IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Hoyois, of Clabecq, in the Kingdom of
Belgium, Civil Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
STEAM ENGINES."
Sealed the 16th January 1874, and dated the 19th July 1873.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Hoyois at the
3 Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
19th July 1873.
I, ALFRED HOYOIs, of Clabecq, in the Kingdom of Belgium, Civil
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "Im-
PROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES," to be as follows:-
-
My Invention relates to the class of steam engines generally known
as Corliss engines, and consists in the improvements herein-after
described in the construction of the parts of such engines.
According to my Invention the steam is admitted to the engine
through the cylinder covers, each of which covers is made of two
parts, which parts, when mounted in position, form between them
an annular aperture or steam port opening directly into the cylinder.

page_text: Round the said annular aperture or steam port a double valve seat
is made to receive an annular metallic disc valve slightly tapering
so as to fit the said valve seat, and provided with a central projecting
rib, which rib engages in the said annular aperture, being guided
therein by projections cast upon each of the parts of the cover. Other
projections or ribs cast upon either part of the cover extend across the
said annular aperture to ensure the correct position of the parts of the
cylinder cover.
The metallic disc valves herein-before described constitute the steam
valves of the engine. The exhaust valves are of a similar character
to the annular steam valves above described, being mounted each upon
a double valve seat formed round an annular aperture or exhaust port
made in one of the cylinder covers, or upon a double valve seat formed
by the cylinder itself, and a metal casing cast round the said cylinder,
and forming with the outer surface thereof an annular opening or space
for the discharge of the exhaust steam. Each of the said annular dise
valves for the admission and discharge of the steam has affixed upon
its surface two metal rods, one opposite the other; the said rods pass
through suitable stuffing boxes on the cylinder covers to the outside
where they are jointed each to one end of a lever affixed upon a spindle
or axis supported by a bracket on the cylinder cover. The said levers
are arranged so that those two of them which are connected with the
rods from one disc valve work in pairs on the same axis, and are
actuated by a lever arm affixed to or forming part of one of the said
levers.
The steam and exhaust valves are actuated as follows:-Upon the
cylinder, by preference in the middle of its length and underneath
the governor, which in my improved engines may be placed above
the centre line of the cylinder, I mount in suitable bearings a cam
shaft; which shaft receives rotary motion from the driving shaft of
the engine so as to revolve with the same velocity as the said driving
shaft. The said can shaft bas upon it two cams, one for actuating
the steam valves, the other for actuating the exhaust valves of the
engine. The exhaust cam is affixed upon the cam shaft, and acts
upon the exhaust valve at each end of the cylinder by means of an
adjustable rod; one end of which rod is actuated by the exhaust cam,
the other end of the said rod being jointed to the lever arm connected
with the exhaust valve, as herein-before described.

page_text: The cam actuating the steam valve is connected to the cam shaft
so as to rotate with the said shaft, but it is capable of sliding motion
upon the said shaft in either direction; such sliding motion being
communicated to the said cam from the governor. The surface of
the said cam is bevelled, tapering in one direction so as to give more
or less action to the steam valves, according as the said cam is caused
to move along the cam shaft in one or the other direction by the
governor. The said steam cam actuates the two steam valves alter-
nately by means of suitable adjustable rods which receive the action
of the said cam, and communicate the same to the lever arms above
described actuating the said steam valves. The ends of the said rods
next the cam are provided with projecting bevilled heads corresponding
in shape with the cam surface.
Each of the rods communicating the motion of the steam cam and
of the exhaust cam is made to pass into or through a spring box in
which a spiral spring gives the return motion to the said rods.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Alfred Hoyois in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 17th January 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALFRED
HOYOIs, of Clabecq, in the Kingdom of Belgium, Civil Engineer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of July, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the
thirty-seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Alfred Hoyois, Her special
license that I, the said Alfred Hoyois, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Alfred Hoyois, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN

page_text: STEAM ENGINES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Alfred Hoyois, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the
same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Alfred Hoyois, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, that is to say:-
My Invention relates to the class of steam engines generally known as
Corliss engines, and consists in the improvements, herein-after described,
in the construction of the parts of such engines.
According to my Invention the steam is admitted to the engine
through the cylinder covers, each of which covers is made of two parts,
which parts when mounted in position form between them an annular
aperture or steam port opening directly into the cylinder. Round the
said annular aperture or steam port a double valve seat is made to
receive annular metallic disc valve, slightly tapering so as to fit the
said valve seat, and provided with a central projecting rib, which rib
engages in the said annular aperture, being guided therein by projections
cast upon cach of the parts of the cover. Other projections or ribs cast
upon either part of the cover extend across the said annular aperture to
ensure the correct position of the parts of the cylinder cover.
The metallic disc valves, herein-before described, constitute the steam
valves of the engine. The exhaust valves are of a similar character to
the annular steam valves above described, being mounted each upon a
double valve seat formed round an annular aperture or exhaust port
made in one of the cylinder covers, or upon a double valve seat formed
by the cylinder itself, and a metal casing cast round the said cylinder,
and forming with the outer surface thereof an annular opening or space
for the discharge of the exhaust steam. Each of the said annular disc
valves for the admission and discharge of the steam has affixed upon its
surface two metal rods, one opposite the other, the said rods pass through
suitable stuffing boxes on the cylinder covers to the outside where they
are jointed cach to one end of a lever affixed upon a spindle or axis

page_text: supported by a bracket on the cylinder cover. The said levers are
arranged so that those two of them which are connected with the rods
from one disc valve work in pairs on the same axis, and are actuated by
a lever arm affixed to or forming part of one of the said levers.
The steam and exhaust valves are actuated as follows:-Upon the
cylinder, by preference in the middle of its length and underneath the
governor, which in my improved engines may be placed above the centre
line of the cylinder, I mount in suitable bearings a cam shaft, which
shaft receives rotatory motion from the driving shaft of the engine so as
to revolve with the same velocity as the said driving shaft. The said cam
shaft has upon it two cams, one for actuating. the steam valves, the
other for actuating the exhaust valves of the engine. The exhaust cam
is affixed upon the cam shaft, and acts upon the exhaust valve at each
end of the cylinder by means of an adjustable rod, one end of which
rod is actuated by the exhaust cam, the other end of the said rod being
jointed to the lever arm connected with the exhaust valve, as herein-
before described.
The cam actuating the steam valve is connected to the cam shaft so.
as to rotate with the said shaft, but it is capable of sliding motion upon
the said shaft in either direction, such sliding motion being communi-
cated to the said cam from the governor. The surface of the said cam
is bevelled, tapering in one direction so as to give more or less action to
the steam valves, according as the said cam is caused to move along
the cam shaft in one or the other direction by the governor. The said
; steam cam actuates the two steam valves alternatively by means of
suitable adjustable rods, which receive the action of the said cam and
communicate the same to the lever arms, above described, actuating the
said steam valves. The ends of the said rods next the cam are provided
with projecting bevilled heads corresponding in shape with the cam
surface.
Each of the rods communicating the motion of the steam cam and of
the exhaust cam is made to pass into or through a spring box in which a
untuum motion to the said rods

page_text: DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a side elevation partly in section of a steam engine con-
structed according to my Invention; Figure 2 is a plan view of the
same partly in section; Figure 3 is a cross section of the same taken
through the cylinder; Figure 4 is a cross section taken through the
valve rods in front of the cylinder.
Figures 5, 6, and 7 are detached views of parts, as herein-after
described.
The same letters of reference are used to indicate like parts wherever
they occur in the Figures.
a is the steam cylinder, which is closed at each end by the double
covers b, b¹, b, 6', the said covers being each made in two parts b, b³,
which when mounted in position form the steam and exhaust ports of
the engine, and the valve seats and passages for the admission and
exhaust of the steam. The steam port consists of an annular aperture 6³,
with bars or ribs crossing it at intervals to keep the cover together;
the said steam port 62 opens into the cylinder a. Round the said annular
aperture or steam port 62 is formed a double valve seat to receive the
annular metallic disc valve c, which may be flat or slightly conical
(shown drawn to an enlarged scale in plan and in section at Figure 5),
which valve fits on to the said valve seat, and is provided with a central
rib c¹, with projections c³ cast thereon at intervals to guide the motion
of the said annular valve c. If preferred the said disc valve may be
made of uniform thickness, and the projections for guiding the same
may be cast upon each side of the valve seat, instead of being cast upon
the valve itself. d, d, is the annular exhaust port, which forms a double
valve seat for the disc valve e, e, (shewn also in the enlarged view
Figure 5). The said disc valve e is of similar construction to the disc
valves c, being provided with a central rib e', e¹, and projections e², e², to
act as guides, as shewn. The said exhaust valve opens inwards, and the
steam or admission valve opens outwards. To each of the said annular
disc valves c, e, are affixed two rods c³, c³, and e³, es, respectively. To
the ends of the rods c³, c³, of the steam disc valve c are affixed the pistons
or plates ff, working in spring boxes f¹, f¹, formed in a bracket f³,
affixed on the cylinder cover 6. In the spring boxes f¹,f', are spiral;
springs f³, fs, which springs give the return motion to the admission
valve c, and the elastic force of the said springs is regulated by the set

page_text: screws f, f, which are made to act upon the pressing discs or
plates f³, fs, within the said spring boxes. The ends of the exhaust
valve rods e, e³, pass through the spring boxes g, 9, also formed in the
brackets f, and to the said rods are attached the pistons or plates g¹, g³,
working in the said spring boxes 9, 9, and acted upon by the springs g², g³,-
which thus give the return motion to the exhaust disc valve e.
The steam and exhaust valves are actuated as follows:-Above the
cylinder a, and by preference in the middle of its length, I mount in
suitable bearings in the brackets i, i, a cam shaft 2, which shaft receives
rotatory motion from the driving shaft j of the engine, so as to revolve
with the same velocity as the said shaft j, by means of the bevelled
wheel upon the shaft j, which wheel gears with and gives motion to
the bevilled wheel affixed upon the intermediary shaft j³, which shaft
by means of the bevilled wheel j* upon its other end gives motion to the
bevilled wheel j³ and cam shaft . Upon the said cam shaft are mounted
the cams for actuating the steam valves and the exhaust valves of the
engine. The cam k actuating the steam valves (which cam is shewn in
Figures 2 and 3, and also in plan and elevation drawn to a larger scale
in Figure 7) is mounted upon the cam shaft so as to rotate with the said
cam shaft, but it is capable of sliding motion upon the said shaft in
either direction according as it is actuated by the double lever upon.
the spindle A, the lower arm of which lever is forked and engages in a
groove formed in the cam k, whilst its upper arm is connected with."
the governor, and is actuated therefrom. The cam k is bevilled, as
shewn, tapering in one direction, so that as the velocity of the engine
increases or decreases, the said cam being caused to move along the cam
shaft in one or other direction will give more or less action to the
admission valves, and consequently admit more or less steam to the
cylinder, as the case may be.
The action of the cam k is communicated to the admission valve as
follows: Upon each of the admission valve rods c³, c³, is affixed so that
its exact position may be regulated by the set nuts c³, c³, one end of an
upright lever c³, c³, the other end of which lever is affixed upon one end
of a sliding rod m, m, supported by and capable of motion in the.
brackets m², m³, and the other ends of the said sliding rods m, m, are
affixed each to one end of a cross piece m³, in the centre of which cross
piece is formed a hollow cylinder or cup, in which is fitted a short rod n,
the head of which rod is constantly in contact with the cam k, being

page_text: pressed outwards against it by a suitable spring inside the cup of the
cross piece m³. By the rotation of the cam k the said rod is alternately
pressed backwards and released by the said cam, when it is caused to
recede it acts upon and presses back the cross piece m³, the sliding
rods m, m, the levers c³, c³, the valve rods c³, c³, and the admission
valve c, which valve c then uncovers the admission ports b³, and admits
steam to the engine, the extent of such admission of steam being
regulated by the position of the said cam on the cam shaft, as herein-
before described. When by its continued rotation the said cam k ceases
to act upon the admission valve c the parts are caused to resume their
former position by the action of the springs f³, f³, and the admission
valve c closes the steam port 62. . o, o, are the cams for actuating the
exhaust valves e, e. Each of the said cams o (one of which is represented
in plan and in cross section, drawn to an enlarged scale at Figure 6)
consists of a plate or disc in which is formed an excentric groove or
depression o¹, suitably shaped to give the required motion to the exhaust
valve. The said cam o acts upon the pins or studs o², each of which
pins of is affixed to one end of each of the sliding rods p, supported in
the brackets m¹, m². To the other end of each of the said sliding rods is
affixed one end of the upright lever e³, the other end of which lever et is
affixed upon the exhaust valve rod e³, its position upon the said rod
being adjustable by means of the set nuts e*. Upon the projecting pins
or studs o² are mounted loosely short metal tubular pieces or rings o³,
between which and the pins or studs o² a small amount of play is
allowed. The rotation of the cams o causes the grooves or depressions o¹
to act upon the said pins or studs o², and through the rods p, p, and
levers es, es, and valve rods e³, e³, to give motion to the exhaust disc
valve e, so as to open and close the exhaust ports d, d, as required, the
closing motion of the said valves being also effected by the action of the
springs q² on the valve rods e³.
It will be seen that the valve gear both for the admission and exhaust
of the steam is of similar construction in all respects at each end of the
cylinder, and the admission cam / acts alternately upon each of the
admission valves, and the exhaust cams o act also upon the exhaust
valves at each end of the cylinder. q is the frame of the engine;
r, r, are fly wheels on the main or driving shaft j; s are steam passages
for the admission of steam to the cylinder, and t are passages for the
exhaust steam. The governor & is actuated from the cam shaft ¹ by
means of a band pulley u upon one end of the said shaft, which band

page_text: pulley gives motion to a band pulley u¹ on a spindle actuating the said
governor, as indicated in Figure 3.
Figure 8 represents in elevation, partly in section, a mode of connecting
the disc valve rods e³ and c³ to their respective disc valves e and c, in
order that the said connection should not be perfectly rigid. It will be
seen that each of the said valve rods is attached to its disc valve by
means of a metal connecting piece x bolted to the said valve, which
connecting piece is formed to receive a head made upon the end of the
said disc valve rod, and to hold it down, at the same time allowing a
small amount of lateral play to the said rod.
Having now explained the nature of my said Invention, and means
pursued by me in carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be understood
that I do not confine myself to the precise details herein-before described
and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings, as the same may be
varied without departing from the nature of my Invention, but I claim
as my Invention of improvements in steam engines,―
First. The adaptation, combination, or arrangement of parts, sub-
stantially as herein-before described and illustrated in the accompanying
Drawings.
Second. The mode of admitting steam to the cylinder and discharging
it therefrom by means of annular disc valves made to open and close
annular steam and exhaust ports formed in the covers of the steam
cylinder, substantially as herein-before described and illustrated in the
accompanying Drawings.
Third. The mode of actuating the said annular disc valves, sub-
stantially as herein-before described and illustrated in the accompanying
Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Hoyois, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of January, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
accompanying Drawings.
Third. The mode of actuating the said annular disc valves, sub-
stantially as herein-before described and illustrated in the accompanying
Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Hoyois, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of January, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
four.