IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Beck, of Bradford, in the County of York,
Watch Maker and Dentist, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
STEAM ENGINES."
Sealed the 26th June 1866, and dated the 30th December 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Beck at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 80th
December 1865.
I, RICHARD BECK, of Bradford, in the County of York, Watch Maker and
Dentist, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN STEAM ENGINES," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in the employment of a cylinder open at both ends,
and of three pistons, two of which are fixed at a suitable distance apart upon
a hollow piston rod, which is slotted between the pistons. The other piston
is placed betwixt the two former pistons, capable of sliding on the hollow rod,
and is fixed through the slot or slots to another piston rod which is fitted to
slide within the hollow rod. Steam is admitted betwixt two of these pistons
alternately, by which reciprocating motion is given to both piston rods at the
same time. In some cases I may apply a cover to each end of this cylinder,
and admit steam betwixt the said ends and the outsides of the pistons alter-
nately to act in concert with the steam admitted betwixt the pistons; also in
some cases I may find it advantageous to have the cylinder to reciprocate.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Richard Beck in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
30th June 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, RICHARD
BECK, of Bradford, in the County of York, Watch Maker and Dentist,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-ninth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said Richard Beck, Her special licence that I, the said Richard
Beck, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Richard Beck, my 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 "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN STEAM ENGINES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said Richard Beck, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, 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 Richard Beck, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement and accompanying Sheet of Drawings (that is to say) :-
:-
⚫ This Invention consists in the employment of a cylinder open at both ends,
and of three pistons, two of which are fixed at a suitable distance apart upon
a hollow piston rod, which is slotted between the pistons. The other piston is
placed betwixt the two former pistons, capable of sliding on the hollow rod,
and is fixed through the slot or slots to another piston rod which is fitted to
slide within the hollow rod. Steam is admitted betwixt two of these pistons
alternately, by which reciprocating motion is given to both piston rods at the
same time.
In some cases I may apply a cover to each end of this cylinder,
and admit steam betwixt the said ends and the outside of the pistons
alternately to act in concert with the steam admitted betwixt the pistons.

page_text: This Invention will be readily understood by reference to the accompanying
Sheet of Drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section of a cylinder with*
pistons and rods, valve box, constructed and arranged according to my said
Invention.
:
The pistons A and B are fixed upon a hollow piston rod C, and the piston D
is fixed on the rod E, which is capable of sliding freely within the rod C;
this rod C being slotted on each side, as shewn at c, for the cotter or pin by
which the piston D is fixed to its rod to slide in, and the said piston D is*
capable of sliding on the rod C, being fitted with a suitable stuffing box to'
make it steam-tight. Fig. 2 shews the pistons and rods in different relative
positions. By referring to Fig. 1 it will be seen that the valve G is shewn to
be just opening to admit steam through the port I betwixt the two pistons.
A and D, and the port I is opening to the exhaust pipe J, the action of which'
will be to drive the pistons into the position shewn at Fig. 2, both piston rods'
being being drawn within the cylinder simultaneously. On reversing the valves*
the steam will be admitted through the port I, and the pistons driven back to
position shewn at Fig. 1, producing a reciprocating action, the same as in
ordinary steam engines. It will be observed that in this arrangement the
piston rods move in opposite directions to each other, which in some cases of
application to drive machinery will be of advantage; but the most suitable;
mode of applying this duplicate motion will be readily conceived and adapted
by every practical engineer according to circumstances. When it is desirable_to
have both motions from or at the same end of the cylinder, the construction and
arrangement of the pistons and rods may be as shewn at Fig. 3, where the
pistons A and B are fixed upon the rod C, and the piston D is fixed upon the
two rods E and E¹, which pass through stuffing boxes in the piston B, the said
piston D sliding on the rod C, and is kept steam-tight thereon by a stuffing
box. Fig. 4 shews a similar construction of pistons and rods arranged for
the rods to work out at both ends of the cylinder. Fig. 5 also shews another
variation in construction, where the pistons A and B are connected by two
rods C and C, and the piston D slides upon them and is fixed to the rod E,
a rod E being fixed to the piston B. If desirable a cover may be applied to
each end of the cylinder, as shewn in this Figure (Fig. 5), and steam admitted
to the outer sides of the pistons A and B to act in concert with the steam
admitted betwixt the pistons; or the exhaust steam instead of passing direct
into the atmosphere as usual, it may be conducted by pipes or passages G
and H (Fig. 5) into the ends of the cylinder to keep it warm during the back
stroke, or when the pistons move inward and pass freely out at the branches
I and J during the forward stroke, or when the pistons are forced towards the

page_text: ends of the cylinder. Fig. 6 illustrates a peculiar construction of cylinder
and arrangment of valves, wherein steam may be applied at high pressure at
the ends and. at low pressure in the middle part of the cylinder. The cylinder
is made in three parts and bolted together, the middle part being of larger
diameter than the ends. The arrangement of the pistons and their rods are
similar to the arrangement shewn in Fig. 3. It will be observed by reference
to the position of the valves, as shewn in this Drawing (Fig. 6), that steam
may enter the cylinder through the port A betwixt the piston B and the end
or cover C of the cylinder at high pressure, whilst the steam which has done
duty at the opposite end of the cylinder may be exhausted through the port D,
and passing through the pipe E enter the valve box F, thence through the
port G into the cylinder again betwixt the pistons H and I, where it may
operate at low pressure, and thence pass away to the condenser through the
exhaust pipe J, as shewn by the arrows, and as will be easily understood by
all practical engineers.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Beck, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of June, One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-six.
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the
within-named Richard Beck, in
.the presence of
WM. TASKER,
Patent Agent,
Halifax.
RICHARD BECK. (L.B.)