IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Davies, of Wednesbury, in the County of Stafford,
Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES."
Sealed the 12th January 1877, and dated the 18th August 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Davies at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 18th August 1876.
JAMES DAVIES, of Wednesbury, in the County of Stafford, Manufacturer.
PROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES."
"IM-
My Invention consists of the construction and arrangement of the parts of steam
engines, herein-after described, whereby great compactness is obtained and great
economy in the production of motive power from steam is effected.
The shaft to which a rotatory motion is to be given is provided at its end with
a crank arm to which is connected a rod, one end of which fits in an oblique hole
near the end of the crank arm and the other end terminates in a ball working in a
cup in the line of the shaft.
When the shaft rotates the rod connected with the crank arm describes a cone,
the base of the cone being in the plane in which the crank arm revolves and the
apex of the cone in the ball at the end of the rod. At or near the middle of the
rod an arın or series of arms is fixed nearly at right angles thereto, and by pushing
or pulling these arms at the required times the said rod is inade to describe a cone
and to communicate a rotatory motion to the shaft with which it is connected.
Steam is made to act upon the said arms in the following manner :-I arrange
three or other number of double-acting steam cylinders symmetrically around an
imaginary axis in a line with the axis of the shaft. The pistons of these steam
cylinders are connected with the arms described, and their valves are so arranged
that they in succession act upon the said arms and produce the conical motion
described in the rod, and the consequent rotatory motion in the crank and shaft.
The pisions of the steamn cylinders have hollow piston rods working in stufting
boxes at the cover ends of the cylinders. The said hollow piston rods are open at
top, and in the said hollow rods are solid connecting rods connected at one end by a
ball-and-cup joint to the piston, and at the other end by a ball-and-cup joint to the
arus described. This arrangement allows of the required oscillating motion in the
said connecting rods. The valves are worked by an axis situated between the
cylinders and parallel with their axes. The inuer end of this axis is made to
Prica Bdl
"

page_text: rotate by means of a projecting tail piece on the ball of the cone describing rod, and
the other or outer end of the said axis carries an excentric or cam which by its
rotation acts in turn upon the several valves of the steam cylinders.
Although I prefer to use not less than three equidistant steam cylinders, yet one,
two, or a greater number than three may be employed. When one cylinder is
employed a fly wheel is desirable to equalize the motion, but when two or more are
employed no fly wheel is necessary.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said James Davies in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 2nd February
1877.
JAMES DAVIES,-of Wednesbury, in the County of Stafford, Manufacturer.
PROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES."
"IM-
My Invention consists of the construction and arrangement of the parts of steam
engines, herein-after described, whereby great compactness is obtained and great
economy in the production of motive power from steam is effected.
The shaft to which a rotary motion is to be given is provided at its end with a
crank arm to which is connected a rod, one end of which fits in an oblique hole
near the end of the crank arm, and the other end terminates in a ball working in
a cup in the line of the shaft.
When the shaft rotates the rod connected with the crank arm describes a cone,
the base of the cone being in the plane in which the crank arm revolves, and the
apex of the cone in the ball at the end of the rod.
At or near the middle of the
rod an arm or series of arms is fixed nearly at right angles thereto, and by pushing
or pulling these arms at the required times the said rod is made to describe a cone
and to communicate a rotatory inotion to the shaft with which it is connected; or
the crank arm at or near the end of the shaft and the rod engaging with it may be
in one piece, that is, a portion of the shaft is so cranked or shaped that the said
cranked or shaped portion on the rotation of the shaft describes the cone referred
to. In this case the series of arms described are connected to a tubular casing
which fits upon the part of the crank which on the rotation of the shaft describes
the sides of the conc. As the part carrying the arms must have no rotatory motion
the tubular casing described is necessary when the cone describing arm connected
with the shaft is made in one piece with the said shaft.
This last modification is simpler in construction than that first described,
although the same in action, and I prefer to carry ny Invention into effect by the
use of the said last-described modification.
Steam is made to act upon the said arms in the following manner :-I arrange
three or other number of double-acting steam cylinders symmetrically about the
shaft. The pistons of these steam cylinders are connected with the arms described,
and their valves are so arranged that they in succession act upon the said arms
and produce the conical motion described in the rod or tubular casing, and the
consequent rotary motion in the crank and shaft. The pistons of the steam
cylinders have hollow piston rods working in stuffing boxes at the cover ends of
the cylinders.
The said hollow piston rods are open at top, and in the said hollow rods are
solid connecting rods connected at one end by a ball-and-cup joint to the piston,
and at the other end by a ball-and-cup joint to the arms described.
This arrangement allows of the required oscillating motion in the said connecting
rods. The valves are worked by an oblique wheel or plate on one end of the crank
shaft, which oblique wheel acts in turn upon the several valves of the steam cylin-
ders. Although I prefer to use not less than three equidistant steam cylinders, yet
one two, or a greater number than three may be employed. When one cylinder

page_text: is employed a fly wheel is desirable to equalize the motion, but when two or more
are employed no fly wheel is necessary.
I will now describe, with reference to the accompanying Drawing, the manner in
which my Invention may be performed.
Figure 1 represents in vertical longitudinal section a steam engine constructed
according to my Invention; Figure 2 is an end elevation of the same; and Figure 3
is a vertical transverse section taken through the line A, A, of Figure 1; Figure 4
is an elevation of a portion of the same as herein-after described. The same letters
of reference indicate the same parts in the several Figures of the Drawing.
a is the shaft of the steam engine to which a rotatory motion is to be given; b, c,
is the cranked part of the shaft, which on the rotation of the said shaft describes a
cone. On the part b of the shaft a tubular casing e is situated; ff. f, are three
arins, situated at that end of the tubular casing e, which on the rotation of the
shaft a is near the apex of the cone described by the parts b, c. Figure + represents
the hollow or tubular casing e, and the three equidistant arms f. f. f, attached to
or formed in one piece with it; h, h, h, are the steam cylinders arranged sym-
metrically about the shaft a. The three arms f. f. f, are connected respectively to
the three cylinders h, h, h, in the manner herein-after described. The axes of the
steam cylinders h, h, h, are not parallel, but are inclined in the manner illustrated
in Figure 1.
By the inclination of the axes of the cylinders the pressure of the part e³ on the
shaft is diminished and the friction consequently reduced. The piston rods i, i, i,
of the pistons working in the steam cylinders h, h, h, are hollow and open at their
outer ends, (see Figure 1). In these hollow piston rods i solid connecting rods k
work, one end of each of the rods being connected by a ball-and-cup joint to the
piston pat l, and the other end of the connecting rod being connected by means
of a ball-and-cup joint at m to the arm f. By an examination of Figure 1 it will
be seen that when the shaft a is turned through a small angle out of the position
in which it is represented the pressure of steam on the under side of the piston p,
causing the piston to move to the cover end of the cylinder h, urges forward the
ball at m on the end of the arm f, and tends through the tubular casing e to cause
the cranked part b, c, of the shaft to perform a semi-rotation. The latter position of
the arm and crank is indicated in Figure 1 in dotted lines. Steam being now
made to press on the upper side of the piston p, the arm f is drawn back to its
original position, the crank b, c, describing a second semi-rotation and returning to
its origina. position. As the three arms f, f, f, (see Figure 4), and the three cylinders
h, h, k, (see Figure 3) are arranged at equidistant points around the shaft a, the
action of the engine is perfectly uniform in every position of the crank b, c.
The valves of the steain cylinders are worked by the arrangement of parts
represented in Figures 1 and 3. The end of the shaft a works in the steam chest
or chamber and carries an oblique wheel or disc r; s is the slide valve of the
cylinder h in a slot in the back of which the periphery of the oblique wheel or
rlisc r engages; t is the exhaust chamber.
9
It will be seen by an examination of Figure 1 that as the shaft a rotates, the
oblique disc or wheel will at each rotation of the shaft give the required motion
to the slide valve s to connect the upper and lower ends of the cylinder / at the
required times with the steam chest q and exhaust chamber t respectively. It
will also be understood by an examination of Figure 1 that the inclined wheel or
disc r acts in succession on the several slide valves s of the cylinders h, h, h. The
inclined wheel 'or disc r may be so connected with the shaft a that it may be
inclined in an opposite direction to that represented in the Drawing. By chang
ing the inclination of the said wheel or disc the direction in which the shaft a
rotates is changed.
It will be understood that the explanation I have given with respect to one of
the cylinders h, and one of the arms f, is applicable to each of the three cylinders
and the arm connected therewith.

page_text: Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in which
the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I claim as my
Invention, the improvements in steam engines herein-before described and illustrated
in the accompanying Drawing, that is to say, communicating a rotatory motion
to the main shaft of the steam engine by cranking or fashioning a part of the said
shaft of such a figure that on the rotation of the shaft the said cranked part describes
a cone, and urging forward the said cranked part of the shaft by means of arms
actuated by steam cylinders, the said arns being constructed and combined with
the said cranked part, and acting substantially as described and illustrated.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Davies, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this First day of February, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and seventy-seven.
Witness,
GEORGE SHAW.
JAMES DAVIES. (L.S.)