Improvements in Apparatus and Appliances for Indicating and Registering the Mean Pressures of the Steam in Steam Engine Cylinders and the like.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application,
24th Oct 1800
Complete Specification Left. 23rd July, 1900-Accepted, 25th Aug., 1900
Complete Specification Left. 23rd July, 1900-Accepted, 25th Aug., 1900
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus and Appliances for Indicating and
Registering the Mean Pressures of the Steam in Steam Engine
Cylinders and the like.
I, WILLIAM RIPPER, of 22, Wellesley Road, Sheffield, in the County of York,
Professor of Engineering, do hereby declare the nature of my said invention
to be as follows:-
My present invention is a modification of the apparatus and appliances described
in the Specification of a Patent which was granted to me on the 17th August,
A.D. 1897, and numbered 18,982, the primary object of which was to provide the
means of recording on a pressure gauge or gauges, the mean effective pressure on
the piston of an engine, and to record the same continuously if desired. In this
specification I described an arrangement of parts and appliances by means of
which a valve or valves are caused to move over ports in such a manner that the
pressure of the steam driving the engine piston is communicated directly and con-
tinuously to one pressure gauge, while the pressure resisting the piston is com-
municated directly and continuously to another pressure gauge, the two effects
always being kept separate and distinct. The movements of the valve herein
referred to depending upon their mechanical connection with the main shaft of
the engine.
Now the object of my present invention is to substitute for the method of work-
ing the valves herein last described, an arrangement by which the movement of
the valves may be rendered automatic by the direct action of the steam itself, the
valves being moved by the difference of pressure on the two sides of the engine
piston, and without the aid of any mechanical connection between the valves and
the main shaft of the engine.
I carry out my improvement in the following manner:-
The instrument as before, consists of a valve box connected by pipes to each end
respectively, of the engine cylinder.
The valve box contains two valves, a driving steam valve and an exhaust steam
valve respectively.
The driving steam valve is used to divert the steam of the successive impulse
strokes continuously into the driving steam pressure gauge. This valve consists
of a simple ball working between two seats, the driving steam having usually the
greater pressure causes the ball, during the driving stroke, to close the seat on
the side having the lower pressure, that is the exhaust side,-and the driving
steam pressure is thus placed in communication with the driving pressure gauge.
The exhaust steam valve consists of a double mushroom valve, the valves being
placed one at each end respectively of a short spindle, and working on their inner
edges on two seatings placed between the valves. The valves and seatings are in
such relative positions that when one valve is closed the other is open.
The passage leading from the cylinder to the exhaust pressure gauge, is between
the two exhaust valve seatings. The movement of this valve is also due to the

page_text: difference of steam pressure on its two faces, the driving steam closing the valve
on the driving steam side and thereby cutting off communication with the exhaust
gauge, while the valve on the opposite or exhaust side is at the same time opened,
and free communication obtains between the exhaust side of the engine piston
and the exhaust pressure gauge.
Dated this 23rd day of October 1899.
R. HEBER RADFORD,
Agent for the Applicant.
Improvements in Apparatus and Appliances for Indicating and
Registering the Mean Pressures of the Steam in Steam Engine
Cylinders and the like.
I, WILLIAM RIPPER, of 22, Wellesley Road, Sheffield, in the County of York,
Professor of Engineering, do hereby declare the nature of my said invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement: —
My present invention is a modification of the apparatus and appliances described
in the Specification of a Patent which was granted to me on the 17th August,
A.D. 1897, and numbered 18,982, the primary object of which was to provide the
means of recording on a pressure gauge or gauges the mean effective pressure on
the piston of an engine, and to record the same continuously if desired. In this
specification I described an arrangement of parts and appliances by means of
which a valve or valves are caused to move over ports in such a manner that the
pressure of the steam driving the engine piston is communicated directly and con-
tinuously to one pressure gauge, while the pressure resisting the piston is com-
municated directly and continuously to another pressure gauge, the two effecis
always being kept separate and distinet. The movements of the valve herein
referred to depending upon their mechanical connection with the main shaft of
the engine.
Now the object of my present invention is to substitute for the method of work-
ing the valves herein last described an arrangement by which the movement. of
the valves may be rendered automatic by the direct action of the steam itself, the
valvas being moved by the difference of pressure on the two sides of the engine
piston, and without the aid of any mechanical connection between the valves and
the main shaft of the engine.
I carry out my improvement in the following manner: -
The nature of my invention will be better understood on reference to the accom-
panying sheet of drawings in which,
Fig. 1, is a sectional elevation of my improved instrument attached by pipes
to each end respectively of an engine cylinder.
The instrument as before, consists of a valve box, a, connected by pipes, b,
and c, to each end respectively of the engine cylinder, i.
The valve box contains two valves, a driving steam valve, d, and an exhaust
steam valve, e, respectively.
The driving steam valve, d, consists of a simple ball valve (or other equivalent)
working between two seatings as shown and having only a small movement. This
valve is used to divert the steam of the successive driving or impulse strokes con-
tinuously into the forward pressure gauge, f, through the pipe, g. The ball valve
works by difference of pressure as follows. Suppose the engine piston, h, to be
descending then the driving steam on the side, j, of the piston passes along the

page_text: pipe, b, into the valve box, a, above the ball valve, and this steam having a greater
pressure than the exhaust steam on the side, k, of the piston which acts below the
ball valve, the valve falls on its lower seating, and the steam from the side, j,
of the piston is in direct communication with the forward pressure gauge, f.
The exhaust steam valve, e, consists of a double mushroom valve (or its equiva-
lent) the discs of the valves being placed one at each end respectively of a short
spindle, , and working on their inner edges on two seatings placed between the
valves as shown in the drawing, the valves and their seatings are in such relative
positions that when one valve seating is closed the other is open.
Communication with the exhaust pressure gauge, n, is made by a passage, m,
between the exhaust valve seatings. The movement of the exhaust valve is due
to difference of pressure thus when the piston, h, is descending, the driving pres-
sure at, j, being greater than the exhaust at, k, the exhaust valve, e, therefore
falls and closes communication with the driving side of the piston but opens com-
munication with the lower or exhaust side of the piston, and the exhaust steam
pressure passes freely through the passage, m, to the exhaust pressure gauge, n.
When the engine piston reaches the bottom the processes are reversed the
driving pressure steam being again directed to the driving gauge, f, and the
exhaust steam being again directed to the exhaust gauge, n.
Thus each gauge registers continuously the mean effect of the pressures acting
upon it, the gauge, f, giving the mean effect of the driving or forward pressures
and the gauge, n, giving the mean effect of the exhaust or back pressures. The
difference between the two readings is the net mean effective pressure.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is:-
1. In a valve box, attached to each end respectively of an engine cylinder and
for the purpose of registering on gauges the mean effect of the steam acting on
the engine piston, an arrangement of valves worked automatically by the action
of the difference of pressure of the steam on the two sides of the said valve, the
arrangement consisting of:-Une valve called the driving valve working between
two seatings and having an opening between the seatings communicating with a
pressure gauge called the forward pressure gauge, the valve being so arranged that
communication with the forward pressure gauge is always opened directly with
that side of the engine piston having the greater steam pressure; also that com-
munication with the forward pressure gauge is always closed to the side of the
engine piston having the lower steam pressure. Another valve called the exhaust
valve working between two seatings and having an opening between the seatings
communicating with a pressure gauge called the exhaust pressure gauge. The
valve being so arranged that communication with the exhaust pressure gauge is
always opened directly with the side of the engine piston having the lower steam
pressure, also that communication with the exhaust pressure gauge is always
closed to the side of the engine piston having the greater steam pressure, in the
manner and for the purposes substantially as herein described and illustrated in
the accompanying sheet of drawings.
Hated this 20th day of July 1900
R. HEBER RADFORD,
Agent for the Applicant.