Improvements in and relating to Compound Steam, Air, or like Engines.
Year: 1898

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Compound Steam, Air, or like
Engines.
We, JOHN HENRY TOULMIN and THOMAS COULTHARD, Senior, both of Cooper
Road, Preston, Lancashire, Engineers, and WILLIAM NORRIS, of the same address,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to compound or triple expansion engines in which the
working fluid is steam, compressed air or the like, and its object is to provide a
simple form of controlling valve so arranged that the total work given out by the
engine can be varied within wide limits and thus render the engine specially suit-
able in its application to motor cars or launches.
The invention broadly consists in providing a valve box containing ports leading
to and from the ordinary compound engine eduction and induction passages; the
said ports being so arranged relatively to one another that a slide valve of special
construction can by a single rectilinear movement be made to perform the follow-
ing functions:-The steam or air supply can be shut off altogether from the
engine, the engine can be run compound with the exhaust from the high pressure
cylinder passing into the low pressure cylinder in the usual manner, or the engine
can be run with both cylinders utilizing the high pressure steam or air and the
exhaust from both passing to a condenser or atmosphere.
In one method of carrying the invention into effect as applied to an overhead
cylinder compound steam engine with external piston valves, the construction and
operation is as follows; -The engine consists of a high and low pressure cylinder
arranged side by side and operating in the usual manner by pistons, rods, guides
and connecting rods a single crank shaft, the cranks being preferably arranged at
an angle of 90 degrees one to the other. Eccentrics on the crank shaft control
piston valves working in suitable casings respectively upon the high and low
pressure cylinders and these piston valves control the induction and eduction of
the steam to their respective cylinders by any of the port arrangements well known
to engineers. A single cylinder cover closes the ends of the two steam cylinders
and the two piston valves and this cover has formed within it a chamber which
acts as the receiver for the exhaust from the high pressure cylinder while it also
has a passage or chamber formed within it which communicates with the admission
side of the low pressure cylinder piston valve and also with the special controlling
valve now to be described.
The controlling valve box consists of one steam chamber in free communication
with the boiler pressure, and four small chambers which open out by ports into the
said steam chamber and are controlled in the communication thereto by a slide
valve of special construction, the said slide valve being operated when desired in

page_text: a manner hereinafter to be described. The four small chambers by passages at
their other ends communicate respectively with the condenser or atmosphere, the
high pressure exhaust receiver, the low pressure steam inlet, and the high pressure
stean inlet; and the ports leading from the four chambers and covered by the
controlling slide valve are arranged side by side in this order. The slide valve is
preferably made with a single opening underneath of sufficient width to put
any adjacent two of the four ports in communication with each other while the lap
of the slide valve on the ports is arranged relatively to their size and spacing to
perform the functions hereinafter enumerated in the description of the operation
of the said valve. The valve is attached to a rod which passes through a packing
gland in the side of the valve box and the outer end of this rod is slotted and
enibraces the circular end of a hand lever. This haud lever is pivotted to a bracket
attached to or forming part of the valve box and it has the usual quadrant attach-
ment for bringing the lever to rest, in any desired position. The hand lever is
operated to give the slide valve the desired rectilinear movement to perform any of
the functions herein before referred to and now to be more fully described.
When the hand lever is moved to the extreme position at one side of the quad-
rant the slide valve by its lap on both edges prevents admission of steam to either
cylinder. Upon moving the hand lever over in the other direction a sufficient
distance to cause the slide valve to uncover by one of its edges the port leading to
the high pressure cylinder from the steam chamber, the D in the slide valve causes
communication to be made from the high pressure exhaust to the low pressure
steam inlet, while the opposite edge of the slide valve still covers the port leading
to the condenser; so that in this position the engine now runs as a compound one,
the exhaust from the low pressure cylinder being connected in the usual manner.
Upon moving the hand lever a further distance along the quadrant to its extreme
position in the opposite direction the slide valve uncovers the port leading to the
steam inlet of the low pressure steam cylinder so that both inlets to high and low
pressure cylinders are in direct communication with the steam space leading to
the boiler; while simultaneous with this the D in the slide valve puts the port
leading from the high pressure exhaust receiver in communication with the port
leading to the condenser; and by this action both cylinders of the engine are
worked under initial boiler pressure.
When applying our improved valve to triple expansion engines we modify the
arrangement so that the exhaust steam from the intermediate cylinder is allowed
to escape to the valve chest on the low pressure cylinder and thence to atmosphere.
When using a centrifugal governor we arrange same on the top of our improved
valve box.
It is evident that in the application of such an engine and controlling valve as
that herein before described, to say a motor-car; the engine by the operation of a
single lever can be stopped and started, be run as a compound engine at varying
speeds when the car is travelling along level roads or with light loads, or be
employed as an engine with both cylinders using initial boiler pressure at varying
speeds when the car is travelling under a heavy load or on steep gradients. It is
to be clearly understood that the speed may be varied by using the controlling
valve to throttle the port openings when any of the several functions are in opera-
tion and it is also to be understood that the type of valve or arrangement of port
openings may be considerably varied without departing from the subject of the
present invention.
Dated this 10th 1 of 1800
MARKS & CLERK,
18, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., and
13, Temple Street, Birmingham,
Agents.

page_text: Improvements in and relating to Compound Steam,. Air, or like
Engines.
We, JoHN HENRY TOULMIN and THOMAS COULTHARD, Junior, both of Cooper
Road, Preston, Lancashire, Engineers, and WILLIAM NORRIS, of the same address,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement:-
-
This invention relates to compound or triple expansion engines in which the
working fluid is steam, compressed air or the like, and its object is to provide a
simple form of controlling valve so arranged that the total work given out by the
engine can be varied within wide limits and thus render the engine specially suit-
able in its application to motor cars or launches.
The invention broadly consists in providing a valve box containing ports leading
to and from the ordinary compound engine eduction and induction passages: the
said ports being so arranged relatively to one another that a slide valve of special
construction can by a single rectilinear movement be made to perform the follow-
ing functions:-The steam or air supply can be shut off altogether from the
engine, the engine can be run compound with the exhaust from the high pressure
cylinder passing into the low pressure cylinder in the usual manner, or the engine
can be run with both cylinders utilizing the high pressure steam or air and the
exhaust from both passing to a condenser or atmosphere.
Two modifications of the invention are illustrated in the accompanying sheet of
drawings as follows:-
Figure 1 is a vertical section through the top end of a compound engine showing
the new controlling device in place.
Figure 2 is a like vertical section at right angles to Figure 1 on the line a b.
Figure 3 is a vertical section through the controlling device on an increased
scale from the two previous figures and with the valve in a different position.
Figure 4 is a horizontal section upon the line c d (Figure 3).
Figure 5 is a similar vertical section to that shown in Figure 3 but with the
valve in a third position.
Figure 6 is a similar section to that shown in Figure 3 but in this case the
controlling valve is a rotary valve and not a slide valve.
Figure 7 is a horizontal section through Figure 6 upon the line e f..
One method of carrying the invention into effect is illustrated in Figures 1 to 5
of the drawings as applied to an overhead cylinder compound steam engine with
external piston valves (portion of the engine being shown only in Figures 1 and 2
of the drawings). The engine consists of high and low pressure cylinders (lettered
respectively A and B) arranged side by side and operating in the usual manner
win piston valves CD), pistons, rods, guides, connecting rods and a single crank
shaft with cranks preferably arranged at or about an angle of 90 degrees one to the
other. Eccentrics are arranged on the crank shaft to operate the piston valves C
and D and these piston valves control the induction and eduction of the steam to
the respective cylinders by any of the suitable port arrangements well known to
engineers. A single cylinder cover E closes the ends of the two steam cylinders B
and A and the two piston valves C and D. This cover E has formed within it a
chamber F which acts as the receiver for the exhaust from the high pressure
cylinder A while it also has a passage or chamber G formed within it which com-
municates with the admission side of the low pressure cylinder valve C and also
with the special controlling valve now to be described.
The controlling valve box shown in different positions and sections in Figures 1

page_text: to 5 of the drawings consists of one steam chamber H in free communication with
the boiler pressure and four small chambers I, J, K, and L, which open out by ports
at the top edges into the steam chamber H as shown and are controlled in their
communication thereto by a slide valve M of special construction, the said slide
valve M being controlled when desired in a manner hereinafter to be described.
The four smail chambers I, J, K and L at the opposite ends from their ports are
coupled by flanges N, O, P, Q, so that these chambers communicate as follows:-
Chamber I with the condenser or atmosphere, chamber J with the high pressure
exhaust receiver, chamber K with the low pressure steam inlet, and chamber L
with the high pressure steam inlet. The slide valve M is preferably made with
a single D opaning R underneath of sufficient width to put any adjacent two of the
four ports in communication with each other while the lap of the slide valve M on
the ports is arranged relatively to their size and spacing to perform the functions
hereinafter enumerated in the description of the operation of the said valve M.
The valve al is preferably attached to a rod S passing through a packing gland in
the side of the valve box (clearly shown in the drawings) and the outer end of
this rod has a screwed head and embraces the circular end of a hand lever T. This
hand lever T is pivotted to a bracket V attached to or forming part of the valve
box and it has the usual quadrant attachment for bringing the lever to rest in any
desired position. The hand lever T is operated to give the slide valve M the
desired rectilinear movement to perform any of the functions herein before referred
to and now to be more fully described.
When the hand lever T'is moved to the extreme left the valve M takes up the
position shown in Figure 5 of the drawings. In this position it is evident that the
live steam chamber H is shut off from both high and low pressure cylinders and
therefore the engine is stopped and the valve is in a shut position. When it is
desired to run the engine as an ordinary compound engine the hand lever is moved
over towards the right until the slide valve takes up the position shown in Figures 1
and 2 of the drawings. In this position the slide valve M uncovers by one of its
edges the port L leading to the high pressure cylinder A from the steam cham-
ber H and at the same time the D in the slide valve causes communication to be
made from the high pressure exhaust chamber J to the low pressure steam
inlet K while the opposite edge of the slide valve M still covers the port I leading
to the condenser so that in this position it is evident that the engine runs as a
compound one, the exhaust from the low pressure cylinder being connected in any
usual manner. When it is desired to run both cylinders with high pressure steam
the lever T is pushed over to the extreme right and the slide valve M takes up the
position shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings. In this position the slide valve M
uncovers the port K leading to the steam inlet of the low pressure cylinder so
that both the inlets K and L to low and high pressure cylinders B and A are in
direct communication with the steam space H leading to the boiler; while
simultaneously with this the D in the slide valve puts the port J leading from the
high pressure exhaust receiver F into communication with the port I leading to
the condenser and by this action both cylinders B and A of the engine are worked
under initial boiler pressure.
The modification illustrated in Figures 6 and 7 of the drawings consists in apply-
ing a rotary valve M in substitution of the slide valve M. The arrangement of
the ports and passages and their communications with an engine such as a com-
pound steam engine herein before described are precisely similar to the last
modification and therefore are similarly lettered, the only difference in this case
being that a rotary motion is given to the valve instead of the rectilinear motion
given to the slide valve. Further description is therefore unnecessary.
When applying the improved valve to triple expansion engines the arrangement
is modified so that the exhaust steam from the intermediate cylinder is allowed to
escape to the valve chest on the low pressure cylinder and thence to atmosphere.
If it is desired to employ a centrifugal governor to control the valve it is pre-
ferably arranged directly over the improved valve box.

page_text: It is evident that in the application of such an engine and controlling valve or
valves as that hereinbefore described, to say, a motor car, the engine by the
operation of a single lever can be stopped and started, be run as a compound engine
at varying speeds when the car is travelling along level roads or with light loads,
or be employed as an engine with both cylinders using initial boiler pressure at
varying speeds when the car is travelling under a heavy load or on steep gradients.
It is to be clearly understood that the speed may be varied by using the control-
ling valve to throttle the port openings when any of the several functions are in
operation and it is also to be understood that the type of valve or arrangement
of port openings may be considerably varied without departing from the subject
of the present invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. In compound steam, air or like engines the provision of a valve box leading
to and from the eduction and induction passages of the engine having a slide or
rotary valve controlling the distribution of the working fluid by a single rec-
tilinear or rotary movement of the valve upon the ports and all as a means of
working the engine in compound, or with each cylinder having an initial pressure
of the working fluid therein, or for starting or stopping the whole engine.
2. The improved controlling valve and valve box for compound steam, air or like
engines substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1, 2, 3,
4 and 5 of the accompanying drawings.
3. The improved controlling valve and valve box for compound steam, air or
like engines substantially as herein before described with reference to Figures 6
and 7 of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this in way of October
MARKS & CLERK,
18, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., and
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, Agents.