Improvements in Engine and other Pistons.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Apr., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 31st Dec., 1892-Accepted, 11th Feb., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Engine and other Pistons.
We, ELISHA LOVEDAY, HERBERT ELISHA LOVEDAY, and ARTHUR JOHN
LOVEDAY, all of Old Buckenham, in the County of Norfolk, Engineers, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Our invention relates to steam engine and other pistons, and has for its object to
provide means whereby undue and uneven wear and friction of the pistons against
the cylinders in which they work are obviated.
In constructing a piston according to our invention we provide a circular body
adapted to fit the cylinder, and having fitted to each of its two faces a series of
segments which are caused to fit and bear against the inside of the cylinder by
means of driving pieces or wedges acted upon by springs. The segments and
driving pieces or wedges are held in position by flanges or rings fastened to the
body, and are of suitable size to admit steam or other fluid pressure round them for
preventing any uneven pressure of the piston against the inside of the cylinder. In
the faces of the said flanges are formed recesses for admitting steam or other fluid
pressure on the outer faces of the segments and driving pieces for holding them
against the body of the piston while the pressure is on, thereby obviating any undue
and uneven pressure of the segments and driving pieces against the inside of the
cylinder. To prevent any pressure upon aud to ascertain if there is any escape of
steam or other fluid pressure past the segments and driving pieces the body of the
piston is grooved, the groove or grooves being in communication with the
atmosphere by means of a hole in the body of the piston and piston-rod.
Dated this 11th day of April 1892.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Engine and other Pistons.
We, ELISHA LOVEDAY, HERBERT ELISHA LOVEDAY, and ARTHUR JOHN
LOVEDAY, all of Old Buckenham, in the County of Norfolk, Engineers, 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 :-
Our invention relates to steam engine and other pistons, and has for its object to
provide means whereby undue and uneven wear and friction of the pistons against
the cylinders in which they work are obviated.
In constructing a piston according to our invention we provide a circular body
adapted to fit the cylinder, and having fitted to it a series of segments which are
caused to fit and bear against the inside of the cylinder by means of driving pieces
or wedges acted upon by springs. To prevent any pressure upon, and to ascertain
if there is any escape of steam or other fluid pressure past, the segments and
driving pieces, the body of the piston is grooved, the groove or grooves being in
communication with the atmosphere by means of a hole in the body of the piston
and piston-rod.
To enable our invention to be fully understood we will describe the same by
reference to the accompanying drawing, in which :-
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of a piston constructed according to our
invention:

page_text: Figure 2 is a section on the line 2-2, Figure 1 ; and,
Figure 3 is a view of a detail.
a is the body of the piston; and b the piston-rod.
c, c are the segments, the outer edges of which fit against the surface of the
cylinder whilst the inner edge is preferably straight, so that when the segments are
placed together in the piston body V-shaped recesses will be formed.
d, d are the wedges or driving pieces which fit into the said V-shaped recesses
and is the spring which acts against the said wedges and tends to move them
outwardly away from the centre of the piston thereby at the same time tending to
move the segmental pieces c, c into contact with the cylinder surface. It will be
noticed by referring to Figure 2 that the said spring e is prevented from moving
relatively to the wedges by a pin on one of the wedges entering a hole in the
spring.
The segments, wedges and spring herein before described are fitted into grooves in
the body of the piston, which grooves may be turned out of the said body as shewn
or formed by attaching flanges thereto between which and the body of the piston
the segments are located.
In practice we find it advantageous to employ two sets of such segments and
wedges as shewn in Figure 1 and to make the parts of the body between the said
segments and the faces of the piston or the flanges of less diameter than the part of
the body between the said segments.
9 is the groove which is formed around the body of the piston and which
communicates with the atmosphere through the passage h in the piston body and the
passage in the piston-rod; the said groove serving to allow any steam which
escapes past the segmental pieces of the piston to escape.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. An engine piston having a groove or grooves formed therein, segments located
in the said groove or grooves and wedges acted upon by springs for pressing the said
segments outwardly, substantially as described.
2. In a piston having a series of segments, wedges and springs as described in
the preceding claiming clause, a groove formed around the said piston and
communicating with the atmosphere, substantially as and for the purpose,
described.
3. In a piston having a series of segments wedges and springs as described
making the outer flanges of less diameter than the central part of the body of the
piston, substantially as described.
4. The manufacture and use of the improved piston hereinbefore described and
illustrated in the accompanying drawing.
Dated thin 21n4 do of Draamber 1909
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicants.