Improvements in Automatic Valves for Steam and Air Engines
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 7th May, 1859-Accepted, 15th June, 1889
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Automatic Valves for Steam and Air Engines
HENRY CLARK SERGEANT of No. 318 West 47th Street, in the City of New
York in the State of New York United States of America, Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
My invention is more particularly intended for engines used for drilling rock or
coal, but is applicable for use in direct-action reciprocating engines generally.
An engine embodying my invention comprises a steam actuated or air-actuated
piston, to which the main slide valve of the engine is attached, and which has a
reciprocating movement within the steam or air chest of the engine, to shift the said
valve in the necessary manner, the steam or air for producing said movement being
controlled by a slide valve which is carried by a second or auxiliary piston, which 18
driven by the steam or air independently of the movement of the main piston of the
engine
In carrying out my invention, the steam or air chest of the engine is formed with a
duplex system of ports and passages, one set extending to the main cylinder in the
usual manner, but provided also with auxiliary passages extending to the opposite side
of the steam or air chest, and controlled by the main valve piston, and an auxiliary
set of ports controlled by the auxiliary valve piston, and provided with a second set of
passages likewise crossing to the opposite side of the steam or air chest -The steam
or air chest itself is formed with two sets of single acting cylinders placed side by side,
and in which are reciprocated the two steam-actuated or air-actuated pistons, each
moving a slide valve for opening and closing one of the sets of ports referred to -A
valve or valves provided in the passages, and adjustable by hand, serve to throttle and
vary the area of the passages, and thereby to control the speed of the auxiliary valve-
actuating piston, both valve pistons being thus rendered wholly independent of the
movement of the piston in the main cylinder
I will now describe my invention in detail with reference to the accompanying
drawings, and will afterwards point out its novelty in claims.
Fig is a longitudinal sectional elevation of the cylinder, team chest, and adjacent
parts of a reciprocating steam engine for drilling purposes, embodying my invention,
the section being taken through the main valve and its ports. Fig. 2 represents a
transverse section thereof on the line of Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 is a plan view, with the steam chest in section, on the line y y of Fig. 1,
showing the valve-actuating pistons
Fig 4 is a plan of the plate which constitutes the seat for the two valves.
Fig. 5 represents a longitudinal vertical section of the steam chest, taken through
the auxiliary valve and its ports
Similar letters of reference denote like parts throughout.
A is the main cylinder of the engine, and B the piston thereof.-C is the steam
chest, which is forined with two short single ported cylinders at each end, which are
marked D E and D₁ E¹ respectively, and with an enlarged or open central portion
between the sud cylinder, to permit free passage of steam or air to the poits.-The
inner ends of the cylinders are all open to the steam chest, which may be supplied
with the steam for working the engine through a pipe connected with any suitable
part of it-In the example represented, S is the steam pipe connected with a
passage S formed in the casting of the main cylinder, and communicating with the
chest C through an opening S* in the bottom thereof.
Findicates a plate of metal interposed between the steam chest and cylinder, and
in it the main and auxiliary ports, and the principal parts of the auxiliary passages,
are formed. The plate F will be hereinafter referred to as the valve-plate.

page_text: -
G and H represent the main ports from which passages extend respectively to the
forward and rear ends of the main cylinder. I is the main exhaust port com-
municating by a passage 11 with the atmosphere, either directly or by a pipe I*
From the port G, an auxiliary passage g, formed in the valve plate F, extends around
and across the valve-plate, issuing at port g' on the opposite side of the steam chest
From the port H, a similar passage extends across, and issues at port /³, also on
the opposite side of the steam chest -The ports g¹¹, communicate with the outer
ends of the cylinders E E¹ respectively, through passages gh, formed partly in the
bottom and partly in the ends of the steam chest, as shown in Figs 3 and 5.
J, K, L indicate the auxilary set of poits, which, as shown, are located close to.
and in the same transverse plane as the ports GH, and comprise supply ports J K,
and an exhaust port L-The port J leads brough passage, which is of less area
than the port itselt, and issues through port' on the opposite side of the steam chest.
The port Kextends by passage h, which similarly issues on the opposite side of the
steam chest by port k¹
Besides the several ports and passages above described, the valve-plate has in it an
opening S*, corresponding with the steam inlet opening in the bottom of the steam
chest.
The various ports and passages just referred to, could of course be formed by cores
in the main body of the metal of the main cylinder A, when said cylinder is cast,
but, for greater accuracy, I prefer to form them in the valve plate F, which can
readily be planed and fitted, and is secured to the side of the said cylinder. Parts
of the passages g h are open on one face of the plate F, as are parts of the passages
and k on its opposite face-These are however tightly closed when the plate is in
position, the metal of the cylinder A closing those on the lower or inner side of the
plate, and the end portions of the steam chest closing those on the upper or outer
surface of the plate.
M is the valve-actuating piston, formed with cylindric end portions adapted to
move under steam pressure in the cylinders D D of the steam chest. The main
side-valve m, which moves upon the ports G H, is shown as being secured to the
central portion of the piston M
N is the auxiliary valve-actuating piston, which moves in cylinders E E¹, and is
the counterpart of piston M, so that their positions may be changed, should one
wear faster than the other -The piston N is attached to slide-valve n moving upon
the auxiliary ports J. K.
It will be evident that the form of the valve-actuating pistons may be greatly
varied, so long as one controls the other, and they both move independently of the
main piston. The location of the sand pistons may also be varied, as good results
would also be secured, were they separated by the entire width of the steam chest,
and the slide-valves airanged in the space between them. Other immaterial changes
might also be suggested.
The auxiliary exhaust port, L, is shown, in Figs. 2 and 5, as communicating with
the same pass ige, 1, with which the main exhaust port I communicates, but the said
port L may have a separate outlet to the atmosphere
The passages and h* are represented as fitted with valves vv, by which they
may be throttled, for the purpose of regulating the ingress and egress of steam, to
regulate the speed of the movement of the valves as desired --The valves have
screw-threaded stems, the ends of which project through stuffing boxes in the
ends of the steam chest, and are provided with heads by which they may be turned by
hand to adjust the said valves Similar means might be provided for throttling the
passages and A, or the exhaust port L.
The operation of the device is as follows:-
When the main valve piston M is at the forward end of its stroke, that is to say,
the right-hand end, as viewed in Figs. 1 and 5, the auxiliary valve piston N will be
in its reat ward position.-The cylinder D then receives steam through port J, passage,
port, and the cylinder D exhausts through port A', passage k, and ports K and L,
the valve piston M being driven to the left.-By this movement of the piston M, the

page_text: port G is uncovered, and steam passes through said port G, passage g, port g', ani
passage g*, into the cylinder E¹, and drives the valve piston N to the right, the
exhaust escaping through passage h*, port h¹, passage h. and ports H and I.
By the above described movement of the valve-piston N, the port K is uncovered.
and steam passes through port K, passage k, port k¹, into the cylinder D¹, and
exhausts through port, passage 1, and port J, L, thus moving the valve-piston M
back to its first position By this movement of the piston M, the port H is uncovered,
and steam passes through said port H, passage h, port ', and passage *, into the
cylinder E and drives the valve-piston N to the left, the exhaust escaping through
passage g, port g', passage g, and ports G and I-The valves having now each
completed a stroke, then alternating reciprocating movements may be continued so
long as steam or compressed air is supplied, and the speed at which the valve-actuating
pistons move is readily controlled by means of the throttle valves, by which the area
of the passages g*, * are increased or diminished.
It will be understood that while, for purpose of illustration, I have described my
improvements specifically, I do not limit myself to the construction of the precise
forms shown, since they may be modified in many respects without departing from
the spirit or scope of the invention
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
1. In a reciprocating engine, means for opening and closing the supply ports
thereof, comprising a pair of valve-actuating pistons driven by the motive fluid
independently of the movement of the main piston, substantially as described
2. In a reciprocating engine, the combination with the main supply ports and
cylinder, of two valvos arranged to move in alternation, and to control the necessary
supply ports and passages to produce said alternating motion independently of the
movement of the main piston, substantially as described.
3 In a reciprocating engine, valve operating mechanism therefor, consisting of
two similar reciprocating pistons, the first of which is connected to, and moves the
main valve of the engine, and the second of which operates a similar valve controlling
the movements of the brst one, independently of the movement of the main piston,
substantially as described
4. In a reciprocating engine, the combination with the inain supply valve thereof
and a steam actuated of air-actuated piston for reciprocating the same, of an auxiliary
valve and a steam-actuated or air-actuated piston for operating the same, and ports
and passages in the steam chest, whereby the first mentioned valve is made to control
the movements of the last mentioned piston, the whole operating independently of
the movement of the main piston, to control the movement of the latter, substantially
as described.
5. A reciprocating engine having a steam actuated or air-actuated piston, and a
valve operated thereby, to open and close the main supply and exhaust ports inde-
pendently of the movement of the main piston, an auxiliary piston which controls
ports and passages for actuating the main valve piston, and a valve or valves for
contracting one or more of the passage or passages for regulating the speed of the
valve-piston, substantially as described.
6. In a reciprocating engine, the combination of pistons M N, main valve m
attached to piston M, and an auxiliary valve attached to piston N, main supply
ports, and an auxilary set of ports controlled by the piston N, and valve passages
leading from said auxiliary ports to actuate the piston M, and passages leading
from the main ports to give motion to the piston, substantially as described.
7. In a reciprocating engine, the combination of cylinders D, D, E, E¹, and
pistons M, N, main valve m, attached to piston M, and an auxiliary valve n attached
to piston N, main supply poits, and an auxiliary set of ports controlled by the piston N,
and valve passages leading from said auxiliary ports to actuate the piston M, and

page_text: contractible passages leading from the main ports to the cylinders E E¹, substantially
as and for the purpose herein described.
8. The valve-actuating pistons M N in combination with the steam chest C having
oppositely located cylinders to receive the pistons, and an enlarged or open central
portion, to permit the free passage of steam or air to the ports, substantially as
described
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicant.