CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES
Year: 1846

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GUSTAF
VICTOR GUSTAFSSON, late of Sweden, but now of Warien Street, Fitzroy
Square, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Hoi prosent most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Hei
Royal Letters Patent under the Grea. Seal of Gicat Britain, beaung date at
Westminster, the Fourteenth day of July, in the tenth year of He reign, did,
for Ilerself, IIer heus and successors, give and giart unto me, the said Gustaf
Victor Gustafsson, Iler especial licence, full power, solo privilege and authority,
that I 'the said Gustaf Victor Gustaffson, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, and such others' as I, the said Gustaf Victor Gustafsson, my executors,
administrators, "oi 'assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from
time to time and at all times during the term of years therein mentioned,
should and 'lawfully might' make, use, excicise, 'and' vend, within England,
Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, 'my Invention of "CERTAIN
IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES;" in which said Letters Patent is contained
apioviso obliging me, the said Gustaf Victor Gustaffson, by an' instrument
in writing under my hand and seal, particularly to describe and ascertain
the nature of my said Invention. and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, and to cause the samo to, be inrolled in Her Majesty s' High Court
of Chancery within six "calendar months next and immediately after the date,
of the said in part recited' Letters Patent,' as in and 'by the same, reference.
being thereunto had will more fully and at-large appeal..
"

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance, with the said proviso, I, the said
Gustaf Victor Gustafsson, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Inven-
tion, and the manner in which the same is to be performed, is particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following description thereof, reference
being had to the Diawings hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures
maiked thereon (that is to say).-
These improvements in steam engines are embraced under four distinct
heads:-
Firstly, a mode of connecting the piston 1od of a steam engine to the piston,
which I effect by means of a ball and socket joint;
'
Secondly, the manner of keeping the packing-of-a-piston tight within
the cylinder by the combined mechanical force of steam and metallic springs,
Thirdly, the construction of a movable apparatus, to be adapted to the top
cover o cap plate of the cylinder, through which the piston 1od is to slide
and at the same time vibrate, and,
Fourthly, a means of regulating the draft of the flues of the furnace, and
consequently tempering the pressure of steam in the boiler or generator, and
also giving such duc notice of the state of pressure in the boiler as may prevent
accidental explosion.
In the accompanying Diawings, Figue 1 is a horizontal view of the work-
ing cylinder of a steam engine, its cap o upper cover being removed, for the
purpose of shewing the piston,, within which pistou is represented in horizontal
section, or divested of its upper plate, for the purpose of exposing its internal
construction to view.
".
Figures 2 and 3 are vertical sections taken at right angles to each other,
shewing the sectional form of the cylinder, and the piston, with their appendages.
In all these Figues the similar letters of reference indicate the same parts.
A, A, A, point out the sides of the cast iron cylinder bored to its correct figure
in the, ordinary way. The peculiar construction of the cover or top plate of the
cylinder I shall, describe hereafter under the third head of my Invention, the
bottom of the cylinder, as also the induction and eduction passages, being made in
the usual manner. B, B, is the piston, the skeleton of which is a frame formed
like a wheel, with arms, for the purpose of rendering it of light construction.
In the centre of this wheel-formed skeleton or piston frame there is an hemi-
spherical socket or cup a, a, a, affixed to the frame, which cup must be accurately
turned and ground to fit a ball or hollow sphere D, D, made fast to the lower
end of the piston rod C This piston rod, which is to be connected at the other
end to the crank shaft of the engine, may be solid, as shewn in Figure 2, or, hollow,
as in Figure 3, having shoulders, b, b, to hold the ball securely when, affixed to it.

page_text: venient means.
In the former construction, that is, where the piston 10d c is made solid, I
should recommend the spherical part or ball D to be cast on to the lower end of
the rod, but when a hollow 10d is employed the ball D may be attached to the
end of the rod by a plug d, screwed into it as in Figure 3, or by any other con-
This hollow rod may be found preferable for manne engines
on account of its lightness. The globe oi ball D must of course be accurately
turned to fit the socket a, a, and this ball at the end of the 1od is confined in the
centre of the piston B by a hemispherical cap e, e, affixed to the socket, and to
the fiame of the piston by bolts passed through flanges, as seen in Figure 2.
This novel inode of attaching the rod to the piston of a steam engine admits of the
10d vibrating in the cylinder as the piston ascends and descends, and allows the
piston rod to assume inclined positions corresponding to the throw of the
crank Hence the stroke of the piston will act duectly upon the crank, and
avoid the necessity of a parallel motion apparatus, which is required when the
piston rod is enabled to move only in a perpendicula duection. The frame or
skeleton of the piston formed as a wheel, with arms, as above said, is best seen
in the vertical section at Figure 3, in which it will be perceived that the
hemispherical cup or socket a, a, constitutes the nave of the wheel, from whence
the arms f.ff. proceed; and these arms are strengthened by descending
wings or flanges, g, g, connected to the socket, and carry the outer ring or
penphery h, h, h, of the wheel, which together complete the frame of the
piston B To this ring h, and also to the socket a, a, and cap e, e, are attached
by bolts on screws the upper and under dished plates 1, i, 1, i, or covers of the
piston, their outer edges extending beyond the frame or wheel, for the purpose
of confining the metallic packing k, h. The mode of constructing and giving
effect to the metallic packing of the piston, which constitutes the second head
of my Invention, though seen partially in Figure 1, will be better explained
by the enlarged sectional views of portions of the piston at Figs. 5 and 6.
Horizontal sections of opposite sides of the piston are represented at Figure 5,
and vertical sections of the same at Figure 6, the same letters as in the former
Figures indicating the same parts Two metallic sping rings k, h, are placed
round the periphery of the piston B, within the cap plates i, &, against which
cap plates the rings k are respectively pressed upward and downward by a series
of helical springs 1, 1, and the packung 1ngs are pressed outward against the
interior of the cylinder A, A, by a series of bow springs, m, m
The left-hand
side of Figure 6 shews one of the upright pins or guides upon which the helical
spring works, for the purpose of forcing the ing packings k, k. against the
cap plates 1, 2, the ends of the pins being inserted into the packing rings. The

page_text: 1ight-hand side of Figure 6 shows the same contrivance as it would be adapted
at those parts of the packing where the rings k, h, ale cut open, picces being
applied to block the joints At the left hand of Figure 5 one of the bow
springs m is shown, by which the packing rings are pressed outward, and at
the right hand of the same Figure one of the bow springs m is shown, pressing
outward a piece of metal which is intended to block the joint of the 11ng packing.
The bow springs m, by acting laterally, foice the packing 1ngs close against the
internal surface of the cylinder, and in the ovent of the packing wearing away
these springs keep it up at all times to its bearing. For the purpose of ien-
dening the packing of the piston still tighter, I admit steam into the annular
chamber o, of the piston, behind and between the packing rings. by means of
tubes p, p, see Figure 6, containing valves, which respectively open from the
upper and lower surfaces of the piston to the upper and lower portions of the
evlinder. A hollow bracket or projecting piece E, Figuro 1, attached to the
outer ring or periphery of the piston frame, cailies the above-mentioned tubes
and their valves. as shewn more clearly at Figures 5 and 6
The tubes p, P,
as before said, open in opposite directions through the upper and lower plates i, ?,
of the piston, in which they are securely fixed by nuts and packing. Two
valve boxes q, g, are bolted to the hollow bracket picec E, and are fitted tightly
upon the tubes with packing The valves 1, 7. close the inner apertures of the
tubes and valve boxes, then conical edges being pressed against their seats in
the valve boxes by two concentric helical springs s and t When either of the
valves r, 1, are opened. steam from the cylinder passes by the pipe or tube p
into the central space between the valve boxes, and thence through the passage u
into the annulai chamber o of the piston, behind and between the packing
rings k, k The outcr helical spring t, t, is designed to support and keep
closed the upper valve, and the inner or smaller helical springs operates
upon. both valves 1, 1, to keep them closed when the pressure of the steam
fiom without is withdiawn fiom it. The effect of this part of the Invention
therefore will be perceived to be, that when the expansive force of the steam in
the cylinder is acting upon the upper side of the piston, it will enter by the
upper tube 1", and depiess the valve from its seat. and passing down the
grooved sides of the valve the steam will proceed through the channel u into
the annular chamber o, between the 1m h and the packing rings h, k, where
its expansive force will aid.the spings and m, by exciting an additional pics-
sure betwcon and behind the metallic packing rings k, h, so as to force them more
tightly against the piston caps or plates 2, 2, and the sides of the cylinder A, A.
When the steam in the cylinder. is acting against the under side of the piston it

page_text: will pass up the lower tube p, and on raising the valve proceed into the
annular chamber o, in the way and for the purpose above described. The
packing ings are prevented from sliding round in the piston by
a small pin
fixed into the piston covers, which passes into a projecting picco 2, on the ring.
see Figure 1; and the bolts by which the covers 1, 2, of the piston are held
together are prevented from falling out of their sockets in the im h on the
top cover being removed by small lateral screws One of these screws is shewn
in Figures 1 and 3.
I now proceed to explain the third head of iny Invention the peculiar con-
struction of the top cover or cap plate of the cylinder and its appendages,
through which the piston 1od slides, and by which it is allowed to vibrate in
accordance with the different positions of the revolving crank. To the top of
the cylinder A, A, two segmental pieces or wings F, F, aic cast, with brackets
to support them, as shewn in the section. Figure 2, and in the houzontal view
at Figure 1 These segmental pieces are intended to receive the radius slides
or arcs G, G, which carry a perforated ball and socket for the vibrating piston
10d C to pass through The cylinder cover, which is dome-shaped, is shown
in section at H, H, in Figures 2 and 3, having segmental pieces extending
from it at the sides, conesponding with and simular to the brackets F above,
and to the cylinder cover is attached a hollow segment I, whose joint is made
steam-tight round the edges, leaving a small space n between it and the
cylinder cover These parts F, H, and 1, when bolted together, form the dome,
cap, or top of the cylinder, which has a parallel opening in it crossing the
cylinder in its diameter, and the two segmental recesses at its sides. The
upper and under radius slides G, G, are fitted to the segment pieces, as shewn
in Figure 2, and close the aperture m the top of the cylinder, and move fiecly
to and fro in the recesses of the wings and upon the picces II and I, which
form their guides The centre of the radius of the sliding arcs and their guides
may be at the centre of the piston when at half stroke, but that is not important
To the radius slides G, G, are attached the cup v, v, and cover u, w, which
enclose the ball K, K. The piston rod slides through a stuffed packing box
within the ball K: K, to render the sides of the sliding piston 1od steam-
tight, and this packing is pressed into its recess by a minetal cylindrical piece
x, x, which is effected by screwing down the nut L, L This nut is represented
detached at Figure 4, for the purpose of showing its outer hexagonal form, and
in order to prevent the nut turning round during the working of the engine a
guaid or plate y, y, having a hexagonal hole to fit the nut, is held down by screws.
To support the dead weight of the lower adius shule G, G, when the pistou
is moving upwards, and the upper part of the cylinder is in a state of vacuum,

page_text: four bolts, %, with springs similar to those employed for safety valves on loco-
motive boilers, are placed as seen in Figures 2 and 3. These bolts are packed
to keep their sockets tight, and prevent the passage of steam from the cylinder
into the hollow space n between the radius slides To keep the radius slides
constantly close to their bearing surface, the space n should be iu communica-
tion with the condensor, which may be effected by a small tube fixed in any
convenient place, either to the sides or ends of the segment I In this space
It
non-condensing engines should be in communication with the atmosphere
will now be seen that as the piston ascends and descends in the cylinder the
piston rod will be enabled to vibrate by the lateral motions of its guide, the
radius sliders moving to and fro in and upon the cylinder cap, as described, by
which the piston rod will be enabled to act directly upon the crank, and the
lower end of the rod, by means of its ball and socket connection in the piston,
will also accommodate itself to the inclined positions of the 1od; a'small rib c,
at the bottom of the rod, working in a guide slot formed in the cap a, to prevent
the piston turning sound. The cap plate of the cylinder being dome-shaped,
there will be a space between the piston and the upper part of the cylinder,
when the piston is at the top of its stroke, as shewn by dotted lines in the
Sections, Figures 2 and 3. This, during the working of the engine, would
cause a waste of steam, I therefore propose to occupy that space with hard
wood, as at M, M, in Figures 2 and 3, and bolted to the cylinder cover; but it
should be observed that a space must be left in the middle of the dome top
for the free vibration of the piston.
I now proceed to explain the fourth head of my Invention, which con-
sists in a novel apparatus for regulating the draft of the boiler flucs,
and thereby of tempering and also giving notice (by a whistle) of the
state of steam pressure within the boiler
Figure 7 of the Diawings represents in elevation an apparatus which I
erect upon the upper part of a steam boiler Figure 8 is a vertical section
of the same, taken at a right angle to the clevation in the previous Figure.
Figure 9 represents a horizontal view of Figure 7, as seen from above
(the wheel in this Figure being removed for the purpose of shewing
the upper parts more clearly) And Figure 10 is also a horizontal view of
Figure 8, taken partly in section, at a lower level than Figure 9, the
similar letters of reference pointing out the same parts in these four figures
A, A, is a brass cylinder, bolted or otherwise fixed upon the boiler at a, a,
the edge of a portion of the boiler being represented at B, B Four
columns C, C, are fixed upon the upper flanged edge of this cylinder, for
the purpose of supporting the horizontal plate or frame D, D, An'interior

page_text: cylinder E, of cast iron, made perfectly smooth on its external surface,
slides up and down as a plunger, through a circular aperture at d, d in the
plate D, the lower end of this cylinder having a broad flange e, e, which
nearly fits the internal periphery of the brass cylinder A To the under side
of the flange e, e, a cup f, f, of flexible material, is attached for the purpose of
packing or enabling the flange e, e, of the cylinder E to work steam-tight
within the cylinder A, A. This flexible cup may be made of several thick-
nesses of good canvas steeped in boiled linseed oil, with a thin layer of white
lead, between each of which canvas there should not be less than four thicknesses.
This substance, when combined, may be pressed in a mould into a cup form,
and should be left in the mould for thice or four days, in order to allow the
white lead to settle. The upper end of the cylinder or plunger E is closed
by a plug or socket piece g, securely fastened to the plunger. In the top
of the socket g a ball his imbedded and confined by a screwed cap of
collar 2, 2, and into the stem of the ball h the end of a rod k is inserted and
made fast. This rod k may be of any required length (it is shewn broken off
in Figures 7 and 8) To the top of the rod k a bar is attached, having a
rack or series of teeth on one side, which teeth take into a quadiant rack m,
fixed upon one end of an axle n, mounted in the bracket F, above
spring presses against the back of the rack bar 7, in order to keep its teeth in
connection with the teeth of the quadrant m, and a powerful helical spring q. q,
is coiled round the outside of the plunger E, for the purpose of depressing the
plunger in opposition to the force of the steam in the boiler acting upwards
against the flange and cup e, f The bracket F is intended to be fixed to the
side of the chimney or smoke tube I of the boiler furnace, as shewn in Figures
8 and 9. The axle n passes through into the chimney, and carries a disc plate
nearly fitting the interior of the chimney or smoke tube, which disc plate,
turning with the axle n, acts as a damper to the flue, by contracting the
passage of the chimney, and thereby (as the disc approaches an horizontal
position) obstructing the draft Upon the upper end of the inner cylinder E a
toothed wheel r, r, is loosely attached, in order that the cylinder may, as it
ascends or descends, ficely slide through it. This wheel 7 is locked to the
cylinder by a 1b or keys (seen in Figure 10); consequently, when the wheel
On the plate or fiame Da
A slight
revolves the cylinder E is caused to turn with it
horizontal axle G is mounted in plummer blocks, and this axle has a worn or
endless screw t formed upon it, which won takes into the teeth of the
wheel 1.
At the end of the axle G a pullev wheel II is affixed, by which
through a band from any rotary part of the engine the axle may be tuined.

page_text: When the steam engine is at work the band above mentioned, by giving
motion to the axle and the wheel 1, will cause the cylinder to turn with a slow
10taly motion; but this will have no effect in raising or depressing the cylinder E,
beyond that of relieving the friction of its packing f. f. against the inner
surface of the cylinder A The pressure of the steam in the boiler B, extend-
ing its force against the under pait, that is, the bottom and flange e of the
cylinder E, will have a tendency to raise it, as the cylinder E acts in the
character of a piston within the cylinder A, but the powerful helical sping g
exerting its force upon the flange E of the cylinder E, in a downward or
opposite dection, will have a tendency to resist the force of the steam, and
keep the cylinder depressed, as shewn in Figures 7 and 8 The power of the
sping 9, being aided by weights within the cylinder, 's made equivalent to the
mean pressure of the steam Now in the event of the steam pressure within
the boiler increasing bevond the power desued, the force of the steam will
overcome that of the weighted cylinder E and its spring q, and the cylinder E
will be used, not ducetly, but with a compound notion like that of a
scrow, the band and pulley giving to the cylinder E the slow 1otary motion
described whilst the cylinder E is rising which will tend to iclieve
the fuction of the packing f, f, against the internal periphery of the
cylinder A. Thus rising of the cylindo E, produced by an increased pics-
sure of the steam within the boiler, will raise the toothed bai 1, and cause
the toothed quadrant m to tuin the axle n, as before descubed, and thereby
tuin the dampe disc into such a position as will obstruct the draft of
the chimney. This obstruction of the draft will reduce the intensity of the
fire in the furnace, and consequently diminish the force and the quantity of
steam generated. When this reduction of the stream pressure within the
boiler has taken place, the cylinder E will be brought down again by the force
of the spring q, and at the same tune the flue opened by the damper disc
being placed edgewise in the chimney, as before In the event of the steam
within the boiler rising to such a force as might be considered dangerous, its
pressure would lift the bottom of the cylinder E. that is, its flange e. c, to the
top of the cylinder A, A. Immediately on this taking place, an aperture u
with small holes, in the side of the cylinder A, would become opened to the
action of the steam in the boiler, and which rushing through that aperture, and
through the lateral pipe connected to it, would communicate with a whistle
at the end of the pipe, and give the necessary alum to the attendant. When
the invention last described is adapted to a land engine (in which the damper
of the chimney is usually a rectangular or oblong plate made to rise and fall

page_text: perpendicularly), then the toothed quadi ant and rack bar may be dispensed with,
and the rod k, oi bai 7, may be connected immediately to the damper, or to a
chain and pulley, in the usual way, by which the damper may be made to
ise and fall by the motions of the cylinder E, as descubed; but in both cases
it is important that the cylinder E, and all the moving parts of the apparatus
that are sustained by the steam pressure, should be equipoised with the
working pressure of the steam in the boiler. For example, if the diameter
of the cylinder A be eight inches, oi in round numbers fifty square inches in
arca, and the pressure of the steam in the boiler be four pounds por square
inch, then the united weight of those parts of the machine which communicate
motion to the damper should be two hundred pounds; but as those moveable
parts of the machine would be much under this sum, circular weights may
be placed in the interior of the cyhuder E, to bring the machine to an
equilibrium It may be necessary in marine engines to attach a plate
to the side of the bar l, as at w, Figure 8, next to the funnel, to prevent
the rack becoming disengaged from the quadrant by the locking of the vessel.
In order to fix the damper in any desired position when the cylinder E 15 not
at work (as when the vessel lies at auchoi, yet having the steam up), I diaw
the bai 7 back out of gear, and place tho quadiant m in the position I desire,
and fix it firmly to the bracket by a thumb sciew a, as shewn at Figure 7
Having now described my improvements in steam engines, I desire it to be
understood that the particular features of novelty which I claim under the
abovo in part recited Letters Patent, arc,-
Fustly, connecting the piston 1od of a steam engine to the piston by means
of a joint formed by a ball and socket;
Secondly, keeping the packing of a piston tight by the united force of
metallic springs and steam in the manner shewn and described,
Thudly, the construction and adaptation of a curved sliding apparatus, with an
exhausted chamber between, and attached to the top or cap of the cylinder,
for the purpose of allowing the piston rod to vibrato as it slides up and down
in the manner shewn and described;
And, lastly, the means and apparatus by which I regulate the generating of
steam, and its pressure in the boiler, as exhibited in the Diawing, and explained
above
{
In witness whereof, I, the said Gustaf Victor Gustafsson, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of January, in the year of
our Loid One thousand eight hundred and forty-seven
(L.S.) G V. GUSTAFSSON.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the same Fourteenth day of January,
in the year above mentioned, the aforesaid Gustaf Victor Gustafsson came
before our Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Speci-
fication aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained, in form above
written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the
tenor of the Statuto in that case made and provided