IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES AND PUMPS
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James John Miller, junior, of No. 7, Clarendon
Place, Vassall Road, Brixton, in the County of Surrey, for the Inven-
tion of "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES AND PUMPS."
Sealed the 4th November 1864, and dated the 5th May 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James John Miller at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
5th May 1864.
I, JAMES JOHN-MILLER, junior, of No. 7, Clarendon Place, Vassall Road,
Brixton, in the County of Surrey, do hereby declare the nature of the
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES AND PUMPS," to be as
follows:
This Invention has for its object improvements in steam engines and pumps,
and is peculiarly applicable to small steam engines used for pumping and other
purposes, and consists in constructing the piston and cylinder in such manner
that by the rotation of one of them, and by having passages in the piston, the
induction and eduction ways shall be opened and closed. The construction
of the cylinder, and the passages in the piston and cylinder, may be varied,.
but it is preferred to form the piston of a length corresponding with the length
of the stroke of the engine, and to make the cylinder of a proportionably
greater length. In the cylinder are formed one induction passage and two
eduction, passages which are situated about the middle of the length of the
cylinder. In each of the ends of the piston is formed a passage by which
the steam or other fluid may pass into and from the cylinder at the respective

page_text: ends of the cylinder. Each of these passages communicates with a groove or
recess formed longitudinally on the outer surface of the piston. When either
of these longitudinal grooves is opposite the eduction way formed through the
cylinder the steam or other fluid will pass away from one end of the cylinder,
and as at the same time the other longitudinal groove or recess in the piston
will be opposite to its induction way, steam or fluid will enter through the
piston into the other end of the cylinder. The piston or the cylinder, just
before the piston completes its stroke, is caused to make a partial rotation
so as to change the relative positions of the way in the cylinder, and the
grooves or recesses in the piston. A similar construction and combination
of a cylinder and piston may be used as a pump, being driven by power, and
connected with suction and delivery. pipes.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James John Miller in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
5th November 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
JOHN MILLER, junior, of No. 7, Clarendon Place, Vassall Road, Brixton, in
the County of Surrey, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-seventh year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said James John Miller, Her special licence that I, the said James
John Miller, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said James John Miller, my 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, 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 "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES AND PUMPS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said James John Miller, my executors or administrators,
by an instrument in writing under my, 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

page_text: 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 I, the said James John Miller, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say:
:: This Invention has for its object improvements in steam engines and pumps,
and is peculiarly applicable to 'small steam engines used for pumping and
other purposes, and consists in constructing the piston and cylinder in such.
manner that by the rotation of one of them, and by having passages in the
piston, the induction and eduction ways shall be opened and closed. The.
construction of the cylinder and the passages in the piston' and cylinder may.
be varied, but it is preferred to form the piston of a length corresponding with
the length of the stroke of the engine, and to make the cylinder of a propor-
tionally greater length. In the cylinder aro formed one induction passage
and two eduction passages, which are situated about the middle of the length.
of the cylinder. In each of the ends of the piston is formed a passage by
which the steam or other fluid may pass into and from the cylinder. at the
respective ends of the cylinder. Each of these passages communicates with
a groove or recess formed longitudinally on the outer surface of the piston..
When either of these longitudinal grooves is opposite the eduction way formed
through the cylinder the steam or other fluid will pass away from one end of the.
cylinder, and as at the same time the other longitudinal groove or recess in. the
piston will be opposite to its induction way, steam or fluid will enter through.
the piston into the other end of the cylinder. The piston or the cylinder just
before the piston completes its stroke is caused to make a partial rotation so
as to change the relative positions of the way in the cylinder and the grooves
or recesses in the piston. A similar construction and combination of a cylin-
der and piston may be used as a pump, being driven by power, and connected
with suction and delivery pipes.
And in order that my said Invention may be most fully understood and
readily carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the Drawings hereunto
annexed...
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS..

page_text: of the steam engine; Figure 4 is a plan of the piston shown separately;
Figure 5 is a transverse section taken at the line. 1, 1, Figure 3.
a, a, is the steam cylinder; a¹ is the induction port, and a, a, are. the
eduction ports; they are, it will. be seen, placed in the centre of the length
of the cylinder; b is the piston, it is shown without any-packing, as in small
engines packing will be unnecessary; 61, 62, are steam passages or grooves
formed in the piston; c is the piston rod passing out through a stuffing.. box
on the cylinder cover; d is an arm fixed on the piston rod, its end enters the
cam groove e, which is formed in a piece secured to the framing or foundation
of the engine; this arm,d will, as the piston 6-travels to and fro in the cylin-
der, cause it to rotate through a small part of a circle, first in one-direction,
and then in the other, as the end of the arm follows the course of the cam
groove e, and this partial rovolution of the piston will bring the passages b¹ and
63 in the piston alternately up to the induction passage a', and when one of
them is opposite to the induction passage, the other will be opposite one or
other of the eduction passages a², a². With the parts in the position shown
at Figure 3, the passage is opposite the induction passage a', and the steam
passing along it is led to the left hand end of the cylinder, when it acts to force
the piston to the other end of its stroke, where it is turned partly round, and
the passage 61 is brought opposite one of the eduction passages a³, whilst the
passage comes up to the induction passage and takes steam to the other end
of the cylinder to bring back the piston, and so. the work goes on; fis-a lever
used in starting the engine when it happens that the piston has stopped near
one end of its course, but before the reversal of the passages in the piston has
been completed; the lever f is keyed on a bar g of circular section, it passes
through a stuffing box in the end of the cylinder, and the portion within the
cylinder has a feather upon it running from end to end of the bar. In the
piston is a hole to receive the rod g and its feather, and the space allowed for
the feather is such that the rotatory motion of the piston can take place when
the lever f is in a central position without moving the rod h; but if the engine
happens to stop when the partial rotation of the piston is incomplete, it can
readily be put over by means of the lever f. In Figure 1 the barrel of the
force pump, worked by the engine, is marked i, and the plunger thereof k. -In
place of making a rigid cam groove e, as is shown, springs or tappets may be
used at each end of the stroke to move over the arm d, and these springs or
tappets may conveniently be made adjustable-by screws or otherwise, so that
the machine may be regulated in such a way as to bring the piston to rest
quietly at the end of the stroke.

page_text: . In place of the arrangement shown the cam course e may be formed on the
piston itself, and be made to work with a projection or friction pulley fixed
within the cylinder, and near the centre thereof. Or, according to another
modification, the cam course may be mounted on the cylinder, and the
rotation of the piston restrained by guides through which its rod is passed,
so that in this case the cylinder turns in place of the piston.
Although these engines are intended especially to be worked by steam, still
they may be worked by water, air, or other fluid under pressure. Or the
machine can be used as a pump by connecting the piston rod with a crank
driven by manual or other power, or otherwise, by giving motion to the piston,
and further by making the induction and eduction pipes the suction and supply
pipes of the pump.
In witness whereof, I, the said James John Miller, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this First day of November, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
JAS. J. MILLER, JUN. (L.B.)