IMPROVE- MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND ARRANGEMENT OF ENGINES TO BE DRIVEN BY STEAM, AIR, GASES, OR WATER
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Daniel Bishopp, of Inverness Terrace, in
the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND ARRANGEMENT OF ENGINES TO BE DRIVEN BY
STEAM, AIR, GASES, OR WATER."
Sealed the 22nd December 1854, and dated the 4th July 1854.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Daniel Bishopp at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
4th July 1854.
I, GEORGE DANIEL BISHOPP, of Inverness Terrace, in the County of
Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND ARRANGEMENT OF ENGINES TO BE
DRIVEN BY STEAM, AIR, GASES, OR WATER," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists of improvements in the construction and arrange-
ment of engines or machines, in which two, four, or more cylinders may
be coupled together, for the purpose of actuating one common shaft.
I will first describe my Invention as applied to a steam engine having four
cylinders, where it is desired to transfer the force from the four pistons to one
common rotating shaft. I place the four cylinders side by side round a centre
line, which, if produced towards the engine shaft, would coincide with the
centre line of that shaft; between the ends of the cylinders and a crank

page_text: fixed on the end of the engine shaft I fix a frame or headstock, to carry a
ball and socket joint or a universal joint, the centre point of the joint being
in the same centre line as the engine shaft; to or into this ball or universal
joint is fixed or attached one end of a strong shaft or arm, the other end of
which enters a hole in the crank on the engine shaft, which hole may
be either bushed or fitted with "brasses," similar to a plummer block.
Also to or into this ball or universal joint are fixed or attached as many
other shafts or arms as there are cylinders, the centre lines of these shafts
or arms being at right angles, or nearly so, with the shaft or arm men-
tioned before, which enters and is to drive the crank. These other shafts
or arms are so fixed, that one end of each shall be respectively over or
opposite, or nearly over or opposite," the centre of one cylinder.
To each piston or piston rod is fitted, by a ball and socket or universal joint,
one end of a connecting rod; the other end of that connecting rod being fitted
to or taking hold of, by a ball and socket or universal joint, the end of one
of the shafts or arms which, is over or. opposite that 'piston.
The cylinders are to be fitted with steam slides or valves of the usual con-
struction, which may be worked in the usual way by excentrics or cranks on
the engine shaft; or they may be worked by.a motion obtained from the shafts
or arms before mentioned, or from the ball and socket or universal joint
which is carried by the headstock. The air pumps of condensing engines
and other pumps may be worked by either of the methods employed for
working the slides, or they may be worked by rods attached direct to the
pistons of the steam cylinders. Another method of working the air pumps
and other pumps
is to place them between and alongside the steam cylinders,
and to work them off arms fixed into or attached to the ball of the socket
joint or the universal joint.
Upon turning round the engine shaft and crank the pistons will reciprocate,
and, of course, if steam or any fluid, vapor, or gas, being under pressure,
be admitted into the cylinders at the proper periods, the reverse action
will take place, and the pistons will reciprocate and cause the engine shaft to
revolve. The engine or machine inay be placed with the cylinders and engine
shaft either in a vertical or horizontal position, or inclined at any angle; also
two sets of cylinders may be placed opposite to each other, so that cach arm
may be acted on by the connecting rods of two pistons."
Instead of several arms being fixed or attached to the central ball or uni-
versal joint, a plate or disc may be fixed or attached to the ball or joint, and
the connecting rods can be attached to the plate by ball and socket or
universal joints.

page_text: An engine or machine can be made on this plan with one, two, three, or
or a greater number of cylinders; but if only one cylinder be used, there will
be the same necessity for a fly wheel as with any other single cylinder reci-
procating engine. Engines or machines constructed on the above plan can of
course be driven or actuated by high or low pressure steam (condensing or
non-condensing); also by water pressure, or by any elastic fluid or gas.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Daniel Bishopp in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 4th January 1855...
TO. ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
DANIEL BISHOPP, of Inverness Terrace, in the County of Middlesex, Civil
Engineer, send greeting...
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the eighteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said George Daniel Bishopp, Her special license that I, the said George
Daniel Bishopp, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said George Daniel Bishopp, 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 law-
fully 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 THE CONSTRUCTION AND ARRANGEMENT OF ENGINES TO
BE DRIVEN BY STEAM, AIR, GASES, OR WATER," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said George Daniel Bishopp, by an instrument in writing
under my, hand and seal, 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 George Daniel Bishopp, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the samo
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the

page_text: following statement, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):
My Invention consists of improvoments in the construction and arrange-
ment of engines, in which two or more cylinders may be coupled together for
the purpose of actuating one common shaft.
I will first describe my Invention as applied to a steam engine having four
cylinders, where it is desired to transfer the force from the four pistons to one
common rotating shaft. I place the four cylinders side by side round a centre
line, which, if produced towards the engine shaft, would coincide with the
centre line of that shaft; between the ends of the cylinders and a crank
fixed on the end of the engine shaft I fix a frame or headstock, to carry a
ball and socket joint or a universal joint, the centre point of the joint being
in the same centre line as the engine shaft; to or into this ball or universal
joint is fixed or attached one end of a strong shaft or arm, the other end of
which enters a hole in the crank on the engine shaft, which hole may be
either "bushed" or fitted with "brasses," similar to a plummer block; also, to
or into this ball or universal joint are fixed or attached as many other shafts
or arins as there are cylinders, the centre lines of these shafts or arms being
at right angles, or nearly so, with the shaft or arm mentioned before, which
enters and is to drive the crank. These other shafts or arms are so fixed that
one end of each shall be over or opposite, or nearly over or opposite, to the
centre of its respective cylinder.
To cach piston or piston rod is fitted, by a ball and socket or universal joint,
one end of a connecting rod, the other end of that connecting rod being fitted
to or taking hold of, by a ball and socket or universal joint, the end of one of
the shafts or arms which is over or opposite that piston.
The cylinders are to be fitted with steam slides or valves of the usual con-
struction, and which may be worked in the usual way by excentrics or cranks
on the engine shaft; or they may be worked by a motion obtained from the
shafts or arms before mentioned, or from the ball and socket or universal joint
which is carried by the headstock.
The air pumps of condensing engines and other pumps may be worked by
either of the methods employed for working the slides, or they may be worked
by rods attached direct to the pistons of the steam cylinders.
Another method of working the air pumps and other pumps is to place
them between and alongside the steam cylinders, and to work then by means
of arms fixed into or attached to the ball of the socket joint or the universal
joint carried by the headstock. Upon turning round the engine shaft and
crank. the pistons will reciprocate, and, of course, if steam or any fluid or

page_text: gas (under pressure) be admitted into the cylinders at the proper periods,
the reverse action will take place, and the pistons will reciprocate and cause
the engine shaft to revolve. The engine may be placed, with the cylinders
and engine shaft, either in a vertical or horizontal position, or inclined at
any angle.
Instead of several arms being fixed or attached to the central ball or uni-
versal joint, a thick circular plate may be fixed or attached to the ball or
joint, and the connecting rods can be attached to the plate by ball and
socket or universal joints.
Engines can be made on this plan with two, three, or a greater number of
cylinders, and can of course be driven or actuated by high or low pressure
steam (condensing or non-condensing); also by water pressure, or by the elastic
pressure of any fluid or gas.
In the accompanying Drawing, Fig. 1 is a side elevation of my Invention
as applied to a four-cylinder engine, such as would be exceedingly suitable for
driving a screw propeller; Fig. 2 is an end elevation, looking towards the
cylinders; and Fig. 3, a plan view of the same. The bed or foundation plate
is seen at a, a, and the four cylinders at b, b, b, b. The cylinders are shown
fitted with pistons, having trunks c, c, c, c. The connecting rods d, d, d, d, aro
attached at one end by ball and socket or universal joints to the pistons
and piston trunks c, c, and by their opposite ends to the ends of arms e, e, c, e,
which are secured in the central ball or universal joint f, shewn detached in
side and end elevation at Figures 4 and 5. The headstock g, g, shewn detached
in longitudinal section at Fig. 6, and in transverse section at Fig. 7, forms tho
socket for carrying the ball f, and is bolted to lugs cast on the cylinders, as
shewn by dotted lines in Fig. 7. From the centre of the ball f, and at right
angles to the plane, passing through the ends of the arms e, e, e, e, is the crank
arm h, the outer end of which enters a bush or plummer block in the crank i
of the main shaft j. The valve boxes are shown at k, k, k, k, and as they are
of the ordinary construction and worked in the usual manner, it will not be
necessary to give any detailed description of them further than to say, that
they are operated by means of the shafts 1, 1, which are actuated by the ex-
centrics m, m, on the main shaft j. The air pumps and condenser are shewn
in Figures 1, 2, and 3, at n, n. The pistons or plungers of the air pumps aro
worked by means of the rods o, o, the opposite ends of which are connected to
the trunks c, c, of the lower cylinders b, b, and are worked thereby.
Instead of the central ball and socket joint f and g, I sometimes make use
of an universal joint, which is shewn detached in side elevation at Fig. 8, and
end, elevation looking from the cylinders at Fig. 9, a portion of each being

page_text: shewn in section. Fig. 10 is a plan of the headstock alone, and Fig. 11 an
end view of it, looking towards the cylinders. g*, g*, is the headstock, carrying
the usual cross piece p, by the joints or bearings q, q, to the other pair of arms
of which is connected, by plummer blocks or joints r, 7, the annular frames,
to which the arms e*, e, e, e, are fitted or attached, in place of being secured-
to the ball f, as in the former instance. The crank arm h is fitted into the
frames in somewhat the same manner as it was described as being fitted
into the ball f, in Figures 1, 2, and 3, and its other end being connected to
the crank of the main shaft j, in the same way as shewn in Figures 1, 2, and 3,
it will communicate to it. rotary motion in precisely the same manner as the
arm h of Figures 1, 2, and 3.
I would observe that cylinders of different dimensions may be employed in
conjunction, when desired; and in place of having the air pumps and condensers
detached, as shewn in Figures 1, 2, and 3, it may sometimes be found con-
venient to use, say, only two or three cylinders for steam; and the other
cylinder or cylinders being enveloped in condensers, and connected in the same
manner as before to the arms of the central ball or universal joint; may be
made to act as an air pump or air pumps."
When the ball and socket joint f, g, is used, it will be necessary to use
some means of making the arms c, e, e, e, to traverso in a certain path. One
method of accomplishing this object I have shewn in Fig. 2, whero t is a
strong bar, fixed to two of the arms e, e, and a stud or bracket, fixed to the
bed plate or foundation, the centre of the bar t being connected to the
stud by a radius rod v, having ball and socket or universal joints at
each end.
.
When the universal joint, shewn in Figures 8, 9, 10, and 11, is used, the
apparatus just described will not be wanted. In the diagram, Fig. 12, I have
shewn the relative position of the cylinders with the engine shaft j, which I
prefer to use when only two cylinders are used; in Figures 13. and 14, the
same when three cylinders are used; in Fig. 15, the same when five cylinders
are used; and which latter diagram will sufficiently indicate the position I
prefer when a greater number of cylinders are used (viz'), to have two cylinders
at the bottom.
Having now 'described my Invention, and the means of carrying the same
into effect, I would observe that I do not mean or intend to confine myself
rigidly to the precise arrangement or construction of parts herein shewn and
described, as they may be varied, and are susceptible of modifications according
to the number of cylinders employed, or the purpose for which the engine is
intended to be used.

page_text: In conclusion, I claim as my Invention the arranging and fixing two or
more cylinders of the same or different dimensions opposite to or near one
end of the main shaft of the engine, for the purpose of connecting the pistons
or piston rods of such cylinders to levers or arms fixed into or attached to a
ball and socket or universal joint, to which is fixed an arm that takes into the
end of a crank on the main shaft, and causes the same to rotate as above
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Daniel Bishopp, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Fourth day of January, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
GEORGE DANIEL BISHOPP. (L.S.)