IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Shuttleworth, of Lincoln, in the County
of Lincoln, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM
ENGINES."
Sealed the 18th December 1874, and dated the 30th June 1874.,
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Shuttlewortli
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 30th June 1874.
I, JOSEPH SHUTTLEWORTH, of Lincoln, in the County of Lincoln,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention for "Iм-
PROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES," to be as follows:―
My Invention relates to a method or contrivance for cutting off by
the action of the governor the supply of steam admitted to the cylinder
of a steam engine at any point under three-quarters of the length of the
stroke.
In carrying out my Invention, the cut-off plate is divided and cach
part is connected to the valve rod, one part by a right-hand thread, the
other part by a left-hand thread; so that by rotating the valve rod the

page_text: cut-off line is lengthened or shortened and steam admitted in proportion.
This is effected in the following manner:-The valve rod passes
through a bush in the governor stand, and is attached to its eccentric
rod by a swivel or ball-and-socket joint, the said bush is at liberty to
revolve freely in the governor stand and terminates at the end nearest
to the steam chest in a circular flange, and at the opposite end in a
toothed pinion into which gears a segment formed at the end of an arm
or lever pivotted at its fulcrum to a stud in a bracket or bearing pro-
jecting from the governor stand behind and beyond the governor slide,
which arm or lever is acted upon by the latter in such a manner that
when the governor slide rises a quick rotating movement is given to the
bush by the said segment and pinion. Facing and in contact with the
said circular flange is a second similarly shaped flange formed with a
projecting sleeve having a square hole in which the valve rod is made to
fit and slide. Two circular slots are formed through the second flange,
and in these slots respectively work two stop studs with heads which
connect the two flanges in such a way that though they cannot be
separated yet either flange will turn independent of each other to the
limit of the length of the said slots, hence the governor is free is rise
to a fixed point before it turns the valve rod, thus shutting off all the
steam, or admitting to the full power of the engine with less than one-
third of the travel of the governor slide. The uniformity of speed so
obtained even with most varying load will be obvious. A lever projects
at right angles from a boss on the before mentioned sleeve, upon which
lever is placed a weight moveable to any part of the lever; and as the
latter is poised by the momentum of the governor the speed of the engine
up to a certain limit is determined by the distance; the said weight is
placed from the centre of the valve rod, the governor shutting off the
steam and the weighted lever readmitting it.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, 3
filed by the said Joseph Shuttleworth in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 29th December 1874.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of June, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the 38th
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said Joseph Shuttleworth, Her special license, that
I, the said Joseph Shuttleworth, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Joseph Shuttleworth, my exe-
cutors, administrators, or 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
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN STEAM ENGINES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said Joseph Shuttleworth, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing under my hand and seal, 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 imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Joseph Shuttleworth, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawings and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to
say :-
My Invention relates to variable expansion gear for cutting off by
the action of the governor the supply of steam to the cylinder or
cylinders of a steam engine at any point under three-quarters of the
length of the stroke, and consists of a peculiar mode of and apparatus
for effecting this object whereby the steam is cut off by the governor
through the intervention of a toothed segment gearing into a pinion,
which operates in connection with the spindle of the cut-off or ex-
pansion valve, and the steam is readmitted under the action of a spring
or weight which balances the momentum of the governor; the parts.
being so arranged that the governor acts upon the cut-off or expansion
valves during a portion only of the traverse of its slide.
And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood I
shall now proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that

page_text: purpose shall refer to the several Figures on the annexed Sheet of
Drawings, the same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts in
all the Figures.
Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved apparatus; Figure 2 is a
plan of the same; and Figures 3 and 4 are detached views of details
which will be herein-after referred to.
b
A. is the valve spindle for actuating the cut-off or expansion plate for
the purpose of regulating the admission of the steam. This plate is
divided into two parts which are connected with the valve spindle by a
right-hand and a left-hand screw thread respectively, so that by rotating
the valve spindle the cut-off line is lengthened or shortened, and steam
admitted through the main slide valve to the cylinder in proportion.
The valve spindle A passes through a bush B mounted in the governor
stand C, and is connected with its eccentric rod D by a swivel or ball-
and-socket joint E. The bush B is at liberty to revolve freely in the
governor stand C, and terminates at its end nearest to the steam chest in
a circular flange a, and at its opposite end in a toothed pinion b. Into
the toothed pinion 6 gears a segment F formed at the end of an arm or
lever G which is pivotted at its fulcrum to the stud c carried by the
upper end of a bracket or bearing H which projects from the governor
stand C and behind the governor slide I, as shewn. The arm or lever G
is made of a forked shape, and embraces the slide I which is provided
with flanges or shoulders d, d', respectively, above and below the arm or
lever, so that when the governor slide rises a quick rotating movement
is imparted to the bush by means of the segment and pinion. Within
ana in contact with the circular flange a there is fitted a second
flange e, shewn in plan in vertical section in Figures 3 and 4 respec-
tively, which flange is formed with a projecting sleeve f having a
square hole in which the valve spindle made of a corresponding form is
inserted so as to be capable of sliding longitudinally; g is an annular
groove formed in the flange a, and in which is fixed a stop stud h,
Figure 3, and also two holding screws i, ¹, the screw i having a thin head to
allow the stop stud h to pass and the other having a thick head to come
in contact with the stop stud h. The screws i and 2, whilst connecting the
flanges a, e, together, admit of either flange turning independently of
the other to the limit determined by the position of the stop stud h. Or
in lieu of the annular slot and stud two circular slots and two studs may
be employed. By means of this arrangement the governor is free to rise

page_text: to a fixed point before it turns the valve spindle, thus shutting off all
the steam or admitting to the full power of the engine with less than
one-third of the travel of the governor slide, whereby uniformity of
speed even with the most varying load is obtained. K is a lever which
projects at right angles from a boss on the sleeve f, such lever carrying
a. moveable or adjustable weight L which is counterpoised by the
momentum of the governor. The speed of the engine within certain
limits is thus determined by the distance from the centre of the sleeve f
or of the valve spindle A at which the weight is placed, the governor
shutting off the steam and the weighted lever readmitting it. In lieu of
the weighted lever herein-before described, a spring or other equivalent
contrivance may be employed.
Although I have described the arrangement of weighted lever or
spring for balancing the momentum of the governor as employed in
combination with my peculiar arrangement of segment and pinion for
operating the cut-off or expansion valve, yet it is obvious that cither
arrangement may be used separately if desired.
The Invention is applicable both to single cylinder engines and com-
pound engines for regulating the admission of steam in order to work
the same expansively.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of
my said Invention and the manner in which the same is or may be used
or carried into effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I
consider to be novel and original and therefore claim as the Invention
secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,―
First. The peculiar arrangement of cut-off or expansion appa-
ratus, whereby the governor is caused only to cut off the supply of
steam, and the steam is readmitted under the action of a weight or
spring, or their equivalent, substantially as herein-before described and
illustrated by my Drawings.
Second. The application and use of a toothed segment and pinion
for transmitting the action of the governor to the spindle of the cut-off
or expansion valve, such segment and pinion being constructed, arranged,
and operating, substantially in the manner herein-before described and
illustrated by my Drawings.
Third. The peculiar arrangement of sleeves and slotted flange whereby
the governor is caused to act upon the cut-off or expansion valve during

page_text: a portion only of the traverse of its slide, substantially as herein-before
described and illustrated by my Drawings.
Fourth. The combination with the spindle of a cut-off or expansion
valve, of a sleeve having a weight or spring, or equivalent mechanical
contrivance, for balancing the momentum of the governor, substantially
as herein-before described and illustrated by my Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Shuttleworth, have to this
my Specification set my hand and seal, the Twenty-eighth day
of December One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four.