IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND ARRANGEMENT OF ENGINES WORKED BY STEAM OR OTHER FLUID PRESSURE, WHICH ENGINES ARE ALSO APPLICABLE AS PUMPS. FOR RAISING AND FORCING, OR AS METERS FOR MEASURING FLUIDS."
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Bingham Alliott, of Radford, in the
County of Nottingham, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
CONSTRUCTION AND ARRANGEMENT OF ENGINES WORKED BY STEAM OR OTHER
FLUID PRESSURE, WHICH ENGINES ARE ALSO APPLICABLE AS PUMPS. FOR
RAISING AND FORCING, OR AS METERS FOR MEASURING FLUIDS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Bingham Alliott
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 17th March 1874.
I, JAMES BINGHAM ALLIOTT, of Radford, in the County of Notting-
ham, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND ARRANGEMENT OF ENGINES WORKED BY STEAM OR OTHER.
FLUID PRESSURE, WHICH ENGINES ARE ALSO APPLICABLE AS PUMPS FOR RAISING AND
FORCING, OR AS METERS FOR MEASURING FLUIDS," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to that class of engines and pumps which has
the working cylinders arranged radially around a central space, 'to which
+

page_text: their inner ends are open, and which contains the end of the main shaft
which they drive or from which they are driven.
Firstly. I propose to form in the main shaft of such engines or pumps
suitable grooves or passages so as to enable it to act as the valve for
distributing the steam or other fluid.
Secondly. In such engines or pumps where a rotating valve is used I
make such valve conical in order to avoid leakage through wear, and I
use a spring or springs for keeping such valve up to its bearings.
Thirdly. In such engines or pumps where a cylindrical valve is used
for the purpose of distributing the fluid to the various cylinders I channel
or groove the inlet and outlet passages on its cylindrical surface, by
which means the valve may be kept substantially in equilibrio, and I
use metallic spring rings (similar to piston rings) to prevent the leakage
of steam or fluid along such cylindrical valve longitudinally.
Fourthly. In such engines and pumps instead of arranging the cylin
ders so that their axes and those of their connecting rods lic all in one
plane I arrange them in two or more parallel planes so as to simplify
their connections to the crank pin.
Fifthly. In such engines and pumps I propose to employ guides for
the pistons so constructed and arranged as not to yoke or couple any two
pistons together.
Sixthly. I place the valves at or upon the outer ends of the cylinders
so as to obtain as short steam passages as possible between the valve and
the cylinder, and I actuate the valve rods by means of a sleeve on the
crank shaft (being in effect a series of cams) with which the valve
rods are kept in contact by means of springs so as to enable a variable
"cut-off" to be obtained by the direct action of the governor to which
such sleeve is connected.
Seventhly. In such engines and pumps where the reversing motion is
adopted and a rotary valve is employed I place in the steam port of such
valve a separate piece free to move from side to side of the port in the
direction in which the valve rotates, and driven along with the valve by
contact with the following side of its port, for the purpose of acting as a
movable "lap," and permitting the steam to be used expansively.

page_text: way that the setting up of the same shall cause it to partially revolve so
as to present a fresh surface to any point at which the wear may be
uneven.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said James Bingham Alliott in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 17th September 1874.
21
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
BINGHAM ALLIOTT, of Radford, in the County of Nottingham, send
greeting.
1.)
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Seventeenth day of March, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the thirty-
seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her-heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said James Bingham Alliott, Her special
license, that I, the said James Bingham Alliott, my executors, admini-
strators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said James Bingham
Alliott, 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 THE CONSTRUCTION AND ARRANGEMENT OF ENGINES WORKED BY
STEAM OR OTHER FLUID PRESSURE, WHICH ENGINES ARE ALSO APPLICABLE AS PUMPS
FOR RAISING AND FORCING, O
, OR AS METERS FOR MEASURING FLUIDS," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said James Bingham Alliott,
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 imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said James Bingham Alliott, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to-be particularly described and ascertained in

page_text: and by the following statement and accompanying Drawings (that is
to say):
This Invention relates to that class of engines and pumps which has
the working cylinders arranged radially around a central space to which
their inner ends are open, and which contains the end of the main shaft:
which they drive or from which they are driven."
Firstly. I propose to form in the main shaft of such engines or pumps
suitable grooves or passages, so as to enable it to act as the valve for
distributing the steam or other fluid.
Secondly. In such engines or pumps where a rotating valve is used.
I make such valve conical in order to avoid leakage through wear, and I
use a spring or springs for keeping such valve up to its bearings.
Thirdly. In such engines or pumps where a cylindrical valve is used
for the purpose of distributing the fluid to the various cylinders I channel
or groove the inlet or outlet passages on its cylindrical surface, by which
means the valve may be kept substantially in equilibrio, and I uso
metallic spring rings (similar to piston rings) to prevent the leakage of
steam or fluid along such cylindrical valve longitudinally.
Fourthly. In such engines and pumps, instead of arranging the
cylinders.so that their axes and those of their connecting rods lie all
in one plane I arrange them in two or more parallel planes so as to
simplify their connections to the crank pin.
Fifthly. In such engines and pumps I propose to employ guides for
the pistons so constructed and arranged as not to yoke or couple any two.
pistons together.
Sixthly. I place the valves at or upon the outer ends of the cylinders
so as to obtain as short steam passages as possible between the valve and
the cylinder, and I actuate the valve rods by means of a sleeve on the
crank shaft (being in effect a series of cams) with which the valve rods are
kept in contact by means of springs so as to enable a variable "cutt-off"
to be obtained by the direct action of the governor to which such sleeve
is connected.
...
Seventhly. In such engines and pumps where a reversing motion is
adopted and a rotary valve is employed I place in the steam port of such
valve a separate piece free to move from side to side of the port in the

page_text: direction in which the valve rotates, and driven along with the valve by
contact with the following side of its port for the purpose of acting as a
movable lap," and permitting the steam to be used expansively.
"
Eighthly. I obtain a reversing motion in such engines by so con-
structing and arranging the crank that it can be turned a portion of a
revolution upon its crank shaft.
Ninethly. Where such engines are used for driving centrifugal machines
I place the engine. within the space around the central shaft of the said
machine and in the same plane as the centrifugal basket, in which case
the cylinders may be cast in one piece with the central cone of the
basket and revolve therewith, whilst the central shaft instead of revolving
remains stationary...
་
Tenthly. In such engines I propose to work one or more of the
cylinders with steam which has been previously used at a higher pressure
in one or more of the other cylinders, and in some cases I use the exhaust
steam from one or more of the cylinders. worked on the non-condensing
system for supplying steam to others of the cylinders exhausting into a
condenser, and in engines so arranged I use a single conical valve to
distribute the high-pressure steam to the high-pressure cylinder or
cylinders, and the exhaust steam therefrom to the lower pressure cylinder
or cylinders, and when desired the exhaust steam therefrom yet again
to other cylinders.
Eleventhly. I propose to use in such engines one cylinder or cylinder's
having its connecting rod working only in compression, whilst the con-
necting rod or rods of the other cylinder or cylinders of the same engine
are subject only to extension.
Twelfthly. When such engines are used for pumping purposes I
propose to use one or more of the cylinders as a pump or pumps, whilst
the remaining cylinder or cylinders is or are used with steam.
'
It will be understood that instead of using the cylinders as pumps
for raising or forcing liquids they may be used for exhausting air or
gas, and that by the addition thereto of any suitable counting apparatus
they may be employed as meters for measuring liquids or aëriform
fluids.
Thirteenthly. In such engines and pumps I make the crank shaft
conical, and support it in a movable conical bearing, so that the wear

page_text: of the shaft may be readily compensated without throwing the crank
shaft itself out of its central position, and I arrange the said bearing in
such a way that the setting up of the same shall cause it to partially
revolve so as to present a fresh surface to any point at which the wear
may be uneven.
-
Such being the nature and object of my said Invention I will now
proceed to describe more in detail the manner in which the same is to
be or may be performed or carried into practical effect, and in order
that the same may be clearly understood I have annexed hereunto four
Sheets of Drawings illustrative thereof, and have marked the same with
figures and letters of reference corresponding with those in the following
explanation thereof :-
Figs. 1 and 2, Sheet 1, show a front elevation and a cross section of
my improved engine, arranged substantially on the same principle as
the one shown in Figs. 3 and 4, Sheet 2, of which a fuller description is
given with the exception that the valves are formed in the crank shaft,
that part of the shaft being made conical and of sufficient size to admit
of the grooves S and E for the steam and exhaust passages being recessed
into its surface. In this engine the return crank shown at F is used
only as an additional support for the outer end of the crank pin, and in
some cases is omitted altogether.
On Sheet 2, Figs. 3 and 4, represent a front view and a sectional plan
of a four-cylinder engine constructed according to my Invention. The
axis of the cylinders A and A', diametrically opposite one to the other
and of their connecting rods, are arranged in one plane in front of and
parallel to the plane in which lie the axis of the other pair of cylin-
ders A' and A³ and their connecting rods. In these cylinders reciprocate
the pistons a¹, a², a³, and a³, which are connected to the one crank pin
by rods in any one of the manners usual in this and other classes of
engines. On the outer end of the crank pin z works a small return.
crank or lever F fixed to a pin K cast on the end of the conical valve c,
and giving to it a rotary motion, causing it to present alternately to each
one of the cylinder ports 61, 62, 63, and 6' at the same relative moments
of their respective piston strokes and steam opening S and an exhaust
5. opening E separated one from the other by a web of metal W cast
diagonally across the plug of the valve so as to allow admission of steam
to the cylinders from the chamber P at the outer end of the valve, and for

page_text: f
}
the eduction of the used steam to the central space N, from which it escapes
through the pipe L. A spring y is arranged on the outer end of the valve
in order to keep it up to its bearing. The conical crank shaft bearing
I form in the cover of the central chamber, and I prefer to use a conical
bush a screwed into the cover, so that it becomes adjustable by screwing
it in a further or less distance; thus arranged the same movement that
tightens it also makes. it rotate. On the same Sheet, Figures 5 and 6,
are longitudinal sections through. the steam ports; Fig. 7 is a transverse
section through the valve and valve. ports; and Fig. 8, a transverse
section above the ports of a cylindrical valve constructed according to
my Invention for the distribution of steam to four cylinders, and fitted
with the movable lap T for enabling the direction of the rotations of the
crank shaft to be reversed, although a cut-off motion is used. The cylinder
ports are marked 61, 62, 63, and 6%, and the steam and exhaust ports or
openings in the valve are marked S and E respectively, as in the conical.
valve shown in Fig. 4. The steam is admitted to the annular space P
through the pipe or opening I, and exerting an equal pressure on the equal
and opposite areas a', a³, a³, at, the parts of the valve exposed to its
action remain in equilibrio. The exhaust steam passes from the cylinder
ports into the open port E of the valve, which is in open and direct
communication with the central space. The opposite areas of the
exhaust spaces in the valve I also make equal, so that the only un-
balanced pressure is exerted on the end of the valve stalk at U. For an
engine required to run in one direction only: the parts of the valve T and
'R I make in one piece, and the valve may be driven by a small return
'crank fixed to a pin cast in the centre of the valve, as described for the
conical valve; but for an engine required to move in either direction I
make the part T separate from the part R. The stalk of the valve is
made solid, and is carried through the stuffing box on the cover, and to
it is fixed the reversing handle or wheel Z'. To permit the movement
of the valve on the crank pin a pocket is cast on it (the valve) following
in plan the sweep of the crank pin, and against one or the other end of
which the crank pin in rotating presses, driving the valve either way
according to the direction of rotation required. The loose piece T is free
to move from side to side of the steam opening, and is always driven by
the metal of the following side of the valve. When reversing it will be
necessary to stop the engine and to move the valve until the opposite end
of the pocket comes into contact with the pin F, causing the edge which
had driven the loose piece to become the admission edge, and the com-

page_text: pression and release edges: to become the release and compression edges
respectively. This will be more readily understood by referring to the
Drawing (Fig. 7), and by assuming. (as has been done. in the above
description) that the piston to which the port 63 supplies.steam is just
about to commence its inward stroke, the edge of the valve being the
amount of lead in advance of the edge of the port, the engine.revolving
in the direction of the arrow, and the loose piece.Ţ closing: the 'port b²,
the piston of which has performed rather more than half its inward
stroke. To reverse the motion, the engine being stopped; the valve
must be moved round until the end of the pocket adjoining the edge d
(which now becomes the admission edge of the valve comes into contact
with the pin K. In this position the edge d will almost but not quite
cover the port.6, the remainder of the port corresponding to the amount
of lead given to the valve being covered by the loose picce T, which it is
evident will have remained in contact with the edge d, and consequently
on steam being admitted to the steam space it will not be able to pass to
the port 63 until the valve shall have begun to move; but as the piston a
will be in the most favorable position for driving, and will have the
stcam port full open, with the ports 62 full open and port ₁ partly
open to exhaust the engine will start. The moment it does so steam
will gain admission to the cylinder A³, and the loose picce T being
caught up by the edge d all will go on as before, except that the engine
will move in the reverse direction.¨.
.
כי
"
On Sheet 3, Fig. 9 is a front clevation, Fig. 10 a plan -view; and
Fig. 11 a section of a four-cylinder engine, in which the axes of all the
cylinders are in one plane, and the pistons are provided with guides n',
(n², n³, and n'. It will be seen that cach piston, has a guide fixed to it,
(which passes into a suitable recess in the opposite piston, in which it is
free to move slightly in the direction of its length, since the distance
O between the pistons varies.
1
Another view, partly in section, of these guides is shown in Fig. 12;
ánd' a modification of the guides adapted to engines with the axes of the
cylinder arranged in different planes is shown in Figs. 13 and 14, and
these again may be modified to suit circumstances.**
) :
5 The arrangement of the valves y¹, y², y³, and y', is according to 'my
improvement, which consists in placing them on the outer end of thic
cylinders immediately over the short straight cylinder ports
and

page_text: •
6, and closing them by a series of cams cut in a sliding sleeve X attached
directly to the arms of a pendulous or other governor, whereby the point
of the cut-off of steam admission is regulated according to the load upon
the engine, the springs f¹,ƒ³, f', and f, causing the valves to open the
steam ports the instant the valve spindles are released from the face of
the cams. Although this is one method of applying the valves at the
end of the cylinders, according to my improvements it is clearly to be
understood that I do not limit myself either to the position of the valve
shewn (for instance, it may be placed instead in the position now
occupied by the cylinder covers), or to the form of valve represented.
My improved method of reversing the engine by causing the crank to
rotate upon the crank shaft does not need Drawings to explain it. To
effect this it is sufficient to drive the crank by means of a pin fixed into
the shaft and bearing up against stops provided in the crank at such a
distance apart that when the pin bears against the one stop the valve
may be so placed in relation to the crank as to allow the engine to move
in a direct course, and when it bears against the other stop to allow it to
move in a retrograde course. This method of reversing the engine is
more especially applicable where the steam passages are recessed into
the crank shaft, which itself forms the valve, or where the engine valves
are actuated directly from the crank shaft. It is obvious that this
method of reversing is capable of application to engines other than those
which are especially the subject of this Invention.
The application of these engines to my improved method of driving
centrifugal machines is so obvious as not to need much further descrip-
tion, though it may be well to state that when the engine is allowed to
rotate along with the centrifugal basket the shaft of this which is also
the crank shaft of the engine remains stationary. The shaft is made
hollow, and is used for bringing steam to and taking it from the engine.
In all engines of this class which have hitherto been made the steam
has been used expansively or otherwise in propelling all the pistons
either inwards or outwards, and the whole of the expansion attained has
taken place in one cylinder; but in my improved engine, as represented
in Figs. 15, 16, 17, on Sheet 4, I purpose using high-pressure steam to
propel one or more of the pistons inwards, always keeping the rods
attached thereto in compression to exhaust the steam from these high-
pressure cylinders to the central space, from which I take it to one or
more cylinders, the ports of which are in communication with the central

page_text: space during the inward stroke or a part of it, and with the condenser
during the outward stroke, the result being on the outward stroke a
force due to the excess of pressure in the central space over the pressure
in the condenser driving the piston or pistons outwards, and always
keeping the rods in tension. I have shewn one conical valve for the
distribution of high and low pressure steam, but in large engines or
where desirable I prefer to use separate valves and short ports to cach
cylinder, such for example as shown in Figs. 10 and 11 on Sheet 3. In
the engine here represented the steam is expanded in two cylinders,
since it passes from two high pressure into three low pressure cylinders,
but where a higher grade of expansion is desired the exhaust from the
first cylinder or set of cylinders may be connected by a suitable arrange-
ment of valves to the steam space of the second cylinder or set of
cylinders, the exhaust of the second to the steam space of the third, and
so on to the last cylinder or set of cylinders but one. This or these I
prefer always to exhaust into the central space in order to reduce to a
minimum the loss incidental to leakage and to the cooling of the cylinder
through coming into contact with the cooler vapour, the last cylinder or
set of cylinders exhausting into the condenser.
This part of my improvements to this class of engines will be more
readily understood by referring to the Figures 15, 16, and 17; Sheet 4,
which shews an engine having two high-pressure cylinders A and A,
three low-pressure cylinders A', A³, and A, and an air pump V arranged
radially round the central space N. The steam enters the annular
space P by the pipe I, and passes through the port S into the high-
pressure cylinder ports 62 and 6', and having completed its work in the
high-pressure cylinders it escapes into the central space N through the
valve opening E. From this it is admitted into the low-pressure cylinder
ports 6', 63, and 6, by the passage S in the valve, the communication
between the ports 61, 63, and 65, and the condenser being effected by the
passage e in communication with the hollow centre of the valve Q,
which is open to the annular space g, from which a pipe i leads to the
condenser. The Figures 18, 19, and 20 are detailed sections of the valve
and ports shewing the different passages as above described:.
Figs. 15, 16, and 17 also give an example of the use of my improved
arrangement, by means of which one or more of the radial cylinders may
be used as a pump or pumps, the cylinder V.being employed as the air
wumn of this comnound onging

page_text: Ninthly. The working of one or more of the radial cylinders with the
steam which has previously been used at a higher pressure in one or
more of the other radial cylinders.
Tenthly. The use of certain of the radial cylinders working on the
non-condensing system, whilst other of the radial cylinders are working
on the condensing system.
Eleventhly. The use of a single conical valve for distributing steam of
one pressure to one cylinder or set of cylinders and steam of another
pressure to another cylinder or set of cylinders.
Twelfthly. The arrangement of the engine in such a way that the
connecting rods of one or more of the radial cylinders are always in
compression whilst the connecting rods of another or others of the radial
cylinders are always in tension.
Thirteenthly. The use of one or more of the radial cylinders as a pump
or pumps, others of them being used as motors.
Fourteenthly. The use of a bearing made conical internally for the
crank shaft bearing, and the means for setting it up and causing it to
rotate, substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Bingham Alliott, have here-
unto set my hand and scal, this Second day of September, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
Witnessed by
JOHN HUGHES,
JAMES BINGHAM ALLIOTT. (L.S.)
Clerk to George Davies, C.E.,'
Patent Office,
St. Ann's Sq.,
Manchester.