Improvements in Steam Fire Engines and Pumping Engines.
Year: 1897

page_text: PROVISIONAL DEECIFICATION.
Improvements in Steam Fire Engines and Pumping Engines.
JAMES CADOUX HUDSON, 75, Upper Ground Street, Blackfriars Road, London,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
In portable, floating and fixed steam fire engines of the rotating pattern where
the movement of the piston is controlled by a connecting rod and crank, the
practice has been to use one, two, or three double acting high pressure steam
cylinders, the slide valve giving a cut off at about 75 per cent. of the stroke.
My improvement consists in compounding the steam cylinders placing the high and
low pressure cylinders tandem fashion, thus in an engine with one double acting
pump there will be one high and one low pressure cylinder, and in an engine with
two double acting pumps, there will be one high and one low to each pump, similar
repeating for a treble pump.
I place the high pressure cylinder at the top and a central piston rod passing
through the bottom end is connected to the centre of the low pressure piston-
from this piston two rods pass down on each side of the cheeks of crank shaft and
are connected to a head piece on pump rod-from a joint in the head piece a
connecting rod returns to the crank pin as shewn in Patent granted to me
No. 22824 in the year 1893; for double or treble pump the arrangement of engine
will be repeated. In single pump engines an eccentric works the slide valve rod-
one rod working the slide valve of each bigh and low pressure cylinder and when
desired I also place a cut off valve in the back of main slide valve--worked by
separate eccentric rod or crank pin. In the double pump engine-I place the
eccentric towards the end of crank shaft with separate eccentrics for cut off valve
or crank pin in place of eccentric. I balance the engine by wheels at end of crank-
shaft or by balance weights on the main crauk cheeks. The piston rod between
high and low pressure cylinders is packed with metallic or other suitable packing,
In three pump
as also are the valve rods between high and low valve chests.
engines I repeat the above engine working the slide valve by a system of lever -
one engine working the valve of another as in a well known equilibrium steam fire
engine or I work the valves of central cylinder by a rocking shaft or an eccentric
at about centre of crankshaft.
By this arrangement of engine I obtain considerable greater economy in steam
consumption thus being able to use a lighter boiler and to generally reduce the
weight of the machine also using less coal for a given effect. This form of engine
can be placed horizontally, or used as on a portable engine or a floating or fixed
engine.
bon. 1907

page_text: Improvements in Steam Fire Engines and Pumping Engines.
JAMES CADOUX HUDSON, 75, Upper Ground Street, Blackfriars Road, London, S.E.,
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 :-
In steam fire engines of the rotating pattern, where the movement of the piston
is controlled by a connecting rod and crank, the practice has been to use one two,
or three double acting high pressure steam cylinders the slide valve giving a cut
off at about 75 per cent. of the stroke.
My improvements consists in compounding the steam cylinders placing the high
and low pressure cylinders tandem fashion. Thus in an engine with one double
acting pump there will be one high and one low pressure cylinder; and in an engine
with two double acting pumps, there will be one high and one low to each pump;
similar repeating for a treble pump.
I place the high pressure cylinder at the top, and a central piston rod passing
through the bottom end is connected to the centre of the low pressure cylinder
piston. From this piston two rods pass down on each side of the cheeks of crankshaft
and are connected to a head piece on pump rod. From a joint in the headpiece a
connecting rod returns to the crank pin as shewn in Patent No. 22,824 granted to me
in the year 1893.
For double or treble pumps the arrangement of engine will be repeated.
In single pump engines an eccentric works the slide valve rod, one rod working
the slide valve of each high and low pressure cylinder, and when desired I also
place a cut off valve in the back of main slide valve-worked by separate eccentric
rod or crank pin. In the double pump engine I place the eccentric towards the
end of crankshaft with separate eccentric for cut off valve, or crank pin in place
of eccentric.
I balance the engine by wheels at end of crankshaft or by balance weights on
the main crank cheeks. The piston rod between high and low pressure cylinder is
packed with metallic or other suitable packing as also are the valve rods between
high and low valve chests. In three pump engines I repeat the above engine
working the slide valves by a system of levers one engine working the valve of
another as in a well known equilibrium steam fire engine, or I work the valves of
central cylinder by a rocking shaft or an eccentric at about centre of crankshaft.
By this arrangement of engine I obtain considerably greater economy in steam
consumption thus being able to use a lighter boiler and to generally reduce the
weight of the machine, also using less coal for a given effect. This form of engine
can be placed horizontally or used as on a portable engine, or a floating or fixed
engine.
In order that my said invention may be most fully understood and readily
carried into effect I will proceed to describe the drawings hereunto annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 is a sectional front elevation of a part of a portable, floating or fixed
steam fire or pumping engine constructed according to my improvements.
Fig. 2 is a front elevation, one half in section, of the same as applied to a double
engine.
Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the sama

page_text: Fig. 4 is a front elevation of a part of a treble engine with slide valves of central
cylinders placed between cylinders.
Fig. 5 is a plan of the same.
Fig. 6 is a front elevation of a part of a treble engine with slide valves of
centre cylinders situated to one side and on a line at right angles to the longitudinal
centre line of all the cylinders.
Fig. 7 is a plan of the same.
Fig. 8 is a side elevation of the same.
Fig. 9 is a plan of a treble engine the slide valves of each cylinder being situated
at one side of the longitudinal centre line of the cylinders.
Fig. 10 is a part side elevation of the same.
Fig. 11 is a plan of valve gear of the same to an enlarged scale.
Fig. 12 is a sectional elevation of a part of a single pump engine shewing an
arrangement for working cut off valve.
Fig. 13 is a part sectional elevation showing another arrangement of same.
Referring now to Figs. 1, 2 & 3 (A) is the high pressure cylinder, (B) the low
pressure cylinder, (C) the high pressure steam chest, and (D) the low pressure steam
chest, (E) is the high pressure and (I) the low pressure piston, connected together
by the central rod (G) working in the metallic stuffing box (H) situated between
the high and low pressure cylinders (d) and (B). The two piston rods (I) (I) of the
low pressure cylinder (B) working in the ordinary stuffing boxes (J) (J) and con-
tinued downwards passing one on each side of the cheeks (K) of the crankshaft (L)
are connected to the crosshead (M) of pump rod (N); the return connecting rod (0)
with crosshead pin (P) and crank pin (R) are all in accordance with the Patent the
No. of which is 22824 and granted to me in the year 1893.
In Fig. 2 (S) is the high pressure and (T) the low pressure slide valves both of
ordinary construction and driven by an eccentric (U); the slide valve rod (V) being
continued upwards and passing through the metallic stuffing box (W) between the
steam chests (C) and (D). At the top end of high pressure steam chest (C) is
placed a guide (X) to receive the upper end of the slide valve rod (V). In Fig. 1
(S) and (T) are the main slide valves of the high and low pressure cylinders (A)
and (B); driven by the eccentric (U¹) valve rod (V) and both fitted with cut off
valves (S2) and (T2) these being driven by a separate eccentric (U2) and slide valve
rod (V); the stuffing boxes (W1) (W2) and top guides (X) (X2) being similar to
those described in connection with Fig. 2.
The engine may be balanced by the wheels (Y) (Y) which are also used for
turning engine by hand, or the balancing may be accomplished by weight (4)
formed on or attached to the crank cheeks (K), (K), as shown in dotted lines
Figs. 1 & 2.
In Figs. 4 & 5 (A¹) (A²) (A³) are the high pressure, and (B¹) (B²) (B³) are the
low pressure cylinders-the high pressure steam chests (C¹) (C2) (C3), and the low
pressure steam chests (D¹) (D) (D³). The slide valves (S3) (T3) of the two outer
cylinders (A, B¹) (A³, B³) are driven by the eccentrics (U³) (U³) in a similar
manner to that described in connection with Fig. 2, or the eccentric may be substi-
cuted by a crank pin (E³) shewn in dotted lines Fig. 4.
The slide valves (S³) (T3) of centre cylinders (A2, B2) being worked by the
eccentric (U) driving directly upwards in a similar manner to the two outside
engines.
In Figs. 67 & 8 the slide valves (S³) (T) of centre cylinders (A2, B2) are driven
by means of the eccentric (U5), the bell cranked lever (E) with fixed pin (F5); the
rm of the lever (E) is connected to eccentric (U5) by pin (G) and the other arm
s connected to the links (H) by the pin (15); the opposite end of links (H5) being
oupled to slide valve rod (V5) by the pin (J5). The slide valves (S³) (T³) of the
wo outside cylinders (A, B) and (A³, B³) are driven directly upwards by the
ccentrics (U) (U7) in the same manner as described in connection with Figs. 2
nd 3.

page_text: In Figs. 9 and 10 (A¹) (A2) (A³) are the high pressure cylinders, and (B¹) (B2) (B³)
the low pressure cylinders as before described (C) the high pressure steam chest
common to all three high pressure cylinders (A¹) (A2) (A³) and (D') the low pressure
steam chest also common to the three low pressure cylinders (B¹) (B²) (B³). In
this form of engine the slide valves (S3) (13) are driven as follows:-A link (K³) is
attached by a pin (L) to one of the piston rods ([³) or to any convenient part of the
reciprocating motion, the other end of the link (K³) is connected by a pin (M³) to
the lever (N³) vibrating on the rocking shaft (03) to which is also attached the short
lever (P3) the opposite end of this lever is connected by a pin (R3) to the coupling
rod (S) this being coupled to the slide rod (V+) by the pin (P). Fig. 11 is
a sectional plan of this valve gear the same letters of reference apply as in
Fig. 10. The manner in which the slide valves of the engine receives its motion
from the reciprocation of one of the other engines is as follows:―
No. 1 engine works No. 3 slide valve rod.
No. 2 engine works No. I slide valve rod.
No. 3 engine works No. 2 slide valve rod.
In Fig. 12 (A5) is the high pressure cylinder (B) the low pressure cylinder, with
slide valve (T) of ordinary construction (S) is the main valve of high pressure
cylinder fitted with cut off valves (S) (S) adjustable by means of the right and
left handed screws (L) and (R) and hand wheel (H) supported in the bracket (BS).
A rotative motion is imparted to the cut off valve rod (V) through the key (K')
fixed in the wheel (H) the valve rod (V) having a slot (M) of sufficient length to
give it freedom to move upwards or downwards under the action of the eccentric (U8)
and also a swivelling joint (No) to the eccentric (US) to allow of the rotating of the
cut off valve rod (V6) when adjusting the cut off valves (S) (Tº).
The stuffing boxes (0%) (P) are of ordinary construction, and the stuffing box (W)
a metallic one. The pistons (E6) and (F) with rods (I) (I) and centre rod (G)
are similar to those described in connection with Figs. 2 and 3; and the
valves (S) and (T) are driven by the eccentric (U) and valve rod (V) in a similar
manner.
Fig. 13 is a modification of the above arrangement of working the cut off
The
valves (S) (S7) the stuffing box (0%) in Fig. 12 being dispensed with.
eccentric (U10) is connected to the rod (V7) working in the guide brackets (07) (07).
The upper end of this rod has formed on it a boss (B7) to receive the cut off valve
rod (V) which in this case has formed upon it a hexagon (H7) or square or other
suitable shape to enable the rod (V) to be rotated when it is desired to adjust the cut off
valves (S) (S). This arrangement and also that described in connection with
Fig. 12 is also applicable to either the double or treble pump engine and in either
case the adjustment gear of all the cylinders would be connected together so that
the cut off valves of each cylinder would be adjusted simultaneously by one
operation; also the arrangement described in connection with the double pump
engine Figs. 1, 2 and 3 is equally applicable to the single engine Figs. 12
and 13.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
Firstly. I claim the arrangement of compounding the steam cylinders of portable,
floating or fixed steam fire or pumping engines having one, two, or three single or
double acting pumps, and having one high pressure and one low pressure cylinder
to each pump; the cylinders arranged tandem fashion and for the purposes stated,
and generally as illustrated and described.
Secondly. I claim the arrangements for working the slide valves of the cylinders
of steam fire and pumping engines having compound steam cylinders and having
single, double or treble pumps as illustrated and described.
Thirdly. I claim the arrangements for working and applying separate cut off

page_text: valves to the high pressure cylinders of steam fire and pumping engines having
compound steam cylinders and single, double, or treble pumps, and with arrange-
ments for altering the cut off whilst the engine is at work generally as illustrated
and described.
Dated th: 1021 3
1
1000