IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE CYLINDERS OF STEAM ENGINES
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Ralph Ogden and Isaac Moorhouse Livsey both of Ashton
under Lyne in the County of Lancaster, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE CYLINDERS OF STEAM ENGINES
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Ralph Ogden and Isaac
Moorhouse Livsey at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the
14th September 1883.
RALPH OGDEN and ISAAC MOORHOUSE LIVSEY both of Ashton-under-Lyne in the
County of Lancaster "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE CYLINDERS
OF STEAM ENGINES
"
The object of our invention is to obviate the unequal expansion and contraction
to which the cylinders of steam engines are liable thus preventing their liability
to fracture and at the same time to simplify and economize the construction thereof.
In carrying out our invention we cast the steam cylinder by itself in the form of
a simple pipe open at each end without any steam passages, ports or other additions
so that, the thickness of metal being the same all round, there is no unequal
contraction of the metal in cooling, and the liability to get out of shape or to crack
in cooling is entirely obviated and unequal strain upon the metal is avoided. The
cylinder also is much more handy to turn and bore. It may be cast in steel if
preferred and either plain or with a steam jacket as may be required.
The cylinder covers or ends we cast hollow so as to contain therein the valve
boxes valves seatings and passages and by these means we obtain a very short port
or passage between the valves and the inside of the cylinder so that we thus get
almost the full boiler pressure to act upon the piston.
We prefer to use valves of the rotary form but our invention is also equally
applicable to slide or other valves, and the invention may be adapted to all classes
of steam engines whether vertical horizontal, stationary marine, locomotive or
otherwise wherein a piston reciprocating in a steam cylinder is employed.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Ralph Ogden and Isaac Moorhouse Livsey in the Patent Office
on the 14th March 1884.
RALPH OGDEN and ISAAC MOORHOUSE LIVSEY both of Ashton-under-Lyne in the
County of Lancaster "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE CYLINDERS
OF STEAM ENGINES
"
The object of our invention is to obviate the unequal expansion and contraction
to which the cylinder of steam engines are liable and at the same time to simplify
and economize the construction thereof.
Such being the nature and object of our said invention we will now proceed to
describe in detail the manner in which the same is to be or may be performed or
carried into practical effect, and in order that the same may, be clearly understood
we have annexed hereunto a sheet of drawings illustrative thereof and have marked
the same with figures and letters of reference corresponding with those in the
following explanation thereof.
In carrying out our invention we cast or make the steam cylinder by itself in
the form of a simple pipe open at each end, without any steam passages or ports,
so that, the thickness of metal being the same all round, there is no unequal
contraction of the metal in cooling, and the liability to get out of shape or to crack
-in cooling is entirely obviated, and unequal strain upon the metal is avoided. The
cylinder is also much more handy to turn and bore.
The cylinder may be made of cast iron (or other suitable metal if preferred) and
either plain or with a steam jacket as required.
In the annexed drawing Fig 1. is a longitudinal section through a steam cylinder
and covers, constructed according to our invention, and Fig. 2 is a transverse
section through the line A-B the cylinder being in this case steam jacketed, and
shown as applied to an engine of the horizontal type fitted with Corliss valves-
a, a is the cylinder proper, b, b the steam jacketing and c, c the cylinder ends or
covers. These cylinder ends or covers we constructed so as to contain therein the
valve boxes d, d valves e, e seatings f, f steam parts g, g and exhaust passage h, h
and by these means we obtain a very short port or passage g, g between the
valves e, e and the inside of the cylinder a, a so that we thus get almost the full
boiler pressure to act upon the piston.
We prefer to use valves of the rotary form but our invention is also equally
applicable to slide or other valves and the invention may be adapted to all classes
of steam engines, whether vertical horizontal stationary, marine, locomotive or
otherwise, wherein a piston reciprocating in a steam cylinder is employed.
Having now described the nature and object of our said invention together with
the manner in which the same is to be or may be carried into practical effect, we
would remark in conclusion that we claim as our invention
Casting or making the cylinders of steam engines in the form of a simple pipe
open at each end, and constructing the covers or ends thereof so as to contain
therein the valve boxes, valves, seatings and the steam and exhaust passages,
substantially in the manner and for the purposes hereinbefore more particularly
set forth.
In witness whereof we the said Ralph Ogden and Isaac Moorhouse Livsey have
hereunto set our hands and seals this twelfth day of March in the year of our
Lord one thousand eight hundred and eighty four
RALPH OGDEN
ISAAC MOORHOUSE LIVSEY (L.S.)
(L.S.)