C fitted to slide along the bolt C³ takes the bearing of
the frame A and can be set up as it wears by nuts Cs, pushing rods C", which bear
against the cone. Thus the crank shaft is supported in bearings at each end, and
-also-each end of the cylinder frame works on bearings, so that the engine can work
steadily at very high speeds. For-the-purpose_of_lubricating the bearings an oil
vessel D by a pipe d and a branch pipe supplies oil to the two ends of the engine.
The pipe d opens into a cavity d² surrounding the crank shaft, which at that part
is grooved for a portion of its length. From the cavity and groove oil finds its way
by several holes d³ to lubricate the bush C², also by a hole d drilled obliquely along
the shaft and side holes and do opening therefrom it flows to lubricate the
cranks C¹ and C. The branch oil pipe d¹ opens to a hole d drilled obliquely along
the bolt C³ so as to lead the oil to the shaft bearing C. The oil flowing from the
several bearings, with water of condensation from the steam, gathers in a hollow A*
within the frame A in which it revolves along with the frame, and in order to
ensure the revolution of the liquid, ribs A³ may project within the frame, as shewn
in Fig. 1. A stationary pipe D¹ bent forwards towards the revolving liquid draws
it off by virtue of the velocity of the liquid towards the mouth of the pipe into a
settling vessel D, having in it several layers of wire gauze or perforated metal, as
indicated by the dotted lines D³. From the bottom of the vessel D² there opens a
pipe D which is carried up to a height above the highest level of the lubricated
parts of the engine, and there opens as an overflow pipe. The mixture of oil and
water arriving by the pipe D' settles and separates in the vessel D2, the oil rising
to the top and flowing back by the pipes d, d', to lubricate the bearings and the
water sinking to the bottom, and when in excess draining off by the pipe D'. The
boss E, as already stated, has ports and passages so as to operate as a slide, as will
be understood on reference to Fig. 2, which is a transverse section of the boss on
the line X., X, of Fig. 1. There are four ports a through the bush As, cach forming
the mouth of a passage leading to the outer end of one of the four cylinders B, B¹.
As the bush As with its ports a revolves round the stationary boss E containing
three segments a, a, as, the ends of the four cylinders B, B', are brought succes-
sively in communication with the steam cavity and with the exhaust cavity of the
boss E. The segments a', a³, a³, are prevented from revolving by the studs a³, but
they are free to be pressed radially outwards by the pressure in the steam cavity so
as to bear tightly against the bush A³. On each side of the ports spring packing
rings are fitted in grooves of the boss E to prevent leakage endways. The slide,
shewn in Figs 1 and 2, is adapted for an engine revolving always in one direction,
with the same cut-off. For an engine intended to be reversible the slide may be
modified, as shewn by the Figures on Sheet II. of the accompanying Drawings.
these Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section taken on an oblique plane Y, Y, (Figs. 4 and 5)
of the slide boss E.. Figs. 4 and 5 are transverse sections through the ports a, a,
shewing respectively the condition of the slide facings for revolution forwards and
backwards. Figs. 6 and 7 are part longitudinal sections respectively on vertical
and horizontal planes taken through the axis of the slide; and Fig. 8 is an end view
of a sliding boss F for effecting reversal. This boss is connected by three bolts f to
the three segments of a slide Ğ, which is formed with two sets of ports, the one set
behind the other, the one fitted for revolution forwards and the other for revolution
backwards. As shewn in Figs. 3, 6, and 7, the slide G is drawn to the right hand,
so that one set of its ports govern the passages a leading to the cylinders. By.
Of

page_text: pushing the sliding boss F by a lever or otherwise along the bolt C³ the slide G is
inoved to the left hand so as to bring its other set of ports into operation on the
passages a, and thus by a simple movement of the boss F to the right or left the
engine is caused to revolve in the one direction or the other as required. By
occasionally sliding the boss F a little to and fro, or causing it so to slide by an
eccentric or cam worked by the engine, the wear of the slide segments G and the
face on which they work can be equalised without the formation of rings or
shoulders.
Fig. 9 is a horizontal longitudinal section and Fig. 10'a transverse section through
the ports a of a modified form of slide for working by variable expansion without
reversal. In this case the steam passage of the slide is divided by ribs into a number
of separate passages h, the hinder mouths of which are covered by a segment H.
This segment is toothed internally, and can be moved by a pinion I, the spindle i
of which extends through a stuffing box beyond the outer end of the boss E, and
can be turned either by hand when it is desired to alter the cut-off at will, or by a
governor when it is desired-that the cut-off shall automatically be altered so as to
suit the work performed by the engine. It will be seen that according as the
segment H is moved so as to uncover one, two, or more of the steam passages h, so
will, each of the ports a occupy a proportionate part of its revolution in passing the
mouths of these passages, and steam will thus be admitted to each cylinder in turn
during one, two, or more proportionate parts of the stroke of its piston.
Figs. 11 and 12 are part longitudinal sections at right angles to each other of a
valve arranged both for reversal and variation of cut-off; Fig. 13 is a transverse
section through the ports; and Fig. 14 is a transverse section on the line Z, Z,
Fig. 11. Of the four segments P, P, Q, and R, which are held in position by the
studs a', one Q encloses the eduction passage g, and another R presents a number
of induction passages.
An internally geared ring S can be worked round by a
pinion 8. This ring carries the two studs a', and consequently on turning the ring S
all the segments P, P, Q, and R are turned together with it, the induction and
eduction passages being thus presented to the cylinder ports a in position suitable
either for forward or backward movement of the engine as desired. A sleeve T
having a semicircular flange t has part of its end toothed and engaged by a pinion t¹,
by turning which the sleeve can be more or less turned in either direction, so that
its flange covers a greater or less number of the induction passages through R, so
varying the cut-off as desired. When the engine is to be worked by water pressure
the slide is rendered tight by cup leathers instead of packing rings. Fig. 15 is a
longitudinal and Fig. 16 a transverse section of the slide modified to suit a hydraulic
engine. U, U, are the cup leathers, preventing endways leakage from the space in
which are fitted the segments held by the studs a'. When considerable hydraulic
pressure is employed to work the engine I find it advantageous to cut narrow
grooves v in the segment faces, so that a portion of the liquid penetrating between
the rubbing surfaces acts as a lubricant, and also diminishes the pressure with which
the segments are forced against the lining.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention and in what manner the same
is to be performed, I claim in respect of engines of the kind described in the Speci-
fication to Letters Patent of the 15th June 1877, No. 2344, above referred to,-
First. Supporting the crank shaft in bearings at both ends, the one end passing
eccentrically through a stationary boss, and the other end working in a crank socket
formed on a stationary bolt, substantially as herein described.
Second. Supporting the revolving cylinder frame on bearings at both ends, the
one end revolving on a stationary boss eccentric to the crank shaft, and the other
end revolving also round a stationary boss formed with passages and ports to operate
as a slide, substantially as herein described.
Third. Lubricating the cranks and the bearings for the crank shaft and revolving
cylinder frame by the supply of oil through suitable passages from an oil vessel, to
which the superfluous oil is returned, and in which it separates from water of con-
densation to flow again to the bearings, substantially as herein described.

page_text: Fourth. Effecting the return of superfluous oil to the oil vessel along with
water of condensation by means of the bent pipe D', towards the mouth of which
the liquid is directed by its revolution with the framing in which it is collected, as
herein described with reference to Fig. 1 of the accompanying Drawings.
Fifth Fitting- the..slide. round which the cylinder ports revolve with segments
prevented from rotating by stops which-permit then to be pressed against the
rotating face, substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.
Sixth. In a slide of the kind referred to in the preceding claim, providing means
of moving the operating face relatively to the revolving ports for the purpose of
reversing the engine, as herein described with reference to Figs. 3 to 8 inclusive of
the accompanying Drawings.
Seventh. In a slide of the kind referred to in the fifth claim, sub-dividing the
steam passage into several apertures, one, two,-or_more_of_which can be covered by
a moveable segment, for the purpose of varying the cut-off, substantially as herein
described with reference to Figs. 9 and 10 of the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Algernon Parsons, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-nine.
CHARLES ALGERNON PARSONS. (L.S.)