Improvements in or relating to Distributing and Cut-off Valves for Steam Engines, and Means for Actuating the same.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Aug., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 23rd Oct., 1888-Accepted, 16th Aug., 1889
[Communicated from abroad by William W. ST. JOHN, of Brooklyn, New York,
United States of America.]
Improvements in or relating to Distributing and Cut-off Valves for
Steam Engines, and Means for Actuating the same.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:
This invention relates to improvements in cut-off valves for locomotive and other
engines and the object of the invention is to produce a piston-valve to be used with
or without a cut-off and which is very simple in its construction, not liable to get out
of order, and very economical in its operation as regards wearing of the valve as well
as the use of steam; also that it can be operated direct by the pressure of steam; also
that its operation can be automatically regulated by connection with a governor, or
that it can be regulated or adjusted by hand, as desired so as to cut off the steam
sooner or later; furthermore that it can be easily applied to old as well as n.w
engines, and finally that it can be produced at a very small expense and will be very
economical in the use of steam, gas or other motive power.
To this end the said invention consists in the construction of certain details and the
arrangement of parts as will be more fully described hereinafter.
In carrying the said invention into practice the steam-chest is secured as usual to
the cylinder which is provided with steam and exhaust ports. To the valve seat of
the cylinder is bolted a casing having steam and exhaust ports corresponding with
those of the cylinder. It is bored out for the reception of a piston-valve consisting
of bisected heads loosely placed on the valve stem. If desired, the said heads may
be provided with suitable packing rings although usually not required. The piston-
valve is provided with a central reduced part and with collars which limit the
movement of the heads toward each other. The heads have hollow valve-stems which
pass through suitable stuffing boxes at each side of the steam-chest.
This valve is especially adapted for locomotives and other quick running engines
and operates as follows:-The steam being admitted to the steam-chest the two heads
are forced against the collars by the steam pressure, when by the action of the
eccentric or other valve-gear to which the valve-stem is connected the ports are
alternately opened and closed as in an ordinary piston-valve and the steam is thus
admitted and exhausted. When running without steam, as for instance when the
engine is running down a grade, the valve-stem moves backward and forward leaving
the heads in place thereby destroying the vacuum in the cylinder by leaving both the
ports open and permitting the exhaust steam to pass from one end of the cylinder to
the other end. The wear on the valve-heads is in this instance entirely avoided.
If it is desired to employ cut-off valves discs are applied to the hollow valve stems
which are then extended and stuffing boxes provided at each end. The ends of the
said stems are then acted on by tappets attached to sleeve nuts made adjustable on a
rod by right and left hand screw threads so as to cut off the steam sooner or later.
If desired, the said rod may be provided with a suitable gear or bevel wheel meshing
with intermediate gearing to be operated automatically by a governor, or a hand
wheel may be used to adjust the tappets by hand. The tappets are provided with
buffers made of leather, rubber or other suitable material to prevent the noise which
would be occasioned by the metals coming in contact with each other. An arm

page_text: secured to the valve-stem communicates motion to the said rod in this instance. The
end of the rod is made square in this case and prevents the rod from turning.
The said rod may be provided with toothed segments which gear with pinions
which work upon screw-threaded portions of the valve-stem, the said screw-threaded
portions being right handed on one side and left handed on the other.
In another form or modification the steam-chest, the casing, and ports are similar
to those above described. The discs or heads are connected by a neck, and the valve
stem passing through the hollow stem of the cut-off is provided with the arm, con-
nected to rod having the right and left hand screws engaging with the sleeve-nuts
provided with the tappets, by which the cut-offs are operated and adjusted as desired.
The steam, being admitted to the steam chest, passes into the cylinder until the steam
pressure forces the disc toward the main valve, coming in contact with the extended
hub thereof and cuts off the steam. The exhaust-steam passes out at the opposite
end. The cut off and the main valve then move toward the opposite end of the
steam-chest, and the above operation is repeated as in the first instance, the difference
being that the main valve-heads are positively moved by the valve-stem while as
above described the valve-heads are loosely attached to the stem and are moved by the
steam-pressure.
Dated this 16th d
Ր
1000
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Distributing and Cut off Valves for
Steam Engines, and Means for Actuating the same.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings in the County of Middlesex, 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 improvements in cut off-valves for locomotive and other
engines; and the object of the invention is to produce a piston valve to be used with
or without a cut-off, and which is very simple in its construction, not liable to get
out of order, and very economical in its operation as regards wearing of the valve as
well as the use of steam; also, that it can be operated direct by the pressure of steam;
also, that its operation can be automatically regulated by connection with a governor,
or that it can be regulated or adjusted by hand as desired, so as to cut off the steam
sooner or later; furthermore, that it can be easily applied to old as well as new
engines, and finally that it can be produced at a very small expense and will be very
economical in the use of steam, gas, or other motive power.
To this end the said invention consists in the construction of certain details and the
arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described.
In the accompanying drawings
Figure 1 represents a longitudinal section of the improved piston valve with the
cut-offs shown in dotted lines and arranged in an ordinary steam-chest of a locomotive
engine.
Figure 2 is a modification of the same adapted to a stationary or other
engine.
In the drawings A represents an ordinary steam chest secured to the cylinder A¹
which is provided with steam ports 6 and exhaust ports b. To the valve seat of the
cylinder is bolted the casing B, having the steam ports d and exhaust ports d¹
corresponding with ports b and 61 is bolted. It is bored out for the reception of a
piston valve, consisting of bisected heads C and C' loosely placed on the valve stem D.
If desired, the said heads may be provided with suitable packing rings although
.

page_text: usually not required. The piston valve is provided with a central reduced part e with
collars c', which limit the movement of the heads toward each other. The heads
have their hollow valve stems D¹ which pass through suitable stuffing boxes at each
side of the steam chest.
This valve is especially adapted for locomotives and other quick-running engines,
and operates as follows: The steam being admitted to the steam-chest, the two heads
are forced against the collars e e¹ by the steam pressure, when, by the action of the
eccentric or other valve-gear to which the valve stem is connected, the ports are
alternately opened and closed, as in an ordinary piston-valve, and the steam is thus
admitted and exhausted. When running without steam-as, for instance, down a
grade the valve-stem moves backward and forward, leaving the heads in place,
thereby destroying the vacuum in the cylinder by leaving both the ports open, and
permitting the exhaust-steam to pass from one end of the cylinder to the other end.
The wear on the valve heads is in this instance entirely avoided.
If it is desired to employ cut-off valves, the discs G and G¹ (shown in dotted
lines in Figure 1) are applied to the hollow valve-stems D¹, which are then extended
and stuffing boxes h h' provided at each end. The ends of the said stems are then
acted on by the tappets I I', attached to sleeve nuts H H¹, made adjustable on a
rod F by the right and left hand screw-threads ff¹, so as to cut off the steam sooner
or later. If desired, the said rod F may be provided with a suitable gear or bevel
wheel K, meshing with intermediate gearing, to be operated automatically by a
governor; or a hand-wheel may be used to adjust the tappets by hand. The tapets
are provided with buffers e e¹ made of leather, rubber, or other suitable material, to
prevent the noise which would be occasioned by the metals coming in contact with each
other. An arm E secured to the valve-stem D communicates motion to the said
rod F in this instance. The end of the rod F is made square, as at i, in this case,
and prevents the rod from turning.
In the modification shown in Figure 2 the steam-chest, the casing, and ports are
similar to those in Figure 1. The disks or heads C and C¹ are connected by a neck c
and the valve stem D, passing through the hollow stem g, g¹ of the cut-off G G¹ is
provided with the arm E connected to rod F having the right and left hand
screws ff, engaging with the sleeve nuts H H provided with the tappets I, I¹, by
which the cut off's & G¹ are operated and adjusted as desired. The steam, being
admitted to the steam-chest, passes into the cylinder until the steam pressure forces
the disc G' toward the main valve, coming in contact with the extended hub thereof
and cuts off the steam. The exhaust-steam passes out at the opposite end, as indicated
by the arrows. The cut-off and the main valve then move toward the opposite end of
the steam-chest, and the above operation is repeated as in the first instance, the
difference being that the main valve-heads CC are positively moved by the valve-
stem D, while in Figure 1 the valve-heads (Care loosely attached to the stem and
are moved by the steam-pressure.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me
by my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is:-
First. A piston-valve having the bisected heads placed loosely on a valve-stem,
having collars for limiting their motion toward each other, and operated as and for
the purpose herein specified.
Second. A piston-valve provided with heads C C¹, arranged in a casing B, having
steam and exhaust ports, and the cut-offs G and G', in combination with a solid
stem D, and hollow stems and tappets, as and for the purpose specified.
Third. A piston-valve provided with heads CC, attached to a solid stem D, and
arranged in a casing B, having steam and exhaust ports, in combination with the loose
cut offs G G¹ provided with hollow stems and operated by tappets, in the manner
shown and set forth.

page_text: Fourth. The combination of a piston-valve, arranged in a casing and provided with
heads CC¹, attached to a solid stem passing through hollow stems of the cut offs G G¹,
operated by tappets, with the right and left hand screws and sleeve nuts, all arranged
as shown and specified.
Dated this 23rd day of October 1888
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.