Improvements in Compound Steam Engines for Locomotive and other Purposes.
Year: 1894

page_text: COMPLETE SIMUIFICATION.
Improvements in Compound Steam Engines for Locomotive and
other Purposes.
A communication from abroad by THE RICHMOND LOCOMOTIVE AND MACHINE
WORKS, of Richmond, in the State of Virginia, United States of America.
I, PHILIP MIDDLETON JUSTICE, of 55 and 56, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Patent Agents, 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 consists in improvements in intercepting valves for temporarily
working high steam direct in both cylinders of a compound engine at starting,
whereby the valve will be automatically operated for changing from one to the
other of either conditions and pressure will be limited in the low pressure cylinder
for safety and equal effect with the high pressure cylinder, and it also consists in
an improved emergency valve attachment whereby the direct action of high steam
in the low pressure cylinder may be continued longer at starting when desired, and
the change from compound to direct action may be readily effected while working,
as may often be required in locomotive engines on steep grades, all as hereinafter
fully described reference being made to the accompanying drawings showing the
invention applied to a locomotive engine, and in which :-
Fig. 1, is a horizontal section of a front end portion of a locomotive boiler and
the smoke box, with my improved intercepting, and emergency valves arranged
as I propose to apply them, said valves being also in horizontal section or partly
so on line y-y Fig. 2.
Fig. 2, is a front end elevation of the smoke box, cylinders and steam pipes, said
cylinders and pipes being partly in section.
Fig. 3, is a side elevation of the smoke box and part of the boiler, and
longitudinal section of one of the steam cylinders, the steam pipes being indicated
in dotted lines.
Fig. 4, is a vertical longitudinal sectional elevation of the intercepting and
emergency valves in the position when working compound, on a larger scale.
Fig. 5, is a partial horizontal longitudinal section of the same in the position
when working steain direct in both cylinders, also enlarged.
Fig. 6, is a detail of the intercepting valve showing the position when cutting off
the live steam from the low pressure cylinder, also enlarged.
Fig. 7, is an end elevation of Fig. 4.
Fig. 8, is a transverse section of the intercepting valve on line x-x Figs. 4
and 5.
1
Fig. 9, is a vertical longitudinal sectional elevation of the intercepting and
emergency valves similar to Fig. 4, but with modifications of some of the parts.
Fig. 10, is a horizontal section of the intercepting and emergency valves in
modified arrangements, the section being taken on line 2- Fig. 11, said valves
being in the positions for compound action.
Fig. 11, is an end elevation of the open smoke box showing the application of
the valves of Fig. 10, considerably reduced in size, said valves being viewed in side
elevation.
Fig. 12, is a longitudinal sectional elevation of another modified arrangement of
the valves, the valves being also in the position for compound action.
Fig. 13, is a like section of parts of the valves as in Fig. 12, the said valves
being in the positions for working live steam direct in both engine cylinders.

page_text: Fig. 14, is a detail in longitudinal sectional elevation showing a modification of
the live steam controlling valve, the parts being in the position for compound
action, and
Fig. 15, is a sectional elevation of the apparatus of Fig. 14, in the position for
working steam direct in both cylinders.
In Figs. 10, 11, 12, and 13, the valves are reversed lengthwise relatively to the
way they are shown in the other figures, but this is immaterial.
a, represents the high pressure cylinder, and b the low pressure cylinder. Steam
enters cylinder a, through the steam pipe c, in the usual way; it exhausts there-
from into pipe d and receiver e. Receiver e, discharges into valve case f, containing
the intercepting valve g, from which, when said intercepting valve is open, the
steam passes through pipe into the low pressure cylinder b, this being the usual
condition in which the compound action goes on.
The intercepting valve 9, has a sleeve i, on its stem j, that works steam tight in
the cylinder k, and has a larger piston head I, also working steam tight in the
larger cylinder n, the other end being open to the atmosphere. Live steam is
admitted to cylinder n, on shoulder t behind head 1, through port o, and the small
steam pipe p, connecting with port o at q, said pipe being a branch of the main
pipe c, and always open to the steam when the throttle valve is open.
The intercepting valve remains in the normal position for compound action when
the engine stops (see Figs. 4, 10 and 12), then when the throttle is opened for
starting again, steam entering through port o and acting on shoulder t, closes
valve g by forcing the head of piston against shoulder on the stem of said
valve 9, said valve g entering its recessed seat g¹ and closing communication between
pipe and chamber before shoulder tissues from cylinder n, and admits live
steam, so as to prevent the live steam from escaping past valve 9, and to cause it to
take effect on the low pressure cylinder, both cylinders then work together with
live steam for starting, the sleeve i, acting as a reducing valve to prevent excessive
pressure in the low pressure cylinder but admitting sufficient for developing about
the same power in cylinder b as in a, during the first turn or turn and a half of the
driving wheels.
•
"
In Fig. 9 is represented the cylinder n provided with ports 3 to be opened by
shoulder to admit the live steam into the low pressure cylinder so that said
shoulder does not move out at the end of cylinder as in Figs. 4, 5, 6, 10, 12 and 13,
said cylinder n being made a little longer which is an arrangement that may be,
preferred in some cases.
The end of piston head 7, opposed to shoulder t has greater area for steam
pressure than shoulder t, so that in case pressure might rise too high in the low
pressure cylinder through unusual delay of starting piston head of sleeve i, being
movable relatively to stem ; will be forced back into cylinder n independently of the
movement of valve g by overbalancing pressure on said head and the. live steam
will be shut off.
When the receiver fills with exhaust steam from the high pressure cylinder, and
pressure of live steam falls in the low pressure cylinder on account of the reducing
effect of the sleeve, and as the speed of the piston increases, the power of the
accumulated exhaust steam in the receiver overcomes the power of the live steam
and opens the intercepting valve, and at the same time shuts off live steam by
piston head 1, closing cylinder n, this action taking place very soon after the
starting of the engine-from a half to one and a ball revolutions-high pressure
in the low pressure cylinder then being no longer needed for starting.
In Figs. 14 and 15 is represented the sleeve i as attached to the valve 9, and
made hollow with ports o admitting steam into the bore when valve is closed,
and ports o³ opening to the low pressure cylinder at the same time, and with a
valve p² intermediate of said ports, in the bore of the sleeve, to control the
admission of live steam which in this case enters through the bore of the sleeve ;
the shoulder t being only employed to close valve g, does not pass out of cylinder n
and admit live steam that way.

page_text: The valve p closes on the seat q* intermediate of ports o' and o' and the
shoulder t of the sleeve closes on the seat t² and ports o pass along the sleeve
beyond port o when the valve p' closes so that live steam is then effectually shut
off from the low pressure cylinder.
The large heads of the valve p³ is exposed to the pressure of steam in the low
pressure cylinder through ports & so that excessive pressure therein will over-
balance pressure of live steam on the other end, and will thus automatically shut
off the live steam when it rises too high in the low pressure cylinder, and thus will
control the pressure therein the same as it is controlled by the sleeve fitted on
the stem of valve g in the other figures.
The emergency valve is represented at r, it is applied to an escape passage y
which exhausts the intercepting valve case f, said passage communicates with
chamber z from which a nozzle a discharges upward into the smoke pipe b'.
Although a lever connected directly to the stem of this valve may be used to
operate it, in this example there is represented the valve with a steam piston c¹
behind which in the cylinder d' steam is to be admitted through a pipe el, at the
will of the engineer to open valve a, and allow the steam from the high pressure
cylinder to exhaust through said valve, and thus to prolong the action of live
steam in the low pressure cylinder at starting when desired, and also to enable high
steam to be substituted in the low pressure cylinder at any time when under way,
and to be used as long as desired, valve g, being closed by the live steam when
valve, is opened, and the action of the live steam being continued as long as the
emergency valve is kept open by the engineer keeping the valve open that admits
steam to cylinder d' behind piston c¹.
The valve y has a piston u, Figs. 4 and 5, and u¹ Figs. 10, 12 and 13 working in
a cylinder v at the opposite side of chamber f, and intermediate to said chamber
and the emergency valve, one purpose of which is (Figs. 4 & 5,) to insure quick
closing of said valve g, when the emergency valve is opened, at which time said
piston standing in the position represented in Fig. 4, with the pressure of exhaust
from the high pressure cylinder equalized on it through the small holes w, will,
when relieved of pressure on the side next to and by the opening of the valve x be
instantly shifted back by live steam reinforced by the pressure of exhaust steam on
the other side, the volume of which is such that the pressure is not materially
affected by the holes w. At the end of this movement said piston comes to rest over
the annular enlargement v of the cylinder v, through which the exhausting steam
escapes past the piston. It will be seen that with this piston u attached to valve g
its closing action will be prompt and positive, and the pressure on it being equalized
through holes w, when the emergency valve is closed, it does not
the
oppose
automatic opening of valve g for resumption of compound action when the pressure
of exhaust steam accumulates in chamber f.
Another purpose of this piston u' Figs. 10, 12 & 13, is to utilize it also for a
dash-pot to check or cushion the closing of valve g too suddenly which is effected
in the devices of these figures by providing the ports a² to be opened for the
emergency exhaust on the other side of the piston at the moment valve enters
recess g¹ so that the cylinder being closed behind the piston, forms a dash-pot in
which said piston cushions after closing ports a² to that side.
g
This avoids the pneumatic dash-pot s, necessary when the piston u is employed
Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 9, the cylinder of which is formed on the cover h¹ of the
intercepting valve case, and in which the sleeve i is open to the atmosphere.
In Fig. 9 the stem of the intercepting valve is represented as having an extension j
through the cap of the dash-pot with a coiled spring on it the tension of which
can be adjusted by a nut ³ to regulate the opening of said valve by any given
pressure of the exhaust steam in the receiver from the high pressure cylinder.
When the engineer shuts the steam off and it exhausts from behind said piston c¹
the emergency valve closes automatically by the pressure of the steam in case f on
it, and by a spring f' and compound action is at once resumed.
It will be seen that in this arrangement the intercepting valve works automatically,

page_text: and there can be no communication between the low pressure side of the receiver
and the emergency valve exhaust, or between the low pressure side when there is
live steam, and that of the high pressure side of the receiver, consequently there
is no drop of pressure in changing the engine under way as the intercepting valve
acts independently of the emergency valve when this is not operated, but obeys
it promptly and automatically when operated and changes the engine at will from
either condition to the other as may be required at any time during the run.
It will be seen that the safety or pressure regulating device consisting of the
reducing valve contrivance of sleeve i, is very simple in construction and is well
adapted for efficient and durable service and with the emergency valve it affords
simple and practicable means of converting the machine into a single acting
engine in case of one side breaking down as the arrangement is such that either
cylinder can be worked alone by simply disconnecting the slide valve on the
disabled side and placing it in its central position and then opening the emergency
valve, the high pressure cylinder will then exhaust through the emergency valve
independently of the low pressure cylinder, and the latter will receive steam
directly through pipe p, independently of the high pressure cylinder.
of
The head of the valve case projects through the side of the shell k¹ of the
fire box to which it is secured by the flange m' of the said case, so that cover
the intercepting valve, also the cover n' of the emergency valve Figs. 10 and 11
are accessible and the valves are removable from the outside of the fire box shell,
the emergency valve a being in Figs. 10, 11, 12 and 13 fitted in a bush o' that is
removable with the cover n¹.
The cylinder v of the dash-pot is also removable with the cover p' thereof in
Figs. 10, 11, 12 and 13, being formed together therewith, and in Figs. 12 and 13
the cylinder is an extension of a lantern bush q' in which the bush o' of the
emergency valve is seated at s' said bush q¹ being seated at t' in the valve case, and
said bush q has ports w¹ between the head of cylinder » and valve & admitting
exhaust from case to the emergency valve.
The arrangements of Figs. 12 and 13 enable the intercepting valve to be removed
at one end of the case, and the emergency valve at the other end and are such as
may be preferred when the valves are to be placed in the saddle of a locomotive
engine. In these figures and also in Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 9 the intercepting
valve and emergency valve are both arranged in the same axial line which is a
preferable arrangement for some cases as in the saddle but the arrangement of
Figs. 10 and 11 is preferred for the location of the valves in the fire box.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated to me by
my foreign correspondents I declare that what I claim is.
1. In a compound engine, the combination with the intercepting valve in the
steam receiver between the high and low pressure cylinders, of the device for
closing said valve by the live steam pressure, consisting of the piston and reducing
sleeve on or being the stem of said valve, and fitted within the surrounding
cylinder therefor, and provided with means to overbalance and automatically shut
off the live steam by excessive pressure in the low pressure cylinder substantially
as described.
2. In a compound engine the combination with the intercepting valve in the
steam receiver between the high and low pressure cylinders, of the device for
closing said valve by the live steam pressure, consisting of the piston and reducing
sleeve on or being the stem of said valve fitted within the surrounding cylinder
therefor, and adapted to admit live steam to the low pressure cylinder in limited
amount substantially as described.
3. In a compound engine the combination with the intercepting valve in the
steam receiver between the high and low pressure cylinders, of the device for
closing said valve by the live steam pressure, consisting of the piston and reducing
sleeve on, or being the stem of the said valve, and fitted within the bore of the

page_text: surrounding cylinder therefor, and adapted to admit live steam to the low pressure
cylinder in limited amount and provided with means to overbalance and
automatically shut off the live steam by excessive pressure in the low pressure
cylinder substantially as described.
4. In a compound engine the combination with the intercepting valve in the
steam receiver between the high and low pressure cylinders, of the device for
closing said valve by the live steam pressure, consisting of the piston and reducing
sleeve on, or being the stem of the said valve, and fitted within the bore of the
surrounding cylinder and adapted to admit live steam to the low pressure cylinder
in limited amount and provided with means to overbalance and automatically shut
off live steam by excessive pressure in the low pressure cylinder and being movable
independently of the movement of the intercepting valve substantially as described.
5. In a compound engine, the combination with the intercepting valve in the
steam receiver between the high and low pressure cylinders, of the device for
closing said valve by the live steam pressure, consisting of the piston and reducing
sleeve fitted on the stem of said valve and within the surrounding cylinder
therefor, said sleeve being movable on the stem independently of the intercepting.
valve substantially as described.
6. In a compound engine, the combination with the intercepting valve in the
steam receiver between the high and low pressure cylinders, of the device for
closing said valve by the live steam pressure consisting of the piston and reducing
sleeve fitted on the stem of said valve and within the surrounding cylinder therefor
having the larger and the smaller bores, said piston and sleeve made with the
shoulder for receiving the live steam, and the sleeve extended in the smaller bore
past the steam port and being movable independently of the intercepting valve
substantially as described.
7. In a compound engine, the combination with the intercepting valve in the
steam receiver between the high and low pressure cylinders, of the piston, steam
reducing sleeve, and the live steam branch pipe communicating therewith, and
adapted to close said intercepting valve when the receiver is exhausted and admit
live steam from said branch to the low pressure cylinder in limited amount, said
piston being movable independently of the intercepting valve and thereby adapted
to be closed independently of the intercepting valve by overbalancing pressure of
live steam, when above the predetermined limit in said low pressure cylinder
substantially as described.
8. In a compound engine, the combination with the intercepting valve in the
steam receiver between the high and low pressure cylinders, of the device for
closing said valve by the live steam pressure consisting of the piston and reducing
sleeve fitted on the stem of said valve and within the surrounding cylinder therefor
having the larger and the smaller bores, said piston and sleeve made with the
shoulder for receiving the live steam and the sleeve extended in the smaller bore
past the steam port, and the stem of the intercepting valve extended through the
case and provided with the adjusting nut and spring to regulate the opening of
said valve according to pressure in the receiver substantially as described.
9. In a compound engine, the combination with the intercepting valve in the
steam receiver between the high and low pressure cylinders, of the device for
closing said valve by the live steam pressure consisting of the piston and reducing
sleeve fitted on the stem of said valve and within the surrounding cylinder therefor,
said piston being movable independently of the intercepting valve and thereby
adapted to be closed independently of the intercepting valve by overbalancing
pressure of live steam when above the predetermined limit in said low pressure
cylinder steam chest substantially as described.
10. In a compound engine, the combination with the intercepting valve in the
steam receiver between the high and low pressure cylinders, of the devices for
closing said intercepting valve by the live steam, consisting of the piston, steam
reducing sleeve and the live steam branch pipe communicating therewith, and
adapted to close said intercepting valve when the receiver is exhausted, and admit-

page_text: live steam from said branch to the low pressure cylinder steam chest, said piston
and reducing sleeve arranged axially with, and movable on the stem of the inter-
cepting valve independently of said valve substantially as described.
11. In a compound engine, the combination with the intercepting valve in the
steam receiver between the high and low pressure cylinders, of the piston and live
steam branch pipe communicating therewith and adapted to close said intercepting
valve when the receiver is exhausted, and admit live steam from said branch to said
low pressure cylinder, and be closed in turn by said intercepting valve, said
intercepting valve and piston relatively adjusted to close communication through
either one prior to the opening of communication through the other substantially
.as described.
12. In a compound engine, the combination with the intercepting valve in the steam
receiver between the high and low pressure cylinders, of the emergency valve, the
exhaust passage of said valve, and the piston connected with the intercepting valve
intermediately of said valve and the emergency valve, and subject to steam exhaust
through the said emergency valve for positive effect in closing said intercepting
valve, said emergency valve arranged independently of the intercepting valve and
adapted to open the high pressure side of the receiver to said exhaust at the will of
the engineer substantially as described.
13. In a compound engine, the combination of the intercepting valve in the steam
receiver between the high and low pressure cylinders, and adapted to be normally
held open by the steam exhausting from the high pressure cylinder into the low
pressure cylinder, the live steam piston and reducing sleeve normally open to the
live steam and opposing but overbalanced by the pressure of exhaust steam on the
intercepting valve, and the emergency valve subject to the control of the engineer
substantially as described.
14. In a compound engine having the intercepting valve substantially as
described, the combination of the dash-pot with said valve for checking its closing
substantially as specified.
15. In a compound engine having the intercepting valve and the emergency
valve substantially as described, the combination with said valves, of the dash-pot
for checking the intercepting valve, located intermediately of said intercepting and
emergency valves substantially as specified.
16. In a compound engine having the intercepting and emergency valves
substantially as described, the combination with said intercepting and emergency
valves of the dash-pot located intermediately of said valves and forming a cushion
for the intercepting valve after opening the emergency exhaust substantially as
specified.
17. In
a compound engine having the intercepting and emergency valves
substantially as described, the combination with said intercepting and emergency
valves of the dash-pot located intermediately of said valves, said intercepting valve
adapted to close at or before the opening of the exhaust substantially as specified.
18. In a compound engine the combination of the intercepting valve, means to
close said intercepting valve by live steam to admit the said live steam into the low
pressure cylinder in the absence of exhaust steam on the opening side of said
intercepting valve, and the emergency valve, said valve located in line with the
intercepting valve and subject to control of the engineer substantially as specified.
19. In a compound engine having the intercepting valve substantially as
described, the combination with said valve of the dash-pot located in one end
of the valve case, and the valve located in the other end substantially as specified.
20. In a compound engine having the intercepting valve substantially as
described, the combination with said valve, of the dash-pot located in one end
of the valve case, and the valve in the other end, each accessible independently
of the other, and the cylinder of the dash-pot formed on and being removable
with the cover of the end of the valve case substantially as specified.
21. In a compound engine having the intercepting and emergency valves
substantially as described, the said intercepting and emergency valves separately.

page_text: and independently applied to and removable from the case separately substantially
as specified.
22. In a compound engine having the intercepting and emergency valves.
substantially as described, the said intercepting and emergency valves separately
and independently applied to the ends of the case respectively and separately
removable from the case substantially as specified.
23. In a compound engine having the intercepting and emergency valves.
substantially as described, said emergency valve fitted in a bush attached to.
the cover of the end of the case substantially as specified.
24. In a compound engine having the intercepting valve and emergency valve
substantially as described, the combination with said valves of the lantern bush
for reception of the emergency valve bush having an extension forming the
dash-pot cylinder substantially as specified.
25. In a compound locomotive engine having the intercepting valve and
emergency valve substantially as described, said valves located in the smoke box
with the outward extension of the end of the case through the shell of the box,
and each independently and removably applied to the case at the exterior of
the shell substantially as described.
26. The combination with the intercepting valve and the emergency valve, of
the dash-pot located on the side of the chamber receiving the steam from the
high pressure cylinder, opposite to the intercepting valve, said dash-pot_also
constituting a valve for delaying the exhaust till the intercepting valve closes-
escape for the live steam substantially as described.
Dated this 8th day of May 1894.
PHILIP M. JUSTICE.