Improvements in Steam or similar Engines.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Dec., 1896
Complete Specification Left. 8th Sept. 1897-Accepted, 13th Nov. 1897
Improvements in Steam or similar Engines.
We, THOMAS CLARKSON of Grove Villa, Carshalton Grove, Sutton in the County
of Surrey, Engineer and HERBERT CHURCHILL CAPEL of 168 Dalston Lane, in
the County of Middlesex, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:--
This invention relates to engines which may be operated by steam, compressed
air or the like, and we will describe it as a steam engine.
We make it of the multi-cylinder type, say with six single-acting cylinders, and
as all the connecting rods are intended to operate upon a single crank we arrange
the cylinders in two sets of three each in slightly different planes, so that one set
of connecting rod heads operate towards one end of the crank pin and the other
set towards the other end."
In order to obtain as large a bearing surface as possible, while providing for
the necessary movement around the crank pin of the connecting rod heads as the
crank rotates, we bevel or step the ends so that they may overlap, as by this
means, we obtain a large angular embracement in combination with the maximum
amount of play around the pin. The heads of one set of connecting rods are
arranged so as to partly overlap the heads of the next set, so as to maintain them
in contact with the crank pin, and to maintain the first set in position we place
a ring upon them so that by these means all the connecting rod heads are main-
tained in proper contiguity to the crank pin.
Each connecting rod head is connected by a suitable joint with the connecting
rod, so as to allow of all the necessary play.
The above described arrangement of connecting rod head may be used in con-
junction with a plane or roller or ball bearing upon the crank pin, but we prefer
to employ a ball bearing which may be arranged by placing two cups for the
ball races upon the crank pin, which can be adjusted by suitable screw collars or
nuts, and upon the balls placing a ring provided with corresponding ball races,
all of the wearing parts being hardened as required.
The connection between the inner end of the connecting rod and the piston is
like a ball and socket joint, and we extend the circular wall of the piston and
provide it with an inwardly projecting mutilated lip recessed at parts, through
which a correspondingly mutilated cap or cup can be passed for the purpose of
securing the spherical head of the connecting rod in its socket. To prevent the
cup from escaping, we use a flat circular spring, which can be sprung past the
lip and will occupy the space between it and the edge of the cup, either or both
of which may be coned so as to provide an inclined surface upon which the spring
will operate so as to keep the cup in close contact with the end of the connecting
rod and the piston.
In order to get rid of condensation water without employing the usual pet cocks
we provide a small hole or port in the ball at the end of the connecting rod and a
corresponding one in the piston so that when these coincide a passage is opened
by which steam and water can escape to the inside of the casing of the engine and

page_text: from there can be returned to the circulating system. These ports are arranged
to operate as a valve which is only open during the exhaust period so that while
steam pressure is behind the piston the valve is closed and live steam does not
escape. If desired this device may be used as the exhaust port, the main valve
then being used only for steam supply; the connecting mod heads may be cylin-
drical instead of spherical, so as to provide for larger ports.
The valve which operates the cylinder we prefer to make as a piston valve with
tight fitting rings at each end and working inside a tube or cylinder casing
which may be a tube fitted in a cast iron casing so as to leave an annular passage-
way between the outer face of the tube and the inner face of the casing. Two
rings of holes or other suitable openings are formed so as to connect this annular
passage with the interior of the tulie. Steam is admitted to the interior of the
tube and has access to one of these rings of openings when the piston valve is
moved into such a position as to permit of this, the steam then passing through
the inside of the tube through the openings into the annular space around it and
from there to the engine cylinder. The exhaust passes back from the cylinder
into the steam annular space, but the piston valve having moved it passes to the
inside of the tube by the next ring of holes the piston meantime preventing the
entrance of live steam into the annular casing. Or only one ring of holes need
he employed the valve passing alternately to the respective sides thereof. From
the interior of the tube, the steam escapes around the valve spindle by another
passage or set of passages to the exhaust, or it may pass down the spindle and out
at the open end of the tube to the engine casing and so to the condenser. The
valve spindle is preferably formed of a tube comfortably fitting inside the pre-
viously mentioned tube and reduced at the necessary part to allow of the passage
of the exhaust steam; the open end of the valve spindle may receive a plug which
may be rounded on its face to abut against the face of the eccentric strap, or the
lug may terminate in a jaw adapted to carry an anti-friction roller or ball-
cars or flanges may be employed, to prevent the valve or spindle or plug from
rotating.
A similarly constructed expansion valve may be employed to operate in conjunc-
tion if desired.
There would be one or both of these valves to cach cylinder: one eccentric
operating the whole of each set of valves. The eccentric sleeve or block is grooved
to receive a ring of balls, and the strap is similarly grooved and provided with a
screw collar to fit in and take up wear of the balls. The inner end of the collar
is turned cylindrically, and fits a corresponding recess in the sleeve, so that any
looseness in the screw portion will not iniuriously affect the positions of the parts:
this is important when it is remembered that all the parts have to be hardened,
so that it is very difficult, and in some cases impossible to make the screw portions
quite true.
To prevent the strap and collar moving with respect to each other, and thus
interfering with the adjustment we hore a hole at the junction of the two parts
and extending partly into each, and into this we screw a grub screw so as to
securely hold them together. In order to be able to make the necessary fine
adjustment, and at the same time to hold the parts in those adjustments we pro-
vide a number of these half holes in each part, but spaced slightly irregularly,
so that there would be say nine half holes in one part and ten in the other; by
bringing any two of these half holes so as to correspond any necessary fine
adjustment can be made. As however it would not be possible to make the various
screw threads meet, we, when drilling these holes tap them into both narts, and
subsequently we remove the thread from one half of each hole, thus obviating any
difficulty as to the threads not coinciding. To prevent the grub screw from turn-
ing we may place a wire or equivalent through a hole drilled through its outer end
and provide this wire at its other end with a plug or equivalent adapted to fit
one of the other half holes, and thus prevent the wire from escaping from the
grub screw which would thus be prevented from turning.

page_text: For reversing or working expansibly we provide the eccentric with a collar
and upon this we place a sleeve with a stud or equivalent passing through the
spiral groove in the collar and into a channel formed longitudinally in the shaft.
The sleeve is provided with a groove which may have rings of balls in it, and a
ring or jaw is placed in these to operate as a clutch lever to move the sleeve upon
the collar of the eccentric, and thus cause the latter to rotate upon the crank
shaft.
As a rapid means of entirely reversing the engine we provide upon one of the
sides of the eccentric block a toothed ring or wheel which is turned with it, and
in an appropriate position contiguous to this we pivot a toothed segment
which normally would remain clear of the toothed ring of the eccentric. When
it is desired to reverse, the toothed segment is turned about its pivot by any suit-
able means and its teeth engaging with the teeth of the eceentric will rotate the
latter as will be well understood, the segment at the conclusion of this operation
remaining in its new position at the other side of the eccentric and ready to turn
it back again when necessary. This reversing mechanism can only be used when
the engine is at rest.
The expansion eccentric we prefer to permanently fix upon the axle exactly
opposite the crank. The eccentric block for the expansion valve would have a
conical face and be adapted to slide longitudinally upon the engine shaft so as to
vary the position of the expansion valve as required in manner which will be well
understood.
Dated this 8th day of December 1896.
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicants..
We, THOMAS CLARKSON of Grove Villa, Carshalton Grove, Sutton in the County
of Surrey, Engineer and HERBERT CHURCHILL CAPEL of 168 Dalston Lane in
the County of Middlesex, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to engines which may be operated by steam, compressed
air or the like, and we will describe it as a steam engine.
We make it of the multi-cylinder type, say with six single-acting cylinders, and
as all the connecting rods are intended to operate upon a single crank we arrange
the cylinders in two sets of three each in slightly different planes, so that one set
of connecting rod heads operate towards one end of the crank pin and the other
set towards the other end."
In order to obtain as large a bearing surface as possible, while providing for
the necessary movement around the crank pin of the connecting rod heads as the
crank rotates, we bevel or step the ends so that they may overlap, as by this
means, we obtain a large angular embracement in combination with the maximum
amount of play around the pin. The heads of one set of connecting rods are
arranged so as to partly overlap the heads of the next set, so as to maintain them
in contact with the crank pin, and to maintain the first set in position we place
a ring upon them so that by these means all the connecting rod heads are main-
tained in proper contiguity to the crank pin.
Each connecting rod head is connected by a suitable joint with the connecting
rod, so as to allow of all the necessary play:

page_text: The above described arrangement of connecting rod head may be used in con-
junction with a plane or roller or ball bearing upon the crank pin, but we prefer
to employ a ball bearing which may be arranged by placing two cups for the
ball races upon the crank pin, which can be adjusted by suitable screw collars or
nuts, and upon the balls placing a ring provided with corresponding ball races,
all of the wearing parts being hardened as required.
The connection between the inner end of the connecting rod and the piston is
like a ball and socket joint, and we extend the circular wall of the piston and
provide it with an inwardly projecting mutilated lip recessed at parts, through
which a correspondingly mutilated cap or cup can be passed for the purpose of
securing the spherical head of the connecting rod in its socket. To prevent the
cup from escaping, we use a flat circular spring, which can be sprung past the
lip and will occupy the space between it and the edge of the cup, either or both
of which may be coned so as to provide an inclined surface upon which the spring
will operate so as to keep the cup in close contact with the end of the connecting
rod and the piston.
In order to get rid of condensation water without employing the usual pet cocks
we provide a small hole or port in the ball at the end of the connecting rod and a
corresponding one in the piston so that when these coincide a passage is opened
by which steam and water can escape to the inside of the casing of the engine and
from there can be returned to the circulating system. These ports are arranged
to operate as a valve which is only open during the exhaust period so that while
steam pressure is behind the piston the valve is closed and live steam does not
escape. If desired this device may be used as the exhaust port, the main valve
then being used only for steam supply; the connecting rod heads may be cylin-
drical instead of spherical, so as to provide for larger ports.
The valve which operates the cylinder we prefer to make as a piston valve with
tight fitting rings at each end and working inside a tube or cylinder casing
which may be a tube fitted in a cast iron casing so as to leave an annular passage-
way between the outer face of the tube and the inner face of the casing. Two
rings of holes or other suitable openings are formed so as to connect this annular
passage with the interior of the tube. Steam is admitted to the interior of the
tube and has access to one of these rings of openings when the piston valve is
moved into such a position as to permit of this, the steam then passing through
the inside of the tube through the openings into the annular space around it and
from there to the engine cylinder. The exhaust passes back from the cylinder
into the steam annular space, but the piston valve having moved it passes to the
inside of the tube by the next ring of holes the piston meantime preventing the
entrance of live steam into the annular casing. Or only one ring of holes need
be employed the valve passing alternately to the respective sides thereof. From
the interior of the tube, the steam escapes around the valve spindle by another
passage or set of passages to the exhaust, or it may pass down the spindle and out
ut the open end of the tube to the engine casing and so to the condenser. The
valve spindle is preferably formed of a tube comfortably fitting inside the pre-
viously mentioned tube and reduced at the necessary part to allow of the passage
of the exhaust steam; the open end of the valve spindle may receive a plug which
may be rounded on its face to abut against the face of the eccentric strap, or the
plug may terminate in a jaw adapted to carry an anti-friction roller or ball-
cars or flanges may be employed to prevent the valve or spindle or plug from
rotating.
A similarly constructed expansion valve may be employed to operate in conjunc-
tion if desired.
There would be one or both of these valves to each cylinder, one eccentric
operating the whole of each set of valves. The eccentric sleeve or block is grooved
to receive a ring of balls, and the strap is similarly grooved and provided with a
screw collar to fit in and take up wear of the balls. The inner end of the collar
is turned cylindrically, and fits a corresponding recess in the sleeve, so that any

page_text: looseness in the screw portion will not injuriously affect the positions of the parts;
this is important when it is remembered that all the parts have to be hardened,
so that it is very difficult, and in some cases impossible to make the screw portions
quite true.
To prevent the strap and collar moving with respect to each other, and thus
interfering with the adjustment we bore a hole at the junction of the two parts
and extending partly into each, and into this we screw a grub screw so as to
securely hold them together. In order to be able to make the necessary fine
adjustment, and at the same time to hold the parts in those adjustments we pro-
vide a number of these half holes in each part, but spaced slightly irregularly,
so that there would be say nine half holes in one part and ten in the other; by
bringing any two of these half holes so as to correspon any necessary fine
adjustment can he made. As however it would not be possible to make the various
screw threads meet, we, when drilling these holes tap them into both parts, and
subsequently we remove the thread from one half of each hole, thus obviating any
difficulty as to the threads not coinciding. To prevent the grub screw from turn-
ing we may place a wire or equivalent through a hole drilled through its outer end
and provide this wire at its outer end with a plug or equivalent adapted to fit
one of the other half holes, and thus prevent the wire from escaping from the
grub screw which would thus be prevented from turning.
For reversing or working expansibly we provide the eccentric with a collar
and upon this we place a sleeve with a stud or equivalent passing through the
spiral groove in the collar and into a channel formed longitudinally in the shaft.
The sleeve is provided with a groove which may have rings of balls in it, and a
ring or jaw is placed in these to operate as a clutch lever to move the sleeve upon
the collar of the eccentric, and thus cause the latter to rotate upon the crank
shaft.
As a rapid means of entirely reversing the engine we provide upon one of the
sides of the eccentric block a toothed ring or wheel which is turned with it, and
in an appropriate position contiguous to this we pivot a toothed segment
which normally would remain clear of the toothed ring of the eccentric. When
it is desired to reverse, the toothed segment is turned about its pivot by any suit-
able means and its teeth engaging with the teeth of the eccentric will rotate the
latter as will be well understood, the segment at the conclusion of this operation
remaining in its new position at the other side of the eccentric and ready to turn
it back again when necessary. This reversing mechanism can only be used when
the engine is at rest.
The main eccentric we prefer to permanently fix upon the axle exactly
opposite the crank. The eccentric block for the expansion valve would have a
conical face and be adapted to slide longitudinally upon the engine shaft so as to
vary the position of the expansion valve as required in manner which will be well
understood.
In the accompanying drawings
Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of the engine.
Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of one of the connecting rod ends showing the
construction for ensuring sufficient embracement of the crank pin.
Fig. 3 is a plan of the same.
Fig. 4 is an end view of the crank pin, certain parts being removed, showing
the piston of one of the cylinders in section.
Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Figure 1.
Fig. 6 is an end view of the driving shaft showing the valve operating eccentric
and reversing gear, part of the casing being removed.
The crank shaft A is carried in ball bearings of which only one a is shown.
Upon its end is formed a crank A' which is constructed with a balance weight A³
and crank pin A3. The end of the crank pin engages with an arm which carries
another balance weight A which rotates on ball bearings a¹ on a stud A5 carried
by the frame work A of the engine. This frame work A6 has securely attached

page_text: to it six cylinders B arranged is sets of three, each set being in a slightly different
plane from the other. The pistons of these cylinders are all connected to the one
crank pin A³, the method of connection being as follows:-
The crank pin carries ball races a² and a, a ball bearing collar C provided
with flanges C C enclosing the balls. The blocks DD which form the heads
of the connecting rods of each set are attached by pins E¹ or otherwise to the
connecting rods E, and provided with curved surfaces which bear against the face
of the flanged ring C. The blocks D, which may be termed those of the inner set
of cylinders, are formed with a projecting lip which overlaps the flange C¹, being
provided on that side which is next to the other set of blocks with a projecting
piece d which is overlapped by a projecting part on the blocks D'. The latter
are formed with projecting parts 2 which are all enclosed in a locking ring De
held in place by a bolt which serves also as a means of connection between one
of the blocks 1 and its connecting rod E, the remaining connecting rods being
connected as previously mentioned to their respective blocks by pins E.
'
It will be thus seen that while the flanges CC of the ring C prevent lateral
movement of the blocks D D¹, the set of blocks D' by overlapping the set D holds
the latter against the face of the ring C while the ring D2 holds the set of blocks D¹
in a similar manner. In order to obtain sufficient embracement of the crank pin
by the connecting rod heads DD, the ends of the arms of the latter instead of
being formed square are bevelled as at 13 or stepped, the bevelled parts of each
block overlapping those of the adjacent ones of the same set.
The connecting rods E are connected to the pistons F in the following manner:
The piston F, which is of the trunk type, is formed centrally with a semi-
spherical bearing surface or cup F in which lies a ball E2 formed on the end of
the connecting rod E. This ball is held in place by a retaining cup G which is
connected by a series of arms, in this case three, G₁ to a ring G2 which fits within
the piston F. The latter is provided at its outer edge with a lip F2 which is cut
away in places as at F3 corresponding to the number of arms G. The ring Ga
is cut away in places which correspond to the parts of the lip F2 between the
spaces F3
Thus it will be seen that the ring G2 carrying the cup G may pass into position
when the cut-away parts of it and the projecting portions of the lip register with
each other. In order to hold the ring (2 in position so that the cup G embraces
the ball a flat spring His sprung into the interior of the trunk portion of the
piston F between the lip F and the ring G2, the parts of the latter against which
the spring bears being preferably slightly bevelled in order to allow of the cup G
to yield slightly, and also to take up any slack which may arise.
Figure 5 which is an underside view of the piston clearly shows the arrangement
of the mutilated lip F2.
The valves of all the six cylinders are operated by a single eccentric. The
sheave J of this eccentric is loose upon the driving shaft A and connected to a
sleeve K. In the latter is a curved slot K which runs through the sleeve for the
greater part of its length and also round it for some 65°. In the portion of the
driving shaft A which lies beneath the sleeve K is cut, parallel to the axis, a longi-
tudinal groove L, the length of the groove corresponding to the length of the
slot K. Loose upon the sleeve K is a collar M which carries a holt M which
projects through the slot K into the groove L in the driving shaft.
It will thus be seen that by moving the collar M longitudinally upon the
sleeve K the latter is caused to turn about the shaft A through an angle of about
65°. This movement being of course imparted to the eccentric sheave J and being
the amount necessary to bring about the reversing of the engine. The collar M
is grooved as at M3 for the reception of blocks N carried upon the ends of a forked
lever N attached to a pivotted rod 0, by rotating which the movement of the
collar M and thus reversal of the engine is brought about. Since in the engine
constructed as here shown, the exhaust takes place into the interior of the casing P
which encloses the whole engine, it is necessary to carry the rod ( which passes

page_text: outside this casing through a' stuffing-hox P as shown in Fig. G. Any suitable
means of rotating the rod O may be employed. The eccentric sheave J, has a
ball race cut on its peripliery, the strap R is also formed with a ball race and is
provided with a screw collar R by means of which the wear of the balls' may be.
taken up. The collar R¹ is partly screw-threaded and partly formed cylindrical
as at R in order to prevent any looseness in the fit of the screw portion from
affecting the positions of the parts. To prevent the strap It and collar R from
relative movement a grub screw S is screwed into a hole formed just at the junc-
ture of the two parts. In order to render it possible to make a fine adjustment of
the hearing a number of half holes r, say ten, are formed in the strap R, while nine
half holes are formed in the collar R. By bringing any two of these half holes
together so as to correspond an adjustment may be mine and the screw S inserted.
To obviate difficulty arising from the screw threads in the half holes and r
not coinciding, one of these holes has the thread removed from it so as to make
it cylindrical; this arrangement not affecting the holding power of the screw. To
ensure the grub screw S against working loose a hole is liored through its head
and a wire S passed through it, the end of the wire being turned down and
fitted into one of the half holes r as shown in Fig. 6.
The valves T, which are of the piston type, are each carried in tubular casings U,
the steam being admitted at U against the end of the valve and so automatically
keeping the end of the spindle T against the periphery of the eccentric strap R.
By this means the necessity of connecting the eccentric strap to the valve spindles
is avoided. The outer end of each valve spindle, which is formed hollow, ter-
minates in a screw plug T by means of which the length of the spindle, and so
the setting of the valves, may be adjusted; a lock nut T is provided to fix the
screw plug in its adjusted position. The steam is admitted by the valve T through
the passage U to the interior of the cylinder B and exhausted through openings
in the valve casing U, passing as above described into the casing P which encloses
the whole of the engine, whence it is conducted to the condenser.
In order to enable water to be blown out of the cylinder a small opening Fis
made in the piston, the opening leading into the cup F in which rests the
ball E on the end of the connecting rod. A passage E is bored in this ball in
such a manner that it registers with the hole during a certain part of the
exhaust stroke of the piston.
The arrangement of the passages is clearly shown in Fig. 4 where the arrow
indicates the direction of rotation of the engine when running forward.
It will thus be seen that when the engine is running backwards a certain amount
of steam will pass through the passages F and E carrying with it any water which
may have accumulated, the escape not being sufficient to prevent work being
done if desired when the engine is reversed. When running forward, since the
passages are only arranged to register during the exhaust stroke, it will be seen
that this device assists the exhaust.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is:-
1. In a multi-cylinder engine in which the connecting rods all work upon one
crank pin arranging the cylinders in two or more sets in different planes for the
purpose described.
2. In a multi-cylinder engine retaining upon the crank pin one set of connecting
rod-heads by overlapping them with the other set substantially as described.
3. In a multi-cylinder engine bevelling as at D3 or stepping the connecting
red-heads so that they may overlap each other for the purpose described.
4. In a multi-cylinder engine the combination with ball bearings upon the
crank pin of a flanged ring such as C C C forming a portion of the bearings and
two or more connecting rods the heads of which are locked round the ring CC C
in the manner described.

page_text: 5. In a multi-cylinder engine having the cylinders arranged in two planes
attaching the two sets of connecting rod-heads to the crank pin by the overlapping
of one set by the other which is enclosed in a locking ring substantially as
described.
6. In a steam or similar engine the combination with an eccentric or its strap
of a valve spindle kept in contact with the said eccentric or strap by steam pressure
substantially as described.
7. In a multi-cylinder engine the combination with an eccentric sheave J with
ball race on its periphery of a strap such as It and screw collar such as R¹ rela-
tively adjustable and locked together in the manner described.
8. In a steam or similar engine the combination with a piston having a socket
such as F and overhanging lip F of a cup and ring such as G G2 and spring
locking ring H substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
9. In a steam or similar engine a ball and socket connection between the piston
and the connecting rod having passages 1 and 3 for the purpose described.
10. Connecting the connecting rod heads of a multi-cylinder engine to a single
crank pin substantially as described and illustrated in Figure 1 of the accom-
panying drawings.
11. The complete valve operating mechanism for a multi-cylinder engine sub-
stantially as described and illustrated in Figures 1 and 6 of the accompanying
drawings.
12. The complete multi-cylinder engine substantially as described and illustrated
in Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings.
تيم
1007
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicants.