IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINE VALVES
Year: 1885

page_text: I, HERBERT JOHN HADDAN, of 67, Strand, in the City of Westminster, Civil
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of said invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN
STEAM ENGINE VALVES, a communication to me from abroad by Robert Hall
Cowdrey of Chicago, United States, Manufacturer, to be as follows:-
The invention consists in certain new points of construction and arrangement of
the valves of that class of engines commonly known as four cylinder engines.
Referring to the accompanying drawings:
Fig. 1 is an end elevation of the engine with the face of the steam chest removed
to show the valve.
Fig. 2 is a similar view with the valves removed and part of the division wall
broken away to show the exhaust chamber.
Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical section of the engine and
Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the same.
A represents the cylinders of this engine which are four in number arranged as
herein shown and cast with or supported upon suitable base A¹, the cylinders are
all cast together in the form of a cross thus + and are covered by suitable caps a;
in the manner usual in steam engines.
Each cylinder is cast with or has secured to it a steam chest B, the four chests
also being preferably formed in one piece in order that they may always align and
give free action to the valves.
The chests are cut away at their centre to form a chamber B¹ which receives the
exhaust from each cylinder and the chamber is divided from the outer portion of
the chest by a plate or partition b, secured therein in any desired manner.
Each chest B, has at its outer end the usual flat valve seat b¹ connected with its
steam cylinder by an inlet port c, and with the exhaust chamber by an outlet port c¹,
as shown in the drawings; I use in the steam chests, two slide valves C, C, lying
one upon the other at right angles, and formed at each end, as usual in slide valves,
with a cored recess c₁ to connect, the supply and exhaust c, c² at proper times in
the stroke of the valves.
The longitudinal centre of each valve is formed with a transverse slot d, as in
Figs 1 and 3, in which moves & wrist pin d' upon the end of the driving shaft D,
to give motion to the valves. Each steam cylinder opens at its inner end into a
central chamber and each is provided with a piston head E, connected by a rod E¹
with a yoke E³, upon a crank portion D¹ of the shaft in said central chamber as
shown in Fig. 3. The driving shaft passes through the centre of the engine and
its inner end is journaled in a hollow tube or bearing B which passes entirely
through the exhaust chamber B¹, and the end of the shaft is covered by the under
alide valve. This prevents any steam from either the outer portion of the steam
1

page_text: chest or its inner exhaust chamber, from being admitted to the shaft or the central
portion of the engine behind the piston which would interfere with its perfect
lubrication. This result is insured by the fact that the slot d, in the outer valve
does not pass entirely through it as in Fig. 3 and thus covers and protects the
wrist pin.
The outer end of the shaft is supported in a bearing of the main frame and
carries a belt wheel G or other means of giving motion to machinery. The steam
chests B, are provided with supply pipes f, and a single exhaust pipe f¹ connected
with the chamber B¹.
The action of this engine is obvious; steam being turned on enters one of the
cylinders and forces it down, the motion being communicated by the rod and yoke
to the driving shaft as will be obvious. By reference to Fig. 1 it will be noted
that only one of the inlet ports is open at any given time.
'
In this figure the port in the upper cylinder is open and the exhaust closed,
while the opposite end of the valve is making connection with the two ports of the
lower cylinder for exhausting it.
The other valve as will be noted is at a moment of rest covering the supply
and exhaust ports of both the horizontal cylinders.
The engine may be reversed by simply admitting steam to the exhaust chamber
and exhausting it through the supply pipes in exactly the opposite direction from
that already described; and it will be evident that it is applicable to all uses
requiring high speed, direct connections, and economy of space.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1. In a multi cylinder engine a series of valves operated direct from the main
shaft within the steam chest substantially as shown and described.
2. In a multi cylinder engine a series of valves lying one across the other and
formed with transverse slots at their centres in combination with the main shaft
having a crank pin, working in said slot, substantially, as and for the purpose set
forth.
3. An engine having two or more radial cylinders and a main shaft passing
through their centres, in combination with two or more slide valves operated by a
pin on the main shaft within the steam chest substantially as and for the purpose
set forth.
4. In a multi cylinder engine a series of cylinders radiating from a common
centre and having their inner ends open and a series of steam chests connected
together, and formed with both a supply and an exhaust chamber having suitable
ports, and the latter provided with a journal passing entirely through it in com-
bination with the driving shaft and through the axial centre of the cylinders,
and also through the enclosing journal of the exhaust chamber and a series of slide
valves operated by the shaft and lying across its end whereby steam is prevented
from passing to the inner end of the cylinders substantially as and for the purpose
Bet forth.
5. The radiating cylinders A, having steam chests B, formed with an exhaust
chamber B¹, having a journal B' passing through in combination with the crank
shaft D, passing through the axial centres of the cylinders and the journal B³ and
provided with the crank pin d¹ upon its end, and the valves C, each formed with a
transverse slot d at its centre, the outer of which does not pass entirely through
the valves substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
1011 1
C
100Р
HERBERT & Co.,
Agents, 67, Strand.

page_text: Improvements in Multiple Cylinder Steam-engines.
I, HERBERT JOHN HADDAN, of 67 Strand, in the County of Middlesex, Civil
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention, a communication to me
from abroad by Robert Hall Cowdrey, of Chicago, United States, Manufacturer,
and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to an improvement in steam engines and it consists in
certain new points of construction and arrangements of the valves of that class of
engines commonly known as four cylinder engines, substantially as will be herein-
after more fully set forth and described.
Referring to the drawings filed with the provisional specification Fig. 1 is an end
elevation of the engine with the face of the steam chest removed to show the
valve. Fig. 2 is a similar view with the valves removed and part of the division
wall broken away to show the exhaust chamber. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical
section of the engine, and Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the same.
A represents the cylinders of the engine which are four in number arranged as
berein shown and cast with or supported upon suitable base A¹, the cylinders are
all cast together in the form of a cross thus + and are covered by suitable caps,
in the manner usdal in steam engines.
Each cylinder is cast with or has secured to it a steam chest B, the four chests
also being preferably formed in one piece in order that they may always align
and give free action to the valves.
.
The chests are cut away at their centre to form a chamber B¹ which receives the
exhaust from each cylinder and the chamber is divided from the outer portion of
the chest by a plate or partition b, secured therein in any desired manner.
Each chest B, has at its outer end the usual flat valve seat 61 connected with its
steam cylinder by an inlet port c, and with the exhaust chamber by an outlet
port c¹, as shown in the drawings; I use in the steam chests, two slide valves C, C,
lying one upon the other at right angles, and formed at each end, as usual in slide
valves, with a cored recess, c² to connect the supply and exhaust c, c' at proper
times in the stroke of the valves.
The longitudinal centre of each valve is formed with a transverse slot d, as in
Figs 1 and 3, in which moves a wrist pin d' upon the end of the driving shaft D,
to give motion to the valves. Each steam cylinder opens at its inner end into a
central chamber and each is provided with a piston head E connected by a rod E¹
with a yoke E', upon a crank portion D' of the shaft in said central chamber as
shown in Fig. 3. The driving shaft passes through the centre of the engine and
its inner end is journalled in a hollow tube or bearing B' which passes entirely
through the exhaust chamber B³, and the end of the shaft is covered by the under
slide valve. This prevents any steam from either the outer portion of the steam
chest or its inner exhaust chamber, from being admitted to the shaft or the central

page_text: portion of the engine behind the piston which would interfere with its perfect
lubrication. This result is insured by the fact that the slot d, in the outer valve
does not pass entirely through it as in Fig. 3, and thus covers and protects the
wrist pin.
The outer end of the shaft is supported in a bearing of the main frame and
carries a belt wheel G or other means of giving motion to machinery. The steam
chests B, are provided with supply pipes f, and a single exhaust pipe f¹ connected
with the chamber B¹.
The action of this engine is obvious; steam being turned on enters one of the
cylinders and forces it down, the motion being communicated by the rod and yoke
to the driving shaft as will be obvious-By reference to Fig. 1 it will be noted that
only one of the inlet ports is open at any given time-In this figure the port in
the upper cylinder is open and the exhaust closed, while the opposite end of
the valve is making connection with the two ports of the lower cylinder for
exhausting it.
The other valve as will be noted is at a moment of rest covering the supply and
exhaust ports of both the horizontal cylinders.
The continuous action of the upper piston head drives around the crank and the
wrist pin beginning to lift closes the upper supply and cuts off the steam to this
cylinder at about one half the stroke, thus allowing for the use of the expansion
of the vapor to the best advantage; the crank having now just past the centre
line of the horizontal cylinders the wrist pin moves the second valve to open the
supply and exhaust of the other pair of cylinders and the shaft is thus subjected
to the continuous action of live steam in one cylinder and expanding steam in
a second, gaining great. power and an even action with the greatest economy of
steam.
The machine so constructed has no dead points, and the point of cutting off for
expansion can be made to suit the work to be performed by varying in making it,
the relative positions of the supply ports and the relation of the crank and wrist
pin together with the sweep of the latter in its revolutions, while the small number
of parts and their extreme simplicity make the operation positive and the expense
of construction and repairs small.
The engine may be reversed by simply admitting steam to the exhaust chamber
and exhausting it through the supply pipes in exactly the opposite direction from
that already described; and it will be evident that it is applicable to all uses
requiring high speed, direct connections, and economy of space.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
1. In a multi cylinder engine a series of valves operated direct from the main
shaft within the steam chest substantially as shown and described.
2. In a multi cylinder engine a series of valves lying one across the other and
formed with transfer slots at their centres in combination with the main shaft
having a crank pin, working in said slot, substantially as and for the purpose
set forth.
3. An engine having two or more radial cylinders and a main shaft passing
through their centres, in combination with two or more slide valves operated by a
pin on the main shaft within the steam chest substantially as and for the purpose
set forth.
4. In a multi cylinder engine a series of cylinders radiating from a common centre
and having their inner ends open and a series of steam chests connected together, and
formed with both a supply and an exhaust chamber having suitable ports, and the
latter provided with a journal passing entirely through it in combination with
the driving shaft and through the axial centre of the cylinders, and also through
the enclosing journal of the exhaust chamber and a series of slide valves operated a

page_text: by the shaft and lying across its end whereby steam is prevented from passing to
the inner end of the cylinders substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
5. The radiating cylinders A, having steam chests B, formed with an exhaust
chamber B¹, having a journal B2 passing through in combination with the crank
shaft D, passing through the axial centres of the cylinders and the journal B and
provided with the crank pin d' upon its end; and the valves C, each formed with
a transfer slot d at its centre, the outer of which does not pass entirely through the
valves substantially as and for the purpose set forth.