Improvements in Steam Engines.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 7th June, 1890
Complete Specification Left, 8th Jan., 1891-Accepted, 14th Feb., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Steam Engines.
I, ROBERT RICHARDSON, of Douglas Terrace, Inchinnan Road, Renfrewshire,
Draughtsman, do hereby declare the nature of my invention to be as follows:-
My first improvement comprises a new mode of converting the action of double
acting cylinders so as to have a single action on the crank and cross-head pins and
main bearings, or in other words that the said parts all bear in one direction, while
the piston, piston-rod, and crosshead are double acting. My invention applies to
engines lying in any position, but for description I will refer to the inverted form
only. In carrying out my invention, the engine shaft has two cranks set an angle
of 180 degrees, or what is called opposite, one being at top when the other is at the
bottom of the stroke. The cylinders are placed side by side and sit directly above
the cranks. My improvements consist in having a lever of the first order whose
ends engage with the crossheads by links or sliding blocks. The fulcrum of the
lever has a journal at right angles to the plane of its motion which works in an
adjustable bearing mid-way between the two crossheads, and this bearing can be
moved up or down by a screw working in the engine framing. If I wish to work
with the connecting rods in compression, the screw is moved down; if in tension
it is moved up. By this it will be seen that when steam is on the top of the piston
the power passes through the crosshead and connecting rod directly to the crank
below, but when steam is on the underside of the piston the power passes through
the lever to the opposite crank. When the connecting rods are in tension the
opposite is true, as the bushes wear the screw is moved so that all wear is taken up
while the engine is running. This screw may be wrought by hand or may have an
automatic action. A worm wheel is fixed to the top of screw into which gears a
worm, the spindle of which is extended and has a pulley fixed to it upon which is
wound a band or chain having a weight hanging therefrom, the weight being
sufficient to always keep the bushes at a pressure on the bearings. I have described
it as having two cylinders but it will be understood that one cylinder only may be
used, all the other parts being retained. As the piston, piston rod and crosshead
are in one piece or firmly fixed together, it will be seen that the lever could be
applied to any convenient place above the crosshead pin. The valves or valve
are or is placed preferably between the cylinders sufficient space being allowed
between the cranks for an automatic governor or an eccentric and bearing. What
I have said relates to the use of ordinary double acting pistons, but any kind of
double acting piston can be used, such as those which act as their own valves. In
working one of this class the steam distribution is effected by giving the piston_a
twisting motion, each cylinder being dependent on itself. The piston is made
somewhat deeper than the stroke of the crank. The steam enters by a port in
the middle of the cylinder and exhausts by another port directly opposite.
The piston has also ports which run up and down nearly its whole length.
Two of said ports are opposite the steam inlet, and two opposite the exhaust
in each pair, one leads to bottom of cylinder and the other to top.
In going
over the dead centre the piston is made to twist, and by this action the
ports are brought into such a position as to give steam to one end and exhaust
by the other. Although I have described this piston, it is not new, my improve-
ment consists in a new way of giving the twisting motion, the carrying out of which
is done in the following manner. The connecting rod has the ordinary forked
ends, on the top of one of the forks is a projection in the form of a bevel wheel
tooth, which works in a hollow bevel wheel tooth in the crosshead. The crosshead
pin is made of a ball shape in the centre and is fixed in the connecting rod between
the forks. The crosshead is circular, and as the crank passes over the dead centre

page_text: the bevel teeth projection on the top of the fork of the connecting rod causes the
crosshead piston and rod to twist, all the strain of doing so. coming on the crank pin
through the connecting rod.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Steam Engines.
I, ROBERT RICHARDSON, of Douglas Terrace, Inchinnan Road, Renfrewshire,
Draughtsman, do hereby declare the nature of my invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement in writing, that is to say :-
My first improvement in steam engines comprises a new mode of converting the.
action of double acting cylinders so as to have a single action on the crank and
crosshead pins and main bearings, or in other words that the said parts all bear in
one direction, while the piston, piston-rod, and crosshead are double acting. My
invention applies to engines lying in any position, but for description I will refer
to the inverted form only. In carrying out my invention, the engine shaft has two
cranks set at an angle of 180 degrees, or what is called opposite, one being at top
when the other is at the bottom of the stroke. The cylinders are placed side by
side and sit directly above the crank. My improvements consist in having a lever
of the first order whose ends engage with the crosslicads by links or sliding blocks.
The fulcrum of the lever has a journal at right angles to the plane of its motion
which works in an adjustable bearing mid-way between the two crossheads, and
this bearing can be moved up or down by a screw working in the engine framing
If I wish to work with the connecting rods in compression, the screw is moved
down if in tension it is moved up. By this it will be seen that when steam is on
the top of the piston the power passes through the crosshead and connecting rod
directly to the crank below, but when steam is on the underside of the piston the
When the connecting rods
power passes through the lever to the opposite crank.
are in tension the opposite is true, as the bushes wear the screw is moved so that
all wear is taken up while the engine is running. This screw may be wrought by
A worm wheel is fixed to the top of screw
hand or may have an automatic action.
into which gears a worm, the spindle of which is extended and has a pulley fixed
to it upon which is wound a band or chain having a weight hanging therefrom, the
weight being sufficient to always keep the bushes at a pressure on the bearings.
I have described it as having two cylinders but it will be understood that one
As the piston,
cylinder only may be used, all the other parts being retained.
piston rod, and crosshead are in one piece or firmly fixed together, it will be seen
that the lever could be applied to any convenient place above the crosshead pin.
The valves or valve are or is placed preferably between the cylinders sufficient
space being allowed between the cranks for an automatic governor or an eccentric
and bearing. What I have said relates to the use of ordinary double acting
pistons, but any kind of double acting piston can be used, such as those which act
as their own valves. In working one of this class the steam distribution is effected
by giving the piston a twisting motion, each cylinder being dependent on itself
The piston is made somewhat deeper than the stroke of the crank. The steam
enters by a port in the middle of the cylinder and exhausts by another port
directly opposite. The piston has also ports which run up and down nearly its
whole length. Two of said ports are opposite the steam inlet, and two opposite
the exhaust in each pair, one leads to bottom of cylinder and the other to top.
going over the dead centre the piston is made to twist, and by this action the ports
are brought into such a position as to give steam to one end and exhaust by the
other. Although I have described this piston, it is not new, my improvemen
consists in a new way of giving the twisting motion, the carrying out of which i
In

page_text: done in the following manner. The connecting rod has the ordinary forked ends,
on the top of one of the forks is a projection in the form of a bevel wheel tooth,
which works in a hollow bevel wheel tooth in the crosshead. The crosshead pin
is made of a ball shape in the centre and is fixed in the connecting rod between
the forks. The crosshead is circular, and as the crank passes over the dead centre
the bevel teeth projection on the top of the fork of the connecting rod causes the
crosshead piston and rod to twist, all the strain of doing so coming on the crank
pin through the connecting rod.
And in order that my said invention and the manner of performing or carrying the
same into effect or practice may be properly understood, I have hereunto appended
an explanatory sheet of drawings, in which the same reference letters are used to
indicate corresponding parts in all the figures where shown.
Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of a compound or high and low
pressure inverted vertical cylinder double acting non-reversing engine embodying or
constructed in accordance with and illustrative of one modification of the two main
essentials of my improvements for maintaining the wearing strain on the crank and
crosshead pins or journals always in one direction to prevent jar at the reversing
end of the stroke as is the case in single acting cylinder engines, and also of the new
mode of swivelling the pistons to make them act as their own steam distributing
valves.
Figure 2 is a horizontal section of the same taken on the line 1-1 in Figure 1,
through the steam inlet and exhaust ports a, a'; b, b', in the cylinders A, B, and
pistons A, B
Figure 3 is a sectional elevation of the arrangement shown in Figures 1 and 2,
through the high pressure cylinder A, and its crank Cat right angles to
Figure 1.
Figure 4 is a horizontal section corresponding to Figure 3 on the line 2-2
through the crosshead A2 and forked end A³ of the connecting rod A of the high
pressure cylinder A.
Figure is a sectional elevation in a plane through the centre of the cylinder A
and line of the crank shaft C2 of a single inverted cylinder reversing engine,
showing a slightly different modification of the means of oscillating the pistons A'
to make them for their own distributing steam valves, and
Figure 6 is a horizontal section taken on the line 3-3 through the cylinder and
piston A, A, and the reversing hand valve E and casing E.
Figure 7 shows vertical elevations at right angles to each other of a piston A¹
piston rod A and connecting rod A showing a different but equivalent means of
orcillating the piston rod and piston A", A', to that shown in the former figures, in
which the crosshead and slipper A* do not oscillate but only reciprocate as in other
engines.
Referring to Figures 1 to 4 of these drawings, A. and B are respectively the high
and low pressure cylinders preferably cast in one, and screwed or otherwise bolted
by short studs or other equivalent at C to and over the lower box supporting
framing C, and A', B', their pistons having their piston rods A", 13", cottered or
otherwise secured to cylindrical crossheads or slide guide blocks A2, B2, working in
bored chambers C, C, in the lower box frame C carrying the journal bearings C
of the crank shaft C The connecting rods A, B have their lower ends
directly connected to their cranks CC respectively at an angle of 180° or what
is called opposite, one crank being at the top when the other is at the bottom of the
stroke, and rire versu. The upper forked ends A³, B3, of these connecting rods have
their joint pins A, B, preferably fixed in them with a hall journal working in
bush bearings A, B, secured in the middle or lower side of the slide block cross-
heads A, B, which are oscillated by the connecting rods A, A, and B, B³, as
the cranks C, C³, pass their upper and lower centres, to give steam to and exhaust
from the upper and lower ends of their cylinders, and rice versa alternately, as
will hereinafter he explained, forming the second main improvement of my
invention.

page_text: Referring to the first of my improvements for making the strains on the working
ends of the connecting rods A, B, with the cranks C, C³, and their pins A, B,
act always in one direction in pressure or tension, as before stated I mount a beam
lever or levers D of the first order, preferably on the two sides mounted to oscillate
on a cross journal centre D' at right angles to the plane of motion of the beam
lever D in a reciprocating adjustable bearing block d mounted in the centre part c
of the framing C between the crosshead blocks A2, B2, and having the two ends of
the lever D, jointed by pins and links or otherwise at D", to horizontal sliding
blocks D' mounted to work and bear on planed surfaces within the blocks A², B²,
just over the centre pins A, B, of the connecting rods. The bearing block dis
turned on top, and has mounted over it a screw plug or spindle working in a
female screw in the bearing of the framing C, so as to press the bearing block </
down to the extent desired to maintain the strain equally on its two end blocks D²,
and slide crossheads A, B, of the connecting rods A, B. Thus it will be seen
that when steam is acting on the top of either of the pistons A.', or B¹, the power
passes through its crosshead, and connecting rod directly to its crank below; but
when steam is acting on the underside of the piston, the power passes from the
crosshead on the opposite side through the lever D to the opposite crosshead and
crank, to thus maintain the strain in the downward direction on both connecting
rods and cranks, while their pistons are respectively ascending, that is, when the
block D and its screw are acting in compression. Thus as the bushes wear the
screw is screwed down so that all wear is taken up while the engine is running.
When the connecting rods are in tension the opposite is the case the pressure being
always in the one direction on the crank and pins of the connecting rod. The
lever D and slide blocks d can be so arranged by links or otherwise as to put the
connecting rods in tension instead of compression as described, when used for
horizontal engines. The screw d¹ may be so worked by hand by a hand lever or
screw wheel on its square end d". Or this may be done automatically by having a
worm wheel secured on the top d" of the screw gearing into a worm on a lateral
spindle, which might be extended out clear of the framing C₁and have a pulley
fixed on it upon which is wound a band or chain having a weight hanging there-
from, sufficient to turn the screw and always keep the bush d at the desired
pressure on the journal centre D' of the beam lever D. The cranks C, C³, of the
crank shaft C2 work in the lower close chamber part of the box framing C
preferably formed with removable end bearings C₁, and side doors and screwed on
covers at C, for the insertion and removal and tightening up of the bearings of the
crank shaft C which might be lubricated by retaining oil or other lubricant in the
bottom of the chamber. When other ordinary pistons are used which do not act
as their own valves, the valves may be placed in a steam casing between the
cylinders, and be actuated by rods from eccentrics on the crank shaft at C between
the cranks where sufficient space would be left for these or for an automatic governor
and bearing when that is desired.
In applying the second improvements of my invention, the cylinders A, B, are
formed with their inlet and exhaust steam ports a, a, b, b', in line near their centre,
the exhaust port a of the high pressure cylinder A. passing into the inlet branch and
port of the low pressure cylinder B, which exhausts from the branch or port & to
the atmosphere or to a condenser when that is used, as indicated by the arrows in
Figures 1 and 2. Each piston A', B', is made slightly longer than the throw of
their cranks C, C³, and have on the side of their inlet ports a, b, two long inlet
ports a² all and leading to the upper and lower ends of their pistons and
cylinders and two exhaust ports a³a and 31 on the opposite or exhaust port
sides a¹ of their cylinders A, B, all so that as the pistons are oscillated at the
upper and lower ends respectively of their stroke, steam passes in by one of these
ports, as say to force down the piston, while it is passing out from the lower end
of the cylinder by the exhaust port as on the opposite side and vice versa on the
upstroke of the piston pass in through the port all to the lower end of the cylinder
and out through the port a from the upper end of the cylinder, the equivalent

page_text: taking place in the large cylinder alternately by its long_ports 63, 63, and 61 ¿1.
The inlet ports a², al, and b², ", of these pistons A, B, would be shortened
to the extent of the cut off required. This construction of pistons and
cylinders and their ports for making them form their own distributing steam
valves by their 'oscillation is not new, but my improvements consist in a
new mode and means of giving this oscillatory or twisting motion to the
pistons by the forked ends A, B, of their connecting rods A B as follows:-
As shown on the right of Figure 1, I form a projection or bevel wheel tooth at e on
the upper end of one fork arm B³ of the connecting rod B beyond the ball joint
pin B and make it work into corresponding teeth el formed on the boss of the cross-
head, so that as the lower end of the connecting rod 13 and crank pin C³ are
passing the upper and lower dead centres, the tooth e turns the teeth e and the
crosshead or slide guide block B2 of the large piston B1, so as to cause its ports 12, 13³,
and to admit and exhaust the steam all as hereinbefore described at the
extreme ends and during its stroke up or down. An equivalent to these
projections e, e', is shown on the left hand side of Figure 1, by securing a fixed pin ²
in one fork arm of the connecting rod A below its crosshead spindle A+, and
making its projection work in a short cylindrical bush e" turned and fitted in a
cylindrical recess e in one side of the lower end of the crosshead slide A², which
act in an equivalent manner to the toothed projections e, e', described, the bush el
oscillating on its pine and in its recess in the crosshead or slide guide block A
while turning this and the piston A', to allow the steam to enter and exhaust
through its ports a², u", a³, a, at the opposite ends of its stroke, all as herein-
before described.
Referring to Figures 5 and 6 which is a single cylinder engine, this has its inlet
and outlet ports a, a, in the cylinder A duplicated annularly to one side of the
cylinder, with an exhaust port a between them, and with a face plate, and
reversing slide valve E and valve chest or casing E¹, set and worked trans-
versely by its rod E², passed out through a stuffing box E", in the casing and
worked by a hand lever or other equivalent, so as to be able to adinit the
steam from the steam chest E to either of the duplicated ports a or a and
exhaust through the other into the exhaust port a and branch at a³, as
seen by the arrows in Figure 5. In this way the engine can be made a reversing
engine causing the oscillation of the crosshead or guide slide block A³ by its con-
necting rod Ato make either of the long ports in its piston a² all and a³ a inlet or
exhaust ports, and so reverse the engine. The piston A¹ and slide guide block A²,
in this arrangement Figures 5 and 6, might be oscillated by any of the two
means described and shown in reference to Figures 1 and 2, but it is here
shown as oscillated by pins e fixed in both forked arms A³ of the connecting
rod Aat equal distances below and above its ball joint pin A working loose in
turned swivelling bushes e¹¹ which are fitted to oscillate in bored recesses e¹ in the
upper and lower side ends of the crosshead or slide guide block A². Figure 7
shows an arrangement in which an ordinary reciprocating slipper guide block A× is
used, with crosshead journals to which the forked ends A³ of the connecting
rod A are jointed in a usual manner, only to reciprocate in its slide guides, and
not oscillate as in the former figures, but has the lower end of the connecting rod A"
connected in a new manner to the crosshead slide A by an end nut and washer, in
its lower end, so as to oscillate in it, the rod having a short lateral crank e formed
on it, with the fixed pin e² secured in it at its outer end projecting down and fitted
to work parallel to its rod A" in a turned bush e fitted to oscillate in a
bored recess e¹ at right angles to that in one fork A³ of the connecting rod out
parallel to and beyond the journals of the crosshead A", that is, in an equivalent
but converse manner to that shown in Figures 1 to 5; all so that as the connecting
rod turns its dead centres at the outer and inner ends of its stroke, it would by
the swivelling bush e oscillate the crank ³ and piston rod A" and piston A' in
opposite directions at the end of the stroke to admit the steam to and exhaust
it from the opposite ends of the cylinder as the piston reached these, and so actuate
x

page_text: the engine, all substantially as hereinbefore described in reference to Figures 1
to 4 or 5 and 6, as a non-reversing or reversing engine respectively. Although
these several improvements have only been shown in the drawings and described in
reference thereto as applied to vertical inverted cylinder engines, it will be
understood, that they would be equally applicable to vertical engines with the
crank shaft overhead, or to engines in which the cylinders lay in a horizontal or
angular plane to the vertical or horizontal line.
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 :-
First. The construction, or general arrangement and combination of the parts
of steam engines, in which the action of compound or double acting duplex cylinder
engines is converted into single action always in the same direction on the crank
and crosshead pins and main bearings by the intervention of a beam lever, and
a twisting or oscillatory motion is given from the connecting rod to the piston
at the dead centres, sulistantially as and in the manner and for the purposes
herein described in reference to and shown in the accompanying drawings.
Second. In steam engines, the construction and use of a beam lever acting in
combination with the crossheads and connecting rods or equivalent parts of com-
pound or duplex double acting cylinders, substantially as and for the purposes
herein described in reference to and shown in the accompanying drawings.
Third. In steam engines, worked in accordance with the first and second claims
by a beam lever, for maintaining the pressures all in one direction on the crank
and crosshead pins and main bearings, the construction and use of a screw and
bush or bushes for making up the wear and pressure on said beam lever, either
actuated by hand or automatically, substantially as herein described in reference to
shown in the accompanying drawings.
Fourth. In steam engines, the forming of a tooth or equivalent projection or
projections on the forked end or ends of the connecting rod in combination with
and working into an oscillating tooth or equivalent bush in the crosshead or
equivalent swivelling bush in the forked end of the connecting rod and fixed pin
in a crank on the piston rod so as to give a twisting or oscillatory motion to
the piston at the dead centres and bring the ports in it into such a position as
to give steam to one end of the cylinder and exhaust by the other, substantially
as herein described in reference to and by way of application shown in the accom-
panying drawings.
Dated the 7th January 1891.
W. R. M. THOMSON & Co.,
96, Buchanan Street, Glasgow, Agents.