Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Sept., 1887
Complete Left, 29th Nov., 1887
Complete Accepted, 6th Jan., 1888
A communication from JOEL TIFFANY CASE, of Bristol, County of Hartford, and
State of Connecticut, United States of America, Manufacturer.
I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 323 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex, M.I.M.E.
lo hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in steam engines and the objects thereof are
to simplify the construction to bring the engine into a compact form, to increase the
efficiency of the machine and to adapt the engine for use as one of the hangers for a
line of shafting.
The frame or case for the engine is in the form of a flat thin box having a removable
cap upon one side. In the preferred form its upper end is provided with a flange to
enable it to be secured over head in a pendant position to any suitable support and
thereby serve as one of the hangers for the main line of shafting. Extending
transversely through the case is a hollow axle which is preferably divided into two
longitudinal chainbers each having a port upon their upper and lower sides opening
radially. The steam pipe is connected with one chamber and the exhaust pipe extends
from the other chamber. Surrounding this hollow axle is what may be termed a
piston said piston being provided with a port at each end. Surrounding the piston
and fitted thereto is a steam box or frame the piston being preferably fitted to the
sides of this steam box with packing rings or strips of ordinary construction. The
open sides of this frame or steam box are covered and closed by the broad sides of the
principal frame or case and its cap and the steam box may be fitted to the inner sides
of the frame by means of packing rings. For convenience of fitting, that surface
of the inside of the frame over which the steam box travels may be elevated a little
from the rest. This steam box when closed by the sides of the fraure constitutes in
effect the cylinder of an engine, excepting that it reciprocates over the piston instead
of having the piston reciprocate through the steam box.
I connect the steam box to a crank pin formed on a disc mounted on a shaft by
means of the connecting rod which is screwed into one end of the steam box and held

page_text: in place by a set nut. The lower end of the connecting rod is provided with a round
stem and a shoulder. The crank pin is held between two half boxes which boxes are
secured within a frame having a threaded neck through which the stem of the
connecting rod passes and presses upon one of the half boxes. A recessed nut
having a hole in one end through which the threaded portion of the connecting rod 5
extends is placed on said rod with the bottom of the recess bearing upon the shoulder.
This recessed nut is screwed upon the threaded neck to press the end of the stem
firmly upon the half box and is secured in place when properly adjusted by a set nut.
Within the lower part of the frame or case is secured a pipe which may be extended
downward to the floor and form a standard to assist in supporting the engine in place.
At one side of said pipe is a branch pipe, the main pipe being plugged up or closed
below said branch pipe. This branch pipe is connected with a chamber which is
provided with a central outlet pipe which extends upward in the chamber to a point
about level with the axis of the first motion shaft. In use the chamber is filled with
water which flows through the branch pipe and into the main pipe and rises within
the case to the level of the upper end of the outlet pipe. Within the frame or casing
of the engine oil is placed on top of the water. The motion of the parts will cause the
oil to be distributed through the case or frame so as to keep the parts amply
lubricated.
The bearing for the shaft is secured to one side of the case or frame and the half
boxes thereof are adjusted to bring the shaft into proper position by means of
adjusting screws.
The sides of the piston and the walls of the steam box which are fitted thereto may
be straight, but for convenience of fitting, the piston and the confronting walls of the
steam box may be made of a circular form with two sides of the piston slabbed off to
fit the broad sides of the case or frame. This difference in form makes no difference
in the mode of operation. Instead of making the piston of a solid block bored through
to fit it upon the hollow axle it may be made in two parts with a slight space between
them and secured together by means of bolts so that said two parts may be brought
together slightly to adjust them to the hollow axle in case of wear. Inasmuch as it
is the respective ends of the piston that are acted upon by the steam this middle
opening does no harm.
Live steam admitted through the supply pipe passes through one port of the piston
and drives the steam box in one direction so as to roatate the shaft the exhaust steam
meantime escaping through the other port of the piston into the chamber of the hollow
axle. As the crank reaches the limit of its stroke both steam ports are closed by the
solid metal between each pair of ports of the hollow axle, the crank imparting an
oscillating motion to both the steam box and piston. The farther motion of the crank
again opens the opposite port of the piston the first opened then registering with the
port in the live steam chamber and the other one with the port in the exhaust chamber
so that the steam box is driven in the opposite direction like changes being effected
when the crank again reaches its limit and so on repeatedly as long as the steam is
supplied.
While the engine has been described as fed from the hollow axle the rocking block
or piston may be mounted on a solid axle and the outlet and inlet ports formed near
the four corners of the elevations against which the sides of the steam box traverse
the movement of the steam box acting to open and close the ports. By slightly
increasing the thickness of the walls of the steam box they can be made to cover ports
of considerable size thereby admitting more steam and also better adapting the engine
for being driven by water instead of stean.
While it is preferred to arrange the frame or case in the form of a hanger as the
engine is compact enough to permit it to be so arranged such an arrangement may be
varied as many features of the invention would still remain the same.
11 0-1 Joy of Santainbion 1907

page_text: Improvements in or relating to Steam and Fluid Pressure
Engines.
A communication from JOEL TIFFANY CASE, of Bristol, County of Hartford, and
State of Connecticut, United States of America, Manufacturer.
1, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 323 High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex,
M.I.M.E. 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 :-
This invention relates to improvements in steam engines, and the objects of the
invention are to simplify the construction, to bring the engine into a compact forin,
to increase the efficiency of the machine and to adapt the engine for use as one of the
hangers for a line of shafting.
In the accompanying drawings ;-
Figure 1 is a front elevation of the engine together with a portion of the shafting
which it drives.
Figure 2 is a transverse section of said shafting and bearings on line
fig. 1.
---
y of
Figure 3 is an enlarged view partly in longitudinal section and partly in elevation
of the connecting rod and crank for the engine.
Figure 4 is a horizontal section of the engine on line c- - - x of fig. 5.
Figure 5 is a partial section and side elevation of the engine with the cap plate
removed.
Figure 6 is a transverse section of the piston and steam pipe, the plane of section
being indicated by the line w wo fig. 4.
---
Figure 7 is a transverse sectional view of the steam box and piston slightly modified,
the plane of section being indicated by the line ---2
fig. 8.
Figure 8 is an elevation of the piston shown in fig. 7.
Figure 9 is a longitudinal section of the steam pipe in a slightly modified
form.
Figure 10 is a vertical section of a modified form of the engine, partly in elevation,
the plane of section being indicated by the line 5- 5 fig. 11.
Figure 11 is a vertical section thereof partly in elevation, on line 6
fig. 10.
- 6
Figure 12 is a detail view showing the steam chests at one side of the case with its
cap removed, and-
Figure 13 is a horizontal section partly in elevation on line 7
The frame or case for the engine is in the form of a flat thin box A having a
removable cap B upon one side. In the preferred form its upper end is provided with
---
7 fig. 11.

page_text: a flange to enable it to be secured over head in a pendant position to any suitable
support and thereby serve as one of the hangers for the main line of shafting of
which C designates one end. Extending transversely through the case a hollow
axle D is extended which is preferably divided into two longitudinal chambers a b,
(see fig. 4) each having a port upon their upper and lower sides opening radially as
shown in figs. 4 and 6 and indicated by broken lines in fig. 5. The steam pipe E is
connected with the chamber a and the exhaust pipe extends from the chamber b. Sur-
rounding this hollow axle is what is termed the piston G, said piston being provided
with a port c fig. 6 at each end, the same being indicated by the broken lines in fig. 5.
Surrounding the piston G and fitted thereto is a steam box or frame H, the piston
being preferably fitted to the sides of this steam box with packing rings or strips d
of ordinary construction. The open sides of this frame or steam box are covered and
closed by the broad sides of the frame or case A and its cap B, which steam box may
be fitted to the sides of the frame by means of similar packing rings e.
For con-
venience of fitting, that surface of the inside of the frame over which the steam box
travels may be elevated a little from the rest of the surface as shown by the eleva-
tion figs. 5, 10 and 11. This steam box when closed by the sides of the frame
constitutes in effect the cylinder of an engine, excepting that it reciprocates over the
piston instead of having the piston reciprocate through the steam box.
and
g designates the crank pin on the disk of the shaft C. The steam box H is con-
nected to the crank ping by means of the connecting rod k which is screwed into one
end of the steam box H and held in place by a set nut m. The lower end of the
connecting rod is provided with a round stem n and a shoulder o. The crank pin g
is held between two half boxes p p fig. 3, which boxes are secured within a frame
having a threaded neck through which the stem n of the connecting rod passes
presses upon one of the half boxes. A recessed nut J having a hole in one end
through which the threaded portion of the connecting rod k extends is placed on said
rod with the bottom of the recess bearing upon the shoulder o. This recessed nut
is screwed upon the threaded neck to press the end of the stem n firmly upon the
half box and is secured in place when properly adjusted by the set nut s.
Within the lower part of the frame or case is secured a pipe K which may be
extended downward to the floor and form a standard to assist in supporting the engine
in place. At one side of said pipe is a branch pipe t, the pipe K being plugged up
or closed below said branch pipe. This branch pipe t is connected with a chamber M,
which chamber is provided with a central outlet pipo which extends upward to a
point about level with the axis of the shaft C. In use the chamber M is filled with
water which flows through the branch pipe t and into the pipe K and rises to the
level of the upper end of the outlet pipe u. Within the frame or casing A of the
engine is placed oil on top of the water all as indicated at fig. 5, the water
within the parts below the oil being indicated by coarser transverse lines. The motion
of the parts will cause the oil to be distributed through the case or frame so as to keep
the parts amply lubricated.
The bearing for the shaft C is secured to one side of the case or frame A as shown
in fig. 1, and the half boxes thereof 1 and 2 are adjusted to bring the shaft into proper
position by means of the several adjusting screws 3. Fig. 2.
The sides of the piston and the walls of the steam box which are fitted thereto are
shown in figs. 4, 5, 6, 10, 11 and 12 as straight, but for convenience of fitting, the
piston and the confronting walls of the steam box may be made of a circular form
with two sides of the piston slabbed off to fit the broad sides of the case or frame as
shown in figs. 7 and 8. This difference in form makes no difference in the mode of
operation. Instead of making the piston of a solid block bored through to fit it upon
the hollow axle, it may be made in two parts with a slight space between them and
secured together by means of bolts 4 4 as shown in figs. 7 and 8 so that said two
parts may be brought together slightly to adjust them to the hollow axle in case of
Inasmuch as it is the respective ends of the piston that are acted upon by the
steam this middle opening does no harm.
wear.
In fig. 9 I have illustrated the hollow axle upon which the piston and steam box are

page_text: to be mounted as divided transversely instead of longitudinally, but its mode of
operation is the same.
With live steam admitted through the pipe E, when the parts are in the position
shown in figs. 5 and 6 the steam passes through the lower port c of the piston and
drives the steam box downwardly so as to rotate the shaft in the direction indicated by
the dart in fig. 5, the exhaust steam ineantime escaping through the upper port cof
As the crank reaches the
the piston into the chamber b of the hollow axle D.
lowermost point of its stroke both steain ports c are closed by the solid metal between
each pair of ports of the hollow axle, the crank imparting an oscillating motion to
both the steam box and piston. The farther motion of the crank again opens the
ports c of the piston, the upper one then registering with the port in the live steam
chamber a, and the lower one with the port in the exhaust chamber b, so that the
steam box H is driven in the upward direction, like changes being effected when
the crank g reaches its highest point and so on repeatedly as long as the steam is
supplied.
The modification shown in figs. 10 to 13 is adapted for either steam or water but for
convenience of description I will describe it as driven by steam.
•
Instead however of mounting the rocking block or piston G upon a hollow axle,
through which steam passes, it is mounted upon a solid axle or shaft 8 preferably
made a little tapering to compensate for wear and provided with adjusting nuts 9 9 by
which it is secured to, and adjusted within the box or frame A. In order to some-
what enlarge that surface of the cylinder or steam box which works against the broad
side of the case, the same is provided with flanges 10. In each broad side of the
case A and on that surface which is traversed by the steam cylinder or box H is pro-
vided four ports 11, 11 and 12, 12, their position being indicated by broken lines
wherever they are hidden from view by other parts. These ports open into small
steam chests 13, 13 and 14, 14 on the outside of the case proper, which chests are
covered by the caps 15. The chests 13, 13 on opposite sides of the case are con-
nected by a passage way 16 so that a steam-pipe (indicated by broken lines at E) in
one of the caps 15 for supplying steam to one chamber 13 will also supply steam to the
opposite chamber through the passage 16. In like manner the chests 14, 14 are con-
nected by a passage 17 so that exhaust steam may pass from both chests out through
the discharge pipe F.
In order to increase the bearing surface between the rocking block or piston G and
the cylinder or steam box mounted thereon and also to elongate the ports 11, 11
and 12, 12, the piston is provided with flanges 18, 18 and the ends of the cylinder or
steam box H with correspondingly shaped recesses as shown most clearly in fig. 10.
In order that these flanges may not obstruct the ports, they are made a little shorter
than the thickness of the case, on its outside, so that, as shown in fig. 11, they do not
bear against the sides of the case. The reciprocating and oscillating cylinder and
steam box H is connected by means of any suitable connecting rod with the crank
pin g of the shaft C.
With the parts in the position represented in fig. 10 and with steam admitted at E
into the steam chests 13, 13, the steam will pass in through the lower ports 11, thereby
forcing the cylinder or steam box H downward and driving the crank ping in the
direction indicated by the dart in fig. 10. At the same time exhaust steam will be
passing into the steam chests 14, 14 through the upper ports 12 and out through the
exhaust pipe F. As the crank and cylinder travels onwards theso ports are both
gradually closed until the crank pin g is at the bottom of its motion and in the same
vertical plane as the center of the axle 8. At this point all of the ports will be closed
but so soon as the crank pin passes this point steam will pass in at the upper ports 11
and exhaust steam out of the lower ports 12, thereby driving the cylinder in the
opposite direction until the crank pin y reaches its highest elevation and begins to
descend to again open the lower ports 11 and upper parts 12 and so on repeatedly.
By this construction the ports can be enlarged to admit and discharge a great
quantity of steam, thereby running the engine at a high speed and furnishing it with
all the steam that is desired. I am also enabled to so arrange the ports that a very

page_text: little movement of the crank pin will carry the cylinder into position to reverso its
movement. In other words, there is only a very small portion of the travel of the
cylinder in which all the ports are closed. While I have described the steam as
admitted at E, and the discharge of the exhaust steam at F, the direction of the steam
may be reversed. The result of such a change, supposing the parts to be in the posi-
tion shown in fig. 10, would differ from that before described only by driving the
crank pin g in the opposite direction from that indicated by the dart in said figure.
The same construction is applicable to water motors, but inasmuch as water is non-
compressible the confronting edges of the ports 11 and 12 would be carried inwards a
little, that is toward each other, so that they would not be quite closed when the
cylinder is in a vertical position.
While it is preferable to arrange the frame or case in the form of a hanger, as the
engine is compact enough to permit it to be so arranged, I do not wish to confine
myself in all cases to such an arrangement as it is evident that many features of the
invention are the same without reference to this fact.
I have herein described the part G as the piston and compared the steam box H to
a cylinder because the part G divides the box into two chambers similar to the two
ends of a cylinder. I am aware however that these parts are very different from the
ordinary piston and cylinder of a steam engine so that it is difficult to determine which
part most nearly resembles the ordinary piston, and therefore I wish my claims to be
understood, wherein they specify the box H and the piston G, as referring to the parts
which I have described by these names, or their manifest equivalents.
By the arrangement of the oscillating and reciprocating steam box on the
rocking piston, the motions are smoother and the engine can be run at a higher
speed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said invention,
as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is ;-
1. The case or frame A made of a flat thin form suitable for a shaft hanger and
provided with a flange at its upper end for securing it in a pendant position, and also
with the shaft bearing N having adjustable boxes, substantially as described and for
the purpose specified.
2. In an engine, a hollow axle provided with a steam chamber and port, the
oscillating piston mounted thereon and also provided with a port for registering there-
with, the box H fitted to said piston and connected to a driving crank, substantially
as described and for the purpose specified.
3. The combination of the hollow axle provided with steam and exhaust chambers
each having a steam port, the piston G mounted thereon and provided with a steam
port for registering alternately with the ports of the steam and exhaust chambers, and
the reciprocating and oscillating box fitted to said piston and connected with a driving
crank, substantially as described and for the purpose specified.
4. The combination of a driving crank, the reciprocating and oscillating box, the
piston fitted within said box, the case or frame covering the broad sides of said
reciprocating and oscillating box and piston, and the hollow axle on which the piston is
mounted, said axle and piston being provided with connecting ports, substantially as
described and for the purpose specified.
5. The combination of the hollow axle having steam and exhaust chambers each
provided with ports, the rocking or oscillating piston fitted to said axle and provided
with a port at each end, and the reciprocating and oscillating box connected with a
crank, fitted to said piston and adapted to be driven both ways by the steam passing
alternately through the ports at the respective ends of the piston, substantially as
described and for the purpose specified.
6. The combination with an engine having a box like case or frame with a lubri-
cating device consisting of the pipes such as K, t, u, and chamber M, substantially as
described and for the purpose specified.
7. In an engine, the combination of the connecting rod k having shoulder o and

page_text: stem n, the frame q containing the boxes for the crank and having a threaded neck?
and the recessed nut for receiving the collar o screwed upon the threaded neck ŕ and
pressing the stem of the connecting rod upon the half box of the crank, substantially
as described and for the purpose specified.
8. The combination of the driving crank, the reciprocating and oscillating box,
the piston fitted within said box, and mounted on a shaft so as to have a rocking
motion thereon, and the case or frame covering the broad sides of said reciprocating
and oscillating box and piston, substantially as described and for the purpose
specified.
9. The combination of a driving crank, the reciprocating and oscillating box, the
piston or rocking block fitted within said box, the case or frame covering the broad
sides of said reciprocating and oscillating box and piston, and the axle on which the
piston is mounted, the chamber of said reciprocating and oscillating box being
provided with inlet and outlet ports which are opened and closed by the movement of
said box, substantially as described and for the purpose specified.
10. The complete apparatus substantially as described and illustrated in the
accompanying drawings forming a combined engine and shaft support.