IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Hamer, of White Horse Yard, 100, High
Holborn, London, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
STEAM ENGINES."
Sealed the 10th June 1870, and dated the 15th December 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Hamer at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
15th December 1869.
I, JAMES HAMER, of White Horse Yard, 100, High Holborn, London,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "Im-
PROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists of a hollow cylinder fixed on a ball working in
a steam-tight fitted cup which is fixed to the foundation plate of engine
and is pierced with two separate passages for steam, which is commu-
nicated to it from the steam boiler by ordinary steam pipes; the said ball
has three steam ways so arranged that by its motion those passages or
steam ways alternately act as inlet or outlet for the steam admitted

page_text: through the passages in cup below to the cylinder which is fixed on the
top of said ball. The steam on entering cylinder acts on the piston
in the usual manner and gives up-and-down motion to the piston, which
is attached to crank of engine by the ordinary means, and by this motion
the cylinder and ball are moved steadily round the piston as well as
oscillating to and fro, supported by the cup below, which combined
movements prevent any inequality of friction or wear on any particular
part or parts of cup, ball, or cylinder.
The action of engine can be reversed by attaching to supply steam
pipe a slide valve in box, which when required is worked by a hand
lever and converts for the time the previous outlet to an inlet, and the
contrary.
The materials used for these several parts are those metals usually
adopted for steam engines and may be of any required dimensions.
In some cases I connect to cylinder and cup a click and rachet or
similar contrivance to insure regularity of revolving motion.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said James Hamer in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 14th June 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
HAMER, of White Horse Yard, 100, High Holborn, London, Engineer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of December, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the thirty-
third year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said James Hamer, Her special licence that
I, the said James Hamer, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said James Hamer, my executors, 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 I, the said James Hamer,

page_text: my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my;
or their, or one of their hands and seals, 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
Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after
the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said James Hamer, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, and the Drawings therein referred to (that is to
say):-
My Invention consists of a hollow cylinder fixed on a ball working
in a steam-tight fitted cup which is fixed to the foundation plate of
engine and is pierced with two separate passages for steam, which is
communicated to it from the steam boiler by ordinary steam pipes; the
said ball has three steam ways so arranged that by its motion these
passages or steam ways alternately act as inlet or outlet for the steam
admitted through the passage in cup below to the cylinder which is
fixed on the top of said ball. The steam on entering the cylinder
acts on the piston in the usual manner and gives an up-and-down
motion to the piston, the rod of which is attached to crank of engine by
the ordinary means, and by this motion the cylinder and ball are
moved steadily round the piston as well as oscillating to and fro,
supported by the cup below, which combined movements prevent any
inequality of friction or wear on any particular part or parts of cup, ball,
and cylinder.
The action of the engine can be reversed or stopped without the
employment of gear work by attaching to the supply steam pipe a
slide valve in box, which when required is worked by a hand lever,
and converts for the time the previous outlet to an inlet, and the
contrary.
And in order that these my said improvements may be more fully
understood and readily carried into effect, I now proceed to describe
the same by the aid of the accompanying Drawings, reference being had
to the letters and figures thereon marked (that is to say) :-
Fig. 1 represents a front view of my improved engine showing the
working portions of the cylinder and cup and ball action in section;
Fig. 2, an underneath plan view of the cylinder; Fig. 3, a top or plan

page_text: view of the plate to which the cup is secured; Fig. 4, a top or plan view
of the cup showing the metallic ring for preventing lateral action of the
ring for securing the ball in the cup; Fig. 5, the said ring for securing
the ball shown in plan; Fig. 6, an underneath view of the nut for
maintaining the securing ring in its required position; Fig. 7, an under-
neath view of the ball; and Fig. 8, a sectional side view of the slide valve
movement by means of which I reverse or stop the action of the engine.
In each Figure the same letters of reference denoto similar corresponding
parts.
A, A, the standards; B, B, base or foundation plate of engine; C, C,
cylinder; D, D, piston; E, E, piston rod; F, F, 'cylinder head; G, G,
stuffing box; H, H, crank; I, I, shaft; J, J, flanged bottom of cylinder
secured to the metallic ball K, K, by means of a male and female screw
L, L, or otherwise; M, M, steam-tight cup in which the said ball works;
N, N, plate through the medium of which the cup is secured to the
foundation plate of engine; O, O, metallic ring for retaining the ball in
the cup; P, P, nut for fixing the said ring in its required position;
Q, Q, ring for preventing lateral play or motion of the ring O, O;
R, R, steam pipes communicating with the cylinder through the
passages or channels S, S, formed in the cup, ball, and cylinder; T, T,
slide valve movement for reversing or stopping the motion of the engine
through the medium of the hand lever U, U; V, V, lubricator. By the
employment of my said improvements in steam engines I am enabled
to dispense with the ordinary slide, slide box and rod, connecting rod,
excentric, band, connecting rod from crank to piston rod and guides,
thereby effecting a material reduction in the cost of the construction of
the engine and considerably lessening the wear and tear by obviating to
a great degree the friction of the working parts whereby also I economise
to a great extent the motive power. In some cases I connect to the
cylinder and cup a click and ratchet or similar contrivance to ensure
regularity of the revolving motion of the cylinder and ball.
The materials used for the several parts of my improvod engine are
those metals usually employed in the construction of steam engines, and
may be of any required dimensions.
Having now fully described and ascertained the nature of this my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is to be performed and
carried into effect, I would have it clearly understood that I do not
confine myself to the precise details hercin-before described, as the same

page_text: may be varied without departing from the general principle of these
my said improvements; but that which I do claim as new and of my said
Invention is, the general construction and arrangement of a cylinder
oscillating on a cup and ball with supply and exhaust passages passing
through the same together with the employment of the slide valve
movement for stopping or reversing the action of the engine, substan-
tially in the manner and for the purposes herein-before set forth and
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Hamer, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of June, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy.