IMPROVEMENTS IN MARINE STEAM ENGINES FOR DRIVING SCREW AND OTHER PROPELLERS
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Burgess Young, of 1, Calvert Road, Greenwich, in
28
the County of Kent, Engineer, for an Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN
MARINE STEAM ENGINES FOR DRIVING SCREW AND OTHER PROPELLERS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Burgess Young at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 28th April 1880.
HENRY BURGESS YOUNG, of 1, Calvert Road, Greenwich, in the County of
Kent, Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MARINE STEAM ENGINES FOR DRIVING
SCREW AND OTHER PROPELLERS."
These improvements consist in an improved arrangement of what are known as
vertical inverted tandem marine engines for screw propulsion, designed for the
purpose of reducing the weight and the space, which engines of this class ordinarily
occupy in the vessel, and for obtaining easy access to the pistons and slide valves;
and also for actuating the high pressure slide valve so that it may have a shorter
stroke than the low pressure slide valve. For these purposes I fix the high pressure
cylinder upon vertical frames which are mounted upon the engine base plate, and
upon the high pressure cylinder I fix the low pressure cylinder. Thus the high
pressure cylinder is situated between the low pressure cylinder and the engine
crank shaft, ono and the same piston rod being common to both cylinders, and upon
which piston rod the high and low pressure pistons are secured. The motion is
continued on to the crank pin by a cross head and a connecting rod in the usual
manner. Each piston is double acting, and the piston rod works through a stuffing
box in the high pressure cylinder cover. The cylinders of vertical inverted tandem
marine engines thus arranged may be permanently built to the vessel, substantially
relieving the vertical frames of lateral strain due to the pitching and rolling of the
vessel. The cylinders need not be moved when it is desired to extract their contents,
which may be effected in the following manner:-1st. Take off the low pressure
cylinder cover; 2nd, take the low pressure piston off from the piston rod; 3rd, take
off the nuts that hold down the high pressure cylinder cover, and disconnect the
piston rod from the cross head. The piston rod, with the high pressure piston and
the high pressure cylinder cover may then be lifted out. Or a manhole may be
provided in the low pressure piston, and by the removal of its lid the flange nuts

page_text: of the high pressure cylinder cover may be got at and taken off, when the piston
rod, the high and low pressure pistons, and the high pressure cylinder cover may
be hoisted out of the cylinders at one lift, the piston rod having been previously
disconnected from the cross head. In order that the high pressure slide valve
may have a shorter stroke than the low pressure slide valve I mount an horizontal
shaft in bearings fixed to a bean which forms part of the engine framing. From
this shaft projects a lever, the outer end of which extends beyond the vertical
centre line of the low-pressure slide valve rod. This lever is jointed at its outer
extremity to a short connecting rod, which is also jointed to the low pressure valve
rod. Upon another part of this shaft another lever projects, the outer end of which
actuates the high pressure slide valve rod and slide valve. The comparitive
lengths of these levers determine the difference in the length of stroke of the slide
valves. The high pressure expansion valve is actuated by an excentric sheave
which is mounted and keyed upon the coupling flange of the crank shaft, and from
which an excentric rod conveys the motion to a slotted lever projecting from a
shaft which is mounted in bearings upon a beam opposite the beam before mentioned.
A block pinned to this excentric rod is free to slide in the lever slot. One end of
a radius rod is jointed to the top of the excentric rod, the other end being jointed
to a cross head having a screw passing through it which is actuated by a wheel
suitably mounted upon the engine framing. Another lever projects from another
part of this shaft, the outer end of which actuates the expansion valve rod and
valve. By actuating the expansion gear by an excentric sheave mounted and
keyed upon the crank shaft coupling Hange the engine is both shortened and
lightened. The condenser, pumps, and other parts may be of the ordinary
description.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Henry Burgess Young in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
28th October 1880.
HENRY BURGESS YOUNG, of 1, Calvert Road, Greenwich, in the County of
Kent, Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MARINE STEAM ENGINES FOR DRIVING
SCREW AND OTHER PROPELLERS."
My Invention consists in an improved arrangement of vertical inverted tandem
marine engines for screw propulsion, designed for the purpose of reducing the
weight and the space which engines of this class ordinarily occupy in the vessel,
and for obtaining easy access to the pistons and slide valves, and also for actuating
the high pressure slide valve so that it may have a shorter stroke than the low
pressure slide velve.
For these purposes I fix the high pressure cylinder upon vertical frames which
are mounted upon the engine base plate, and upon the high pressure cylinder I fix
the low pressure cylinder. Thus the high pressure cylinder is situated between the
low pressure cylinder and the engine crank shaft, one and the same piston rod
being common to both cylinders, and upon which piston rod the high and the low
pressure pistons are secured. The motion is continued on to the crank pin by a
crosshead and a connecting rod in the usual manner. Each piston is double acting
and the piston rod works through a stuffing box in the high pressure cylinder cover.
The cylinders of vertical inverted tandem engines thus arranged may be permanently
built to the vessel. The cylinders need not be moved when it is desired to extract
their contents, which may be effected in the following manner:-1st, take off the
low pressure cylinder cover; 2nd, take the low pressure piston off from the piston
rod; 3rd, take off the nuts which hold down the high pressure cylinder cover, and
disconnect the piston rod from the cross head. The piston rod with the high
pressure piston and the high pressure cylinder cover on it may then be lifted out of
the cylinders, or a manhole may be provided in the low pressure piston, and by the
removal of its lid the flange nuts. of the high pressure cylinder cover may be got at
and taken off when the piston rod, the high and low pressure pistons, and the high
pressure cylinder cover may be hoisted out of the cylinders at one lift, the piston
rod having been previously disconnected from the crosshead.
Figure 1 is a side elevation partly in section of a pair of engines according to
these improvements.
Figure 2 is an end view of one engine separated from the other engine.
Figure 3 is a cross section of a high pressure cylinder cover on an enlarged cale
with a stuffing box suitable for soft packing.
a is the high pressure cylinder fixed upon the vertical frames 6 which are mounted
upon the engine base plate c. The low pressure cylinder d is fixed upon the high
pressure cylinder a; e is the piston rod upon which the high and the low pressure
pistons f, g, are fixed; h is a stuffing box in the high pressure cylinder cover i;
kis the low pressure cylinder cover; a manhole with its lid is provided in the low
pressure piston.
In Figure 1 the stuffing box in the high pressure cylinder cover is shewn with
metal packing rings, but in some instances in place of this metal packed stuffing
box I substitute a soft packed stuffing box as represented in section on an enlarged
scale in Figure 3; m is the stuffing box which is free to move upon the piston rod;
n is a coiled spring between the end of the stuffing box and the body of the
cylinder cover; o is the gland, the flange of which is bolted down steam tight to
the body of the cylinder cover; p is the soft packing space. As the steam pressure
under the high pressure cylinder cover is either always equal to or in excess of the
steam pressure above it, such excess of pressure will force the moveable stuffing

page_text: box upwards over the piston rod and causo the gland to press on the soft packing,
the spring being mainly for the purpose of provouting the dropping of the stuffing
box when there is an equal steam pressure above and under the high pressuro
cylinder cover.
In order that the high pressure slide valve a may have a shorter stroke than the
low pressure slide valve b, I mount an horizontal shaft c in bearings d fixed to a
beam e which forms part of the engine framing. From this shaft projects a lever f,
the outer end of which extends beyond the vertical centre line of the low pressure
slide valve rod g. This lever is jointed at its outer extremity to a short connecting
rod which is also jointed to the low pressure slide valve rod g. Upon another
part of this shaft another lever i projects, the outer end of which actuates the high
pressure slide valve rod and slide valve a. The comparative lengths of these lovers
determine the difference in the length of stroke of the high and low pressure slide
valves. The high pressure expansion valve is actuated by an excentric sheave
which is mounted and keyed upon the coupling flange m of the engine crank shaft,
and from which an excentric rod conveys the motion to a slotted lever n projecting
from a shaft o which is mounted in bearings upon a beam opposite the beam beforo
mentioned. A block pinned to this excentric rod is free to slide in the lever slot.
One end of a radius rod p is jointed to the top of the excentric, rod, the other end
being jointed to a crosshead having a screw passing through it which is actuated
by a wheel q suitably mounted upon the engine framing. Another lover projects
from another part of this shaft, the outer end of which lever actuates the expansion
rod and valve.
The condenser and pumps may be of the ordinary description.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed, I declare that I do not confine myself to the particular
details shewn in the Drawings, but what I claim is,―
First. The arrangement of vertical inverted tandem marine engines in which
the high pressure cylinder cover may be removed within the low pressure cylinder,
such low pressure cylinder being fixed above the high pressure cylinder as herein-
before described.
Second. Constructing a manhole in the low pressure piston for the purpose of
obtaining access to the high pressure cylinder cover and its stuffing box, and also
to the high pressure piston without taking the low pressure piston off from the
piston rod as herein-before described.
Third. The herein-before described means of taking out of their cylinders both
the high and the low pressure pistons without taking either piston off from the
piston rod.
Fourth. Fixing the excentric sheaves for actuating the high pressure expansion
valves upon the flanges of the engine crank shaft as herein-before described.
Fifth. Actuating the high pressure slide valve by the low pressure slide valve
gear, so that the high pressure slide valve may have a shorter stroke than the low
pressure slide valve, as herein-before described and illustrated in the accompanying
Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Burgess Young, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty seventh day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty.