IMPROVEMENTS IN THE VALVES OF STEAM ENGINES, AND IN THE MECHANISM FOR OPERATING THE SAME
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the "International Patent
Office," Southampton Buildings, London, Consulting Engineer, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE VALVES OF STEAM ENGINES,
AND IN THE MECHANISM FOR OPERATING THE SAME." -A communication
from abroad by George Enoch Noyes, of Washington, District of
Columbia, United States of America.
Scaled the 10th May 1870, and dated the 25th March 1870.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said William Robert Lake
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition and
Declaration, on the 25th March 1870, pursuant to the 9th Section
of the Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ROBERT LAKE, of the "International Patent Office," Southampton
Buildings, London, Consulting Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS I am in possession of an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE VALVES OF STEAM ENGINES, AND IN THE MECHANISM FOR OPERATING THE
SAME," and have petitioned Her Majesty to grant unto me, my executors,

page_text: 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 George Enoch Noyes, of Washington, District of Columbia,
United States of America.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Robert Lake, do hereby
declare that the following Complete Specification, under my hand and
scal, fully describes and ascertains the nature of the said Invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed, in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawing forming
a part of this Specification :-
My Invention relates to the valves of steam engines, and also to
mechanism for operating them, so as to cause the valve which admits
the steam to the cylinder to act as a cut-off as well as an induction
valve..
In the construction of steam engines a great variety of balanced valves:
have been used as induction and eduction valves and also as cut-off
valves, and various forms of devices have been employed for operating
súch valves; but mine is believed to differ from all that have preceded
it in that I use a double-seated hollow cylindrical or tubular valve, the
said valve working in a cup-shaped vessel made to receive it, and having
apertures in it through which the steam passes from the valve; and in
the wedge which raises the induction valve having a positive motion
with reference to the valve rod or bar which carries it, and which
receives its motion from the eccentric, cam, or other valve moving
device when the valve is being opened, but which has an independent
movement or movement independent of such rod or bar when the
valve is to be closed; and further, in that the devices employed for
producing the last-named results are novel in their combinations and
arrangements.
In order more fully to explain the
the ani

page_text: modification of the said Invention; Figure 4 shews one of the valves
detached. Like letters indicate the same parts throughout the
Drawing.
A indicates the steam chest, which may be of any suitable form, its
lower surface being provided with an aperture for the reception of the
valve and the cup or casing in which it works, the upper or steam
receiving end of the valve being in communication with the steam space
within such chest; A" indicates the steam induction passage which leads
to the cylinder, and A) to the eduction passage which conducts the steam
from the cylinder to the condenser or to the atmosphere; B indicates
the valve, which consists of a cylinder or tube having upon its upper
end a bearing surface formed by causing a flange to project outward
therefrom to rest upon the upper end of the cup or casing in which it
moves. At the lower end of the valve there is to be formed another
bearing surface, which when the valve is closed rests upon the lower end
of the cup.
Across the upper or outer end of the valve a bar extends,
which is enlarged at its centre so as to receive the end of the valve rod
which moves it, the form of which is shown at Figure 4. This valve is
open at its upper and lower ends so that as it is raised from its scats the
steam passes down through it and out through the apertures formed in
the casing B', which should be of brass or some other non-corrosive
metal, and always of the same kind of metal of which the valve is made,
in order that the expansion may invariably be the same in both; this is
important from the fact that the valve has two bearing points upon the
casing, and in order that both may bear equally upon such points at the
same time it is indispensable that the relative lengths of the valve and
its casing should not change. As will be seen by referring to the
Drawings this casing is open at its upper or outer end, but is closed at
its lower end, which rests upon the metal whereof the steam chest is
composed, while its upper end passes through a diaphragm or partition
formed in the steam chest or through the side pipe of the cylinder, in
which aperture it fits well, but wherein it may move sufficiently to
admit of its longitudinal expansion. Apertures are formed through tho
wall of this casing, as shown, so that as the valve is raised the steam
may pass out through them to any desired point. B indicates the valvo
rod which moves such valve, it being secured thereto as shown in
Figure 2, and passing up through the cover of the steam chest, where it
is provided with a stuffing box for packing it. The upper portion of this

page_text: rod may be square or of any other form suitable for the attachment of
the antifriction rollers, as shown in the Drawing. Cindicates the valve
rod or bar, which in this instance is a bar of metal which is supported
by and moves upon a plate or bearing C³, as shown in Figures 1 and 2.
This rod or bar is to be connected to the eccentric, cam, or other valve
moving device from which it derives its motion. C' indicates a slotted
wedge which rests upon the valve rod or bar O, where it is held in
position by two screws, as shown in the Drawing. The slot in this
wedge is to be of such a length as to permit it to move longitudinally
upon the valve rod or bar for a distance about equal to the length of the
bevel upon its inner end. O indicates a wedge which is to be attached.
to the valve rod or bar at any point where it may be necessary to enable
it to operate the eduction valve, its arrangement being clearly shown in
the Drawing. C³ indicates a hook or stop which is to be attached to the
plate whereon the valve rod or bar moves, or upon some other fixed
part of the engine, and is to extend outward, as shown, to the required
distance to enable it to stop the movement of the wedge C' as it is being
carried away from the valve rod B, such cessation of its movement
being necessary in order that the dog or trigger C* may come in contact
with its rear end, and that it may be placed in the proper position to
raise the valve B at the proper time upon its return movement. The
dog or trigger C' is pivoted to the rod or bar C and works in a slot
formed therein, as shown in Figure 2. The lower end of this dog extends
below such bar for a distance sufficient to enable it to come in contact
with an adjustable stop D' hereafter to be described. The form of the
upper end of this dog is clearly shown in Figure 2, it being such that
when its lower end is in a vertical position it shall project above the
surface of the rod or bar O and thus carry forward the wedge which lifts
the induction and cut-off valve until it becomes necessary to cut off the
steam, when its lower end is made to come in contact with the stop D',
and that portion of its surface which was above the rod or bar C is
carried downward and the wedge C¹ is allowed to slide outward upon
the rod or bar C when the valve B drops and the steam is cut off.
C) indicates a spring which may be used to keep the dog or trigger in
position should it be found necessary, its arrangement being clearly
shown in the Drawings. D indicates a guide, which may consist of a bar
of metal secured to the steam chest, from which it extends outward for a
distance sufficient to enable it to guide the adjustable stop D' throughout
its entire range of movement, as shown in Figures 1, 2, and 3. D¹ indi-

page_text: cates and adjustable stop, which may be of any suitable form and is to be
provided with a slot of the size and shape of the guide D upon which it
moves, and also with a pin for working in a slot in the arm which
connects it with the governor, when one is used in connection with it,
as shown in Figure 3; but when arranged to be operated by hand, as
shown in Figures 1 and 2, it is to be provided with a nut for the recep-
tion of the adjusting screw. D' indicates a slotted arm in Figure 3.
which is attached to the sliding collar upon the shaft of the governor or
to that portion which is moved by weighted arms or similar devices for
the purpose of controlling the speed of the engine to which it is attached,
it being extended from such point to the adjustable stop D and provided
with a slot to receive a pin attached thereto in order that as the position
of such arm is changed vertically by the action of the governor the
adjustable stop D' may be moved longitudinally upon its guide D, and
thus the point at which the induction valve B shall be closed, and con-
sequently the steam cut off, shall be controlled. The device which
corresponds to the one last described, and which is shewn in Figures 1
and 2, consists of a screw which may be operated by the hand of the
attendant, and thus the stop be placed in any desired position to cffcct
the result above named. D³, D', D³, refer to different parts of the
governor and its connection with the slotted arm above referred to,
which may be of any approved form of construction, but which, as
considered separately, form no part of my Invention, and need not be
more particularly described here.
The operation of my improved mechanism, and some of the advantages
due thereto, may be stated as follows:-The parts having been con-
structed and arranged substantially as shewn in Figure 3 the rod or
bar C is supposed to be moving in the direction indicated by the arrow,
the dog or trigger C' being in the proper position to cause the wedge C'
to move with the bar C, which is carried forward by the eccentric or
other valve moving device until the point of the wedge C¹ comes in
contact with the roller B³, when through its action thereon the valve B is
raised from its seats, and the steam passes under its lower end to the
cylinder of the engine. The governor having previously been arranged
to cause the adjustable stop D' to stand in the proper position with
reference to the dog or trigger C' it comes in contact with such stop and
its upper
surface is depressed, which permits the wedge C¹ to slide back
upon the rod or bar C, and consequently the valve B to drop again to

page_text: its scat, in doing which the flow of steam into the cylinder is arrested.
The downward movement of the valve B is caused by the weight of the
parts connected therewith and by the spring E. After the wedge C¹ has
receded and the induction valve has closed the rod or bar C continues
its movement in the same direction until it has travelled through the
space due to the throw of the eccentric, when its movement is changed
to an opposite direction, carrying with it the wedge C' until its rear end
comes in contact with the hook or stop C, when its motion is arrested;
but as the rod or bar C continues to move in the same direction it
follows that the position of the wedge will be the same as in the com-
mencement. and that the parts are ready to repeat the operation above
described. It will be seen that during the backward movement of the
rod or bar C the wedge C³ comes in contact with the roller B' upon the
upper end of the eduction valve rod, and that it will thereby be opened
for the escape of the steam. As a consequence of the peculiar con-
struction of the valve B I am enabled to relieve it of nearly if not quite
all of the friction usual upon steam induction and eduction valves, and
thus effect a great economy of power, the opening movement requiring
but a small amount of force to effect it, and the closing less than the
opening. Another advantage duc in part to the construction of the
valve and in part to its combination with its operating mechanism con-
sists in the rapidity with which the valve closes when the point at which
it is desirable to cut off the steam has been reached, it being a fact that
the more rapid the movement of the valve at such time the greater will
be the economy in steam.
Having now fully explained the nature of the said improvements in
the valves of steam engines and the mechanism for operating the same,
as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent, and shown the
best manner with which I am acquainted of carrying the same into
effect, I wish it understood that I claim,-
First. The double seated hollow tubular valve B constructed substan-
tially as and for the purpose specified.
Second. The cup-shaped valve casing having apertures for the passage
of steam to the cylinder constructed substantially as and for the purpose
specified.
Third. The combination of a wedge for operating the cut-off valve of
a steam engine and a rod or bar which receives its movement from the
eccentric or cam when the parts are so arranged that the wedge has a

page_text: positive motion with reference to such rod or bar during a portion of
its movement, but a motion independent of such rod or bar during
the remainder of its movement, substantially as and for the purpose
specified.
Fourth. The combination and arrangement of the rod or bar C, the
moveable wedge C', trigger or dog C', hook or stop C³, and adjustable
stop D', substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
Fifth. In combination with the parts enumerated in the fourth the
slotted arm D or equivalent device and the governor, substantially as
and for the purpose set forth.
Sixth. The arrangement of the valves B, their rods B², rollers B³,
spring E, wedge C², and rod or bar C, as a consequence of which the
movement of the rod or bar C is made to operate both the induction and
eduction valves, substantially as shown and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have hereunto
set my hand and scal, this Twenty-fifth day of March, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE. (L.S.)
Witness,
JAMES TEARE,
Clerk to Messrs. Haseltine, Lake, & Co.,
Southampton Buildings,
London.