IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES AND STEAM BOILER APPARATUS
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Hartley, of Bury, in the County of Lancaster,
Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES AND STEAM
BOILER APPARATUS."
Sealed the 9th February 1858, and dated the 19th August 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Hartley at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
19th August 1857.
I, WILLIAM HARTLEY, of Bury, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM
ENGINES AND STEAM BOILER APPARATUS," to be as follows:-
One of my improvements consists of a method of working the valves for the
inlet of steam to the cylinder of the engine, so as to cut off that steam at any
required part of the piston's stroke, the part cut off being regulated by the
governor or otherwise. For this purpose I use revolving cams so constructed
as to move sideways on a horizontal shaft on which they revolve, the motion
sideways is produced by side cams acting on a roller or projection fixed either
on the side of the revolving cams or on the side or other part of a worm wheel,
concentric or otherwise with the said revolving cams. When the lifting cams
lift the steam valves, the side cams acting on the roller or projection are so
arranged that by the action of the governor on the worm wheel the lifting
cams are moved sideways from under the valve rods, so as to allow the valves
to close at any required part of the piston's stroke. The lifting cams after
being moved from under the valve rods are brought into position again by the
side cams or projections, or by a spring or springs, or by levers and weights.
I also use another improved method to accomplish the same purpose of
cutting off the steam as last described. This method consists of a vertical

page_text: shaft, on which is placed a revolving plate with a cam or cams on its upper
and cams or rollers on its under surface; the said plate moves in a vertical
direction at the same time that it revolves upon its axis. Underneath the said
plate I place a moveable worm wheel, concentric with the vertical shaft or
otherwise, and containing on its upper surface cams or rollers. By the action
of the governor of the engine on the said worm wheel, the cams or rollers are
brought so to act on the cams or rollers on the under side of the revolving
plate, that the steam valves after being lifted by the upper cams shall drop,
and so cut off the steam at any required part of the piston's stroke.
My next improvements are for methods of regulating the supply of feed
water to steam-engine boilers. For this purpose I place on the feed pipe a
feed box, divided internally in the direction of its length into three compart-
ments by means of two projecting flanges passing round the interior of the
box. The valve is made to fit loosely between the edges of the said flanges,
and is constructed of a tubular form, being a little longer than the central
compartment of the feed box, and having cross wings projecting from its upper
or lower ends, which act as guides when the top end of the tubular part
descends below the upper internal flange. In the centre of these wings a rod
is fixed, which passes down the feed pipe, and is attached to a float in any
convenient manner. The feed water enters the feed box at the central
compartment, then passes between the internal flanges and the valve and
enters the boiler, being regulated in quantity by the action of the float,
according as the valve rises or falls below the upper internal flange. I also
attach to the upper part of the feed box a screw, or a lever and rod, for the
purpose of depressing the valve, so that water may be transmitted into the
boiler above the ordinary working level when required.
My second improved method for feeding and regulating the supply of water
to steam-engine boilers is as follows:-The feed box I so construct that a
tube with a blank end projects within it, having apertures in its sides; on this
tube a valve moves up and down by the action of the float when the water
level varies; the said valve is of a tubular form, with or without internal
flanges.
Another of my improvements consists of a method by which a safety valve
for steam-engine boilers is made to open, so as to discharge a volume of steam
equal to the discharge of an unobstructed passage containing the same area as
the passage through the valve seat. This I accomplish in two ways:-First,
by constructing the valve with a projecting flange, on which is situate a curved
external rim projecting downwards, the section of said valve and rim being
similar to the section of an inverted cup. When the valve is closed, the

page_text: external rim is nearly in contact with the valve seat or its bearing; but when
the valve is opened by the action of the steam, the distance of the rim from
the valve seat or its bearing is equal to the area of the passage in the valve
seat, thereby discharging its maximum quantity of steam.
The second method by which I accomplish a full discharge of steam, is by
making the projecting rim of a cylindrical form, and the valve seat or its
bearing curved, so as to increase in diameter downwards. In this case, when
the valve is closed, the bottom edge of the rim nearly touches the bottom part
of the curved seat or bearing, and when the steam lifts the valve the space
between the edge of the rim and bearing increases in area, and so effects a
full discharge of steam as before. In either of the above arrangements the
valve will close when the steam pressure becomes reduced below the load on
the valve.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Hartley in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
18th February 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
HARTLEY, of Bury, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twenty-first year of Iler
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, tl:e
said William Hartley, Her special licence that I, the said William Hartley,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William
Hartley, my executors, administrators, and 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
AND STEAM BOILER APPARATUS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said William Hartley, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, 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 immediately after the
date of the said Letters Patent.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Hartley, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement and accompanying Drawings (that is to say) :-
One of my improvements consist of a method of working the valves for the
inlet of steam to the cylinder of the engine, so as to cut off that steam at any
required part of the piston's stroke, the part cut off being regulated by the
governor, or otherwise.
Fig. 1 of the accompanying Drawings shows an elevation of the apparatus,
and Fig. 2 shows a plan of the same. a, a, a, as, are the tappet rods which
pass up the front of the side pipes b, for the purpose of lifting the valves, which
are of the ordinary circular or Cornish construction; c is a shaft containing
the exhaust cams d, d₁. The middle part of the shaft c is square, having fitted
upon it the boss e, containing the cam fat one end, and the cam f₁ at the
other, their full sides being opposite to each other, as shown at Fig. 4, and
slanted off on the outer ends p, p₁; each cam contains a tappet 9, 91, which
acts upon a cam h, on the periphery of which is fixed a worm wheel, which is
held in position by the box or bearing i, containing a worm geered into the
worm wheel, as shown at Fig. 3; the position of the side cam or tappet g, is
shown by the dotted line, and the tappet g is situate in the same line, but on
the opposite side of the centre of the shaft. The shaft c is driven by the
engine in the ordinary manner, and makes one revolution in the same time as
the crank shaft. Let the crank shaft c revolve in the direction pointed out by
the arrow on the cam f₁, then the said cam will keep the tappet rod a, elevated,
and consequently steam will be passing into the cylinder whilst the valve con-
nected with the rod a remains closed; but as soon as the tappet g, arrives at
the incline on the cam h, the tappet 9 will have arrived at the incline ₁,
the tappet g, will then pass along the incline l, and the cams f,f₁, will move
sideways towards the left hand, the rod a will then drop down the slant end
of the cam f1, and thereby cut off the steam from the cylinder; and as soon
as the full side of the cam f comes in contact with the rod a₁, it will commence
to lift the valve connected therewith, and admit steam on the other side of the
piston, and the valve connected with the rod a, will remain closed until the
tappet g₁ has passed along the incline 12, and the full side of the cam f, causes
it to be again opened.
The worm which moves the cam h is actuated by the governor, and caused
to turn either one way or the other by means of bevel wheels and tappets
attached to the governor spindle in the ordinary manner. When the cam h is
moved in the same direction as the shaft c revolves, the steam will remain on

page_text: during a greater portion of the stroke, and when moved in an opposite
direction the steam will be cut off at a less portion of the stroke, and when
the middle point m of the projecting cam h is at the bottom, the steam will
be admitted during the entire stroke; but when the middle point m is on the
top, the cams f, f, will revolve without lifting the rods a₁, a₁, consequently no
steam can be admitted to the cylinder. Hence by the action of the governor
upon the cam h, the steam may be cut off at any required portion of the
piston's stroke. The position of the cam h, as shown in the Drawing, will
allow the steam to enter the cylinder nearly the whole of the piston's stroke.
The tappets 9, 9, and the cams h, h, may be varied in size without altering
the effect of the cut off. The exhaust cams d, d₁, are of the ordinary kind,
and fixed upon the shaft c in the ordinary manner. The cams f, fi, may be
seperated so as to move sideways independent of each other, in which case
the tappets 9, 91, will not bring the cams into position again, for this purpose
I use springs or levers and weights to press the tappets 9, 9₁, against the
cam h, but I prefer the cams being fixed upon the same boss as before
described.
I also use another improved method to accomplish the same purpose of
cutting off the steam, as the apparatus shown at Figs. 1 and 2. This method
is shown at Fig. 5, which is an elevation, Fig. 6 being a plan of the same,
and consists of a vertical shaft a, on the square part of which is placed a
plate b, containing the upper cam c, and a tappet d on the under side, the said
tappet slides upon a cam c, on the periphery of which is fixed a worm wheel f,
into which is geered the worm g, the whole being supported by the plate or
bearing h; the rod i is coupled to an ordinary circular or Cornish valve used
for the inlet of steam to the cylinder. The vertical shaft a is driven by the
engine, and revolves in the same time as the crank shaft when the tappet d
slides on the upper surface of the cam e, the cam c is at its highest point, and
the valve connected with the rod i may be open during a part or the whole of
the piston's stroke, but as soon as the said tappet slides down the incline k the
valve will close and cut off the steam, and as the plate 6 revolves in the
direction pointed out by the arrow, the tappet d will come in contact with the
incline 1, and cause the plate 6 to slide upwards on the shaft a, and when the
incline k, of the cam c comes in contact with the rod i, the valve with which
it is connected will be opened, and so admit steam to the cylinder. The part
of the stroke at which the steam is cut off increases when the cam e moves
in the same direction as the cam c, and decreases when the cam e moves in
an opposite direction to that of the cam c.
The action of the governor on
the worm wheel will vary the cut off between the limits of full stroke and

page_text: zero. This apparatus is adapted for one valve only, it therefore requires
one to each inlet valve, the exhaust valves being worked in any convenient
manner.
My next improvements are for regulating the supply of feed water to
steam-engine boilers. For this purpose I place on the feed pipe a feed box a,
as shown at Fig. 7 of the accompanying Drawings. This box a is divided
internally into three compartments b, c, d, by means of two projecting flanges
e, f, passing round the interior of the box. The valve g is made to fit loosely
between the edges of the flanges e, f, and is constructed of a tubular form,
being a little longer than the central compartment of the box, and is furnished
with cross wings h, projecting from its upper end, which act as guides when
the top end of the tubular valve descends below the upper internal flange.
In the centre of these wings a rod i is fixed, which passes down the feed
pipe k, and is attached to a float l. The feed water enters the box at the
central compartment through the branch m, then passes between the internal
flanges e, f, and the valve, and enters the boiler through the valve, and the
pipe k being regulated in quantity by the action of the float 1, according as
the valve g rises or falls below the upper internal flange. To the upper part
of the feed box I attach a screw and wheel n, for the purpose of depressing
the valve, so that the water may be transmitted into the boiler above the
ordinary working level when required. A lever and rod may evidently be
used in the place of the screw and wheel.
My second improved method for feeding and regulating the supply water
to steam-engine boilers is as follows:-The feed box I so construct that a
tube with a blank end projects within it from the bottom, having apertures in
its sides; on the exterior of this tube I place a valve, also of a tubular form,
with or without internal flanges; to the said valve I attach a rod and float by
means of a cross bar. The action of this valve is similar to the one before
described.
Another of my improvements consists of a method by which a safety valve
for steam-engine boilers is made to open, so as to discharge a volume of steam
equal to the discharge of an unobstructed passage containing the same area
as the passage through the valve seat. This I accomplish in two ways, first,
by constructing the valve a, as shown at Fig. 8, with a projecting flange, on
which is situate a curved external rim b, projecting downwards, the section
of the said valve and rim being similar to the section of an inverted cup, as
shown in the Drawing. When the valve is closed the external rim 6 is nearly
in contact with the valve seat c or its bearing d; but when the valve is opened
by the action of the steam, the distance of the rim from the valve seat or

page_text: its bearing is equal to the area of the passage in the valve seat, thereby
discharging its maximum quantity of steam. The rod e is extended into the
interior of the boiler, and a weight attached thereto to agree with the pressure
of the steam acting on the valve as required.
The second method by which I accomplish a full discharge of steam is by
making the projecting rim 6 of a cylindrical form, as shown at Fig. 9 of the
accompanying Drawings, the valve seat c or its bearing d is curved, so as to
increase in diameter downwards. In this case, when the valve a is closed,
the bottom edge of the rim 6 nearly touches the bottom part of the curved
seat or bearing, and when the steam lifts the valve, the space between the
edge of the rim and bearing increases in area, and so effects a full discharge
of steam. The rod e is weighted as before mentioned.
In either of the before-mentioned arrangements the valve will close when
the steam pressure becomes reduced below the load on the valve.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in
which the said Invention is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that
what I claim is,―
Firstly, the mechanical arrangement of cams and tappets, and the com-
bination of parts, for the purpose of varying or regulating the admission of
steam to the cylinders of steam engines, as herein set forth.
Secondly, the arrangement and combination of parts for the purpose of
regulating the supply of feed water to steam-engine boilers, as herein set
forth.
Thirdly, the application to safety valves of the several arrangements and
combination of parts, as herein set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Hartley, have hereunto set my
and seal, this Sixteenth day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.
Witness,
THOMAS BALDWIN,
Corn Market Buildings,
Bury, Lancashire.
WILLIAM HARTLEY. (L.S.)