IMPROVEMENTS IN THE VALVE ARRANGEMENT OF STEAM AND OTHER ENGINES
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Edward Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE VALVE ARRANGEMENT OF STEAM AND
OTHER ENGINES."-A communication.
Sealed the 12th January 1858, and dated the 17th August 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edward Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 17th August 1857.
I, WILLIAM EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE VALVE ARRANGEMENT OF STEAM
AND OTHER ENGINES," to be as follows:-
This Invention of improvements in the valve arrangement of steam and
other engines has reference to that class of valve arrangements for recipro-
cating piston engines, in which a main valve is made to open and close the
several inlet and exhaust ports to the main cylinder of the engine. This is
effected by the pressure of the propelling fluid being brought to bear on and
operate the main valve abruptly, at or shortly before the close of the engine
piston stroke, by means of a secondary or lap valve arranged to control the
admission and escape of the propelling fluid to operate the main valve, such
controlling valve being driven by the engine. These valves should be arranged

page_text: in a steam chest common to them both, and one exhaust outlet made to serve
for both.
The present improvements are designed more particularly to apply to direct
acting engines of the reciprocating kind, such as are usually employed for
driving pumps and saw mills, by the direct connection of the driven machinery
with the piston rod of the engine and without the intervention of a crank or
rotary movement.
The engine cylinder is in an horizontal position as adapted for horizontal
action. Its main cylinder is provided with the usual end lids or covers, glands,
or stuffing boxes, and a steam chest on its top, having steam supplied to it by
a suitable pipe.
The main or engine piston has its rod arranged to protrude through either
end of the cylinder, and rigidly attached to the main piston rod, at or near its
one end, say, is an ordinary crosshead or block, that during the reciprocating
travel of the piston slides along a fixed guide fast to the main cylinder.
The crosshead thus reciprocating with the piston is made to give an uniform
or constant swinging action by means of a link rod to a lever, the longer arm
of which is driven by the crosshead, and the shorter arm of it serving to work
a lap valve by the interposition of connecting rods.
This lap valve is situated within the steam chest, and has an exhaust cavity,
and is arranged to reciprocate over or along a small steam cylinder fixed within
the steam chest, so as to admit steam and exhaust it alternately to and from
either side of a piston arranged within said small cylinder, which latter has a
steam passage near either end communicating with the steam space of the
chest, and a central exhaust passage communicating with the general exhaust
outlet. The lap valve plays over these several passages to give a reciprocating
action to the small piston, and is so pitched as regards lap and stroke as to
make this action to said small piston an intermittent one, and cause it only.to
be moved shortly before the engine piston reaches the end of its stroke or
single movement in either direction. .
This small valve piston has a rod that passes out through either end of the
small cylinder, and is also the stem or rod to the main valve or valves which
slide on or over.seats that have passages communicating with either end of.
the main steam cylinder, and have further passages communicating with the,
main exhaust outlet.
The stroke of the main valves and their piston is made adjustable so as to
vary the area of passage surface uncovered for the admission of steam to the
engine cylinder according to the slow or rapid motion of the engine, by

page_text: extending the main valve stem through the steam chest and through screw
boxes or stops which work through the bosses of a standard made fast to the
steam chest.
These screw boxes freely turn on the valve stem, and accordingly as they
are brought nearer or further apart by screwing or unscrewing them in or out
of the bosses is the stroke of the valves made shorter or longer, so as to open
more or less the one or both inlet ports of the engine, when said valves are
thrown by a stop or boss on the valve stem coming sooner or later into contact
with the screw boxes.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Edward Newton in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 17th February 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventeenth day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twenty-first year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said William Edward Newton, Her special license that I, the said William
Edward Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said William Edward Newton, 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 VALVE ARRANGEMENT OF STEAM AND OTHER ENGINES,"
being a communication from abroad, upon the condition (amongst others):
that I, the said William Edward Newton, 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 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 William Edward Newton, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is

page_text: to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the fol-
lowing statement, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed and
to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
This Invention of "Improvements in the Valve Arrangement of Steam and
other Engines" has reference to that class of valve arrangements for recipro-
cating piston engines, in which a main valve is made to open and close in a
proper manner, so as to keep up a reciprocating action of the engine piston
and the several inlet and exhaust ports to the main cylinder of the engine.
This is effected by the pressure of the propelling fluid being brought to bear
on and operate the main valve abruptly at or shortly before the close of the
engine piston stroke, by means of a secondary or lap valve, which controls the
admission and escape of the propelling fluid that operates the main valve, such
controlling valve being driven by the engine. These valves should be arranged
in a steam chest common to them both, and one exhaust outlet made to serve
for both, as has before been done in duplex valve arrangements of the character
here referred to.
The present improvements are designed more particularly to apply to direct
acting engines of the reciprocating kind, such as are usually employed for
driving pumps and saw mills, by the direct connection of the driven machinery
with the piston rod of the engine and without the intervention of a crank or
rotary movement.
Fig. 1 in the accompanying Drawings represents a partly sectional side
elevation of a horizontal reciprocating steam engine, with the improved arrange-
ment of valves applied thereto. This sectional view is taken mainly as
indicated by the irregular line x, x, in Fig. 2, which latter Figure represents
a top view or plan of the engine with the valve chest cover removed, and
showing in section a cylinder situated within the chest. Fig. 3 represents a
transverse vertical section of the main engine cylinder and steam chest with
its interior cylinder, taken mainly as denoted by the line 2, z, in Fig. 2, but
omitting the valves and other operating parts; and Fig. 4 represents a side
elevation of the engine with certain of the interior operating parts in colored
and dotted lines, in positions the reverse of those shewn for the same parts in
Figures 1 and 2.
The engine represented in the accompanying Drawing is shewn in an hori-
zontal position, or as adapted for horizontal action; its main cylinder A is pro-
vided with the usual end lids or covers a, a, glands or stuffing boxes b, b, and a
steam chest B on its top, having steam supplied to it by a suitable pipe B¹.
The main or engine piston C has its rod c arranged to protrude through

page_text: either end of the cylinder, though this need not necessarily be the case.
Rigidly attached to the main piston rod C, at or near its one end say, is an
ordinary crosshead or block D, that during the reciprocating action of the
piston slides along a fixed guide E, made fast to the main cylinder.
The cross head D thus reciprocating with the piston, is made to give an
uniform or constant swinging action by means of a link ròd d to a lever F,
whose fulcrum e is intermediate between the length of the lever on the fixed
guide E; the longer arm of this lever F is driven by the cross head, and the
shorter arm of it serves to work a lap valve G, by the interposition of the
connecting rods f, ƒ'.
This lap valve G, (Fig. 2,) which is situated within the steam chest B, bas
an exhaust cavity g, and is arranged to reciprocate over or along a small steam
cylinder II, fixed within the steam chest, so as to admit steam, and exhaust
it alternately to and from either side of a piston I, arranged within the small
cylinder H, which latter has a steam passage h, h', near each end, communi-
cating with the steam space of the chest, and a central exhaust passage i,
communicating with the general exhaust outlet J, as shewn in Figures 2 and
3. The lap valve G works over these several passages (h, and i,) to give a
reciprocating action to the small piston I, and is so arranged as regards lap
and stroke, as to make this action of the small piston an intermittent one, and
cause it only to be moved shortly before the engine piston C reaches the end
of its stroke, or to make it a single movement in either direction.
This small valve piston I, has a rod k, that passes out through either end of
the small cylinder II. This rod k is also the stem or rod to the main valve
or valves K, K', which slide on or over seats L, L', that have passages 1, 1,
communicating by other passages m, m¹ with either end of the main
cylinder A, and have further passages 1, 1, communicating with branch pas-
sages n, n', that form a connection with the main exhaust outlet J, as seen in
Fig. 1.
The main valves K, K', have exhaust cavities o, o¹, that accordingly as
these valves are moved by the action of the small piston I, alternately open
the main cylinder A, on either side of the engine piston C to the exhaust,
while the motion of the main valves by the passage of their edges over either
of the inlets 1, or 1, open the main cylinder on the opposite side of the engine.
piston to the steam in the chest B.
The stroke of the main valves K, K', and their piston I, is preferably made
adjustable, and limited to vary the area of passage surface uncovered for the
admission of steam to the engine cylinder (according to the slow or rapid

page_text: motion of the engine) by extending the main valve stem k through the steam
chest, and through screw boxes or stops r, r, which work through bosses s of
a standard S, made fast to the steam chest.
These screw boxes freely turn on the valve stem k, and accordingly as they
are brought nearer to or further apart from each other by screwing or un-
screwing them in or out of the bosses, the stroke of the valves K, K', is
made shorter or longer, so as to open more or less the one or both inlet ports
1,. of the engine when the valves are thrown, which operation is effected by a
stop or boss u on the valve stem k, coming sooner or later into contact with
the screw boxes r, r.
. Supposing the several parts to be in the position shewn in Figures 1 and 2
of the Drawing, which Figures show a like position of the same parts; the
main engine piston C, it will be seen, is at the end of its forward stroke, or in
position of starting back on its return stroke, while the small piston I bas
been driven backwards by the lap valve G opening the one steam inlet h of
the small cylinder H, which back movement of the small piston I has, by the
connection of the piston I with the main valves K, K', operated these valves
so as to give steam in front of the engine piston C through the passage
1,. m, and pass off the steam at the back of the engine piston through the
passages m², l, the valve cavity o¹, and the exhaust passages 1³, n', to the
exhaust outlet J. But upon the engine piston C reaching the extremity of
its back stroke, or rather shortly previous thereto, as represented in Fig. 4,
the lap valve G by the action of the lever I will have opened the opposite
steam inlet of the small cylinder H, and thereby have caused the small
piston I to be driven forwards, and the position of the main valves K, K' to
be changed so as to admit steam at the back of the engine piston C, through
the passages m³, and to pass off the steam in front of the engine piston
through the passages m, l, the valve cavity o, and the exhaust passages l², n,
to the exhaust outlet J.
The lap valve G, alternately exhausts the small cylinder H on either side of
its piston I by its exhaust cavity g, alternately connecting the small cylinder's
ports h, h, with the central exhaust passage i, that connects with the main
outlet J, and it will be seen that the arrangement shewn in the Drawing is
such that the lap valve G exhausts the small cylinder on the one side of its
piston I, before it admits steam on the opposite side of the said piston, to move
the main valves so as to ensure a rapid and easy movement of the main
valves and secure the general exhaust outlet J, being clear before the steam
from the main cylinder is passed to it. In this way a continuous recipro-

page_text: cating action of the engine piston C is kept up. The lap valve driving lever
F being in permanent gear with the engine piston, so as to have a constant
motion during the entire motion of the piston, and said auxiliary valve con-
nection being a continuously operating one with or from the engine piston
direct, all such destructive shock, jar, jerk, or concussion, as is produced by a
lever or tappet struck by a moving portion of the engine to operate the valve
is as perfectly avoided as if the auxiliary valve G were driven by the ordinary
"excentric gear
" of an engine having a rotary motion, in comparison with
which, apart from the greater compactness and simplicity of the one mode of
action over the other, any sudden variation of velocity on the part of the
engine piston C towards the close of the stroke, is in the present arrangement
more immediately felt by the lap valve G, to govern its controlling action
over the abruptly operating main valves K, K', which is an important feature
in duplex valve arrangements of the description here referred to, in which it
is a main object to open and close the engine ports abruptly at certain points,
only relative to the motion of the engine piston in contradistinction to a slow
or gradual opening and closing of them, as by an ordinary slide valve, receiving
its motion direct or otherwise in a constant or regular manner to open and close
the engine ports direct, and which abrupt action of the main valves K, K' at or
shortly before the close of the engine piston stroke only, is here, by the con-
struction and arrangement of parts as before described, effected in a most per-
fect and smooth manner, and without any irregular resistance on the part of
the contrivances connected with the operating portions of the engine for
effecting said abrupt or occasional movement of the main valve or valves, and
the arrangement as a whole is one that for its direct and smooth operation,
compactness, simplicity, and efficiency, will be found most advantageous as
applied to a direct-acting engine giving out no rotary driving force, in the
many purposes for which such engines are used.
Having no described the Invention of "Improvements in the Valve Arrange-
ment of Steam and other Engines," as communicated to me by my foreign cor-
respondent, and having explained the manner of carrying the same into effect,
what I claim as new and useful, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,
is the arrangement of the reciprocating driving lever F, with the lap valve
geared with the piston rod c of the engine, so as to have a constant motion
with it in a direct and positive manner, as shewn and described, the lap con-
trolling valve G being linked or geared thereto for continuous operation.
I also claim the independent intermittent piston or pressure driven main

page_text: valve or valves K, K', for operation together, relatively to each other, and the
engine piston as specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Edward Newton, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Tenth day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
W. E. NEWTON. (L.S.)