Improvements in Means for Operating and Controlling the Valves of Steam, Gas, or Oil Engines.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application. 17th Apr.. 1894
Complete Specification Left. 18th Feb., 1895-Accepted, 17th Apr., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION..
Improvements in Means for Operating and Controlling the Valves
of Steam, Gas, or Oil Engines.
I, FREDERICK HENRY BUTTER, of 4 Hanover Road, Brookhill Park,
Plumstead, in the County of Kent, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates mainly to certain new and useful improvements in the
construction of automatic variable expansion gear for application to the valves of
eteam, gas, or oil engines, and also to other improved devices for operating the
valves of such engines.
The main or essential features of my improved automatic variable expansion
gear, consist of a pinion gearing with a pair of racks, the said racks being arranged
parallel with each other ou opposite sides of the said pinion. The pinion is
journalled on a pair of blocks on a crosshead sliding in suitable guides and connected
to the rod of the eccentric, cam, or other device, which gives motion to the
valve.
One of the said racks is affixed to the rod or spindle of the valve which is to
be operated; the other rack, hereinafter called "the governing rack," which, as
before mentioned, gears with the opposite side of the pinion, is capable of a
certain amount of sliding motion in guides parallel to the motion of the valve rod.
Now if this governing rack be fixed, it is clear that the pinion must rotate
upon it, and therefore the extent of motion imparted to the valve rod will be
double the throw of the eccentric or cam; if it be perfectly free to move, the
pinion will rotate upon the valve rod rack, moving only the governing rack and no
motion will be imparted to the valve, but if a certain amount of resistance be
offered to the motion of the governing rack, both racks will be moved by the
pinion, and the amount of travel of the valve will be in inverse proportion to the
resistance opposed to the motion of the governing rack. The amount of this
resistance is regulated automatically by means of suitable arrangements and
devices.
When the apparatus is applied to the rod of a slide or piston valve, I connect
the governing rack to two plungers or pistons, placed in cylinders opposite to each
other, so that as the rack moves one plunger will be pushed into its cylinder,
while the other will be drawn out. The cylinders are filled with oil or water and
connected by a tube, provided with a suitable cock, or valve, so that the said cock,
or valve, when fully open leaves the rack free to move, when closed stops all motion
and when partly open offers a resistance to such motion, proportionate to the
amount to which it is opened.
The governor of the engine is connected to this cock, or valve, by any suitable
means, and in such manner that if the speed of the engine rises above the normal
or required rate the governor increases the opening of the cock or valve and so
reduces the resistance to the motion of the governing rack and consequently the
travel of the engine valve, so that an earlier cut off is obtained. On the other
hand, if the speed falls, the governor tends to close the cock or valve, thereby
increasing the resistance to the motion of the governing rack, and so the travel of
the engine valve is increased with a resulting later cut off.

page_text: If the belt driving the governor slips off or breaks, a spring immediately pulls
down the governor arms and opens the aforesaid cock or valve to its full extent,
thereby stopping all motion of the engine valve as before explained.
In the case of valves of the double-beat, "Corliss," "Proell," or similar type,
where the motion of the valve is short and intermittent, I prefer to connect the
governing rack with a piston working in a cylinder, the ends of the said cylinder
being connected by a tube provided with a cock, or valve, controlled by the
governor, as before described.
The said cylinder is bored parallel for a certain distance at the middle, while
the bore enlarges conically towards each end from such parallel middle portion.
There are two pistons on the piston rod, at such distance apart that when one of
the said pistons is in the middle of the cylinder, the other is at, or near one of the
ends, and each piston is provided with a valve or valves opening outwards towards
the cylinder ends. The effect of this arrangement is, that at a certain point in the
travel of either piston, the resistance to its movement is removed independently of
the action of the controlling cock, or valve in the connecting tube, and the engine
valve is then suddenly closed by its spring.
The above described arrangement may be applied to a slide or piston valve in
place of the double plunger method previously described.
In order to operate the two admission valves of a "Corliss," or similar system,
from a single eccentric or cam, by means of my invention, I place upon an exteu-
sion from the governing rack, two racks, cach capable of a certain amount of
sliding motion, limited by stops, upon the said extension. Each of these racks
gears with a pinion upon a spindle, each spindle having an arm engaging with a
valve stem.
The valves, when released, are closed by springs in the usual manner.
In the case of an engine driving a dynamo, where regularity of speed is of the
first importance, I may cause the cock or valve on the connecting pipe to he
operated by a solenoid, or an electro magnet, the coils of which are in a shunt
circuit from the dynamo, or otherwise, and I may in addition provide a second
connecting tube having a cock or valve, operated by the ordinary governor in the
manner above described.
In place of regulating the motion of the governing rack by means of an oil
cylinder or cylinders and pistons, I may employ a coarse pitched screw, one half
being cut with a right-hand and the other half with a left-hand thread. On each
portion of the screw I place a nut prevented from rotating, so that on turning the
screw one way the nuts will approach, and on turning it the other way they will
recede from each other. A projection from the governing rack encircles the screw
between the nuts.
A pinion on the end of the screw gears with a toothed sector operated by a
solenoid, an electro-magnet, or the engine governor; by this means the distance
apart of the said nuts will define the amount of motion permitted to the governing
rack and in consequence the extent of travel of the valve.
A second pinion may be provided on the screw, which on a breakdown of the
solenoid, electro-magnet, or engine governor, is operated by a second sector to
separate the nuts to their fullest extent and therefore stop all motion of the engine
valve.
In "Corliss," or similar systems, I may operate the exhaust valves, by providing
on the stem of each said valve a piston working in a cylinder, the said cylinders
being connected respectively by tubes with the opposite ends of the engine cylinder.
The effect is that the cushioning which takes place at the end of each stroke in the
engine cylinder forces open one of the exhaust valves, which is held open by the
pressure of the steam on the return stroke until, after cut-off has taken place,
the pressure is reduced sufficiently to allow the valve to be closed by its spring.
In some cases I may operate the said exhaust valves by levers and cams on the
eccentric shaft, which is driven from the crank shaft by bevel gearing.
For starting and reversing an engine of this class, I provide a second connecting

page_text: tube to the oil or water cylinder, furnished with a cock to be regulated by hand,
and such engines may be reversed, by rotating the pinion upon the end of the
eccentric rod, by a lever operating the rack of the oil or water cylinder, or by
levers on the spindles operating the valves as aforesaid. In such case I prefer to
actuate the exhaust valves by the steam pressure, but if cams are used for this
purpose, means must be provided for reversing them.
Although in practice, I prefer to employ the parallel racks, gearing with a
pinion on the eccentric or cam rod, I may use in place thereof any equivalent
inechanical device, such for example as a lever fulcrummed at its centre on the
eccentric or cam rod, and engaging two parallel sliding pieces by means of links
or slots therein.
My improved apparatus is adapted to work slide, piston, spindle, or double-beat
valves of any description, and although described as applied to steam engines, can
readily be used in connection with any form of gas or oil engine.
Dated this 17th day of April 1894
AMBROSE MYALL,
2, Lancaster Place, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.
Improvements in Means for Operating and Controlling the Valves
of Steam, Gas, or Oil Engines.
I, FREDERICK HENRY BUTTER, of 4 Hanover Road, Brookhill Park,
Plumstead, in the County of Kent, 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 relates mainly to certain new and useful improvements in the
construction of automatic variable expansion gear, for application to the valves of
steam, gas, or oil engines, and also to other improved devices for operating the
valves of such engines.
The main or essential features of my improved automatic variable expansion
gear, consist of a pinion gearing with a pair of racks, the said racks being
arranged parallel with each other on opposite sides of the said pinion. The pinion
is journalled on a pair of blocks on a cross-hend, sliding in suitable guides and
connected to the roil of the eccentric, cam, or other device, which gives motion to
the valve.
One of the said racks is affixed to the rod, or spindle of the valve which is to be
operated; the other rack, hereinafter called "the governing rack," which, as
before mentioned, gears with the opposite side of the pinion, is capable of a certain
amount of sliding motion in guides parallel to the motion of the valve rod.
Now, if this governing rack be fixed, it is clear that the pinion must rotate upon
it, and therefore the extent of motion imparted to the valve rod will be double the
throw of the eccentric or cam; if it be perfectly free to move, the pinion will
rotate upon the valve rod rack, moving only the governing rack, and no motion
will be imparted to the valve, but if resistance be offered to the motion of the
governing rack, both racks will be moved by the pinion, and the amount of travel
of the valve will be in inverse proportion to the amount of resistance opposed to
the motion of the governing raek.
The amount of this resistance is regulated automatically by means of suitable
arrangements and devices, to be hereinafter described.
In the accompanying six sheets of drawings, which form part of this Specification
and illustrate some of the modes of applying my invention in practice;
Fig. 1 is a side elevation,

page_text: Fig. 2 is a plan, and
Fig. 3 is an end elevation, shewing an automatic variable expansion gear,
constructed in accordance with my invention for operating and controlling the
expansion slide or piston valve of a steam engine.
Fig. 4 is a sectional side elevation,
Fig. 5 is a side elevation (the reverse way to Fig. 4), and
Fig. 6 is an end elevation, partly in section, of a steam engine cylinder with
double-beat valves, fitted with a modified form of my automatic variable expansion
gear for operating and controlling the admission valves.
Fig. 7 is a sectional elevation of an arrangement for operating the exhaust valves
of the said cylinder.
Fig. 8 is a side elevation,
Fig. 9 is a plan, and
Fig. 10 is an end elevation, shewing my automatic variable expansion gear, as
arranged with a screw device for regulating the motion of the governing rack.
Similar letters of reference denote similar parts throughout the drawings.
Referring first to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, representing my apparatus applied to a steam
expansion slide, or piston valve, A is a pinion journalled on a spindle passing
through a pair of blocks B, B, which slide in guides C, C, formed on or attached
to the frame D. E is the rod of the eccentric, cam, or other device, which gives
motion to the valve, and has its forked end E' connected to the spindle F, on which
the pinion A is free to rotate, as aforesaid.
Hand J are a pair of racks, parallel with each other, gearing with opposite sides
of the pinion A and sliding in guides K, K on the frame D. The rack H is affixed.
to the rod or spindle L of the expansion valve, which is to be operated, and the
rack J is the governing rack. M is the rod, or spindle of the ordinary slide valve
of the engine, operated directly with a fixed amount of travel in the usual way.
The governing rack J, has a projection J¹, which is connected to two
plungers N, N', working in cylinders P, P, in line with and opposite to each
other, so that as the rack moves, one plunger will be pushed into its cylinder, while
the other will be drawn out. The said cylinders are filled with oil, water, or other
suitable fluid and connected by a tube Q, provided with a suitable valve R, so that
the said valve, when fully open, leaves the plungers N, N', and governing rack J
free to move, when closed stops all motion thereof, and when partly open offers a
resistance to such motion, proportionate to the amount to which it is opened.
In one arrangement the governor S of the engine is connected to the valve R by
any suitable means (not shewn in the drawings) and in such manner that if the
speed of the engine rises above the normal or required rate, the governor increases
the opening of the valve R, and so reduces the resistance to the motion of the
governing rack and consequently the travel of the rack H and the expansion valve
is reduced, so that an earlier cut-off is obtained. On the other hand, if the engine
speed falls, the governor tends to close the valve R, thereby increasing the
resistance to the motion of the governing rack, and so the travel of the rack H and
the expansion valve is increased, with a resulting later cut-off.
In connection with the attachment of the governor to the valve, R, a spring is
provided, so arranged that if the belt driving the governor slips off or breaks, the
said spring immediately pulls down the governor arms and opens the valve R to
its full extent, thereby stopping all motion of the expansion valve, as before
explained.
In the case of an engine driving a dynamo, where regularity of speed is of the
first importance, I may cause the valve R, on the connecting pipe Q, to be operated
(as shewn in the drawings) by a solenoid T, or an electro-magnet, the coils of
which are in a shunt circuit from the dynamo, or otherwise; and
may in addition
provide a second connecting tube Q₁between the cylinders P, P³, having a
valve Roperated by the ordinary governor S, a spring U being provided to open
the said valve R' full, in the event of a break down of the governor as before
described.

page_text: In place of the plungers N, N', as illustrated, 1 may employ two pistons, working
in cylinders, with stuffing-boxes to their rods, the rear ends of the cylinders being
connected by a tube Q, with valve R as before, and the front ends being connected
by a similar tube, provided with a hand valve. The advantage of this arrange-
ment is that the pistons being made a working fit in the cylinders without packing,
the small friction of the piston-rod stuffing-boxes is substituted for the greater
friction of the cup leathers of the plungers, thus rendering the apparatus more
sensitive.
In the case of an engine with valves of the double-beat, "Corliss,” or similar type,
where the motion of the valve is short and intermittent, I prefer to employ the
modified arrangement shewn in Figs. 4, 5 and 6.
In this case I connect the governing rack J with a single piston N' only, which
works in a cylinder P2, the ends of the said cylinder being connected by a bye-
pass Q'provided with a valve R', controlled by the governor S, as before described.
The cylinder P' is bored parallel for a certain distance at the middle, while the
bore enlarges conically towards each end from such parallel middle portion.
There are two pistons on the piston-rod, as shewn, at such distance apart, that
when one of the said pistons is in the middle of the cylinder, the other is at, or
near one of the ends, and each piston is provided with a valve or valves N³, opening
outwards towards the cylinder ends. The effect of this arrangement is that at a
certain point in the travel of the pistons, the resistance to their movement is
removed by means of the conical bore of the cylinder, and the said valves N',
independently of the action of the controlling valve R' in the bye-pass Q', and the
engine valve is then suddenly closed by its spring.
The above described arrangement, modified in detail as required, may be applied
to a slide or piston expansion valve, in place of the double plunger method
previously described, with reference to Figs. 1, 2 and 3.
In order to operate the two admission valves V, V, of an engine of the type
shewn in Figs. 4, 5 and 6 from a single eccentric or cam W, by means of my
invention, I place upon an extension X from the valve rack H, two racks Y, Y,
each capable of a certain amount of independent sliding motion, limited by
adjustable stops Z, Z, upon the said extension. Each of these racks Y, Y, gears
with a separate pinion a upon a separate rock-shaft b, each rock-shaft having a
short arm c engaging with a valve stem d. The valves V, V, when released from
the resistance of the piston N, as before described, are closed by springs e, e, in
the usual manner.
In double beat, "Corliss," or similar systems, I may operate the exhaust valves,
by providing, as shewn in Fig. 7, on the stem p of each said valve, a piston y,
working in a cylinder r; each said cylinder is connected by a tube & with the
opposite end of the engine cylinder. The effect is that the cushioning, which takes
place at the end of each stroke in the engine cylinder forces open one of the
exhaust valvest, which is held open by the pressure of the steam on the return
stroke until, after cut-off has taken place, the pressure is reduced sufficiently to
allow the valve to be closed by its spring u.
In some cases I may operate the said exhaust valves by levers and cams wc, on
the eccentric shaft x, which is driven from the crank-shaft by bevel, or other
gearing.
For starting and reversing an engine of this class, I may provide a second
bye-pass to the cylinder P, furnished with a valve to be regulated by hand;
and such engines may be reversed by rotating the pinion A by a lever y, by a lever
operating the rack J of the cylinder P, or by levers on the rock-shafts b, b,
operating the valves V, V, as aforesaid.
In such case, I prefer to actuate the exhaust valves by the steam pressure, as
described with reference to Fig. 7, but if cams are used for this purpose, means
must be provided for reversing them.
In some cases I find it advantageous to keep the fluid in the resistance cylinders

page_text: or cylinder and in the connecting tubes or bye-passes, under pressure by some
suitable means.
In place of regulating the motion of the governing rack by means of a fluid
cylinder, or cylinders and pistons or plungers, I may employ the arrangement
shewn in Figs. 8, 9 and 10. In this case I use a coarse pitched screw f, one half
being cut with a right-hand and the other half with a left-hand thread, as shewn.
On each portion of this screw I place a nut y, prevented from rotating by the
guides h, h, so that on turning the screw one way the nuts will approach, and on
turning it the other way, they will recede from each other.
A projection i from the governing rack J, encircles the screw between the nuts,
and the screw rotates in bearings j, j, at each end, but is not itself capable of
inotion end ways. A pinion, keyed on one end of the screw, gears with a toothed
sector 1, operated by a solenoid, an electro-magnet, or the engine governor; by this
means the distance apart of the nuts g, g, will define the amount of motion
permitted to the governing rack J, and in consequence the extent of travel of the
valve rack H.
A second pinion m, may be provided on the screw, which on a break down of the
solenoid, electro-magnet, or engine governor, is operated by a second sector n to
separate the nuts to their fullest extent and thereby stop all motion of the valve
rack H.
Although in practice I prefer to employ the parallel racks H, J, gearing with a
pinion A on the eccentric or cam rod, I may use in place thereof any suitable
equivalent mechanical device, such for example as a lever fulcrummed at its centre
on the end of the eccentric, or cam rod and engaging at its ends two parallel
sliding pieces, by means of links or slots therein, and in the claims annexed hereto,
it is to be understood that such equivalent mechanical device, may be substituted
for the racks and pinion mentioned therein.
My improved apparatus is adapted to work, slide, piston, spindle, or double-beat
valves of any description, and although illustrated and described as applied to steam
engines, can be used in connection with any form of gas or oil engines.
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 an automatic variable expansion gear, two parallel sliding racks, gearing
with opposite sides of a pinion on the eccentric or cam rod, one of said racks being
connected to the expansion or admission valve of the engine, and the other being
connected to a resistance device controlled by a governor, substantially as and for
the purpose set forth.
2. In an automatic variable expansion gear, two parallel sliding racks, gearing
with opposite sides of a pinion on the eccentric or cam rod, one of said racks being
connected to the expansion or admission valve of the engine, and the other being
connected to a fluid resistance device controlled by a governor, substantially as and
for the purpose set forth.
3. An automatic variable expansion gear, consisting of the combination of a
pinion A, parallel sliding racks H, J, plungers N, N', cylinders P, P', a bye-pass Q
with valve R and means for controlling said valve by the engine governor S, all
substantially as and for the pupose herein set forth, with reference to Figs. 1, 2
and 3 of the accompanying drawings.
4. An automatic variable expansion gear, consisting of the combination of a
pinion A, parallel sliding racks H, J, plungers N, N¹, cylinders P, P₁, a bye-pass Q
with valve R, a solenoid T controlling said valve R, and a second bye-pass Q with
valve R controlled by the engine governor S, all substantially as and for the
purpose herein set forth, with reference to Figs. 1, 2 and 3 of the accompanying
drawings.
5. In an automatic variable expansion gear of the class described, the combination

page_text: with the rack J of a fluid resistance device, consisting of two pistons working in
cylinders, their rear ends connected by a bye-pass with valve controlled by
governor, and their front ends connected by a bye-pass with a hand valve, all
substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.
6. In an automatic variable expansion gear of the class described, the combination
with the rack J of a fluid resistance device, consisting of a cylinder P, having the
bore parallel in the centre and couically enlarged to each end, a double piston N*
with valves N³, and a bye-pass Q' with valve R³, controlled by a governor, all
substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth, with reference to Figs. 4, 5
and 6 of the accompanying drawings.
7. In an automatic variable expansion gear of the class described, having a fluid
resistance device as set forth in the preceding claim, the combination with the
rack H of an extension X, racks Y, Y, stops Z, Z, pinions a, a, rock-shafts b, b, and
arms c, c, all substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth, with reference to
Fige. 4, 5 and 6 of the accompanying drawings.
8. In combination with an automatic variable expansion gear, as set forth in
either of the two preceding claims, pistons q fitted to the stems p of the exhaust
valves and working in cylinders r, said cylinders being connected to the engine
cylinder by pipes a, substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth with
reference to Fig. 7 of the accompanying drawings.
9. In combination with an automatic variable expansion gear, as set forth in
Claims 6 or 7, starting and reversing gear, consisting of a second bye-pass to the
cylinder P, with a hand valve, a lever y for rotating the pinion A, a lever operating
the rack J, or levers operating the rock-shafts b, b, all substantially as and for the
purpose herein set forth.
10. In an automatic variable expansion gear of the class described, the
combination with the rack J of a resistance device, consisting of a right and left-
handed screw f, nuts 9, 9, a projection i, a pinion k, toothed sector 1, and a pinion m
and toothed sector n, all substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth, with
reference to Figs. 8, and 10 of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 16th day of February 1895.
AMBROSE MYALL,
2, Lancaster I'lace, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.