IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR REVERSING THE MOTION OF STEAM AND OTHER ENGINES
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT. to Ernest Boutard of Leiston in the County of Suffolk
Mechanical Draftsman for an Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
FOR REVERSING THE MOTION OF STEAM AND OTHER ENGINES
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Ernest Boutard at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 5th May 1883.
ERNEST BOUTARD of Leiston in the County of Suffolk, Mechanical Draftsman
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR REVERSING THE MOTION OF STEAM AND
OTHER ENGINES
"
The object of this invention is to provide a means for reversing the motion of
portable, Traction, Marine or other engines whilst running and without the use of
two excentrics, link motion, or variable expansion gear. This object is attained by
means of a clutch arrangement by which the ordinary excentric driving the slide
valve may be disengaged at pleasure from the crank shaft and again connected
therewith whilst the engine is still running when the momentum of the fly wheel
shall have carried the crank pin forward by so much of a single revolution as may
be necessary in order to afford to the excentric the requisite angle in relation to
the crank pin for the reversal of the motion.
The means by which the re-engaging of the clutch is effected at the right moment
consists in forming on or applying to one half or part of the clutch an elongated
tooth or projection which when the clutch is disengaged from the excentric is caused
to act as a fixed stop and is brought in contact with a tooth or projection on the
other half or part of the clutch when the momentum of the flywheel shall have
carried the crank pin forward by so much of a single revolution as may be necessary
in order to give to the excentric the requisite angle in relation to the crank pin for
the reversal of the engine.
Or if it should be desired to arrange the reversal of the action of the engine
when it is not in motion, the flywheel or crank sbaft may be turned the required
distance by hand, the excentric being disengaged therefrom until the moment for
re-engagement is determined by the contact of the said teeth or projections upon
the clutch or this operation may be performed by causing a partial revolution of
the excentric instead of turning the fly wheel or crank shaft

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Ernest Boutard in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 5th November
1883.
ERNEST BOUTARD of Leiston in the County of Suffolk Mechanical Draftsman
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR REVERSING THE MOTION OF STEAM AND
OTHER ENGINES"
The object of this Invention is to provide a means for reversing the motion of
portable Traction, Marine or other Engines whilst running, and without the use of
duplicate excentrics link motion or variable expansion gear.
This object is attained by means of a clutch arrangement by which the ordinary
excentric driving the distributing valve may be disengaged at pleasure from the
crank shaft, and again connected therewith whilst the engine is still running,
when the momentum of the crank shaft shall have carried the crank pin
forward by so much of a single revolution as may be necessary in order to afford.
to the excentric the requisite angle in relation to the crank pin for the reversal of
the motion.
The means by which the re-engaging of the clutch is effected at the right
moment consist in forming on, or applying to, one part or member of the clutch a
tooth or projection, which, when the clutch is disengaged from the excentric, is
caused to act as a fixed stop, and is brought in contact with a tooth or projection
on the other part or member of the clutch, when the momentum of the fly wheel
or crank shaft shall have carried the crank pin forward by so much of a single
revolution as may be necessary in order to give to the excentric the requisite angle
in relation to the crank pin for the reversal of the engine.
Or if it should be desired to arrange the reversal of the motion of the engine
when it is not in action, the fly wheel or crank shaft may be turned the required
'distance by hand, the excentric being disengaged therefrom until the moment for
re engagement is determined by the contact of the said teeth or projections upon
the clutch; or this operation may be performed by causing a partial revolution of
the excentric instead of turning the fly wheel or crank shaft.
Having thus stated the nature of the said Invention I will proceed to describe
more particularly in what manner the same is to be performed, by the aid of the
accompanying Drawings, in which are represented adaptations of the said clutch
arrangement to a portable engine.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Fig: 1 shews the parts of apparatus in plan or horizontal view Figures 2 and 3
show portions of the same in elevation. It is to be observed that the excentric b.
which works the distributing valve is mounted loosely on the crank shaft a. and
is driven by the tapered pin f which is bolted to it, and is caused to pass through
one or other of the two holes A or B formed in the disc c, accordingly as it may be
desired to run the engine in one direction or the other.
By this means a connection is formed between the excentric b. and the disc c
that is to say between the two members of the clutch.
The disc c. is capable of sliding on a feather d. on the crank shaft a. and is
11
11

page_text: fulcrum . For the convenience of the driver of the engine this lever is generally
extended to the firebox end of the boiler, or it may be extended or carried to any
other situation required.
When it is desired to reverse the motion of the engine, the disc c. is slidden
along the crank shaft a so far as may be necessary in order to disengage the taper
pin of the excentric from the hole A or B in the disc. The excentric and
distributing valve then cease to move, and the disc is carried forward by the
momentum of the crank shaft over so much of a single revolution as is required for
the reversal of the engine, when the pin f. of the excentric is brought opposite to
the other hole B (or A as the case may be) and is prevented from going further by
its contact with the projecting plate e. upon the disc.-The disc is then again
slidden in the direction of the excentric so as to engage the driving pin f in the
corresponding hole B (or A) in the disc, and the motion of the engine becomes
thereby immediately and easily reversed.
Fig: 4 shews a modified arrangement by which a precisely similar effect is
produced. In this case the excentric b. sits loose upon a prolongation of the boss
of the disc c. which is slidden as required upon the feather d. on the crank shaft a,
as under the previous arrangement.
Fig: shews another modification in which the excentric b. sits upon a feather d.
on a moveable boss g. which sits loose upon the crank shaft, and receives rotary
motion by means of the clutch K which is keyed fast upon the crank shaft, the
moveable boss g. being slidden by means of a forked lever as previously described,
to the right or left upon the crank shaft and through the excentric, in order
to effect disconnection from and re-engagement with the clutch K as may be
required.
In all the above arrangements it will be seen that the disconnection of the
excentric from the crank shaft and its re-engagement therewith are respectively
effected as required by moving one member of the clutch out of or into connection
with the other member thereof, and that there is on one member a projection,
which by being brought in contact with a projection on the other member,
determines the proper moment for the re-engagement, in the manner substantially
as described.
If it should be desired to arrange for the reversal of the motion of the engine
when not in action, the fly wheel or crank shaft may be turned the required'
distance by hand, the excentric being disengaged therefrom until the moment for
re-engagement is determined by the contact of the said projections upon the
excentric and the disc, forming the two members of the clutch. Or the operation
may be performed by causing a partial revolution of the excentric, instead of
turning the fly wheel or the crank shaft.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed, I would remark that the parts constituting the clutch as
represented and described, may be varied in form and arrangement, provided that
in combination they are adapted to utilise the momentum of the crank shaft of a
steam or other engine when in motion in order to carry forward the fixed part or
member of the clutch (after the excentric which actuates the distributing valve of
the engine is disengaged therefrom) by so much of a singlo revolution as may be
necessary for the reversal of the engine; and also to determine the proper moment
for re-engagement by the contact of teeth, pins, projections, plates or their
equivalent, upon the mechanism forming the said clutch, which imparts rotation to
the excentric actuating the distributing valve of a steam or other engine: and I
claim as of my Invention:
Reversing gear for a steam or other Engine consisting of a clutch arrangement
in which a projection on one part or member of the clutch, acting in combination
with a suitably arranged projection on the other part or member thereof, serves to
determine the right moment for, and to facilitate the re-engagement of the excentric

page_text: (which actuates the distributing valve) with the crank shaft as required; after its
disengagement therefrom, thereby reversing the motion of the engine in the
manner substantially as hereinbefore described.
In witness whereof I the said Ernest Boutard have hereunto set my hand
and seal the thirty first day of October in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty three.
Witness
FRANK GARRETT
Leiston Works, Suffolk,
Engineer.
ERNEST BOUTARD (L.S.)