IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF APPARATUS FOR WORKING THE EXPANSION VALVES OF STEAM, AIR, OR GAS ENGINES
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Ramsbottom, of Alderley Edge, in the County of
Chester, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF
APPARATUS FOR WORKING THE EXPANSION VALVES OF STEAM, AIR, OR GAS
ENGINES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Ramsbottom at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 11th March 1880.
JOHN RAMSBOTTOM, of Alderley Edge, in the County of Chester.
" IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF APPARATUS FOR WORKING THE EXPANSION
VALVES OF STEAM, AIR, OR GAS ENGINES."
My Invention relates particularly to what is known to engineers as the "tripping
motion," as applied to the expansion valves of steam engines, which valves are
required to be closed at intervals which are determined by the action of the governor
or other equivalent regulator, or at the will of the person in attendance, and is
particularly designed for use in steam engines fitted with steam valves which, when
released after being opened, are left free to be closed either by the pressure of steam
or by springs or gravity.
In carrying out my Invention I construct the valve rod with a knee or toggle
joint, which is so arranged that it will be sufficiently rigid in its action to open the
valve either by a pull or thrust, so long as the joint pins remain in a right line or
thereabouts with the other part of the valve rod, a stop being provided for that
purpose, and a relieving motion is provided and is so arranged either by the action
of the governor and_its_connections, or by the attendant, that when the required.
distance has been travelled by the valve the knee or toggle joint shall be relieved
or "tripped," and the valve shall be at liberty to resume its former or closed
position, either by the aid of springs, or by the pressure of the steam, or by the
action of gravity.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Ramsbottom in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 10th
September 1880.
JOHN RAMSBOTTOM, of Alderley Edge, in the County of Chester. " IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF APPARATUS FOR WORKING EXPANSION VALVES
OF STEAM, AIR, OR GAS ENGINES."
My Invention relates particularly to what is known to engineers as the "tripping
motion," as applied to the expansion valves of steam engines, which valves are
required to be closed at intervals which are determined by the action of the governor
or other equivalent regulator, or at the will of the person in attendance, and is
particularly designed for use in steam engines fitted with steam valves which, when
released after being opened, are left free to be closed either by the pressure of steam
or by springs or gravity.
In carrying out my Invention I construct the valve rod with a knee or toggle
joint, which is so arranged that it will be sufficiently rigid in its action to open the
valve either by a pull or thrust, so long as the joint pins remain in a right line or
thereabouts with the other part of the valve rod, a stop being provided for that
purpose, and a relieving motion is provided and is so arranged, either by the action
of the governor and its connections, or by the attendant, that when the required
distance has been travelled by the valve the knee or toggle joint shall be relieved
or "tripped," and the valve shall be at liberty to resume its former or closed
position, either by the aid of springs, or by the pressure of the steam, or by the
action of gravity.
Such being the nature and object of my said Invention I will now proceed to
describe in detail the manner in which the same is to be or may be performed or
carried into practical effect; and in order that the same may be clearly understood
I have annexed hereunto a Sheet of Drawings illustrative thereof, and have marked
the same with Figures and letters of reference corresponding with those in the
following explanation thereof:-
Fig. 1 in the annexed Drawing is a side elevation of so much of a horizontal
cylinder engine as is requisite to illustrate the application of my Invention thereto;
and Figs. 2, 3, and 4 are similar views of slight modifications of the arrangement
for relieving the knee or toggle joint.
In these Figures a, a, is the cylinder; b, b', 6, 63, are the valves; c, c, is the
rocking lever for working the same; and d, d, d, d', are the valve rods or links.
The expansion valve rods or links d, d, are made with knee or toggle joints, as
shown at e, e, and I may bere remark that if thought desirable these joints may be
formed with a lip on one part of the link, which shall fall upon a prepared surface
on the other part of the same, as shown on the detached view, Fig. 1, and in some
cases it may be desirable to form one end of the link or driving bar with a slotted
hole, as shown detached at Fig. 1b, so as to ensure the joint resuming its original
position before the valve is required to open.
In the modification shown at Fig. 1 the piston is supposed to be travelling
towards the front (or right hand) end of the cylinder, or with the back valve b at
about half its travel, and the front valve b¹ closed. The relieving cams f. f, are
worked by links g, g, connected to the rocking lever c, c, to which the excentric
rods h, h, are also connected.
The exact position of the relieving cams f, f, is regulated by means of excentrics
i, i, which are attached to and worked by the governor rods k, k, by means of
levers l, l, on which the excentrics are mounted, and are so arranged that the action
of the governor either raises or lowers the cam, which causes it to relieve the joint
e, e, sooner or later, as required; m, m, are the buffers or dash cylinders for closing
the valve instantaneously when the joint is relieved.

page_text: P.P,
Fig. 2 shows the piston travelling in the same direction and the valves in a
similar position, but the joint e is relieved in a different manner, that is, by having
the ends of the links d, d, turned up so as to form a leg, as at n, n, which shall
come into contact with its own relieving arm o, o, each of which slides on a.bar
being moved into the required position by the governor by means of the links q, q,
and bell crank levers 7, r, attached to the governor rod k, k, the arms o, o, being so
fitted on the bars p, p, that they can slide thereon, but so that the moment the
legs n, n, come into contact with the ends of the arms o, o, these arms lock on the
bars p, p, and relieve or trip the joints e, e.
These arms o, o, may be made either solid in one piece, fitting loosely on the
bars p, p, as shown detached at Fig. 2a, or they may be mounted in jaws and
working on pins, as shown at Fig. 2b.
Fig. 3 shows another mode of applying the same form of relieving motion,
excepting that both the relieving arms o, o, are carried upon one bar p, p, and one
end of the driving bar or link d, d, is carried upon a reciprocating rail or bar 8, 8,
riding upon two levers or arms t, t, which are worked by the excentric rod h, h.
In the Drawing, to avoid confusion, only the centre lines of the levers t, t, are
indicated.
Fig. 4 shows the valves in the same position as before, but in this case the valves
are arranged so as to open by a pull upon the driving bar or link d, d, (instead of
by a thrust), and to effect this the parts d* of the driving bars or links are carried
beyond the centres of the levers u, u, on the valve spindles, and are connected to
their levers by means of short links v, v, which when relieved allow the valves to
fly into their closed position. These are relieved by legs w, w, on the links v, v,
coming into contact with the inclined surfaces 2, 2, which slide in boxes 1, 1, being
worked by means of short arms 2, 2, (see section, Fig. 3a) fitted upon the governor
shaft k, k, which has a rocking motion given to it by the action of the governor.
It will be seen from the above that this knee or toggle joint can be applied to
valves which are opened either by a pull or a thrust, and may be relieved or tripped
in a variety of ways. It is also easily applicable to either vertical or diagonal
cylinders by a slight modification in the main levers.
Having now described the nature and object of my said Invention, together with
the manner in which the same is to be or may be performed or carried into practical
effect, I wish it to be understood that I claim as my Invention,-
The construction of the expansion valve, driving bars or links of such engines
with knees or toggle joints, and relieving the same by means of cams, tappets, legs,
or otherwise, substantially in the manner and for the purpose herein before more
particularly set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Ramsbottom, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Eighth day of September, in the year of our Lord One
Witnessed by
C. A. DAVIES,
Patent Office,
4, St. Anne's Square,
Manchester..
J. RAMSBOTTOM. (L.S.)