Improvements in Triple Expansion Engines.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Aug., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 12th May, 1894-Accepted, 11th Aug., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Triple Expansion Engines.
We, JAMES MUSGRAVE and GEORGE DIXON both of Globe Iron Works,
Bolton, in the County of Lancaster, Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has reference to improvements in triple expansion fluid pressure
engines of the kind in which the pistons are connected to a common crank pin
by means of a triangular or T shaped connecting rod or frame, and it has for
object to so arrange the parts of such an engine that the engine cylinders may be
close together.
The high-pressure cylinder is placed between the intermediate and low-pressure
cylinders and the piston of the high-pressure cylinder is coupled to the centre of
the base of the triangular or T shaped connecting rod or frame to the ends of
which are connected the piston rods of the other cylinders, the apex of the said
rod or frame being coupled to the crank pin as well understood.
The high-pressure cylinder is provided with distributing valves of the Corliss
type that are placed one above the other and on that side of the centre of the
high-pressure cylinder that is next the intermediate cylinder, the steam and
exhaust valves being placed alongside one another. The distributing valves of the
intermediate cylinder and those of the low-pressure cylinder are also arranged one
above another and at the outer sides of the corresponding cylinder, that is to say
on the side thereof furthest from the axis of the high-pressure cylinder.
This arrangement of the valves while enabling the cylinders to be placed at a
minimum distance from one another, also allows of a very simple arrangement being
adopted to couple the valves to the eccentrics from which they are operated. The
arrangement of the valve gear may be varied.
In one arrangement, not only the high pressure cylinder but the intermediate
and low pressure cylinders also are provided with separate steam and exhaust
valves of the Corliss type arranged as already described and worked by rods from
levers that are coupled by eccentric rods to the corresponding eccentrics.
In a modified arrangement, the high pressure cylinder is provided with separate
steam and exhaust valves of the Corliss type as before, but each of the other
cylinders is provided with circular valves each formed with steam and exhaust
ports. Each of these sets of valves is operated from an eccentric as in the first
arrangement.
°
The steam valves of the Corliss type in each arrangement may be coupled to and
actuated direct from the corresponding eccentric, or they may be actuated by slip
motions or other suitable devices. As will be obvious the triangular or T shaped
connecting rod or frame of a triple expansion engine having its distributing valves
arranged as described. may be connected to the engine pistons and guided in various
ways. In one arrangement the base of the said frame is jointed to the piston rod
of the high pressure cylinder which is guided by a suitable parallel motion that
serves also to support the said connecting rod or frame, the piston rods of the
other cylinders being guided by slides and connected by links to the ends of the
said connecting rod or frame in a manner well understood.
Dated this 12th day of August 1893.
W. LLOYD WISE,
Per F. J. Brougham,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicants.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Triple Expansion Engines.
We, JAMES MUSGRAVE and GEORGE DIXON, both of Globe Iron Works,
Bolton, in the County of Lancaster, Engineers, 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 has reference to improvements in triple expansion fluid pressure
engines of the kind in which the pistons are connected to a common crank pin by
means of a triangular or T-shaped connecting rod or frame, and it has for object
to so arrange the parts of such an engine that the engine cylinders may be close
together, as we will now proceed to explain by reference to the accompanying
drawings in which,
Figs. 1 and 2 are respectively a side elevation and plan of a triple expansion
engine constructed according to this invention, but with the valve gear and other
parts removed.
The high-pressure cylinder 1 is placed between the intermediate and low-pressure
cylinders 2 and respectively, and the piston of the high-pressure cylinder is
coupled by its rod to the centre of the base of the triangular or T-shaped
connecting rod or frame 5 to the ends of which are connected the piston rods 6
and 7 of the other cylinders, the apex of the said rod or frame being coupled to the
crank pin 8 as well understood.
The high-pressure cylinder 1 is provided at 9, 9 with steam and exhaust valves
of the Corliss type that are placed one above the other and on that side of the
centre of the high-pressure cylinder that is next the intermediate cylinder 2, the
steam and exhaust valves for each end of the cylinder being placed alongside one
another as shown. The distributing valves of the intermediate cylinder 2, and
those of the low-pressure cylinder 3, are also arranged one above another, and at
the outer sides of the corresponding cylinder, that is to say, on the side thereof
furthest from the axis of the high-pressure cylinder.
This arrangement of the valves, while enabling the cylinders to be placed at a
minimum distance from one another, also allows of a very simple arrangement
being adopted to couple the valves to the eccentrics from which they are operated.
The steam valves of the Corliss type may be coupled to and actuated direct from
the corresponding eccentric, or they may be actuated by slip motions or other
suitable devices. The arrangement of the valve gear may be varied.
Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view showing a triple expansion engine with one
arrangement of valve gear suitable for an engine of the kind referred to.
In this arrangement, not only the high-pressure cylinder 1, but the intermediate
and low-pressure cylinders 2 and 3 also, are provided with separate steam and
exhaust valves 9, 9 respectively of the Corliss type, arranged as already described.
The two steam valves 9 for the two ends of the high-pressure cylinder 1 are
worked and controlled through a suitable slip motion 10, as for example of the kind
referred to in the Specification of Walter Martin Musgrave's Patent No. 9410
of 1890 by a rod 11 from a lever 12 which is coupled by an eccentric rod 13 to
a corresponding eccentric fixed on the crank shaft 14 of the engine. The two
steam exhaust valves 9* for the two ends of the said cylinder 1 are connected
together and worked direct by a rod 11" from a lever 12 which is coupled by an
eccentric rod 13* to another eccentric fixed on the crank shaft 14.
The pair of steam valves 9 9" of the intermediate and low-pressure cylinders 2
and 3 respectively are worked and controlled through a wrist plate 15, of ordinary
construction, by a rod 11* from one arm of a lever 12* the other arm of which is
coupled by an eccentric rod 13* to a corresponding eccentric on the crank shaft.
The exhaust valves 9 of the two cylinders 2 and 3 are worked in the same way
as those of the cylinder 1 except that a two arm lever 12* is shown for this purpose
instead of the single lever arm shown for the exhaust valves of the latter cylinder.
"

page_text: Fig. 4 is a similar view to Fig. 3 illustrating a modified arrangement of valve.
gear in which the pair of steam valves for each cylinder is worked and controlled
through a slip motion 10 such as hereinbefore referred to, the pairs of exhaust
valves being worked direct as in the previously described arrangement.
Fig. 5 is a vertical section, to a larger scale, of a portion of one of the cylinders,
viz. 3, showing the relative arrangement of the steam and exhaust valves 9 and 9
of Corliss type for one end of such cylinder and the steam and exhaust passages 16
and 17 respectively.
Figs. 6 and 7 are similar views to Figs. 4 and 5 respectively, showing a modified
arrangement in which the high pressure cylinder 1 is provided with separate steam
and exhaust valves 9 9 of the Corliss type operated as in the herein previously
described arrangements, but each of the other cylinders and 3 is provided at
each end with a circular valve 9* formed with steam and exhaust ports or passages,
the pair of circular valves for each cylinder being connected together and worked
by a rod 11 from a lever 12ª coupled by a rod 13 to an eccentric on the crank
shaft, in a similar manner to the exhaust valves of the high pressure cylinder.
The circular valves may advantageously be each constructed with steam and
exhaust passages or spaces 9b 9c and with a supplementary steam passage or
port 9° as shown in Fig. 7 so as to constitute it a double ported valve adapted to
afford a large steam opening with a small angular movement of the valve as well
understood, and as commonly employed.
As will be obvious the triangular or T-shaped connecting rod or frame 5 of a
triple expansion engine having its distributing valves arranged as described, may
be connected to the engine pistons and guided in various ways.
In the arrange-
ment shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the base of the said frame is jointed to the piston
rod 4 of the high pressure cylinder which is guided by a suitable parallel motion
consisting for example of pairs of radius rods 18 18 pivoted at 19 and connected
to the ends of a pair of levers 20 that are jointed to the said connecting rod or
frame at its point of connection with the piston rod 4, and which serves also to
support the said connecting rod or frame, the piston rods 6 and 7 of the other
cylinders 2 and 3 being guided by slides 21 and connected by links 22 to the ends
of the said connecting rod or frame as shown and in a manner well understood.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is:-
1. A triple expansion engine of the kind herein referred to in which the high-
pressure cylinder is arranged between the intermediate and low-pressure cylinders
and is provided with distributing valves of the Corliss type arranged in pairs one
above the other and on that side of its centre that is next the intermediate cylinder,
the distributing valves of the intermediate and low-pressure cylinders being also
arranged one above another and at the outer sides of the corresponding cylinder
substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and shown in Fig. 1 of the
drawings annexed for the purpose specified.
2. Triple expansion engines of the kind herein referred to having their cylinders
and distributing valves arranged as specified in the preceding claim and provided
with valve gear constructed arranged and operating substantially as hereinbefore
described with reference respectively to and shown in Fig. 3; in Fig. 4; and in
Fig. 6 of the drawings annexed.
JAMES MUSGRAVE.
GEORGE DIXON.
W. Lloyd Wise,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicants