IMPROVEMENTS IN MARINE AND OTHER STEAM ENGINES
Year: 1886

page_text: SCIE SIAN YEN of The Chinese Legation London Attache of The Marquis Tseng
Chinese Legation London do hereby declare the nature of my invention for
IMPROVEMENTS IN MARINE AND OTHER STEAM ENGINES and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement:―
The object of my invention is to improve the arrangements in Marine and other
Steam Engines so that the admission and release of the steam may be more easily,
and effectually accomplished, also to obviate the use of eccentrics and other gear for
valves worked from the crank shaft. This is attained in the following manner.
Within the cylinder I have a cylindrical lining of any suitable material extending
from end to end of the cylinder. At each end of the lining there is a series of
holes or ports with corresponding holes or ports in the cylinder itself, these act as
ports for the admission and release of the steam, and the internal cylindrical lining
is susceptible of sufficient circular movement so as to allow the admission and
release of the steam by opening and closing these ports at both ends of the
cylinder.
The engine is to be reversed in its action by changing the relative position of
the ports in the cylindrical lining with the direction in which the engine is desired
to move as well as by reversing the steam supply and exhaust discharge-in the
following manner-On each side of the piston there is a taper or other projection
which projection on approaching the end of the stroke comes in contact with a
pair of cams or levers and moving them on their fulcrums and by them the
aforesaid cylindrical lining and giving the necessary movement so as to change
from steam port open to exhaust port open and from exhaust port open to steam
port open and the reverse at opposite ends of cylinder and so by continuing the
operations the rotatory motion of the engine is kept up.
To reverse the action of the engine the reversing handle is moved to operate on
the reversing valve so as to change the steam supply to exhaust discharge and the
exhaust discharge to steam supply and with a little further movement of the
handle the ports are reversed thus. At each end of the cylinder there is on
the inside a circular plate or disc on which two cams have their fulcrums.
Through each end of the cylinder there is an axle on which there is a lever outside
and inside on which are pins attached which by a small movement causes the
circular plate with cams on it to revolve a definite amount so as to enable the
projection on piston to move cams, and ports to be reversed in their action.
Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section through cylinder and port Û of reversing valve.
Fig. 2 is a cross section at X X X X Fig. 1. through cylinder and valve G looking
1

page_text: In figures
and 2 A is the steam piston B is the moveable lining in which are
the ports is the working cylinder having ports corresponding to the ports in
the lining. D D H H are these ports. "I is the exhaust from the reversing
cylinder, K K are the projections on piston, L L₁ are the cams on which the
projections operate. M is a relief valve to release the compressed exhaust steam
by being opened at each end of the stroke by coming in contact with the end of
the cylinder.
NN is the reversing and starting handle 0 and 1' are the communications
between the reversing valve and the ports of the cylinder, Q Q shews the rotating
discs and L L' the cams with fulcrums fixed on disc. RR are the axles through
which motion is communicated from the starting and reversing handle to the
discs Q Q S S are the links and T T the levers through which motion is
communicated from handle N to starting and reversing valve G.
The operations are as follows: Suppose piston A to be moving in direction of
arrow in fig. 1. Steam is being admitted through ports D from steam supply F
through reversing and starting valve G and at the same time the exhaust steam
from opposite end of cylinder C escapes through ports H to exhaust pipe I Fig. 2.
On the piston approaching the end of its stroke it first partially covers the ports H
and further on the taper portion K' enters between the cams L L and moves
them so as to cause opposite ends of cams to operate in direction shewn by arrows
in Fig. 2 thus moving the cylindrical lining B so as to close steam ports D) and
open exhaust ports Hat right hand end of cylinder and to open steam port D
and close exhaust port H at left hand end of cylinder and thereby causing the
piston to perform the return stroke when similar actions take place at opposite
end of cylinder.
The valve M towards the termination of each stroke comes in contact with the
cylinder cover opens so as to prevent the exhaust steam being compressed to too
great an extent.
When it is required to reverse the direction of the engine the starting and
reversing handle N is moved to position N!. By this movement the reversing
valve G opens port O to the steani F and port P to exhaust I by links S S. and
levers TT and when the handle N is moved a little further the key in axle R R
comes to the termination of its slot and operates on.discs Q Q¹ fig. 1 so as to move
the fulcrums of cams L L L' L' and thus altering the positions of these cams
relatively with projections on piston and causes the operations to be reversed and
so the engine is driven in the opposite direction.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
1st. Controlling the action of marine and other steam engines by the means
described without the aid of eccentrics or other gear worked from the crank shaft.
2nd. The reversing arrangement as shewn by cams discs and reversing valve.
3rd. The whole combination as substantially described.
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T
1000
Q. A. G. ROSS.
Agent for Scie Sian Yen.