IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Jonathan Grindrod, of Liverpool, in the County,
of Lancaster, Consulting Engineer, and Alexander Hunter, of the
same place, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
STEAM ENGINES"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Jonathan Grindrod
and Alexander. Hunter at the Office of the Commissioners of
. Patents, with their Petition, on the 7th November. 1853.
We, JONATHAN GRINDROD, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster,
Consulting Engineer,, and. ALEXANDER HUNTER, of the same place,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES" to be as follows:-
The cylinder (or cylinders) is caused to- traverse backwards and
forwards at right angles to the driving shaft, in such a way that
piston rod is always directly beneath the crank pin by which it is
immediately attached to the crank on the driving shaft without the
intervention of a connecting rod or other gearing, so that the power
of the engine is given directly off the piston through its rod to the
crank.

page_text: To effect this improvement it is preferred to attach a small working
steam cylinder (high pressure by preference) to the side of the main or
chief working cylinder (or cylinders, if more than one are used,) at a
right angle thereto. The piston and piston rod of this small cylinder
is stationary, the cylinder thereof working backwards and forwards
upon the piston, in place of the piston working backwards and forwards
as in the ordinary engine, by which arrangement it will be seen that
the cylinders, will be caused to recede and advance the distance of the
stroke of the crank, which is made to coinside with that of the small
horizontal side cylinder. When high and low pressure steam is used
in conjunction, it is proposed to make the high pressure steam used in
the horizontal cylinder available in working the larger or condensing
cylinder. A condenser is attached to the bottom of the main cylinder,
the air pump connected therewith being placed on the side thereof,
and parallel to the bottom of the condenser, and also to the side
cylinder (being at a right angle to the larger cylinder). This air
pump is constructed with a foot valve at the end next to the condenser.
The piston or plunger thereof, which is stationary, consists of a hollow
cylinder with a valve at each end, the pump or outer cylinder working
backwards and forwards thereon. There is a parallel motion in con-
nection with this engine, whereby great harmony is ensured in the
working of the several parts thereof, the plan of which will be easily
seen on reference to the annexed Drawing; which parallel motion
could also be adapted and made a useful adjunct to oscillating engines
generally.
That this Invention may be the more readily seen and understood,
annexed is a Drawing of a side elevation (partially in section) of so
much of an engine constructed upon this plan as is requisite to
illustrate the Invention. Like letters refer to similar parts: A, main
or driving shaft; B, main crank; b, crank pin, by which the main
piston rod and upper beam O' of the parallel motion are connected
to the main crank; C, main cylinder, traversing backwards and for-
wards sideways, so as to keep the piston directly below the crank at all
times; D, main piston, working up and down main cylinder; E, piston
rod of ditto, attached directly to crank of driving shaft by crank pin b;

page_text: F, condenser below main cylinder; G, barrel of air pump; H, a sta-
tionary hollow cylindrical piston or plunger, upon which the barrel G,
works; I, valves at each end of plunger; K, wheels or rollers, upon
which steam cylinders are mounted; L, the horizontal side steam
cylinder (by preference worked by high pressure steam); M, stationary
piston of side cylinder; N, rod of ditto; 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, beams of
parallel motion, working upon fixed points at p 1, and p 2.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Jonathan Grindrod and Alexander Hunter in
the Great Seal Patent Office on the 6th May 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we,
JONATHAN GRINDROD, of Liverpool, in the. County of Lancaster,
Consulting Engineer, and ALEXANDER HUNTER, of the same place,
Engineer, send greeting.
5.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of November, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the seven-
teenth year of Her reign, did; for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto us, the said Jonathan Grindrod and Alexander
Hunter, Her special license that we, the said Jonathan Grindrod and
Alexander Hunter, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as we, the said Jonathan Grindrod and Alexander Hunter, our
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 lawfully might make, use, ex-
ercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES," upon the condition (amongst others)
that we, the said Jonathan Grindrod and Alexander Hunter, by an
instrument in writing under our hands and seals, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, and cause the same to be filed

page_text: -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 we, the said Jonathan Grindrod and Alex-
ander Hunter, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly de-
scribed and ascertained in and by the following statement, reference
being had to the accompanying Drawings; and to the figures and
letters marked thereon (that is to say):
A steam cylinder (or cylinders are) mounted so as to travel with a
backwards and forwards motion at right angles to the main or driving
shaft, the cylinder (or cylinders advancing and receding with the
crank. The piston rod is immediately attached to the crank of the
driving shaft by means of the crank pin, so that the power of the
engine is applied directly to the crank through the piston rod, without
the intervention of the connecting rod generally used. To effect this
improvement, within a suitable framework we mount' a main or chief
working cylinder in such a way that it can slide or roll backwards and
forwards in a line crossing the main shaft, the cylinder being required
to travel a distance equal to the length of the stroke of its own piston,
to enable it to follow the crank. To give the main cylinder the back-
wards and forwards motion, we prefer to use a small working cylinder
(high pressure by preference) working at a right angle to the main
cylinder. This small working cylinder can be attached at a right angle
to the side of the chief cylinder and travel with it. The piston and
piston rod of the small cylinder being made a fixture upon which the
cylinder works, or the small cylinder may be placed so as to work at a
right angle to the chief cylinder, having the end of the piston rod fixed
to the side of the main working cylinder. To insure perfect and
uniform motion of the various parts, we use a parallel motion in con-
nection therewith. This motion we obtain by using five rods or
beams jointed together, two of which beams work on fixed centres, and
have a rocking motion. The first rod is jointed at one end to the head
of the piston rod, so that it may follow the motion of the crank; and
being carried in an horizontal direction, it is jointed to a second rod or
beam, which is placed in a vertical direction and works on a fixed

page_text: centre, having a rocking or oscillating niotion. To the bottom or lower.
arm of this beam or lever is jointed a third rod whicli forms a short
connecting rod (laying in an horizontal direction), the reverse end of
which is jointed to the top, the fourth beain or lever, which is placed
in a vertical direction and works on a fixed centre in the same way as
the second rod (or lever). To the lower arm of this lever is jointed one
end of the fifth.lever or connecting rod, which extends in an horizontal
direction, towards the bottom of the main working cylinder to which
it is jointed. By this arrangement great harmony is insured to the
working of the, various parts. The parallel motion herein-before de-
scribed could be readily adapted and made a useful adjunct to oscillating.
engines generally. When high and low pressure steam is used in con-
junction to work engines constructed according to this Invention, it is
proposed to use high pressure steáin in the small cylinder, after which.
the steam so used can be expanded in a receiver, and made available to
work the larger or condensing cylinder, in which case a condenser is
attached to the bottom of the main cylinder; the air pump connected
therewith being placed on the side thereof and parallel to the bottom.
of the main cylinder, and also to the side cylinder (being at a right
angle to the larger cylinder). This air pump is constructed with a foot
valve at the end next to the condenser; the piston or plunger thereof,
which is stationery, consists of a hollow cylinder with a valve at each
end, the pump or outward cylinder working backwards and forwards
thereon.
But we wish it to be understood, that we do not confine ourselves
to working engines with high and low pressure steam, as our Inven-
tion is equally applicable to engines worked with high or low pressure
steam, or by a combination of both.
That this Invention may be the more readily seen and understood,.
annexed are Drawings of so much of an engine as may be requisite
to show the improvements. Like letters refer to similar parts.
Figure 1, is a side view (partially in section) of a high and low.
pressure engine constructed according to this Invention. Figure 2,
is an end view of the same; A, main or driving shaft; B, main
crank; b, crank pin, by which the main piston rod and upper

page_text: beam 01 of the parallel. motion are connected, to the main crank;
C, main cylinder, traversing backwards and forwards (sideways), so as
to keep the piston directly below the crank at all times; D, main piston
working up and down main cylinder; E, piston rod of: ditto, attached
directly to crank of driving shaft by crank pin b; F, condenser below
main cylinder; G, barrel of air pump; H, a stationary' hollow cylin-
drical piston or plunger upon which, the. barrel G works; J,, valves at
each end of plunger; K, wheels or rollers upon which steam cylinder is
mounted; L, the horizontal steam side cylinder (by preference worked
by high pressure steam); M, working piston of side cylinder; -N, rod
of ditto; 01, 2, 3, 4, and 5, beams of 'parallel inotion working upon
fixed points at p 1, and p2.
Having now described our Invention and the mode in which the
same may be performed, what we claim is,―
1st, the use of a travelling steam cylinder or cylinders, as herein-
before described.
2nd, the arrangement for regulating the parallel motion of moveable
steam cylinders; as described.
3rd, the peculiar form and mode of working the air pumps of steam
engines, as described.
4th, the mode of arranging and combining the various parts of the
machinery to form an engine, as herein-before described:
In witness thereof, we, the said Jonathan Grindrod and Alex-
ander Hunter, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this
Fifth day of May, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and fifty-four. i
Witness,
WILLIAM WALKER.
JONATHAN (LS.) "GRINROD.
ALEXANDER (S.) HUNTER.