Improvements in Compound Locomotive Engines.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Apr., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 23rd May, 1893—Accepted, 24th June, 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Compound Locomotive Engines.
I, KARL GÖLSDORF, of 4 Favoritenstrasse 64, Vienna in the Empire of Austro-
Hungary, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
Hitherto it has been necessary for the purpose of enabling compound locomotive
engines to be started in whatever position the crank of the high pressure cylinder
may be at the time, to provide in the pipe or passage connecting the high pressure
cylinder with the receiver, special closing or cut off devices such as cocks, valves
or dampers, that are operated, at the moment when the engine is to be started, in
such a manner as to prevent the fresh steam supplied from the boiler and entering
the receiver and low pressure cylinder from exercising an injurious counter-pressure
in the high pressure cylinder on the side opposite to that in which the high
pressure piston moves when the distributing valve of such cylinder is closed.
This invention has for object to enable compound locomotive engines to be
started without the employment of any special devices such as referred to, however
unfavourable the position of the cranks may be at the moment, as for example
when the crank of the high pressure piston is nearly horizontal and that of the
low pressure piston is practically vertical.
"
For this purpose the valve face of the low pressure cylinder is formed with
orifices or ports that are in communication with the main steam pipe or boiler and
are so arranged that during the ordinary operation of the engine they will be
effectually closed, while when the engine is to be started, in which case the "filling'
corresponding to the usual operation (from 50 to 60%) is exceeded, one of these
ports will be uncovered or opened whereby steam will be admitted to that end of
the low pressure cylinder corresponding to the required direction of motion,
whereby the low pressure piston will be set in operation. The steam arriving on
the opposite side to that in which the piston moves (coming from the low pressure
cylinder and passing through the receiver) does indeed exercise a certain counter-
pressure, which however is overcome by the steam from the boiler as soon as the
position of the cranks undergoes the slightest alteration, such steam entering
direct into the high pressure cylinder. When the low pressure slide valve assumes
such a position that the port, which until then has been opened, is closed, the direct
admission of steam into the low pressure cylinder will be discontinued and therefore
any injurious counter-pressure that might otherwise result therefrom is completely
obviated so that the locomotive engine can then be started by the steam pressure
exerted upon the high pressure piston alone.
99
This arrangement is applicable to compound engines with two or more cylinders
and may be used in conjunction with any form of link motion for the purpose of
starting engines, provision being made for all the conditions on which the "filling
depends (such as the extent of motion of the eccentric, the effective length of the
link, the angle of lead, &c.) to be so fulfilled as to allow of a maximum" filling
(about 90 per cent.).
"
In order that the invention may be fully understood reference is had to the
accompanying drawings, in which,
Fig. 1 is a side elevation ;
Fig. 2 a horizontal section; and
Fig. 3 a vertical cross section of a compound locomotive engine constructed in
accordance with this invention ;
Fig. 4 is a plan to a larger scale, of the slide valve face of the low pressure
cylinder and

page_text: Figs. 5 and 6 are respectively a longitudinal and transverse section of the valve
chest of the low pressure cylinder.
Fig. 7 is a diagram (on the Zeuner system) for a link motion arranged in
accordance with this invention.
From the drawings it will be seen that the slide valve face of the low pressure
cylinder is provided with two orifices or ports a a, that are connected by
channels a¹ a¹ and pipes b b to a common pipe c that is in communication with a
cross pipe d and the main steam pipe d¹.
The ports a of the said channels a¹ are so arranged in the valve surface that in
the ordinary operation of the engines, during which the "filling" does not exceed
50 or 60 per cent., they remain closed under the action of the piece or bridge f¹ of
the slide valvef for the low pressure cylinder; when however the link arrangement
is, for the purpose of starting the engine, adjusted for a larger percentage of
"filling" (say 90 per cent., or more) one of the said ports will be opened (Fig. 5)
whereby steam will be admitted from the cross pipe d to that end of the low
pressure cylinder which corresponds to the direction of motion of the piston at the
time. When the ports are closed by the slide valve the steam can no longer
pass from the main steam pipe d' and cross pipe & into the low pressure cylinder,
and therefore no counter pressure is produced upon the high pressure piston. As
moreover, owing to the considerable" filling," the position of the cranks is now
the most favourable one, and inasmuch as the port a which has remained closed up
to this time only opens when the piston stroke in the low pressure cylinder changes,
the link motion may be absolutely relied upon for effective operation in starting
the engine.
It is obvious that the ports may be arranged at other parts than those shown, in
which case the lugs or flanges of the slide valve may be made to serve the same
purpose as the bridge f¹ in the arrangement shewn.
The diagram of Zeuner, Fig. 7, corresponds to a link arrangement fitted for a
maximum "filling" (say 94 per cent.) in accordance with this invention.
In the diagram,
I is the crank circle;
II is the circle the radius of which equals the maximum overlapping ;
III is the slide valve circle calculated for the minimum "filling" (14 per cent.);
IV is the slide valve circle for the medium "filling (50 per cent.);
V is the slide valve circle for the maximum "filling"; and
VI is the line connecting all the slide valve circles (the central curve).
The distance between the two arcs of circles VII and VIII drawn in dotted
lines, equals the width of the ports a in the direction of motion of the slide valve f.
It will be seen from this diagram that the ports a in the ordinary operation 'of
the engine remain closed until the "filling" of 50 per cent. (which is the maximum
under ordinary circumstances) is attained.
When however the mechanism is arranged for a 94 per cent. filling one of the
ports a begins to open when the piston has completed about one half per cent. of its
stroke, and is fully open when two per cent. of the piston stroke has been completed.
It then remains fully open until the piston stroke reaches about 85 per cent. -after
which the closing of the said port begins. When the piston stroke is at 90 per cent.
the port is completely closed again.
It is to be understood that the arrangements hereinbefore described may also be
applied to engines operating with more than two cylinders, it being only necessary
in that case to fulfil the conditions herein before mentioned.
Dated this 9th do of Amil 1000

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Compound Locomotive Engines.
I, KARL GÖLSDORF of 4 Favoritenstrasse 64, Vienna, in the Empire of Austro-
Hungary, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :—
Hitherto it has been necessary for the purpose of enabling compound locomotive
engines to be started in whatever position the crank of the high pressure cylinder
may be at the time, to provide in the pipe or passage connecting the high pressure
cylinder with the receiver, special closing or cut off devices such as cocks, valves
or dampers, that are operated, at the moment when the engine is to be started, in
such a manner as to prevent the fresh steam supplied from the boiler and entering
the receiver and low pressure cylinder from exercising an injurious counter-pressure
in the high pressure cylinder on the side opposite to that in which the high pressure
piston moves when the distributing valve of such cylinder is closed.
This invention has for object to enable compound locomotive engines to be
started without the employment of any special devices such as referred to, however
unfavourable the position of the cranks may be at the moment, as for example when
the crank of the high pressure piston is nearly horizontal and that of the low
pressure piston is practically vertical.
For this purpose the valve face of the low pressure cylinder is formed with
orifices or ports that are in communication with the main steam pipe or boiler and
are so arranged that during the ordinary operation of the engine they will be
effectually closed, while when the engine is to be started, in which case the ordinary
working point of cut off (corresponding to from about 50 to 60% of the piston stroke)
is exceeded, one of these ports will be uncovered or opened whereby steam will be
admitted to that end of the low pressure cylinder corresponding to the required
direction of motion, with the result that the low pressure piston will be set in
operation. From the steam chest of the low pressure cylinder the steam passes
into the receiver and thence into the high pressure cylinder entering on that side of
the piston therein which is opposite to that in which the movement of the piston
ought to take place. Thus the steam entering the high pressure cylinder will
exercise a certain counter-pressure, which however will be overcome by live steam
from the boiler as soon as the position of the cranks undergoes the slightest
alteration, such live steam entering direct into the high pressure cylinder. When
the low pressure slide valve assumes such a position that the port, which until then
has been open, is closed, the direct admission of steam into the low pressure
cylinder will be discontinued and therefore any injurious counter-pressure that
might otherwise result therefrom is completely obviated, so that the locomotive
engine can then be started by the steam pressure exerted upon the high pressure
piston alone.
This arrangement is applicable to compound engines with two or more cylinders
and may be used in conjunction with any form. of link motion for the purpose of
starting engines, provision being made for all the conditions on which the point of
cut off depends (such as the extent of motion of the eccentric, the effective length
of the link, the angle of lead, &c.) to be so fulfilled as to allow of a maximum
point of cut off (corresponding say to about 90 per cent. of the stroke of the engine).
In order that the invention may be fully understood reference is had to the.
drawings filed with my Provisional Specification in which,
Fig. 1 is a side elevation ;

page_text: *** a vertical cross section of a compound locomotive engine constructed in
accordance with this invention ;
Fig. 4 is a plan to a larger scale, of the slide valve face of the low pressure
cylinder; and
Figs. 5 and 6 are respectively a longitudinal and transverse section of the valve
chest of the low pressure cylinder.
Fig. 7 is a diagram (on the Zeuner system) for a link motion arranged in
accordance with this invention.
From the drawings it will be seen that the slide valve face of the low pressure
cylinder is provided with two orifices or ports a a, that are connected by
channels a¹ a¹ and pipes b b to a common pipe c that is in communication with a
cross pipe d and the main steam pipe d'.
The ports a of the said channels a¹ are so arranged in the valve surface that in
the ordinary operation of the engines, during which the point of cut off does not
exceed 50 or 60 per cent. of the stroke they remain closed under the action of the
piece or bridge f¹ of the slide valve f for the low pressure cylinder; when however
the link arrangement is, for the purpose of starting the engine, adjusted for a
larger point of cut off (corresponding say to 90 per cent. or more of the stroke of
the engine) one of the said ports will be opened (Fig. 5) whereby steam will be
admitted from the cross pipe d to that end of the low pressure cylinder which
corresponds to the direction of motion of the piston at the time. When the ports
are closed by the slide valve f, the steam can no longer pass from the main steam
pipe d' and cross pipe d into the low pressure cylinder, and therefore no counter
pressure is produced upon the high pressure piston. As moreover, owing to the
large point of cut off the position of the cranks is now the most favourable one,
and inasmuch as the port a which has remained closed up to this time only opens
when the piston stroke in the low pressure cylinder changes, the link motion may
be absolutely relied upon for effective operation in starting the engine.
It is obvious that the ports may be arranged at other parts than those shown, in
which case the lugs or flanges of the slide valve may be made to serve the same
purpose as the bridge f¹ in the arrangement shewn.
The diagram of Zuener, Fig. 7, corresponds to a link arrangement fitted for a
maximum cut off (say 94 per cent.) in accordance with this invention.
In the diagram,
I is the crank circle;
II is the circle the radius of which equals the maximum overlapping;
III is the slide valve circle calculated for the minimum cut off (14 per cent.);
IV is the slide valve circle for the medium cut off (50 per cent);
V is the slide valve circle for the maximum cut off; and
VI is the line connecting all the slide valve circles (the central curve).
The distance beween the two arcs of circles VII and VIII drawn in dotted
lines, equals the width of the ports a in the direction of motion of the slide
valve f
It will be seen from this diagram that the ports a in the ordinary operation of
the engine remain closed until a cut off corresponding to about 50 per cent. of
the stroke of the engine (which is the maximum under ordinary circumstances) is
attained.
When however the mechanism is adjusted for a cut off corresponding to
94 per cent. of the stroke one of the ports a will begin to open when the piston has
completed about one half per cent. of its stroke, and will be fully open when
two per cent. of the piston stroke has been made. It then remains fully open until
the piston makes about 85 per cent. of its stroke after which the closing of the said
port will begin. When the piston has made about 90 per cent. of its stroke the port
will be completely closed again.
It is to be understood that the arrangements bereinbefore described may also be 5
applied to engines operating with more than two cylinders, it being only necessary
in that case to fulfil the conditions herein before mentioned.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
:-
For starting compound locomotive engines in whatever position the cranks may
be, constructing the slide valve face of the low pressure cylinder with two orifices
or ports a that are in communication with the main steam pipe or with the boiler
and are so arranged that during the ordinary operation of the engine they will
remain closed by the action of the slide valve of such cylinder, but that when the
ordinary point of cut off corresponding to say from 50 to 60 per cent. of the engine
stroke is exceeded these orifices or ports will be alternately opened, so that steam
will be admitted to that port of the low pressure cylinder which corresponds to the
required direction of motion of the piston, so that the engine will be started by
the operation of the low pressure piston alone, and that when the counter pressure
exerted upon one side of the high pressure cylinder is overcome by high pressure
steam admitted to the other side of the said piston, and the orifice or port a which
had been opened is again closed, the engine can be started by the operation of the
high pressure piston alone substantially as herein described.
Dated this 23rd day of May 1802
K. GÖLSDORF,
By L. W., per F. B.