Improvements in High Speed Engines.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Dec., 1898-Accepted, 7th Jan., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in High Speed Engines.
I, EUSTACE ERNEST WIGZELL, Engineer, of Billiter House, Billiter Street,
London, E.C., 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 improvement has special reference to that class of high speed engines in
which the power transmitted to the crank shaft is exerted on the downward stroke
only of the pistons and in which is used an internal piston valve working inside
the high and low pressure pistons or a piston valve working inside the trunk of
a piston, such valve being worked by a lever, the oscillation of the connecting rod
being utilised for same, and in which the crank shaft works inside an oil chamber.
In my improved engine I have two ports to the high pressure cylinder and two
for the
ports to the low
one
pressure cylinder
port being used
used
admission
for
the other port is
the exhaust.
of steam
whilst
The inside of my high pressure piston I use as receiving chamber för
the exhaust steam from the high pressure cylinder, so that when steam has been
admitted through the port to the top of the high pressure cylinder and the valve
closes this port, the exhaust steam from the top of this cylinder is open to the
The steam from
inside of the high pressure piston which forms a steam receiver.
this chamber then passes through the steam port on to the top of the piston in the
low pressure cylinder, and when the admission port to this cylinder is closed the
exhaust is open to underneath the low pressure piston through a port or opening
into a condenser or to the atmosphere. In the former case and when a vacuumi
is employed the force of the vacuum is utilised, on the downward stroke, but ön
the upward stroke the vacuum would be on both sides of the low pressure piston
thus forming an equilibrium.
For working the cut off of steam and for enabling this to be performed at any
part of the stroke, I use a worm and worm wheel as described hereunder. Round
the top of the trunk and attached to or forming part of the high pressure piston,
I have a ring or tube of any desired depth, this ring having a thread cut on the
outside. Working in connection with this thread I have a worm wheel, this 'wlieel
being held in position by the outer casing, and being worked by a worm, so that
when the worm wheel is twisted round by the worm it raises or lowers the ring or
tube and cuts off the steam either sooner or later as may be desired at any part of
the stroke.
forming
At the bottom of the low pressure piston I have a trunk attached to or
part of the low pressure piston, this trunk passing through a stuffing box; at the
bottom end of this trunk I have a crosshead, this crosshead taking the pin of the
top end of the connecting rod, also the lever for working the internal piston valve,
the crosshead having guide blocks or shoes on its outward ends for taking the
thrust of the connecting rod.
For reversing the engine I pass the top trunk which is connected to the high
pressure piston or forms a part of same, through a stuffing box, the top end having

page_text: a keyway or being formed square ended and passing through a worm wheel held
in position, with a frame or casting attached to the top cover or forming part of
same holding in position a worm, so that when this worm is turned round it twists
the pistons and crosshead round and turns the fulcrum of the lever which works
the valve by the oscillation of the connecting rod, from right to left, or from left
to right, and thus reverse the motion of the valve and the engine. In the case of
engines built with the reversing arrangement, the connection to the connecting
rod for working the valve I make with a sleeve, or ring, round the top end of the
arm of the connecting rod with two pins projecting for taking the link or links
which work the lever for the lifting and lowering of the piston valve and the top
end of the connecting rod would be made globe shaped, so that when the cross-
head is twisted round by means of the worm wheel on the top end the levers would
be free to travel round the connecting rod and with the crosshead.
At the end of the lever that lifts and lowers the piston valve I have a roller,
the piston valve being kept down on the top of this roller owing to pressure always
being on the top of the top piston valve.
For packing the trunks I have a snail shaped stuffing box, this stuffing box being
filled with fibre, or metal shavings, or other suitable packing, each end of the
stuffing box having a screw or plug for forcing in the material to any desired
pressure, or by taking out one of the screws or plugs the whole packing can be
forced right through and replaced.
In the drawings annexed hereto Fig. 1 shows a sectional view of my improved
engine looking endways, Fig. 2 shows a section through A, Fig. 1, or the method of
arranging the cut off. Fig. 3, shows an enlarged view of the reversing attachment.
Fig. 4 shows an enlarged view of the end of the connecting rod with loose sleeve
for use. when the engine is made reversible, and Fig. 5, shows the snail shaped
packing.
F
!
--
B, is the steam inlet port, C, is the exhaust port, D, D), the two piston valves,
E, the steam chamber in the high pressure piston. F, is the steam inlet port for
the low pressure cylinder and G the exhaust port. H, is the outlet for the exhaust
steam, which can be connected to a condenser or left open to the atmosphere. I is
connected to or forms part of the piston valves on which the roller J, at the end
of the lever works for lifting and lowering the valves D, D, a pressure always being
kept on the top of the top piston K. L is the bottom of the trunk which passes
through the stuffing box M, and which is attached to the low pressure piston N,
or forms a part of same.
Screwed on, or attached to L is a crosshead O, with guide blocks P, P, holding in
position the pin Q in which the top end of the connecting rod R, is swung. The
crosshead O, holds the pivot of the lever S, which raises and lowers the valves D, D,
and is connected by two rods T, to the top end of the connecting rod R. U, shows
where the snail shaped packing is used, an enlarged view of this packing being
shown in Fig. 5 U, being the packing and V, V, the two plugs. or screws.
W, is
the ring or tube for regulating the cut off. X, is the worm wheel which is held
in position by the outer casing Y, and revolved round by the worm Z, as shown
in enlarged view Fig. 2.
The port for the first admission of steam is shown A¹, as this travels down steam
is cut off by the ring or tube W. In Fig. 3, which shows an enlarged view of the
arrangement for reversing, B' is connected to the high pressure piston C this end
being made square shaped or having a key and working through the worm wheel Di
being twisted round by the worm E', this latter being held in position by the
frame F¹.
Fig. 4 shows the ball end J¹ for the connecting rod R, which works in the cross-
head O, with a sleeve or collar G₁ having two pins H¹, H', this ring and pins is
allowed to twist round the connecting rod R. The levers on H¹ H', shown T,
Fig. 1, are connected to the lever I which is pivoted on the pin S held in position
by the crosshead O, and hold the roller J, which works up against I which is con-
nected to the two piston valves D, D, the pressure being always on the top at K.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
1. In a steam engine in which the pressure is exerted in one direction only and
in which there are internal piston valves working inside a piston or pistons, or
inside a trunk or trunks, and in which the crank shaft works in an oil chamber,
the use of a steam inlet port and an exhaust outlet port substantially as described and
shown in drawings.
2. In a steam engine as described the method of using the high pressure piston
for a steam receiver for steam for use in the low pressure cylinder, substantially
as specified and shown in drawings.
3. In a steam engine as above the method of working the cut off by a worm and
worm wheel for cutting off steam at any part of the stroke, substantially as
described and shown in drawings.
4. In a steam engine as above the method of attaching the crosshead to the
trunk of the low pressure piston, of having guides for taking the thrust of the
connecting rod, and of holding the levers for working the piston valves, substan-
tially as described and shown in drawings.
5. In a steam engine as above the method of reversing, substantially as described
and shown in drawings.
6. In a steam engine as above the method of enabling the crosshead to be
twisted round, by means of a loose ring or sleeve round the top end of the arm of
the connecting rod furnished with pins for working the lever that works the valve,
the top end of the connecting rod being made ball shaped, substantially as
described and shown in drawings.
7. In a steam engine as above the use of a snail shaped stuffing box and pack-
ing, substantially as described and shown in drawings.
8. In a steam engine as above the method of utilising the suction of the vacuum
on the downward stroke of the engine, whilst on the upward stroke it is on both
sides of the low pressure piston, substantially as described and shown in drawings.
Dated this 6th day of December 1898.
E. E. WIGZELL.