IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES AND MACHINERY FOR GIVING MOTION TO AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS AND OTHER MACHINES
Year: 1861

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Joseph Edward Kirby at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 18th June
1861.
I, JOSEPH EDWARD KIRBY, of Banbury, Oxon, Engineer, do hereby declare
the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES AND
MACHINERY FOR GIVING MOTION TO AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS AND OTHER
MACHINES," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in steam engines and
machinery for giving motion to agricultural implements and other machines.
For these purposes, in constructing portable and other steam engines the slide
valves are arranged to be actuated by excentrics on the crank or driving shafts,
and governed by centrifugal governors in the following manner :-The end of
the rod of the slide valve of an engine is arranged to be connected to a
rocking lever by means of a slide, in such manner that the quantity of
motion given to the slide valve will depend on the position at which the end
of the slide rod is for the time attached to the rocking lever, and the position
at which the end of the slide rod is attached is regulated by the ordinary
centrifugal governor, the action of which governs the position of the slide
on the rocking lever in such manner that if the piston of the engine is
moving at too great a speed the governor moves the slide on the rocking lever
towards its fulcrum, by which the rod of the slide valve will be moved
through a less space by reason of its being actuated by a less radius of the

page_text: rocking lever; and, on the other hand, if the piston of the engine is moving too
slowly, the governor will move the slide on the rocking lever to a greater dis-
tance from the fulcrum of that lever, by which the rod of the slide valve will
be moved a greater distance, and consequently the slide valve will admit more
steam to the steam cylinder. The rocking lever receives a constant and
uniform length of motion from the excentric on the crank or driving shaft of
the engine.
In constructing machinery for giving motion to agricultural implements the
two drums or cylinders on and from which the wire ropes are wound and
unwound are on a shaft or axis, on the ends of which there are two wheels
which turn freely thereon. These wheels run on the land and act as supports
or bearings for the axis or shaft, also for the two side frames by which the
axle or shaft is connected to the portable steam engine. The two drums or
cylinders turn freely on the shaft or axis, but by suitable clutches either of the
cylinders or drums may be connected for a time with the shaft or axis, and be
turned thereby. Motion is communicated to the shaft or axis from the crank
shaft of the portable engine by means of two or more endless wire ropes or
bands, which receive motion by a pulley with as many grooves therein as there
are endless wire ropes or bands used, and on the axis or shaft of the drums or
cylinders there is a similar grooved pulley, but of larger diameter, in which
the endless wire ropes or bands work; sufficient holding or friction is obtained
between the pulley on the crank shaft of the engine and the pulley on the
shaft or axis of the drums or cylinders by thus employing two or more of such
endless wire ropes or bands; or, in place of such wire ropes and grooved
pulleys, motion may be communicated by means of chain wheels and an
endless chain, or by gearing, as has before been done. In order to lay the wire
ropes correctly on the cylinders or drums, studs or projections are used at
intervals on the ends of each of the cylinders or drums, which act on and give
motion to a screw shaft or other suitable apparatus, by which a nut or instru-
anent by means of a finger or projection guides the wire rope as it is coiled on
the cylinder or drum correctly against the previous coil, such nut or instru-
ment being caused to move to and fro across the cylinder or drum.