Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Mar., 1889
Specification Accepted, 8th June, 1889
A communication from F. A. GARDNER & Co., Catskill, New York State, United
States of America, Engineers.
1, RICHARD MORLEY HARISON, of 99 Douglas Street, Glasgow, in the County of
Lanark, North Britain, Engineer, 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, that is to say :-
This Invention comprises an improved construction of compound steam engine
which is shown on two accompanying sheets of explanatory drawings.
Figures, 1, and 2, on sheet, 1, of the drawings are transverse vertical sections with
parts shown in different positions. Figures, 3, and 4, are a side elevation and a
horizontal section of a shell or valve-chamber lining in which the valves work. Figure, 5,
on sheet, 2, is a longitudinal vertical section as taken through the cylinders; and figure, 6,
is a longitudinal vertical section as taken through the valve chambers and. certain
connecting passages. In these drawings the same reference letters and numerals
are used to mark the same or like parts wherever they are repeated.
The improved engine is of the single-acting class, and whilst it may be made with
one duplex cylinder (that is a cylinder having high-pressure and low-pressure parts)
in which case a heavy fly wheel must be used, it is by preference made as shown
with three duplex cylinders the pistons of which are connected to angularly
equidistant cranks. The cylinders are inverted and each is made with a lower larger
part, A1, A2, A 3, and an upper smaller part, B1, B2, B3; and the lower ends of the
cylinders are open to the interior of a casing, C, in the lower part of which is placed
the crank shaft, D, to the cranks of which the pistons, E, are connected by rods, E¹, in
an ordinary manner. The pistons, E, which work in the larger parts, A, of the
cylinders are formed with trunks and smaller pistons, F, working in the smaller
cylinder parts, B.
The distribution valves are of the piston class and work in chambers, G, formed
at the sides of the cylinders, being actuated by eccentrics, H, on a counter shaft, J,
placed within the casing, C, and driven by means of equal spurwheels, K, from the crank

page_text: shaft, D. Each valve piece, is a hollow cylinder, L, with closed ends and attached
by a rod to a hollow block, M, which is guided in the lower part of the chamber.
and is jointed to the connecting rod or strap, N, of the eccentric, H. The valve
piece, L, has two main packing rings, 7, 8, which work over ports, and it is also
packed at its upper end to prevent leakage of steam into the top of the chamber.
Each valve chamber is made up of separate parts, namely, a bottom part, 9, made in a
casting enclosing the lower cylinder part, A, an intermediate part, 10, an upper
part, 11, made in a casting enclosing the upper cylinder part, B, and a top part, 12;
the valve piece, L, however works in a lining shell, P, shown separately in figures, 3,
and 4, and made with collars to fit tightly on shoulders formed for them in the casing
parts, 9, and 11. The valve shell, P, has formed in its four sets of ports, 13, 14, 15, 16,
each set communicating with a different space or passage formed in the outer part of
the valve chamber. The highest ports, 13, communicate with a space, Q, into which
high-pressure steam is led by a pipe; the second or next lower ports, 14, communicate
with the passage, R, leading to the top of the smaller cylinder part, B; the third set
of ports, 15, communicate with an intermediate space, S; and the lowest ports, 16,
communicate with the passage, T, leading to the top of the larger cylinder part, A.
The lower part of the valve chamber, G, has an exhaust pipe connected to it. The
high-pressure steam spaces, Q, of the three valve chambers are put into communication
by connecting pipes, 17; and similar pipes, 18, connect the intermediate spaces, S,
as best seen in figure, 6.
With the parts in the positions in which they are shown in figure, 1, high-pressure
steam is just about to enter the smaller cylinder part, B, and low-pressure steam the
larger cylinder part, A. In figure, 2, the crank is shown as having made about
three fourths of a turn from the position in which it is shown in figure, 1, the valve
piece, L, having been moved into a corresponding position; and steam is
exhausting from both cylinder parts, B, A. The steam exhausting from the
high-pressure or smaller cylinder part, B, passes into a passage or space, S, which
in the case of a single crank and duplex cylinder must be large enough to
form an intermediate chamber to store the steam until the next downward stroke of
the piston, E; but when three duplex cylinders are combined together, with their
cranks at equal angles apart, and the several spaces, S, are connected by passages, 18,
the steam at any time exhausting from any high-pressure cylinder part, B, can by
such passages at once find its way to one or both of the other larger cylinder parts, A,
so that very little if any storage space will be required.
A cover, 19, is fixed on the top of the valve chamber, and after removing it the
shell or lining, P, and the valve piece, L, with it can be easily got out for examination,
cleaning or other purpose.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The improved construction, arrangement and combination of parts of a single
duplex-cylinder compound steam engine substantially as hereinbefore described.
2. The improved construction, arrangement and combination of parts of compound.
steam engines with two or more duplex cylinders substantially as hereinbefore
described.
Dated this Twenty-eighth day of February 1889.