Improvements in Valve Gear for Steam and other Motive Power Engines.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Sept., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 7th June, 1894-Accepted, 7th July, 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Valve Gear for Steam and other Motive Power
Engines.
We, HENRY ALONZO HOUSE, (Senior), HENRY ALONZO HOUSE, (Junior)
both of the Orleans Boat House, Teddington, in the County of Middlesex,
Mechanical Engineers, and ROBERT RINTOUL SYMON, of 20 Abchurch Lane, in-
the City of London, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said invention
to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in the valve gear of steam and other
motive power engines, and the object is to provide improved means whereby a
single eccentric only need be employed for operating the valve whether the engine
is running forwards or backwards and the improved arrangements therefore serve as
reversing gear.
For these purposes we secure on the crank shaft a disc or arm and on this disc
or arm, and at a suitable distance from the centre of the crank shaft, we provide a
boss or other bearing in which a short shaft is adapted to oscillate. On one end of
this short shaft is secured a sector provided at its circumference with teeth set at
an angle to its plane of rotation, and on the shaft is provided a toothed sleeve the
teeth of which are placed at an angle to correspond with those of the sector and
they engage with them. This sleeve slides longitudinally on the crank shaft but is
caused to rotate therewith by means of a feather or otherwise. On the other end
of the beforementioned short shaft is secured the eccentric intended to work the
valve of the engine. This eccentric is provided with an opening through which
the crank shaft passes.
This opening is so formed and the short shaft is so placed
in the disc or arm fixed to the crank shaft that the centre of the eccentric can be
moved from one side to the other of the centre of the crank shaft, that is from the
position for forward movement of the engine to the position for backward move-
ment thereof and vice versa, or it may be stopped and held in any intermediate
position so as to cut off the steam or other motive power fluid at any required part
of the stroke of the engine.
The holding of the eccentric in any particular position, and its movement into a
new position with reference to the crank shaft, is effected by means of the toothed
sleeve and.sector abovementioned. The toothed sleeve can be moved longitudinally
of the crank shaft by means of a suitable fork taking between collars on the sleeve
and actuated by suitable levers, links or other devices. When the sleeve is slid in
one direction its oblique teeth act on the oblique teeth of the sector and turn the
latter with the short shaft on which it is mounted so as to move the eccentric in
one direction across the crank shaft. When the sleeve is slid in the opposite
direction its oblique teeth act on the oblique teeth of the sector and turn the latter,
with the short shaft on which it is mounted, so as to move the eccentric in the other
direction across the crank shaft, and when the sleeve is held in any given position
its teeth hold the teeth of the sector and the eccentric is thereby held in the
corresponding position.
In some cases the sector may be connected directly to or formed with the
eccentric, and in that case the above mentioned short shaft may be dispensed with
and the eccentric and sector be hung on a pin or stud fixed in the disc or arm on
the crank shaft.
Instead of making the teeth on the sector and sliding sleeve with inclined or
oblique teeth, the teeth on both may be made parallel to the crank shaft and the
sleeve be caused to turn on the latter, as it slides longitudinally thereon, by means

page_text: of one or more studs or teeth fixed on the disc or arm or to the crank shaft and
which takes or take into one or more inclined grooves on or in the sliding sleeve.
The rotation of the sleeve on the crank shaft, as it slides longitudinally thereon,
causes its teeth to turn the sector and consequently to move the eccentric as
required.
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1
1000
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H. A. HOUSE (SENIOR),
H. A. HOUSE (JUNIOR),
R. R. SYMON,
Per W. H. Beck,
115, Cannon Street, London, E.C., Agent.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Valve Gear for Steam and other Motive Power
Engines.
We HENRY ALONZO HOUSE (Senior) HENRY ALONZO HOUSE (Junior) both
formerly of the Orleans Boat House, Teddington, in the County of Middlesex, but
at present of the Columbine Ship Yard, East Cowes, in the Isle of Wight,
Mechanical Engineers and ROBERT RINTOUL SYMON, of 20 Abchurch Lane, in
the City of London, Gentleman, 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 :—
This invention relates to improvements in the valve gear of steam and other
motive power engines, and the object is to provide improved means whereby a
single eccentric only need be employed for operating the valve, whether the engine
is running forwards or backwards, and the improved arrangements therefore serve
as reversing gear; and in order that the said invention may be readily understood
we will proceed to describe the same with the aid of the accompanying drawings,
in which
Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of our improved gear applied to the high
pressure end of a marine crank-shaft,
Figure 2 a similar sectional elevation of the gear applied to the low pressure end
of the same shaft,
Figure 3 a half end elevation looking from right to left in Figure 2,
Figure 4 a half sectional elevation taken on line X X of Figure 2 looking in the
same direction, and
Figure 5 a diagram showing the parts illustrated in Figures 1, 2, 3 & 4 in
position in an inverted cylinder compound engine.
We secure on the crank shaft A a disc or arm B and on this disc or arm, and at
a suitable distance from the centre of the crank-shaft, we provide a boss C or other
bearing in which a short shaft D is adapted to oscillate. On one end of this short
shaft is secured a sector E, provided at its circumference with teeth, and on the
shaft A is provided a toothed sleeve F, the teeth of which gear with those of the
sector E. This sleeve F slides longitudinally on the crank-shaft A, but is caused
to rotate therewith by means of studs G, secured on the disc B and having their
ends engaging in the grooves H, formed in the sleeve F. On the other end of the
before mentioned short shaft D, is secured the eccentric sheave I intended to work
the valve of the engine by means of the eccentric strap I' and eccentric rod I.
This eccentric is provided with an opening J, through which the crank shaft A
passes. This opening is so formed, and the short shaft D is so placed in the disc or
arm B, fixed to the crank-shaft A, that the centre of the eccentric I can be moved
from one side to the other of the centre of the crank-shaft, that is from the
position for, say, forward movement of the engine to the position I for, say,
backward movement thereof and vice versa, or it may be stopped and held in any

page_text: intermediate position, so as to cut off the steam or other motive power fluid at any
required part of the stroke of the engine, or to put the eccentric out of gear by
holding it in the middle position I', see Figures 3 & 4.
The holding of the eccentric in any particular position, and its movement int>>.
a new position, with reference to the crank-shaft, is effected by means of the
toothed sleeve F and sector E above mentioned. The toothed sleeve can be moved.
longitudinally of the crank-shaft, by means of a suitable fork K taking into the
groove F, on the sleeve F and actuated by a sliding bar L and a hand lever M..
or other suitable devices. When the sleeve is slid in one direction its oblique-
grooves H are acted on by the ends of the studs G, which ends are preferably
furnished with friction rollers, as shown in Figures 3 & 4, and the said sleeve is.
thereby caused to rotate on the shaft A and its teeth turn the sector E, and con-
sequently the short shaft D. This moves the eccentric I in one direction across
the crank-shaft. When the sleeve F is slid in the opposite direction the studs G
act on the grooves H. and rotate the sleeve in the opposite direction turning the
sector E and shaft D so as to move the eccentric in the other direction across the:
crank-shaft, and when the sleeve is held in any given position its teeth hold
the teeth of the sector, and the eccentric is thereby held in the corresponding
position.
In some cases the sector may be connected directly to, or formed with, the-
eccentric, and in that case the above mentioned short shaft may be dispensed with,.
and the eccentric and sector be hung on a pin or stud fixed in the disc or arm on.
the crank-shaft.
Instead of making the teeth on the sector and sliding sleeve straight as shown
in Figures 1, 2, 3 & 4, that is to say parallel to the axis of the shaft A, the teeth
on both may be made inclined or oblique to such axis, that is to say helically and
the sleeve be prevented from turning on the shaft as it slides longitudinally thereon, .
by means of the studs G fixed on the disc or arm B taking into one or more:
straight grooves on, or in, the sliding sleeve. In this case no rotation of the.
sleeve on the crank-shaft is necessary but only a longitudinal sliding motion,.
because its oblique or helical teeth act upon the correspondingly oblique or helical
teeth of the sector, and cause the latter to turn in one direction or the other
according as the sleeve is moved to the right or left on the shaft and the centre of
the eccentric is thereby moved across the shaft as described in reference to-
Figures 1, 2, 3 & 4.
In Figure 1 of the drawings the grooves H are shown to be inclined or oblique,.
with regard to the axis of the shaft A, for nearly their entire length so that
almost directly the sleeve E begins to move from either extreme position towards
the middle position, in which it is shown in both Figures 1 & 2, the throw of the
eccentric begins to be reduced, and consequently the valve begins to cut off earlier
in the stroke of the piston. But in Figure 2 the grooves H are shown parallel
to the axis of the shaft A for some distance from cach end, before the inclined or
oblique portions are reached, so that when the two sleeves are connected and
operated together by the bar L and forks K, or other means, the sleeve E in
Figure 2 can be moved some distance from either extreme position towards its.
middle position without altering the throw of the eccentric, and consequently
without altering the cut off of the valve until the inclined or oblique parts of the
grooves H reach the studs G. This difference in the form of the grooves H
enables us to vary the cut off or ratio of expansion in the high pressure cylinder,.
within certain limits, without varying that in the low pressure.
In Figures 1 & 2 the disc B is shown secured on the outside of a hollow
boss A formed with the shaft A. The object of this boss being made hollow is.
to allow the end of the sleeve F to pass into it in order to reduce as much as
possible the length occupied by the apparatus on the shaft A, but it is obvious.
that in cases where there is length enough available on the shaft for the movement
of the sleeve without the said hollow boss, the disc B may be keyed direct on to
the shaft A. The disc B may be provided with an extension B', forming a casing

page_text: which encloses the sector E and part of the sleeve F, to protect the same from
injury. The studs G are shown secured to the disc or arm B, but it is obvious
that they may be secured in any other suitable way so long as they are connected
directly or indirectly to the crank shaft and form fixed points relatively to the
grooves on the sleeve. Similar letters of reference relate to like parts in all the
figures of the drawings.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
First. The improved valve gear for steam and other motive power engines which
consists of a disc or arm secured to the crank shaft, an eccentric sheave pivotted
to such disc or arm, a toothed sector connected directly or indirectly to the said
eccentric, and a sleeve sliding on the crank shaft and having teeth which gear.
with those of the sector, and inclined or oblique grooves gearing with studs which
are fixed directly or indirectly to the shaft, combined and operating substantially
as described with reference to the drawings.
Second. The improved valve gear for steam and other motive power engines
which consists of a disc or arm secured to the crank shaft, an eccentric sheave
pivotted to such disc or arm, a sector with inclined or oblique teeth, connected
directly or indirectly to the said eccentric and a sleeve sliding on the crank shaft
and having inclined or oblique teeth which gear with those of the sector, and
straight grooves gearing with studs which are fixed directly or indirectly to the
shaft, combined and operating substantially as described.
Third. In the application of the improved valve gear to the high and low
pressure cylinders of a compound engine forming the grooves in the sliding sleeves
of such gear so that the cut-off or ratio of expansion in the high pressure cylinder
can be varied within certain limits without affecting the cut-off, or ratio of
expansion in the low pressure cylinder when both the high and low pressure valve
gears are operated simultaneously substantially as described with reference to the
drawings.
זן.
C
H. A. HOUSE (SENIOR),
H. A. HOUSE (JUNIOR),
R. R. SYMON,
Per W. H. Beck,
115, Cannon Street, London, Agent.