Improvements in Triple Expansion Steam Engines for Land and Marine Purposes.
Year: 1889

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Triple Expansion Steam Engines for Land and
Marine Purposes.
We, EUSTACE WIGZELL, and JOSEPH POLLIT, Engineers, of Bank Foundry,
Sowerby Bridge, in the County of York do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
In our improved triple expansion engine, we place two cylinders, the intermediate
and high pressure, side by side, on columns at such an angle that the two piston rods
clear each other in their reciprocating action.-The two connecting rods work on to
the main crank on the driven shaft, this main crank is connected at a given distance
by a drag link one end of which is attached to the crank shown H. on drawing
and which is on the main driven shaft the other end being connected to a crank on
the intermediate shaft.
At the other end of this shaft there is a crank which is connected by connecting
rod to the large or low pressure cylinder, this cylinder stands on cast or wrought
iron columns, vertical. The other two cylinders, the intermediate and high pressure,
are supported by columns vertically at the desired angle.-The engines are also
fitted with the improved piston valves as per letters patent granted to us December
6th 1886, and numbered 15,935, and can also be fitted with the improved trip gear
as per letters patent granted to us January 18th 1889, and numbered 937.
The improvements in these engines are, that the intermediate shaft is independent
from the main driven shaft, so that the wear upon the bearings does not affect the
true working of the shafts, thus preventing an unequal strain, and another great
benefit derived from this arrangement is that, these engines will take up no more
room than the ordinary compound engines and does away with the use of crank axles
which is of great consideration in the case of marine engines.
In the drawings annexed fig. 1 shows an end view of the arrangement and fig. 2 a
side view. Fig. 3 shows a side view of the third cylinder and fig. 4 shows a plan of
the arrangement.

page_text: A. and B. are the two cylinders placed side by side on the columns C. C., D. D.
being the two piston rods.-E. E. are the two connecting rods which work on to the
main crank F. on the driven shaft F', being connected by the drag link G. one end of
which is attached to the main driven shaft crank F-the other end being attached to
the crank H. on the intermediate shaft H-At the other end of this shaft there is a
crank 1. which is connected by connecting rod J. to the low pressure cylinder K which
stands on the wrought iron columns L. L. vertically.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is
1. The improved engine, substantially as described.
2. The method of transmitting the power from two single cranks through a drag
link to the crank on the main driven shaft.
3. The method of placing the two cylinders, the intermediate and high pressure, at
an angle sufficient to clear the guides, the connecting rods of which are attached to
the main crank, substantially as described.
4. The application of the improved valves as per letters patent granted to us
December 6th 1886, and numbered 15935, and the improved trip gear, as per letters
patent granted to us January 18th 1889, and numbered 937, to the improved engines
as described.
Dated this 18th day of April 1889.