Improvements in the Working-fluid Distribution Valves of Steam and other Fluid Pressure Engines.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Apr., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 26th Jan. 1891-Accepted, 18th Apr., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Working-fluid Distribution Valves of Steam
and other Fluid Pressure Engines.
We, HENRY TURNER, of 8, Grosvenor Terrace, Hoylake, in the County of
Chester, Engineer, WILLIAM BAYLIFF, and THOMAS DUTTON BAYLIFF, both of
Wirral Foundry, Beaufort Road, Birkenhead, in the County of Chester, Engineers,
do hereby declare the nature of our said invention to be as follows:-
The object of the present invention is to construct the steam or other fluid
distribution valves of steam or other fluid pressure engines, in such a way as to, at
once, secure the combined advantages of the ordinary slide valve and piston valve,
and at the same time to obviate and avoid their disadvantageous features. The
advantage of the flat faced slide valve referred to, is, that it is in constant contact
with the cylinder port face on which it works, and adjustment thereon is simul-
taneous with the wear, and automatic; whilst the advantage of the piston valve' is
that it is practically in equilibrium radially, that is, when made in the manner
usual for marine and other engines-and allows of a large port area for a given space
occupied. The disadvantages of these two kinds of valves, as ordinarily employed
on marine and other engines, are, that, in the first, the pressure of the valve upon
its seat due to the pressure of steam on its back is very great, and the second, when
the rings of the valve become worn steam passes and a wasteful us of steam follows.
According to the present invention, as applied to steam engines, the steam
distribution valves are constructed of a plurality of portions having a plurality of
faces, whilst the cylinder port face is constructed to correspond with those of the
valves, and between these portions at their backs, are provided wedge devices so
arranged and adapted to operate in connection with the backs, that the steam
pressure is kept off them, the wedges themselves being kept on the back of the
portions of the valve by the steam pressure.
In one arrangement these wedges are arranged in duplicate-and split if desired
longitudinally with their bases back to back, steam being admitted to a space
between such bases; and the pairs of wedges are arranged radially, so that one pair
acts on or in connection with two half backs of two portions of the valve; that is
to say, assuming the whole valve to consist of four portions all arranged back to
back, and in the figure of a square, having flat seats and faces, each portion working
on a separate cylinder port face, there would be four sets of pairs of wedges,
radially and diagonally arranged, each pair being disposed between and adapted to
act upon two halves of the backs of two adjacent portions of the valve.
If the wedges bear only at the edges, the interior portion should be in com-
munication, by suitable passages, with the low pressure or receiver side of the
valve, or the atmosphere, as the case may be.
The ports communicating with the cylinders are provided in each face, alike, and
a belt or chamber runs round the whole face to convey the steam to and from the
cylinder, substantially in the same manner as in the case of cylinders having piston
distribution valves. The valve chest would be made in a plurality of parts bolted
together, when the slide valves have flat bearing surfaces.
According to a modified form and arrangement of the above described construction
of valve, the portions thereof are formed with faces forming segments of a circle
in three or more parts, the whole making an interrupted circular piston valve; the
valve casing of course being also in the form of a cylinder having corresponding
port faces and steam belts, as in ordinary piston valves. In this, as in the above
lescribed arrangement, the wedges are employed, and in substantially a similar
nanner, and for the same purpose.

page_text: In all cases, it will be understood, sufficient back surface is arranged to remain
uncovered by the relieving wedges, as will provide for the valve portions being
each kept upon the seats by the pressure of steam acting thereon and to keep the
wedges in place, normally, suitable spiral, or other springs, are used and adapted to
press them apart.
We wish it to be understood that in practice we may carry out the improvements,
the nature of which we have above described, in various different modified ways and
combinations, and that they may be used individually, as well as conjointly, in
distribution valves of steam and other fluid pressure engines.
Dated this 24th day of April 1890.
CHEESBROUGH & ROYSTON,
15, Water Street, Liverpool, Agents for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Working-fluid Distribution Valves of Steam
and other Fluid Pressure Engines.
We, HENRY TURNER, of 8, Grosvenor Terrace, Hoylake, in the County of
Chester, Engineer, WILLIAM BAYLIFF, and THOMAS DUTTON BAYLIFF, both of
Wirral Foundry, Beaufort Road, Birkenhead, in the County of Chester, Engineers,
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 :-
The object of the present invention is to construct the steam or other fluid
distribution valves of steam or other fluid pressure engines, in such a way as to at
once secure the combined advantages of the ordinary slide valve and piston valve,
and at the same time to obviate and avoid their disadvantageous features. The
advantage of the flat faced slide valve referred to, is, that it is in constant contact
with the cylinder port face on which it works, and adjustment thereon is simultaneous
with the wear, and automatic; whilst the advantage of the piston valve is that it is
practically in equilibrium radially, that is, when made in the manner usual for
marine and other engines-and allows of a large port area for a given space
occupied. The disadvantages of these two kinds of valves, as ordinarily employed
on marine and other engines, are, that, in the first, the pressure of the valve upon
its seat, due to the pressure of steam on its back, is very great, and the second, when
the rings of the valve become worn steam passes and a wasteful use of steam
follows.
According to the present invention, as applied to steam engines, the steam
distribution valves are constructed of a plurality of portions having a plurality of
faces, whilst the cylinder port face is constructed to correspond with those of the
valves, and between these portions at their backs, are provided wedge devices so
arranged and adapted to operate in connection with the backs, that the steam pressure
is kept off them, the wedges themselves being kept on the back of the portions of
the valve by the steam pressure.
In one arrangement these wedges are arranged in duplicate-and split if desired
longitudinally with their bases back to back, steam being admitted to a space
between such bases; and the pairs of wedges are arranged radially, so that one
pair acts on or in connection with two half backs of two portions of the valve :
that is to say, assuming the whole valve to consist of four portions all arranged back
to back, and in the figure of a square, having flat seats and faces, each portion
working on a separate cylinder port face, there would be four sets of pairs of
wedges, radially and diagonally arranged, each pair being disposed between and
adapted to act upon two halves of the backs of two adjacent portions of the valve.
If the wedges bear only at the edges, the interior portion should be in com-
munication, by suitable passages, with the low pressure or receiver side of the valve,
of the atmosphere, as the case may be.

page_text: The ports communicating with the cylinders are provided in each face, alike, and
a belt or chamber runs round the whole face to convey the steam to and from the
cylinder, substantially in the same manner as in the case of cylinders having piston
distribution valves. The valve chest would be made in a plurality of parts bolted
together when the slide valves have flat bearing surfaces.
According to a modified form and arrangement of the above described construc-
tion of valve, the portions thereof are formed with faces forming segments of a
circle in three or more parts, the whole making an interrupted circular piston
valve the valve casing of course being also in the form of a cylinder having corre-
sponding port faces and steam belts, as in ordinary piston valves. In this, as in the
above described arrangement, the wedges are employed, and in substantially a
similar manner, and for the same purpose.
In all cases, it will be understood, sufficient back surface is arranged to remain
uncovered by the relieving wedges, as will provide for the valve portions being
each kept upon their seats by the pressure of steam acting thereon and to keep
the wedges in place, normally, suitable spiral, or other springs, are used and adapted
to press them apart.
In the drawings which serve to illustrate this invention,
Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a valve casing and cylinder ports, having the
wedges arranged in the manner hereinbefore more particularly specified.
Figure 2 is a section through the valve taken at the line X. X. Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a sectional elevation of a modified construction of the valve; and
Figure 4 is a cross section through same, taken at the line Y. Y. in Figure 3.
Referring now to the drawings, the valve, it will be seen, is composed of four
distinct parts all of which are identical, and these are designated in the drawings a' a
aa. In Figure 1 half of portions a² and a³ are shewn in section, the wedges in
these parts being also in section. is the cylinder valve face, having port
passages for admission of steam, and passage for the exhaust. c designates
the cylinder wall, and c are the steam admission ports, and being the exhaust
port thereof. dare the wedges, these being arranged back to back and adapted
to bear upon and work in connection with corresponding shaped recesses of the
different portions of the valve. These recesses are carried from end to end of
the valve and are therefore in free communication with the interior of the valve
casing, and thus the steam has free access to the spaces e between the bases of
the wedges d. In the wedges, that is, on the inclined surfaces thereof which
work upon the surface of the valve, recesses are provided, and these are in
communication with the exhaust channel or passage of the valve portions by
passages i. By thus having the surfaces covered by the spaces in communication
with the exhaust port or passage of the valve, the pressure acting upon the bases
of the wedges d within the space e must always be equivalent to the difference of
pressure between that in the valve casing and that in the exhaust port of the
cylinder. To keep the wedges in place normally, springs such as shewn in
Figure are provided between the wedges, such springs acting outwardly and
pressing the wedges onto the valve surfaces.
The wedges are kept in place by the plates which are secured onto the valve
portions by bolts and nuts in the valve portions a¹ to a themselves being kept in
their relative positions by the ordinary nuts, heads, or the like, by which the valve
rod is connected to the valve.
It will now be plain that the backs of the valve portions are relieved by the wedges,
the only pressure acting upon the different valve portions tending to press them onto
the valve face being that due to the action of the steam upon the bases of the
wedges, and that which acts upon the part of the valve not covered by the wedges.
It will be seen that the pressure admitted onto the backs of the valve portions can
be varied at will by the amount of inclination given to the wedges.
In the modification shewn in Figures 3 and 4, the portions of the different
sections of the valve which work on the cylinder valve face, and the part connected
to the valve rod, are separate; the latter part being provided with plates o connected

page_text: to the boss o¹ by webs o², and which span and fit over the metal enclosing the
exhaust passages of the various portions. Thus in this case, there are, as it were,
four valves proper and a single arm central portion by which the valve portions
are worked.
י
The wedges d in this case are disposed at right angles to the radii of the valve,
and lie between an upper plate formed upon the aforesaid valve portions proper,
and an under plate on the ends of the arms of the central or operating portion.
These plates are, with the arms of, as will be seen, in the form of a T. Each
valve portion has four wedges, two on either side of each arm o, said wedges being
kept in place by plates and bolts m in the same manner as those set forth with
reference to Figure 1.
It is to be understood that the number of portions, which may constitute a com-
plete valve, may be more or less than those shewn in the figures of the drawings,
and that their faces may be plain surfaces instead of curved as those of the examples
illustrated. Also the invention is not confined to the particular arrangements of
wedges and valve portions shewn, as these may be arranged and combined in a
variety of ways.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. The herein described improvement in the working-fluid distribution valves of
steam and other fluid pressure engines, that is to say, a valve composed of or com-
prising a plurality of parts, each portion being free to adjust itself, and having the
pressure of steam tending to force them onto their faces, limited for the purposes
set forth.
2. A valve for distributing the working-fluid to fluid pressure engines, consisting
of a plurality of parts working within a casing, and wedges disposed or arranged
substantially as described, and adapted to relieve the valve from the pressure of the
fluid which it distributes.
3. A valve for distributing the working-fluid to fluid pressure engines, constructed
of a plurality of parts arranged and adapted to work substantially as set forth with
reference to Figures 1 and 2.
4. A valve for distributing the working-fluid to fluid pressure engines, constructed
of a plurality of parts arranged and adapted to work substantially as set forth with
reference to Figures 3 and 4.
5. The particular construction and combination of parts of the valves set forth
with reference to Figures 1 and 2, and 3 and 4, respectively.
Dated this 23rd day of January 1891.
CHEESBROUGH & ROYSTON,
15, Water Street, Liverpool, Applicants' Patent Agents.