Improvements in Locomotive and other Prime Movers.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 18th June, 1889
Complete Specification Left. 15th Mar.. 1890-Accepted, 19th Apr., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Locomotive and other Prime Movers.
I JOSEPH LEWIS of South Evanston, Cook County, Illinois, United States of
America, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this Invention to be as follows:-
My Invention relates to Locomotives and other motive power engines and
particularly to the means for controlling the flow of the steam or acting fluid in such
machinery. In the Specification of a former Invention for which Letters Patent
Number 8883 of the year 1887 have been granted to me I described improved forms
of rotating valves and in my present invention I make use of valves of the same or of
similar construction. I actuate the revolving valve by means of spiral gearing. In
the case of a double cylinder engine the valve shaft revolves at half the speed of the
crank shaft one valve serving for both cylinders. In cases wherein the engine is to
be reversed I use a long spiral wheel upon the valve shaft and arrange it to be slid
In the
thereon whereby the valve is turned partly round and the lead is changed
case of a locomotive I connect the reversing lever by means of levers and links with
a shackle upon an extension of one end of the said wheel. To facilitate the formation
of such long spiral wheels I make them in sections which can be cast in steel and
thread a sufficient number of such sections upon a sleeve which is fitted to slide upon
the valve spindle. The driver wheel may be made in halves and be secured upon a
collar formed upon the crank shaft. In the case of a locomotive engine the valve
shaft is coupled to the end of the valve spindle by an universal joint.
In
I mount two
bowls upon trunnions formed upon a cross head on the shaft end and form recesses to
receive the said bowls in a head upon the spindle end a covering plate keeping the
bowls in position. The other end of the shaft is carried by a cross bearer which is
formed with ball ends which are seated in bearings carried by the axle boxes.
some cases I arrange for one valve to serve for four cylinders two high pressure and
two low pressure. Such a valve would be constructed on the principle of my said
former invention but would have four heads instead of two. The valve would be
fitted to revolve in a casing which would be outwardly provided with ribs to fit. the
bored valve chamber and to form steam passages. As the valve would rotate the
high pressure steam would be delivered by the side recesses in two of the heads to
the high pressure cylinders in due order the said cylinders exhausting through the
ports in the heads into the central passage in the valve wherein the steam would be
distributed to the low pressure cylinders which would exhaust through the side
recesses in the other two heads into passages formed in the end covers and outside
the casing and which would lead to the exhaust pipe. In some cases I should cast.
all the four cylinders and the valve chamber in one piece. In the case of a locomotive
the casting would form the saddle to carry the front end of the boiler. In another
When
form of compound engine the cylinders would be arranged tandem-wise.
desirable I provide a supplementary steam inlet valve to aid in starting the engine.
This valve when open admits high pressure steam to the central passage in the valve
and so converts the low pressure cylinders into high pressure. For this purpose I
prefer to use a stop valve constructed in accordance with my said former Invention..
In cases wherein it is advisable to vary the point of cut off I fit the valve to revolve
The
within a shell which is itself fitted to revolve with the bored valve chamber.
said shell is formed with ports or openings so arranged as that by turning the
shell by means of a worn and wheel or by suitable means the point of cut off may
be varied.
Dated this 17th day of June 1889

page_text: Improvements in Locomotive and other Prime Movers.
I JOSEPH, LEWIS of South Evanston Cook County Illinois United States of America
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 and accompanying drawings :-
My Invention relates to Locomotives and other motive power engines and
particularly to the means for controlling the flow of the steam or acting fluid in such
machinery.. In the Specification of a former Invention for which Letters Patent
Number 8883 of the year 1887 have been granted to me I described improved forms
of rotating valves and in my present invention I make use of valves of the same or of
similar construction. I actuate the revolving valve by means of spiral gearing. In
the case of a double cylinder engine the valve shaft revolves at half the speed of the
crank shaft one valve serving for both cylinders. In cases wherein the engine is to
be reversed I use a long spiral wheel upon the valve shaft and arrange it to be slid
thereon whereby the valve is turned partly round and the lead is changed. In the
case of a locomotive I connect the reversing lever by means of levers and links with a
shackle upon an extension of one end of the said wheel. To facilitate the formation
of such long spiral wheels I make them in sections which can be cast in steel and
thread a sufficient number of such sections upon a sleeve which is fitted to slide upon
the valve spindle. In some cases I arrange for one valve to serve for four cylinders
two high pressure and two low pressure. When desirable I provide a supplementary
steam inlet valve to aid in starting the engine. This valve when open admits high
pressure steam to the central passage in the valve and so converts the low pressure
cylinder into high pressure. In cases wherein it is advisable to vary the point of
out-off I fit the valve to revolve within a shell which is itself fitted to revolve within
the bored valve chamber. The said shell is formed with ports or openings so arranged
as that by turning the shell by means of a worm and wheel or by suitable means the
point of cut-off may be varied.
My invention will be best described with reference to the accompanying drawings
wherein Fig. 1 represents an end elevation and Fig. 2 a side elevation partly in
section of a locomotive, constructed in accordance with my Invention. In the said
Figs. A A are the two steam cylinders and B is the valve case or chamber these
parts being in the example cast in one piece with the saddle C which carries the
forward end of the boiler as is usual. In the valve chamber is fitted the valve b.
This valve is constructed in accordance with a former Invention for which Letters
Patent Number 8883 of the year 1887 have been granted to me.
The said valve is
of cylindrical forination and is provided with two heads as indicated in Figs. 5 and 6
which represent the valve apart from its case. Each head has an exhaust passage b¹
extending through from side to side the passage in one head being at right angles to
the passage in the other. Each head has also two steam passages 62 which open
sideways into the annular space around the hollow shaft 6 of the valve. As the valve
revolves the steam is supplied to and exhausted from each end of each cylinder twice
in one revolution of the valve so that the valve bas only to revolve at. half the
speed of the crank shaft. Figs. 3 and 4 show the hollow shaft be without the
yielding curved valve segments. For a more detailed description of the valve I
refer to the Specification of my said former Invention. The attached drawings illustrate
an important improvement in the mounting of the valve not included in my said
former Invention. The ends of the hollow valve shaft pass through stuffing boxes
and glands at each end of the valve chamber so that the said valve shaft is sustained
in a central position and the elastic packings of the valve are free to adjust them-
selves to fit the interior of the valve chamber. The hollow shaft b is in communi-
cation with the blast pipe C and the said annular space is in communication with the
steam pipe c¹. Upon one end of the valve shaft 63 is fixed a head b which is secured
by means of a collar so that the valve can be removed from its chamber when

page_text: necessary. The head 6 is connected by means of an universal joint with one end of
a shaft d. The construction of this joint is indicated in Fig. 8. A ball upon the
end of the shaft d is formed with two trunnions upon which are mounted wheels
which work in recesses bs formed in the head b. A front covering plate is applied
to the head and secured by means of screws. The ball on the shaft end works in
socket bearings in the head 6' and the covering plate so that there is an amount of
freedom for angular motion of the shaft d in all directions at the same time that
the said shaft is compelled to revolve with the head 6. The other end of the shaft d
revolves in a bearing formed in a cross bar which is carried by the crank shaft
axle boxes in the manner indicated in Fig. 10 Sheet 2 wherein it will be seen that
ball ends upon the said cross bar are seated in sockets in parts d² which are attached
to the axle boxes. Upon the crank shaft is secured a worm wheel E which gears
with a worm wheel D which is mounted to slide upon the shaft d but is compelled
to revolve with it by means of a fast key or by suitable means. The wheels E
and D which appear detached from the engine in Fig. 9 are so proportioned as
that the former revolves twice for each revolution of the latter. In order to get
the wheel E into position it is made in two parts which are bolted upon a collar
formed upon the crank shaft the securing bolts passing through flanges upon the
said parts and through the said collar as indicated in Figs. 9 and 10. If preferred
the wheel might be made in one piece and of such proportions as that it could be
slipped over one of the cranks. In such a case it might be shrunk upon the collar
on the crank axle. The said wheel might be formed in one piece with the crank
shaft and be cut in position but I have considered this to be an expensive method of
construction. Figs. 7 and 9 also illustrate a method I have adopted to lessen the
cost of formation of the long wheel D. The said wheel consists of a number of
sections each say about two.inches in thickness. These sections are all alike with
the exception of the position of the key slot and may be cast in steel without much
difficulty. The sections are threaded upon a sleeve d' which is provided with a fixed
key or nut d binding the sections firmly together. This method of construction
will facilitate the repairing of the wheel. As the principal wear will be at one end
of the wheel the worm sections may be replaced without having to renew the entire
wheel. I do not however confine myself to this sectional formation as the wheel
might be formed in one piece and the teeth be formed by cutting or milling but a
wheel so made would necessarily be costly. The sleeve d³ might be square or
polygonal and the eyes in the sections be severally formed in correct position instead
using a fast key to prevent the sections from turning upon the sleeve. The said
sleeve is fitted to slide upon the shaft d and one end is fitted to revolve in a cross
head do which is formed with trunnions upon which are mounted the ends of links ff.
These links are connected by their other ends with levers which are fixed upon a
rock shaft f¹ seen in Fig. 2 which shaft is connected by means of an upright lever
and a connecting rod with the reversing lever f³. It will be seen that by
operating upon the reversing lever the wheel D can be slid upon the shaft d. As
the two wheels D and E are always in gear it will be obvious that the former can
not be moved upon its shaft in either direction without revolving owing to the
spiral formation of the teeth of the wheel this revolving of the wheel also turning
the valve in its casing and altering the position of the valve with relation to the
cranks. This effect will be the same whether the engine is in motion or at rest.
By this simple sliding movement of the wheel D the lead of the valve can be changed
in manner corresponding with the action of the reversing links of the ordinary
valve gear.
When the reversing lever is moved from its central position shewn
in the drawing to the forward notch the engine will go forward and when the lever
is moved to the back notch the engine will go backward. The wearing of the
wheels D and E will cause the valve to fall slightly behind time but this can be
rectified by means of the reversing lever so that the said wheels may be continued
in use until they become too much weakened by wear. It will be seen that the
mounting of the shaft d permits of the ordinary vertical movements due to the
yielding of the springs..
of

page_text: The arrangements for reversing the engine by changing the lead of the valve are
such as I consider to be most suitable especially in the cases of inside cylinder
engines wherein there is a limited space between the cranks. In cases wherein there
is sufficient space between the cranks the wheel may be the long wheel and be
fitted to slide upon the crank shaft.
Figs. 11 and 12 illustrate the application of my Invention in the construction of a
compound locomotive. In this example a single revolving valve serves for four
cylinders. The construction of the valve is more clearly shewn in Figs. 13 to 17 in
Sheet 3. Fig. 14 represents a vertical cross section through the valve and its casing
on the line A in Fig. 13 and Fig. 15 represents a cross section on the line B also in
Fig. 13. Fig. 13 represents a longitudinal section on the line C in Fig. 14 and
Fig. 16 represents a longitudinal section on the line D in Fig. 17 which is a cross
section on the line E in Fig. 16. The valve has four heads in which are formed cross
ports g g', h h and in each head are formed two passages i i which correspond with
the passages 6 in Fig. 5. The valve is fitted to revolve in a casing; which is turned
and fitted tight into a cylindrical chamber formed in the saddle casting as seen in
Fig. 17 which also indicates the manner in which the two high pressure cylinders K K¹
and the two low pressure cylinders L L' are formed in the said casting. I do not
however confine myself to the forming of the cylinders and the valve chambers
in one casting. The valve casing j is formed with steam ports and with exterior
ribs which serve to separate the passages leading to the cylinders and the
steam and exhaust pipes. The arrows in the Figures indicate the distribution of
the steam. The high pressure steam enters at M in Fig. 17 and has access to
the space m around the hollow shaft n of the valve. From this space the steam
has free access to the passages ii in the heads and h¹ but is cut off from the
corresponding passages in the heads g g by means of partitions n¹ which are cast
upon the shaft n and are turned and finished to fit the interior of the valve casing.
In Fig. 13 kk are the steam passages leading to the two ends of the cylinder K
and are the two passages leading to the ends of the cylinder L. In Fig. 16 the
ports formed in the valve casing and leading into the passages are indicated by the
same letter. The ports open into the passages which lead to the two ends of
the cylinder L. Corresponding ports opening into the steam passages k' and l¹ are
formed in the half of the casing which is supposed to be cut away in the section.
The two ends of the hollow valve shaft revolve in stuffing boxes formed in the two
end covers OO as herein aforesaid. In the drawings the valve is supposed to be in
the position as when the pistons in K and L are moving toward the right hand in
Fig. 13 having moved only a short distance the pistons in K' and L₁ being nearly at
the ends of their stroke in the opposite direction. The course of the high pressure
steam from m¹ through the passages into the left hand end of the cylinder K is
indicated by the light arrows. The exhaust steam from the other end of the cylinder
flows in the direction indicated by the heavy arrows through the ports h¹ and g and
the interior of the hollow shaft into the passage which leads into the left hand end
of the low pressure cylinder L. At the same time steam is flowing into the right
hand end of the cylinder K' and the left hand end is exhausting into the right hand
end of the low pressure cylinder L. It will be seen that one half revolution of the
valve would bring the passages into the same relative positions so that one complete
revolution serves to control the flow of steam for two complete revolutions of the
crank shaft.
The arrangements of the steam passages in Figs. 11 and 12 do not quite agree
with the Figs. in Sheet 3 for the reason that in Figs. 11 and 12 the valve and
passages are constructed so that the cylinder 1 in Fig. 11 would exhaust into
cylinder 4 and cylinder 2 into cylinder 3. The arrangement illustrated in Sheet 3
would be more effective so I have described it more fully. I may also point out that
in Fig. 17 the cylinders are arranged so as to reduce the height of the boiler as
compared with Figs. 11 and 12.
Figs. 18 and 19 illustrate a modification in the arrangement of the steam
cylinders. In this example the high and low pressure cylinders in each pair are

page_text: arranged tandem-wise. In consequence of the increased length of space occupied
by the cylinders I have shewn an arrangement wherein the power is transmitted to
the driving axles by means of slotted cross heads but I do not confine myself to this
and any suitable construction and arrangement of parts considered to be most
suitable may be adopted. The steam is distributed to the four cylinders by means of
a valve having four heads as in the previous example but made longer to suit the
disposition of the cylinders or two valves coupled together end to end might be used.
The high pressure steam would be introduced into the annular space between the
heads 3 and 4 of the valve and the exhaust would pass from the annular space
between heads 1 and 2 to the blast pipe.
In
The high pressure cylinders would exhaust through the hollow valve shaft into the
back cylinders as in the example previously described. The ports through the
heads 1 and 4 should be at right angles to the ports through the heads 2 and 3.
both examples illustrated by Figs. 13 and 19 provision is made for the supply of
high pressure steam direct to the hollow shaft of the valve so as to convert the low
pressure cylinders into high pressure. The steam is conveyed through a pipe p
which is furnished with a valve q which can be opened at starting or whenever extra
power is required.
The valve indicated is supposed to be constructed in accordance with my said
former invention. A lever upon the valve spindle is connected with levers and
rods q¹ which enable the driver to open and close the valve from his place on the
foot plate.
Fig. 20 illustrates a construction which may be adopted in cases wherein it is
desirable to be able to vary the point of cut-off of the steam. In this example the
valve revolves within a cylindrical shell which is fitted inside the casing. The
steam passes through ports in the said shell on its way from the valve to the cylinder
or cylinders. The said shell is adapted to be turned within the casing by means of
a worm and wheel or of a lever or by suitable means. In order that the steam may
not be admitted earlier in proportion as the cut-off is made earlier the ports in the
shell are made of a gridiron form. It will be seen that if the shell be turned in a
contrary direction to the direction of rotation of the valve as indicated in the drawing
the steam will be cut-off earlier.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion and in what manuer the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The spiral gearing for actuating revolving valves in locomotives or prime
movers substantially as set forth and indicated.
2. The long spiral wheel formed in sections as and for the purposes set forth and
indicated.
3. The spiral wheel formed in two parts and applied upon a collar on the crank
shaft of a locomotive as set forth.
4. In reversible prime movers driving the revolving valve by means of a spiral
wheel gearing with a long spiral wheel mounted to slide upon its shaft for reversing
purposes substantially as set forth and indicated.
5. The rotating balanced valve with the ends of its hollow shaft revolving in
stuffing boxes and glands substantially as and for the purpose set forth and
indicated.
6. The revolving balanced valve with its casing and its ports and passages as set
forth and indicated with reference to Figs. 13 to 16 of the drawings hereto.
7. The revolving balanced valve applied to a four cylinder compound engine or
locomotive with ports and passages arranged so that the valve serves the high pressure
cylinders with steam transfers the same to the low pressure cylinders and acts as an
exhaust valve for the latter substantially as set forth and indicated.
8. The rotating valve with its ports passages and casing in combination with two
high pressure steam cylinders and two low pressure cylinders substantially as set
forth with reference to the drawings hereto in sheet 3.

page_text: 9. The combination of parts for furnishing the motive power of locomotives
substantially as set forth and indicated.
10. The coupling joint as and for the purpose set forth with reference to Fig. 8 of
the drawings hereto.
11. The arrangements for carrying the bearing for the end of the shaft d
substantially as set forth with reference to Figs. 2, 10, and 13, of the drawings
hereto.
12. In combination with a revolving balanced valve giving steam twice in each
revolution the revolvable shell for varying the cut-off as set forth with reference to
Fig. 20 of the drawings hereto.
DUTTON & FULTON,
1, St. James Square, Manchester, Agents.