Improvements in Apparatus for Distributing Actuating Fluid in Motors, such as Direct Acting Steam Pumps.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Jan., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 29th Sept., 1894-Accepted, 3rd Jan., 1805
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Distributing Actuating Fluid in
Motors, such as Direct Acting Steam Pumps.
We, ALEXANDER HORNE of Victoria Works, Gateshead in the County of
Durham Engineer and JOHN BROKENSHIRE FURNEAUX, of the same address,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has reference to improvements in apparatus for distributing
actuating fluid in motors, such as those of direct acting steam pumps, the object
being to cause the slide valve of such a motor, when attaining a position wherein
one of the main steam ports of the engine cylinder is in communication with the
exhaust, to be in an automatic way, rapidly moved to the end of its stroke, and
thereby quickly placing the said port in full communication with the exhaust, and
the main steam port to the opposite side of the piston in full communication with
the steam chest, and consequently in a position for making the return stroke of the
engine piston and so on with respect to each stroke.
For this purpose the valve, which may be of the ordinary D section, and will be
hereinafter called the main valve, is provided with two cylindrical chambers, each
fitted with a steam tight piston, these pistons being secured at their outer ends to a
frame that is connected direct on to the main valve rod or spindle but entirely free
or clear of the main valve. Each of the said chambers has a port leading upwards
by a passage to a port in a second valve face-the two passages crossing each
other a central port leading down from the said second valve face into the exhaust
port or cavity of the main valve.
On the second valve face is placed a small slide block, hereinafter called the
supplementary valve, which travels in an opposite direction to the main valve.
This supplementary valve is operated by means of a rod or spindle, hereinafter
The
called the supplementary valve spindle, from a set of connected levers.
supplementary valve has a flat upper surface on which works a block that
is recessed into the steam chest cover and is adapted by means of a spring for
keeping the main slide valve tight against the cylinder face.
In the cylinder face upon which the main valve works, are formed two auxiliary
ports by means of which a regulated quantity of steam can be admitted to each of
the main steam passages of the engine cylinder in turn, after steam has been cut off
from such passages by the main valve. For this purpose the main valve is made of
such a length at that side at which the auxiliary ports are situated, that one or
other of these ports will be open to steam when the corresponding main steam port
is covered by the main valve."
Each of the auxiliary ports communicates with a chamber that is in communi-
cation with the corresponding main steam passage by a port that is controlled by
a regulating valve capable of being operated from the exterior of the valve chest.
The operation of the arrangement is as follows:--
Assuming the main valve to be at the right hand end of its stroke, and the
engine piston to be at the left hand end of its stroke, then the right hand main
steam port will be open to exhaust, the left hand main steam port will be getting
full steam, the ports on the back or top of the main valve being all closed. The
engine piston will now be travelling from left to right and at a certain point of its
stroke the main valve spindle will begin to move the main valve to the left-the
main valve spindle moving in an opposite direction to the piston-until it cuts off*

page_text: steam from the left hand main steam port, but as the auxiliary port in connection
with this main steam port will not yet be closed, the engine piston will now be
getting a regulated quantity of steam through the said auxiliary port, the quantity
depending upon the position of the corresponding regulating valve. While the
main valve has been thus travelling from right to left into the above named
position, the supplementary valve rod has been travelling in an opposite direction
to that of the main valve rod until it has moved the supplementary valve into such
a position as to open the port of the right hand piston chamber to steam so as to
admit live steam to such chamber, and to open the left band piston chamber to
exhaust so as to allow the steam which was in this chamber to exhaust down the
central port into the main exhaust whereupon the main valve will be thrown by the
action of the steam admitted to the right hand piston chamber from right to left
until the exhaust is cut off from the left hand chamber and live steam is cut off
from the right hand chamber. The main and supplementary valves will now be in
the opposite positions to those in which they were at starting and in proper
positions for enabling the engine piston to make its return stroke, viz., from right
to left.
In a modified construction, the supplementary valve instead of being arranged
to work in the same direction as the main valve, as in the preceding arrangement,
is arranged to work in a direction at right angles thereto, the motion being
derived from the supplementary valve spindle through a bell crank lever. The
action of this modified arrangement is the same as that of the arrangement first
herein described.
Dated this 2nd f Lama toni
Improvements in Apparatus for Distributing Actuating Fluid in
Motors, such as Direct Acting Steam Pumps.
We, ALEXANDER HORNE, of Victoria Works, Gateshead, in the County of
Durham, Engineer, and JOHN BROKENSHIRE FURNEAUX, of the same address,
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 :-
This invention has reference to improvements in apparatus for distributing
actuating fluid in motors, such as those of direct acting steam pumps, the object
being to cause the slide valve of such a motor, when attaining a position wherein
one of the main steam ports of the engine cylinder is in communication with the
exhaust, to be in an automatic way, rapidly moved to the end of its stroke, so as to
thereby quickly place the said port in full communication with the exhaust, and the
main steam port to the opposite side of the piston in full communication with the
steam chest, and consequently in a position for making the return stroke of
the engine piston, and so on with respect to each stroke.
Apparatus to operate in the manner described can be constructed in various
forms.
In the accompanying illustrative drawings,
Fig. 1 is a longitudinal vertical section, partly in elevation, and
Fig. 2 is a cross section, showing a motor cylinder with an arrangement of
apparatus according to this invention for operating the slide valve in the manuer
reter.ed to.

page_text: Fig. 3 is a plan thereof, but with the cover of the steam chest and the main and
supplementary valves removed.
Fig. 4 is a detail view.
1 is a valve which may be of the ordinary D section, and will be hereinafter
called the main valve. It is provided with two horizontal cylindrical chambers 2, 2ª
fitted with steam tight pistons 3, 3ª respectively, these pistons being secured at
their outer ends to a frame 4 which is connected direct to the main valve rod
or spindle 5, but is entirely free or clear of the said main valve. The said
chambers 2, 2 are provided with ports 6, 6ª respectively that lead upwards by
passages 7, 7ª to ports 8, 8ª respectively in a second valve face 9, the two
passages 7, 7ª crossing each other as shown. 10 is a central port leading down
from the said second valve face 9 into the exhaust port or cavity 11 of the main
valve.
On the second valve face is placed a slide block 12, hereinafter called the
supplementary valve, which, when moved, travels in an opposite direction to the
main valve 1. This supplementary valve is operated by means of a rod or
spindle 13 from a set of connected levers. In the example shown the said rod or
spindle 13 is connected to a link 14 provided with fixed tappets 15, 15ª between
which works a cross bar 16 carried by a pair of levers 17 pivoted at 18 and con-
nected by a link 19 to a second pair of levers 20. This latter pair of levers is
mounted to turn upon a fulcrum pin 21 adjustably fixed to a support 21ª, the upper
ends of the said pair of levers 20 carrying a cross bar 22 that works between
tappets 23, 23 on a link 24 jointed to the valve rod or spindle 5, whilst their lower
ends are arranged to work in tubular guides 25 pivoted in a bracket 26 fixed to
the piston rod 27. The cross bars 16 and 22 may conveniently be each made with
a central eye portion 16* or 22*, as shown, to fit the link 14 or 24 carrying the
tappets between which it works. With the arrangement described, it will be seen
that by the reciprocation of the piston rod, the levers 17 and 20 will cause the
main and supplementary valves 1 and 12 respectively to reciprocate intermittently
and in opposite directions to each other, which is very important, ensuring as it
does sufficient ingress and egress of steam into and from the steam chambers 2
and 2ª, to cause the main valve to be rapidly moved to the end of its stroke as
hereinafter more fully explained. The supplementary valve 12 has a flat upper
surface on which works a block 28 that is recessed into the steam chest cover 29
and is adapted by means of a spring 30 and set screw 30 to keep the main slide
valve 1 tight against the valve face 31 of the motor cylinder 32 upon which it
works.
In the said valve face 31 are formed two auxiliary ports 33, 33" (Fig. 3) by
means of which a regulated quantity of steam can be admitted to each of the main
steam passages 34, 34ª of the engine cylinder in turn, after steam has been cut off
from such passages by the main valve 1. For this purpose the said main valve is
made of such a length at that side at which the auxiliary ports are situated, as
shown at 1a in Fig. 4, that each of these ports in turn will be open to steam when
the corresponding main steam port is covered by the main valve.
Each of the auxiliary ports 33, 33ª communicates with a chamber 35 or 35" that
is in communication with the corresponding main steam passage 34 or 34ª by a
port 36, which is controlled by a regulating valve 37 capable of being operated
from the exterior of the valve chest 38, as shown in Fig. 2. 39 is the main
exhaust port; 40 the motor piston. 41, 41 are two ports in the supplementary
valve 12 for admitting steam to the chambers 2, 2ª alternately when they are
brought, by the relative movement of the valves, over the ports 8, 8" respectively.
42 is an exhaust cavity in the underside of the supplementary valve for placing
the said chambers 2, 2ª alternately in communication with the exhaust passage 10.
The operation of the arrangement is as follows:-
Assuming the main valve to be at the right hand end of its stroke, and the
engine piston to be at the left hand end of its stroke as shown, then the right hand
main steam port 34 will be open to the main exhaust port 39 through the cavity 11

page_text: in the underside of the main valve 1, and the left hand main steam port 34ª will be
getting full steam, the ports 8, 8° on the back or top of the main valve being at
this time each closed. The engine piston 40 will now be travelling from left to
right and at a certain point of its stroke, the main valve spindle 5 will, by the
action on the tappet 23 of the cross bar 22 of the pair of levers 20, begin to move
the main valve to the left-the main valve spindle 5 moving in an opposite
direction to the piston-until it cuts off steam from the left hand main steam
port 34, but as the auxiliary port 33ª in connection with this main steam port will
not yet be closed, the engine piston will now be getting a regulated quantity of
steam through the said auxiliary port, the quantity depending upon the position of
the corresponding regulating valve 37. While the main valve is thus travelling
from right to left into the above named position, the supplementary valve rod 13
will be moved by the action of the cross bar 16 of the pair of levers 17 on the
tappet 15, in an opposite direction to that of the main valve rod 5, and when the
main valve attains a position in which the cavity 11 therein places the main steam
port 34 in communication with the main exhaust port 39, the supplementary
valve 12 will have been moved into such a position as to open the port
of the
right hand piston chamber 2 to steam through the left hand port 41 in the said
supplementary valve, so as to admit live steam to such chamber, and to open the
left hand piston chamber 2" to the central exhaust passage 10 through the exhaust
cavity 42 in the underside of the supplementary valve, so as to allow the steam
which is in this chamber, to exhaust down the said passage 10 into the main
exhaust 39. When this takes place, the main valve 1 will be thrown, by the
action of the steam admitted to the right hand piston chamber 2, from right to left
until the exhaust passage 10 is cut off from the left hand chamber and live steam
is cut off from the right hand chamber. In this way the main valve will be rapidly
moved to the end of its stroke, thereby quickly placing the port 34° in full
communication with the exhaust port 39, and the main steam port 34 in full
communication with the steam chest 38. The main and supplementary valves
being now in the opposite positions to those shown, in which they were at starting,
will be in proper positions for enabling the engine piston 40 to make its return
stroke, viz. from right to left during one part of which the main valve will be
thrown to the right. The above described operations are repeated for each
succeeding stroke.
It will be seen that should the motor stop with the main valve 1 in such a
position as to cover both the ports 34 and 34ª, there will be no difficulty in
re-starting the motor, as steam can be admitted to the proper end of the cylinder
by means of one of the auxiliary ports 33, 33*.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is:-
1. In apparatus for distributing actuating fluid in motors such as those of direct
acting steam pumps, a main slide valve having steam chambers fitted with
pistons and provided with crossed steam inlet and outlet passages controlled by a
supplementary valve, and means for intermittently operating said valves in opposite
directions, the arrangement being such that when the main valve attains a position
wherein one of the main steam ports of the engine cylinder is in communication
with the exhaust, steam will be admitted by the supplementary valve to one of the
said chambers in the main valve and exhausted from the other, in such a manner
that the said valve will be rapidly moved in an automatic manner to the end of its
stroke, so as to thereby place the said main steam port in full communication with
the main exhaust, and the main steam port to the opposite end of the cylinder, in
full communication with the steam chest, and consequently in a position for making
the return stroke of the engine piston, and so on with respect to each stroke, as set
forth.
2. Constructing the cylinder face of a motor provided with motive fluid

page_text: distributing apparatus of the kind referred to, with auxiliary ports connected with
the main steam passages of the engine cylinder by auxiliary passages, controlled
by valves, so that a regulated quantity of steam can be admitted to each of the
said main steam passages in turn, and constructing the main valve at that side at
which the auxiliary ports are situated, of such a length that one or other of these
ports will be open to steam when the corresponding main steam port is covered by
the main valve, substantially as described for the purpose specified.
3. The improved apparatus for distributing actuating fluid in motors such as
direct acting steam pumps, constructed arranged and operating substantially as
herein before described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 29th day of September 1894.
ALEXANDER HORNE.
JOHN B. FURNEAUX.
W. Lloyd Wise,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicants.