Year: 1896

page_text: I, JOHN Y. SMITH, of Doyles Town, Pennsylvania, United States of Amerien,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates more particularly to engines of the locomotive type and
has chiefly for its object to provide means whereby the back pressure on the
cylinder pistons is reduced by utilizing the exhaust steam released from one
cylinder to produce a vacuum or partial vacuum in the other cylinder, this opera-
tion taking place alternately. The aforesaid means also enable a better draught
to be obtained through the furnace and greatly assist in abolishing smoke us well
as extinguishing sparks that would otherwise he expelled from the chimney by the
blast.
According to my invention the said means consist of an annulay chamber
forming the base or lower portion of the chimney or smoke-stack this chamber
being divided internally into two compartments with which the exhaust ports of
the cylinders respectively communicate. The upper surface of the aforesaid
annular chamber has formed therein a multitude of holes which are disposed in a
circle and open into tho chimney. Such holes are so arranged that they alternately
communicate with the compartments in the annular chamber. In this manner
the said chamber is provided with two series of holes, one series communicating
with one of said compartments and the other series communicating with the
other of said compartments. As before stated these two compartments are in
respective connection with the exhaust ports of the cylinders by separate pipes
and therefore when steam is released from one of the cylinders it reaches one of
the series of holes in the annular chamber and in escaping therefrom has an
aspirating effect on the other series of holes and thus tends to produce a vacuum
or partial vacuum in the other working cylinder whereby the waste steam and
water of condensation that would otherwise be left in such cylinder are effectually
removed. Not only is back pressure thus avoided but the movement of the piston
is assisted.
The passage of the steam from the holes in the annular chamber also causes au
upward current of air and gases from the smoke box to pass into the chimney
through the central opening in the said chamber, and the multitude of steam jets
acting upon the smoke, tend to split it up into innumerable small portions and
thoroughly mix it with the steam so that when ejected from the chimney, smoke
is rendered practically imperceptible.
I prefer to provide adjustable means for contracting the aforesaid central
opening through the annular chamber so that the passage of air and gases from the
smoke-box to the chimney can be regulated.
I may also provide a baffle plate in the smoke-box for deflecting the sparks or
incandescent particles passing from the flue tubes into the smoke-box, so that said

page_text: particles will be compelled to perform a more or less circuitous course before
reaching the chimney.
A hollow ring having perforations in its upper surface may be situated below
the aforesaid annular chamber so that live steam may be forced through into the
chimney for the purpose of creating a draught through the furnace when the
engine is a rest: or, for the purpose of assisting the steam escaping from the
series of holes in the annular chamber to destroy the smoke when fresh fuel is
fed into the furnace.
.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.
I, JOHN Y. SMITH, of Doyles Town, Pennsylvania, United States of America,
Engineer, do hereby declure 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 which is applicable to engines having two or more cylinders,
relates more particularly to locomotive engines and has chiefly for its object to
provide means whereby the back pressure on the pistons is reduced by utilizing
the exhaust steam released from one cylinder to produce a vacuum or partial
vacuum in the other cylinder, this operation taking place alternately for the two
cylinders. The said invention also allows a better draught to be obtained through
the furnace and greatly assists in abolishing smoke as well as in extinguishing
sparks that would otherwise be expelled from the chimney by the blast.
According to my invention I employ an annular chamber situated in, or forming
the base or lower portion of, the chimney or funnel, this chamber being divided
internally into two compartments with which the exhaust ports of the cylinders
respectively communicate. The upper surface of the aforesaid annular chamber
has formed therein a circular series of holes opening into the chimney. Such
holes are so arranged that they alternately communicate with one and the other
of the compartments in the annular chamber. In this manner the said chamber
is provided with two sets of holes, one set communicating with one compartment
and the other set communicating with the other compartment. As herein before
stated these two compartments are in connection with tho exhaust ports of the
cylinders by separate pipes and therefore when steam is released from one of the
cylinders it reaches one of the series of holes in the annular chambers and in
escaping therefrom has an aspirating effect on the other series of holes and thus
tends to produce a vacuum or partial vacuum in the other working cylinder,
whereby the waste steam and water of condensation that would otherwise be left
in such cylinder are effectually removed Not only is back pressure thus avoided
but the movement of the piston is assisted.
In order that the invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into
effect I will proceed to describe the same by reference to the accompanying
drawings, in which
Figure 1 is a vertical central section of one construction of the said annular
chamber.
Figure 2 is a plan thereof, and
Figure 3 is a horizontal section on the line
1:

page_text: Figure 4 is a diagrammatic view to a larger scale illustrating the manner in
which the aspirating effect is set up.
Figure 5 shows in plan a slih modification of the construction illustrated in
Figures 1 to 3.
Figures 6 and 7 are vertical central sections at right angles to each other, of
another form of the said annular chamber.
Figures 8 and 9 are longitudinal and transverse sections illustrating one mode
of applying my improvements to a locomotive.
Figure 10 is a diagrammatic view illustrating an engine having my
improvements applied thereto.
The
Like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawings.
Referring more particularly to Figures 1 to 3, is the annular chamber and a¹ a
are the two compartments into which the said chamber is divided by an inner
wall or partition b. c and care the two sets of holes in the casing through which
the exhaust steam is discharged into the chimney. The holes are of elongated
form, and those of one set alternate with those of the other set so that the two
sots form one uniform circular series of holes in the top of the chamber a.
partition 6 may be cast in one with the rest of the chamber and is of zig-zag form
as shown more clearly in Figures 2 and 3. The purpose of this construction is to
bring the holes cc' alternately on opposite sides of the said partition in communica-
tion with different compartments, notwithstanding that they are all arranged in
one circular series as above specified. d d' are the pipes by which the exhaust
steam is led respectively to the compartments a¹ and a. These pipes form hollow
arms which serve to carry the casing a and they communicate one with each of
the cylinders of the engine. ce are removable covers to permit of access to the
interior of the casing a, these covers being secured in place by clamping handles e¹
or otherwise.
f is a hollow ring having perforations in its upper surface which ring may be
arranged beneath the chamber a and be supported by projecting lugs on the
hollow arms dd. This ring communicates with a steam pipe and serves to enable
live steam to be blown into the chimney or funnel for the purpose of creating a
draught when the engine is at rest.
The exhaust steam passes up the hollow arms d d into the chambers a' a³ and
out at the holes c c', as illustrated in Figure 4, the jets of steam spreading out in
inverted conical or fan shape according to the shape of the holes. In the figure
referred to steam is only shown issuing from one set of holes for the sake of
clearness. If the exhaust from the holes c is more powerful than that from the
holes e, it exerts a suction or an aspirating action on the latter, in the direction
indicated by the large arrows Figure 4, and tends to produce a partial vacuum in
the cylinder connected with the said holes c', whereby the waste steam and water
of condensation that would otherwise be left in such cylinder are effectually
removed. Conversely, when the exhaust through the holes e is more powerful
thau that through e it exerts a similar action on these latter holes.
In the modifications shown in Figure 5 the holes c c instead of being elongated
as in Figures 1 to 3 are round, and the partition b instead of having sharp angles
is of wave-like or serpentine form. In other respects the construction is similar
to that herein before described.
In the arrangement shown in Figures 6 and 7 the construction is also similar
to that in the arrangement described with reference to Figures 1 to 4, save that
the bottoms a of the two compartments a¹ a³, instead of being horizontal, are
inclined in opposite directions so that the compartments have the greatest sectional
area where the steam enters them, and their area gradually decreases towards the
opposite side of the chamber a. This construction is designed to equalize the force
of the exhaust jets. so that those nearest the pipes d d' shall not be more powerful
than the others.
It will be seen that the wall or partition b instead of being formed in the manner
shown in Figures 1 to 3, is only of zig-zag form to a depth corresponding to that

page_text: of the shallower compartment. The zig-zag shape moreover is in this case obtained
by forming the said partition with portions inclined alternately in opposit
directions.
Referring now to Figures 8 to 9, A is the smoke box of the locomotive, B is the
exhaust pipe thereof, C is the funnel, and D is an inner tube or lining for the said
funnel, which tube is contracted at 1) and is attached at its upper part to the
inner top edge of the funnel, while its lower end is supported by short arms of
stays D. The exhaust pipo B has two passages, corresponding to the two hollow
arms d, d, and the annular chamber a is of the kind shown in Figures 6 and 7
E is a hollow conical plug or damper arranged beneath the annular chamber a
and carried by a pair of lover arms E connected by a rod E with a handle o
other suitable device which can be operated by the driver to raise the damper
when desired and so contract the opening through the annular chamber. In this
way the draught through the said opening can be regulated or controlled. The
ring f is in this case arranged to blow diverging jets of steam past the lower edge of
the cone so as to strike the smoke at an angle and effectually break up the
same.
In the foregoing description I have not referred to the exhaust taking place
otherwise than in the ordinary manner, that is to say one or the other end of the
cylinder being opened to exhaust immediately the piston has finished its stroke
and being allowed to remain open during the next stroke. I find it advantageous
however with my improvements to modify this arrangement somewhat so that
after a partial vacuum has been set up on the exhaust side of the piston, the
exhaust port of the cylinder shall be closed and shall remain closed till the stroke
is completed. This I will now proceed to describe with reference to Figure 10.
In this figure, 1 and 2 are the working cylinders, 1 and 2 are their respective
pistons, and 1 and 2 are their slide valves. 1° 14, and 2° 2d represent the two
spaces into which the cylinders are respectively divided by their pistons. 3 is the
steam supply pipe and 4, 4, are the exhaust pipes of which there is in this case
ene for each cylinder.
in this case both pistons are supposed to be moving from left to right, the
piston 1 being a half stroke in advance of the piston 2" as is usual in two cylinder
engines The slid valves are so arranged that, when piston 1 commences its
stroke, the space 1d is opened to exhaust and remains open till the piston 2 has
commenced its forward stroke and the space 24 has opened to exhaust. The
result of this is that the exhaust from 24 issuing from the openings in the chamber a
sets up a partial vacuum in I. This latter space is then closed and the vacuum
in it is maintained until the piston 1 has completed its stroke. The arrows in
Figure 10 are intended to indicate the direction of the current of live steam.
The passage of the steam from the holes in the annular chamber causes an
upward current of air and gases from the smoke box through the central opening
in the said chamber and through the funnel and the steam jets acting upon the
smoke tend to separate it into innumerable small portions and thoroughly mix it
with the steam so that when the smoke emerges from the chimney it is practically
imperceptible. This action may be assisted at times when fresh fuel is being
supplied to the furnace by a blast of live steam from the ring f.
The discharge of the steam from the holes in the annular chamber causes a
strong upward current of air and gases from the smoke box to pass into the
chimney and I therefore find it advantageous to provide a downwardly directed
ballle plate in the smoke-box for deflecting the sparks or incandescent particles
passing from the flue tubes into the smoke box, so that such particles will be
compelled to perform a more or less circuitous course before reaching the chimney
and will therefore be less liable to leave the chimney in a dangerous condition.
Although I have particularly described my invention as applied to a steam engine
yet it will be obvious that it may be applied to other fluid pressure engines such as 5
compressed air engines.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. A steam or other engine provided with means substantially as described for
causing the exhaust of one cylinder to assist that of the other cylinder.
2. The combination with the working cylinders of a steam or other engine, of
an annular chamber divided into two compartments and provided with two sets
of holes substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
3. The combination with the aforesaid annular chamber, of a device for
contracting its central opening so as to control the draught through it substantially
as described.
4. The combination, with the annular chamber, of the baffle plate in the smoke
box, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
5. My improvements substantially as described, and as shown by way of example
in the accompanying drawings applied to a locomotive steam engine.
Dated this 28th day of June 1897.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.