IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF STEAM ENGINES, WHICH CONSISTS OF A BETTER MEANS OF MECHANISM FOR EFFECTING THE TRANSMISSION OF AND CONVERTION OF ACTION OF MOTION FOR WORKING AND APPLYING STEAM OR OTHER EQUIVALENT MOTIVE POWER
Year: 1855

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Robert James. Maryon at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 16th
January 1855.
I, ROBERT JAMES MARYON, Gentleman, of 37, York Road, Lambeth, in
the County of Surrey, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF STEAM ENGINES, WHICH CONSISTS OF A
BETTER MEANS OF MECHANISM FOR EFFECTING THE TRANSMISSION OF AND CONVERTION
OF ACTION OF MOTION FOR WORKING AND APPLYING STEAM OR OTHER EQUIVALENT
MOTIVE POWER," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists of an improved principle of constructing the
mechanism for the more effectively working of steam power, by my improved
vibrating connecting piston rod and gland slide, (which is an improvement on
my former and original Invention of the same title, which will be found in
my fourth section of my improvements in steam engines, Specification filed on
the Thirteenth day of January 1855, of a Patent granted unto me on the 13th
day of July 1854, in the
year of Her Majesty's reign, and which said
improvement consisted of constructing the gland slide on the inside surface of
the cylinder cover,) in lieu of outside, as given in said former Specification,
which I done in error, and which I discover would be very difficult to keep

page_text: steam-tight the working parts; and therefore, be it understood, that the main
feature of my present improvement consists of working the gland slide inside
the cylinder in lieu of outside, and which advantage will be seen from the fact
of the steam pressure (in the one instance (vis.), of my former Specification,
where I applied the slide outside, the steam pressure from the within slide would
have a tendency to force or lift the slide by exertion of its power thereon
through a slot, of which its duty is to cover and work steam-tight). Now,
the line of contrast is this: in my present construction of and application of
the gland slide on the inside surface of the cylinder cover, the steam power
will exert its pressure against the slide, and thereby render the same steam-
tight in working; and therefore this principle of the construction is the
main advantage of my present improvement in working and applying steam
or equivalent motive power, and which I construct in the following manner:
I surface the inside of the cylinder cover, and apply guides with bolts to nut
up on the outside, so that any amount of pressure can be obtained by tighten-
ing up the screws of the slide guides: This slide surface, is made to work
steam-tight. To always enclose the oblong slot, I form in the cover sufficiently
long to admit of the piston rod to vibrate while working the crank or other
rotatory agent, through the arc of which it describes, and I either use this
moving surface slide with or without. metallic, gasket, or elastic or fatty
packing, as may be found practically necessary; and when I do use packing I
form an endless channel or channels in that side of the moving surface.slide
which works against the surface formed on or in the inside part of the cover,
of sufficient size as to always clear the rod slot, (and in lieu of this arrange-
ment I apply a packing of any kind from the outside of the cylinder cover,
pressing the same downwards by suitable set screws, which I form around the
oblong slot in the cover, and thereby render steam more effectively steam-tight
if necessary, (and in this instance the moving surface slide will not require
any packing channels,) and thus the moving gland slide is kept up to the
ceiling or inside surface of the cover, and which is adjustable to supplant wear.
By my improved construction of the slide guides, (and when the arc of which,
the rotatory agent acting in concert with my vibrating rod, shall describe more
in proportion to the diameter of my cylinder, as in the case of working high
pressure and a long stroke, I require them to vibrate my rod, and so I form a
recess in opposite sides of the inside of the cylinder and the cover to corre-
spond, so as to allow the gland slide to work, into,) and lubrication of the slide
is easily effected from the outside of the cylinder; and I form an oblong hole
slot for the piston rod to work through this gland slide, to suit more better
or

page_text: the position of the rod at the time of half stroke; and I either use a socket
in two halves, screwed or bolted together, packed or unpacked, and so much
of sphereical chamber as to keep steam-tight the ball gland which works
therein, in like manner to my former Invention, specified on the Thirteenth
day of January 1855, which consists of a universal or ball and socket gland.
Packing of the rod is effected in the usual manner by a screw in the ball
pressing on the packing); and the lower half of this said cup or socket I
construct separate from the slide and screw; or bolt it therein, so as to
render by any mechanical ready means the equivalent of being formed in the
solid (which I must do to fit the same). The upper half or part of the socket
is screwed or bolted, as may be, to the lower half after the ball gland is fitted
in, and thus the ball, gland slide, and rod moves to and fro the cylinder cover
slot while working. Mark this: I apply the ball and socket outside and the
gland slide inside the cylinder cover, and thus accommodates the piston rod,
which has a ball turned or fitted on, and works in bearings formed in the
piston, to accommodate any position while transmitting motion of steam
pressure from the piston of stationary cylinders to the crank or other equiva-
lent rotatory agent of motion; and to keep the piston more steady in the
working, I sometimes employ a double-packed piston, either metalic, or
gasket, or other fatty or elastic packing, and I do also in lieu of that use a
rod or rods inside my cylinder, with glands steam-tight, to keep, if necessary,
the piston steady, and to float the piston in the chamber when applied as
horizontal engines; thus the piston is a moving, and my guide or support rod
or rods are stationary. The cover has suitable caps to apply a screw wrench
to tighten the piston and packing glands when those are applied.
And my second section of my improvement in this class of engine is (viz.),
I construct an oval rod and gland slide, and apply in like manner to the round
rod gland slide, previously given in my description, either with or without a
ball gland, with an oval hole for the rod to work through, as I form an oval
gland in the slide (packed in the usual manner of glands), adjusting suitable
pressure by set screw or screws, or by forming a gland of any suitable elastic
elongating packing, having a metallic tube or ring secured thereto or therein,
for the preservation of the elastic gland from the wear of the piston rod; and
this my oval rod's advantage consists in applying the metal to more account
for to obtain strength in the angular push and pull of the rod at the crank or
agent of rotatory motion; and all or any part or parts of this whole explained
improvement I apply to engines of old construction, and arrange and apply
these engines for driving screw, paddle, or any kind of shafting, as engines,

page_text: stationary, locomotive, or marine, arranging the usual material, viz., air, feed,
and bilge pumps and condenser, as is the manner heretofore in the marine;
and which said improved rod gland slides I apply to the working of air pumps,
or any pump or pumps, buckets or pistons, in like manner to my cylinder
previously given (whereby I dispense with parallel guides or motions).