Improvements in and relating to Multiple Expansion Engines for Marine and other Purposes.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Nov., 1887
Complete Specification Left, 11th Aug., 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 28th Sept., 1888
-
.
Improvements in and relating to Multiple Expansion Engines for
Marine and other Purposes.
I, ANDREW LAING, of 2, Glenavon Terrace, Partick, Lanarkshire, Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of my invention to be as follows:-
This Invention has reference to and comprises improvements in the construction,
or arrangement and combination of the cylinders in triple and quadruple expansion
steam engines for marine or other purposes, with the object of making them more
compact and stable, and have other advantages over such engines as heretofore
constructed.
Under one arrangement of my improvements as applied to a triple expansion engine
for a paddle steam ship, I erect on a sole plate or bedframe the high and intermediate
pressure cylinders which are placed parallel and diagonally or at an angle, in the same
plane to the crank shaft. Above these cylinders I mount the low pressure cylinder
which would be set horizontally to the axis of the crank shaft so as to make an angle
with the diagonal cylinders. The paddle wheel driving shaft would be carried in
bearing blocks or frames over the top of the surface condenser ranged parallel under it
on the soleplate or bedframe, and would be common to the three cylinders which
would have their connecting rods attached to cranks on this shaft, preferably placed at
angles of 120 degrees to each other or giving angles equivalent to such. Four
cylinders can also be set in this manner, two being placed diagonally or at an angle on
the foundation frame and two mounted horizontally in line with the crank shaft on
suitable supports over the other two. And these four cylinders can be made of a
suitable size and used to work for either triple or quadruple expansion.
The two arrangements of triple and quadruple cylinders just described are
also applicable for being fitted as inverted cylinder engines for working the crank
shaft in the bed plate below them, as suitable for screw propulsion, having for the
three cylinder arrangement the first and intermediate cylinders vertical above the
crank shaft and the low pressure cylinder at an angle behind these, preferably all sup-
ported at the back on hollow standard frames over the surface condenser, and having
07

page_text: the front of the two vertical cylinders supported on malleable iron stays from the bed
framing. And in the case of four cylinders, two, either the first and intermediate, or
the third and fourth cylinders, would be erected vertically over the crank shaft, while
the other two would lie parallel to them at an angle to the crank shaft at the back
over the surface condenser.
Under another arrangement of my improvements suitable for paddle steam ships,
the high and intermediate cylinders would be set parallelly and diagonally or at an
angle on a foundation frame to one side of the main driving crank shaft, while the
low pressure cylinder would be set at a similar angle on the opposite side of the crank
shaft erecting the crank shaft on frames between these over the surface condenser laid
parallel to the crank shaft on the bed-frame. The connecting rods of the three
cylinders would work cranks which would preferably be set at angles of 120 degrees
to each other or giving angles equivalent to such, on the crank shaft. Or four
cylinders can be set in this manner for triple expansion, two parallelly on each side of
the crank shaft, the two on the one side being, the high and the intermediate pressure,
and the two on the opposite side of the shaft both low pressure cylinders of equal size.
Or these four cylinders may be used as one high pressure, two intermediate
pressure of equal size, and one low pressure. Or two high pressure of equal size,
one intermediate pressure, and one low pressure. This arrangement of four cylinders
can also be used for quadruple expansion, the cylinders being constructed of suitable
sizes, and the steam exhausting or passing from the one cylinder to the next succeeding
in order of expansion.
When any of these arrangements of four cylinders described for working paddle
wheel crank shafts are used, as on tug boats, the crank shaft can be made in two
parts and fitted with a disconnecting coupling, so that one pair of cylinders can he
used to work one paddle wheel, and the other pair to work the other paddle wheel.
The steam inlet and exhaust valves of the cylinders in these arrangements, may
either be of the piston or slide valve type, and be operated direct by eccentrics and
link motions from the crank shaft, or by any other ordinary arrangement of valve
gear.
In these arrangements of my improvements for triple or quadruple expansive steam
engines the main or essential novelty consists in the placing of some or all of the
cylinders in a diagonal or angled position in relation to their bed-frame and crank
shaft as herein before described.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Multiple Expansion Engines for
Marine and other Purposes.
I, ANDREW LAING, of 2 Glenavon Terrace, Partick Lanarkshire, Engineer, do
hereby declare 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 in writing reference being had to the accompanying Two
Sheets of Drawings, and to the letters and figures inarked thereon, that is to say :-
This Invention has reference to and comprises improvements in the construction, or
arrangement and combination of the cylinders, in triple and quadruple expansion
steam engines for marine or other purposes, with the object of considerably reducing
the width of the engines and making them more compact and stable, and have other
advantages over such engines as heretofore constructed.
And in order that my said invention, and the manner of performing or carrying
the same into effect or practice may be properly understood, I have hereunto appended
Two explanatory Sheets of Drawings, in which the same reference letters are used to
indicate corresponding parts in all the figures where shown.
Figures 1 and 2 on Sheet 1 are a side and end elevation respectively at right angles
to each other, and Figure 3 a corresponding plan all illustrating one construction or
angled arrangement and combination of three cylinders 1, 2, 3, in accordance with
my improvements as applied for triple expansion on a paddle steam ship. Figures 4, 5,
and 6 are corresponding views to the arrangement shown in Figures 1 to 3, but in which
four cylinders 1, 2, 3, 4, are used with the small high pressure cylinders shown on top
instead of below as in the former Figures, for working either as triple or quadruple
expansive engines. Figures 7, 8, and 9 on Sheet 2, are a side and end elevation and a
plan respectively of a modified or inverted arrangement of the cylinders from that
shown in Figures 1 to 6, as suitable for screw propulsion, and in which one pair,
1 and 2, of the cylinders are shown inverted vertically over the crank shaft, while
the third cylinder 3, makes an angle with the other two 1 and 2. Figures 10, 11,
and 12 show corresponding views of an inverted arrangement of the cylinder similar
to Figures 7 to 9, but in which four cylinders 1, 2, 3, 4, are used, having the high
pressure cylinders 1 and 2 set at an angle towards the crank shaft, while the large
cylinders 3 and 4 are erected in an inverted vertical position over the crank shaft,
and suitable for working either as triple or quadruple expansion engines. Figures 13
and 14 are a side or end elevation and plan respectively for showing a modified
arrangement of my improvements as suitable for paddle steam ships somewhat
analogous to the arrangements shown in Figures 1 to 6, but in which two cylinders
1 and 2, are placed at an angle on one side of the crank shaft, and the large low pressure
cylinder 3 at an angle on the other side and suitable for triple expansion; and
Figures 15 and 16 show corresponding views of an arrangement similar to Figures 13
and 14, also suitable for paddle steam ships, but in which four cylinders 1, 2, 3, 4,
are used, one pair being placed at an angle on each side of the crank shaft and suitable
for working either as triple or quadruple expansive steam engines.

page_text: Referring to these Drawings, and first to Figures 1 to 3 :-
Under this arrangement of my improvements as applied to a triple expansion
engine particularly suitable for a paddle steam ship, I erect on a horizontal sole plate
or bed frame A, the high and intermediate pressure cylinders 1 and 2 respectively,
which are placed with their axes parallel to each other and diagonally or at an angle
to the foundation A, and in the same plane to the crank shaft C. Above these
cylinders 1 and 2 I mount by suitable strong flanges and hollow boxes A¹, the low
pressure cylinder 3, which would be set horizontally to the foundation A and to the
crank shaft C, so as to make a considerable angle with the diagonal cylinders 1 and 2.
The paddle wheel driving shaft C would be carried in bearing blocks or frames ("
over the top of the surface condenser D ranged parallel under it on the sole-plate or
bed-frame A, and would be common to the three cylinders 1, 2, 3, which would have
their connecting rods a¹ a² a³, directly attached to their cranks c on the shaft C, and
to crossheads, working on guide stays A2, secured between the cylinders and
framing of the crank shaft C, and preferably placed at angles of 120 degrees
to each other or giving angles equivalent to such. As shown in Figures 4, 5, and 6,
four cylinders 1, 2, 3, 4 can also be set in this manner, the two large cylinders 3 and 4
in this case being shown placed diagonally or at an angle on the foundation frame A,
and the two small cylinders 1 and 2 mounted horizontally in line with the crank
shaft C on suitable flanged supports over the other two. And these four cylinders 1, 2,
3 and 4 can be made of a suitable size and used to work for either triple or quadruple
expansion; thus for triple expansion, cylinders 1 and 2 could be worked as high
pressure, cylinder 3 as intermediate pressure, and cylinder 4 as low pressure; or for
quadruple expansion they could expand in sequence from 1 to 4.
The two arrangements of triple and quadruple cylinders just described in reference
to Figures 1 to 6 are also applicable for being fitted as inverted vertical cylinder
engines, as shown in Figures 7 to 12, for working the crank shaft C in the bed-
frame A below them, as suitable for screw propulsion, having for the three cylinder
arrangement, as shown in Figures 7 to 9, the first and intermediate cylinders 1 and 2
vertical above the crank shaft C, and the low pressure cylinder 3 at an angle behind
these, down towards the crank shaft C, as shown in Figure 8, preferably all supported
at the back on hollow standard frames A" over the surface condenser D, and having
the front of the two vertical cylinders 1 and 2 supported on malleable iron or steel
stays A3 from the bed framing A. And in the case of four inverted cylinders 1, 2, 3, 4
as shown in Figures 10 to 12 two, either the first and intermediate 1 and 2, or the
third and fourth cylinders 3 and 4, the latter being shown in the Drawings, would be
erected vertically over the crank shaft C, while the other two as shown 1 and 2 would
lie parallel to the first pair in the plan and longitudinal direction but at an angle to
these and the crank shaft in the end view Figure 11, at the back over the surface
condenser D, and be used to work either as triple or quadruple expansion engines ;
thus for triple expansion cylinders 1, 2, could be worked as high pressure, cylinder 3 as
interinediate pressure, and cylinder 4 as low pressure; or for quadruple expansion,
they could expand in sequence from 1 to 4.
Under the arrangement of my improvements suitable for paddle steam ships shown
in Figures 13 and 14, being a duplex arrangement of the angled cylinders shown in
Figures 1 to 3, but on opposite sides of the crank-shaft C, the high and intermediate
cylinders 1 and 2 would be set parallelly and diagonally, or at an angle on a
foundation frame A to one side of the main driving crank shaft C, while the low
pressure cylinder 3 would be set at a similar angle on the opposite side of the crank
shaft C, erecting the crank shaft C on frames C¹ between these over the surface
condenser D laid parallell to the crank shaft in the centre on the bed-frame A.
The connecting rods a², a², a³, of the three cylinders 1, 2, 3, would work cranks e
which would preferably be set at angles of 120 degrees to each other, or giving angles
equivalent to such, on the crank shaft C. Or otherwise as shown in Figures 15 and 16,
four cylinders 1, 2, 3, 4, can be set in this manner for either quadruple or triple
expansion engines. Thus for quadruple expansion engines, two cylinders would be
placed parallelly on each side of the crank shaft C, the small cylinders 1 and 2 being

page_text: placed at an angle on the one side of the crank shaft C, while the other two cylinders 3
and 4 would be placed similarly at an angle on the opposite side of the shaft C, all
increasing in diameter from the high pressure cylinder 1 to the low pressure
cylinder 4, exhausting into the condenser D. This arrangement of four
cylinders 1, 2, 3 4 used for quadruple expansion, would have the cylinders constructed
of suitable sizes, and the steam exhausting or passing in sequence from the one
cylinder to the next succeeding in order of expansion as shown in the Drawings.
Then for triple expansion the cylinders 1 and 2 could be used as high and intermediate
pressure cylinders, and the cylinders 3 and 4 could be made of equal size and both
used as low pressure cylinders.
Or these four cylinders 1, 2, 3, 4 may be used as one high pressure, two intermediate
pressure of equal size, and one low pressure. Or two high pressure of equal size, one
intermediate pressure, and one low pressure.
When any of these arrangements of four cylinders described for working paddle
wheel crank shafts Care used, as on tug boats, the crank shaft can be made in two
parts and fitted with a disconnecting coupling, so that one pair of cylinders can be
used to work one paddle wheel, and the other pair to work the other paddle wheel.
The steam inlet and exhaust valves of the cylinders 1, 2, 3, 4 in all these arrangements,
may either be of the piston or slide valve type, and be operated direct by eccentrics
and link motions from the crank shaft or by any other ordinary arrangement of
valve gear.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what 1
claim is:-
First. The construction or arrangement and combination of the different sized
cylinders of triple, quadruple, or multiple expansive steam engines, substantially as
herein described, and distinguished in reference to the angular engines shown in
Figures 1 to 6, the inverted engines shown in figures 7 to 13, and the diagonal engines
shown in Figures 13 to 16, respectively, of the accompanying Drawings.
Second. In triple quadruple, or multiple expansive steam engines, the arranging or
placing of some or all of the different sized cylinders in a diagonal or angled position
in relation to their bed frame and crank shaft, substantially as herein described, and
distinguished in reference to and shown in the accompanying Drawings.
th: 11th in of tu 1000