IMPROVE- MENTS IN STEAM ENGINES
Year: 1883

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Marmaduke John Brewer
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 12th September 1883..
MARMADUKE JOHN BREWER of Cardiff, in the County of Glamorgan "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN STEAM ENGINES,"
This Invention, which relates to improvements in steam engines has for its
object to govern or control the admission of steam to the cylinders of such engines
by the employment of a second or auxiliary engine to which the steam admission
valves of the main engine are connected and also to control the admission of steam
by hand.
To govern or control the admission of steam to the cylinders of the main engine
by a second or auxiliary engine the excentric working each slide valve of the main
engine is, under this Invention, placed loosely on the crank or main shaft of the
principal engine or it may be placed loosely on a separate shaft in which case the
separate shaft is connected to the main or crank shaft in such a manner as to move
in the same direction and at the same speed as the main or crank shaft.
On the eccentric a stop is placed or made and a like stop is also so placed or
made on the shaft on which the excentric is loosely situated that when these stops
are in contact for either forward or backward gear the excentric cannot move
round further on the shaft.
By means of spur or other suitable gear the loose excentric is so connected with
an auxiliary engine that the excentric is entirely under the control of the said
auxiliary engine and moves in unison with it. The auxiliary engine has a constant
load or one which never varies to any appreciable or great extent and moves at a
uniform speed and the stop on the shaft on which the excentric is placed is soO
arranged that in the event of the main engine being to any extent relieved of its
load and consequently accelerated in speed the shaft carrying the excentric, being
then rotated faster than the excentric itself, the stop on the said shaft moves away
from the excentric stop and the said shaft must consequently wait for the stops to

page_text: be again brought into contact by the working of the auxiliary engine before the
steam admission valve of the main engine is again in proper position. The motion
of the said valve being thus controlled by the auxiliary engine, the main engine
works correspondingly with the auxiliary.
When the main engine is a reversing engine the auxiliary has preferably two
cylinders.
To govern engines by hand, as for example to govern a steam steering engine,
under this invention, the excentric is also placed loose on the crank shaft or on a
separate shaft and connected by spur or other equivalent gearing to a shaft moved
by hand the end of the crank shaft when desired being utilized as a bearing for
the hand shaft under which arrangement the motion of the engine shaft tends to
carry the hand shaft round.
The excentric and the shaft on which it is placed is or may also be provided
with stops as herein before described.
Part of the connecting gearing between the excentric shaft and the hand shaft is
situated on a separate shaft and a clutch is or may be provided to disconnect the
hand and the excentric shaft when desired: The engine shaft is connected to a
shaft carrying a chain barrel or "gipsy" by bevil and screw or equivalent gearing
and the hand shaft is also connected to the barrel or "gipsy" shaft by spur gearing
or equivalent means it being understood that such gearing from the engine and
hand shafts to the barrel or "gipsy" shaft constitutes no part of this invention.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Marmaduke John Brewer in the Patent Office on the 12th March
1884.
MARMADUKE JOHN BREWER of Cardiff in the County of Glamorgan, IMPROVE-
MENTS IN STEAM ENGINES
My Said Invention which relates to improvements in steam engines has for its
object to govern or control the admission of steam to the cylinders of such engines
by the employment of a second or auxiliary engine to which the steam admission
valves of the main engine are connected and also to control the admission of steam
by hand.
And in order that my said Invention may be properly understood I have
hereunto appended an explanatory sheet of drawings, illustrative of the systems
or modes in or under which it is or may be used or carried out in practice figure 1,
of the said drawings being a part end elevation of a condensing marine engine
shewing the method of controlling the admission of steam to the cylinders by
means of a small auxiliary engine, whilst figure 2, is a vertical section of a steam
steering engine the admission of steam to the cylinders of which is governed by
hand; figure 3, is a plan; figure 4, a transverse section and figures 5, 6, 7 and 8,
details of the said steering engine.
As shewn by figure 1, to govern or control the admission of steam to the
cylinders A, of the main engine by a second or auxiliary engine B, the eccentric C,
working each slide valve D, of the main engine, is under this invention placed
loosely on the crank or main shaft E, of the principal engine.
On the side of the eccentric a stop a, is formed or fixed at or about the position
indicated and a like stop b, is also formed on or fixed in the crank shaft E, so as to
project therefrom substantially as shewn. Each eccentric C, (there being one for
each slide or distributing valve D, of the main engine) has a spur wheel F, formed
on or secured to the side of it. The said wheel is also loose on the crank shaft E,
and it is geared with a corresponding pinion G, on the crank shaft c, of the small
auxiliary engine B, The said auxiliary engine may obviously be an engine or
pair of engines of any suitable type and placed in any position most convenient.
The auxiliary engine or pair of engines B, (which need only be sufficiently
powerful to work the main eccentrics C,) has, as will be seen, a constant load or
one which never varies to any appreciable or great extent and it moves at a
uniform rate of speed. When the main engines are making the required number
of revolutions either forwards or backwards, the stop a, on the eccentric C, is in
contact with the stop b, on the crank shaft E, but in the event of the main engine
being to any extent relieved of its load and consequently accelerating its speed the
crank shaft E, moves the stop b, away from contact with the stop a, on the
eccentric C, and the said crank shaft must consequently diminsh its speed until
the stops a and b, are brought again in contact in order that the steam admission
or slide valve D, may be in proper position relatively with it; in other words
when the stop b, moves away from the stop a, the main engine is ahead of the
eccentric C, and consequently of the slide valve D, and as the pistons must wait
on the operation of the valves they (the pistons) will be checked in their speed
by the cushioned steam until the auxiliary engine again brings the stops into
contact.
The motion of the main engine slide valves being thus controlled by the auxiliary

page_text: engine which moves at a practically uniform speed the main engine will work
correspondingly with the auxiliary.
To reverse the main engines it is only necessary to reverse the auxiliary.
As a modification of the apparatus, the eccentric C, instead of being placed
loosely on the crank shaft E, as herein before described and shewn may be placed
loosely on a separate shaft having the stop b, on it, in which case the said shaft is
so connected to the main or crank shaft E, by spur or other gearing, ropes, bands,
or their equivalents, as to move in the same direction and at the same speed as the
main or crank shaft.
When it is desired to work the main engines in the ordinary manner, that is to
say, to dispense with the controlling action of the auxiliary engine the loose
eccentrics C, may be secured to the crank shaft E, by a sliding clutch or equivalent
means placed on the shaft between the eccentrics.
Although the apparatus constituting this part of my said invention is shewn as
applied to a marine engine it is obvious that it is equally applicable to land
engines.
Figures 2 to 8, of the drawings illustrate an improved steering engine constructed
in accordance with the second part of my said Invention, and in which the
admission of steam to the cylinders A, is governed by hand. As seen by
figures 2, 3, and 4, the apparatus consists of a sole A¹, having three vertical
standards or frames B, bolted or cast on it. In two of these frames a horizontal
shaft C, is carried and on the said shaft a chain pulley or gipsy D, is secured whilst
a spur wheel E, and worm wheel F, are also carried loose on the shaft being geared
one at a time thereto when desired by a clutch G, sliding on keys or feathers a.
The clutch is operated by an eccentric b, formed or fixed on a horizontal shaft c,
carried in brackets on the sole or bed plate A¹, and having a bevel wheel d, thereon
geared with a corresponding wheel c, on a shaft carried in a sleeve f, formed on one
of the end frames B, On the outer end of the said shaft a hand wheel g, or its
equivalent is secured by turning which the clutch G, is operated so as to gear the
spur wheel E, or worm wheel F, with the shaft C, or other equivalent means of
operating the clutch may be adopted.
The spur wheel E, is geared with a hand shaft H, whereon the steering wheel is
secured by a spur pinion I, formed on the back of a spur wheel J, keyed on the
said shaft and geared with the eccentric K, which operates. the valves of the steam
cylinders A, by the spur pinion L, keyed on one end of the shaft M, on whose
opposite end a spur wheel N, is also keyed and geared with a pinion O, formed on
or secured to the eccentric K, or the eccentric may be connected to the hand
shaft H, by other equivalent gearing.
:
The steam admission valves of the cylinders A, are preferably piston valves as
seen at figure 5, of the drawings, and the eccentric K, is placed loosely on the
crank shaft P, which has a stop h, formed or fixed on it a similar stop i, being
formed or fixed on the eccentric or on the spur pinion O, as seen at figure 8.
These stops h and i, act substantially in the manner hereinbefore described with
reference to figure 1, so that the speed of the crank shaft P, is regulated and
controlled by the speed of the hand shaft H, The stops h and i, may however
when desired be dispensed with in engines wherein the hand shaft H, and gearing
connecting it with the eccentric K, substantially as herein before described is
employed, and the said eccentric instead of being situated loosely on the crank
shaft P, may be situated on a separate shaft or stud and have no connection with
the crank shaft.
The worin wheel F, is geared with the crank shaft P, by a worm screw Q, which
as seen at figures 3 and 4, is carried in an inclined position in a bracket R, secured
to the mid frame or standard B, a bevel wheel S, being keyed on the shaft of the
said screw and geared with a corresponding wheel T, keyed on the end of the
crank shaft and formed with a long or sleeved boss which acts as a bearing for the
inner end of the hand shaft H, or the inner end of the said shaft may be stepped
into the adjacent end of the crank shaft as seen in dotted lines, figure 2, or it may

page_text: be borne in a bracket secured to the mid frame B, or in any other convenient
manner.
The action of the apparatus is as follows:-
In steering by steam the worm wheel F, is geared to the shaft C, by the clutch G,
and the steering wheel on the shaft H, is operated (accordingly as it is desired to
steer to port or to starboard) so as through the intervention of the gearing J. L,
shaft M, gearing N; O, and eccentric K, to admit steam either to the top or bottom
ends of the cylinders A, and consequently to rotate the crank shaft P, in one
direction or the other, the crank shaft turning in the same direction as the steering
wheel. The rotation of the crank shaft through the intervention of the bevel
gearing T, S, worm Q, and worm wheel F, rotates the shaft C, and the chain pulley,
or gipsy D, and consequently puts the helm to port or starboard as required.
In steering by hand the worm wheel F, is rendered loose on the shaft C, and
the Бриг wheel E, is connected to the said shaft by the clutch G, by which means
the shaft C, and with it the gipsy D, are operated direct from the hand shaft H.
When so steering by hand the shaft H, may be disconnected from the eccentric K,
by providing the pinion L, with a clutch by which it may be rendered loose on the
shaft M, or by sliding it on a feather on the shaft out of gear with the wheel J, or
by other equivalent means.
To indicate the position of the helm in either direction the shaft H, is or may
be formed with a screw having a nut m, on it which moves backwards and forwards
between the collars or stops n. A Rod k, is formed on or fixed in the nut and to
its upper end a link 1, is connected the said link being also connected to the
cranked end of a pointer 8, fastened to a pin or stud t, and indicating on a
quadrant placed outside the machine casing the position of the helm. The pin or
stud t, may be carried up to the Captain's or officers' bridge and be there furnished
with another indicator if desired.
Although shewn in combination with a steam steering engine it is to bo
understood that the improvements constituting this part of my said Invention are
equally applicable to other steam engines in which the steam supply is controlled
by hand.
The gearing by which the chain barrel, or gipsy D, is connected to the crank
shaft P, and to the hand shaft H, constitutes no part of my said Invention.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and the system, mode, or manner in or under which the admission of
steam to the cylinders of engines is governed or controlled in accordance with it
both by hand and by the employment of an auxiliary engine I would observe in
conclusion that I am aware it has previously been proposed under Letters Patent,
bearing date 30th, December 1880 No 5489, granted to Henry Davey to govern or
control the speed and direction of rotation of a main engine by the employment of
a subsidiary engine in combination with eccentrics working the main engine valves.
Under that arrangement two eccentrics are necessarily employed for each valve
and it is therefore to be understood that I do not claim to govern or control the
speed of the main engine by an auxiliary engine otherwise than as herein before
described, that is to say, what I consider to be novel and original and therefore
claim as the Invention secured to me by the hereinbefore in part recited Letters
Patent is,
First The combination of an auxiliary engine with an eccentric or eccentrics for
operating the steam admission valve or valves of a main engine, one eccentric only
being used for each valve, such eccentric being placed loosely on the crank shaft or
on a separate shaft and furnished with a stop acting against a stop on the crank
shaft or on the separate shaft substantially as herein before described and in part
shewn on the accompanying sheet of drawings.
Second-In steam engines wherein the admission of steam is controlled by hand
the combination of the handing shaft H, & eccentric K, the shaft acting on the
eccentric through spur or equivalent gearing substantially as herein before described
and shewn on the drawings annexed hereto.

page_text: Third, In steam engines wherein the admission of steam to the cylinders is
controlled by hand the combination of a stop, on an eccentric with a stop on the
crank shaft substantially as described with reference to the drawings hereunto
appended.
Fourth-In engines wherein the admission of steam is controlled by hand, bearing
or supporting one end of the hand shaft in a step or socket in the end of the crank
shaft or in a sleeve thereon substantially as herein before described and in part
shewn on the accompanying drawings.
In Witness Whereof I the said Marmaduke John Brewer have hereunto set my
hand and seal this Tenth day of March in the year of our Lord Eighteen hundred
and eighty four.
MARMADUKE JOHN BREWER (L.S.)