IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE SLIDE VALVES OF STEAM ENGINES, AND IN THE MODE OF WORKING THE SAME, FOR THE BETTER REGULATION OF THE VACUUM IN THE CYLINDERS. THEREOF, ECONOMIZING FUEL, AND FOR ENSURING SAFETY AND STEADINESS OF SUCH MACHINES WHILST IN ACTION." PROVISIONAL, SPATION
Year: 1857

page_text: Schofield, of No. 5, Nuttall Street, both within the Borough of Rochdale,
in the County of Lancaster, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
CONSTRUCTION OF THE SLIDE VALVES OF STEAM ENGINES, AND IN THE MODE OF
WORKING THE SAME, FOR THE BETTER REGULATION OF THE VACUUM IN THE
CYLINDERS. THEREOF, ECONOMIZING FUEL, AND FOR ENSURING SAFETY AND
STEADINESS OF SUCH MACHINES WHILST IN ACTION."
PROVISIONAL, SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry. Whittles and
Robert Schofield at the Office of the Commissioners of, Patents, with
their. Petition; on the 31st January 1857.
•
We, HENRY WHITTLES, of Vicars Moss, and ROBERT SCHOFIELD,- of No. 5;
Nuttall Street; both within the Borough of Rochdale, in the County- of
Lancaster, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-.
MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE SLIDE VALVES OF STEAM ENGINES, AND IN:
THE MODE OF WORKING THE SAME, FOR THE BETTER REGULATION OF THE VACUUM
IN THE CYLINDERS THEREOF, ECONOMIZING FUEL, AND FOR ENSURING SAFETY. AND
STEADINESS OF SUCH MACHINES WHILST IN ACTION," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in combining a second or auxiliary slide or D cutter
with the ordinary D slide employed for covering and uncovering the ports, or
openings, through.which the steam alternately enters and leaves the cylinder
during the working of the engine, and.in adjusting and actuating such said
auxiliary slide, as herein-after stated. And I would here remark, that an
important feature in my improved mode of constructing and working the slide
valves of engines consists in the facility it affords for cutting off the ste.....

page_text: entirely or partially at any part of the piston's stroke, or of altering or adjusting
the aforesaid cutter valve during the working of the engine, so as to use the
steam more or less expansively therein; and further, in so arranging such said
slide valves as that both sides of the piston cannot be open at the same time
to the vacuum when the crank is passing its centres or null points, as is
commonly the case with the slide valves of steam engines, and by which they
work by jerks, whereas by these improvements the motion of the piston and
crank will always be regular and uniform, and the wear and tear of the
mechanism connected therewith be very much lessened. The following is the
manner in which I propose to construct and actuate my improved slide valves:-
To the ordinary top and bottom slide valves; which are connected together
and worked by an eccentric on the crank shaft in the usual way, I adapt and
fit two other valves sliding steam-tight therein, constituting the auxiliary slide
valve or D cutter before mentioned. The plates of this valve or cutter are
connected together by two rods, which are also connected together by a screwed
collar, fitting respectively at each end upon the screwed ends of the aforesaid
connecting rods, one of such screws being right-handed and the other left-
handed, for the purpose of setting or adjusting these valves in the other or
ordinary valves, so as to cut off the steam more or less quickly, as desired.
The action of these valves is as follows: The upper and lower or ordinary
slide valves are worked from the eccentric in the usual way; and supposing the
said slide to be down to its full extent and the top port in the cylinder to be
full open to the vacuum, and the bottom part sufficiently open to admit steam to
the under side of the piston; the effect of the raising of the slide will be to bring
the upper edge of the lowermost valve into close contact with the under edge
of the lowermost plate of the auxiliary slide valve, which remains still during
Suchitime. By these means the steam, will be cut off, and, work expansively
in the cylinder, and as the slide valve continues! to rise the upper port will be
opened to the induction and the lower port to the eduction, one of such ports
being closed or covered before the other one is opened, and -the steam will be
acain cut off as before
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
PR
•
by the said Henry Whittles and Robert Schofield in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 31st July 1857. ur
3-ba
1522
4.3.1
.
'
gibi
.
LAG
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, HENRY
WHITTLES, of Vicars Moss, and ROBERT SCHOFIELD, of Number 5, Nuttall

page_text: Street, both within the Borough of Rochdale; in the County of Lancaster,
send greeting.
..
WHEREAS Her, most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirty-first day of January, in the year of our Lord
One: thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twentieth year of Her.
reign; did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give, and grant unto.us, the
said Henry Whittles and Robert Schofield, Her special licence that we, the
said Henry. Whittles, and Robert Schofield, our executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as we, the said Henry Whittles and, Robert Schofield,
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, exercise, and vend,
within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION.
OF THE SLIDE VALVES OF STEAM ENGINES, AND IN THE MODE OF WORKING THE SAME,
FOR THE BETTER REGULATION OF THE VACUUM- THE CYLINDERS THEREOF, ECONOMIZING
FUEL, AND FOR ENSURING SAFETY AND STEADINESS OF SUCH MACHINES WHILST IN
ACTION," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said Henry Whittles,
and Robert Schofield, our executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under our or their bands and seals, or under, the hand and seal, of
one of us or them, should particularly describe and, ascertain the nature of
the said Invention, and in what manner the same. was to be performed,.
and cause the same to be filed 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 Henry Whittles and Robert Schofield,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described. and ascertained in and
by the following statement thereof, that is to say:-
Our Invention relates to the slide valves, of steam engines, and consists in
combining a second or auxiliary slide or D cutter with the ordinary D slide
employed for covering and uncovering the ports, or openings through which
the steam alternately enters and leaves the cylinder during the working of the
erigine, and in adjusting and actuating such said auxiliary slide, as herein;
after stated. And we would here remark, that an important feature in
our improved mode of constructing.and working .the slide valves of engines
consists in the facility it affords for cutting off the steam entirely or partially
at any part of the piston's stroke, or of altering, or adjusting the afore-
said cutter valve during the working of the engine, so as to use the steam

page_text: more or less expansively therein; and further, in'so arranging such said slide
valves as that both sides of the piston cannot be open at the same time to the
vacuum when the crank is passing its centres or null points, as is commonly
the case with the slide valves of steam engines, and by which they work by
jerks, whereas by our said improvements the motion of the piston and crank
will always be regular and uniform, and the wear and tear of the mechanism
connected therewith be very much lessened. The following is the manner in
which we propose to construct and actuate our improved slide valves:-To the
ordinary top and bottom slide valves, which are connected together and worked
by an eccentric on the crank shaft in the usual. way, we adapt and. fit: two
other valves sliding steam-tight therein, constituting: the auxiliary slide-valve
or D cutter, before mentioned. The plates of this valve or cutter are connected.
together by two rods, which are also connected together by a screwed collar,
fitting respectively at each end upon the screwed ends of the aforesaid con-
necting rods, 'one of such screws being right-handed and the other left-handed,
for the purpose of setting or adjusting these valves in the other or ordinary
valves, so as to cut off the steamn more or less quickly, as desired. The action.
of these valves is as follows:-The upper and lower or ordinary slitle valves.
are worked from the eccentric in the usual way "and' supposing the said slide
to be down to its full extent, and the top part in the cylinder to be full open
to the vacuum, and the bottom port sufficiently open to admit steam' to the
under side of the piston; the effect of the raising of the slide will be to bring:
the upper edge of the lowermost valve into close contact with the under "edge:
of the lowermost plate of the auxiliary slide valve, which remains still during
such time. By these means the steam will be cut off and work expansively
in the cylinder, and as the slide valve continues to rise the upper port will be
opened to the induction and the lower port to the eduction, one of such ports
being closed or covered before the other one is opened, and. the steam will be
again cut off as before.
In order to explain our said Invention" as completely as possible, we now
proceed to describe the best means we are acquainted with for carrying the
the same into practical effect; reference being had to the illustrative Drawing
hereunto annexed; and to the numeral figures and letters of reference: marked:
thereon respectively, as follows:-
DESCRIPTION. OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 is a transverse and vertical section of a cylinder and D. valves,

page_text: auxiliary slide or cutter attached thereto. The valves are shewn to admit the
steam to the top of the piston, the valves being in the up-stroke, which on
being completed and their motion reversed, the under or cutting-off side of the
valve will come in contact with the adjustable auxiliary slide a (which works
in stuffing boxes, and depends entirely on the a, D valves, for its motion);
thus, closing the top port and carrying the auxiliary slide along with it, allows
the bottom port to open only as far as the top one. These auxiliary slides
a and a, a, regulate the quantity of steam admitted into the cylinder, by
varying the distance between the cutting-off sides of the ports. This variation
may be effected by the right and left-handed screws c, d, working into the
collar f, on which is a worm wheel driven by the worm g, motion being
imparted thereto by hand, or by suitable mechanism attached to the governor
of the engine, thus regulating the quantity of steam admitted into the cylinder
with certainty and ease.
Having now fully described and set forth the nature and object of our said
Invention, together with the best means we are acquainted with for carrying
the same into practical effect, we would remark, in conclusion, that we hereby
declare our Invention to consist in, and we claim, the combining of the auxiliary
and adjustable slides or cutters a, a, a, with the ordinary D valves of steam
engines, as above described and represented, or any mere modification thereof,
for the purpose of regulating the quantity of steam admitted into the cylinder,
thereby allowing the steam to be worked more or less expansively therein
according to the power required.
In witness whereof, we, the said Henry Whittles and Robert Schofield,
have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Twenty-eighth day of
July, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
fifty-seven.
Witness,.
JAMES HAMILTON,
Oldham Road, Rochdale.
(L.S.)
HENRY WHITTLES.
ROBERT SCHOFIELD. (L.s.)