IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES
Year: 1852

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Hinchcliff, Leeds, in the County of
York, Engineer, and Ralph Salt, of Leeds, aforesaid,
Engineer, for the invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES."
Scaled the 14th January 1853, and dated the 17th November 1852.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Hinchcliff
and Ralph Salt at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 17th November 1852.
We, JOHN HINCHCLIFF, of Leeds, in the County of York, Engineer,
and RALPH SALT, of Leeds aforesaid, Engineer, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM
ENGINES" to be as follows:-
Our Invention consists in a mode of working steam engines used
for locomotive purposes, whether by sea or land, so that the vessel
or locomotive engine can be propelled by using only one cylinder
and one crank instead of two cylinders and two cranks, which are
at present usually employed.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters
Patent, filed by the said John Hinchcliff and Ralph Salt in
the Great Seal Patent Office on the 17th May 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, wc,
JOHN ПINCHCLIFF, of Leeds, in the County of York, Engineer, and
RALPH SALT, of Leeds aforesaid, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Seventeenth day of November, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-two,
in the sixteenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto us, the said John Hinchcliff and
Ralph Salt, Her special license that we, the said John Hinchcliff
and Ralph Salt, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as we, the said John Hinchcliff and Ralph Salt, our exc-
cutors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with,
and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during
the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES" upon the condition (amongst
others) that we, the said John Hinchcliff and Ralph Salt, by an
instrument in writing under our hands and seals, or under the hand
and seal of one of us, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to
be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Scal
Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said John Hinchcliff and Ralph
Salt, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly de-
scribed and ascertained in and by the following statement, reference
being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the letters and
figures marked thereon (that is to say):

page_text: The object of this Invention (which relates chiefly to locomotive
engines) is to convert the reciprocating motion of a single piston
rod of a steam engine into a rotary motion. This we effect by
moving the crank which is connected to the rod over its dead points
by means of temporary elastic pressure, and we are thereby enabled
to construct locomotive engines with one central cylinder instead of
two set one on either side of the engine, by the use of which central
cylinder much unequal strain on different parts of the engine will
be avoided, and the lateral movement of the engine upon the rails
will be diminished. In carrying out this object, we adopt by pre-
ference the inechanical contrivance shewn in the Drawings.
Fig. 1, shews the improved machinery, inside elevation, as
applied to a locomotive engine, and Fig. 2, is a plan view of the same.
A, is the crank shaft on which the driving wheels of the locomotive
are keyed, and it derives its motion through the crank connecting
rod B, which is jointed to the piston rod C. D, is another crank
connecting rod fitted to the end of the rod B, so that they work
like a knuckle joint; the crank shaft which passes through them
being their centre of motion; and both have a tapered form, or
incline on the upper and lower sides from the edge of their fittings
for a little way down the rods. E, E, are four horizontal rods
jointed respectively to the shoulders of two double beams F, F.
These double beams are supported by, and are capable of rocking
upon the pins a, and are carried by brackets at the sides or under
the engine. The crank connecting rods work within the double
beams, the shape of which double bscain is shewn best in the end
view Fig. 4. Underneath each of the upper flat connecting rods,
and above each of the lower rods, springs G, G, are affixed. The
two upper springs are braced together at both ends (see the plan
view, Fig. 2,) by a strong pin or bolt H; and in the centre of this
pin or bolt a friction bowle I, is fixed for the purpose of pressing
against the inclined or tapered part of the crank connecting rods.
The two lower springs are similarly braced at their ends, and arc
also provided with similar bowles. J, J, are double slides for the
ends of the crank connecting rods to work within, and are held in

page_text: their position by brackets and bearers. When steam is let into the
steam cylinder, and the piston rod is thereby driven in the direction
of the arrow, Fig. 1, the crank connecting rod D, will be forced:
into contact with the friction bowle J', of the lower springs at the
point b,as shewn at Fig. 3. As the connecting rod advances, the
pressure against it increases in consequence of the friction-bowle
being forced down by the increasing depth of the tapered part of
the crank connecting rod; and when the crank arrives at its extreme
forward point or straight line, this pressure from the springs is of
-sufficient strength to force the crank above this straight line, or over
the dead point of the crank. The return movement of the piston
will draw the connecting rods in the opposite direction, and thereby
bring the upper inclined part of the crank rod B, into contact with.
the friction bowle J", the elastic pressure of which will then be
exerted upon the inclined part of that rod, and force the crank over:
the dead point as before..
The working just described has reference only to the forward
movement of the locomotive engine. To obtain the retrograde or
backward movement of the engine it is requisite to change the
position-of-the-springs-G--This-is-effected by means of a. hand
lever K, (see Fig. 1,) which works upon a pivot L, and is con-
nected at its lower end to the donble beam F; (the shoulder of
which is lengthened for the purpose) by means of the rod M.
By shifting this lever K, from its lowest slot hole in the slotted
slide N, to the highest slot hole the position of the double beams.
will be changed to that shewn at Fig. 5; and the two friction bowles
Ju, and J, (which in their previous position were at rest,) will
be brought into action, the tapered parts e, and f, being now acted
upon instead of the parts c, and d, as heretofore. When the loco-
motive engine has attained a speed sufficient to allow of the impetus
of the driving wheels carrying the crank over its dead points, the
upper limb of the lever K, is shifted into an intermediate slot, whereby
the double beams will be made to take and retain a perpendicular
position. The crank connecting rods will then move freely within
the double beams, and meet with no resistance from the friction
bowles.

page_text: Having now described our Invention and the manner of carrying
the same into effect, we wish it to be understood that under the
above in part recited Letters Patent, we claim as of our Invention
of Improvements in Steam Engines, the application to the crank
shaft of locomotive and other steam engines requiring the same of a
gradually increasing elastic pressure at certain parts of its throw
for the purpose of carrying the crank over its dead points as herein
described. And secondly, we claim mounting the metal springs
or the pressing media employed on a frame which is capable of
being shifted so as to suit the reversed action of the engine or to
remove all obstruction to the free and independent action of the
crank when the required impetus for carrying the crank over its
dead points is attained.
In witness whereof, we, the said John Hinchcliff and Ralph
Salt, have hereunto set our hands and seals, the Thirteenth
day of May, One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three.
JOHN HINCHCLIFF. (L.S.)
RALPH SALT.
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the within-
named John Hinchcliff, and Ralph Salt,
in the presence of
J. B. WILKINSON,
Clerk to Messrs. J. & H. Richardson & Gaunt,
Solicitors, Leeds.
(L.S.)