IMPROVEMENTS IN THE ARRANGEMENT, CONSTRUCTION, AND WORKING OF VALVES FOR STEAM ENGINE CYLINDERS
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Imray, of No. 20, Southampton Buildings,
Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of
“IMPROVEMENTS IN THE ARRANGEMENT, CONSTRUCTION, AND WORKING OF
VALVES FOR STEAM ENGINE CYLINDERS." -A communication from abroad
by Heinrich Sulzer, Albert Sulzer, and Johann Rudolph Ernst, all
of Winterthur, Switzerland.
Sealed the 20th September 1872, and dated the 23rd July 1872.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said John Imray at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition and Decla-
ration, on the 23rd July 1872, pursuant to the 9th Section of the
Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
IMRAY, of 20, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of
Middlesex, send greeting.
་
66
WHEREAS I am in possession of an Invention for IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE ARRANGEMENT, CONSTRUCTION, AND WORKING OF VALVES FOR STEAM ENGINE
CYLINDERS," and have petitioned Her most Excellent Majesty Queen

page_text: Victoria to grant unto me, my executors, administrators, and assigns, Her
Royal Letters Patent for the same, and have made solemn Declaration that
it has been communicated to me from abroad by Heinrich Sulzer, Albert
Sulzer, and Johann Rudolph Ernst, all of Winterthur, Switzerland.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Imray, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to improvements in the construction and arrange-
ment of the cylinder steam and eduction valves, and the mechanism by
which the valves are actuated in a hōrizontal direct, acting steam engine,
in such a manner as to secure simplicity of construction, accessibility
of the valves for examination, and minimum of steam space between
the valves and the cylinder.
.
The nature of these improvements will be best understood by referring
to the accompanying five Sheets of Drawings.
Figure 1, Sheet I., represents a side view of an engine, constructed
and arranged according to this Invention; Figure 2, Sheet II., represents
a plan; Figure 3, Sheet III., represents an end view; Figure 4,
Sheet III., a section through the guides of the piston rod, and Figure 5,
Sheet III., a section through the front parts of the. cylinder; Figure 6,
Sheet IV., represents a plan of the cylinder, and Figure 7, Sheet V., a
transverse section of the same to an enlarged scale; Figure 8, Sheet V.,
represents a side view of part of the rod for working one of the eduction
valves, and Figure 9, Sheet V., represents a side view of the eccentric
rod for working one of the steam valves; Figure 10, Sheet IV., repre-
sents also to the enlarged scale a section of the shut off valve.
⚫ From these Figures it will be seen that the cylinder cover forms the
end of a framing which carries the guides for the piston rod and the
bearing for the crank shaft. The piston rod guides are cylindrical,
bored parallel in the axis of the cylinder, and the cross head which works
in them has extended rubbing surfaces which can be adjusted to allow
for wear. The cylinder itself is furnished with a steam jacket and
lagged with non-conducting material, and the valves in the cylinder are
easily accessible. The valves on the upper side admits steam to the
cylinder, and those on the lower side are for eduction. The arrangement
of the latter. below the cylinder is advantageous for the drainage from

page_text: it of condensed water, and all the valves are fixed to the cylinder' in
such a manner that they can readily be removed for inspection or
repair.
The working of the valves and governor is effected as follows:-A
secondary shaft a is driven by mitre gear from the crank shaft. On
the shaft a are fixed two cams c, c, which work the two eduction valves,
the rods leading to the levers which work these valves being provided
with rollers as shewn in Figure 8, Sheet V., which respectively bear
against the edges of the cams c, c, these cams are formed so as to keep
each eduction valve open during the whole back stroke of the piston.
The shaft a also has fixed on it two excentrics b, .b, for working
the eduction valves. The governor is driven by bevil gear from the
shaft a, and the sliding boss of the governor is connected by a rod to
an arm d¹ on a rocking shaft h so that when the speed of the engine
varies this shaft is caused by the action of the governor to rock in its
bearings. From the shaft h arms d, d, project which are connected
by links to rods within the eccentric rods, which by means of bent levers
work the induction valves. On each set of these links is fixed a facing e
opposite to a facing f, fixed on the eccentric rod. It will be seen that
according to the position of the facing e in respect to f as determined
by the arms d, worked by the governor the time or portion of the stroke
of the eccentric rod during which the induction valve is kept open is
greater or less. By this arrangement the cut off is regulated by the
governor to very great nicety.
The valves are preferably of the double beat kind closed by springs,
thus ensuring rapidity of action, and being inserted in the side of the
cylinder there is little loss of steam space beyond them. The induction
valves are caused to close almost without noise by means of air cylinders
x and pistons x¹³, and the exit of the air from the cylinders x on the
closing of the valves can be regulated by a cock.
Having thus described the nature of this Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondents,' I claim,—
First. The construction and mode of operation substantially as herein
described of the gear for the induction valves whereby the cut off is
regulated by the action of the governor.

page_text: Second. The arrangement of the valves upon the side of the cylinder
so as to diminish the steam space beyond them, substantially as herein
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Imray, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-third day of July; in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two.