IMPROVE- MENTS IN STEAM ENGINES
Year: 1857

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Samuel Lawrence Taylor at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 29th
July 1857.
I, SAMUEL LAWRENCE TAYLOR, of Cotton End, in the County of Bedford,
Machinist, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN STEAM ENGINES," to be as follows:-
The first part of my Invention of improvements in steam engines relates to
the metallic packings of the pistons of those machines, and consists in making
the packing of a single ring or annular belt of metal cut through at one part
and furnished with a tongue-piece at such separation, which is fitted accurately
within a recess formed in the packing ring for its reception; this breaks the
joint and forms a separation, and prevents the steam passing from one side of
the ring to the other, and is so far somewhat similar to what has been here-
tofore used. I further apply a piece within the ring at the separation, which
is fixed on one side and overlaps the joint so as to bear on and slide within
the ring and also against the back part or inside of the tongue; thus steam is
prevented passing from side to side of the piston by the intermediate tongue,
and also from entering the interior of the piston ring by the lapping piece at
the back, and is thereby rendered steam-tight. In order to press open the
ring at the joint, the lapping part inside the ring forms one side of a V recess,
while the other side of this V is fixed to the ring on the opposite side of the
separation. I apply a V-wedge forced up by annular or other spring into this
V recess, which not only forces open the joint or separation, to expand the

page_text: packing, but presses the lapping part hard up against the inside of the ring,
and so securely covers the joint or separation.
Another of my improvements in steam engines relates to fixing the cylinder
on the boiler of portable or other engines, and consists in carrying the front
and back plates of the steam chest or space above the fire box up above that
part of the boiler, and placing the cylinder between such plates and fixing it
thereto by its flanges.
Another part of my Invention relates to guides for controlling piston rods
of steam engines in their reciprocating motion. For this purpose I use a
single flat bar of iron, or it may be of other form, fixed parallel to the motion
of the piston rod. I apply a socket piece, which is fitted and surrounds this
guide bar so as to slide thereon in the direction of its length; this socket
piece has a pin standing up from it on which the head of the piston rod is
fitted and secured. In addition to the hole to receive the pin of the slide
block the head of piston rod is also fitted to receive the joint pin of the con-
necting rod, which being forked is free to oscillate and embrace the guide rod
and slide, which thus offers no interruption to its working.
Another part of my Invention relates to the slide valves of steam engines.
It consists in forming the moving cover or valve which covers the ports in two
parts detached from each other, except, as herein-after explained, each part
covers an inlet and an exhaust port or passage. I communicate motion to
these valves by a rod which is fitted in stuffing boxes or bearings at each end,
and having gabs or spaces at proper intervals to embrace the valves before
mentioned; pins project from the backs of the valves and pass through and
project beyond the gabs of the rod; a spring is fixed on the rod midway
between the gabs, the ends of which spring press on the pins of the valves and
press them against the port face. Thus the pressure of the spring is exerted
from the rod itself, and no friction results from a spring rubbing inside the
valve box, as is usual.