IMPROVEMENTS IN SELF-ACTING ARRANGEMENTS OF EXPANSION-GEAR FOR CONTROLLING AND REGULATING THE ADMISSION OF STEAM TO THE CYLINDERS OF STEAM ENGINES
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Simon, of Number 7, St. Peter's Square,
Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN SELF-ACTING ARRANGEMENTS OF EXPANSION-GEAR FOR CONTROLLING AND
REGULATING THE ADMISSION OF STEAM TO THE CYLINDERS OF STEAM
ENGINES." A communication from abroad by Julius Schmidt, of Schwelm,
Westphalia, in the Empire of Germany..
Sealed the 12th March 1880, and dated the 17th September 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Simon at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 17th September 1879.
HENRY SIMON, of Number 7, St. Peter's Square, Manchester, in the County of
Lancaster. "IMPROVEMENTS IN SELF-ACTING ARRANGEMENTS OF EXPANSION-GEAR
FOR CONTROLLING AND REGULATING THE ADMISSION OF STEAM TO THE CYLINDERS
OF STEAM ENGINES." A communication from abroad by Julius Schmidt, of
Schwelm, Westphalia, in the Empire of Germany.
The Invention relates to self-acting arrangements of parts for controlling and
regulating the admission of steam to the cylinders of steam engines. To the
ordinary crank-shaft of the engine is fixed the expansion slide excentric. The root
of this excentric is connected with a part which slides to and fro on a bed fixed to
the engine foundation. The said sliding part is formed as a crosshead between the
cheeks of which is fixed a short shaft, which carries two excentrics which actuate
the expansion slides. The said short shaft extends through the cheek of the cross-
head, and on which is keyed a segment wheel suitably formed with teeth on a
portion of its rim. On the said segment wheel and on the face thereof is formed or
attached an index which indicates the speed at which the engine is running, the
indicating finger of which is screwed to the said sliding part. In front of the bed
in which the said sliding part works is formed a standard to carry the governor
and an inclined alotted plate, and having a part cast thereon which carries a rack
which is in gear with the said segment wheel. The parallelism of the said rack is
maintained by two slots formed in the standard which act as bearings for the said
rack. On the said rack and midway of its length is cast or formed a suitably
shaped block or projection, the sides of which are parallel with the sides of the slot
formed in the said plate against which the projection is caused to strike. The

page_text: slotted plate is guided in recesses formed in the sides of the standard, and is
suspended by means of rods which are connected with bell-crank levers. The said
rods carrying the slotted plate are provided at their outer ends with weights
which balance the said slotted plate. The connecting rod of the excentric which
actuates the slide plate is connected with a rod which is guided in suitable
bearings, and is caused to pass loosely through the front slide plate, and is
connected with the back slide plate by means of nuts. The rod of the excentric
which actuates the other slide plate is connected by means of nuts in the same
manner as the first slide rod. In this manner the rods assist each the other.
Motion is communicated to the governor in the ordinary or any suitable manner.
When the engine is working at its normal speed the said rack is traversed to and
fro by means of the segment-wheel, any increase in the speed of the engine will be
transmitted to the governor, and will cause the slotted plate to be lifted, and the
inclined projection on the rack will be caused to strike against the right incline of
the slot in the plate, whereby the said projection on the rack will be prevented 1
from moving further to the right. The sliding part together with the excentrics
and segment wheel will now be moved by the excentric on the crank-shaft, the
segment wheel will be caused to make so much of a turn as will traverse the rack,
and allow the projection thereon to slide in the slotted plate without being stopped.
In such a case the excentrics would be turned from right to left, and would thus s
cause a separation of the two slide plates, and the admission of steam to the
cylinder would be reduced, and the engine would work at its normal speed. When
the speed of the engine is suddenly decreased a reverse action of the parts takes
place and the speed consequently increased. The changing of the said slide plates
is controlled principally by the engine and indirectly by the governor, the action of 2
the governor is not effected by the friction of the slides. Any form of governor
may be employed as will give the required motion to the said slotted plate, and the
said excentrics, rack, and segment-wheel may be otherwise actuated.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Henry Simon in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 17th March
1880.
HENRY SIMON, of Number 7, St. Peter's Square, Manchester, in the County of
Lancaster. "IMPROVEMENTS IN SELF-ACTING ARRANGEMENTS OF EXPANSION GEAR
FOR CONTROLLING AND REGULATING THE ADMISSION OF STEAM TO THE CYLINDERS
OF STEAM ENGINES." A communication from abroad by Julius Schmidt, of
Schwelm, Westphalia, in the Empire of Germany.
This Invention has for its object improvements in self-acting arrangements of
expansion gear for controlling and regulating the admission of steam to the
cylinders of steam engines.
The apparatus shewn in the annexed Drawings is intended to transmit the
oscillations of the regulator to the expansion slide-valves in such a manner, that the
expansion slide plates are set by the engine itself, and the regulator consequently
is not affected by the friction in the slide box.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings represents a front view; Figure 2, a
side elevation, and Figure 3, a plan of my improved mechanism in connection with
the guiding parts of a steam engine, while Figures 4 and 5 shew on a larger scale
the details of the transmitting mechanisms; A is the crank axle; B, the eccentric
of the bottom slide V; and C, the eccentric of the expansion slide s, t. The rod of
the eccentric C gears with the slide box E which is free to move to and fro in the
guide F. In this slide box the vertical eccentric c is so fitted that the eccentrics d
and e which are placed at an angle of 180° to each other lie in the collar bearings
f and g formed by the slide box, whereas the toothed segment h is mounted outside
on the head or top of the axle C. On this segment is fixed the scale or index a to
which the hand z which is screwed to the slide box points.
In front of the guide F of the slide box is mounted the framework G, which
receives on the one hand the governor H, and on the other hand the plate K which
is provided with an oblique slot. Between this plate K and the segment / lies the
rod which is provided with a toothed centre, while the ends thereof which are
made smooth fit horizontally into two shoulders in the frame G. Such rod i is in
continual contact with the segment h, and on its front exactly in the centre is a
shoulder y the sides of which are formed parallel with the oblique slot in the plate
K in which it works. The plate or slide K is guided by the sides of the frame G
and suspended upon connecting rods k, k¹. These connecting rods gear with two
angle levers 7, 1, which turn freely upon the points m, m³, and carry upon their
free arms the weights n, n¹, which serve to balance the plate K. Suitable
connecting rods q, q, are mounted upon the collar p of the governor H, and such
rods gear into the angle levers 7, 1', at o, o¹. The rod of the eccentric d is connected
with the slide rod r which is guided in a straight line through the standard x.
This slide rod after passing through the front slide plate s is fixed on to the back
slike plate t by means of a nut and counternut. The rod of the eccentric e is.
connected with the slide rod u which is also guided through the standard x in a
direct line, and such slide rod is fixed on the front slide plates and passes loosely
through the back slide plate t. By this means these rods respectively act as guides
to the slide plates & and t, and prevent them forming an angle.
R is a pulley which drives the governor by means of two conical wheels v and w.
The operation of my improved mechanism is as follows:-If the speed of the
engine corresponds to the power required, the toothed rod i which is carried to and
fro by the segment h can without impediment make its strokes in a ratio equal to
double the excentricity of the eccentric C. If however from any cause the engine
runs at a higher speed, the plate K is carried upwards by the governor which also
rotates faster. By this means the shoulder y of the toothed rod i pushes against

page_text: the right hand side of the slot of the plate K by which any further movement of
the rod i to the right is prevented. As however the slide box E with its two
eccentrics and segment are still moved further to the right by the eccentric C, the
toothed segment rotates upon the toothed rod i to the requisite degree to allow the
shoulder y on the rod i to move to and fro in the oblique slot in the plate K
without pushing against it. In this case the eccentrics d and c are turned from
left to right, which causes the two slide plates s and t to recede from each other.
Such receding of the slide plates is this class of apparatus causes the feed to be
reduced, and thereby the object of my Invention is fulfilled as the quantity of
steam admitted to the cylinder of the engine is diminished, and so the speed of the
engine becomes normal, that is to say, it corresponds with the power required.
If on the contrary the engine suddenly runs slower, the shoulder y on the
toothed rod i will work to the left in the slot, thus causing the eccentrics d and e
to turn from right to left, and the slide plates s and t to approach each other when
the power of the engine is increased, and consequently the engine works with
increased velocity.
From the above description and explanation it is obvious that the setting or
displacement of the slide plates 8 and t is effected automatically by the engine
itself, and is only indirectly affected by the governor. The apparatus as herein-
before explained and illustrated is also applicable with some slight modifications to
steam engines of every kind. Any kind of governor may also be used, provided the
slot plate is so arranged as by levers or other suitable means to make the move-
ments herein before mentioned.
Neither is it absolutely requisite that the eccentric axle be put in action by a
toothed wheel or segment and toothed rod, as it can be caused to make the desired
rotation by any other appropriate means.
Having thus particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
Invention as communicated to me and the manner of carrying the same into effect,
I would have it understood that I do not confine myself to the precise details
herein before described, as the same may be varied without departing from the
principle of the said Invention, what I claim is,―
A self acting expansion guide for steam engines of any kind, which by means of
a governor and expansion slide regulates the admission of steam into the cylinder,
and in which the friction caused by "setting" the expansion slide does not affect
the governor.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Simon, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Seventeenth day of March, in the year of our Lord One thousand