IMPROVE- MENTS IN PORTABLE AND OTHER STEAM ENGINES, AND IN BOILERS FOR THE SAME.
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Hughes, of Leicester, in the County of
Leicester, Mechanical Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN PORTABLE AND OTHER STEAM ENGINES, AND IN BOILERS FOR THE
SAME.
"
Sealed the 29th December 1874, and dated the 3rd November 1874.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Hughes at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
3rd November 1874.
I, HENRY HUGHES, of Leicester, in the County of Leicester,
Mechanical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my said In-
vention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PORTABLE AND OTHER STEAM ENGINES, AND IN
BOILERS FOR THE SAME," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates principally to those steam engines that are
mounted upon a horizontal boiler between the saddle plate of the fire-
box and the smoke box, although the novel features which characterize
it may be applied to other engines.

page_text: According to this Invention two steam cylinders are placed opposite
to one another, and mounted on a boiler as mentioned, or otherwise as
the case may be. The steam from the boiler actuates pistons in these
cylinders on one side only, so that only one cylinder is active to produce
motion at one time. Between and at right angles to the axes of the
cylinders is placed the crank shaft. Connecting rods are jointed on to
the said pistons by cup-and-ball or other suitable joints, and are con-
nected with and caused to rotate a crank by means of a suitable journal
or bearing, the tendency of the pressure on the pistons being to keep the
bearings up to the crank pin by a continual thrust against the same.
The cylinders are closed at their outer ends but are open at their inner
ends to allow of the free passage and motion of their respective con-
necting rods. The pistons are made of sufficient depth or thickness to
preserve themselves parallel. The whole is preferably mounted upon
brackets securely rivetted to the boiler during its manufacture.
The cylinders may be made of cast steel either with one closed end
in a single piece, or with the outer end removeable so as to easily
remove the pistons if necessary. A casing proceeds from one cylinder
to the other, and completely encloses the connecting rods, and crank
provision being made for supplying oil to the bearings of the crank
axle, and for examining and lubricating the jointing of each connecting
rod with its piston.
The outer and removeable ends of the cylinders may be furnished with
flat circular packing plates as the brasses of the connecting rods wear
away, and thus prevent the waste of steam.
In the engine constructed according to this Invention the steam
passages may be very short, both the ports may be on the same side
of the cylinder, and the slide valves may be worked by one eccentric
on the crank shaft, and two rods or the entrance port may be on one side
and the exit port on the other, two eccentrics and four rods being used
in this case to work the four slide valves. Inasmuch as the brasses are
constantly kept up to their work they need never be adjusted, but when
worn out simply replaced by new ones.
The boxing up of the connecting rods and cranks preserves their
bearings from the attrition of dirt or extraneous particles; this is
especially important in those engines that are employed to drive
thrashing machines for instance.

page_text: The casing need not be steam-tight but may be made with sliding
doors to lubricate the bearings, and to examine and change the pistons
when necessary. If during use steam should blow out of the casing
it would indicate that the pistons were out of order, inasmuch as they
could not be steam-tight.
The improvements in boilers consist in making the saddle plate or
outer shell of the fire-box with thick laps or edges, and inserting in such
laps or edges plugs of brass or other metal, through the apertures of
which the fire-box plates can readily be scraped or otherwise cleaned
inside the boiler.
It follows from the combination of parts which make up the engines
to which this Invention refers, that the said engines can be worked at a
higher rate of speed than a light fly wheel is able to be used, that there
is no necessity for bolt holes in the boiler to attach the engine thereto,
that neither boiler nor engine are subjected to undue strain from con-
traction or expansion of parts, and that instead of the oil or other
lubricant being blown out at the exhaust pipe it is saved in the casing;
these advantages render the engines made according to this Invention
more economical, more lasting, and more casily managed than engines
of this kind made in the usual manner.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Henry Hughes in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 3rd May 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
HUGHES, of Leicester, in the County of Leicester, Mechanical Engineer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Third day of November, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the 38th
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Henry Hughes, Her special license that I,
the said Henry Hughes, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said Henry Hughes, my executors, administrators,
or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time

page_text: to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed,
should and lawfully might make, use, excrcise, and vend, within the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands,
and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PORTABLE AND
OTHER STEAM ENGINES, AND IN BOILERS FOR THE SAME," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Henry Hughes, my executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said In-
vention, 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 Henry Hughes, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to
say :-
The said Invention relates principally to steam engines which are
mounted upon a horizontal boiler between the saddle plate of the fire-
box and the smoke box, although the novel features which characterisc
it may be applied to other engines; and it consists, first, of an improved
arrangement of the cylinders, pistons, connections, and contiguous parts
of the engine; and secondly, of certain improvements in the boilers of
portable and other engines.
And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood I shall
now proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose
shall refer to the several Figures on the annexed Sheet of Drawings, .
the same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts in all the
Figures.
Figure 1 of my Drawings represents a longitudinal section of a portion
of a portable engine constructed in accordance with the first part of my
Invention; Figure 2 is a plan corresponding to Figure 1; and Figure 3
is a transverse section of the same.
Figure 4 is a longitudinal section of the boiler of a portable engine
illustrating the second part of my Invention.

page_text: Referring to Figures 1, 2, and 3, I employ according to the first part
of my said Invention two steam cylinders A, B, placed opposite to one
another, and mounted on a boiler in the manner before mentioned, or
otherwise. The steam from the boiler actuates corresponding pistons
C, D, in the cylinders A, B, on one side (videlicet, that marked a, b,
respectively) only, so that only one cylinder is active to produce motion
at one time. Connecting rods E, F, are jointed on to the pistons C, D,
respectively at one end, and are connected at their opposite end by a
socket joint, as shown at c, with a crank on the crank shaft G situate
between the cylinders A, B, the tendency of the pressure on the pistons
being to maintain the sockets c'against the crank pin e by a continual
thrust towards the same. The cylinders A, B, are closed at their outer
ends a, b, but at their inner ends f, g, they are made open to allow of
the free passage and motion of their respective connecting rods. A
casing H secured to the cylinders proceeds from one cylinder to tho
other, and completely encloses the connecting rods and crank, a
removeable cover being provided for the facility of supplying oil
to the bearings of the crank pin, and for examining and lubricating the
jointing of each connecting rod with its piston. The combined apparatus
is by preference mounted upon brackets attached to the boiler.
- In the engine constructed according to my said Invention the steam
passages may be very short, both the steam port i and the exhaust
port may be on the same side of the cylinder, as shewn, and the
valves, m, (which may be of any suitable description or construction)
may be worked by eccentrics o, p, on the crank shaft G and two rods q, ";
or the entrance port may be on one side, and the exit port on the other,
double the number of eccentrics and rods being used in that case to work.
the four valves.
-
The enclosing of the connecting rods and cranks preserves their
bearings from the attrition of dirt or extraneous particles, which is an
important advantage in engines employed for driving thrashing machines
(for example) or for other similar purposes. A cock & is provided to
admit of the discharge of any steam which may escape from the cylinder
into the chamber formed by the casing H.
The improvements in boilers illustrated in Figure 4 consist in making
the saddle plate or outer shell I of the fire-box K with thick edges t, t,
having apertures formed therein which are closed by plugs u, u, of brass

page_text: or other metal, the removal of which when required affords facilities for
the introduction of any suitable tool for scraping or otherwise cleaning
the fire-box plates v in the interior of the boiler.
These engines may be worked at a high speed; a light fly wheel only
is required, the necessity for making bolt holes in the boiler for
attaching the engine thereto is obviated, whilst neither the boiler nor
the engine are subjected to undue strain from contraction or expansion
of the parts. They are also more economical, durable, and easily
managed than engines of this description constructed in the ordinary
manner.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my
said Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or
carried into effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I consider to
be novel and original and therefore claim as the Invention secured to
me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
First. The application and use of two cylinders having pistons working
therein operated on one side only, such cylinders being placed the one
opposite to the other, and united at their inner ends by a casing
enclosing the crank and connections with the pistons, substantially
as and for the purpose herein-before described and as illustrated by my ;
Drawings.
Second. Constructing the saddle plate or outer shell of a fire-box with
thick edges or projections having apertures closed by removable plugs
for the purpose of facilitating the scraping or cleaning of the fire-box
plates in the interior of the boiler, substantially as herein-before described
and illustrated by my Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Hughes, have to this my
Specification set my hand and seal, the First day of May, One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-five.