IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAK ENGINES AND GENERATORS
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Swinburne, of Alfred Town, Ashford, Kent,
and John Stanley, of Whitechapel Road, London, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAK ENGINES AND GENERATORS."
Sealed the 2nd October 1863, and dated the 7th April 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Swinburne and John
Stanley at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their Petition,
on the 7th April 1863.
We, JOHN SWINBURNE, of Alfred Town, Ashford, Kent, and JOHN STANLEY,
of Whitechapel Road, London, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES AND GENERATORS," to be as
follows:-
The first improvement provides a novel mode of actuating the slide valves
of steam engines, giving thereto a differential movement and the power of
reversing very similar in effect to that of the link motion hitherto in extensive
use, at less cost and expense attendant upon after wear and tear. This improve-
ment we wish to be called Swinburne's slide valve motion. The manner of
carrying out of which is to fit an annular shaft or tube upon the crank shaft
or axle of a steam engine (or upon another shaft that takes motion therefrom)
free to move without the shaft, but a limited distance in a rotating direction
only, such annular shaft having two trunnions or pivots opposite to each other,
so arranged as to form an axis for a sort of gimbal or annular disc. The
gimbal or disc so carried is rendered capable of being set in any required
position, and there held by means of a connecting link, one end of which is
attached to the gimbal near the periphery, and about midway between the
trunnions, and the other end attached to a gland or sleeve moveable (longi-

page_text: tudinally only) upon the annular shaft through the medium of a forked lever
or guide taking into a groove, or clasping a flange upon the gland or sleeve.
By the foregoing arrangement the gimbal can be set as above stated to
either run true with the shaft, or take a waddling to-and-fro motion in the
direction of the crank axle line. This wabbling to-and-fro motion is made to
give motion to the slide valve by acting upon a sort of bell crank and connecting
rod or by any other convenient means.
The main points of this improvement are that of the capability of setting
the periphery of a disc or wheel to run either true with the shaft upon which
it is mounted, or to any required degree of obliquity, and using the longitudinal
movement thereby produced to actuate the slide valves as before described.
The limited rotatory motion allowed to the annular shaft is to allow the whole
apparatus to take the lead.
The second improvement provides another novel mode of actuating the
slide valve of steam engines (this we wish to be called Stanley's variable
eccentric; (by which improvement a single eccentric disc or sheave and an
ordinary clip and rod, are made to produce very nearly the same variations in
the motion of a slide valve as have heretofore been produced; a double
eccentric and link (known as the link motion), to describe which we will
suppose an ordinary eccentric disc or sheave to be fitted loose upon a square
crank shaft, stayed from moving in the direction of the axis fitted close to the
shaft on two opposite sides, and with considerable space for movement on the
intermediate two sides, such spaces to be fitted with wedges reversed in their
draft, the thick end of such as are on one side, and the thin end of such as aro
on the opposite side, connected to a boss or gland, and so arranged that by
means of a fork ended lever or guide taking into a groove in the periphery of
the boss or gland, longitudinal movement can be given to the wedges, thereby
differing the degree and direction of eccentricity at will of the attendant, whilst
the whole is in motion. The eye of the eccentric to be made (by preference)
sufficiently out of centre in the direction transverse to its length to give the
shortest stroke to the slide valve when the shaft is in the centre of the eye,
and the lead forward or backward when the shaft is at either end thereof.
The third improvement is introduced to increase the sensitiveness of the
ordinary ball governors, and provides that instead of the joints at the top of
the suspension rods being made fast to the upright shaft, they are attached
to a loose boss fitted close between two collars on the shaft. The junction of
the sleeve that carries the lower end of the stay bars and the shaft is a quick
pitched screw, so arranged as to become the driver of the balls, and to assist
their rising when the speed of the shaft is on the increase, and to quicken

page_text: their descent when the speed is on the decrease. This we wish to be called
Stanley's improved governor.
The fourth improvement consists of a novel form and arrangement in the
construction of upright cylindrical steam boilers, and provides that addition
to the ordinary fire tube and the annular water space. The water space is
extended under the ash-pit, outside of which water space downwards from a
little below the low water level is an annular flue space continued also under
the ash-pit, and the water space beneath the same. The fluc space is again
surrounded with another water space, or with brickwork, so arranged as to
conduct the draft downwards and make it pass under the bottom before going
away to the chimney, being first passed through the first-mentioned water space
in a series of short horizontal tubes. The draft may either be taken away by
a descending flue to the upright shaft, or it may be made to pass down one
side under the bottom and up the other side. This we wish to be called
Stanley's improved boiler.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Swinburne and John Stanley in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 6th October 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JOHN
SWINBURNE, of Alfred Town, Ashford, Kent, and JOHN STANLEY, of White-
chapel Road, London, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-sixth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, tho
said John Swinburne and John Stanley, Her special licence that we,
the said John Swinburne and John Stanley, our executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said John Swinburne and
John Stanley, our 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 GENERATORS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that we, the said John Swinburne and John Stanley, our
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under our, or their,
or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the

page_text: 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 we, the said John Swinburne and John Stanley,
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 and by the following statement thereof, that is to say:-
These improvements apply to several parts of steam engines and generators.
The first improvement provides a new mode of actuating the slide valve of
steam engines, giving thereto a differential movement and the power of reversing
very similar in effect to that of the link motion hitherto in extensive use (at
less first cost and expence attendent upon after wear and tear). This
improvement we wish to be called Swinburne's slide valve motion. The
arrangement for carrying out of which is to fit an annular shaft or tube upon
the crank shaft or axle of any steam engine (or upon another shaft that takes
motion therefrom), loose to move without the shaft a limited distance in a
rotating direction only; such annular shaft having two trunions or pivots
opposite to each other, so arranged as to form an axis for and to carry a
sort of gimbal or annular disc. The gimbal or disc so carried is rendered
capable of being set in any required position, and there held by means of a
connecting link, one end of which is attached to the gimbal near the periphy
about midway between the pivots, and the other end attached to a gland or
sheave free to move (longitudinally only) upon the annular shaft by means of
a forked lever or guide taking into a groove, or clasping the gland or sheave.
By this arrangement the gimbal can be set either to run true with the
shaft or take a wabbling to-and-fro motion in the direction of the axle line.
This wabbling to-and-fro motion is made to give motion to the slide valve,
through the medium of a sort of bell crank and connecting rod, or by any
other convenient means. When the gimbal is set at right angles with the
main axle line, the slide valve will be at rest, and when it is set at an oblique
angle one way the valve will move right for forward action, and when set the
contrary way for backward. The limited rotatory motion allowed to the
annular shaft gives the required lead to the valve by means of a segment of a
spur wheel taking into and passing out of a spur wheel fitted tight upon the
annular shaft or to the gland or sheave; in the latter case the spur segment
is of greater width to allow the movement of the sheave without missing the
gear. Another method is to place the pivots that carry the the gimbal at an
oblique angle with the axle line so as to give the short travel to the slide

page_text: valve. When the face of the gimbal transverse to its axis is set at right angles
with the main axle line, as is obtained by setting the die in the centre of the
link in ordinary use. In this case the exact movement produced by the link
motion is obtained without giving the lead by moving the annular shaft as
described.
The No. 1 Sheet of Drawings shows the application of this improvement to
a locomotive engine. Fig. 1, a, the crank shaft; b, the annular shaft; c, the
gland or sheave; d, d, gimbal or annular disc; q, the connecting links between
c and d; c, e, two clips fitted into grooves in the edges of the gimbals d, d;
h, h, two jointed pieces to connect e, e, and i, i; j,j, two rods to connect the
slide valves i, i, two bel-crank or right angled levers to move the sheave or
gland C, Fig. 1 and 2; f, the spur wheel fast to the aunular shaft, or attached
to the gland or sheave. By passing the teeth on the segment g through the
wheel the lead is given which ever way may be required. 9, tho segment;
K, a shaft to carry the segment; 1, an arm to receive movement from any
suitable connection leading from the foot plate. n, Fig. 1 and 3 is a thick
flange on the annular shaft b, having a sinking in the outer face to take over
the crank arm a, so arranged as to allow the annular shaft to move far enough
to give the lead forward or backward, and to form a driver both way for the
same. r, s, t, Fig. 1 and 2 are a way shaft, two crank arms and a clip to take
into a groove in the gland or sheave c, and give the required movement
thereunto through the medium of the connecting rod o, or any other convenient
means for setting the gimbals d, d, full forward or backward, or to any inter-
mediate set for expansive working. Fig. 5 and 6 connecting link between e
and i enlarged. Fig. 4 represents the gimbals upon an oblique axis in order
to give the lead and expansive action without the aid of turning the annular
shaft.
The novelty of this improvement is that of obtaining motion for the slide
valve from the wabbling motion of the periphery of the gimbals or disc
when set at oblique angles with the main axle line, and holding of the same
in any suitable way.
The second improvement provides another novel mode of working the slide
valves of steam engines (this we wish to be called Stanley's variable eccentric),
by which a single essentric and an ordinary clip and rod are made to produce
very nearly the same variations in the motion of the slide valves as have
heretofore been produced by a double essentric and link (known as the link
motion), to describe which we will suppose an ordinary eccentric disc or sheave
to be fitted loose upon a square crank shaft, stayed from moving in the
direction of the axis by any convenient means, and fitted close to the shaft

page_text: on two opposite sides, having considerable space for movement on the inter-
mediate two sides; such spaces, together with the part occupied by the shaft,
form a slot fully three-quarters the diameter of the eccentric in length, and
are fitted with wedges having their draught reversed; the thick end of that on
one side and the thin end that on the opposite side connected to a boss or
gland, and so arranged that by means of a fork-ended lever or guide taking
into a groove in the periphery of the boss or gland, longitudinal movement
can be given to the wedges, thereby differing the degree and direction of
eccentricity at will of the attendent. The eye of the eccentric to be made (by
preferance sufficiently out of centre in the direction transverse to the length
to give the shortest travel to the slide valve when the shaft is in the centre of
the eye, and the full travel and lead forward or backward when the shaft is at
the end of the slot in the eccentric.
By another arrangement a round shaft is applied (as shewn in No. 2 Sheet
of Drawings) having thereon a boss or tube, and two flanges fast thereon,
between which flanges the eccentric is also held from turning on the shaft by
the wedges passing through the flanges. In applying this improvement to pairs
of engines two eccentrics may be placed between the flanges instead of one,
each having a seperato clip and rod. In this case another pair of wedges are
applied to move the additional eccentric at right angles with the first. The
eye in the eccentrics are of such a form as will allow their required movement.
Sheet 2, Fig. 12, a longitudinal section, and Fig. 18, a transverse ditto,
at x, x, on Fig. 12. Z, the wedges; Y, the eccentric; W, the flange or
gland to which the wedges are attached; V, the boss and flanges between
which the eccentric is held; when the wedges, gland, and eccentric are in this
position they are right for the engine moving in one direction with full steam
(shewn by the plain line), and when in the dotted line position the other
direction with full steam also. The intermediate will give any required degree
of expansive working obtained by the link motion.
The third improvement is introduced to increase the sensitiveness of the
ordinary ball governers, and provides that instead of the joints at the top of
the suspension rods being made fast to the upright shaft, they are attached to
a loose boss fitted close between two collars on the shaft. The junction of the
sleeve that carries the lower end of the stay bars and the shaft is a quick
pitched screw, so arranged as to become the drivers of the balls, and to assist
their rising when the speed of the shaft is on the increase, and to quicken
their decent when the speed is on the decrease. This we wish to be called
Stanley's improved governer..
The fourth improvement consists of a novel form and arrangement in the

page_text: construction of upright cylindrical steam boilers, and provides that in addition
to the ordinary fire tube and annular water space, that the water space be
extended under the ash-pit; that outside of such water space be an annular
flue space continued also under the water space beneath the ash-pit, and the
flue space be connected to the fire space by means of a series of short
horizontal tubes, and again surrounded with another water space or with
brickwork, so arranged as to conduct the draft downwards, and cause it to pass
under the bottom of the boiler before going away to the chimney, and may
either be taken away by a descending flue to the upright shaft; or it may be
made to pass down one side under the bottom, and up the other side between
the two water spaces.
Fig. 14, A, the fire tube or space; B, annular water space; C, annular
flue space; D, outer water space or brickwork; E, the tubes that pass the
draft from the fire-tube A to the descending flue space C; F, the water space
under the ash-pit.
This improvement may be carried out in two other ways, one of which is to
take the draft through the water in syphons tubes leading it from the top of
the fire-box up to within a few inches of the top of the water, and then
downwards below the fire (as shewn left-hand half section), Fig. 15. The
other way is to fit tubes to the fire-box, as in Fig. 12, and conduct them down
in the water space (as shewn in the right-hand half of the section, Fig. 15).
The water space and draft may or may not pass under the ash-pit as before
described. This wo wish to be called Stanley's improved boiler.
In witness whereof, we, the said John Swinburne and John Stanley,
have hereunto set our hand and seals, this Sixth day of October,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-
throo
Witness for J. Swinburne,
HENREY STANLEY.
Witness for J. Stanley,
JOSEPH STANLEY.
JOHN SWINBURNE. (L.S.)
JOHN STANLEY. (L.B.)