IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM AND OTHER ENGINES
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Edward Newton, of the Office for
Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil
Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM AND OTHER
ENGINES." A communication from abroad by Wallace Wells, of
Brooklyn, in the State of New York, United States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edward Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 16th May 1874.
I, WILLIAM EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery
5 Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM AND OTHER
ENGINES," to be as follows:-
f
This Invention relates to that descripton of engines in which two
pistons are used in the same cylinder.

page_text: The Invention consists in a certain combination of parts, including
two rods for the one piston and a single rod for the other piston, all
working through the one end of the same cylinder and connected to
oppositely set cranks actuated by the pistons. By this arrangement of
parts power is economized, pressure or strain equalized to the reduction
of external fastenings, and the weight of the engine is diminished.
A. single simple valve controlling three ports may be used to regulato
the motions of both pistons. The pistons move in opposite directions
with equal velocity and through equal space in the same time, each
stroke or movement completing one revolution of the crank shaft.
From this combination there results a reciprocating engine in which all
the connections may be made from one end of a single cylinder directly
with the opposite arms of the crank shaft.
One of the advantages which results from the combination is that
as .the engine exerts its power upon the opposite cranks of the shaft
equally and uniformly throughout its revolution there will be an
equilibrium in the power and weight applied to the cranks of the shaft,
which must greatly increase the operative and effective power and speed
of the engine. This combination produces an easy balance or swing in
the movements of the engine, which cannot be obtained from an
arrangement of the connections less simple, direct, and compact.
:
The whole force of the steam or other motive power is expended
directly on the opposite movable parts of the machine connected
directly with the cranks, so that the engine requires no external fastening
or point of resistance for the purpose of exerting its force upon the
shaft. This will greatly reduce the weight and strength of material
required in the engine and its fastenings.
ou by on
Duward Newton in the Great Deal Fatent 5
Office on the 18th November 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lanc, in the
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of May, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the thirty-
seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said William Edward Newton, Her special
licence that I, the said William Edward Newton, my executors, admi-
nistrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Edward
Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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 Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM AND OTHER ENGINES," being a communi-
cation to me from abroad by Wallace Wells, of Brooklyn, in the State
of New York, United States of America, upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said William Edward Newton, my executors or admi-
nistrators, 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 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 William Edward Newton, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement, reference being had to the Drawing here-
unto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is
to say)
This Invention relates to that description of engines in which two
pistons are used in the same cylinder.
The Invention consists in a certain combination of parts, including
two rods for the one piston and a single rod for the other piston, all
working through one end of the same cylinder and connected to
oppositely set cranks actuated by the pistons. By this arrangement
of parts power is economized, pressure or strain is equalized to the
reduction of external fastenings, and the weight of the engine is
diminished. A single simple valve controlling three ports may be used
to regulate the motions of both pistons.

page_text: T
:
In the accompanying Drawing Fig. 1 represents a horizontal section
of a horizontal engine constructed according to the Invention; Fig. 2
is a longitudinal sectional elevation of the same.
A is the engine cylinder, which is provided with three ports b, b¹, c,
two of which 6, b¹, are connected with the ends of the cylinder, and the
other one c with the centre thereof. There are two pistons B, B¹, each
travelling one half the length of the cylinder. The piston B next to
that end of the cylinder from which the power is to be applied has two
rods C, C, working through the cylinder head, and to these rods are
attached the connecting rods D, D, which connect them with two
cranks E, E, both of which are on the same side of the crank shaft F.
The other piston B¹ has its rod G working through a stuffing box in the
centre of the piston B and through the same head of the cylinder, and is
then attached to the connecting rod H, which connects it to the crank I,
the latter being opposite to the cranks E, E, relatively to the sides of
the shaft.
The movement of the engine thus constructed is as follows: -Steam
being admitted by the valve K to the port b, and by a connecting
passage (shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1) to the port 6', passes to both
ends of the cylinder simultaneously and presses upon the pistons B, B¹,
so as to force them together, the centre port c then being under cover
of the valve and open to the exhaust. As the pistons approach or reach
the limits of their inward stroke the valve is reversed and steam passes
by the port c to the space between the pistons, so as to drive them apart
or outwards, the ports b, 61, then being open to the exhaust. The
pistons move in opposite directions with equal velocity and through
equal space in the same time, each stroke or movement completing one
revolution of the crank shaft. From this combination there results a
reciprocating engine, in which all the connections may be made from
one end of a single cylinder directly with the opposite arms of the crank
shaft.
.
One of the advantages which results from this combination is that as
the engine exerts its power upon the opposite cranks of the shaft equally
and uniformly throughout its revolution there will be an equilibrium in
the power and weight applied to the cranks of the shaft, which must
greatly increase the operative and effective power and speed of the
engine. This combination produces an easy-balance or swing in the

page_text: movements of the engine, which cannot be obtained from an arrange-
ment of the connections less simple, direct, and compact.
The whole force of the steam or other motive power is expended
directly on the opposite moveable parts of the machine connected
directly with the cranks, so that the engine requires no external
fastening or point of resistance for the purpose of exerting its force upon
the shaft. This will greatly reduce the weight and strength of material
required in the engine and its fastenings. The advantages of this com-
bination will become most apparent in marine engines, the Invention is
not however restricted to such but is applicable to engines of various
kinds or for different purposes, irrespective of the moving agent, which
need not necessarily be steam.
Having now described the Invention which has been communicated
to me by my foreign correspondent, and having explained the manner
of carrying the same into effect, I claim as the Invention secured to
me by Letters Patent, as aforesaid, constructing motive power engines
with two pistons working in a single cylinder arranged in the manner
and for the purpose shown and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Edward Newton, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, the Tenth day of November, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
four.