IMPROVEMENTS IN. EQUILIBRIUM SLIDE AND EXPANSION VALVES."
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Edlyn Outridge, of Catford Bridge, in the
County of Kent, Engineer, for the Invention of " IMPROVEMENTS IN.
EQUILIBRIUM SLIDE AND EXPANSION VALVES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Edlyn Out-
ridge at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 8th June 1875.
I, JOSEPH EDLYN OUTRIDGE, of Catford Bridge, in the County of
Kent, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN EQUILIBRIUM SLIDE AND EXPANSION VALVES,” to be as
follows:-
The object of my said Invention is to provide a means whereby the
admission of steam into and through supplementary valves and then
through a main valve into the cylinder or cylinders of steam engines can
be actuated by the governor through a series of links in connection with

page_text: a rotating plate or disc excentrically fitted on to some moving part of
the engine.
Within an ordinary valve box I fit a slide valve to work to and fro
from a rod, whose opposite end is pinned to a plate or strap actuated by
an excentric disc or rotator. Above or upon this valve I arrange two
other valves having separate rods, these being attached to short arms of
levers centred upon a pin, so that the ends of the levers can be brought
closer together or put farther apart for the closing or opening more or
less of the supplementary valves by which the main valve is supplied
with steam previous to its admission into the cylinder.
The pin before referred to has links attached, and these are connected
by a long arm and lever to the governor by which the valves are actuated
in their travel while the engine is at work. The connection of the long
arm and its lever with the links is so arranged that an adjustment can be
-made to determine the amount of lap or the cut-off, and thereby regulate
the passage of steam through the valves.
Each of the valves works in an equilibrated manner, and they are so
arranged that the main valve and the supplementary valves can be
caused to work as one valve, and have as it were a single action.
"
In some cases I arrange the supplementary valves as pairs on the
opposite faces of one main valve, the ports or passages in which are
formed for the admission of steam into separate cylinders.
In the case of fitting my valve arrangement to marine engines I
dispense with its connection with a governor.
may
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters. Patent,
filed by the said Joseph Edlyn Outridge in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 8th December 1875.
"
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOSEPH
EDLYN OUTRIDGE, of Catford Bridge, in the County of Kent, Engineer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of June, in the 'year of

page_text: our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the thirty-
eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Joseph Edlyn Outridge, Her special license,
that I, the said Joseph Edlyn Outridge, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Joseph Edlyn Outridge, 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
1 Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
EQUILIBRIUM SLIDE AND EXPANSION VALVES," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Joseph Edlyn Outridge, my executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one
of their hands and seals, 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 Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Joseph Edlyn Outridge, 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 thereof, that is to say :—
The object of my Invention is to provide a means whereby the
admission of steam into and through supplementary valves and then
through a main valve into the cylinder or cylinders of steam engines
can be actuated by the excentric and regulated by the governor through
a series of links in connection with a rotating plate or disc excentrically
fitted on or to some moving part of the engine.
Within an ordinary valve box I fit a slide valve to work to and fro
from a rod whose opposite end is pinned to a plate or strap actuated
by an excentric disc or rotator. Above or upon this valve I arrange two
other valves having separate rods, these being attached to short arms of
levers centred upon a pin, so that the ends of the levers can be brought
closer together or put farther apart for the closing or opening more or
less of the supplementary valves by which the main valve is supplied
with steam previous to its admission into the cylinder.

page_text: The pin before referred to has links attached, and these are connected
by a long arm and lever to the governor by which the valves are actuated
in their travel while the engine is at work. The connection of the long
arm and its lever with the links is so arranged that an adjustment can
be made to determine the amount of lap or the cut off, and thereby
regulate the passage of steam through the valves.
Each of the valves works in an equilibrated manner, and they are so
arranged that the main valve and the supplementary valves can be
caused to work as one valve, and have as it were a single action.
In some cases I arrange the supplementary valves as pairs on the
opposite faces of one main valve, the ports or passages in which are
formed for the admission of steam into separate cylinders.
My Invention is clearly represented in the annexed Sheet of Drawings,
in which Figure 1 is a side view of an engine with the cover of the
valve box removed to show the two supplementary valves working on
the same face of the main valve for a single cylinder engine, the sup-
plementary valve and the main valves being operated by rods and levers
from the eccentric strap or plate and the eccentric itself respectively,
as before referred to.
a, a', are two supplementary valves working on or against one face of
the main valve b in the valve box c of the cylinder f. The rods g, g¹, of
the two supplementary valves pass through separate stuffing boxes i, i¹,
of the cylinder f, and are connected to other rods or levers j, j, pinned
to ends of oscillating links k, k', these being pinned to a stud K on the
eccentric strap L. The links are also connected to rods 1, 1, whose
upper ends are pinned loosely to beams m, m³, one of which is free to
rock upon a standard n, and the other to slide up and down the standard,
the stem of which is prepared for that purpose.
The standard n is permanently attached to a bracket p fixed to or
forming part of the governor bracket q. The rising and falling beam m¹
has on its armr a link 8 connecting it to the long arm of the rock lever m,
so that when the governor spheres t, t, spread out from an increased
speed of running of the engine the sleeve u lifts in the usual manner,
and operates the rock beams through the intermediation of the ring
teeth on the sleeve and the quadrant teeth of the rock lever arm, as
indicated by the Drawing. The long arm m by the lift causes the

page_text: sliding beam m¹ to rise, and to thereby act upon the rod 1, link k¹,
lever j', and valve a', to cover over more or less the port or ports w of
the main valve b, and thereby shut off that passage of the steam to the
required extent. During this lift of the beam m¹ the short arm of the
beam m¹ descends and acts in a similar manner through its rod ɩ, link k,
lever j, and valve a to shut the port or ports w of the main valve 6, the
two supplementary valves a, a³, moving simultaneously in the same
direction to cover the two ports w, w¹, of the main valve at a speed
slightly greater than the main valve which moves at the same time in
the same direction through its connection with the excentric strap to
shut off the cylinder ports and open the exhaust. The main valve 6 is
connected by its rod x direct to the lug y of the excentric strap by a pin
to permit of the rise and fall motion of the lug part of the strap through
the attachment of a vibrating spring link z, whose lower end is pinned
to a part of the foundation or bed A for the purpose.
The cylinder piston works a block to and fro in guides B in the usual
manner for the rotation of the fly wheel C through the intermediation of
the connecting rod D and crank E, on which shaft F the excentric is
mounted.
Figure 2 shows a pair of supplementary valves a, a', on opposite faces
of a main valve b to be worked in a similar manner to those described
with reference to Figure 1, either from one excentric or from separate
excentrics, as desired. The main valve in this form is supported by a
guide G, and is equilibrated by a film of steam which is permitted to
flow into and between the bearing surfaces without passing through into
the cylinder. In this arrangement the steam which enters the valve
box H by the supply pipe I flows after passing through the valves into
the cylinder from which it is taken by the exhaust pipe J. The main
valve may however lead the steam to separate cylinders if desired.
In the case of fitting my valve arrangement to marine engines the
governor may be dispensed with.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim as my
Invention in equilibrium slide and expansion valves,-
The arrangement of appliances acting in unison, as shown, when
applied to steam engines, as and for the purposes described.

page_text: Secondly. Working two supplementary valves from a pin or stud on
the strap of a steam engine excentric, whereby the two valves may
partake of a motion from the governor independently of yet in conjunc-
tion with a motion from the excentric itself, as set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Edlyn Outridge, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Eighth day of December One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-five.
JOSEPH EDLYN OUTRIDGE. (L.S.)