IMPROVEMENTS IN THE VALVES OF STEAM. AND OTHER MOTIVE ENGINES
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred James Beer, of Canterbury, in the County
of Kent, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE VALVES
OF STEAM. AND OTHER MOTIVE ENGINES."
Sealed the 8th July 1862, and dated the 22nd January 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred James Beer at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 22nd
January 1862.
I, ALFRED JAMES BEER, of Canterbury, in the County of Kent, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
VALVES OF STEAM AND OTHER MOTIVE ENGINES," to be as follows:-
My Invention of improvements in the valves of steam and other motive
engines has for its object to take off or reduce the back pressure upon the
slide valves of steam or other engines, and thereby to reduce the friction and
wear and tear of the parts, and consists in constructing the valve in the form
of a shallow cylinder, open at both ends. In this shallow cylinder another
shallow cylinder works steam-tight, and is by means of suitable springs.kept
against the inside of the cover of the valve. This internal cylinder is provided
with suitable packing, and may be considered as an annular piston.. Steam is
supplied to the valve chest from the boiler, and when the induction ports are
uncovered by the valve the steam will enter the cylinder; when the reverse
action takes place the steam will issue from the cylinder, and pass through the
valve to the eduction passage.

page_text: Owing to the peculiar construction of the valve, as above mentioned, there
will be little or no back pressure, as the elastic force of the eduction steam
will be exerted against the fixed valve cover and not against the back plate of
the valve, as is usually the case, as the back plate is dispensed with. The
cylindrical valve is mounted or secured in a band or plate, to which the valve
stem is secured. This latter passes through a stuffing box attached to the
valve chest, and is worked in the ordinary manner by excentrics or otherwise.
If two sets of valves belonging to separate cylinders are required to be worked
in connection with each other, the double set of valves may be adapted to the
same valve chest, which may be divided by a longitudinal partition into two com-
partments, the longitudinal partition of the valve chest serving as the cover for
both valves. I would also observe that if desired the eduction steam passage
may be constructed or cast in the longitudinal partition of the valve chest.
A modification of this plan may be made by securing the annular piston of
one of the valves to a moveable back plate, against the other face of which
works the shallow cylinder of the other valve. Both the cylindrical valves are
kept pressed down on their seats by interposing between one of them and the
moveable back plate suitable springs.
In this modification it will be understood that the valve chest is not divided
into two compartments, but that its entire capacity is common to the induction
passages of both steam cylinders.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Alfred James Beer in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
22nd July 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALFRED
JAMES BEER, of Canterbury, in the County of Kent, Engineer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of January, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-fifth year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said Alfred James Beer, Her special license that I, the said
Alfred James Beer, my executors, administrators; and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Alfred James Beer, 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
:

page_text: 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 VALVES OF STEAM AND OTHER MOTIVE ENGINES,"
"upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Alfred James Beer, by an
instrument 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 immediately after the date
of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Alfred James Beer, 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 Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-—.
My Invention of "Improvements in the Valves of Steam and other Motive
Engines" has for its object to take off or reduce the pressure upon the slide
valves of steam or other engines, and thereby to reduce the friction and wear
and tear of the parts..
:
↓
The Invention consists in constructing on the valve a shallow cylinder,
open at both ends. Outside this shallow cylinder another shallow cylinder or
ring works steam-tight, and is by means of suitable springs kept against the
inside of the cover or the sustaining plate. This internal cylinder is provided
with suitable packing, and may be considered as an annular piston. Steam is
supplied to the valve chest from the boiler, and when the induction ports are
uncovered by the valve the steam will enter the working.cylinder; when the
reverse action takes place the steam will issue from the cylinder, and pass
through the valve to the eduction passage.
Owing to the peculiar construction of the valve, as above mentioned, there
will be little or no back pressure, as the elastic force of the induction steam
will be exerted against the fixed valve cover or sustaining plate, and not
against the back of the valve, as is usually the case, as the back of the valve
is dispensed with. The valve is mounted or secured in a band or plate to
which the valve stem is secured. This latter passes through a stuffing box
attached to the valve chest, and is worked in the ordinary manner by
excentrics or otherwise. If two sets of valves belonging to separate cylinders
are required to be worked in connection with each other the double set of valves
may be adapted to the same valve chest, which may be divided by a longi-
tudinal partition into two compartments. This longitudinal partition of the valve
chest will serve as the cover or sustaining plate for both valves. I would

page_text: .
.
also observe, that if desired, the eduction steam passages may be constructed
or cast in the longitudinal partition or sustaining plate of the valve chest.
A modification of this plan may be made by securing the. annular piston of
one of the valves to a moveable back or sustaining plate, against the other face
of which works the shallow cylinder of the other valve. Both the cylindrical
valves may be kept pressed down on their seats by interposing between one of
them and the moveable back or sustaining plate suitable springs.
In this modification it will be understood that the valve chest is not divided
into two compartments, but that its entire capacity is common to the induction
passages of both steam cylinders.
:
In the accompanying Drawing Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section taken in the
line 1, 2, of Fig. 2, of a valve constructed according to my improvements;
Fig. 2 is a plan view, and Fig. 3 is a transverse section of the same taken in
the line 3, 4, of Fig. 2.
This valve a is
a is the valve, which is open from back to front, and is provided with a
valve stem b, which passes through a stuffing box in the end of the valve
cover c, as shewn in the sectional views, Figures 4 and 5.
shewn detached in plan and elevation at Figures 6 and. 7.
A port d for the
eduction steam is made in the top of the valve box, and steam is supplied to
the valve box through another opening not shewn in the Drawing. e, e, are
ports for the admission of steam to the cylinder. A ring f, shewn detached in
plan and elevation at Figures 8 and 9, surrounds the upper or cylindrical part
of the valve a, and is pressed upwards against the under side of the valve
cover by springs 9, 9, Figures 1, 2, and 6, placed at each corner of the valve a.
The joint between the valve a and the ring ƒ is made steam-tight by packing h,
which is inserted in the groove made round the cylindrical part of the valve.
Upon inspecting the Drawing, Figs. 4 and 5, it will be seen that the
exhaust steam will pass through the valve to the eduction port, as indicated
by the arrows, and the induction steam will pass through the valve chest into
the working cylinder without exerting any pressure on the valve.
In Figures 10 and 11 I have shewn a mode of arranging two valves back
to back, both of which will work against a fixed sustaining plate c. The other
letters refer to parts which have already been described in reference to the
other Figure; it will be necessary therefore to say that Fig. 10 represents a
longitudinal vertical section taken through the valves, valve chest, and stuffing
boxes; and Fig. 11 is an end elevation of the valve; Fig. 12 is a longitudinal
vertical section of the valve shewn in Fig. 10. In this instance, however, the
fixed sustaining plate c, which forms part of the valve chest, is dispensed with,
and in place thereof one of the valves is provided with a back plate c, against

page_text: which the upper edge of the other valve bears. The back plate c* of the top
valve is forced down on to the lower valve by the pressure of the springs g, 9,
so as to form a steam-tight joint. The valve is shewn detached and in section
at Fig. 13, from which it will be seen that in the valve f* there is formed
a cylinder in which is fitted a piston a* and sustaining plate c*, which
is kept up against its seat by the springs 9, 9. The valve f*, with its
sustaining plate c*, is shewn detached in plan and side elevation at Figures 14
and 15.
Having now described my Invention of "Improvements in the Valves of Steam
and other Motive Engines," and having explained the manner of carrying the
same into effect, I claim as the Invention secured to me by Letters Patent
as aforesaid the mode herein set forth of constructing and arranging the valves
of steam and other motive engines, so that the pressure thereon may be done
away with or reduced to a minimum.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred James Beer, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, the Twenty-first day of July, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
ALFRED JAMES BEER. (L.S.)