CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES
Year: 1837

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
GEEVES, of Old Cavendish Street, in the County of Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS His late most Excellent Majesty King William the Fourth,
by His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Second day of February, in the seventh year of His reign,
did, for Himself, His heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said William Geeves, His especial license, full power, sole privilege and
authority, that I, the said William Geeves, my exors, adññors, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said William Geeves, my exors, adñiors, or assigns, should
at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
during the term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-
upon-Tweed, my Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES;"
in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso that I, the said William
Geeves, shall cause a particular description of the nature of my said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be inrolled in His said
Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in
and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large
appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
William Geeves, do hereby declare the nature of my Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had to the

page_text: Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked thereon,
that is to say:-
My Invention relates to that class of steam engines called rotatory.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 represents a plan in section of a steam engine constructed accord-
ing to my Invention. Figure 2 is a transverse section of the engine taken at
the point a, a, in Figure 1. Figure 3 is a transverse section taken at b, b,
Figure 1. Figure 4 shews a transverse section of the engine taken at c, c,
in Figure 1, and shewing how the power of the engine may be communicated
to the two axles of a locomotive carriage, or to the axles of machinery.
Figure 5 shews the construction of the cam which works the slides or valves
for the admission and emission of steam; the section, Figure 2, shews the
piston and parts in the position when the valves are in the condition shewn
at Figure 1. Figures 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10, shew several of the parts separately,
by which their construction will more readily be traced and understood on
examining the Drawing. In each of the Figures the same letters indicate
similar parts, A being the main axle or shaft of the engine, which turns on two
centres B, B. To this axle or shaft A is affixed the piston C, which is of a
figure compounded of two semicircles connected by two plain or straight sides,
C¹ being a metallic packing, the construction of which is clearly shewn
in the Drawing; it proceeds from end to end of the piston, such piston having
angular ends or bands formed by removing the surface of the piston, as is
clearly shewn, which facilitate the application of packing, and the working
of the slides hereafter described. D is the steam cylinder, in which the piston
revolves when the engine is at work. This cylinder D is contained within a
casing E, into which the steam, after it has acted on the piston, passes previous
to its blowing off, by which means the steam cylinder is constantly heated by
the steam. F is a ring of packing which is in several parts, and is caused to
press against the end of the piston, and also against the steam cylinder. G, G,
are angular surfaces which cover the ring of packing F wherever it is separated;
and H are a series of springs, which, pressing on the angular covers of the
joints of the packing, keep the packing up to its work, and renders them
steam-tight notwithstanding the wear which may take place. I, I, are two
slides which constitute the abutments for the steam; they move in grooves
formed on each side of the steam cylinders, as is clearly shewn in the transverse
section of the engine, and also in Figure 1, where the springs J, J, which
have at all times a tendency to force the slides I, I, against the piston, are
also clearly indicated. The steam is admitted to work the engine, and is

page_text: allowed to pass therefrom by means of the slides or valves K, one opposite the
other, and they are worked by means of the cam L affixed on the main shaft
or axle A, which, revolving, works the rod M, which has a slot for the passage
of the main shaft and two friction rollers, which are constantly acted on by the
cam, and hence are the valves or slides worked alternately, open and close
passages for the steam, as is well understood. The rod M is connected to two
bell crank levers, such bell crank levers having rods N attached thereto, which,
passing round the steam boxes of the valves, are connected with the valve
rods O, O, and slide the same to and fro. P, P, are two drums or pulleys
affixed on the main axle or shaft A, or they may be cog wheels, by which
means the rotatory motion obtained to the axle or shaft A by the rotation of
the piston, is communicated to the machinery.
Having thus explained the nature of the combination of the parts, and as
they are shewn in various views of the Drawing, an engineer will readily be
enabled to construct the same; and in order to facilitate the workman setting
up such an engine, I will describe the working of a revolution of the piston, by
which the relative working of the whole of the parts will readily be understood.
The position of the piston and other parts I will suppose to be as shewn in
Figures 1, 2, and 5. The induction way x, x, will be closed, the induction
way y, y, open, and the piston will revolve in the direction of the arrow; the
two slides I, I, will be pressed against the piston by steam; and by their
springs on the piston moving a very short distance from that shewn in
Figure 2, the valve on the side x, x, will open eduction passages from the
cylinder at x, x, the effect of which will be to let off the steam through x, x,
and thence through z, z, into the casing of the steam cylinder; and in case
of any steam being between the slide on the side x, x, and the piston, it will
pass under the packing of the piston by a way cut for that purpose, and pass
through the valve Q. which divides the way so cut in the piston, hence the
steam passing through at the point Q', passes into the hollow part of the piston,
and gets away to the steam casing at the passage R, the valve Q being pressed
on the other side by the steam which is propelling the piston; hence the
valve Qwill at all times be closed on the side of the piston where the steam is
acting, and open on the side of the eduction way for the time being. The
continued movement of the piston will bring it beyond the ways x, x, when
those passages will again become induction ways, the passages y, y, remaining
induction ways till the period at which the piston has performed half a revolu-
tion, when it is closed, and immediately afterwards, by the continued movement
of the piston, the valve converts the ways y, y, into eduction passages; and a
similar effect takes place, as above described, with respect to the passages x, x.

page_text: In order to render this engine capable at any period of having the direction of
the movement of its piston reversed, the slides S are applied, which being shewn
in Figure 1 separately, and in their places, their construction will be evident;
for it will be seen that the fixed plates having the passages x, x, y, y, have two
sets of passages; and such is the case with the slides S, by which means one
set of passages are employed when going in one direction, and the other set
when going in the other direction. Supposing, therefore, it was now desired
to reverse the engine, the slides S would have to be moved inwards by suitable
levers or otherwise, first having shut off the steam in the steam pipe from the
boiler; by this means the course of the steam will be reversed in respect to
the piston. And further, the cam on the shaft A must also (in place of being
fixed, which it may be when the engine is at all times to move in one direc-
tion,) be capable of movement on the shaft A, and be worked by stops in a
similar way to the eccentric of ordinary engines.
I will now proceed to describe my Invention as a double-acting rotatory
engine; that is, having four slides I, I, and four sets of induction ways, two of
which are constantly working on two surfaces of the piston, which, as is clearly
shown in the Drawing, has two packed surfaces. which constantly press on the
inner surface of the steam cylinder. Figure 11 is a longitudinal section of the
engine. Figure 12 is a transverse section. Figure 13 is an outside view
of the end of the cover of the steam cylinder in which the piston works, by
which the steam passages will readily be traced. Figure 14 is the end of the
packing of the piston. Figs. 15, 16, 17, and 18, shew detached views of the
valves and reversing plates or slides. In these Figures the same letters are used
which have been already employed in respect to the previous Figures of the
Drawings, where the parts are similar; it will not, therefore, be necessary
to enter into further description of these parts, for it will be seen that the
principal differences of the present arrangement consist in constructing the
parts suitable for double action, and using rotatory slides or valves for working
the steam passages. Supposing the piston to be in the position of Figure 11,
and moving in the direction of the arrow, the steam coming from the steam
pipe e will enter and fill the valve chest f, f, and the steam will be entering through
the openings g, g, the steam first passing through the revolving valve h, which
valve h turns with the shaft or axle A, but is capable of being pressed along
that shaft in order to keep the valve to its work. The continued movement of
the piston, and on its having moved a very short distance from its present
position, will, by the valve h, open eduction ways i, i, and by the time the piston
has performed about an eighth of a revolution from the position shown in the
Drawing, the valve h will have closed the ways i, i, in respect to their being

page_text: eduction ways, and convert the same into induction ways; and by the time that
either of the touching or packed surfaces of the piston, has performed about a
quarter of a revolution. from the position shown in the Drawing, the passages
or ways g, g, will be closed and immediately converted into eduction ways by
the revolution of the valve h. I should remark that I have thus far been
speaking of the surface X of the piston, and shall continue to do so till it has
performed a complete revolution. The passages j, j, are closed at the time
g, g, are closed, and immediately afterwards, by the revolution of the valve h,
become eduction ways, and will so remain till the piston arrives at about three
eighths of its revolution, when the ways j, j, will be closed and immediately
become induction ways, the piston continuing its revolution, and when it has
performed one half of its revolution the passages k, k, will be closed, and imme-
diately afterwards become eduction ways. If the valves and passages are cor-
rectly set for performing the movements as above described, they will perform
correctly for producing a continuous rotatory motion of the piston within the
steam cylinder in one direction; but if the engine be required to be made so as
to reverse the direction of the piston from time to time, two set of passages are to
be employed is a similar manner to that above described for the former engine,
with the difference only to adapt the passages to a continuous rotatory move-
ment of the valve h. For this purpose I introduce the plate l, which is placed
on the axle or shaft A, but when set for working the engine in either direc-
tion, remains stationary so long as the engine continues moving in such
direction ; when the reversing is required, the plate is by its handle moved
round a short distance, in order to bring the other set of passages coincident
with those opening to the other sides of the two working surfaces of the piston,
and in so reversing the plate it will cut off the induction of the steam and
open eduction ways for the passage away of all the steam then in the engine,
it being necessary to stop a short time when such eduction ways are opened in
order that the steam may get away. The handle of the reversing slide
working in a slot formed in the chest f would, if not prevented, leave an
opening for the passage of steam; in order to prevent this, a curved elastic
plate m, fitting and pressing against the inner surface of the chest f, is affixed
to the handle of the reversing plate l, and hence is the handle made capable of
movement without opening a passage for steam, as will readily be seen
on examining the Drawing. It should be remarked that the revolving valve h
has also an elastic packing applied at the point n, where it is applied on the
main shaft or axle A, in order to keep that part steam-tight, and yet allow of
easy movement of the valve along the shaft or axle A, as above describe:
And it should be observed that the slides I, I, in the present engine are acted
on by their springs from the outside of the steam cylinder, such springs acting

page_text: on sliding rods which pass through stuffing boxes for that purpose, as is clearly
shown at o, o, in Figure 11. And in place of the shaft or axis A being
carried by two centres, as explained in Figure 1, that shaft passes through a
suitable bearing on the cover on one end of the steam cylinder, and through
a stuffing box formed on the valve chest f, f; and the steam, after it has
acted on the working surfaces of the piston, passes from the valve h, through
the openings p, p, into the space between the cover of the steam cylinder and
the end of the piston, and from thence into the outer casing through
passages q, q.
What I claim as my Invention is,―
First, the mode of constructing the ends of pistons of rotatory steam engines
with 'angular projecting collars or other projecting surfaces, between which the
slides or abutments I, I, work; and the mode of placing curved or inclined
packing surfaces across the hollow spaces so produced by such projecting
ends; and also the mode of packing the ends of such pistons, as above
described.
Secondly, the inode of working the slides or abutments I, I, in respect to
the piston (whether double or single), whereby the amount of pressure
of the steam is uniform on the piston throughout its revolution, as above
described.
And, thirdly, the mode of reversing rotatory steam engines by the appli-
cation of the reversing plates between the valves and the ordinary passages,
and having two sets of steam passages for that purpose, as above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Geeves, have hereunto set my
'hand and seal, this Second day of August, One thousand eight hundred's
and thirty-seven.
'Inrolled the Second day of August, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and thirty-seven.