IMPROVEMENTS IN MOTIVE POWER ENGINES
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Adair, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster,
Engineer, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MOTIVE POWER ENGINES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Adair at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 13th September 1880..
WILLIAM ADAIR, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MOTIVE POWER ENGINES."
The object is to provide a steam or fluid pressure engine having special adapt-
ability for giving motion to steering gear, winches, hoists, and like appliances,
which shall be compact, inexpensive to make, economical in maintenance, and
easily and quickly started, stopped, and reversed.
For the above purpose I employ two cylinders with the necessary valves for
opening and closing the ports or passages leading to and from the said cylinders,
and give motion to the said valves at the required times by means of gear operated
by a single excentric. The said excentric is formed with a slot or opening therein
in such manner that the said excentric may be moved into a position where the
valves will be unacted upon or nearly so, or into positions where the said valves
will be so actuated as to cause the engine to move in one direction or the other.
Motion is given to the said excentric for starting, stopping, and reversing by means
of a disk constructed or fitted with spiral or curved grooves or projections working
in combination with grooves or projections in or on the excentric, or by means of bell
crank levers. The said excentric receives a rotary motion, so as to actuate the valves
by being connected to the crank shaft of the engine by slides or equivalent devices.
The pistons, cylinders, crank shaft, connecting rods, and like parts of the engine
are of any usual or desired construction, and motion is communicated from the
crank shaft to, say, steering gear winches or the like by means of worm, spur
wheel, or other suitable gearing.
The disk or bell crank levers which give the starting, stopping, and reversing
motion to the excentric are operated by pulleys, belts, levers, or like appliances.
In engines constructed substantially as above set forth cylinders are placed much
closer together than is possible with engines constructed in the ordinary manner,
and a much more compact and inexpensive engine is produced.

page_text: further be evident that as the excentric is moved transversely in one direction or
the other the engines will move ahead or astern, and that when the engines aro
moving in either direction, arresting the motion of the chain wheel j, will cause the
excentric i to be moved into central position. The ongines will then come to rest
through the valve rods and valves being unaffected by the rotary motion of the
excentric. 2, chain passing around the wheel j, and led to a steering wheel placed
in any convenient position. As long as motion is given to the chain wheel j in
one direction or the other, so long will the engines act and turn the rudder in the
required direction. As soon as the steersman ceases to give motion to the said
wheel the engines will come to rest.
By fitting the wheel j so as to move with considerable friction on the shaft Z the
engines, when once started by the motion of the said wheel j, will carry the said
wheel round with them until its motion is arrested.
Fig. 11 shows a chain wheel in which curved grooves 3 are used in place of the
spiral groove 1 above described. In this case the excentric would have two pro-
jections, one for each groove.
The grooves and projections may be reversed on the excentrics, disc, and chain
wheel, and the said excentric may be guided in its transverse motion by slots and
projections in or on a disc or piece specially provided for that purpose, or by
projections on the shaft, or by pins or guides running through the shaft, or in any
other well known or desired inanner.
Fig. 12 is a side elevation, and Fig. 13 a plan view of so much of a motive
power engine as is illustrative of a modification of valve gear under my Invention.
Here the transverse motion is given to the excentric i by means of the bell crank
lever 5. 6 is a sliding boss; 7, rod connecting boss 6 and bell crank 5; 8, lever
handle for giving motion to the boss 6. As the boss 6 is caused to slide backwards
and forwards on the crank shaft the bell crank lever 5 will move the excentric to
one end or other of its throw and the engines will be reversed.
Fig. 14 is a plan view of a modification of gear in which a quadrant lever 9 has
the functions of the bell crank lever 5.
The gearing described and illustrated under Figs. 12, 13, and 14 is specially
applicable to engines for working winches, hoists, and like apparatus.
Having now described and illustrated the nature of the said Invention, in such
manner that others will be enabled to carry my improvements into effect, I
claim,―
Motive power engines, constructed and operating substantially as set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Adair, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Eighth day of March, in the year of our Lord One thousand
Wч. ADAIR. (LS.)