IMPROVEMENTS IN DIRECT-ACTING STEAM ENGINES
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the "International
Patent Office," No. 8, Southampton Buildings, London, Consulting
Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN DIRECT-ACTING
STEAM ENGINES."-A communication from abroad by John Storer,
of Peekskill, New York, United States of America, Engineer.
Sealed the 18th September 1869, and dated the 31st July 1869.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION fled by the said William Robert Lahe
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition
and Declaration, on the 31st July 1869, pursuant to the 9th Section
of the Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ROBERT LAKE, of the "International Patent Office," No. 8, Southampton
Buildings, London, Consulting Engineer, send greeting.
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition
and Declaration, on the 31st July 1869, pursuant to the 9th Section
of the Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ROBERT LAKE, of the "International Patent Office," No. 8, Southampton
Buildings, London, Consulting Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS I am in possession of an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
DIRECT-ACTING STEAM ENGINES," and have petitioned Her Majesty to grant

page_text: unto me, my executors, administrators, and assigns, Her Royal Letters
Patent for the same, and have made solemn Declaration that it has
been communicated to me from abroad by John Storer, of Peekskill,
New York, United States of America, Engineer.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Robert Lake, do hereby
declare that the following Complete Specification, under my hand and
seal, fully describes and ascertains the nature of the said Invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed, in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawing forming
a part of this Specification:-
This Invention relates to certain improvements in that class of direct-
acting engines in which the valve's motion is effected by the action of
the pistons working in the main steam cylinder, and in a pumping or
blowing cylinder connected therewith upon a tappet rod or pin which
projects through the heads of the said cylinder and controls the valve
motion of an auxiliary cylinder, the piston rod of which is connected
with the slide valve or slide valves of the main steam cylinder.
The said improvements consist, amongst other things, in the arrange-
ment of an adjustable slide in combination with the lever which
transmits the motion of the tappet rod to the slide valve of the auxiliary
cylinder (and which may be termed the valve lever) in such a manner
that the time occupied by the motion of the said slide valve can be
accommodated to the velocity of the motion of the main piston or
pistons, and that the said main piston or pistons can be kept from
slamming against the heads of their cylinders.
Also in the arrangement of a friction clutch in combination with the
valve lever and adjustable slide, in such a manner that the said lever
is permitted to follow the motion of the tappet rod after the valve of
the auxiliary cylinder has completed its stroke, and injury to the
mechanism is prevented.
Further, in the arrangement of a double exhaust in the auxiliary
cylinder, which controls the valve motion of the main steam cylinder
in such a manner that the exhaust from either end of the said cylinder
can be easily regulated, and the valve motion can be rendered easy.
Also in the arrangement of a rubber cushion secured to the valve rod,
and acting against stationary plates provided with corresponding sockets

page_text: in combination with the valve motion of the main steam cylinder, in
such a manner that the slide valve or slide valves of the said main
cylinder are kept from slamming if the engine is worked rapidly.
Further, in the arrangement of a gauge secured to the head of the
main steam cylinder, or to that of the blowing or pumping cylinder, in
such a manner that the distance between the piston or plunger when it
reaches either end of its stroke and between the cylinder head can
always be observed, and the valve motion can be regulated in time to.
Figure 1 represents a longitudinal section of this Invention; Figure 2
is a transverse section of the same; Figure 3 is a detached longitudinal
section of an auxiliary cylinder which controls the motion of the slide
valve or slide valves of the main steam cylinder; Figure 4 is an end
view of the same. Similar letters indicate corresponding parts through-
out the Drawing.
The letter A in the Drawing designates the main steam cylinder of
a direct-acting engine in which works the piston B. The latter is
connected by a rod C. with the piston or plunger D of the pumping or
blowing cylinder E. The steam in the cylinder A is changed by the
action of the slide valves F which are enclosed in the valve chest Gand:
are connected by a rod H with the piston I of the auxiliary cylinder J:
This cylinder is provided with a slide valve K to which the required'
motion is imparted by means of a rock shaft a that has its bearings in
the sides of the valve chest and receives the required oscillating-motion-
by a lever b and a tappet rod or pin c, which extends through the heads
d, e, of the cylinders A and E, as shewn in Figure 1, so that the.
piston B as it approaches the head d will push the said tappet rod in
one direction, and the piston or plunger D as it approaches the head e.
will push the said tappet rod in the opposite direction. To this tappet
rod is secured an oblong box L the front plate of which is slotted and
forms the guide for a slide f, the latter is carried up and down by a
screw g which has its bearings in the ends of the box Land is tapped
into the slide f.. From this slide extends a pin which catches into a
slot in the lever b, so that by imparting to the tappet rod ca recipro-
cating motion an oscillating motion is imparted to the lever b. This

page_text: lever is fitted loosely on the rock shaft a, and it is provided with a
disk which is pressed up by means of a nut i against a similar disk j
secured to the said rock shaft. The disks and j therefore form a
friction clutch which serves to transmit the motion of the lever 6 to
the rock shaft a and through it to the slide valve K of the auxiliary
cylinder, and which allows the lever b to move independently of the
valve after the said valve has completed its stroke. This arrangement
is indispensable, because the motion of the lever 6 varies according to
the position of the slide f, while the motion of the slide valve always
remains the same. If the slide is moved down in the box L a longer
motion of the tappet rod c is required to throw the slide valve K from
one end of its chest to the other than if the said slide is moved up,
and since the motion of the tappet rod c is always the same, the
motion of the slide valve must be so adjusted that it will complete
its stroke, if the slide f is moved clear down in the box L, consequently
if the said slide is moved up the lever 6 must be allowed to move
independently of the slide valve so as to avoid injury to the working
parts. By adjusting the slide. f up or down the time required for
throwing the slide valve K is shortened or lengthened, and if the engine
works rapidly the slide f is moved up so that a comparatively short
motion of the tappet rod c is sufficient to throw the slide valve K and the
slamming of the pistons of the engine against their heads is prevented;
but if the engine runs slowly the slide f is moved down so that the
pistons B and D are allowed to come close to the heads of their cylinders
before the valve is changed and thereby waste of steam is avoided. A
gauge M. which is secured in the head of either of the cylinders E or A
serves to indicate the distance to which the pistons move in approaching
the heads of their cylinders, and if this distance appears too small or too
large the slide f is adjusted up or down. In the example shown here
the said gauge consists of a rod which extends through the head of
the cylinder and carries an index traversing a scale marked on a slotted
tube; the said tube encloses a spring that has a tendency to force the
rod into the cylinder. As the piston strikes the inner end of the said
rod the index is moved and the distance to which the piston moves in
approaching the cylinder head in each stroke can be readily observed.
The auxiliary cylinder J is provided with a double exhaust k, k', (best
seen in Figure 3,) each of which is to be provided with a stop valve, so
that the exhaust from either end of the said cylinder can be regulated,

page_text: and thereby the motion of the main slide valve is rendered easy. If
the engine runs rapidly the main slide valves being heavy have a
tendency to slam, and in this case the exhausts of the auxiliary cylinder
are partly closed so as to cushion the piston in the said cylinder and
prevent slamming of the main slide valves. By having a double exhaust
the cushioning at each end of the auxiliary cylinder can be regulated
as may be required. Instead of cushioning the auxiliary piston, how-
ever, or in addition thereto, rubber cushions N may be secured to the
valve rod. These rubber cushions are, by preference, made taper and
they act against stationary plates N¹ provided with correspondingly
taper sockets, so that the cushions on entering the said sockets have
to displace the air, and the double effect of an air cushion and rubber
cushion is obtained. The rubber cushions are adjustable on the valve
rod so that they can be set according to the speed at which the engine
runs.
These improvements are applicable to direct-acting engines of every
description, but they are particularly valuable for direct-acting blowing
engines since the air in a blowing cylinder is less able to counteract
the momentum of a heavy piston than the water in a pumping cylinder.
Having now fully described the said Invention, as communicated
to me by my foreign correspondent, and shown how the same may be
conveniently and advantageously carried into practise, I claim,―
First. The slide f and lever b in combination with the tappet rod c
and with the slide valve of an auxiliary cylinder J controlling the
valve motion of a direct-acting engine, substantially as shown and
described.
Second. The friction disks h, j, in combination with the slide f
lever b, tappet rod c, and slide valve K, substantially in the manner set
forth.
Third. The arrangement of a double exhaust in the auxiliary cylinder J
for controlling the valve motion of a direct-acting engine, substantially
as described.
Fourth. The rubber cushions N in combination with the slide valve
or slide valves of a direct-acting engine arranged and operating sub-
stantially as set forth.

page_text: Fifth. The gauge M applied to one of the cylinder heads of a direct-
acting engine and indicating the distance to which the pistons approach
the heads of their cylinders, substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Thirty-first day of July, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE. (L.S.)
Witness,
THO. N. PALMER,
Clerk to Messrs. Haseltine, Lake, & Co.,
8, Southampton Bdgs.,
London, W.C.