IMPROVEMENTS RELATING TO MARINE ENGINES
Year: 1886

page_text: I JAMES ARTHUR FOOTTIT of Sudbury, near Derby, Engineer, do hereby declare
the nature of my invention for IMPROVEMENTS RELATING TO MARINE ENGINES to
be as follows: —
My Invention relates to a novel application-namely to the balancing of the
main working parts of marine engines of the device or contrivance of a balanced
wheel which I have described in the Specification of my Invention No. 8232 of
the 22nd June 1886. It also has reference to the Invention of a balance lever
described in the Specification of my Invention No. 4852 of the 7th April 1886.
By means of the device or contrivance according to my present Invention as
applied to marine engines, the resultant action will be similar in effect, I may
mention, to that which occurs in the case of the balance weights on the driving
wheel of a locomotive engine; and, I estimate to effect by means of my Invention
a gain of some 25 per cent in useful effect.
In carrying out my present Invention; with the object of ensuring a perfectly
uniform, balanced, rotatory motion say for instance as applied to the oscillating
type of marine engines, I adapt to the crank shaft a supplementary arm or lever
the weight of which equals that of the combined weight of the crank, piston,
piston rod and head. To allow of the attachment of said arm or lever (which
serves as a counterweight) the inner end of same is here formed with a slot equal
to the diameter of the crank shaft and a loose fitting piece introduced. Behind
this latter a cotter is passed, which serves to tighten up the counterbalancing
attachment aforesaid on being driven "home" through the intervention of a set
screw pin on the side, and a split cotter, so as to keep the whole securely in
position.
:

page_text: Improvements relating to Marine Engines.
I JAMES ARTHUR FOOTTIT, of Sudbury, near Derby, Engineer, do hereby declare
the nature of my invention for IMPROVEMENTS RELATING TO MARINE ENGINES and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :—
My Invention relates to a novel application-namely to the balancing of the
main working parts of marine engines of the device or contrivance of a balanced
wheel which I have described in the Specification of my Invention No. 8232 of
the 22nd June 1886. It also has reference to the Invention of a balance lever
described in the Specification of my Invention No. 4852 of the 7th April 1886.
By means of the device or contrivance according to my present Invention as
applied to marine engines, the resultant action will be similar in effect, I may
mention to that which occurs in the case of the balance weights on the driving
wheel of a locomotive engine; and I estimate to effect by means of my Invention
a gain of some 25 per cent in useful effect.
In carrying out my present Invention, with the object of ensuring a perfectly
uniform, balanced, rotatory motion, say, for instance, as applied to the oscillating
type of marine engines, I adapt to the crank shaft a supplementary arm or lever
the weight of which equals that of the combined weight of the crank, piston,
piston rod and head.-To allow of the attachment of said arm or lever (which
serves as a counterweight) the inner end of same is here formed with a slot equal
to the diameter of the crank shaft and a loose fitting piece introduced. Behind
this latter a cotter is passed, which serves to tighten up the counterbalancing
attachment aforesaid on being driven "home" through the intervention of a set
screw pin on the side, and a split cotter, so as to keep the whole securely in
position.
In order that the nature of my present improvements may be the better under-
stood I have appended the accompanying sheet of drawings in which Figure 1
represents by a vertical sectional elevational view, the cylinder of an engine of
the inverted type of a non-oscillating engine-A being the piston, B the cylinder,
I the piston rod, J the crosshead. H is the crank, E the crank shaft, to which
I adapt the supplementary arm or lever C, as and for the purpose herein before
· mentioned. I have shewn in the detached elevational view, Figure 2, the supple-
mentary arm or lever C aforesaid; referring to said detached view, it will be seen
that for the purpose of allowing the arm or lever C to be connected to the crank
shaft E, the end of the supplementary arm or lever O is formed at K with a
slot equal to the diameter of the crank shaft E at this part, and a loose fitting
piece D is here introduced. Behind the latter a cotter F is passed which serves to
tighten up the counterbalancing attachment O aforesaid on being driven home
through the intervention of a set screw pin G on the side, and a split cotter, so as
to keep the whole securely in position,
From the foregoing it will be seen that in the ordinary, rotatory motion of the
crank. the supplementary arm Ɑ being at an opposite angle, and, the weight of

page_text: which latter being, as aforesaid equal to the combined weight of the piston, rod,
and head, connecting rod and crosshead, I am enabled to ensure a perfectly uniform
balanced rotatory motion.
I wish it also to be understood that although I have, as indicated by the
Title of my said Invention, indicated its special adaptability in the case of marine
engines, it will be self-evident to any practical Engineer, that my Invention as
herein before set forth may also be applied similarly to land engines. Thus, for
instance, the supplementary, counterbalancing arm or lever C, aforesaid, might be
adapted to the boss of the flywheel. I may also mention amongst other advan-
tageous applications of my said Invention, that which presents itself in the case of
Engines (whether sea or land) employed in connection with electric lighting, the
improvements according to my Invention serving to keep the light steady.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
The counterbalancing device substantially as and for the purposes herein
described and set forth and shewn in the accompanying drawings.