In- PROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Levi Alfred Wainman and Edwin Jeffrey Holmes,
both of Leeds, in the County of York, for the Invention of "In-
PROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Levi Alfred Wainman
and Edwin Jeffrey Holmes at the Office of the Commissioners of
Patents, with their Petition, on the 21st December 1874.
We, LEVI ALFRED WAINMAN and EDWIN JEFFREY HOLMES, both of
Leeds, in the County of York, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES," to be as follows:-
The object of our Invention is to produce or provide such valves for
the cylinder for the inlet or outlet of the steam whereby a great saving
of steam is effected as hereafter described.
On the cylinder is mounted the steam chest, and as near as convenient
to each end of the cylinder is provided an oscillating valve instead of the

page_text: ordinary slide valve. These valves are so formed that by causing them
to oscillate steam is admitted alternately to the ends of cylinder, and the
steam is conducted into the exhaust,
The amount of steam admitted into the cylinder or the "cut off" is
regulated by the governors acting upon the connecting rod which is
employed for giving motion to the valves. On the side of the cylinder
or in a suitable position with regard to it is provided a radial arm in
which is a slot hole; in this slot hole is fitted so as to slide freely one
end of the connecting rod, attached to which is another rod through
which motion is transmitted from the governors, that is to say, as the
governors expand or contract the rod in connection therewith raises or
lowers the end of the connecting rod in the radial arm, reducing or
increasing thereby the amount of stroke to the valves, at the same time
reducing or increasing the amount of steam admitted to the cylinder.
Motion is transmitted to the oscillating valves through the radial arm to
which they are connected by suitable levers and rods.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Lettors Patent,
filed by the said Levi Alfred Wainman and Edwin Jeffrey Holmes
in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 21st June 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, wc, LEVI:
ALFRED WAINMAN and EDWIN JEFFREY HOLMES, both of Leeds, in the
County of York, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of December, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the
thirty-eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto us, the said Levi Alfred Wainman and
Edwin Jeffrey Holmes, Her special licence that wo, the said Levi
Alfred Wainman and Edwin Jeffrey Holmes, our executors, admini-
strators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said Levi Alfred
Wainman and Edwin Jeffrey Holmes, our executors, administrators, and
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to
time and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed,

page_text: should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands,
and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said Levi Alfred
Wainman and Edwin Jeffrey Holmes, our executors or administrators, by
an instrument in writing under our, or their, or one of their hands and
seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said
Invention, 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 we, the said Levi Alfred Wainman and Edwin
Jeffrey Holmes, do hereby declare the nature of our 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 of reference
marked thereon, that is to say :-
The object of our Invention is to produce or provido such valves for
the cylinder for the inlet or outlet of the steam, whereby a great saving
of steam is effected as hereafter described.
On the cylinder is mounted the steam chest, and as near as convenient
to each end of the cylinder is provided an oscillating valve instead of the
ordinary slide valve. These valves are so formed that by causing them
to oscillate steam is admitted alternately to the ends of the cylinder, and
the steam conducted into the exhaust.
The amount of steam admitted into the cylinder or the "cut off" is
regulated by the governors acting upon the connecting rod which is
employed for giving motion to the valves. On the side of the cylinder
or in a suitable position with regard to it is provided a radial arm in
which is a slot hole; in this slot hole is fitted so as to slide freely one
end of the connecting rod, attached to which is another rod through
which motion is transmitted from the governors, that is to say, as the
governors expand or contract the rod in connection therewith raises or
lowers the end of the connecting rod in the radial arm, reducing or
increasing thereby the amount of stroke to the valves, at the same time
reducing or increasing the amount of steam admitted to the cylinders.
Motion is transmitted to the oscillating valves through the radial arm to
which they are connected by suitable levers and rods.

page_text: In order that our Invention may be more completely understood,
reference is given to the accompanying Sheets of Drawings, and to the
letters of reference marked thereon.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 Sheet 1 is a longitudinal section; Figure 2, a transverse
section; Figure 3, a side elevation; and Figure 4 an end elevation of
so much of a steam engine as will be necessary to illustrate this part of
our Invention.
a is the cylinder on which is mounted the steam chest and as near
as convenient to the ends of the cylinder a are provided the oscillating
valves c instead of the ordinary slide valve; these valves c are enclosed
in the cases d and are so formed that by causing them to oscillate steam
is admitted alternately to the ends of the cylinder a, and from each end
of the cylinder a to the exhaust e. The oscillating valves c are mounted
on suitable spindles f, which spindles fare carried to the exterior of the
cylinder a for the purpose of conveying the required oscillating motion
to the valves c.
In order to neutralize or diminish as much as possible the pressure on
the surface of the valves c we make the valves c so that they may be
adjusted on the valve spindles f, and provide at the backs of the valves c
the springs 9,-which are secured to backs of the valves c by means of
the screws h.
In order to adjust the valves c on the spindles f, we provide the set
screws which are screwed to the valve spindles f. The pressure on the
springs g may be increased or decreased or diminished by regulating the
set screws i.
The arrangement of connecting the oscillating valves to the governors
is as hereafter described. is a rocking arm mounted on a stud m on
the cylinder side; a radial motion is imparted thereto through tho
eccentric rod n. This motion is conveyed from the rocking arm to the
radial arms o and o' by means of the connecting rods p. The radial arm
o is mounted loose on the valve spindle as shewn. The radial arm o¹ is
keyed or otherwise fastened on the valve spindle, and motion is trans-
mitted thereto from the radial arms o by means of a small cross head or
die working in the groove or recess s in the radial arm o. The
cross head or dier is set up or kept to its work by means of the spiral

page_text: spring t. The cross head or die has provision made thereon to receive
a small pulley or roller u between the radial arms o and o'. These
rollers or pulleys u run on the cam v as they are carried backwards and
forwards by the radial arms o and o'. The cams are actuated by the
governors and thereby cause the steam to be cut off at any part of the
engine's stroke, and in order to effect this we arrange the governor or
regulator of, the engine to act upon the cams v through rods 1, 2, and 3,
and levers 4, 5, and 6, in such a manner that the cams vact on the
rollers or pullies u, thereby pressing the cross head or dies r out against
the spiral springs t and into the groove or slot w. This allows the spring
x to act upon the fast radial arm o' and cut off the steam, allowing the
loose radial arm o to traverse the remainder of its stroke. But when
preferred we arrange the parts for regulating the movement of the
oscillating valves and the "cut off" as hereafter described and shewn on
Sheet 2. On the side of the cylinder a or in a suitable position with
regard to it, is provided a radial arm 6 mounted in suitable bearings c,
as shewn. In this radial arm 6 is arranged a groove or slot hole din
which is fitted so as to slide freely one end of the connecting rod e,
attached to which is another rod through which motion is transmitted
from the governors, that is to say, as the governors expand or contract
the rod which is connected with the governors (by means of the lever g
and rod h), raises or lowers the end of the connecting rod e in the radial
arm b, reducing or increasing thereby the movement of the valves i
(which movement is transmitted to the valves i from the radial arm b
through rods j, levers k, and valve spindles 1, at the same time reducing
or increasing the amount of steam admitted to the cylinder.
Having now described the nature of our said Invention and the
manner in which the same may be carried into practice, we would have
it understood that we do not limit ourselves to the precise limits, details,
or configuration of the various parts we have explained and shewn, as
the same may be varied or modified without departing from the nature
of our Invention, but what we do claim and desire to be secured to us by
Letters Patent is,-
Firstly. The arrangement, construction, and application of oscillating
steam valves, substantially as and for purposes herein set forth.
· Secondly. The arrangement, construction, and combination of the
various parts connected therewith for transmitting the required motion

page_text: and cutting off steam, substantially and for purposes as herein set
forth.
In witness whereof, we, the said Levi Alfred Wainman and Edwin
Jeffrey Holmes, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this
Seventeenth day of June, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-five.
LEVI ALFRED WAINMAN.
(L.S.)
EDWIN JEFFREY HOLMES. (L.S.)