IMPROVEMENTS IN HYDRAULIC MOTIVE-POWER AND PUMPING APPARATUS
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Hastie, of Greenock, in the County of Renfrew,
North Britain, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN HYDRAULIC
MOTIVE-POWER AND PUMPING APPARATUS."
Sealed the 9th April 1878, and dated the 17th October 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Hastie at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 17th October 1877.
JOHN HASTIE, of Greenock, in the County of Renfrew, North Britain, Engineer.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN HYDRAULIC MOTIVE-POWER AND PUMPING APPARATUS.'
This Invention relates partly to improved hydraulic motive-power apparatus of
great simplicity and possessing peculiar advantages for hoisting and similar purposes,
such apparatus being provided with automatically adjusting details for varying the
stroke of the hydraulic cylinders to suit varying relations between the resistance of
the load and the pressure of the water employed, according to the system described
in the Specification of Letters Patent granted to the present applicant, and dated
11 September 1876 (No. 3561).
The Invention also comprises improved hydraulic arrangements of the automati-
cally adjusting details referred to, which arrangements may be substituted for any
of those described in the earlier Specification herein-before referred to as acting
by means of springs, either in the motive-power apparatus or in the pumping
apparatus.
In the improved motive-power apparatus, three or more single-acting hydraulic
cylinders are fitted in a framing equidistantly round the axis of a crank shaft, their
rams acting directly on a single crank.
The outer ends of the cylinders fit in semi-cylindrical seats in the framing and
the cylinders have a vibrating motion which causes a port in the end of each to
communicate alternately with two ports in the seat.
The two ports of each cylinder seat communicate by passages with ports in the
casing of a conical valve, which can be adjusted by an external hand lever, and
which communicates at one end with the water inlet and at the other end with the
discharge or exhaust pipe.

page_text: The valve is formed with three cavities in communication with the inlet, and
between these cavities there are three cavities communicating with the outlet and
with each other. If the valve is turned to a certain extent in one direction it puts
each inlet cavity over one of each pair of cylinder ports, and the other port of each
pair is then open to the exhaust cavities. When the valve is in the middle position
all the cylinder ports are in communication with the exhaust cavities; and if then
the crank shaft is turned by an external force, such as that of a descending
weight, the water will be forced from cylinder to cylinder in succession.
The valve can be set so as to quite close one of each pair of ports, thereby locking
the water in the cylinders and preventing the rotation of the crank shaft, or the
valve may be set with more or less opening, and by retarding, but not altogether
stopping the passage of the water act as a brake.
The crank pin of the crank shaft is made adjustable to or from the centre of the
shaft, and the adjusting details are acted on either by springs, or, as is preferred, by
the hydraulic substitute for springs herein-before referred to. In this hydraulic
automatic adjusting arrangement, the strain that is being transmitted acts on one or
more hydraulic cylinders in communication with the head of water working the
apparatus, the connection of the ram or rams with the other parts being such that
as the ram or rams are more and more forced into the cylinder or cylinders with
increasing resistance and strain, the leverage varies. The pressure of the water
in the cylinder or cylinders thus through the varying leverage balances different
strains at different points of the stroke, and the relative motion of the connections
being transmitted to the adjusting details causes the crank pin to be adjusted so
as to correspond at any time with the ratio between the motive pressure and the
resistance.
In one modification of the improved arrangements the crank shaft is tubular and
terminates near a disc fixed on a shaft, forming a continuation of the crank shaft,
and having a reduced part passing through the crank shaft to act on the adjusting
details in connection with the crank pin. On the disc are fixed or formed two
hydraulic cylinders, which are in communication by a passage in the continuation
shaft, and through a stuffing box with the pipe supplying the water under pressure
to the engine. The rams of the cylinders carry pulleys at their outer ends, and
chains, the outer ends of which are fixed to the disc, are passed round the pulleys,
and have their inner ends fixed to the crank shaft. This crank shaft has fixed or
formed on it at the parts where the chains are attached two spiral cams, on which
the chains become wrapped when the crank shaft turns relatively to the continuation
shaft; and as the chains are applied to parts of the cams which are more distant
from the centre, the more the crank shaft is turned relatively to the continuation
shaft, the force of the water in the hydraulic cylinders acts with greater leverage
and resists the greater strain. At the same time the crank pin is adjusted from or
to the centre in proportion to the relative motion between the crank shaft and the
continuation shaft; and the result is that the crank will always assume a distance
from the centre corresponding to the resistance or strain, as the strain between the
hydraulic cylinders on the disc and the spiral cams on the crank shaft will
produce relative motion, and thereby shift the crank pin whenever it is
unbalanced.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Hastie in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 16th April
1878.
JOHN HASTIE, of Greenock, in the County of Renfrew, North Britain, Engineer,
"IMPROVEMENTS IN HYDRAULIC MOTIVE-POWER AND PUMPING APPARATUS."
My said Invention relates partly to improved hydraulic motive-power apparatus
of great simplicity, and possessing peculiar advantages for hoisting and similar
purposes, such apparatus being provided with automatically adjusting details for
varying the stroke of the bydraulic cylinders to suit varying relations between the
resistance of the load and the pressure of the water employed, according to the
system described in the Specification of Letters Patent granted to me, and dated 11
September 1876 (No. 3561).
My present Invention also comprises improved hydraulic arrangements of the
automatically adjusting details referred to, which arrangements may be substituted
for any of those described in my earlier Specification herein-before referred to as
acting by means of springs, either in the motive-power apparatus or in the pumping
apparatus.
In my improved motive-power apparatus three or more single-acting hydraulic
cylinders are fitted in a framing equidistantly round the axis of a crank shaft, their
rams acting directly on a single crank.
Two passages for each cylinder communicate with ports in the casing of a conical
valve which communicates at one end with the water inlet, and at the other end
with the discharge or exhaust pipe.
The valve is (in the case of three cylinders) formed with three cavities in communi-
cation with the inlet, and between these cavities there are three ports or cavities
communicating with the outlet and with each other. If the valve is turned to a
certain extent in one direction it puts each inlet or cavity over one of each pair of
cylinder ports, and the other cylinder ports are then open to the exhaust cavities.
The direction of rotation is determined by the direction in which the valve is
adjusted; in this way, whilst the admission and exhaust of each cylinder are
alternated by the vibration of the cylinder moving a port in its end so as to com-
municate alterernately with each of its two passages.
When the valve is set in the
middle position all the passages to the cylinders are in communication with the
exhaust cavities; and if then the crank shaft is turned by an external force, such
as that of a descending weight, the water will be forced from cylinder to cylinder in
succession.
The valve can be set so as to quite close one of each pair of ports, thereby locking
the water in the cylinders and preventing the rotation of the crank shaft; or the
valve inay be set with more or less opening; and by retarding, but not altogether
stopping the passage of the water, act as a brake.
The crank pin of the crank shaft is made adjustable to or from the centre of the
shaft, and the adjusting details are acted on either by springs, as described in my
earlier Specification herein-before referred to, or, as I now prefer, by the hydraulic
substitute for the springs already mentioned herein. In this hydraulic automatic
adjusting arrangement the strain that is being transmitted acts on one or more
hydraulic cylinders in communication with the head of water working the apparatus ;
the connection of the ram or rams of such cylinders with the other parts being
such that as the ram or rams are more and more forced inwards with increasing
strain the leverage varies. The pressure of the water in the cylinder or cylinders
thus through the varying leverage balances different strains at different points of
the stroke, and the relative motion of the connections being transmitted to the
crank adjusting details causes the crank pin to be adjusted, so as to correspond at
any time with the ratio between the motive pressure and the resistance.
And in order that my said Invention and the manner of performing the same
may be properly understood, I hereunto append two Sheets of explanatory Drawings,
to be herein-after referred to, and representing examples of hydraulic apparatus

page_text: made with my present improvements. In these Drawings the same reference
numerals are used to mark the same or like parts wherever they are repeated.
Figures 1 and 2, on Sheet 1 of the accompanying Drawings, are sectional end and
side elevations of my improved hydraulic motive-power apparatus as combined with
a winch barrel 1 for hoisting or winding purposes. In this example three single-
acting hydraulic cylinders 2 are fitted in a framing 3, 4, 5, so as to be situated
equidistantly round the axis of the crank shaft 6, their rams 7 acting directly on a
single crank pin 8. This crank pin 8 is carried by a disc 9 on the shaft 6, and the
ends of the rams 7 are kept in contact with the pin 8 by an inner ring 10 and an
outer annulaly-flanged disc 11, secured by a nut on an outer reduced and screwed
part of the pin, the ring 10 and annular flange 11 engaging in grooves formed for
the purpose in the rams 7. The outer ends of the cylinders 2 fit in semi-cylindrical
seats 12 in the main frame piece 3, and the cylinders have a vibrating motion which
causes a port 13 in the end of each to communicate alternately with two ports 14, 15,
in the seat 12. The two ports 14, 15, of each cylinder seat communicate by passages
16, 17, with ports 18, 19, in the casing 20 of a conical valve 21, which can be
adjusted by an external hand lever, and which communicates at one end with the
water inlet 22 and at the other end' with the discharge or exhaust pipe 23.
Figure 3 is an enlarged section of the conical valve 21 and casing 20, as at right
angles to its axis. The valve 21 is formed with three cavities 24, which are in com-
munication with the inlet,. and between these cavities there are three cavities or
ports 25 communicating with the outlet 23 and with each other.
It will be seen, on considering Figure 3, that by a small turning movement of the
valve 21, the inlet cavities 24 will be put in communication with the three ports 18
or with the other three ports 19, according to the direction of the valve's movement,
and the crank shaft will be driven in one direction or the other accordingly. It will
also be obvious that the valve 21 can be set in a position to close one of each pair
of ports 18, 19, and so lock the water in the cylinders and completely stop the
motion of the crank shaft; and if the valve 21 is set so as, whilst allowing all the
ports 18, 19, to be in communication with the exhaust cavities 25, to restrict the
extent of opening, more or less, then the crank shaft can rotate, by the action, for
example, of a descending weight, but at a slow rate, depending on the extent of the
restricted opening. In this way the effect of a brake can be obtained in a simple,
effective, and reliable manner, and the attendant worker can control every movement
or action of the machine by the one hand lever applied to the spindle of the
valve 21.
The hydraulic motive-power apparatus, shown on Sheet 1 of the accompanying
Drawings, and herein-before described, is of course applicable not only with an
automatically adjustable crank pin, but also in cases in which such adjustability of
the crank pin is not required. When an adjustable crank pin is used, I prefer to
construct the adjusting details as described in my earlier Specification, herein-before
referred to with reference to Figures 5 and 6 of the Drawings accompanying that
Specification, but other constructions of such details may also be used in combination
with my present improvements.
Figures 4 and 5, on Sheet 2 of the accompanying Drawings, are sectional eleva-
tions, as at right angles to each other, of a modification of apparatus with my
hydraulic substitute for the springs of my former automatic crank pin adjusting
details. In this modification the crank shaft 6 is tubular, and terminates near a
rimmed disc 27, fixed on a shaft 28, forming a continuation of the crank shaft 6,
and having a reduced part 29 passing through the crank shaft 6 to act on the
adjusting details in immediate connection with the crank pin (not shown in these
Figures). On or within the rimmed disc 27 there are fixed or formed two hydraulic
cylinders 30, which are in communication by passages 31 in the disc, and a passage
32 in the continuation shaft 28, and through a stuffing box 33, with a pipe 34 con-
nected to that supplying the water under pressure to the engine. The rams 35 of
the cylinders 30 carry pulleys 36 at their outer ends; and chains 37, the outer ends
of which are adjustably fixed to the disc, are passed round the pulleys 36, and have

page_text: their inner ends fixed to the crank shaft 6. This crank shaft 6 has fixed or formed
on it, at the parts where the chains 37 are attached to two spiral cams 38, on which
the chains 37 become wrapped when the crank shaft 6 turns in the direction of the
arrows..
As the chains 37 become applied to parts of the cams 38, which are more distant
from the centre, the more the crank shaft 6 is turned relatively to the disc 27 and
continuation shaft 28, the force of the water in the hydraulic cylinders 30 acts with
the greater leverage, and can resist the greater strain. At the same time the crank
pin (8) becomes adjusted from or to the centre in proportion to the relative motion
between the crank shaft 6 and the disc 27, and continuation shaft 28, and the
result is that the crank pin will always assume a distance from the centre correspond-
ing to the resistance or strain as compared with the pressure of the water driving
the engine, because the strain between the hydraulic cylinders 30 on disc 27 and the
spiral cams 38 on the crank shaft 6 will produce relative motion, and thereby shift
the crank pin whenever it is unbalanced.
In applying the hydraulic substitute for the springs to pumping apparatus, such
apparatus may be arranged in any convenient form, but so that the pumps may
correspond to the hydraulic cylinders 2 of the motive-power apparatus (herein-
before described with reference to Sheet 1 of the accompanying Drawings) in
relation to the automatically adjustable crank pin to the crank shaft 6 and to the
continuation shaft 28. The cylinders 30 on the disc 27 must communicate (by the
passages herein-before described) with the press cylinder if the pumps are for working
a hydraulic press, or with a stand pipe or other vessel having in it water of a
pressure or head corresponding to the resistance against which the pumps have to
work.
Having thus particularly, described my said Invention, and the manner of per-
forming the same, I have to state that. I do not restrict myself to the precise details
herein described or delineated, but that what I believe to be novel and original and
claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters
Patent is,―
1. The combination of parts forming the improved hydraulic motive-power
apparatus herein-before described with reference to Figures 1, 2, 3 of the accom-
panying Drawings.
2. The construction, arrangement, and application of the valve (21) and the ports
and passages connected with it, substantially in the improved manner and for the
purposes herein-before described.
3. The substitution of hydraulic apparatus acting with varying leverage, sub-
stantially as herein-before described for the springs formerly used in connection
with an automatically adjustable crank pin in hydraulic motive-power and pumping
apparatus.
4. The combination of the hydraulic cylinders (30) and spiral cams (38) with
their connecting parts, substantially as and for the purposes herein-before
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Hastie, have hereunto set my, hand and
seal, this Fifteenth day of April, in the year of our Lord One thousand
aight hundred and careanter night
Witness,
EDMUND HUNT,
Patent Agent,
Glasgow.
JOHN HASTIE. (L.S.)