IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES AND IN APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH."
Year: 1859

page_text: of, Lancaster, Engineer, and William McNaught, of Rochdale, in the
County of Lancaster, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
STEAM ENGINES AND IN APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William McNaught and
-William McNaught at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 12th January 1859.
We, WILLIAM MCNAUGHT, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster,
Engineer, and WILLIAM MCNAUGHT, of Rochdale, in the County of Lancaster,
"IMPROVE
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
MENTS IN STEAM ENGINES AND IN APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH," to be as
follows:-
Our Invention relates, firstly, to an arrangement of three cylinders con-
nected to two cranks, and consists in so arranging the angles of the acting
points that the power shall be applied equally or nearly so around the crank
shaft. As an example of carrying out this principle, we will suppose two
opposite cylinders attached to one crank at an angle of 120° to each other,
and the third cylinder attached to the other crank in the same plane as one of
the other cylinders, the second crank being at an angle of 60° or 120° to the
וגם מ

page_text: first crank. The air pump we work from the crank to which one of the
cylinders is connected. We have mentioned 120° and 60° as the angles, but
we do not confine ourselves rigidly thereto, as it may be somewhat varied so
long as the principle be substantially maintained.
Secondly, our Invention consists in arranging one or more horizontal steam
cylinders so as to actuate a vertical crankshaft direct, and these first and
second heads of our Invention apply either to single or compound cylinder engines.
Thirdly, our Invention relates to the air-pump of steam engines, and con-
sists in placing it within the condenser excentric thereto.
Fourthly, to apparatus for cutting off the supply of steam to cylinders. For
this purpose we impart rotatory motion to the slide valve rod, and cause such
rotation to open or close valves, whereby the desired cutting-off is effected.
Thus we fix cams upon the rotating rod, carrying with them valves, which
therefore accompany the motion of the ordinary slide valve; these cams pro-
ject forward or withdraw their valves, so as to close or partially close, or open.
the thoroughfares in the slide valve, and thus cut off the steam or allow it to
pass into the cylinder. The rotation of the rod may be regulated by the
governor, or motion at intervals may be imparted thereto by cams or other
ordinary apparatus.
Fifthly, our Invention applies to that apparatus used for regulating the
working of steam engines known as the "differential motion;" according to our
our improvement we retain the worm commonly used, but this worm we drive
by a ratchet wheel, deriving rotatory motion from a click or pawl brought into
action by the governor, the said click or pawl being actuated from the cut off
rod or other part of the engine.
Sixthly, our Invention relates to a method of mounting the radius rods of
steam engines, and consists in causing them to be carried on one side by the
side wall of the engine house, and on the other by the framing of the engine
or other part, and with this we combine that arrangement for which a Patent
was granted to us, dated October 8th, 1857, and described as the second part
of the Invention.
Seventhly, our Invention relates to pistons and air-pump buckets of steam
engines upon that construction for which Letters Patent were granted to
William M°Naught on the 17th March 1857. According to the present
improvement we use the flanged rings or segments therein described, but form
openings therein so as to constitute weak places, whereby a more equal
expansion is effected. We also so dispose wedges that one spring acts on two
opposite to each other, one in each ring.
Eighthly, our Invention refers to a method of constructing the parallel

page_text: motion or other parts of steam engines in which double links or bars are
employed. The pins upon which the said bars or links turn we form conical,
so that as the bearings wear, the links or bars may be brought near together,
in which position we confine them by providing the cross tie rods with nuts
and screws; by this arrangement we avoid the use of the ordinary gib and
cotter.
Ninthly, our Invention relates to the apparatus for lubricating steam engine
cylinders. The reservoir for the lubricating material is divided from the
passage which supplies it to the cylinder by a partition which has an upper and
under valve seat. Each of these seats has a separate valve, so that the orifice
of one may be closed before the other is opened, and these openings and
closings, we effect by a positive motion derived from a shaft which is put in
motion by the engine.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William M°Naught and William M°Naught in the Great Sea!
Patent Office on the 12th July 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, WILLIAM
MCNAUGHT, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer, and
WILLIAM MCNAUGHT, of Rochdale, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-second year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the
said William McNaught and William McNaught, Her special license that
we, the said William McNaught and William McNaught, our executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said William M*Naught
and William McNaught, our executors, administrators, and assigns, should at
any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man; an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
STEAM ENGINES AND IN APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH," upon the condition
(amongst others) that we, the said William M'Naught and William M°Naught,
by an instrument in writing under our hands and seals, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
IN

page_text: the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great
Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the
date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said William M°Naught and William
MoNaught, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement and accompanying Drawings (that is
to say):
:
Our Invention relates, firstly, to an arrangement of three cylinders connected
to two cranks, and consists in so disposing the angles of the acting points that
the power shall be applied equally or nearly so around the crank shaft.
In Sheet 1, of the accompanying Drawings the method we adopt for carrying
out this principle is shewn.
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the engine shewing two of the cylinders; Fig. 2
is a sectional view looking from the-other side and shewing the third cylinder;
and Fig. 3 is a plan view of the whole arrangement. Two of the cylinders
a, ib, placed at an angle of 120° to each other are connected to a crank A.
The third cylinder placed in the same plane with 'the cylinder b shewn in
Fig. 2 is connected to the second crank B, and the two cranks should be
placed at an angle of 120 or 60° to each other. The stop valve communi-
cating with the boiler is shewn at f, the governor or throttle valve at g; the
steam pipes for supplying steam to each cylinder at h; the exhaust pipes pass-
ing to the condenser at i, and the delivery or discharge branch from the hot
well at j. The engine as represented and described is intended to use or work
the steam in cach cylinder separately in the ordinary way or expansively, by tlie
use of any known cut-off motion, whereby the steam can be cut off at any
required part of the stroke and expanded separately in each cylinder, passing
thence into the condenser, or it can be arranged on what is commonly known
as the compound principle, for example, any one or two of the cylinders may be
made to receive the steam first, and after having done duty there pass to the
remaining cylinder or cylinders, and from thence into the condenser; or the
steam may after having done duty in the first cylinder, be made to pass to the
second cylinder, from thence to the third, and finally to the condenser. We
would also observe that the cylinders may be constructed on the oscillating,
trunk, or any other known principle. We have mentioned certain angles at
which the cylinders and cranks are placed, but we do not confine ourselves
rigidly thereto as they may be somewhat varied so that the principle of
applying the, power equally be substantially maintained. The air-pump for
this arrangement may be placed in any suitable or convenient situation; in

page_text: the Drawing we have shewn it at e placed in the same plane as the cylinder a,
and worked from the crank B; and here another part of the Invention is shewn,
which consists in placing the air-pump e within the condenser d excentric
thereto.
Another part of our Invention consists in arranging one or more horizontal
steam cylinders so as to actuate a vertical crank shaft direct.
"
Another part of our Invention relates to apparatus for cutting off the supply of
steam to the cylinder, and is shewn in section at Fig. 4, Sheet 2, of the accom-
panying Drawings. A part of the steam engine cylinder is shewn at a, and the
slide valve at b; this valve is made with elongated laps c, having apertures d,
through which the steam at proper intervals is allowed to pass into the cylinder;
the eduction chamber is at e. The slide valve rod is shewn at f, to which are
attached two excentrics or cams g, g*, encompassed by straps h, which carry
valves i, situate opposite.to the apertures d, by which steam is admitted to the
cylinder. These cams are drawn against the parts of the slide valve by a
shoulder 1 above, and a nut m below, so that the said valve, the cams or excen-
trics, and the cut-off valves i, all move together upward or downward. The
upper part of the slide valve rod passes loosely through a bevil pinion n, mounted
in a fixed bearing and receiving rotatory motion from another pinion o, driven
from any convenient part of the engine. The pinion n carries a casing p, which
has projecting feathers q. taking into grooves formed in a boss r, affixed to the
valve rod, and the connection of the said rod with the excentric or other
ordinary part is a swivel at s. The slide is moved upward and downward,
therefore in the ordinary manner, but its rod is at the same time caused to
revolve through the medium of the pinions n, o, boss r, and feathers q, and this
revolution will cause the cams g to withdraw the cut-off valves i from the
steamways d, or close them thereon, and it will be evident that this may be
effected sooner or later by altering the positions of the cams, or by changing
the speed of the gearing which effects their rotation. We have shewn and
described the valve rod as being caused to rotate by the revolutions of the
engine, but such rotation may be effected by the action of the governor, so as
to cut off the steam according to the speed of the engine or cams; or other
such apparatus may be employed for the like purpose. And we would also
remark that, if desired, the supplementary valves may be caused to slide upon
he slide valve.
The next part of our Invention applies to that apparatus used for regulating
he working of steam engines known as the "differential motion," and is
shewn at Figs. 5, 6, 7, the two first being views of the detail of those paris
which more particularly include our Invention, and the last shewing its

page_text: application in another manner to an ordinary headstock. The worm
ordinarily employed is shewn at a, upon the shaft of which is a ratchet
wheel b; upon the said shaft is also mounted, but loosely, a double bell-crank
lever c, one end of which carries a double click or driver d, and the other a
rod c, connected to the cut-off rod, or other moving part of the engine.
The click dis mounted, loosely within the bell-crank lever c, and to its axis
is attached a plate of metal, capable of acting as a spring, the other end of
which is provided with a rod g, in connection with the governor. During the
working of the engine at its proper speed, the central point of connection
between the rod g and spring plate is coincident with the centre of the
ratchet wheel b; as therefore the bell-crank lever c is caused to vibrate, the
double click d will move clear of the ratchet wheel. b, but suppose an undue
speed to be attained either above or below that which is determined upon,
then the centre of the spring plate f being depressed or raised will turn the
click or driver d upon its centre, and bring the one or the other of its operating
parts in connection with the ratchet wheel b, and the vibration of the bell-
crank lever will then cause it to be driven, thus giving motion to the worm a,
in connection with the ordinary worm wheel h. In the above described
Figs. 5 and 6, the ratchet wheel b is shewn in immediate connection with the
worm that is upon the shaft thereof, the worm wheel being at h, with the usual
bevils thereon.
In Fig. 7 an arrangement of headstock in ordinary use is shewn with the
improvement applied thereto, the ratchet wheel b being placed upon the shaft
of one of the bevil pinions I, 1.
The next part of our Invention relates to a method of mounting the radius
rods of steam engines, and is shown at Fig. 8. The side wall of the engine
house is shewn at a, within which is a casting b, supporting in a suitable
bearing one side of the radius rods c, the other side of the said rods we mount
in bearings carried by the framework d of the engine.
Another part of our Invention relates to pistons and air pump buckets of
steam engines upon that construction for which Letters Patent were granted
to William McNaught, dated Seventeenth March, One thousand eight hundred
and fifty-seven, According to the Specification of the said Patent, flanged
rings were described; and it is partly to these that this part of our Invention
refers, but it also refers to segments made after the same plan, that is, with
flanges, .the object being to gain a more equal expansion thereof.
Fig. 9 represents a piston in plan view constructed according to our
improvement, and Fig. 10 is a section thereof. The flanged rings are shewn
at a, a, secured together by the body b of the piston; in these we form weak

page_text: places by removing portions of metal, as at c, d, those shewn at c being in the
upper, and those at d in the lower ring; these rings are forced outward by
wedges e, which we place opposite to each other, and we cause one spring, as
at f, to act upon both.
Figs. 11 and 12 represent our Invention applied to segmental flanged pieces,
the parts cut out for weakening the same being at c, d. We have shewn
certain numbers of places from which metal is removed to gain the weak
places, and also a certain number of segments, but we, do not confine ourselves
thereto, as they may be more or less in number; or they may consist of a
number of nicks, such as are used in ordinary pistons.
Another part of our Invention relates to a method of constructing parallel
motion or other parts of steam engines, in which double links or bars are
employed; this is shewn in Fig. 8, before referred to. The side levers of the
parallel motion selected as an example are shewn at e, and the pins upon
which they turn at f; these we construct conical, fitting into similarly shaped
bearings, and draw them together by the cross rod g; by this rod, therefore,
the levers may be kept the right distance asunder, the screws thereof admitting
of any required adjustment.
!
Another part of our Invention relates to apparatus for lubricating steam
engine cylinders, and is shewn in two sectional views, Figs. 13 and 14. The
reservoir for the lubricating material is at a, divided from a lower chamber b
by a partition c; in this partition is a bush d, furnished with two valves e, f;
these valves admit the lubricating material from the reservoir to the lower
chamber, from whence it passes by the passages to the cylinder of the
engine. And the object of our Invention is to cause the one of these valves to
be closed before the other is opened, and to effect this by a positive motion
derived from the steam engine. Upon a shaft h is a ratchet wheel, driven by
a click i, mounted upon a lever k, which is caused to vibrate by connection
with any suitable part of the engine. On the shaft h is an excentric 1, con-
nected to the valve e by means of a rod m, one part of which is formed as
a hoop at n, of sufficient weakness to allow it to act as a spring. Upon the
shaft is also another excentric o, connected by a rod p to a lever q, upon the
axis of which is an internal lever s, carrying at its outward end the lower
valve f. The rod p is curved, and is of sufficient weakness to act as a spring.
According to the position of the parts shewn in the Drawing, the lower valve f
is closed, and the upper one e is open; the lubricating material is therefore
flowing into the space between them; as the lever vibrates, the ratchet
wheel n being turned, will, by means of the excentric 1, carry the valve e.
downward, during which the other excentrico will also move in the same

page_text: direction, and the lower valve fƒ would..if the connection were, rigid, be moved
from its. seat, but after having been brought there, a further motion upward of
the excentric had straightened the rod p so that it, is now held to its seat by
the elastic force thereof, although the excentric o continue to move downward;
but by the time that the upper valve e shall have arrived in contact with its
seat, then the rod p having been allowed to return to its normal condition, the
lower valve will be forced downward, and the lubricating material will be
allowed to fall, during which the revolution of the excentric will compress
the hoop n, so as to cause the valve e to be held to its seat by the elasticity
thereof, while the said excentric is turning upward, but the lower valve having
regained its seat, the hoop n will have lost its elastic force, and its valve will
then be lifted, and so on for each revolution of the shaft h. We have shewn
and described one method of carrying out this part of our Invention but we
do not confine ourselves thereto, as other methods may be adopted by which a
positive motion may cause one valve to be closed before the other is
opened.
i
Having thus described and ascertained the nature of our said Invention,
and the manner in which the same is to be performed, we desire it to be
understood that we claim as secured to us under the above in part recited
Letters Patent,―
Firstly, the arrangement of three cylinders connected to two cranks, sub-
stantially as described, whereby the power is applied equally or nearly so
around the crank shaft.
Secondly, placing the air pump within the condenser and excentric thereto,
and arranged in the position shewn in the Drawing..
Thirdly, arranging one or more horizontal cylinders so as to actuate a ver-
tical crank shaft direct..
Fourthly, imparting a rotatory motion to the slide valve rod, for the purpose
of causing supplementary valves to open or close passages in the slide valve.
Fifthly, as applied to the "differential motion" of steam engines, driving
the usual worm thereof by means of a click and ratchet wheel brought into
action by the governor.
Sixthly, causing the radius rods of steam engines to be carried on one side
by the side wall, and on the other by the framework of the engine or
other part.
Seventhly, in reference to pistons and air-pump buckets constructed with
flanged rings or segments, we claim the use of weakened places in the flanged
rings or segments, and also the use of one spring acting upon the wedges of
two rings or segments in pistons so constructed.

page_text: Eighthly, as applied to the parallel mrtion of steam engines or other parts
thereof in which double links or bars are employed, we claim the conical
fittings above described.
Ninthly, as applied to apparatus for lubricating steam engine cylinders, we
claim the use of the two valves, the one being closed before the other is open
by a positive motion.
In witness whereof, we, the said William McNaught and William
M Naught, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Eleventh
day of July, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
W. MCNAUGHT. (L.S.)
W. MCNAUGHT. (L.S.)