IMPROVEMENTS IN STARTING ENGINES
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Andrew Betts Brown, of Edinburgh, in the County of
Mid Lothian, North Britain, Engineer, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
STARTING ENGINES
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Andrew Betts Brown at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 14th August 1882.
ANDREW BETTS BROWN, of Edinburgh, in the County of Mid Lothian North
Britain, Engineer, "IMPROVEMENTS IN STARTING ENGINES
"
This Invention has for its object to simplify and otherwise improve the con-
struction of starting engines such as are used for acting on the valve gear of large
engines and for other analogous purposes.
In one modification of the improved engines a steam cylinder is carried by what
may be termed its back end on trunnions through one of which the steam has
access to the cylinder valves whilst the exhaust takes place through the other
trunnion. A small hydraulic locking cylinder is attached to the front end of the
steam cylinder and one piston rod passes through both cylinders and has its front
end connected, by preference directly, to the lever of the weigh shaft or to a lever
by means of which the valve gear of the main engines are adjusted. There is a
stuffing box between the cylinders the gland of which is formed upon or fixed to
one of the cylinders and by preference to the inner end of the small cylinder, the
gland being tightened by screwing up the bolts which connect the two cylinders.
The valve casings for both cylinders are upon the side of the steam cylinder and
pipes from the ends of the small hydraulic locking cylinder communicate with the
valve casing of that cylinder through stuffing boxes; or these pipes are coiled or
bended or otherwise made flexible so as to allow of the adjustment of the small
cylinder. The valves are arranged and worked in the manner described in the
Specification of Letters Patent obtained by the present applicant and having the
official number 3875 of 1881; or they may be worked by means of a combination

page_text: of levers or other equivalent mechanism. In order that the starting engine may
be worked by hand when steam is not available the lever acted on by the engine
has also jointed to it a rod formed either as a toothed rack or as a screw of quick
pitch. If the rack is used a pinion is provided which can be put into gear with
the rack either by means of a clutch or by being moved towards it, and which has
combined with it suitable handing gear. If the screw is used it is arranged to.
pass through the internally screwed boss of a worm wheel or spurwheel with which
a worm or pinion can be put in gear when the machinery is to be worked by hand,
but when the starting engine is being worked by steam the lever causes the screw
spindle to make the worm wheel or spurwheel rotate idly.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Andrew Betts Brown in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
12th February 1883.
ANDREW BETTS BROWN, of Edinburgh, in the County of Mid Lothian, North
Britain, Engineer "IMPROVEMENTS IN STARTING ENGINES
"
My said Invention has for its object to simplify and otherwise improve the
construction of starting engines such as are used for acting on the valve gear of
large engines and for other analogous purposes.
A small
In my improved engines a steam cylinder is carried by what may be termed its
back end on a hinge joint or on trunnions having bearings in a fixed bracket, and
the steam has access to the cylinder valves and exhausts therefrom by pipes or
passages formed partly through the trunnions or in an equivalent manner.
hydraulic locking cylinder is attached to the front end of the steam cylinder and
one piston rod passes through both cylinders and has its front end connected by
preference directly, to the lever of the weigh shaft or to a lever by means of
which the valve gear of the main engines is adjusted. The valves are arranged
and worked in the manner described in the Specification of Letters Patent granted
to me and having the official number 3875 of 1881; or they may be worked by
means of a combination of levers or other equivalent mechanism. Provision is
made for working the starting lever by hand when steam is not available.
And in order that my said Invention and the manner of performing the same
may be properly understood I hereunto append two sheets of explanatory drawings
to be hereinafter referred to and representing two modifications of my improved
starting engines.
Figure 1, on sheet 1 of the accompanying drawings is a longitudinal or vertical
section showing the cylinder details of one modification of my improved starting
engine. Figure 2, on sheet 2, is an elevation of a second modification which has
many parts the same as in the modification partly shown in figure, 1. Figure 3,
is a horizontal section corresponding to the upper part of figure, 2; and figures, 4,
5, and 6, are sections as at right angles to each other of the valve details of the
bydraulic locking cylinder. In these drawings the same reference numerals are
used to mark the same or like parts wherever they are repeated.
In the modifications shown in figures 1, and 2, there is in each case a steam
cylinder, 7, which at its back end is connected by a hinge joint, 8, to a bracket, 9,
intended to be bolted to a fixed part of the main engines to which the starting
engine is to be applied. Or the bracket, 9, which forms the only point of
attachment or support of the starting engine, may be bolted to a bulkhead or to
any fixed framing in a suitable position relatively to the main engines. The steam
cylinder, 7, has fixed in front of it a small hydraulic locking cylinder, 10, and one
piston rod, 11, passes through both cylinders, and has its front end jointed or con-
nected to a lever, 12, by means of which the valve gear of the main engines is
adjusted. In the modification shown in figure, 1, there is a stuffing box, 13,
between the cylinders 7, 10, the gland of which stuffing box is formed upon or
fixed to one of the cylinders, and by preference to the inner end of the small
cylinder, 10, the gland being tightened by screwing the bolts, 14, which connect
the two cylinders. In figure 1, the valve casings, 15, 16, for both cylinders are
upon the side of the steam cylinder, 7, and pipes, 17, from the ends of the small
hydraulic locking cylinder, 10, communicate with the valve casing, 16, of that
cylinder, through stuffing boxes; or these pipes, 17, may be coiled or bended or
otherwise made flexible so as to allow of the adjustment of the small cylinder, 10.

page_text: For moving the valves of both cylinders, 7, 10, there is provided a long rod, 18,
made with an adjustable screw coupling, 19, and this rod is made with a twisted
or helical part, 20, of quick pitch at its upper end, which part works freely
through an internally screwed head, 21, formed on the end of an arm fixed to the
piston rod 11. At a lower part the valve rod, 18, has formed on it a screw
thread, 22, of fine pitch to work in a small internally screwed block, 23, which is
jointed to the short arm, 24, of a bellcrank lever, of which the long arm, 25, has
on it a handle, 26, for moving it as required. When the bellcrank lever, 24, 25,
is moved to either side of its central position it causes steam to be admitted
to the corresponding end of the cylinder, 7, and at the same time moves the
valves of the hydraulic cylinder, 10, so as to allow the hydraulic piston to move.
The piston rod, 11, then moves and adjusts the lever, 12, as required but in doing
so the arm, 21, acting on the twisted part, 20, of the valve rod, 18, makes that rod
turn and screw its fine-pitched thread, 22, through the block, 23, of the bellcrank
lever 24, 25, in such a manner as so move the valves back to their middle or
neutral position and so automatically stop further action as soon as the required
adjustment of the lever, 12, has been attained.
The valve of the steam cylinder, 7, is of the ordinary kind and does not require
to be shown in detail. The valves of the hydraulic cylinder are in their main
features the same as the corresponding valves shown and described in my earlier
Specification hereinbefore referred to, at the same time they are somewhat improved
in their details and arrangements. As in my former modification they are fitted to
be opened by a positive action of the valve rod, 18, and they are also provided with
springs to admit of their opening and closing by the pressure on them; the positive
movement for opening and closing them is however a sliding instead of a lifting
one. As shown in figures, 4, 5, 6, the passages, 27, communicating with the opposite
ends of the hydraulic locking cylinder, 10, lead into spaces, 28, in opposite ends of
the valve box, 16, in each of which spaces there is a port face, 29, having in it a
single port communicating with a central space, 30. On each port face, 29, there
is fitted to slide a valve, 31, which is pressed against the face by a helical spiral
acting between the valve, 31, and a back plate, 32, which last can slide between
guides on the inside of the cover. The valve rod, 18, passes through the central
space, 30, and has fixed on it a small crosshead, 33, the ends of which enter sockets
on the inner sides of the valves, 31, so that the movement of the rod will cause the
valves, 31, to uncover the ports and form a communication between the
passages, 27, to allow the hydraulic piston to move whenever steam is admitted
to either end of the steam cylinder, 7, whilst at the same time the valves, 31, or
either of them will be able to open against the springs independently of the
movement of the rod, 18, should there at any time be an excess of pressure on the
underside. By a small pipe, 34, a communication is formed between the central
space, 30, and the steam casing so that the steam pressure may act on the water in
the hydraulic cylinder, 11, and its passages and valve box and by its condensation
make up for any small leakage of water which may take place.
In the modification shown in figure, 1, the inlet and exhaust steam pipes, 35, 36,
are connected to fixed pipes by stuffing-box joint pieces, 37, placed with their axes
in the same line as the axis of the main hinge, 8, so as to accomodate the angular
movement of the cylinders, 7, 10, about the hinge, 8; the angular movement is
however so small that it is in most cases sufficient to have the pipes made with a
suitable extent of coiled or bent parts and without sliding joints.
In the modification shown in figure 2, the two cylinders, 7, 10, are bolted
together without provision for adjusting their distance apart. in connection with the
stuffing box (13) a stuffing box being provided internally with a separate gland to
be adjusted by screwing, and to which access is obtainable by separating the
cylinders when necessary. In figure, 2, the valve box, 16, of the hydraulic locking
cylinder,. 10, is shown as fixed upon that cylinder; it is however immaterial
whether it be fixed on that cylinder or on the steam cylinder, 7.
In order that the starting engine may be worked by hand when steam is not

page_text: available, the lever, 12, acted on by the engine has also jointed to it a rod, 38,
formed with a toothed rack, which gears with a pinion, 39, and the pinion is made
in one piece with or fixed to a worm wheel, 40, with which there gears a worm, 41,
on a shaft, 42, having a handwheel, 43, fast on it. The shaft, 42, is carried
eccentrically in a long cylindrical bush, 44, fitted in a box, 45, and provided with
a hand lever, 46; and when the bush, 4+, is turned half round by means of the
hand lever, 46, it takes the worm, 41, out of gear from the worm wheel, 40.. This
or any other suitable disengaging device is used to allow the pinion, 39, to turn
idly when the engine is being worked by steam. Instead of being made with
rack teeth the rod, 38, may be made with a screw thread of quick pitch, and be
arranged to pass through the internally screwed boss of a worm wheel or spurwheel
with which a worm or pinion can be put into gear when the machinery is to be
worked by hand; but when the starting engine is being worked by steam the
lever, 12, causes the screw spindle to make the worm wheel or spurwheel
rotate idly.
Having thus particularly described my said Invention and the manner of
performing the same I have to state that I do not restrict myself to the precise
details herein described or delineated but that what I believe to be novel and
original and claim as the Invention secured to me by and in terms of the herein-
before in part recited Letters Patent is :-
1. The combination of parts forming a starting engine, in which a steam
cylinder with an hydraulic locking cylinder having the same piston rod which is
jointed to the starting lever, has its attachment to the fixed framing in the
form of a hinge joint or equivalent connection substantially as hereinbefore
described.
2. The combination of the parts mentioned in the first claim with parts for
actuating the valve rod (18) and for moving the valves from the neutral or central
position by hand and towards that position by the action of the piston rod (11)
substantially as hereinbefore described.
3. The improved construction and arrangement of the valve details of the
hydraulic locking cylinder (10) herein before described with reference to figures, 4, 5,
and 6, of the accompanying drawings.
4. The combination with the starting engine of parts substantially such as are
herein before described for working the lever (12) by hand.
In Witness whereof I, the said, Andrew Betts Brown, have hereunto set my
hand and seal this eighth day of February in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty-three.
Witness
EDMUND HUNT
Patent Agent
Glasgow
ANDREW BETTS BROWN. (L.S.)