IMPROVEMENTS IN MOTOR ENGINES WORKED BY STEAM OR OTHER ELASTIC FLUID PRESSURE
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Denton Abel, of Southampton Buildings, in the
County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MOTOR ENGINES
WORKED BY STEAM OR OTHER ELASTIC FLUID PRESSURE." A communication
from abroad by Carl Beissel, of Cologne, in the German Empire.
Sealed the 13th March 1877, and dated the 29th December 1876.
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Denton Abel at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 29th December 1876.
CHARLES DENTON ABEL, of Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MOTOR ENGINES WORKED BY STEAM OR OTHER ELASTIC FLUID
PRESSURE."
This Invention has reference to an improved construction of motor engines,
wherein according to one arrangement four cylinders with their pistons are
arranged radially round one central crank, the piston rods being all connected to
the said crank, so that the pistons of each of the cylinders being made to perform
their in strokes consecutively and in order effect the rotation of the crank and its
shaft.
The cylinders are arranged at 90° apart round the crank shaft, so that two and
two are diametrically opposite each other; they are single acting, the steam or other
clastic fluid acting only on the outer sides of the pistons to cause them to perform
their in strokes. The cylinders have ports and passages communicating with a
steam supply pipe and an exhaust passage through a rotary distributing valve,
arranged, as will be presently described, so that the steam at full pressure enters
two of the cylinders, and after doing duty therein is conducted into the two other
cylinders, situated diametrically opposite the first two so as to act expansively
therein, these cylinders being of greater diameter than the first two.
The arrangement of the passages and valve gear is as follows:-An extension of
the crank pin of the engine shaft takes into a disc on a spindle, on which is a
toothed pinion driving a toothed wheel of twice its diameter fixed on the spindle
of a conical rotary valve, so that this valve makes one revolution for every two
revolutions of the crank shaft. The rotary valve fits in a conical casing commu-
nicating at one end with the steam supply pipe, and at the other end with the
condenser or atmosphere. It has formed in it at intermediate points of its length

page_text: four annular passages each of which communicates respectively with a passage
leading to one of the cylinders, and has two diametrically opposite openings into the
interior surface of the casing.
The conical rotary valve has chambers and passages establishing communications
with the said openings in the following manner-At its inner smaller end it has &
chamber communicating by two opposite openings with the steam supply, so that
steam can enter it to supply the two high-pressure cylinders. Surrounding this
chamber of the valve is a stationary shell, having openings corresponding to those
in the valve, and connected to a lever, worked either by hand or by a governor so
as to be turned somewhat in one direction or the other upon the valve, whereby in
causing the openings in the latter to be closed sooner or later to the ingress of steam
it shuts off the steam supply to the high-pressure cylinders at a certain part of the
stroke so as to cause the steam to act expansively. From the said chamber in the
valve two separate passages lend respectively to two sets of diametrically opposite
openings, which are made by the rotation of the valve to communicate with the
annular passages in the casing leading to the high-pressure cylinders.
The valve has also passages that at certain points of its rotation effect commu-
nications respectively between the annular passage leading to a high-pressure
cylinder and that leading to the opposite low-pressure cylinder, so that after the
steam has done duty in the former it passes through such passages into the
latter.
The valve has, lastly, other passages with opposite openings, whereby at certain
points of its rotation it establishes communications between the annular passages
leading to the low-pressure cylinders and the exhaust passage, so that the steam
after having done duty in the low-pressure cylinders escapes through such passages
to the condenser or atinosphere.
By constructing the valve and casing with duplicate sets of openings diametrically
opposite cach other, as described, it will be evident that the same communications
will be established at every half revolution of the valve, and therefore this need
only revolve at half the speed of the engine shaft; by the above arrangement also
the steam pressure on the valve is entirely balanced. The valve, which is by
preference of gun metal working in a gun-metal lining to the casing, is kept steam-
tight against its seating by a screw screwed through a cross bar carried by the
valve casing, and pressing against the end of the valve spindle.
gear
The before-mentioned disc into which the crank pin of the engine takes has two
diametrically opposite holes or a semi-circular slot for receiving the crank pin, and
its spindle can be slid back by means of a lever so as to bring the disc out of
with the crank pin, whereupon the spindle and disc can be turned through 180° by
a hand wheel, thereby turning the rotary valve through 90°, so that when the
spindle and disc are slid back into gear with the crank pin the motion of the engine
will be reversed owing to the altered position of the valve.
In some cases where it may be required at times to increase the power of the
engine communications are established by branch pipes or passages provided with
cocks or valves between the steam pipe and the two annular passages in the valve
casing leading to the high-pressure cylinders, whereby when the before-described
communications are established between these passages and those leading to the
low-pressure cylinders the latter will be supplied with high-pressure steam through.
out their stroke in the same manner as the high-pressure cylinders.
According to another modification the engine is constructed with only one high-
pressure cylinder and its opposite low-pressure cylinder, the arrangement of the
engine and rotary valve being otherwise the same as above described, with the
exception that the valve has only the passages and openings requisite for the one
pair of cylinders instead of for two pairs.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Charles Denton Abel in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 14th
March 1877.
CHARLES DENTON ABEL, of Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MOTOR ENGINES WORKED BY STEAM OR OTHER ELASTIC FLUID
PRESSURE." A coinmunication from abroad by Carl Beissel, of Cologne, in the
German Empire.
This Invention has reference to an improved construction of motor engines
wherein, according to one arrangement, four cylinders with their pistons are
arranged radially round one central crank, the piston rods being all connected to
the said crank so that the piston of each of the cylinders, being made to perform
their in strokes consecutively and in order, effect the rotation of the crank and its
shaft.
The cylinders are arranged at 90° apart round the crank shaft, so that two and
two are diametrically opposite cach other; they are single acting, the steam or other
elastic fluid acting only on the outer sides of the pistons to cause them to perform
their in strokes. The cylinders have ports and passages communicating with a
steam supply pipo and an exhaust passage through a rotary distributing valve
arranged as will be presently described, so that the steain at full pressure entors
two of the cylinders, and after doing duty therein is conducted into the two other
cylinders situated diametrically opposite the first two so as to act expansively
therein, these cylinders being of greater diameter than the first two.
The arrangement of the passages and valve gear is as follows:-An extension of
the crank pin of the engine shaft takes into a disc on a spindle on which is a
toothed pinion driving a toothed wheel of twice its diameter fixed on the spindle
of a conical rotary valve, so that this valve makes one revolution for every two
revolutions of the crank shaft. The rotary valve fits in a conical casing com-
municating at one end with the steam supply pipe, and at the other end with the
condenser or atmosphere. It has formed in it at intermediate points of its length
four annular passages, cach of which communicates respectively with a passage
leading to one of the cylinders, and has two dianetrically opposite openings into
the interior surface of the casing.
The conical rotary valve has chambers and passages establishing communications
with the said openings in the following manner-At its inuer smaller end it has a
chamber communicating by two opposite openings with the steam supply, so that
stenm can enter it to supply the two high-pressure cylinders. Surrounding this
chamber of the valve is a stationary shell having openings corresponding to those
in the valve, and connected to a lever worked either by hand or by a governor so
as to be turned somewhat in one direction or the other upon the valve, whereby,
in causing the openings in the latter to be closed sooner or later to the ingress of
steam, it shuts off the steam supply to the high-pressure cylinders at a certain part
of the stroke so as to cause the steam to act expansively. From the said chamber
in the valve two separate passages lead respectively to two sets of diametrically
opposite openings which are made by the rotation of the valve to communicate
with the annular passages in the casing leading to the high-pressure cylinders.
The valve has also passages that at certain points of its rotation effect com-
munications respectively between the annular passage leading to a high-pressure
cylinder, and that leading to the opposite low-pressure cylinder, so that after
the steam has done duty in the former it passes through such passages into the
latter.
The valve has lastly other passages with opposite openings, whereby at certain
points of its rotation it establishes communications between the annular passages
leading to the low-pressure cylinders and the exhaust passage, so that the steam
after having done duty in the low-pressure cylinders escapes through such passages
to the condenser or atmosphere.

page_text: →
By constructing the valve and casing with duplicate sets of openings diametrically
opposite each other, as described, it will be evident that the same communications
will be established at every half revolution of the valve, and therefore this need
only revolve at half the speed of the engine shaft. By the above arrangement also
the steam pressure on the valve is entirely balanced. The valve, which is by
preference of gun metal working in a gun metal lining to the casing, is kept steam-
tight against its seating by a screw screwed through a cross bar carried by the
valve casing, and pressing against the end of the valve spindle.
The before-mentioned disc, into which the crank pin of the engine takes, has
two diametrically opposite holes or a semi-circular slot for receiving the crank pin,
and its spindle can be slid back by means of a lever so as to bring the disc out of
gear with the crank pin, whereupon the spindle and disc can be turned through
180° by a hand wheel, thereby turning the rotary valve through 90°, so that when
the spindle and disc are slid back into gear with the crank pin the motion of the
engine will be reversed owing to the altered position of the valve.
In some cases, where it may be required at times to increase the power of the
engine, communications are established by branch pipes or passages provided with
cocks or valves between the steam pipe and the two annular passages in the valve
casing leading to the high-pressure cylinders, whereby when the before-described
communications are established between these passages and those leading to the
low-pressure cylinders the latter will be supplied with high-pressure steam through-
out their stroke in the same manner as the high-pressure cylinders.
According to another modification the engine is constructed with only one high-
pressure cylinder and its opposite low-pressure cylinder, the arrangement of the
engine and rotary valve being otherwise the same as above described, with the
exception that the valve has only the passages and openings requisite for the one
pair of cylinders instead of for two pairs.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 shows a longitudinal section of one arrangement of the before-described
improved engine; Fig. 2 shews a plan, and Fig. 3, a front view of the same; and
Figs. 5 to 12 shew enlarged details of the construction of the rotating valve.
Of the four steam cylinders A, B, C, D, arranged radially and at equal distances
apart round the crank shaft R, those C and D are high-pressure cylinders, receiving
steam direct from the boiler, while A and B are low-pressure cylinders, receiving
their steam respectively from D and C. The piston rods of all four cylinders being
connected to one and the same crank R', it will be seen that when A is at the end
of its out stroke D is at the end of in stroke, while B and C are both at or about half
stroke. The cylinders are all single acting, the steam acting upon their outer ends,
the inner ends being open and in communication with the chamber S' inside the
casing S which communicates with the exhaust through the pipe S. The supply
of steam to the cylinders is effected by means of the rotary conical valve N inside
the casing N, the valve receiving rotary motion from the crank R¹ through the
spindle N and gearing NS so proportioned that the valve makes only half a revolu-
tion for every complete revolution of the crank shaft. The motion is imparted to
the spindle N through a disc N* fixed thercon having a semicircular slot into which
enters a pin R on the end of the crank. When the engine is working in one
direction the said pin acts against the one end of the said slot, and when it is
desired to reverse the motion of the engine the spindle N2 is drawn back by means
of the lever N³ so as to bring the disc N out of gear with the crank pin, after which
the spindle is turned through 180° by means of the hand wheel N whereby the
valve is turned through 90° and the spindle is then pushed forward again so as to
cause the crank pin to bear against the opposite end of the slot.
The construction and mode of operation of the valve N will be understood on
reference to Figs. 5 to 12, of which Fig. 5 shews a longitudinal section through the
valve and casing on line X, X, Fig. 1; Fig. 6 shews a longitudinal section at right
angles to that at Fig. 5; Figs. 7 to 12 shew cross sections taken respectively on the

page_text: lines 7-7, 8-8, 9-9, 10-10, 11-11, and 12-12, Fig. 6. The casing N¹ com-
municates at its inner or smaller end with the steam supply through the pipe F², and
at its outer end with the exhaust through the pipe E2; it has furthermore formed in
it four annular passages A, B, C, D, communicating respectively with the outer
ends of the steam cylinders A, B, C, D, through sido passages A, B, C, D¹. Each
of the annular passages has two diametrically opposite openings corresponding with
similar openings in the fixed gun metal lining P and with other opposite openings
in the rotary valve N as indicated at the several sections at Figs. 8 to 11. In the
valve are formed passages establishing communications between these openings as
follows: The steam from the boiler enters the annular space F3 surrounding the
lower end of the valve N from the passage F and passes thence into the inner space
f of the valve through two opposite openings f¹, f. From this space the steam can
pass into the passages on each side of a passage g and from these it can issue
through the opposite openings c, c, and d, d, of the valve respectively into tho
annular passages C, D, leading to the high-pressure cylinders C and D.
In order to enable the steam to work more or less expansively in these cylinders
the lower end of the valve N is surrounded by a shell O having opposite openings
o, o, and capable of being turned partially round upon the valve by means of the
lever R2, so that according to the position of this shell the openings f of the valve
are closed sooner or later against the ingress of steam as the valve rotates, and thus
the supply of steam to the high-pressure cylinders can be cut off at any desired part
of their stroke. From the passage C a communication is established with the
passage B leading to the low-pressure cylinder B by means of the opposite openings
c, cl, passage g, and opposite openings b, b, so that the stean after doing duty in the
cylinder C is allowed to pass into the cylinder B. A communication is also estab-
lished between the passages D and A³ by means of the openings d, d', passages
h, h, and openings a, a, so that the steam can pass in like manner from the cylinder
D to the cylinder A. Lastly, communications are established between the passages
A and B with the space E leading to the exhaust through the openings a¹, a', b', 'b',
and passages i, i.
Assuming the valve N to be rotating in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 7, in
which case the engine is working in the direction of the arrow, g. 3, it will be seen
from the position of the valve on the Drawing that the passage C being in communi-
cation with the passage B the steam is passing from the cylinder C, which is at
about half out stroke, into the cylinder B, which is at about half in stroke, also that
the passage
D being just about to communicate with the passage A² through tho
openings, passages 7, and openings a¹, the steam is just about to pass from the
cylinder D which is at end in stroke into the cylinder A which is at end out stroke.
On the further motion of the valve steam will be admitted to cylinder C; when this
has arrived at end out stroke by the openings c, and B will at the same time be put
in communication with the exhaust by the openings b¹; D on arriving at end out
stroke will receive steam through the openings d, and A will at the same time be put
in communication with the exhaust by the openings a¹.
There being opposite openings to all the passages it will be seen that the valve
need only make half a revolution for every complete revolution of the crank shaft,
and that the pressure on the valve is entirely balanced, thus preventing unequal
wear.
Figs. 13 to 20 shew a modification of my improved construction of engines in
which there are only two opposite cylinders, namely a high-pressure cylinder D, and
a low-pressure cylinder A, both connected to the same crank R', the low-pressure
cylinder A. being supplied with steam from D through the rotary valve N which is
arranged and operates in precisely the same manner as the valve in the previous
arrangement, with the exception that as there are only two cylinders it has only half
the number of passages.
The corresponding parts are designated by the same letters of reference, and need
therefore not be further described.
Fig. 13 shews an end view of the engine; Fig. 14, a sectional plan; Fig. 15, &

page_text: longitudinal section; Figs. 16 and 17 longitudinal sections at right angles to each
other of the valve casing; Figs. 18 and 19 cross sections of the same taken
respectively on lines X, X, and Y, Y, Fig. 16; and Fig. 20 shews a detached side
view and plan of the valve N.
.
Having thus described the nature of this Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent, I
claim :-
First. The construction of motor engines wherein one or more high-pressure
cylinders, and one or more low-pressure cylinders are arranged radially round a
crank shaft to one and the same crank on which all the connecting rods are con-
nected, the steam being caused to pass from the high-pressure cylinder or cylinders
to the opposite low-pressure cylinders by means of a rotary distributing valve
arranged and operating substantially as herein described.
Second. The use for motor engines of the kind referred to in the preceding claim
of a rotary distributing valve, so arranged with duplicate sets of diametrically
opposite ports and passages both in the valve and in the casing, that the valve
effects the same communications with the several cylinders at every semi-revolution,
substantially as and for the purposes herein described with reference to Figs. 5 to
12 of the Drawings.
Third. In combination with rotary distributing valves such as are referred to in
the preceding claim, the use of a shell surrounding the inlet openings of the valve
and actuated by hand or by a governor so as to regulate the cut off of the elastic
fluid to the high-pressure cylinders substantially as herein described with reference
to Figs. 5, 6, and 7 of the Drawings.
Fourth. The arrangement of four cylinder compound high and low pressure motor
engines herein described with reference to Figs. 1 to 12 of the Drawings.
Fifth. The arrangement of two cylinder compound high and low pressure engines
herein described with reference to Figs. 13 to 20 of the Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Denton Abel, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of March, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.
CHAS DAREL (LS)