CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Barber, of Manchester, in the 'County of
Lancaster, Engraver to Calico Printers, for the Invention of "CERTAIN
IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES."
Sealed the 1st February 1856, and dated the 15th August 1855.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Barber at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 15th August
1855.
I, JOHN BARBER, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Engraver to
Calico Printers, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES" to be as follows:-
This Invention is designed to increase the effective power of the steam
engine, by enabling the "crank" of ordinary steam engines to "pass the
centre" with much greater facility than has hitherto been accomplished.
My improvements are applicable to steam engines in general, and consist
in a simple novel contrivance or arrangement of apparatus to be employed as
a means of connection between the "connecting rod" and the "crank."
To the lower end of the "connecting rod" (which works vertically or other-
wise, but perfectly parallel with the "piston rod,") I attach an oblong slotted
frame of malleable iron, and sliding vertically between two upright guides or
slides; in the slot or chase of this sliding frame a horizontal brass slide is pro-

page_text: vided, being suitably planed out to form the slide required. The ordinary
"crank pin," (secured to the end of the crank arm on the crank shaft as at
present,) is to be placed loosely within this horizontal slide (instead of being
attached directly to the end of the connecting rod), suitably provided with
flanges to keep it in its place.
Supposing this arrangement to be supplied to an ordinary beam engine, as
an example, at each reciprocating movement of the "connecting rod" the
sliding frame would be proportionately elevated or depressed, sliding up and
down in its vertical guides, the "crank pin" being controlled or governed by
such elevation or depression in consequence of its being loosely confined in
the horizontal slot of the vertical sliding frame, before mentioned, and by this
means the required rotary motion is imparted through the "crank," and with
greatly increased facility and certainty_to_the_fly_wheel or driving shaft of the
engine.
It will be evident that a similar arrangement of sliding apparatus may be
readily and serviceably adapted also to the working of the "slide valves" or
of pumps of steam engines.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of-the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Barber in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 15th
February 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
BARBER, of the City of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Engraver to
Calico Printers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Royal
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of August, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the nineteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said John Barber, Her special licence that I, the said John Barber, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John
Barber, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the
term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM
ENGINES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Barber,

page_text: by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great
Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the
date of the said Royal Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Barber, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement
(that is to say)
This Invention is designed to increase the effective power of the steam
engine, by enabling the crank to pass the centre with much greater facility
than has hitherto been accomplished. My improvements are applicable to
steam engines in general, and consist in simple and novel contrivances or
arrangements of apparatus to be employed as means of connection between
connecting rods and their cranks. To the lower end of the connecting rod,
which works vertically or otherwise, but parallel with the piston rod, I attach
an oblong slotted frame made to slide between two guides or frames. Within
the slot or chase of this sliding frame a suitable slide is provided. The
ordinary crank pins, secured to the end of the crank arm on the crank shaft
(as at present), is to be placed in a block within the slot of the aforesaid slotted
frame, instead of being attached directly to the end of the connecting rod.
Supposing this arrangement to be applied to an ordinary beam engine (as an
example), at each reciprocating movement of the connecting rod the slotted
frame would be proportionately elevated or depressed, sliding up and down in
its vertical guides, the crank pin being controlled or governed by such elevation
or depression in consequence of the block which encircles it being confined
in the slot of the slotted frame; and by this means the required rotary motion
is imparted through the crank, and with greatly increased facility and certainty
to the fly wheel or driving shaft of the engine. I also employ a rectangular
or oval bar for the step, block, or bearing of the crank pin to slide upon,
instead of in the slot in the slotted frame, before mentioned, which bar is con-
nected to the connecting rod by plates or blocks which form the slides, and
sliding between the guides or frames according to the length of stroke, as
before described, the bar and blocks being adjusted and held together by bolts
and nuts. The aforesaid improved motion can either be employed singly, in
order to obtain the direct, action of one or two cylinders operating upon one
crank, thereby.obtaining great power in a very limited space; or it can be
applied to each crank and. its corresponding. cylinder, or to each crank con-

page_text: nected to two cylinders, thus obtaining to great advantage the combined result
of four cylinders. These improvements will be clearly understood by reference
to the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, in which the letters refer to each
Figure singly.
Fig. 1 is an elevation of part of a steam engine with my improved motion
attached; Fig. 2 is a plan of the motion and its adjacent parts; Fig. 3 is an
elevation of the improved motion in which a rectangular bar is employed;
Fig. 4 is an end view of the same; Fig. 5 is an elevation, shewing two
cylinders connected to the motion, acting upon one crank; Fig. 6 is a plan
thereof; Fig. 7 is an elevation of a motion applicable to locomotive engines;
and Fig. 8 is a section of the same. In Figs. 1 and 2, a shews part of the
beam of an ordinary steam engine; b, the connecting rod, which in this
instance does not oscillate; and c, the crank, on the pin of which is a block or
slide d, so fitted as to slide to and fro in the slot e of the slotted frame f,
attached to the connecting rod, and having a vertical motion equal to the
length of stroke. The said frame slides in the guides h, which are firmly
fixed to the foundation or frame of the engine. The slot e, as before described,
controls or governs the crank pin, and allows the centre to be turned with
greatly diminished friction. In Figs. 3 and 4 the crank is shewn at k, and
the crank pin at l, fitted into a step or block m, which slides upon a rectangular
bar n, having a vertical motion by being connected to the connecting rod o by
means of the bar p and blocks or plates q, the latter forming the slides which
slide in the guides or frames r. This arrangement is constructed of few parts
and easily put together. In Figs. 5 and 6, which represent the application of
two cylinders to one crank, no connecting rods are required. The cylinders
are shewn at s, the piston rods at t, which are jointed at once to the sliding
frame u, having its bar or slot at v, in or upon which the step or block w slides.
The crank pin is attached to the said step or block w, which as the crank
revolves moves vertically in the slot or on the bar, and horizontally with the
sliding frame u, as in the former examples. In Figs. 7 and 8, x is the rod
from the piston acting as a connecting rod; y, the crank; z, the crank pin,
and fitting it the block a¹, which slides in the slot b¹ in the sliding frame c',
which slides in the guides d'.
Having thus fully described the nature and particulars of my said Invention,
and the manner of carrying the same into practical effect, I desire it to be
distinctly understood that I do not confine myself to the exact details herein
set forth, as such may be varied or modified without departing from the principle
thereof; but I claim as my Invention, and which, to the best of my knowledge

page_text: and belief, has not been hitherto used within this realm, the means or
method of connection between the connecting rod and the crank of steam
engines, whether the same be applied to stationary, marine, or locomotive, as
such Invention is herein described, and illustrated in the accompanying Sheet
of Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Barber, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of February, One thousand eight
hundred and fifty-six.
JOHN BARBER. (L.S.)
> Signed, sealed, and delivered by the within-named
John Barber, in the presence of
E. J. HUGHES, Patent Agent,
Manchester.