Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Johnson, of Wheatley, in the Parish of
Halifax, in the County of York, Cotton Spinner, and James Shaw,
of Brighouse, in the County aforesaid, Cotton Spinner, for the In-

page_text: vngines.
retarding effect, or the propelling power is non-effective
when the crank is passing the "dead contros."
The Invention also rolates to a simple moans and apparatus for
working the valve gear, whoroby a better vacuum is secured.
A portion of the piston rod which projects outside the piston has teeth s
thereon forming a rack; this gears with a pinion wheel loose on the
driving shaft, and to the said pinion is attached an arm or lug carrying
a catch in gear with the teeth of a catch wheel keyed on the driving
shaft, and on which shaft is also an ordinary spur wheel.
A second pinion, with arm or lug and catch engaging in the opposite 10
direction with a similar catch wheel to that already referred to is
mounted on a second shaft parallel with the driving shaft, and on which
is also a spur wheel gearing with the one on the crank shaft; the teeth
of the rack on the piston rod also gear with the pinion wheel on this
second shaft. The action is as follows:-On the piston being forced 1
from the bottom of the cylinder, the rack will, by means of the pinion,
catch, and catch wheel impart rotation to the driving shaft and the spur
wheel thereon, whilst the catch on the pinion of the second shaft will
be simply caused to move backwards over the teeth of its catch wheel
until the return stroke of the piston rod, whereon this catch will engage 9
with its catch wheel and transmit the power from its shaft by means of
its spur gear to the driving shaft, the catch on the first wheel being in
like manner inoperative until the outward stroke of the piston rod.
The valves for regulating the admission of steam to the cylinders
are operated by means of projections on the piston rod acting alter.
nately on a fulcrum lever the other end of which is attached to and
works the valve rod and valves.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixteenth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the thirty-sixth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
us, the said George Johnson and James Shaw, Her special licence that
trators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said George Johnson
we, the said George Johnson and James Shaw, our executors, adminis-
and James Shaw, our 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 STEAM ENGINES," upon the condition
(amongst others) that we, the said George Johnson and James Shaw,
5 our executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under our,
or their, or one of their hands and seals, 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 in the
Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and imme-
0 diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said George Johnson and James Shaw,
do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement and accompanying Sheets
25 of Drawings, that is to say:-
This Invention relates to improved apparatus for transmitting the
propelling power of the piston rod of steam engines to the driving shaft
or crank shaft without the aid of a crank, which appliance as is well
known has a retarding effect, or the propelling power is non-effective
30 when the crank is passing the "dead centres."
The Invention also relates to a simple means and apparatus for
working the valve gear, whereby a better vacuum is secured.
35 in gear with the teeth of catch wheels keyed on the driving shafts, and
on the driving shaft, and to the said wheels or discs are attached catches
The piston rod is connected by rods with wheels or discs working looso
on which shafts are also ordinary grooved pulleys.

page_text: Engines.
are attached to similar wheels or discs to those already referred to,
ecting rods and catches engaging in the opposite direction
mounted on a second shaft (parallel with the driving shaft) and on which
arc also grooved pulleys. The action is as follows:-On the piston being
forced from the bottom of the cylinder, the connecting rods will by
means of the catches and catch wheels impart rotation to the driving
shafts and the grooved wheels thereon, whilst the catches on the catch
wheels of the second shaft will be simply caused to move backwards
over the teeth of their catch wheel until the return stroke of the piston
rod, whereon these catches will engage with their catch wheel and 1
transmit the power from their shaft by means of grooved pulleys and
bands to the driving shaft, the catches on the first wheel being in like
manner inoperative until the outward stroke of the piston rod.
The valves for regulating the admission of steam to the cylinders are
operated by means of projections on the piston rod, acting alternately 1
on a lever, the other end of which is attached to and works the valve
rod and valves.
ontal cylinder engine with our im-
provements attached; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same.
Fig. 3 is a detached view of discs, catches, and catch wheel drawn
about quarter full size; Fig. 4 is a section of the same through the line
a, b, of Fig. 3.
Fig. 5 is a plan view of the discs, catch wheel, and catches.
A is the piston rod connected by means of the rods or links B, B, with
the stud C of the discs D, D, which discs move loosely on the shaft E.
F, F, are catches carried on the bolts F¹, F¹, secured to the discs. G is
a catch wheel keyed fast on the shaft E. Links B', B', connect the
discs D, D, with other discs of the same construction, and having catch
20
wheel, and catches, only that the said catches engage with the teeth of 30
the catch wheel E2 in the opposite direction. The action is as follows:-
When the piston rod A commences to advance from the point H the
catches F, F, engage with the catch wheel G keyed on the shaft E and
continue until the piston rod has completed its outward stroke and
reached the point I on its return stroke. The links B', B', connecting &
the other discs D, D, will operate the same in the opposite direction, and

page_text: in like manner cause the catches to engage with the catch wheel on the
second shaft, and so the shafts E and E¹ are caused to rotate, one by
means of the outward stroke of the piston rod, the other by the inward
or retreating motion of the said rod. This motion and power is trans-
3 mitted to the driving shaft and pulleys K by means of the grooved
pulleys L, L, and band M, and from the second shaft by means of the
pulleys N, N, and crossed band P. The catches F, F, are put in and out
of contact with their respective catch wheels by means of the clips F2, F2,
and the fingers F³, F³, acting on the pins f, f, between which the said
fingers are passed. At R., R, are shewn inclines or projections (adjustable)
and attached to the lever S. T is an antifriction bowl on a stud attached
to the crosshead, which at or near the termination of the inward and
outward strokes of the said piston rod acts on the inclines or projections
moving the lever S on its centre s, and at the same time moving the
5 upright arm and connecting rod W, and so opening or closing the parts
for working the lever Y on its fulcrum y, to which lever the valve rod Z
is attached.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Shaw, for and on behalf
of myself and the said George Johnson, have hereunto set my
Signed, sealed, and delivered by
the within-named James Shaw
in the presence of
WALTER BRIERLEY,
Tasker & Brierley,
Patent Agents,
JAMES SHAW. (L.S.)
Halifax, Bradford, & Blackburn.