Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Sept., 1892-Accepted, 12th Nov., 1892
Figure 3 is a longitudinal vertical section.
Figure 4 is a transverse vertical section through the trunnions, and
Figures 5, 6 and 7 are longitudinal vertical sections of the modified forms of the
piston and valves.
The bed or frame A may be of any suitable construction and is provided with
pillow blocks 1 each having a cap 2 bolted to it.
Two of these pillow blocks provide bearings for the hollow trunnions of the
cylinder B, and the other two provide bearings for the shaft C which has a
crank D at about its centre, and a balance wheel C¹ and drive wheel C³ on its
respective ends.
The wall of the cylinder B is formed on one side with a suitable passage 3, one
end of which communicates with the interior of the cylinder through port 4, and
its other end with the interior of trunnion thus forming a passage for the supply
of live steam, and the other trunnion enters and its interior has communication
with the interior of the cylinder, as shown, for the escape of the exhaust
steam.
The trunnions are also provided with stuffing boxes 5 and 6 which render steam
tight the supply and exhaust pipes 7 and 8 which enter them.
E designates the piston head and the piston rod. The piston head E is little
more than half as long as cylinder B and has on its supply (under) side a
longitudinal groove 9 which is always in communication with the supply passage 3,
and upon its exhaust (upper) side a semi-annular longitudinal groove 10 always in
communication with the exhaust passage through trunnion. It also
packings 11 and 12, and a central longitudinal chamber 13 communicating with
groove 9 through the supply port 14 and with groove 10 through the exhaust
port 15.
has
G designates the valve and H the valve stem. This valve is a little longer than
piston head E and closely but movably fits within the chamber 13 thereof. Its
supply (under) side has two longitudinal grooves 16, 16" extending inwards from
its opposite ends to opposite sides of a central wall 17, and its exhaust (upper)
side has a longitudinal groove 18 which extends nearly its entire length, terminated
by walls 19, 19°. Its forward end has a transverse slot 20 which permits it to
pass outward and beyond the horizontal cross bar 21 of the piston head. The

page_text: piston rod F extends from this cross bar through and beyond a stuffing box 22
in the piston head a suitable distance to allow for its stroke where it is divided
into two parallel bars which extend to and are connected with the crank D by
means of strap joints 23. Its inner portion is tubular. The valve stem H is
attached to the centre of the valve G, passes out through the tubular piston rod F
and is connected with an eccentric I by the eccentric strap I'.
It consists of two parts, coupled together outside the tubular portion of the
piston rod by means of knuckle joint H. It should be provided with a stuffing
box at the end of the tubular portion of the piston rod to make it steam tight.
The eccentric I is rigidly attached to the crank D in line with the valve stem,
and is adjustable thereon, its adjustment being an important matter as its position
in relation to the throw of said crank determines the point at which the live steam
is cut off and the distance travelled by the piston on expansion.
Its proper position is about ninety degrees in lead of the crank, so that when
the crank is at its upward throw (shown in Figure 2) the throw of the eccentric
will be outward, and when the crank is at its downward throw (shown in Figure 3)
the throw of the eccentric will be inward.
Thus set, the crank will revolve in the direction indicated by the arrows and
the engine will run forwards, but simply reversing the eccentric upon the crank
causes the latter to revolve in an opposite direction to that indicated and the engine
will then run backwards.
The operation of this engine is as follows-
Steam generated in a suitable boiler is conducted to the interior of the cylinder B
through supply pipe 7, trunnion b, passage 3 and port 4, and passing through
groove 9 and port 14 of the piston head E, and the groove 16 of the valve G
enters the outer end of the cylinder B, forcing said piston head and valve inwards,
the exhausted steam in the inner end of the cylinder meanwhile escaping through
the groove 18 of the valve, the exhaust port 15 and groove 10 of the piston
head, the trunnion and exhaust pipe 8. Now through this inward stroke of the
piston and valve the crank D has been carried around to its inward throw and
the eccentric I to its upward throw.
At this position, the supply port 14 and the exhaust port 15 of the piston head E
are both closed by the central wall 17 and the end walls 19 and 19 of the valve G
and the momentum of the balance wheel c must now carry the piston and valve
past their dead centres when by reason of the eccentric I being in lead of the
crank D the valve moves outward a short distance within the piston head, thereby
bringing the port 14 of the piston head E and the groove 16 of the valve G into
register, and at the same time opening the port 15 of the piston head by carrying
the end wall 19" of the valve G' outward and beyond the piston head, thereby
letting the supply steam into the inner end of the cylinder B which forces the
piston and valve outward, and at the same time allows the exhaust steam in the
outer end of the cylinders 13 to escape through the groove 18, port 15, groove 10,
trunnion and pipe 8 as above described.
In the modification shown in Figure 5, the piston head has two ports 34 and 35
on its supply side, instead of one port, and the valve has two ducts 36 and 37 on
its supply side instead of the grooves 16 and 16" shown in Figure 3.
In the modification shown in Figure 6, the piston head has two exhaust ports 24
and 25 instead of but one, and the valve has two longitudinal grooves 26 and 27
on its exhaust side, instead of the groove 18, shown in Figure 3.
In the modification shown in Figure 7, the piston head has two supply ports 28
and 29, and two exhaust ports 30 and 31, instead of but one supply and one exhaust
port, and the valve has two ducts 32 and 33 for the exhaust instead of the
groove 18 shown in Figure 3.
From the above it will be seen that the boiler pressure upon the piston and the
first expansion of the steam within the cylinder is secured, and also that both
the piston and the valve receive the force of this first expansion of the steam and

page_text: both transmit the power thereof to the crank shaft, whereby the power, at present
employed to actuate the valve or valves alone, is utilised to drive the crank shaft.
It will be further seen that the construction is simplified and friction reduced
by dispensing with guides and cross heads heretofore deemed indispensable to
practical steam engines, and that as the steam is admitted through the lower side
of the cylinder and always against the grooved lower side of the piston, the piston
and valve are balanced by its upward pressure, thus overcoming their gravity.
In short an engine constructed after the plan above described and now in use has
developed a greater percentage of power than has hitherto been deemed attainable
and has proved itself to be very cheap and durable in construction and occupies
very little space.
Changes in the detail of construction may be made without departing from the
spirit of the invention and which is therefore not limited to the exact construction
herein shown and described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me
by my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is--
1. The combination, in a steam engine, with the cylinder, having inlet and outlet
ports and passages and a longitudinally chambered piston head within said cylinder
having inlet and outlet ports, of a longitudinally grooved valve, operating within
said piston head and with but in advance of the same, and a shaft connected with
both said piston head and valve, substantially as described, whereby both the piston
and valve will be acted upon by the steam and both transmit motion to said shaft
as specified.
2. The combination in a steam engine, with the cylinder having entrance and
exit ports, a tubular piston rod, and a valve operating within the chamber in said
piston head, and having its rod extending through said piston rod, of a crank
shaft, to the crank piston of which the outer end of said piston rod is connected,
and an eccentric mounted on the crank portion of said crank shaft, and having the
outer end of the valve rod connected to it, said eccentric being so mounted in said
crank as to be in lead of the throw thereof, substantially as specified.
3. The combination, in an engine, with the oscillatory cylinder having hollow
trunnions, one of which forms the entrance and the other the exit port for the
steam, said cylinder also having passages, one leading from the entrance port and
the other to the exit port, and its inner wall pierced to form a port leading from
its entrance passage to its interior, of a chambered piston head operating within
said cylinder and having suitable steam passage and ports, a longitudinally grooved
valve with said piston head, and a crank shaft connected with and operated by said
piston and valve.
4. The combination, in a steam engine with the cylinder having inlet and outlet
ports, of a longitudinally chambered piston head within said cylinder, said piston
head having exterior steam passages always in communication with the inlet port
of the cylinder, and also having entrance and exit ports, a longitudinally grooved
valve within said piston head, and a shaft connected with said piston head and valve
for the purpose specified.
5. The combination, in a steam engine, with the cylinder having inlet and outlet
ports, of a longitudinally chambered piston head within said cylinder, said piston
head having exterior steam passages always in communication with the inlet port
of the cylinder, and also having entrance and exit ports, a longitudinally grooved
valve within said piston head, and a shaft to which said piston head and valve are
independently connected, substantially as described and for the purposes specified.
6. An engine in which both the valve and piston head will receive the power of
the steam and both transmit said power to the crank shaft.
7. The crank shaft of an engine having an eccentric mounted in its crank
portion.

page_text: 8. The piston head herein shown and described.
9. The valve herein shown and described operating in a chamber in the piston
head, as specified.
Dated this 19th day of September 1892
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.