IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PISTONS AND SLIDE VALVES OP STEAM ENGINES, AND IN APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine,
Lake, & Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PISTONS AND SLIDE VALVES
OP STEAM ENGINES, AND IN APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH."—A com-
munication from abroad by S. Lloyd Wiegand, of Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania, United States of America.
Scaled the 9th April 1872, and dated the 19th October 1871.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 19th October 1871.
I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co.,
5 Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PISTONS AND SLIDE

page_text: VALVES OF STEAM ENGINES, AND IN APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH,” a com-
munication, to be as follows:—
This Invention consists in the application of an arrangement of tubes
forming an injector to the pistons of steam engines, and, by thus pro-
ducing internal pressure in the cavity thereof, holding the expansible
rings which form the wearing surface of the piston in proper contact
with the internal surface of the cylinder; also in so applying a similar
tubular apparatus to cavities formed in the face of the slide valve, or the
valve seat, or both, as to counteract the whole or a portion of the
pressure upon the back of the valve, thus avoiding much of the friction
incident to that class of valves as usually constructed. This injector
consists essentially of two or more taper tubes so arranged relatively to
each other that the jet of steam issuing from one induces or draws a
current through the other tube. These tubes are so placed that the
larger end of each opens from opposite sides of the piston; a current of
live steam flowing into one tube draws into the other tube the cooler
steam or air and vapor of water, as the case may be, on the opposite or
exhaust side of the piston, and at the point of confluence of the two
jets a condensation (either complete or partial) of the live steam occurs
attended with an accelerated velocity of flow, and by the momcutum
thus obtained an increased pressure beyond that of the steam in the
cylinder is produced in the cavity of the piston.
The cylindric surface of the piston is formed of an expansible ring or
rings, or segments of rings, held between suitable flanges, and in case of
horizontal or inclined engines a bearing or supporting ring is advan-
tageously introduced, which, by supporting the piston concentrically
with the cylinder, relieves the expansible packing rings and also the
piston rod and the stuffing box through which it passes from undue
strain and wear. A thin film of fluid is forced from the cavity of the
piston through the interstices of the rings, and the wearing surfaces are
thus automatically cleaned and lubricated, and the friction of the piston
in the cylinder is reduced to a minimum.
When applied to the slide valve of a steam engine the two tubes are
so arranged that one receives live steam at the larger end, and drawing
in cooler steam or air from the exhaust fills the cavity or cavities in the
face of the valve or in the seat upon which it works, augmenting the
pressure therein in the manner herein-before explained, counterbalancing
the pressure upon the back of the valve, and forcing a film of fluid

page_text: between the valve and seat, lubricating the valve, and rendering it nearly.
frictionless.
The same device is usefully applicable to poppet valves, by making a
chamber or groove in either the valve or the seat, or in both, and by the
arrangement of tubes herein-before described injecting fluid at a higher
pressure than that in the steam chest, the opening of such valves is
facilitated.
The supply of fluid to the induced current may be from other sources
than the exhaust steam. It may be made a means of introducing
lubricants into the piston and slide valve, although in practice it has
been found that the exhaust steam answers satisfactorily.
The following advantages are realized in the use of steam engines
having valves and pistons so constructed. The motion of the piston and
valve is nearly frictionless, and at the same time they are always in
steam-tight adjustment and perfectly lubricated, without attention on the
part of the engineer.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 18th April 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her. most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of October, in the year
of our Lord One thousand cight hundred and seventy-one, in the thirty-
fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, givo
and grant unto me, the said William Robert Lake, Her special licenco
that I, the said William Robert Lake, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said William Robert Lake, my
exccutors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with,
and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during
the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
:

page_text: Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PISTONS AND SLIDE VALVES OF STEAM ENGINES, AND
IN APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH," a communication to me from abroad
by S. Lloyd Wiegand, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of
America, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William t
Robert Lake, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one of their hands and scals, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner 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 I, the said William Robert Lake, do hereby
declaro the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement, reference being had to the 1
accompanying Drawing forming a part of this Specification:-
This Invention consists in applying to the piston of a steam engino
formed with rings or segments susceptible of expansion or inflation by
internal fluid pressure an injector or tubular apparatus, which, by means
of a current induced or drawn into one tube leading from the exhaust 2
side of the piston by means of a current or jet supplied from the steam
on the opposito side of the piston, produces and maintains sufficient
internal pressure in the rings to expand and hold them in a proper
contact with the internal surface of the cylinder with a force always in
duc proportion to the pressure of the steam operating upon the surface 2
of the piston for the propulsion thereof, and also in so applying a similar
tubular apparatus to cavities formed in the face of the slide valve, or
the valve seat, or both, as to counteract the whole or a portion of the
pressure upon the back of the valve, thus avoiding much of the friction
incident to that class of valves as usually constructed, and also to 3
poppet valves to facilitate the opening thereof.

page_text: Figures 4, 5, and 6 shew modifications of the tubular device or injector
in section.
Figures 7, 8, and 9 respectively shew in side elevation, transverse
section, and plan a slide valve with my Invention applied to the
same.
Figure 10 shows a transverse section of a slide valve having this
Invention applied to the seat, and arranged to inject lubricants between
the valve and seat.
Figure 11 shews a poppet valve in vertical section with this Invention
applied to the seat thereof.
Figures 12 and 13 shew a part of the piston shewn in Figures 1, 2,
and 3, made in a modified form.
Like letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several
Figures.
A pair of cylindrical shells or rings A and A' having circular flanges
B and B' nearly equal to the bore of the cylinder O are clamped
securely between the flange D of the piston body E and the follower F.
Between the flange B and the flange D of the piston E, and the flange
B' and the follower F are fitted closely, but not so tight as to clamp,
rings G and G. These rings are divided and provided with tongues
Land L' at tho, division, as shewn in Figure 1, so that when pressed
against the internal surface of the cylinder the flow of steam through
the divisions or perforations is prevented as in many piston packings in
general use. Between the rings B and B is placed a ring H, which is
held centrally both in relation to the piston E and cylinder O by means
of set screws through the shells A and A³, or by liners placed in the.
space K between the shells A and A' and the ring H. The ring H is
preferably made with one division in it, although it may be successfully
used without any or may be divided into several segments, as may also
the rings G and G³, although in the latter case it is necessary to have
tongues fitted uniting tho several segments at each division. Instead of
the pair of shells A and A' and the ring H, shown in Figures 1 and 2, a
single shell A", Figures 12 and 13, may be substituted, the centre of
which H' is made cylindrical and fits in the boro of the cylinder, and the
portions on each side of H' are reduced in diameter so as to furnish
spaces for the expansible rings G and G', and are perforated at M' to

page_text: permit the steam pressure within the shell A" to pass under the rings
G and G¹. Perforations M are made through each of the shells A and
A' communicating from the cavity inside of the rings or shells A and A'
to the annular spaces under the rings G and G'. Through each side of
the piston E is a tube N and N', the ends of which tubes terminato in
conical nozzles or jet tubes, one passing through the other, and both
terminating in an orifice common to both, opening into the cavity or
chamber inside the rings or shells A and A'. The conical form of these
tubes permits an easy flow of steam into the piston cavity, but greatly
retards any flow outward, and by reason of this relative location to each
other in one discharging orifice at O a jet of steam flowing through one
draws a current through the other in the same manner as that in which
the injectors for feeding steam boilers induce a current of water by
means of a steam jet. The pressure is thus augmented in the interior
of the piston, and being transmitted through the holes M in the rings
A and A' presses upon the internal surface of the rings G and G', and
holds them in close contact with the internal surface of the cylinder.
The pressure is retained in the piston some time after it has been
reduced by expansion in the cylinder by reason of the conical forms of
the tubes N and N' permitting an easy flow inward and opposing or
retarding any outward flow.
Figure 4 shews a form of making the tubes N and N' in which they
terminate in one common orifice O, but one does not pass through the
other.
Figure 5 shows a form in which the pipes N and N' terminate in a
series of concentric apertures so directed relatively to each other as to
induce a current in each other that is delivered into the cavity of the
piston.
Figure 6 shows a series of jets so directed from each of the pipes
N and N' as to produce the same effect.
In these three Figures the direction of the current is indicated by the
arrows.
The principle of operation is in all of them identical. In pistons
of large diameter several pairs of tubes should be used in preference
to one large pair. A conical tube Q may be advantageously applied
beyond the confluence of the jets in the piston, and facilitates the
action of the steam jets in drawing in a current from the exhaust. This

page_text: is shown in Figure 5. The termination of this conical tube is drawn
with a flared adjutage R, but may be used without it.
Figure 7, 8, and 9 represent a slide valve S working upon a seat T.
In the face of the valve S are cavities U and U', which are so located
upon the sides of the valve that they are never in fluid communication
with either of the steam ports V, VI, or the exhaust port W. Tapering
tubes X and X' pass from the top of the valve S into the cavities U and
U', the smaller end opening into the cavities. Tapering tubes Z and Z'
from the exhaust cavity Y in the valve S open with their smaller ends
into the cavities U and U' in such close proximity to, and in such
direction towards the tubes X and X' that currents of steam flowing
into the cavities U and U' through the tubes X and X' induce currents
through the tubes Z and Z' from the exhaust cavity Y of the valve S
into the cavities U and U', the effect of which induced current is an
increased pressure in the cavities U and U' in the same manner that I
have described in the tubes applied to the cavity of the piston. Several
modifications of these tubes may be made similar to those described in
connection with the piston. The operation is the same in producing
increased pressure, but the effect of the pressure on the piston is to
force the packing rings into close contact with the cylinder, whilst in
the valve the effect of the pressure under the valves is to counteract that
upon the top of it. In the form shown in Figure 10 the tubes are
applied to the seat, and the tubes X and X' are curved and receive
steam from the chest, and draw in currents of lubricating fluid through-
the tubes Z and Z', which are discharged into the cavities U and U¹ in
the valve face, whence the lubricant is distributed between the faces of
the valve and seat by the motion of the valve and the pressure with
which it is injected. When applied to a poppet valve, as shown in
Figure 11, the tube X receives steam from the chest, and inducing a
current from the exhaust cavity W through the tubo Z delivers the
current into the cavity or zone U" in the valve S' resisting the
pressure of steam upon the top of the valve S' and facilitating the
opening thereof.
It is found in practically using this Invention that the necessary play
to permit of motion of the rings between the flanges D and B and B
and F affords a sufficient supply of condensed steam to pass between
them to effectually cleanse and lubricate the packing and cylinder, and
at the same time the internal pressure on the rings is so well maintained

page_text: that no leakage of steam occurs between the piston and cylinder, nor is
there any appreciable wear of either the rings G or G¹ or the cylinder C,
and the slide valves when furnished with injectors as described and
properly proportioned are practically frictionless and without appreciablo
wear. The advantages of these devices are simplicity, cheapness of
production, durability, and avoidance of friction.
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to me
by my foreign correspondent, and the manner of performing the same,
I wish it to be understood that I claim, the arrangement of a dovice or
devices to augment the internal pressure in steam piston packing by an
induced current produced by a jet or jets of steam passing into the
piston through a suitable converging aperture or apertures, and the
counterbalancing of the pressure upon the valves of steam engines by
the application of an injector or injectors to cavities in the bearing faces
of valves.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lako, have here-
unto set my hand and scal, this Fifteenth day of April, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
two.