IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Hunter Henry Murdoch, of No. 7, Staple Inn, in the
County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
STEAM ENGINES." A communication from abroad by Emile Bede, of Verviers,
in the Kingdom of Belgium, Civil Engineer.
Sealed the 7th August 1877, and dated the 27th February 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Hunter Henry Murdoch
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 27th February 1877.
HUNTER HENRY MURDOCH, of No. 7, Staple Inn, in the County of Middlesex,
Patent Agent. "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES." A communication from
abroad by Emile Bede, of Verviers, in the Kingdom of Belgium, Civil Engineer.
This Invention consists,-
Firstly. In an improved construction of the cylinders of steam engines in which
the distribution of the steam is effected by means of oscillating valves.
Secondly. In a new arrangement of the cylinders of steam engines provided with
tappet valves.
Thirdly. In the combination of an oscillating valve with the slide valve of steani
engines for the purpose of effecting the cut-off.
And, Fourthly. In the application to steam engines of special revolving valves
instead of the oscillating valves, or tappet valves, or slide valves now in use.
The first part of the Invention consists in constructing the steam cylinders of
two parts, herein-after called the "body" and the "jacket." The "body" is a
simple pipe tube in which are four ports, and the "jacket" is a cylindrical casing
provided with four valve chests and passages for the steam. One end of the "body
being slightly tapered is forced into the "jacket" so as to make a perfect joint
therewith, and at its other end the body is free to expand more or less than the
jacket, the joint at that end being made by means of a ring of india-rubber or
other suitable material pressed upon by a metal ring introduced between the body
and the jacket, and pressed into position by the cylinder cover, or by screws or
bolts. The said metal ring is, if required, recessed so as to allow of the intro-
duction of the prolongations of the pipes, herein-after described, into the valve

page_text: chests cast with the jacket. The steam introduced into the jacket passes through a
stop valve in a double branch pipe running along the side of the cylinder and fitted
with two prolonged parts which project into the upper valve chests of the jacket.
The end of each of the said prolonged parts forms a socket which passes through
the stuffing box of the rod of an ordinary "Corliss" oscillating valve, or of a
tubular oscillating valve, which oscillates over a longitudinal port made in the said
prolonged part, and corresponding with the port in the cylinder.
The exhaust valves work in the lower valve chests of the cylinders; each of the
said valves is a cylinder connected at one end with a rod having the shape of a
hammer, which rod transmits to the valve an oscillating. motion with freedom to
slide vertically also. Upon the exhaust pipe are affixed or formed two prolongations
having the form of tubular caps, which caps project into the cylindrical valves as a
tube within another tube, and support the said valves in which are longitudinal
ports. The tubular caps have similar ports, and as the exhaust pipe has no com-
munication on the side of the cylinder, but with the said caps, the steam cannot
escape from the cylinder except when the port of a valve passes on to the port of
its tubular cap, this last port being under the port of the cylinder. The exhaust
valves, instead of being cylinders, with ports in them, may be segments of
cylinders.
414m 11...
The principle upon which this part of the Invention is based is, that the steam
pipe and the exhaust pipe are prolonged by having affixed to them tubes closed at
one end, and having in them elongated apertures or ports, the said tubes projecting
into the steam chests and exhaust chests, and enabling the steam to enter and leave
the cylinder as the said ports are opened and closed by oscillating valves, the steam
valves being inside the tubular prolongations of the steam pipe, and the exhaust
valves being outside the prolongations of the exhaust pipe. By this means the
steam presses down the four valves on their seats and the clearance is reduced to a
minimum. The said prolongations of the steam and exhaust pipes being fitted into
the valve chests by means of conical joints on their ends, or bolted on to the flanges
of the said chests, they can be removed when required, and replaced by similar
pieces kept in reserve, and complete with their valves without loss of time for
repairs.
The valves of the cylinders above described may be actuated by any suitable
gear for giving motion to oscillating valves, such as is used in Corliss engines.
The second part of this Invention consists in an improved construction of steam
cylinders in which the distribution of steam is effected by means of tappet valves.
The cylinder is constructed, as hercin-before described, under the first head of this
Invention. The valve chests are cast with the jacket, and contain inner sheaths
provided with tappet valves, which have simple conical seats as close as possible to
the inside surface of the cylinder in order to reduce the clearance. Equilibrium valves
are not necessary, as in well regulated engines the compression of the steam previous
to its admission, and the expansion of the steam before the exhaust, produce a
sufficient equilibrium on the steam and the exhaust valves on the side when they are
raised; it is also useful for them to be tightly pressed down by the steam on the
side when they must be closed.
The third part of the Invention consists in combining with an ordinary slide
valve an oscillating valve, the rod of which passes through a stuffing box parallel
to the rod of the slide valve; the surfaces of contact of the oscillating valve, and of
the slide valve, are curved to the same radius. The slide valve is formed with a
double shell having two steam ports connected together by a passage, above which
is a longitudinal port which is opened by the oscillating valve a little before the
transverse port of the slide valve uncovers a port of the cylinder. The oscillating
valve is opened by a cam fixed on the shaft of the governor, or on another revolving
shaft, and acting on a roller fixed to a lever moved by the governor, and jointed to
a crank 'fixed' on the rod of the oscillating valve. According to the position of the
governor the said, cam 'keeps the slide valve open for a longer or shorter time; a
spring fixed to the crank of the oscillating valve 'closes it as soon as the motion of

page_text: the cam allows it. The said cam may be single or double, according as the shaft on
which it is fixed revolves at twice the speed or at the same speed as the fly-wheel
shaft of the engine.
The fourth part of this Invention consists in the application to steam engines of
revolving valves made like the oscillating valves first described, but having a rotatory
motion instead of an oscillating motion. The exhaust valves should be quite
similar to those first described, except that the port should have an angular opening
of about 180 degrees, so that during a half revolution of the engine, and con-
sequently of the exhaust valve which revolves so as to perform the same number of
revolutions, the port of the exhaust pipe open. The steam valves are made on
the same plan but revolve in the inside of the steam chests. The cut off is effected
by half cylindrical valves in contact with the inside of the steam valve, and
actuated by the governor, so as to take different positions and close the ports of the
valves after a greater or smaller portion of the revolution.
The said steam and exhaust valves revolve so as to perform the same number of
revolutions as the engine, and they are actuated by any suitable gearing which
transmits the motion of the fly-wheel shaft to the valve rods. The said valves may
be made to revolve at the rate of one revolution for every two, three, or more
revolutions of the engine by having two, three, or more ports instead of one.
The steam valves may, if preferred, be made like the oscillating Corliss valves
with clicks to stop their rotation and springs to close them. The valve chests,
instead of being made as herein-before described, may be placed in the length of
the cylinder with suitable joints to prevent the steam from passing from, one end of
the chests to the other end. By this modification of the Invention a single revolving
steam valve with two ports and a single semi-cylindrical cut-off valve, actuated by.
the governor, may be used.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Hunter Henry Murdoch in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
25th August 1877.
HUNTER HENRY MURDOCH, of No. 7, Staple Inn, in the County of Middlesex,
Patent Agent.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES." A communication from
abroad by Emile Bede, of Verviers, in the Kingdom of Belgium, Civil Engineer.
This Invention consists,-
Firstly. In an improved construction of the cylinders of steam engines, in which
the distribution is effected by means of oscillating valves.
And, Secondly. In a new arrangement of the cylinders of steam engines provided
with tappet valves.
Thirdly. In the combination of an oscillating valve with the slide valve of steam
engines for the purpose of effecting the cut-off.
And, Fourthly. In the application to steam engines of special revolving valves
instead of oscillating valves or tappet valves or slide valves.
The first part of this Invention consists in constructing the steam cylinders of two
parts herein-after called the body and the jacket. The body is a simple pipe or
tube in which are four ports, and the jacket is a cylindrical casing provided with
four valve chests and passages for the steam. One end of the body being slightly
tapered is forced into the jacket so as to make a perfect joint therewith, and at its
other end the body is free to expand, more or less, than the jacket, the joint at that
end being made by means of a ring of india-rubber or other suitable material
pressed upon by a metal ring introduced between the body and the jacket, and
pressed into position by the cylinder cover or by screws or bolts. The said metal
ring is, if required, recessed so as to allow of the introduction of the prolongations
of the pipes herein-after described into the valve chests cast with the jacket. The

page_text: steam introduced into the jacket passes through a stop valve in a double branch
pipe running along the side of the cylinder, and fitted with two prolonged parts
which project into the valve chests of the jacket. The end of each of the said
prolonged parts forms a socket which passes through the stuffing box of the rod of
an ordinary Corliss oscillating valve, or of a tubular oscillating valve which oscillates
over a longitudinal port made in the said prolonged part, and corresponds with the
port in the cylinder.
The exhaust valves work in the lower valve chests of the cylinder; each of the
said valves is a cylinder connectected at one end with a rod having the shape of a
hammer, which rod transmits to the valve an oscillating motion with freedom to slide
vertically. Also, upon the exhaust pipe are affixed or formed two prolongations
having the form of tubular caps, which caps project into the cylindrical valves as a
tube within another tube, and support the said valves in which are longitudinal
ports. The tubular caps have similar ports, and as the exhaust pipe has no com-
munication on the side of the cylinder, but with the said caps the steam cannot
escape from the cylinder except when the port of a valve passes on to the port of
its tubular cap; this last port being under the port of the cylinder. The exhaust
valves instead of being cylinders with ports in them may be segments of
cylinders.
The principle upon which this part of the Invention is based is that the steam
pipe and the exhaust pipe are prolonged by having affixed to them tubes closed at
one end, and having in them elongated apertures or ports, the said tubes projecting
into the steam chests and exhaust chests, and enabling the steam to enter and leave
the cylinder as the said ports are opened and closed by oscillating valves, the steam
valves being inside the tubular prolongations of the steam pipe, and the exhaust
valves being outside of the prolongations of the exhaust pipe. By this means the
steam presses down the four valves on their seats and the clearance is reduced to a
minimum. The said prolongations of the steam and exhaust pipes being fitted into
the valve chests by means of conical joints on their ends, or bolted on to the flanges
of the said chests, they can be removed, and when required replaced by similar
pieces kept in reserve, complete with their valves without loss of time for repairs.
The valves of the cylinders above described may be actuated by any suitable
gear for giving motion to oscillating valves, such as is used in Corliss engines.
The second part of the Invention consists in an improved construction of steam
cylinders in which the distribution of steam is effected by means of tappet valves,
the cylinder is constructed, as herein-before described under the first head of this
Invention. The valve chests are cast with the jacket and contain inner sheaths
provided with tappet valves, which have simple conical seats as close as possible to
the inside surface of the cylinder in order to reduce the clearance. Equilibrium
valves are not necessary, as in well regulated engines the compression of the steam
previous to its admission and the expansion of the steam before the exhaust, produce
a sufficient equilibrium on the steam and the exhaust valves on the side where they
are raised; it is also useful for them to be tightly pressed over by the steam on the
side where they must be closed.
The third part of the Invention consists in covering with an ordinary slide valve
an oscillating valve, the rod of which passes through a stuffing box parallel to the
rod of the slide valve. The surfaces of contact of the oscillating valve and of the
slide valve are curved to the same radius. The slide valve is formed with a double
shell, having two steam ports connected together by a passage, above which is a
longitudinal port which is opened by the oscillating valve a little before a transverse
port of the slide valve uncovers a port of the cylinder. The oscillating valve is
opened by a cam fixed on the shaft of the governor or on another revolving shaft,
and acting on a roller fixed to a lever moved by the governor and jointed to a crank
fixed on the rod of the oscillating valve. According to the position of the governor
the said cam keeps the slide valve open for a longer or shorter time. A spring
fixed to the crank of the oscillating valve closes it as soon as the motion of the cam
allows it. The said cam may be single or double, according as the shaft on which it

page_text: is fixed revolves at twice the speed, or at the same speed as the fly wheel shaft of
the engine.
The fourth part of the Invention consists in the application to steam engines of
revolving valves made like the oscillating valves first described, but having a
rotatory motion instead of an oscillating motion. The exhaust valves should be
quite similar to those first described, except that the port should have an angular
opening of about 180°, so that during nearly a half revolution of the engine, and
consequently of the exhaust valve, which revolves so as to perform the saine number
of revolutions, the port of the exhaust pipe is open. The steam valves are made
on the same plan, but revolve in the inside of the steam chests. The cut-off is
effected by half cylindrical valves in contact with the inside of the steam valve, and
actuated by the governor, so as to take different positions, and close the ports of
the valves after a greater or a smaller portion of the revolution.
The said steam and exhaust valves revolve so as to perform the same number of
revolutions as the engine, and they are actuated by any suitable gearing, which
transmits the motion of the fly wheel shaft to the valve rods. The said valves
may be made to revolve at the rate of one revolution for two, three, or four revo-
lutions of the engine by having two, three, or more ports instead of one.
The steam valves may, if preferred, be made like the oscillating Corliss valves,
with clicks to stop their rotation, and springs to close them. The valve chests,
instead of being made as herein-before described, may be placed in the length of the
cylinder with suitable joints to prevent the steam from passing from one end of the
chests to the other end. By this modification of the Invention a single revolving
steam valve, with two ports and a single semi-cylindrical cut-off valve actuated by
the governor, may be used.
Having thus described the nature of this Invention I will proceed to describe
with reference to the accompanying Drawings the manner in which the said In-
vention is to be carried into effect.
The first part of the Invention, which consists in an improved construction of
steam cylinders arranged with oscillating valves and steam jackets so that all the
parts of the cylinder subject to wear may be easily replaced, is illustrated in Sheet 1
of the accompanying Drawings, in which Figure 1 is a transverse section of a steam
cylinder so constructed, the section being taken through the centres of the valve
chests; Figure 2 is a transverse section of the same taken through the middle of
the cylinder; Figure 3 is a longitudinal vertical section of the same taken through
the axis of the cylinder; Figure 4 is a plan of the same, the pipes conducting the
steam to the steam chests being partly in section; Figure 5 is a longitudinal section
of the steam valve and inner valve chest; Figure 6 is a sectional plan of the same;
Figure 7 is a longitudinal section of the exhaust valve and prolongation of the
exhaust pipe; Figure 8 is a plan of the same.
The same letters and figures of reference indicate like parts where they occur
in each of the aforesaid Figures.
B, B¹, represents the body of the cylinder, and J, J¹, the jacket. The end B¹ of
the body B, B', is slightly tapered, and is forced into the slightly tapering end J¹
of the jacket, so as to make a tight joint. The end B of the body B, B', is jointed
to the jacket at J by means of a metal ring A, which presses a ring of india-rubber
or other suitable material a against an annular projection s inside the jacket, so as
to form a sort of stuffing box. This mode of forming the joint allows the body B, B¹,
and the jacket J, J¹, to expand more or less one than the other. The said metal
ring A is pressed into position either by the cover of the cylinder or by special
screw bolts; and are the steam valves, which are placed in the upper part of
the cylinder; and V, V, are the exhaust valves, which are placed underneath the
cylinder. The said valves v, vl, and V, V₁, are contained in cylindrical chests g, g¹,
G, G, forming part of the jacket, and on the side B of the cylinder the metal ring
A, by being suitably slotted, continues the said chests g, G, up to the body B. The
steam valves v, v¹, are similar to the steam valves usually used in Corliss engines.
The said valves v, vl, are contained in tubular chests c, c¹, which are affixed to the

page_text: ends of the cylindrical chests g, g¹, and to the ends of the steam pipe T, T¹, by
flanges F, F, as shewn. Steam passes into the tubular chests c, c', from the jacket
J, J, through the steam pipe T, T¹, in which is a valve S by which the passage of the
steam may be stopped or regulated as required. The ends of the tubular chests c, c¹,
opposite the pipe T, T", are terminated by sockets & through which pass the rods
,, of the valves v, v¹. The said sockets pass into the stuffing boxes of the said
rods, so that the said tubular chests c, c¹, are completely closed by the said stuffing
boxes and by the joints of the flanges on the pipes T, T¹, and steam is unable to
pass from thence into the cylinder, except when the valves v, v, uncover the ports
P, p', formed in the under part of the tubular chests c, c', and corresponding with
similar ports formed in the body of the cylinder B, B¹. The exhaust valves V, V₁,
are tubes or cylinders closed at one end, and fitting on to the hollow cylinders C, C¹,
respectively, in the exhaust chests G, G¹. The hollow cylinders C, C¹, are also closed
at one end, and by their other ends are affixed by means of flanges f to flanges on
the ends of the exhaust chests G, G¹, of the jacket, and to flanges on the ends of
the exhaust pipe E, E¹. The said exhaust pipe E, E¹, by being connected to the
hollow cylinders C, C₁, opens into the inside of the exhaust chests G, G!, each of
which is provided at its upper side with a port P, corresponding with similar ports
in the valves V, V, and in the body B, B¹. The exhaust steam from the engine
cannot pass into the exhaust pipe E, E¹, except when one of the ports of the valves
V, V¹, coincides with the ports in the hollow cylinders C, C¹.
It will be seen from Figures 5, 6, 7, and 8 that the steam valves v, vl, and the
exhaust valves V, VI, can slide up and down freely in a vertical direction, so that
should the said valves or their seats become worn the said valves will still press
tightly upon their seats. An oscillating motion is communicated to the said valves
through the valve rods by any suitable mechanical arrangement or gearing, such as
is suitable for giving motion to the oscillating valves used in Corliss engines.
Instead of joining the tubular chests c, c¹, C, C¹, to the cylindrical chests g, g,
G, G¹, by means of flanges, they may be fixed thereto by means of conical joints,
and in that case the said tubular chests may be taken out without removing the
tubes T, T¹, and E, E¹.
In all cases the valves may be examined without taking off the pipes by merely
removing the covers t, t¹, e, e¹. The tubular chests c, c¹, C, C¹, are prolongations of
the steam and exhaust pipes T, T₁, and E, E, and the said chests thus prolonged
extend into the steam and exhaust chests g, g, and G, G¹, for the purpose of con-
ducting the steam into or from the cylinder, according to the position of the valves
relatively to the ports. The position of the exhaust valves upon the exhaust chests
allows the clearance to be reduced to a minimum, and at the same time causes the
steam to press the said valves upon their seats.
The second part of the Invention, which consists of an improved construction of
steam cylinders, in which the distribution is effected by means of tappet valves
instead of oscillating valves, is illustrated in Sheet 2 of the accompanying
Drawings. Figure 1 represents a section of a steam cylinder constructed and
arranged according to this part of the Invention. The said cylinder B, B¹, is con-
tained in the jacket J, JI, as herein-before described with reference to the steam
cylinder represented in Sheet I. of the Drawings. The steam valves v, vl, and the
exhaust valves V, V₁, in the present case are placed in double valve seats fitted
exactly upon the cylinder and against the ends of the steam passage T, T¹, and
exhaust passage E, E¹. The valves have simple seats which are placed very near
the internal surface of the cylinder, so as to reduce the clearance. Equilibrium
valves are not required, as herein-before explained. Motion is given to the valves
by any suitable gearing applicable to this kind of valves.
The third part of the Invention consists in placing in the ordinary steam chest
of a slide valve an oscillating valve. This arrangement is represented in Figures 2
and 3, Sheet II., of the accompanying Drawings, in which v is the oscillating valve,
which is exactly similar to a Corliss valve, that is to say, it consists of a portion of
a cylindrical surface oscillating on its axis, the motion being produced by a rod of

page_text: rectangular section which allows the said valve to slide so as to fit always exactly
upon its seat. The said valve v extends the whole length of the steam chest ; it is
applied upon a double port slide valve t, the ports of which are connected together
by a channel in which is a longitudinal slot closed or opened by the valve v,
according to the position given to the rod b by an external crank g. The cam C
keyed upon the shaft a actuating the governor acts upon a roller K carried by a lever,
the point of oscillation of which is the end of the crank g, and which is suspended by
a rod m, l, to a forked lever oscillating with the governor. It will be understood
that according as the lever l, g, rises or falls, the cam C will remain a longer or shorter
time in contact with the roller K to keep open the valve v.
When the governor is
at its highest point the lever l, g, will be in its lowest position, and the cam C will
pass over the roller K without repulsing it, and consequently without opening the
valve v. When, on the contrary, the governor is in its lowest position, and con-
sequently the lever l, g, is in its highest position, the cam C will push back the
roller K. during about two-thirds of a revolution of the shaft a, which shaft a should
perform two revolutions, whilst the shaft of the engine rotates once, unless the
cam C be formed so as to communicate twice in one revolution a to-and fro motion
to the roller K; the same applies to the shaft a. The crank g and consequently the
valve v is brought back into the position required for closing the slide valve by the
action of a spring or a weight.
The fourth part of the Invention consists in the application to steam engines of
revolving valves constructed like the oscillating valves represented in the Figures of
Sheet I., but having a rotatory motion instead of an oscillating motion. The
exhaust valves are similar to the exhaust valves represented in Figures 7 and 8 of
Sheet I., except that the port has an angluar opening of about 180°, so that during
one-half revolution of the machine, and consequently of the valve which performs
the same number of revolutions the port remains open and the steam passes into
the exhaust pipe. The steam valves are made in the same manner, but revolve
within their chests. The cut off is obtained by means of semi-cylindrical valves
which move in the inside of the said chests, so as to close the ports of the valves
sooner or later. The said steam and exhaust valves revolve so as to perform the
same number of revolutions as the engine, and they are actuated by any suitable
gearing which transmits the motion of the fly wheel shaft to the valve rods. The
said valves may be made to revolve at the rate of one revolution for two, three,
four, revolutions of the engine by having two, three, or more ports instead of one.
The steam valves may, if preferred, be made like the oscillating Corliss valves with
clicks to stop their rotation and springs to close them.
The valve chests instead of being made as herein-before described may be placed
in the length of the cylinder with suitable joints to prevent the steam from passing
from one end of the chest to the other end. By this modification of the Invention
a single revolving steam valve with two ports, and a single semi-cylindrical cut-off
valve actuated by the governor may be used.
This arrangement is represented in Figures 4 and 5, Sheet II. M is the stop valve
which closes the passage from the jacket to the inside of the valve v through the
slots i, i. The valve v has a revolving motion which causes the ports p, p¹, to be
successively closed and opened; r is a semi-cylindrical cut-off valve actuated by the
governor by means of the crank g; V is the exhaust valve which is made of two
conical parts; E, e, e¹, are toothed wheels transmitting to the valves rotatory motion
from the shaft of the engine.
Having now described the nature of this Invention, and the manner in which
the same is to be performed, 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 such details may be varied without departing from the nature of the
said Invention, but I claim as the said Invention of improvements in steam
engines,―
Firstly. The construction and arrangement of the cylinder provided with
oscillating valves removeable with their boxes or chests, such boxes or chests forming

page_text: a prolongation of the steam pipe, and the exhaust pipe; also constructing the said
cylinder so as to allow of unequal expansion of the body and jacket, essentially as
herein-before described and illustrated in Sheet 1 of the accompanying Drawings;
also the application of the said arrangement to steam cylinders with lifting or
tappet valves, essentially as herein-before described and illustrated in Figure 1,
Sheet II. of the accompanying Drawings.
Secondly. The combination of an oscillating valve with a slide valve and the
arrangements for causing the said oscillating valve to be actuated by the governor,
essentially as herein-before described and illustrated in Figures 2 and 3, Sheet II. of
the accompanying Drawings.
Thirdly. The application to the steam cylinders herein-before described of
revolving valves instead of oscillating valves; also constructing the valve chests
with their axes parallel to the axis of the steam cylinder, and providing the said
valve chests with revolving valves, essentially as herein-before described and
illustrated in Figures 4 and 5, Sheet II. of the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Hunter Henry Murdoch, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of August, in the year of our Lord Ono
thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.
Witness,
C. WESTCOTT,
his Clerk.
H. H. MURDOCH. (L.S.)