Year: 1889

page_text: A clerical error in the original Specification having been amended by the
Patentee, with the consent of the Comptroller, the printed Specification will now read
as shown below :-

page_text: Date of Application, 31st Dec., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 27th Sept., 1890-Accepted, 1st Nov., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Compound Engines.
1, WILLIAM BEATER YEO of 9 Herbert Street Moss Lane East Manchester in the
County of Lancashire Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows, that is to say :-
My invention more particularly relates to automatic starting valves for supplying
the low pressure cylinder with steam direct from the high pressure supply at a
time when the high pressure cylinder is incapacitated from doing effective work
owing to the unfavourable position of the crank; and the improvements are made
with a view to avoid destruction by the violent concussion so often experienced by
valves for this purpose when receiving high pressure steam at starting and also
when the valve is forcibly closed by the exhaust steam from the high pressure
cylinder and also when the engine is running with a light load there is a continual
hammering action which ultimately produces fracture the pieces getting into the
low pressure steam chest and cylinder and there causing great mischief.
Further, in all cases where the work to be overcome is not sufficient to utilize the
starting power an unnecessary and needlessly sudden strain is thrown on the high
pressure piston, piston rod and machinery in connection therewith, it should be borne
in mind that, with automatic starting valves at present in use the pressure on the high
pressure piston at starting can be greater than is possible at other time.
any
To overcome these defects I propose to make improvements as hereinafter set forth
That is to say, in my invention steam from high pressure supply is admitted to a small
chamber through which the valve spindle passes, now that portion of the valve spindle
which passes through the wall of the chamber most remote from the valve itself is of a
smaller diameter than the portion which passes through the other wall of the chamber,
and it therefore follows that steam pressure in the said chamber will exert a force
tending to drive the valve spindle and all its belongings away from the side most
remote from the valve; and as I provide a groove turned in the said spindle and also
use a portion of the valve spindle as a valve, which for the sake of clearness will be
hereinafter called the by-pass valve, the purpose of the by-pass valve being to control
the admission of steam from the high pressure supply to the chamber or reservoir
between the high pressure and low pressure cylinders, generally known as the receiver,
and as I also provide suitable ports in the casting which contains the valve spindle,
piston, (the purpose of this piston will be hereinafter described) and valve, steam will
pass to the receiver as soon as the valve spindle, piston and valve have been moved
sufficiently far by the steam pressure to open the said ports, now in order to prevent
back pressure on the high pressure piston, except in cases where the work to be over-
come is not sufficient to utilize the starting power, I provide an intercepting valve at
the end of the valve spindle most remote from the before mentioned chamber so as to
shut off a portion of the receiver into which the exhaust from the high pressure
cylinder is led and there accumulating presently drives back the intercepting valve,
and so opens a way for the exhaust steam from the high pressure cylinder and the
engine at once commences to work as a compound; now to overcome the defects of
concussion, I provide a piston on the valve spindle, the said piston working in a
suitable chamber provided with openings or passages in such a way that after a certain
amount of movement in either direction steam or gas is unable to escape quickly from
the chamber so forming an elastic cushion as it were and thus prevent concussion;
then in order to allow of the valve quietly and completely closing I provide a small
leak hole, passage or passages. Further, when the engine is running light, the said
piston, after steam has been shut off by the exhaust from the high pressure cylinder,
may be exposed to the pressure in the receiver through a passage or passages provided

page_text: for that purpose the by-pass valve will then be held in the shut position as long as a
working pressure remains in the receiver and the hammering action will be thus
prevented.
Now, in all cases where the work to be overcome is not sufficient to utilize a great
power at starting, I prefer to leave off the intercepting valve and so get rid of any
excessive strain on the high pressure piston, piston rod and the machinery in con-
nection therewith the valve is then closed by the exhaust from the high pressure
cylinder and steam from the by-pass valve accumulating in the receiver and acting on
a prolonged portion of the piston which is exposed to the pressure in the receiver.
This valve may also be used as a compound reducing valve that is a valve which
having once shut off high pressure steam will not again admit high pressure steam to
low pressure side until the pressure on low pressure side has been reduced considerably
below that pressure which closed the valve."
This improvement may also be applied to intercepting valves which are opened by
plungers as in Von Borries valve and in such case will prevent all concussion.
The principle of my invention may be applied in various ways such as employing
two or more pistons or a greater or less number of ports and so forth.
Dated 30th day of December 1889.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Compound Engines.
I, WILLIAM BEATER YEO, of 9 Herbert Street, Moss Lane East, Manchester, in the
County of Lancashire, 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 :-
My invention relates to automatic starting valves such as are employed for supplying
steam to the low pressure cylinder of a compound engine when owing to the position
of the crank or valves the high pressure piston happens to be ineffective.
Such valves are liable to receive violent shocks from the sudden inflow of high pressure
steam, and to be violently closed by the exhaust steam from the high pressure cylinder;
they are moreover subject to a hammering action when the engine is lightly loaded,
and this often results in their being broken in pieces, which entering the valve chests
or cylinders may occasion great damage.
My invention has for its object to overcome these defects by a construction of
starting valve such as 1 shall explain referring to the accompanying drawings.
Fig. 1 Sheet I is a section of valve according to my invention in the condition
which it has while the engine is working and when the engine is stopped.
Fig. 2 Sheet I shews the condition of the valve when it is moved to admit steam to
the low pressure steam chest for the purpose of starting the engine. The valve
spindle K has a reduced part L and has fixed on it a piston R fitted to work in a
cylindrical cavity of the valve box. B is the passage for the exhaust steam from the
high pressure cylinder, and D is the passage to the low pressure steam chest.
A is a passage in communication with the high pressure steam supply to which steam
is admitted for the purpose of starting the engine. This steam pressing on the annular
area of K forces K to the position shewn in Figure 2 thereby opening a passage by P
to supply D. The piston R is cushioned so as to operate as a brake preventing the
violent movement of the valve spindle. When R passes the ports F and E, grooves
in the boss C of the piston no longer giving passage, there is no escape for steam, or
it may be air, beyond the piston except by a small passage O. When, after the
starting of the engine, the pressure in the body of the valve box. is such that acting
on the area of C, it overcomes the atmospheric pressure on Land the high pressure on
the annulus of K the valve is returned to the condition shewn in Fig. 1, the piston R
being in the first place free to expel air by the passage H then to become to a certain
extent cushioned after passing the mouth of H, the escape being a small passage G.

page_text: After R has passed the port E, the pressure in the body of the valve box acts on the
piston retaining the valve in the closed condition.
By the use of a valve arrangement such as is described above, the high pressure
piston and ports connected therewith are relieved from excess of strain at starting, the
full steam pressure then acting on the one side of the high pressure piston being to a
certain extent balanced by the pressure in the valve box acting on its other side.
Figs. 1 and 2 Sheet II shew the same construction with a valve M fixed on the
spindle to seat on B. As before, Fig. 1 shews the condition when the engine is going,
Fig. 2 shews the condition at starting. The action in this case is the same as before.
Figs. 1 and 2 Sheet III are vertical sections and Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on X X
shewing a modified construction of the valve in which the high pressure steam, instead
of acting on the annulus of the valve spindle, acts on plungers k connected by their
heads to the valve M, on the spindle of which is fixed the piston R to operate as a
brake in the manner already described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
In combination with an automatic starting valve for a compound engine, a piston
connected thereto and working in a cylindrical cavity provided with ports and passages,
arranged and operating substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
Dated this 27th day of September 1890.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.