Improvements in Pistons and Piston Valves.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Sept., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 17th June, 1889-Accepted, 20th July, 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Pistons and Piston Valves.
I, JOHN EDWARD LEWIS OGDEN, Engineer % Captain Eyre, Edinburgh Street
Goole Yorkshire do hereby declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN
PISTONS AND PISTON VALVES," to be as follows:-
The apparatus consists principally of a screw, acted upon by a coiled spring, or any
other kind of spring. The said screw is screwed into one butt of the ring, the other
end of the screw bearing tightly on the opposite butt of the ring.
The said screw being unscrewed by the power of the coiled up spring, (or any other
spring which may be used) forces the butts of the piston or piston valve ring apart,
and so expands the said ring and follows up the wear of the ring and cylinder until
the power of the spring is exhausted.
Meanwhile the unyielding resistance of the screw forcing the butts of the ring
apart, resists any compression strains which may be put on the ring by steam or
other forces, and so maintains parallel wear in the cylinder, and a tight piston or
piston valve. The apparatus can be applied to piston rings and piston valve rings
direct, or it can be applied to an internal ring, and by expanding the internal ring so
also expand the outer ring or piston ring or piston valve ring.
It also prevents the cylinder being worn barrel-shape or worn taper by the piston
and piston valve and ensures a strictly parallel wear, owing to the unyielding resistance
offered to any compression strains caused by steam or other forces, which frequently
occur during the stroke of a piston or a piston valve.
The mechanical details may vary according to the description of spring used for
turning the screw. The spring used may be coiled around and at one end attached
to the screw, the other end of the spring when compressed being secured to the piston
or ring; or if spiral, volute, flat or bent springs be used to turn the screw round the
attaching details may vary accordingly as the spring used requires.
Worm and worm wheel gearing may also be used to compress the spring, the
worm shaft-end projecting outside of the piston or piston valve. The turning power
of the spring on the screw, may be then readily increased or decreased as may be
required, without opening out the piston or piston valve.
Dated this 15th day of September 1888.
JOHN EDWARD LEWIS OGDEN.
COMPLETE
SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Pistons and Piston Valves.
I, JOHN EDWARD LEWIS OGDEN, % Captain Eyre, Edinburgh Street, Goole,
Yorkshire, 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 :-.
My said Invention has for its object to construct pistons and piston valves or valve
pistons in an improved manner, and more particularly so that wear of the piston rings
and of the cylinders or cylindrical valve chambers will be automatically compensated
for.
The apparatus consists principally of a screw, acted upon by a coiled spring or any
other kind of spring. The said screw is screwed into one butt of the ring, the other
end of the screw bearing tightly on the opposite butt of the ring.
The said screw being unscrewed by the power of the coiled up spring (or any other
spring which may be used) forces the butts of the piston or piston-valve ring apart,

page_text: and so expands the said ring and follows up the wear of the ring and cylinder until
the power of the spring is exhausted.
Meanwhile the unyielding resistance of the screw forcing the butts of the ring
apart resists any compression strains which may be put on the ring by steam or any
other forces, and so maintains parallel wear in the cylinder and a tight piston or
piston valve.
The apparatus can be applied to piston rings and piston-valve rings direct, or it can
be applied to an internal ring and by expanding the internal ring so also expand the
outer ring or piston ring or piston-valve ring.
It also prevents the cylinder being worn barrel-shaped or worn taper by the piston
and piston-valve and ensures a strictly parallel wear owing to the unyielding resistance
offered to any compression strains caused by steam or other forces which frequently
occur during the stroke of a piston or a piston valve.
The mechanical details may vary according to the description of spring used for
turning the screw. The spring used may be coiled around and at one end attached to
the screw, the other end of the spring when compressed being secured to the piston or
ring; or if spiral, volute, flat, or bent springs be used to turn the screw round the
attaching details may vary accordingly as the spring used requires.
Worm and worm-wheel gearing may also be used to compress the spring, the worm
shaft end projecting outside the piston, or piston valve. The turning power of the
spring on the screw may be then readily increased or decreased as may be required
without opening out the piston or piston valve.
On an accompanying sheet of explanatory drawings I show several examples of the
application of my Invention to packing rings which may be those of pistons working
in steam-engine or other cylinders or those of piston valves or valve pistons.
One modification is shown in figures, 1, 2, and 3, of the drawings, figure, 1, being
a sectional edge view of the ring, figure, 2, an inside elevation of part of the ring,
and figure, 3, a section as at right angles to figure, 2. The packing ring, R, which is
as usual cut across and provided with a covering tongue, T, at the opening, has
butts, B, formed on its ends; and between these butts there is a screw, S, which is
screwed into one butt or into a nut piece, N, fitted in a socket in the butt. The
screw, S, is made with a cylindrical box, X, in which there is placed a spiral or volute
spring, V, having its outer end fixed to the side of the box, X, whilst its inner end is
fixed to a spindle, D, which bears against the other butt, B, and is made with a
capstan head, H. This capstan head, H, is for winding up the spring, V, as much as
may be required and is prevented from turning, when wound up, by a pin, P, passed
through the capstan head and bearing on the tongue, T, or it might be on the piston
flanges between which the ring, R, is fitted. When the outside of the ring, R, wears,
or when it becomes slack from wear of the cylinder or cylindrical valve chamber in
which it works, the spring, V, turns the screw, S, in a manner to distend the ring ;
and as the screw resists compression the ring will not be movable inwards like rings
distended by springs in the ordinary way.
In figure, 4, a modification is shown differing very little from that shown in
figure, 1. The ring, R, is made in a common manner with half-checked ends as
shown in figure, 5, and butt pieces, B, are fixed to the insides of the ends of the ring,
other parts remaining the same.
In the modification shown in figure, 6, butt pieces, B, are fixed to the insides of the
half-checked ends of the ring, R. In other parts the modification resembles that
shown in figures, 7, 8, and 9.
Figure, 7, is a section as at right angles to the axis of the ring, R; figure, 8, is an
inside elevation and figure, 9, is a section as at right angles to figure, 8. The screw, S,
has the inner end of the volute spring, V, fixed to its shank or spindle, and the outer
end of the spring is held by a small bar, A, which when the spring has been coiled
sufficiently is placed with its ends in notches in the butts, B, as will be understood
from figures, 8, and 9. The screw, S, is made with a capstan head, h, for adjusting it
by, this head being shown as formed at one end in figure, 6, and as formed near the
middle in figures, 7, and 8.

page_text: In the modification shown in section in figure, 10, a helical spring, C, is employed
instead of a volute spring, one end being fixed to the screw, S, and the other to an
annular capstan head, H, held by a pin, P, when the spring is coiled as shown in
figure, 11, which is a section as at right angles to figure, 10.
In the modification shown in figures, 12, 13, and 14, the screw, S, instead of acting
directly between the butts, B, of the ring, R, is arranged to act on a wedge, W, fitted
between inclined surfaces formed on the butts, B. The shank of the screw, S, passes
through the junk ring, J, of the piston, and has the inner end of the volute spring, V,
fixed to it on the outside of the junk ring. The outer end of the volute spring, V, is
fixed to a box, x, which, after the spring has been sufficiently coiled is held by a
pin, E, fixed in the junk ring.
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 :-
In pistons or piston valves fitting screws so as to directly or indirectly distend the
packing rings in combination with springs arranged to turn the screws, substantially
in the manner and for the purposes hereinbefore described.
Dated this Diftranth day of June 1889
EDMUND HUNT,
Applicant's Agent.