CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN ENGINES FOR HYDRAULIC OR VARIOUS OTHER USEFUL PURPOSES
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Smith Barden, Aaron Watkins Rockwood,
Holmes Hinkley, and Daniel Franklin Child, all of the United States of
America; for the Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN ENGINES FOR
HYDRAULIC OR VARIOUS OTHER USEFUL PURPOSES."-A communication.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said John Smith Barden, Aaron
Watkins Rockwood, Holmes Hinkley, and Daniel Franklin Child at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their Petition and Decla-
ration, on the 17th September 1857, pursuant to the 9th section of the
Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, be it known
that we, JOHN SMITH BARDEN, AARON WATKINS ROCKWOOD, HOLMES HINKLEY,
and DANIEL FRANKLIN CHILD, all of the United States of America, do hereby
declare that we are in possession of a new and useful Invention of " CERTAIN
IMPROVEMENTS IN ENGINES FOR HYDRAULIC OR. VARIOUS OTHER USEFUL PURPOSES,'
that such Invention has been communicated to us by a foreigner or a person
residing abroad, and not a subject of Her Majesty Queen Victoria, and that
the nature of the said Invention, and what manner it is to be performed,
are duly described and represented in the following Specification and the
accompanying Drawings
The first portion of the Invention may be thus described, it being repre-
sented in part .in Sheet 1 of the Drawings:-
Figure 1 exhibits a side elevation of said engine or meter; Figure 2 is an
end elevation of the same; Figure 3 a transverse section taken through one
[Price 8d.]

page_text: of its oscillating cylinders; Figure 4 is a horizontal section of the stationary
partitioned cylinder and chamber to be herein-after described. In these
Drawings A is a cylindrical vessel, whose internal space is divided by a
vertical partition a into two semicylindric chambers b, c, the partition being
extended axially through the vessel A, and terminating against the two heads
d, e, thereof. An induction pipe or passage B leads into the chamber bat
one end of it, as seen in Figures 1 and 4. The chamber c is also provided
with an eduction opening or passage C leading out of it, as seen in said
Figure 4. On the top of the vessel A there is arranged three or any other
suitable number of cylinders or pump barrels D, E, F, they being made to
extend above the same, as seen in the Drawings. The lower part of the
bottom e¹ of each barrel D, E, or F is curved or formed with a seat to fit
closely, and move upon the top surface of the cylinder, and transversely across
said surface during the oscillations of the cylinder. Each of the pump
barrels is held down upon the vessel A by means of a curved yoke G and
a set of screw bolts H, H, H, respectively carrying springs O, O, arranged
upon them, as shown in Figure 3. Every one of said springs rests upon
a shoulder or projection f extended from the pump barrel, the upper end of
the spring being borne down or pressed upon by a screw nut g screwed upon
its bolt H. By means of the yoke, springs and bolts applied to the vessel A
and the pump barrel, the latter during its oscillating movements is maintained
closely against the top surface of the vessel A, and so as to preserve a water-
tight joint between them, such being the pressure of the yoke, the springs
and draw bolts. Through the bottom of each cylinder or pump barrel there
is a hole or passage h, and the upper surface of said bottom is made concave
or dishing towards said hole or passage, as seen at i, and below the lower
terminus of the path of the piston of the pump barrel, in order that any
sediment or foreign matter which may gain access into that part of the barrel
which is beneath the piston may have a free opportunity of being discharged
through the hole h, and without adhering to the piston or being an obstruction
to the movement of the same. Directly underneath each of the pump barrels
and arranged on opposite sides of the partition a two passages P, Q, (are
made through the top part of the vessel A,) the same being as seen in
Figure 3. One of these passages may be considered as an induction and the
other as an induction passage with reference to the pump barrel. There is
a pisto R applied within and to each pump barrel, the several rods of the
several piston, being exhibited at S, T, U, and as connected respectively to
three bell cranks V, W, X, of a horizontal shaft Y. These cranks are
arranged so that they may radiate from the axis of the shaft, and each stands

page_text: at au angle of 120° with respect to that which is next to it, their respective
positions being as shown in Figure 2.
The above constitutes our improved engine or water meter, which when
in use is to operate in the following manner; that is to say, water is to be
allowed to flow through the induction pipe B into the chamber b and under
pressure. If the hole k of the pump barrel D be directly over the induction
passage P immediately underneath the said barrel the water will flow from
the chamber 6 into the barrel D, act against its piston so as to elevate the
same, and cause its rod to turn the shaft Y, and so as to force the pump
barrel to move laterally in one direction with respect to the vessel A, and
until the hole h comes directly over the passage Q, so that the water in the
barrel may escape into the chamber c. The movement of the pump barrel,
in consequence of its peculiar connection with each of the other barrels, will
create corresponding movements of them, and they are so arranged that they
co-operate each in its turn, being so moved as to bring its receiving orifice
directly over the induction passage P immediately under it, while a barrel is
moving in one direction the next barrel will be moving in the opposite
direction, the piston of one being drawn upward while that of the other is
being moved downward, so that when any piston is being depressed the water
below in its barrel will be forced into the chamber c, while when a piston is
being elevated, water from the chamber b will be passing into its pump barrel
and acting against such piston. By employing three pump barrels and
arranging the bell cranks thereof, as described, a continuous rotation of the
shaft will take place, each barrel in succession receiving a like quantity of
water from the chamber b, and being made to discharge into the chamber c,
from whence it will escape through the eduction passage C. Knowing the
diameter of each barrel, as well as the extent of upward movement of its
piston, we can readily estimate the amount of water it will receive and
discharge during each entire revolution of its crank. Therefore if to the
shaft we apply mechanism to indicate the number of revolutions it may make,
we can readily measure the water which may have flowed through the engine.
Were we to employ but two pump barrels, and have the cranks of their
pistons arranged in one plane, and extending in opposite directions from their
shaft, it would be difficult to overcome their dead points, so as to maintain
a continued rotation of the shaft, but when three or a greater number of
barrels are used this difficulty ceases.
In Sheet 2 is exhibited a sectional view of a steam engine constructed in
accordance with our Invention. A is a steam cylinder provided with a
piston B, and fitted at one end so as to turn on a semi-cylindric or nearly

page_text: semi-cylindric valve chest C, which by means of a curved partition a is divided
into two chambers b, c. These chambers are provided with ports d, d, e, e¹,
to operate in connection with passages f, g, leading into the cylinder, and on
opposite sides of the piston, as shown in the Drawing. Under this state of
things if steam be admitted into the chamber b, and the cylinder A be moved
laterally, so as to allow such steam to pass through the port e¹ into the
passage g, the passage f will be in communication with the port d, and such
steam will act on the piston so as to depress it in the cylinder. Next, if the
piston be vibrated in the opposite direction, so as to bring the passages e, f,
into communication, the passages g and d' will also be brought into com-
munication, so that the steam entering the cylinder from the space 6 will
elevate said cylinder and cause the exhaust steam to pass into the space e,
from which it may be discharged into the atmosphere. The passages fand g
may have cut-offs applied to them to be operated by the vibratory motions of
the cylinder causing the rod or rods of such cut-offs to act against stops
suitably place, whereby the entrance of steam into the cylinder may be
cut off at any desirable point of the stroke of the piston, and the steam in
the cylinder be caused to act expansively. Below the semi-cylindric vessel C
another, viz. G, may be arranged, as shown in the Drawings, such having
a pump barrel applied to it, as shown at H, the said pump barrel being
connected to the cylinder by ears and bolts, as shown at h, h. The vessel G
is divided into two parts by a vertical partition i, it is also provided with
ports, as shown at k, l. The piston of the pump barrel is to be so connected
to that of the steam cylinder as to be moved therewith and by the same.
The consequence of the above will be that when the apparatus is in operation,
in case one of the chambers of the vessel G has a pipe leading into a reservoir
of water, and the other has a discharge pipe extending from it, such water
will be drawn into the pump barrel from the induction chamber and forced
into the other or eduction chamber.
Sheet 3 exhibits another form or construction of an engine or apparatus by
which water or a liquid may be pumped by the agency of steam. Figure 1
is a side elevation of the said engine, Figure 2 an end view of it, Figure 3
a transverse section taking through one of its oscillating cylinders and the
pump thereof; Figure 4 is a sketch exhibiting the positions of three cranks
of the shaft, to be herein-after described. In the above Drawings, A, B, are
two semi-cylindrical hollow vessels arranged with respect to one another, and
each divided vertically into two chambers b, c, and b', c', by partitions d, d,
each of which (partitions) extends vertically through its chamber, and ter-
minates against the two ends on the top and bottom of it. The said vessels

page_text: pump
A and B, or steam and water chests, as they may be termed, are each pro-
vided with an induction pipe or passage e or e' (see Figure 2), and au eduction
passage C or C leading out of them, as seen in Figure 3, the induction
passage of each vessel or chest being opened into one of its chambers, while
the eduction passage leads out of the other chamber. Above the vessel A,
as well as below the vessel B, there is placed a series of barrels or
cylinders D, E, F, or D, E, F, each cylinder of the upper series being
arranged with its axis in line with that of the pump barrel which is
directly underneath it. That part of each pump barrel and cylinder which
bears against the convex cylindric surface of its chest A or B is curved
with a seat, and to fit closely to the same during the oscillations of the
said cylinder or barrel, and each steam cylinder D, E, F, is connected
with the pump barrel D, E, F, as shown in Figure 3, that is, by ears
or projections a², a², and also by screw bolts 62, 62, extended through said
ears or projections. Thus any oscillating movement of one of the steam
cylinders will produce a corresponding oscillating movement of thatconnected
with it, but in the opposite direction. Through the bottom of each cylinder
or pump barrel there is a passage h' (see Fig. 3), the same operating in
conjunction with two passages P, Q, or P¹, Q', made through the steam or
water chests A, B, and arranged as shown in Figure 3. One of each
adjacent two of these passages opens into one chamber of its chest, while the
other opens into the other chamber thereof. Figure 5 is an external view of
the curved surface of one of the chests, and shows the various sets of said
passages and their arrangement. There is a pistou R or R' applied within
and to each cylinder and pump barrel; the several rods of these pistons being
shown at S, T, U, and S, T, U. The upper rods S, T, U, are applied
respectively to three bell cranks V, W, X, of a horizontal shaft Y, the
respective positions of the cranks being shown in Figure 4. Figure 3 exhibits
how by means of a crosshead f and a cap g the piston rod of a steam cylinder
is applied to its crank; it also represents two rods k, l, extending downward
from the crosshead and cap and fastened to another crosshead of the piston
rod of the pump barrel, which is situated directly underneath the said
cylinder. The piston of each cylinder should be connected in the same
manner with the piston of each pump barrel when the two pistons are in
their lowest positions. In constructing the piston of either of the steam
cylinders, we make it of two excentric rings a³, 63, arranged with respect to
one another, as shown in Figures 3 and 6, the latter being
section of the piston. One of these excentric rings is arranged within the
other, and each is split open vertically, as shown at c³. These rings are
a transverse

page_text: surrounded by two rings d³, e3, which we term concentric rings, they being
made of an equal thickness throughout, and one arranged obove the other,
and each split open, as seen at f³. One concentric ring is placed on the
other, and so that it shall break joint or cover the ends of the other while
both rings embrace the outer concentric ring, as shown in Figure 6. These
rings constitute a packing to the piston, they being placed on it, as shown in
Figure 3, and between overlapping heads g³, h³, arranged as shown in said
Figure. By means of heat each eccentric ring is expanded laterally. It is
found that when only one ring is employed in connection with a concentric
ring the cylinder or pump barrel will be worn unequally, but by the use of
two excentric rings arranged with respect to one another, as described, the
cylinder or pump barrel and the surrounding concentric rings will be worn
equally and cylindrically. With an apparatus so constructed, if we connect
the induction passages of its two vessels A and B with a steam generator or
boiler and a cistern or reservoir of water, so that the steam may flow from
the generator into the upper vessel or chest A, and water be raised into the
lower chest B, when it (the latter) is exhausted of of air the apparatus will be
in a condition to operate, so as to elevate water into one of the chambers of
the vessel B and discharge it from the other chamber thereof, the steam by
its action in these cylinders and on their pistons serving to maintain a con-
tinuous rotation of their shaft, one cylinder and one piston controlling the
movement of the other by means of the devices by which it is connected with
them. The movements of the several pistons of the steam cylinders will
produce corresponding movements of the pistons of the pumpbarrel, and such
pump barrel will be moved laterally with and by its cylinder as such cylinder
is moved on the chest A by the operation of the pistons and crank shaft.
The cousequence of the action of the apparatus will be that each pump during
its two lateral vibratory motions in opposite directions will draw water into
one chamber of the vessel B and discharge it into the other chamber thereof,
such water being finally expelled from the latter chamber through its eduction
passage.
Figure 1, Sheet 4, represents a section of a pumping engine of the kind
exhibited in Figure 2 of Sheet 3, and also shows the mode of applyingayoke
or cross bar. A² and a rocker bearing B2 to the part B and the bolts 63, 62.
In this case the cross bar extend between the two chests A, B, and rests
against shoulders C, C2, formed on the bolts 62, 62. The part B bears against
and turns on the semi-cylindric projection or bearing B2; in this way the
pressure tending to wear the rubbing surfaces of the parts A, B, and those
encircling them is borne by the bar A² and its rocker bearing B².

page_text: In the Drawing of Sheet 4, R is one of the steam pistons, D the steam
cylinder thereof; R¹, the pump piston; D¹, the pump barrel; and k, k, are
the connecting rods of the cross-heads.
Figure 2, Sheet 4, exhibits the application of the yoke A² and the rocker
bearing B2 to the steam engine divested of the pump, the object of said
yoke and bearing being to confine the steam cylinder in the semi-cylindric
partitioned case while it moves laterally therein.
Having thus described the Invention, what we claim therein is as
follows:-
In the apparatus exhibited in Sheet 1 we claim a partitioned hollow
cylinder or chamber, and two series of induction and eduction passages,
arranged with respect to the partition of said chamber substantially as
described, in combination with three or any other suitable number of oscil-
lating cylinders and pistons connected together and applied to the partitioned
cylinder, and made to operate essentially as explained, and for the purpose of
receiving and discharging water or any other fluid or measuring the same, as
set forth.
We also claim combining each oscillating cylinder with the partitioned
cylinder by a yoke, screw bolt, and pressure springs or their mechanical
equivalents arranged and operating together, substantially in manner and for
the purpose as set forth.
We also claim making the bottom of each cylinder dishing or concave
below the lower terminus of the path of the piston and towards the passage
of said bottom as specified, the same being for the purpose as above set
forth.
We also claim the peculiar construction of steam engine, as shown in
Sheet 2, and its application to a pump, in manner as above described.
We are aware that it is not new to so combine a pump with a steam
engine that the piston of the former may be operated by the latter; also that
it is not new to arrange the axis of the cylinder of a steam engine in line
with that of the barrel of a pump, and so connecting the pistons of the two
that a reciprocating rectilinear movement of the steam engine piston may
create corresponding movements of the pump piston: therefore we do not
claim such; but we claim arranging, substantially in manner as described
with such an apparatus, engine, or device another or auxiliary partitioned
chamber (B) and three pumps, whereby a new form or construction of the
combination known as a steam pumping apparatus is produced, one wherein
no hinged valves are employed, and each pump not only turns on its semi-
cylindrical case, but is moved thereon by its steam cylinder and connecting

page_text: mechanism, and in correspondence with the movements of the former on its
semi-cylindrical chamber A.
We further claim the application of the yoke A² and its rocker bearing B2
with a steam engine and pump, substantially as shown in Figure 1 of Sheet 4,
or as applied to the engine alone, as herein-before specified, and as shown in
Figure 2 of Sheet 4.
In testimony whereof, we have hereunto set our signatures and seals
this Thirty-first day of August, One thousand eight hundred and fifty-
seven.
JOHN. SMITH BARDEN.
AARON WATKINS ROCKWOOD.
HOLMES HINKLEY.
DANIEL FRANKLIN CHILD.
(L.S.)
(L.S.)
(L.S.)
(L.S.)