Improvements in Devices for Operating the Valves of Steam Engines.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 14th June, 1899
Complete Specification Left, 14th Mar., 1900-Accepted, 14th June, 1900
Date of Application, 14th June, 1899
Complete Specification Left, 14th Mar., 1900-Accepted, 14th June, 1900
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Devices for Operating the Valves of Steam Engines.
I, JOHN WILLIAM MACKENZIE, of the Firm of Wheatley & Mackenzie, Engineers
and Patent Agents, of 40, Chancery Lane, in the County of London, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention-a communication to me from abroad by
Rudolf Kron, of Dresden, in the Empire of Germany-to be as follows:-
This invention for improvements in devices for operating the valves of
steam engines relates to improvements in the arrangement of auxiliary steam
cylinders for operating the admission and exhaust valves, and to the valve gear
of such auxiliary engines, as well as to improvements in the application of
these parts to the main or working cylinder.
The auxiliary cylinders for valve operation can be placed at right angles to
the axes of the valves of the working or main cylinder; and the valves of the
auxiliary cylinders can lie between these main valves. Or, the valve gear of
the auxiliary cylinders can be arranged separately from such cylinders, the
axes of these auxiliary cylinders coinciding with those of the valves of the
main or working cylinder.
The valves of the auxiliary or valve operating cylinders are preferably of
the positively driven plug, poppet or slide type and actuate either (1) only those
auxiliary or valve operating cylinders which move the admission valves of the
main or working cylinder or else (2) those auxiliary or valve operating cylinders
which move both the admission into and the release or exhaust valves of the
main or working cylinder.
Thus the admission and the exhaust valves of the main or working cylinder
can be either poppet, flat, piston, plug, corliss or grate valves; and the arrange-
ment of the auxiliary valve-operating cylinders and of their valve gear can
correspond to the choice of these admission and exhaust valves.
The arrangement can always be so made, that the degree of live steam
admission in the working or main cylinder is determined by the interval of
time, which lies between the opening of the inlet valve of the auxiliary valve
operating cylinder and the opening of the latter's exhaust valve; the moment
of opening this latter exhaust valve being dependent on and determined by the
operation of the usual steam engine governor.
In one way of carrying out this invention four auxiliary valve operating
cylinders are arranged between and at right angles to four plug valves which
regulate the admission to and exhaust of steam from the main cylinder the
auxiliary valve cylinder having double pistons working therein each with four
working surfaces of which two are for cushioning and two for driving said
double pistons. A pair of plug valves arranged one above the other serve for
the admission of steam to and its exhaust from the four auxiliary cylinders.
The four cylinders and their double pistons may be operated by direct steam
pressure, by springs, by cushioned steam, or by air pressure. They effect the
motion both of the admission valves and of the exhaust valves of the main or
working cvlinder.

page_text: Between the pistons of the upper auxiliary cylinders is arranged the upper
auxiliary plug valve for the release of the auxiliary steam for moving the upper
main admission valves, this auxiliary steam exhausting through the centre or
axis of the said plug valve while the lower plug valve which is situated between
the lower auxiliary cylinders causes by means of the pistons of these cylinders
the opening of the main inlet valves with its two upper edges and the opening
and shutting of the main exhaust valves with its two lower edges. The live
auxiliary steam which enters the centre of the lower plug valve after its opera-
tion upon the pistons of the auxiliary cylinders passes out partly through a
middle channel or passage.
The auxiliary valves are connected by two passages or channels by which,
given a suitable adjustment of the said auxiliary valves, the auxiliary steam
can pass upwards into the upper cylinders to the pistons for the main admission
valves.
The lower auxiliary admission valve is driven by an eccentric rod from a
fixed eccentric whilst the upper auxiliary exhaust valve is driven by means of
an eccentric rod from a movable eccentric controlled by the usual governor
by which governor the motion of the upper auxiliary valve can be so finely
adjusted with relation to the periods of opening of the steam admission organs,
that an opening and closing of the main admission valves can be effected
within 1/100 of a second.
The operation of the piston surfaces upon the admission and exhaust valves
of the main cylinder by means of the auxiliary cylinders (which are separated
by the auxiliary plug valves) is by reason of the absence of all connecting-
pieces very prompt and rapid, and by reason of the very short stroke also
rendered still more rapid and gentle; so that for small engines the cushion
surfaces of each piston can be made quite small or even altogether omitted.
Because of the facility by which the improved valve-gear actuates not only
the main steam admission valves but also the main steam exhaust valves, by
this means either the main admission valves alone or both these and the main
exhaust valves may be actuated so that for one main cylinder with two main
admission and two main exhaust valves there can be employed for valve actuation
two or four auxiliary cylinders with their appropriate pistons.
Where instead of the so-called rotary or plug valves there are used axially
moved valves of the cross slide, grate, poppet, or vertical slide type, which must
be suitably actuated, then the axes of the auxiliary cylinders coincide with the
axial line of these valves, and the auxiliary pistons can be operated entirely
without external moving pieces. The auxiliary valves for the auxiliary cylin-
ders are separated from such cylinders and also from the main valves; and the
casings of the auxiliary valves are placed in intercommunication with each other
by means of passages which are at times closed by the valves.
In this arrangement also, which with the exception of the separation of the
auxiliary valves from the auxiliary cylinders has exactly the same construction
and operation as the first, the governor controls the length of the main admis-
sion valve, by means of the variable period of time between the opening of
the lower auxiliary valve and the opening of the upper auxiliary valve.
Dated this 14th day of June 1899.
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,
40, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents.

page_text: Improvements in Devices for Operating the Valves of Steam Engines.
I, JOHN WILLIAM MACKENZIE, of the Firm of Wheatley & Mackenzie, Engineers
and Patent Agents, of 40, Chancery Lane, in the County of London, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
This invention refers to improvements in devices for operating the valves of
working steam engines and it particularly refers to such steam engines in
which the valves are operated by auxiliary steam cylinders, driven by steam
from the main supply pipe.
The improvements consist in the controlling-apparatus for controlling the
said auxiliary steam cylinders, said apparatus consisting of two positively driven
cock-valves the one working the auxiliary steam cylinders for moving the main
inlet-valves of the working steam cylinder, the other one working the auxiliary
steam cylinders for moving the main outlet or exhaust valves of the working
steam cylinder. The interval between the opening of the inlet-cock-valve of
the controlling apparatus is under the control of the steam engine's governor
and determines the period of the opening of the steam passages of the working
steam cylinder.
Fig. 1 is the side view of the cylinder of a working steam engine with the
controlling apparatus and its auxiliary steam cylinders for working the inlet
and exhaust valves of the main working cylinder: the auxiliary steam cylin-
ders and the controlling apparatus are shown in section. Figs. 2, 3 and 4 show
diagrammatically the respective positions of the pistons of the auxiliary steam
cylinders and the positively driven steam cock valves of the controlling apparatus
during one stroke of the piston of the working steam engine.
Referring to these figures, especially to Fig. 1, a is the cylinder of the
working steam engine, bb being the main inlet valves and c c being the main
exhaust valves of said cylinder: d is the main supply pipe for live steam, e is
the main pipe for exhaust steam.
In the instance of Fig. 1, these four valves, b, c care rocking valves, each
worked by one piston of the auxiliary steam cylinders f f¹, gg. Between these
four auxiliary steam cylinders, of which f f are arranged in one axial line
and g g in another axial line,--whereas all such cylinders are in a plane at
right angles to the four valves bb, c, the controlling apparatus is arranged,
consisting of a positively driven cock-valve for the pistons of the auxiliary
steam cylinders f f to work the main inlet valves bb, and of a positively
driven cock-valve k for the pistons of the auxiliary steam cylinders g g to work
the main exhaust valves cc. The two cock valves h and are driven in the
usual manner by rods and receiving their to and fro movement from excen-
tries on the crank shaft of the steam-engine.
The cock valve receives live steam from the main pipe by a branch pipe
(not shown) terminating at a central opening of cock valve k said steam being
distributed (in the manner hereinafter described in the explanation of one stroke
of the engine) alternately into the cylinders ƒ ƒ and g g¹ for actuating the
pistons in said cylinders, and thereby rocking the main inlet valves bb alternately
by means of links on the spindles of such valves, and the main exhaust
valves cc alternately by means of the links on the spindles o o¹ of these
main exhaust valves.

page_text: The cock valve k is in communication by passages t t with the cock valve h,
and the latter by the passages ss with the cylinders f f¹, in order to supply
and distribute the live steam alternately into the auxiliary cylinders ff, and
by the passages u provided in the casing of the cock valve into the cylin-
ders gg for pushing the pistons in said cylinders, and thereby rocking the
respective main inlet and exhaust valves. The exhaust steam from the cylin-
ders f f escapes through the centre of the cock valve h by the passages
within such cock valve, whereas the exhaust steam from the cylinders g g
escapes alternately by the passages and the passages m.
It will be seen that in the arrangement described the pistons of the auxiliary
cylinders ff, g g¹ are actuated by steam in their outstroke only, the instroke
being effected by means of springs zz 2. But I reserve to myself the right
of working the instroke of said pistons, also either by springs or steam or air
pressure, or any other suitable means.
In the arrangement of Fig. 1 the piston of the working cylinder a is at the
left end of its stroke, ready to begin its movement to the right end of the
stroke. In this position the pistons of the auxiliary cylinders ff are in their
middle position, whereas the pistons of the auxiliary cylinders g g₁ are at the
right hand end of their stroke. In consequence of such positions the position
of the main valves is as follows:-
The admission valve b is ready to be opened, the admission valve 6 is just
closed, the exhaust valve c is fully closed, the exhaust valve fully opened. In
this period the connection between the cylinders f f¹ and gg' and the cock
valves and k is as follows:-
Cylinder is in direct communication with the live steam from the supply
pipe d by the passages t and s, cylinder f1 communicates by the passages
and with the exhaust pipe e and the cylinder g by the passages and m,
also with the exhaust pipe e, whereas the cylinder g₁ has received live steam
from the case of the cock by the passage u¹.
At the beginning of the admission period in the working cylinder a (Fig. 2)
the admission valve b is opened (caused by the action of the live steam exhaust-
ing through the passage t from the passage s) and remains opened, whereas the
admission valve remains closed: the steam within the cylinder 1 escapes by
the passages s¹ and to the exhaust pipe e. The exhaust valve c remains
closed during the movement of the stroke of the cylinder g, actuated by live
steam entering the passage u, and the exhaust valve remains fully opened by
the live steam acting through the passage u¹ on the piston of the cylinder gl.
During the first part of the expansion period of the piston of the working
cylinder a (Fig. 3) the valves 61 c and c¹ remain in the position shown in Fig. 2,
whereas the admission valve b is closed by the action of the spring z, effecting
an exhaust of the steam from the cylinder f through the passages s and v;
such steam escapes through the centre of the cock valve h.
At the end of the stroke of the piston of the working cylinder a (Fig. 4)
the exhaust valve c¹ is closed by the spring of the cylinder g¹, causing an
exhaust of the steam within such cylinder through the passages u¹ and m.
After the exhaust of the steam from the working cylinder a, the admission
valve 6 is fully opened by steam through the passages t¹ and s¹ from the cock
valve k.
The return stroke of the piston of the working cylinder a is effected in the
same manner as described heretofore, during which return stroke the exhaust
valve remains closed.
Fig. 5 shows a modification of the above described arrangement which will
easily be understood by mentioning the fact that in Figs. 1 to 4 the auxiliary
cylinders ff and g g¹ are arranged in a plane at right angles to the plane in
which the valves b c and 61 care arranged. In the case of Fig. 5 however,
each of the auxiliary cylinders f f¹ and g g is arranged in one axial line, with
each of the main inlet and exhaust valves 6 b, c for the reason that these
م

page_text: valves in this instance are flat or disc valves so that they move in one axial
line with the pistons of the auxiliary cylinders f f and g g¹.
The controlling apparatus in this instance as far as its position to the working
cylinder a and the cock valves h and k, their passages rr¹ and the passages ss', u u'
in their casing, and the steam admission and exhaust to and from such cock
valves is concerned, is exactly the same as in the case Fig. 1; but instead of
being in close proximity with the auxiliary cylinders ƒ f^, g g' said apparatus
is connected with the latter by means of pipes pp', q q', through which the
steam is conducted and distributed alternately to the auxiliary cylinders men-
tioned and returned as exhaust steam in order to finally escape through the
passage m or the centre of the cock valve h.
It will be seen from the part of the working cylinder a, shown in cross sec-
tion (Fig. 5), that the disc valve as well as the other valves bed is in one
line with the auxiliary steam cylinder f and its piston. If now steam is admitted
from the casing of the cock valve & through the passage and the pipe p into
the auxiliary cylinder f, the piston of the latter will shift the valve 6 upwards,
thereby creating an air cushion in the upper part of the latter named cylinder,
which cushion, if the steam in the cylinder fis exhausted through pipe / and
passages and into the cock valve h, will expand, and return the disc valve b
to its initial position for the next stroke of the piston in the auxiliary cylinder f,
assisted by the coiled spring z. This procedure will take place alternately
with the auxiliary cylinders f f and with the disc valves bb' for admitting
steam into the main working cylinder a.
The exhaust steam from the cylinders f f is returned as already explained,
through pipes into the cock valve by the rocking movement of said
cock valve, whereas the cock valve directs by its rocking motion live steam
through the passages uu and passages 4 q' alternately into the auxiliary
cylinders gg, in order to move by the pistons of the latter the exhaust disc
valves and el, which are returned to their seats by the air cushions formed
in the same manner as with the admission valves, assisted by the coiled
springs z.
The mode of operation of this modified arrangement of the main working
cylinder a, provided with dise or spindle valves bb, c e¹ is as follows:-
At the beginning of the stroke of the piston of the working cylinder a, live
steam will issue from the casing of the cock valve through the passages t s
and the pipe p to enter underneath the piston of cylinder f and raise such
piston, for giving an upward movement to the admission valve b, so that live
steam may enter from the supply pipe d into the working cylinder to actuate
its piston. At the same time the other admission valve b' was closed by exhaust-
ing the steam from the cylinder f' through the pipe and the passage s' and
the passage of the cock valve h.
The exhaust valve c was closed by the exit of the steam from the cylinder g
to the pipe q and to the passages and m, whereas the other exhaust valve c¹
is 1ully opened by the live steam acting against the piston of the cylinder g¹
through the passage u¹ and pipe q'.
The admission valve e moved upwards by the live steam from the passages t
and remains in this raised position during the admission period (Fig. 6), in
which the valves b and c remain closed, whereas the valve remains open dur-
ing the entire stroke of the piston of the working cylinder a. At the beginning
of the expansion period of the live steam in the cylinder a, the admission valve b
is closed by the action of its coiled spring under the exhaust of the steam
within the cylinder f to the pipe and the passages s and e, and through the
cock valve h. This period is shown in Fig. 7. At the end of such expansion
period the valve c belonging to the cylinder g¹ is closed (the steam in such
cylinder issuing through pipe q' and the passages u¹ and m Fig. 8), whereas
the valve c belonging to the cylinder g is fully opened by the live steam from
the cock valve k, acting through the passage u and the pipe q, for the purpose

page_text: of issuing the worked steam from the working cylinder «, when its piston
begins its return stroke by live steam entering the admission valve b¹.
It will be readily understood that instead of working the inlet and exhaust
valves of the main working cylinder by the controlling apparatus, and the
auxiliary steam cylinders, this mode of driving may be confined to the inlet
valves of the main working cylinder only by means of a cock valve h, the exhaust
valves being worked in such case by any known mechanical device, driven by
the steam engine.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
1. In a steam engine, the combination with its main valves, of auxiliary
steam cylinders and pistons contained therein to be operated by live steam,
connections between such pistons and said main valves, two cock valves for
controlling the admission, and exhaust of the steam to and from said cylinders,
and means for positively operating said cock valves by the steam engine, sub-
stantially as herein described.
2. The combination in a steam engine having main valves, of auxiliary
steam cylinders arranged in axial lines to the axes of such valves, pistons in
said cylinders to be operated by live steam, connections between said pistons
and the said valves for actuating said valves, two cock valves, for controlling
the admission and exhaust of the steam to and from said cylinders, and means
for positively operating said cock valves by the steam engine, substantially as
herein described.
Dated this 14th dox of Tune 1899
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,
40, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents.