IMPROVEMENTS IN AND APPERTAINING TO MOTIVE-POWER ENGINES
Year: 1877

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Thomas Lancaster and Williamı
Vawdrey Ley at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 14th April
1877.
THOMAS LANCASTER and WILLIAM VAWDREY LEY, both of Liverpool, in the
County of Lancaster, Engineers. "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND APPERTAINING TO
MOTIVE-POWER ENGINES."
Our Invention relates,―
Firstly. To a novel arrangement of parts by which the reciprocating movement
of the piston of a steam or other motive-power engine imparts rotary movement
to a shaft, such shaft being on the same line of centre or axis as the reciprocating
piston, and not at right angles thereto.
Secondly. To certain novel arrangements of parts constituting gear for working
the valves of engines constructed according to our Invention, and for starting and
reversing the same.
Thirdly. To certain novel arrangement of parts constituting the cylinders,
pistons, valves, and framing of motive-power engines.
Firstly. A motive-power engine, such as a steam engine according to our Inven-
tion, may be thus constructed. Two cylinders, either formed in one casting with
suitable steam and exhaust ports, or in two castings bolted together end to end. In
this description we will treat of it as one horizontal casting. The casting is open
at both ends, and is divided into three parts, being two cylinders and an inter-
mediate space, such intermediate space being of sufficient length to allow for the
stroke of the pistons and the working of the valve gear herein-after described.
The cylinders are respectively provided with suitable exhaust and steam ports, and
the centre of each cylinder is provided with a division, which separates what may
be called the outer and inner ends of each cylinder. The divisions are formed with
a hole in the centre of each of them, through which passes a hollow piston rod.
The divisions are provided with suitable packing rings, such as Ramsbottom's.
Each hollow piston rod is provided with a double piston working in the cylinders,
one piston on each side of the respective divisions of such cylinders. Such pistons
may be termed the outer and inner pistons. The outer pistons are respectively
provided with inclined planes having oval holes therein corresponding with the
stroke of the engine, in as far as the small diameter of such hole is concerned, and
the distance between vertical lines respectively drawn at the top and bottom of
such oval hole. The main shaft of the engine (to which rotary movement is to be

page_text: imparted by means of the reciprocating movement of the pistons) passes centrally
through the hollow piston rods of the engine, the ends of the shaft passing out at
the respective ends of the cylinders, and axially therewith. The shaft is provided
with suitable cranks corresponding with the stroke of the cylinders, and set at, say,
right angles to each other. The outer end of each crank consists of a spherical ball,
which takes into a brass or other suitable block which works in the oval holes or
guides formed on the inclined planes, herein-before mentioned as being respectively
connected to the outer pistons of the respective cylinders. The cylinders, as before
mentioned, are provided with steam and exhaust ports. On the face of these ports
work D or other suitable valves; these valves are worked by spindles and links,
each link being connected by means of a lever to the inner pistons of the cylinders,
each valve being worked by the piston of the cylinder other than that to which it
has to control the steam supply. The valve gear is all contained in the inter-
mediate space between the cylinders, and is covered, together with the valves, by a
suitable casing. The links are provided with a suitable starting and reversing gear
of any known description.
A motive-power engine, constructed as just described, constitutes a double-acting
ongine, which imparts rotary movement to a shaft by the reciprocating action of its
pistons, and the engine may be applied to any suitable purpose.
Secondly. A motive-power engine, such as a steam engine according to our Inven-
tion, may be constructed of a cylinder of ordinary description provided with suitable
steam and exhaust ports and a suitable valve of D or other form. The cylinder is
closed at each end by suitable covers, through the centro of which passes a tube,
which forms a casing for the shaft. The cylinder is provided with a suitable piston,
which works in the cylinder and on the internal tube passing through the cylinder,
and is packed with suitable rings such as Ramsbottom's. The piston operates two
piston rods, which pass out through suitable stuffing boxes in the end cover of the
cylinder. The piston rods carry a guide, being an inclined plane having an oval
hole constructed according to that herein-before described. The main shaft passes
centrally through the cylinder by passing through the internal tube before referred
to. The shaft is provided with a crank (corresponding to the stroke of the cylinder)
having a spherical head which takes into a brass or other block working in the guide
formed by the oval hole on the inclined plane. The reciprocating movement of the
piston, and thereby the inclined plane, imparts rotary movement to the shaft by
means of the crank working in the oval hole formed in such inclined plane. The
valve may be worked by forming a spherical boss upon the shaft. Upon this
spherical boss is mounted a disc forming a ball-and-socket joint. The disc is
provided with a groove on its periphery, in which works a block in connection with
the valve spindle. The disc is capable of fixture and adjustment upon the spherical
boss, and according to its angular adjustment and fixture on such boss imparts the
requisite motion to the valve spindle and valve for supplying and exhausting steain
from the cylinder.
Engines, as just described, may be applied singly to impart rotary movement to a
shaft, or they may be applied in duplicate or otherwise. In the case of single
engines a fly wheel is advisable. In the case of two or more engines the cranks of
such are set at different angles.
Our Invention consists,-
Firstly. In the novel method and arrangement of parts by which we impart
rotary movement to a shaft by the reciprocating movement of a piston in manner
such as described.
Secondly. Our Invention consists in the novel arrangement of parts constituting
valve gear for motive-power engines.
Thirdly. Our Invention consists in the novel arrangement of parts constituting
motive-power engines, as herein described.