Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 5th May, 1888
Complete Specification Left, 1st Feb., 1889
Comp ete Specification Accepted, 6th Apr., 1889
I, WILLIAM LLOYD WISE, of No. 46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of
Middlesex, Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to a steam engine with automatic cut off constructed and
arranged so as to allow of a great speed of revolution. Thus with small dimensions
there is obtained great power with very small consumption of steam.
The valve gear comprises main slide valves, and cut off or expansion valves. The
engine belongs to that class of motors in which the amount of expansion is altered
by varying the throw and angle of advance of the expansion eccentric with constant
lead.
According to this invention there are employed piston valves with elastic spring
packing for the main slide valves and cut off valves of the steam cylinder, for the
purpose of separate control of admission and exhaust of the steam, with a quick cut
off. The piston valve from its construction provides complete balancing of the steain
pressure, and the elastic spring packing effects complete tightness of the slide valve.
The cut off is varied by a centrifugal governor mounted on the crank shaft and
designed to give suitable variation of lead and of throw to the eccentric which works
the cut off valve, for the purpose of regulating the speed within narrow limits by means
of automatic alteration of expansion, when the power required varies.
Connection is made between the slide valve rod and eccentric rod by a joint con-
sisting of a minimum number of moving parts and allowing readily of the removal
and adjustment of the brasses. This form of pin connection is also applicable to the
connection between connecting rods and piston rods, and offers the same advantages.
On the annexed sheets of drawings, which are appended by way of illustration,
Figure I is a front elevation of an engine according to this invention..

page_text: Figure VI shews the governor in section.
Figure VII is a front elevation of the connections (crossheads) of the valve rods
and eccentric rods.
Figure VIII a side elevation of the same.
Figure IX a vertical section of the same.
Figures X and X1 front elevation and side elevation respectively of a detail, shewn
separately.
Figure XII shews the same principle of construction applied to the crosshead
connection of the piston rod and connecting rod, partly in elevation, partly in
section on the line U V. .
Figure XII shews the crosshead partly in plan and partly in horizontal section
on the line S T.
Figure XIV is a side elevation of the detail P P shewn separately.
Figures XV and XVI shew respectively a section and plan of the mode of
suspension and fixing of the governor spring.
In Figures 1 and 2, A is the engine framing containing in its lower part the bearing
of the crank shaft B. On the latter are mounted the eccentrics Ev and Ee for the
slide valves S v and S e. There is also mounted on this shaft the governor R which
acts upon the eccentrics.
Connection between the occentrics and the valve rods is effected by means of cross-
heads vand ke. In the framing A is arranged the guide for the piston crosshead K
and above the framing is arranged the steam cylinder C and the valve chest D.
Of the two slide valves S v and Se contained in the valve chest D, S v serves to
distribute the steam above and below, or in front and behind the piston; its movement
is constant with varying cut off. The valve Se is the cut-off valve and effects the cut
off of the steam. The operation of both valves is similar to that of the well known
ordinary slide valve having a cut off sliding plate working on its back, with this
difference (as for example as compared with Meyer's valve gear) that the distance
between the two cutting off edges remains constant.
Steam may be admitted to the cylinder (as usual) from the ends of the slide valve,
and may be exhausted at the centre of the valve, but the movements and the steam
passages may also be arranged in the opposite manner as shewn in Figures 1 to IV,
where steam is admitted at the centre and is exhausted at the ends.
In the arrangement shewn in Figure III the inside edges n¹ and n³ of the main
slide valve thus regulate the admission of steam into the cylinder, whilst the outer
edges regulate the exhaust therefrom.
The steam passes out of the valve chest D through the apertures of the recess n³
(that serves in place of a valve face) and through the openings &³ and sand passages &²
and to the spaces above and below the piston corresponding to the position of the
piston valve Sv above or below its middle position.
For instance, if So be above the middle position, the steam passes out of D
through 5, s³, s¹ above the piston.
At the lower side the exhaut steam passes through into the space D*.
At the same time the cut-off valve Se moves downwards, so that the edge n¹ and
surface n¹ n³ covers the aperture ³ the admission of steam is stopped, and expansion
begins.
The duration of admission of steam and the amount of expansion will vary and
depend upon the throw of the cut-off valve and upon the fact whether the downward
movement of the same begins earlier or later with relation to the downward movement
of the engine piston.
That which holds good for the admission of steam above also holds good for the
admission of steam below.

page_text: The contact surfaces of the main valve So and of the cut-off valve Se, are formed
by elastic rings n, so as to form a perfect steam tight joint.
The main body of the main valve So which moves in the recess n of the valve
chest, forms a hollow body for the reception of the cylindrical cut off valve. The
piston rod of the latter moves in the hollow rod Z¹ of the main valve.
The main valve Sv is moved by the eccentric Ev which is keyed on the shaft.
The cut off valve eccentric E e has a variable throw and a variable angle of lead, the
throw being smaller or greater and the angle of lead greater or smaller according as
cut off take place sooner or later in the cylinder.
"
"
If it be not desired to control the admission and exhaust of the steam separately, a
single cylindrical valve is sufficient, and in that case instead of the two
eccentrics Ee & Ev, only one eccentric is employed, namely Ee.
The governor R which acts on the cut off valve bears a considerable resemblance
to other known arrangements which shift an eccentric mounted on the crank shaft,
for example, to the governor of Armington and Sims.
But the improved governor possesses essential features of difference which con-
siderably increase its sensitiveness and the exactness of the regulation of the speed.
The casing a (Figs. 5 and 6) with concentric boss a¹ is fixed on the crank
shaft B.
Upon the boss a¹ turns the eccentric body or block e which is provided with two
arms arranged opposite to each other and fitted with pins e¹ and e. Rods b¹ and b
connect the pins e¹ and e³ (consequently also the eccentric boss e) with the centri-
fugal levers c¹ and c², whose pivots d¹, d, are constituted by pins fixed in the
casing a.
The levers c¹ and act as centrifugal weights during the rotation of the shaft,
and are attached to the ends of the coiled spring which is situated between them.
The tension of the spring. draws the levers c and inwards, and will only be
overcome by the action of centrifugal force upon these weighted levers c¹ and c
which are arranged perfectly symmetrically and are of the same weight. The
ends fi and f of the spring f are each provided with a nut m (Figs. XV and XVI).
The head m¹ of the nut bears against a ring r which bears by means of notches
against a knife-edge g' formed on the centrifugal lever c¹ (and c³).,
In this case, in contradistinction to other arrangements, the centrifugal force of
one weight cacts directly to balance the centrifugal force of the other weight c³,
through the common tension of the spring f, without this force being transmitted
by any other joints or connections than the readily movable knife edges g', g³.
In consequence of the common action of the spring f upon the levers c¹ and c²,
there is not produced any unequal pull or unsymmetrical pressure upon the joints.
Further, the centrifugal force has no tendency to produce a lateral bending of the
spiral spring, because this latter passes exactly through the centre of the shaft; this is
an important feature as compared with known arrangements with only one spring
arranged at the side of the shaft, and liable to be bent laterally by the action of
centrifugal force.
In place of a single spring, two or more springs may be arranged between g¹ and g³
behind one another, having a cominon direction of tension passing through the shaft
The result is the same as if only one spring were employed.
By the rotation of the inner eccentric or eccentric boss e in consequence of the
action of the centrifugal levers, the outer ring piece E e, which is able to turn about e,
and forms the cut-off eccentric, is shifted together with the arm h°.
The arm ho is connected by the rod with the fixed point i of the casing a, and
rotates the ring-piece and eccentric Ee with the shaft, so that it forms the eccentric
disc which is requisite to move the cut off valve Se, whereby each different position
of the centrifugal levers c', c³, corresponds to a different relative position of the
eccentric disc Ee on the crank shaft.
The friction of the outer eccentric strap E on the eccentric disc, or a pull or
pressure in the direction of the eccentric rod, has no effect upon the centrifugal

page_text: weights c¹ and c² to bring them out of their relative position. This is an important
feature of the invention and differentiates it from other constructions in which the
arm (°) is connected by a rod with one of the two centrifugal weights, and conse-
quently in which the friction of the outer eccentric strap (E) on the eccentric
disc (e) acts directly to rotate the centrifugal weights (c', c) about their centres of
rotation (d², d³). In such case different amounts of friction of the eccentric strap
produced by differences of tension in the spring, correspond to different forces which
act to rotate the centrifugal weights, and since a certain position of the levers
corresponds to a certain tension of the spring, there are produced with different
amounts of friction, different speeds corresponding to one and the same position of
equilibrium of the weights. It will thus be seen that the peculiar arrangement of one
or more coiled springs for balancing the centrifugal force, and the arrangement and
mode of suspension of the eccentric disc Ee as described, produce a considerably
increased sensitiveness of the governor for variations in speed, and a quick cut-off for
varying demand of power.
The increased sensitiveness of the governor is also aided by the very small frictional
resistance of the valve.
The governor may of course act by means of only one eccentric disc E e upon the
motion of a single main valve, whose operation is analogous to that of an ordinary
simple slide valve; then to different positions of E e relative to the crank shaft, there
correspond different durations of steam admission.
The connections k & k (Figs. VII to X1) serve to firmly secure the eccentric rods
of the fixed main or distributing eccentric Ev and movable cut off eccentric E e, with
the rods of the main or distributing valve Sv and cut off valve S e.
Both, and ke are of identical construction. The head ke connects the eccentric
rod P
e with the valve rod z. The fork-shaped branches p¹ of the rod pe comprise the
eye p³ and leave a space free for the fastenings o¹ and o³. On the eye p³ are pins p³
on which are fixed the bushes of the rings p.
The eye p² is bored out in the longitudinal axis of the rod z, so that the end o of
the rod can pass through p', whilst affording room for a throw corresponding to the
movement of the eccentric. Enclosing the pins på, or rings p and the eye p' and
also partly overlapping the fork p', are brasses o¹ and o' which are similarly perforated
to receive the end o of the rod.
Nuts 03 and 0* are provided on either side to secure the brasses o¹ and o³, and also
to connect the rod pe with the rod o or z.
The construction of the head kv for connecting pv with z¹ is similar to the above;
with the single exception that the head ke lies between the branches of the fork pv,
and the rod z lies in the tubular rod or sleeve z¹, because the valve rods are
concentrically arranged.
A stuffing box 2º serves to prevent the escape of steam from the steam chest.
The connecting heads may be provided if desired with direct guiding surfaces, as
shown in the crosshead K, Figs. I, XII, and XIII.
The crosshead connects the piston rod u with the connecting rod P. The guide
surfacest of the bush O' work in guides t¹.
In place of a nut 0, as in Figs. VII to IX a clamping screw 0 is arranged to
adjust and secure the piston rod.
Dated this 5th day of May 1900

page_text: 1, WILLIAM LLOYD WISE of No. 46 Lincolns Inn Fields in the County of Middlesex,
Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent, 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 :-
This invention relates to a steam engine with automatic cut off constructed and
arranged so as to allow of a great speed of revolution. Thus with small dimensions
there is obtained great power with very small consumption of steam.
The valve gear comprises main slide valves, and cut off or expansion valves. The
engine belongs to that class of motors in which the amount of expansion is altered by
varying the throw and angle of advance of the expansion eccentric the lead being kept
constant.
According to this invention there are employed piston valves with elastic spring:
packing for the main slide valves and cut off valves of the steam cylinder, for the
purpose of separate control of admission and exhaust of the steam, with a quick cut off..
The piston valve from its construction provides complete balancing of the steam
pressure, and the elastic spring packing renders the slide valve quite tight.
The cut off is varied by a centrifugal governor mounted on the crank shaft and
designed to give suitable variation of lead and of throw to the eccentric which works
the cut off valve, for the purpose of regulating the speed within narrow limits by
means of automatic alteration of expansion, when the power required varies.
Connection is made between the slide valve rod and eccentric rod by a joint con-
sisting of a minimum number of moving parts and allowing readily of the removal
and adjustment of the brasses. This form of pin connection is also applicable to the
connection between connecting rods and piston rods, and in that case offers the same
advantages.
Referring to sheets I and III annexed to the Provisional Specification, and to
sheet II herewith which supersedes sheet Il of the Provisional Specification,
Fig. I is a front elevation of an engine according to this invention.
Fig. II is a vertical section of the engine with elevation of the governor.
Fig. III is a vertical section on a larger scale of the piston valves and valve casing.
Fig. IV is a horizontal section of the same.
Fig. V is an elevation of the governor.
Fig. VI shews the governor in section.

page_text: Fig. IX a vertical section of the same.
Figs. X and XI front elevation and side elevation respectively of a detail shewn
separately.
Fig. XII shews the same principle of construction applied to the cross head con-
nection of the piston rod and connecting rod, partly in elevation, partly in section on
the line U. V. of Fig. XIII.
Fig. XIII shews the cross head partly in plan and partly in horizontal section on
the line ST of Fig. XII.
Fig. XIV is a side elevation of the detail P. P¹, shewn separately.
Figs. XV and XVI shew respectively a section and plan of the mode of suspension
and fixing of the governor spring.
In Figs. I and II, A is the engine framing containing in its lower part the bearing
of the crank shaft B. On the latter are mounted the eccentrics Ev and Ee, driving
the slide valves S v and Se. There is also mounted on this shaft the governor R
which acts upon the eccentrics.
Connection between the eccentrics and the valve rods is effected by means of cross
heads k, v and ke. In the framing A is arranged the guide for the piston crosshead K
and above the framing is arranged the steam cylinder C and the valve chest D.
Of the two slide valves S v and Se contained in the valve chest D, So serves to
distribute the steam above and below, or in front and behind the piston; its move-
ment is constant with varying cut off. The valve Se is the cut off valve and effects
the cut off of the steam. The operation of both valves is similar to that of the well
known ordinary slide valve having a cut off sliding plate working on its back, with
this difference (as for example as compared with Meyer's valve gear) that the distance
between the two cutting off edges remains constant.
Steam may be admitted to the cylinder (as usual) from the ends of the slide valve,
and may be exhausted at the centre of the valve, but the movements and the steam
passages may also be arranged in the opposite manner as shown in Figs. I to IV
where steam is admitted at the centre and is exhausted at the ends.
In the arrangement. shewn in Fig. III the inside edges n' and n³ of the main slide
valve thus regulate the admission of steam into the cylinder, whilst the outer edges
regulate the exhaust therefrom.
The steam passes out of the valve chest I through the apertures s of the cylindrical
lining n (that serves in place of a valve face) and through the openings and sand
passages and to the spaces above and below the piston corresponding to the
position of the piston valve S v above or below its middle position.
For instance, if S v be above the middle position, the steam passes out of Des
throughs, &, s above the piston.
At the lower side the exhaust steam passes through & into the space D.
At the same time the cut off valve Se moves downwards, so that the edge n¹ and
surface n¹, n³ covers the aperture s³, the admission of steam is stopped, and expansion
begins.
The duration of admission of steam and the amount of expansion will vary with
and depend upon the throw of the cut off valve and upon the fact whether the downward
movement of the same begins earlier or later with relation to the downward move-
ment of the engine piston.
That which holds good for the admission of steam above also holds good for the
admission of steam below.
The contact surfaces of the main valve Sv and of the cut off valve Se are formed
by elastic rings ne, so as to form a perfect steam tight joint.
The main body of the main valve Sv which moves in the lining n³ of the valve
chest forms a hollow body for the reception of the cylindrical cut off valve. The
piston rod of the latter moves in the hollow rod Z' of the main valve.

page_text: The main valve So is moved by the eccentric Ev which is keyed on the shaft.
The cut off valve eccentric Ee has a variable throw and a variable angle of lead, the
throw being smaller or greater and the angle of lead greater or smaller according as
cut off takes place sooner or later in the cylinder.
If it be not desired to control the admission and exhaust of the steam separately, a
"single" cylindrical valve is sufficient, and in that case instead of the two
eccentrics Ee and Ev, only one eccentric is employed, namely Ee.
The governor R which acts on the cut off valve bears a considerable resemblance
to other known arrangements which shift an eccentric mounted on the crank shaft, for
example, to the governor of Armington & Sims.
But the improved governor possesses essential features of difference which con-
siderably increase its sensitiveness and the exactness of the regulation of the
speed. The casing a (Figs. 5 and 6) with concentric boss a¹ is fixed on the crank
shaft B.
The
Upon the boss a¹ turns the eccentric body or block e which is provided with two
arms arranged opposite to each other and fitted with pins el and e. Rods b' and b
connect the pins e¹ and e' (consequently also the eccentric boss e) with the centrifugal
levers and whose pivots d' d' are constituted by pins fixed in the casing a.
levers c¹ and c² act as centrifugal weights during the rotation of the shaft, and are
attached to the ends of the coiled spring which is situated between them. The tension
of the spring draws the levers c¹ and inwards and will only be overcome by the
action of centrifugal force upon these weighted levers c¹ and c³ which are arranged
perfectly symmetrical and are of the same weight. The ends f¹ and f of the spring f
are each provided with a nut m (Figs. XV and XVI). The head m¹ of the nut
bears against a ring V which bears by means of notches against a knife edge g¹
formed on the centrifugal lever c¹ (and ³).
In this case in contradistinction to other arrangements, the centrifugal force of one
weight c' acts directly to balance the centrifugal force of the other weight c³, through
the common tension of the spring f, without this force being transmitted by any other
joints or connections than the readily movable knife edges g', g³.
In consequence of the common action of the spring upon the levers c¹ and ³,
there is not produced any unequal pull or unsymmetrical pressure upon the joints.
Further, the centrifugal force has no tendency to produce a lateral bending of the
spiral spring because the latter passes exactly through the continuation of the centre
line of the shaft; this is an important feature as compared with known arrangements
with only one spring arranged at the side of the shaft, and liable to be bent laterally
by the action of centrifugal force.
In place of a single spring, two or more springs may be arranged between g¹
and g², behind one another, having a common direction of tension passing through
the centre line of the shaft. The result is the same as if only one spring were employed.
By the rotation of the inner eccentric or eccentric boss e in consequence of the action
of the centrifugal levers, the outer ring piece Ee, which is able to turn about e, and forms
the cut-off eccentric, is shifted together with the arm h°. The arm ° is connected
by the rod with the fixed point of the casing a, and rotates the ring piece and
eccentric Ee with the shaft, so that it forms the eccentric disc which is requisite to
move the cut off valve Se, whereby each different position of the centrifugal
levers corresponds to a different relative position of the eccentric disc Ee on the
crank shaft. The friction of the outer eccentric strap E° on the eccentric disc,
or a pull or pressure in the direction of the eccentric rod, has no effect upon the
centrifugal weights c¹ and to bring them out of their relative position. This is an
important feature of the invention and differentiates it from other constructions in
which the arm (°) is connected by a rod with one of the two centrifugal weights,
and consequently in which the friction of the outer eccentric strap (E) on the
eccentric disc (Ee) acts directly to rotate the centrifugal weights (c¹, c) about their
centres of rotation (d', d.). In such case different amounts of friction of the
eccentric strap produced by differences of tension in the spring, correspond to differents

page_text: forces which act to rotate the centrifugal weights, and since a certain position of the
levers corresponds to a certain tension of the spring, there are produced with different
amounts of friction, different speeds corresponding to one and the same position of
equilibrium of the weights.
It will thus be seen that the peculiar arrangement of one or more coiled springs for
balancing the centrifugal force, and the arrangement and mode of suspension of the
eccentric disc E e as described, produce a considerably increased sensitiveness of
the governor for variations in speed, and a quick cut-off for varying demand of
'power.
The increased sensitiveness of the governor is also aided by the very small frictional
resistance of the valve.
The governor may of course act by means of only one eccentric disc E e upon the
motion of a single main valve, whose operation is analogous to that of an ordinary
simple slide valve; then to different positions of E e relative to the crank shaft, there
correspond different durations of steam admission. The connection k and ko
(Figs. VII to XI) serve to firmly secure the eccentric rods of the fixed main or
distributing eccentric Ev and movable cut off eccentric Ee, with the rods of the main
or distributing valve, Sv and cut off valve Se. Both k and ke are of identical con-
struction.
The head connects the eccentric rod pe with the valve rod z. The fork
shaped branches p₁ of the rod pe comprise the eye p³ and leave a space free for the
fastenings o¹ and o³.
On the eye p³ are pins or gudgeons p* on which are fixed the bushes of the
rings p. The eye p³ is bored out in the longitudinal axis of the rod z, so that
the end o of the rod z can pass through p³, whilst there afforded room for an
oscillating motion corresponding to the movement of the eccentric. Enclosing the
pins på or rings pt and the eye p³ and also partly overlapping the fork p², are
brasses o' and of which are similarly perforated to receive the end o of the rod.
Nuts o³ and o* are provided on either side to secure the brasses o¹ and o³, and also
to connect the rod p. e with the rod o or z.
The construction of the head kv for
connecting p. with 21 is similar to the above; with the single exception that the
head k v lies between the branches of the fork p v, and the rod z lies in the tubular
rod or sleeve z¹, because the valve rods are concentrically arranged.
A stuffing box serves to prevent the escape of steam from the steam chest. The
connecting heads may be provided if desired with direct guiding surfaces as shewn in
the cross head K, Figs. I, XII and XIII.
The crosshead connects the piston rod u with the connecting rod P. The guide
surfaces t of the bush O' work in guides t'.
In place of a nut 04, as in Figs. VII to IX a clamping screw () is arranged to
adjust and secure the piston rod.
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 centrifugal spring governors for steam engines, a spiral spring fintersecting
the centre line of the crank shaft and acting through the knife edges g₁g constantly
and with uniform force in all positions upon the equal centrifugal weights c¹ and c
which are pivotted symmetrically at the fixed points d' and d of the casing a
substantially as described.
2. In centrifugal spring governors for steam engines, the ring piece E e encircling
the eccentric e and connected to the fixed point i of the casing a by the arm h° and
the rod substantially as described.
3. The cylindrical distribution and cut off valves Sv and Se moved independently
one within the other and arranged in such a manner that the expansion is altered by
variation of the stroke and lead of the cut-off slide valve, the distance between its edges
remaining constant substantially as described.

page_text: 4. The hereinabove described means of connecting a valve rod with an eccentric
rod consisting of the fork shaped head p¹ p p of the eccentric rod having a longi-
tudinal hole in the eye p' in combination with bushes p* upon which are mounted the
"brasses" o¹ and o³ (with or without the guide t) held together by the rod
nuts o and o substantially as described.
and by
5. The construction of a crosshead for coupling a piston rod to a connecting rod
substantially as described with reference to Figs. XII to XIV.
6. The combined arrangement of governor, eccentrics and valves, constructed and
operating substantially as described with reference to Figs. II, III, IV, V and VI
of the drawings.