Improvements in Single Acting Compound Engines.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Sept., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 11th June, 1891-Accepted, 11th July, 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Single Acting Compound Engines.
I, NOEL CHANDLER, of Cannock Chase Engine Works, Hednesford, in the
County of Stafford, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
:-
This invention has reference to improvements in single acting compound engines.
According to this invention I construct such an engine with two cylinders arranged
side by side with their pistons working onto separate cranks placed at opposite
angles to each other and situated below the respective cylinders.
The lower ends of the two cylinders are closed by a cover or covers provided
with stuffing boxes through which the piston rods pass, these stuffing boxes
preventing all leakage past the pistons from entering the crank chamber or case,
when this is used, or from escaping into the open air when an ordinary open type of
standard or frame, or columns is or are employed to support the cylinders.
It will be evident that these stuffing boxes will also at all times prevent air or
oil from entering the cylinders from the crank chamber or external atmosphere
and cooling the lower ends of the cylinders, even when the exhaust steam is led to
a condenser. The admission of high pressure steam to the H.P. cylinder and its
subsequent admission to the L.P. cylinder is effected by two steam valves, arranged
one directly below the other and forming together an equilibrium piston valve
mounted on a rod and arranged to work in a cylindrical valve chamber common to
both cylinders. This valve chamber is arranged with its axis parallel to the
axes of the two cylinders and at its lower end is provided with a stuffing box for
the valve rod.
The uppermost steam valve serves as an admission and cut-off valve to control
the admission to the high pressure cylinder of high pressure steam which enters the
valve chamber between the two steam valves. This upper steam valve never
travels below the port that leads to the high pressure cylinder and it does not
control the exhaust from either cylinder.
The lower steam valve serves to control the passage of exhaust steam from the
high pressure cylinder to the low pressure cylinder. Below this second steam
valve and on the same spindle is a hollow sleeve valve of the kind described and
shown in the Specification of former Letters Patent granted to me dated
18th April 1888 No. 5792. This sleeve valve permits of the passage of steam
through itself and the lower part of the valve chamber, from the upper to the
lower end of the low pressure cylinder. The periphery of this valve controls an
exhaust passage and prevents a vacuum (when the engine exhausts to condenser).
from destroying the necessary cushion or compression in the low pressure cylinder
during part of its upstroke. This sleeve valve controls the escape of the exhaust
steam after it has passed to the underside of the piston in the low pressure
cylinder, thus when the engine exhausts to a condenser, the vacuum operates on
the underside of the low pressure piston.
The upper end of the valve chamber, at a point above the upper steam valve, is
provided with a relief or escape opening for steam that may pass the upper
valve.
The valves can be controlled by an automatic cut-off governor of the kind
described in the Specification of an application for Letters Patent filed by me
1st April 1890 No. 5076.
When an ordinary throttling governor is employed to control the engine the

page_text: eccentric is arranged between the cranks and is coupled direct to the valve spindle
in the ordinary manner.
Dated this 11th 1
1
1000
W. LLOYD WISE,
Per J. G. S.,
Applicant's Agent.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Single Acting Compound Engines.
I, NOEL CHANDLER of Cannock Chase Engine Works, Hednesford, in. the
County of Stafford, 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 has reference to improvements in single acting compound engines.
According to this invention I construct such an engine with two cylinders
arranged side by side with their pistons working on to separate cranks placed at
opposite angles to each other and situated below the respective cylinders. The
lower ends of the two cylinders are closed by a cover or covers provided with
stuffing boxes through which the piston rods pass, these stuffing boxes preventing
all leakage past the pistons from entering the crank chamber or case, when one is
used, or from escaping into the open air when an ordinary open type of standard or
frame; or columns, is or are employed to support the cylinders. These stuffing
boxes will also at all times prevent air or oil from entering the cylinders from the
crank chamber or external atmosphere and cooling the lower ends of the cylinders,
even when the exhaust steam is led to a condenser.
The admission of high pressure steam to the H.P. cylinder and its subsequent
admission to the L.P. cylinder is effected by two steam valves, arranged one
directly below the other and forming together an equilibrium piston valve mounted
on a rod and arranged to work in a cylindrical valve chamber common to both
cylinders. This valve chamber is arranged with its axis parallel to the axes of
the two cylinders and at its lower end is provided with a stuffing box for the
valve rod.
The upper steam valve serves as an admission and cut off valve to control the
admission to the high pressure cylinder of high pressure steam which enters the
valve chamber between the two steam valves. This upper steam valve never
travels below the port that leads to the high pressure cylinder and it does not
control the exhaust from either cylinder.
The lower steam valve serves to control the passage of exhaust steam from the
high pressure cylinder to the low pressure cylinder. Below this second steam valve.
and on the same spindle is a hollow sleeve valve of the kind described and shewn
in the Specification of former Letters Patent granted to me dated 18th April 1888
No. 5792. This sleeve valve permits of the passage of steam through itself and
the lower part of the valve chamber, from the upper to the lower end of the low
pressure cylinder. The periphery of this valve controls an exhaust passage and
prevents a vacuum (when the engine exhausts to a condenser) from destroying the
necessary cushion or compression in the low pressure cylinder during part of its
upstroke. This sleeve valve controls the escape of the exhaust steam after it
has passed to the underside of the piston in the low pressure cylinder; thus
when the engine exhausts to a condenser, there will be a partial vacuum at the
underside of the low pressure piston.
The upper end of the valve chamber, at a point above the upper steam
valve, is provided with a relief or escape opening for steam that may pass the
upper valve.
The valves can be controlled by an automatic cut-off governor of the kind

page_text: described in the Specification of an application for Letters Patent filed by me
1st April 1890 No. 5076:
When an ordinary. throttling governor is employed to control the engine, the
eccentric is arranged between. the cranks and is coupled direct to the valve spindle.
in the ordinary manner...
In the accompanying drawings,.
Fig. 1 is a central longitudinal section. of a single acting compound. engine con-
structed according to. this invention.
Fig. 2 is a cross section of the same taken through the valve chamber.
1 is the high pressure cylinder, and 2 the low pressure cylinder, arranged, side
by side with their pistons 3 and 4 coupled respectively to the cranks 5 and 6,
which are placed at opposite angles to each other and rotate in a crank chamber 7
above which the cylinders are fixed. Each cylinder is closed at its lower end'
by a cover 8 provided with a stuffing box 9 for the purpose hereinbefore
mentioned. Each of these covers is secured. between the lower. end of its corre-
sponding cylinder and the top of the crank chamber and carries: the guide 10.
for the cross head 11 of the corresponding piston rod. 12: and 13. are two valves.
fixed one below the other on a rod 14 to form an equilibrium piston valve that
works in a cylindrical valve chamber 15 located between the two cylinders and.
provided at the lower end with a stuffing box 18". In the example shown the.
valves are, for convenience of manufacture, made in one piece: The valve. 12. is a.
steam admission and cut off valve to control the admission of high pressure: steam.
from the inlet 16, and steam space 17, to the ports 18 leading to the upper end
of the high pressure cylinder, the motion of this valve 12 being such that it never
closes the ports 18, and does not control the exhaust from the upper end of either
cylinder. The valve 13 serves to control the passage of exhaust steam from the
ports 18 of the H.P. cylinder to the ports 19 leading to the top of the low
pressure cylinder. 20 is a hollow sleeve valve, of the kind herein before referred
to, fixed to the rod 14 and the periphery of which controls the communication
between the lower ends of the cylinders and an exhaust passage 21.
In the arrangement shown the valves 12, 13 and 20 are driven by an eccentric 22
fixed upon the crank shaft between the cranks 5 and 6 and the eccentric rod 23
of which is coupled to the valve rod 14 by a cross head 24 that works in a guide 25,
the supply of steam to the engine being in this case controlled by an ordinary
throttling governor.
15 is an opening in the cover of the valve chamber 15 for the escape of steam
that may pass the upper steam valve 12. The guides 10 are each formed with a
hand hole 10 to enable the stuffing boxes 9 to be readily reached. The crank
chamber 7 is constructed with large openings both front and back each closed by
a door or cover 7ª continued close up to the bottoms of the cylinders and which
doors are removable so as to afford easy access to the several stuffing boxes as
described in my said former Specification No. 5792 of 1888.
The operation of the engine is as follows:-
With the parts in the position shown, the upper end of the H.P. cylinder will
receive high pressure steam from the steam space 17 through the ports 18, and
the two ends of the L.P. cylinder will be in communication with each other
through the sleeve valve 20 which at this time closes the ports leading to the
exhaust passage 21. The H.F. piston will then make its down stroke and the
L.P. piston, the pressures on the two sides of which are nearly in equilibrium, its
upstroke. Whilst this is taking place the valve 12 will move downward and close
the ports 17 leading from the steam space 17 to the valve chamber and thus cut
off the supply of high pressure steam to the H.P. cylinder; the valve 13 will
close the ports 19 so that as the low pressure piston nears the top of its stroke it
will be cushioned; and the valve 20 will open communication with the exhaust
passage so that steam below the two pistons can escape to the exhaust. The
valve 13 by its further downward movement will then uncover the ports 19 and
allow steam to exhaust from the top of the H.P. cylinder through the ports 18

page_text: and the annular space between the steam valves, to the top of the L.P. cylinder,
the piston of which will then make its downstroke, whilst the H.P. piston will
make its upstroke. Whilst this is taking place the valves will have commenced to
move upwards so that as the low pressure piston nears the bottom of its stroke;
and the high pressure piston the top of its stroke, the valve 13 will close the
communication between the upper ends of the two cylinders, the sleeve valve will
close the exhaust thereby ensuring a compression of steam below the low pressure
piston and the cushioning of this piston, and the valve 12 will uncover the ports 17"
and again admit high pressure steam to the top of the H.P. cylinder when the
above described operations will be repeated.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
A single acting compound engine in which the high and low pressure cylinders
are arranged side by side, their pistons work on to separate cranks placed at opposite
angles to each other below the cylinders and the distribution of steam to and from
one end of each cylinder is c: ntrolled by a steam valve of which there is one for
each cylinder, these valves are so combined or arranged as to constitute an
equilibrium piston valve, and the communication between the other ends of the
cylinders and the exhaust passage is controlled by a hollow or sleeve valve sub-
stantially as described.
Dated this 10th day of June 1891.
NOEL CHANDLER.
W. Lloyd Wise,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.