Improvements in Steam and other Motive Power Engines.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 11th June, 1892
Complete Specification Left, 11th Apr., 1893-Accepted, 27th May, 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Steam and other Motive Power Engines.
JOHN HANDSLEY DALES of No. 45 Lofthouse Place, Leeds in the County of
York, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention relates to the economical use of steam or other gaseous pressure
in motive power engines, by cutting off the pressure supply in the cylinder or
otherwise, according to the requirements of the work performed and thus fully
obtain the benefits of the expansion of the working pressure.
In carrying out my invention, I provide by preference, a distribution valve as
ordinarily used in steam engines, for the admission and exhaust of the pressure, but
for the cut off, of the pressure, I employ two plates or valves, which in performing
their functions, close the cut off ports of the distribution valve, sooner or later in
the stroke of the engine as the work may require. The invention consists of the
method of actuating these cut off plates in regard to their variable action in the
time of the cut off. One of the plates is hy preference attached to a tubular
spindle or rod which passes through a stuffing box out of the steam chest, and the
other of the plates is attached to a spindle or rod which by preference passes down
the centre of the tubular spindle aforesaid, through a stuffing box and thus out of
the steam or pressure chest. One of the cut off spindles is attached to and fitted
with a rack, which gears into one side of a toothed wheel, and the other cut off
spindle is fitted with another rack which gears into the said toothed wheel on the
diametrically opposite side of the wheel, to that of the first rack, in such a manner
that the partial revolution of the toothed wheel produces an opposite motion in the
two cut off plates or valves, so that by oscillating the toothed wheel on its bearing
spindle, the position of the cut off edges of the cut off plates may be varied to
produce a variation in the time of the cut off as regards the piston stroke. In
order to avoid any slackness in the teeth of the wheels and the racks, I divide the
wheel into two parts or practically make it of two similar wheels, one of which is
keyed to a tubular spindle and the other to a solid or equivalent spindle which
passes through the tubular spindle. To the tubular spindle a lever is fixed, and to
the solid spindle another lever is fixed, and between the two levers a set screw or
equivalent means is employed to force them apart in such a manner that the teeth
of the two wheels are made to bear one on each side of each space in the said racks
which engage both wheels. Thus as any wear of the teeth of the racks and wheels
takes place the backlash can be taken out and the motion of the cut off plates be
rendered definite.
The variation of the cut off motion of the plates is brought about by the motion
of a suitable governor acting upon one or both of the toothed wheel. spindles, and
levers.
Dated this 11th day of June 1892
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Steam and other Motive Power Engines.
1, JOHN HANDSLEY DALES of 45 Lofthouse Place, Leeds in the County of
York, Civil Engineer do hereby declare 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 :-
The invention relates to the use of steam or other gaseous pressure in motive

page_text: power engines, by cutting off the pressure supply in the cylinder or otherwise
according to the requirements of the work performed and thus fully obtaining the
benefits of expansion of the working pressure.
In carrying out my invention I provide by preference a distribution valve as
ordinarily used in steam engines for the admission and exhaust of the pressure, but
for cutting off the pressure I employ two plates or valves which in performing
their functions, close the cut off ports of the distribution valve, sooner or later in
the stroke of the engine as the work may require. The invention consists of the
method of actuating these cut-off plates. One of the plates is attached to a tubular
spindle or rod which passes through a stuffing box out of the steam chest, and the
other said plate is attached to a spindle or rod which by preference passes down
the centre of the tubular spindle, through a stuffing box in the same, and thus out
of the steam chest. One of the cut-off spindles is fitted with a rack which gears
into one side of a toothed wheel, and the other cut-off spindle is fitted with another
rack which gears into the said toothed wheel on the opposite side of the same to
that of the first rack, in such a manner that the partial revolution of the toothed
wheel produces an opposite motion in the two cut-off plates, so that by oscillating
the toothed wheel on its bearing spindle the position of the cut-off edges of the cut-
off plates may be varied to produce a variation in the time of the cut-off as regards
the piston stroke. In order to avoid any slackness between the teeth of the wheel
and the racks, I divide the wheel into two parts or practically make it of two
similar wheels, one of which is keyed to a tubular spindle and the other to a solid
or equivalent spindle, passing through the tubular spindle. To the tubular spindle
a lever is fixed, and to the solid spindle another lever or key is fixed, and between
the two levers a set screw or equivalent means is employed to force them apart in
such a manner that the teeth of the two wheels are made to bear one on each side
of each space in the said racks which engage both wheels. Thus as any wear of
the teeth of the racks and wheels takes place the back lash can be taken out and
the motion of the cut-off plates be rendered definite.
The variation of the cut-off motion of the plates is brought about by the motion
of a suitable governor acting upon one or both of the toothed wheel spindle levers.
For the purpose of rendering the description more clear I refer to the accom-
panying drawings in which,
Figs. 1, 2 & 3 represent a vertical cross section on the centre line of the toothed
wheel (4), a longitudinal section, part in elevation, and a plan part in section
respectively of an expansion gear according to my invention.
The lever (1) is rocked in performing its functions by a suitable governor and in
turn works the compound spindle, composed of a tube (2) and solid spindle (3).
The two halves of the compound wheel (4. 4) are keyed respectively to the tubular
spindle (2) and the solid spindle (3).
The governor lever (1) is by preference fixed on the tubular spindle, whilst the
key lever (5) is fixed on the solid spindle (3) and a set screw (6) through a lug on
the key lever (5) is capable of being brought to bear on a corresponding lug on the
governor lever (1) and by this means the relative positions of the teeth of the
compound wheel (4. 4) may be altered. The teeth of the compound wheel (4. 4)
gear with the racks (7) and (8), which rack teeth extend through the teeth of
both halves of the compound wheel (4. 4).
The rack (7) is fixed to a tubular spindle (9) which is attached to a cut-off plate
or valve (10).
The rack (8) is fixed to a solid spindle (11) which passes through the tubular
spindle (9) and is attached to a cut-off plate or valve (12). It is obvious that any
oscillation of the compound wheel (4. 4) will cause the cut-off plates aforesaid to be
moved nearer or further away from each other, which motion in performing its
functions will vary the time of the cut-off of the working pressure.
The back of a
distribution valve is shewn by (13).
The wheel (4. 4) may be made single instead of compound and the compound
spindle (2, 3) may be one solid spindle keyed to the solid wheel.

page_text: The compound spindle (2, 3) is mounted in a frame or case (14) which in turn is
fixed on a slipper or slide (15) and the case (14) is moved back and forth to give
cut-off motion to the plates (10 & 12) by an eccentric or suitable motion from the
engine shaft.
The connecting rod of such a motion is shewn by (16).
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
In combination for cut-off purposes as aforesaid, the governor lever, compound or
single spindle compound or single wheel, racks, tubular and solid spindles and cut-
off plates or any modifications of the same substantially as shewn and described.
Dated this 10th day of April 1893.
JOHN HANDSLEY DALES.