Improvements in and connected with Steam Engines.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Mar., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 9th Dec., 1893-Accepted, 13th Jan., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Steam Engines.
We, JOSEPH LEVER of Bagot House, Stoneclough, near Manchester, in the
County of Lancaster, Merchant, and MATTHEW WILLIAM MILLS of Bury in
the County of Lancaster, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows :-
This invention relates to single acting high speed steam engines having two
or more cylinders. The engine may be compounded if desired and the cylinders
may be placed in any convenient positions relatively to one another.
Each cylinder is furnished with a hollow rotary valve transversely divided by
a partition into two parts, one of which forms the admission and the other the
exhaust valve. Each valve has three or more longitudinal openings which
successively correspond with a transverse opening or port at the end of the
cylinder. These valves rotate constantly in one direction and being furnished
with three or more ports run much more slowly than the crank shaft, thus
reducing the strain upon the valve gear and obviating all shocks and dislocations.
The valves are preferably rotated by means of a shaft or shafts driven by
gearing from the crank shaft and having right and left handed worms formed
upon it or them which gear with corresponding worm wheels upon the valve
shafts.
Contained within each of the rotary valves is an oscillatory cut off valve
operated from an excentric upon the crank shaft. The amount of lap is varied
by the shortening of the excentric rod which is connected with any suitable.
governor. The motion of this valve during the cut off is opposite to that of
the rotary valve and consequently a quick motion is obtained notwithstanding
the slow speed of the rotary valve.
In addition to or in substitution for shortening the excentric rod it may be
arranged that the governor shall alter the position of the excentric upon the
crank shaft.
When two cylinders are employed it is preferred to arrange them co-axially, a
larger number may be arranged radially with the axis of the crank shaft.
Dated this 7th day of March A.D. 1893.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Steam Engines.
We, JOSEPH LEVER of 54 Forest Road Southport in the County of
Lancaster, Engineer, and MATTHEW WILLIAM MILLS, of Moss Foundry,
Heywood, in the County of Lancaster, 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 relates to steam engines and more particularly to high speed
single acting engines with two or more cylinders. Such engines may be
compounded or not, and their cylinders may be arranged in any convenient and
practicable positions relatively to each other.
Steam is admitted to and exhausted from the cylinders through hollow rotary
ID 27

page_text: valves each of which is transversely divided by a diaphragm or partition into
two parts, one of which forms the admission and the other the exhaust part of the
valve. Each part of the valve has longitudinal slots or ports, which, as the valve
rotates, come successively in front of a corresponding part communicating with
the interior of the cylinder. The valve is rotated continuously in one direction,
and moves at a much less angular velocity than the crank shaft, so that the strain
upon the valve gear is low, shocks and vibrations are obviated, and wear and tear
are greatly reduced. The rotation of the valve may be effected by means of a
shaft or shafts driven through suitable gearing from the crank shaft. In each
admission part of the valve there is arranged a cut-off valve which may be
operated from an excentric on the crank shaft or otherwise. The amount of lap
may be varied by the shortening of the excentric rod either by hand or by a
governor. The direction of motion of the cut-off valve when it is actuated
during steam admission is opposite to that of the rotary valve and consequently
a quick action is obtained notwithstanding the comparatively slow speed of the
rotary valve.
Instead of varying the stroke of the cut-off valve by shortening or lengthening
the excentric rod, the position of the excentric may be altered for the same purpose,
either by hand or by the governor.
The oscillation of the cut-off valve may in some cases be reduced to nothing in
which case it is obvious that the excentric may be dispensed with when the position
of the valve may be adjusted from time to time by means of a hand wheel and
index plate in the usual known manner. Also the valve may in some cases be
continuously rotated by gearing from the crank shaft and preferably in an opposite
direction to the rotary valve, but we prefer the arrangement and operation herein-
after described.
When two cylinders are employed it is preferred to arrange them co-axially. A
large number may be arranged radially from the crank shaft as in the "Brother-
hood" type of engine.
We will more particularly describe our said invention with reference to the
accompanying drawings in which :-
Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of a two cylinder engine fitted with
cur improvements.
Figure 2 is a horizontal longitudinal section, and
Figure 3 a sectional end view of the same engine.
Figure 4 is a vertical cross section through the admission part of the rotary valve,
drawn to an enlarged scale.
Figure 5 is a similar section through the exhaust part of the valve; and
Figure 6 is a longitudinal section through the whole valve.
Figure 7 shews the application of our improvements to a double acting engine, in
longitudinal section.
Figure 8 is an end view of Figure 7.
In each of the figures where the parts are represented, A is the foundation of the
engine, B a box which is preferably closed by a lid such as b, C C¹ the cylinders,
E the excentric operating the cut-off valve, E¹ the excentric rod, F fly wheel,
G G¹ connecting rods, H rod connecting two cut-off valves, I cut-off valve spindle
carried in bearing J, K crank, K' crank shaft, L skew wheel on crank shaft gearing
with skew wheel on the valve driving spindle M, N N' worms on M gearing with worm
wheels on, rotary valve spindles O O₁, P P pistons, V a admission part of rotary
valve, Ve exhaust part of same, and Vo cut-off valve.
In the construction represented by Figures 1, 2 and 3, there are two co-axial
cylinders C Cfitted with trunk pistons connected to the common crank K. The
bearings or brasses on K are divided and at the points of division are bevelled or
cut away so as to permit angular motion of the connecting rods. A quantity of oil
may be kept in the bottom of the box B. so that the bearing may be automatically!
lubricated as in other engines of. a similar type, by the partial immersion of the
bearing into the oil at each revolution.
ht

page_text: The valves are in this case arranged below the outer end of each cylinder
immediately below the ports, and are separately and more clearly shewn by
Figures 4, 5 and 6. Each valve consists of three parts, Va the admission part,
V.e the exhaust part, and Vo the cut-off. The parts V a Ve are hollow, connected
co-axial cylinders, and the part Vo is contained within Va.
The rotary
parts Va Ve fit within a tubular chamber in which ports Sa and Se are formed.
In the drawings, three of each kind of port is shewn, two of which open into the
steam chest T or the exhaust chamber T¹ and one into the cylinder, so that the
steam must pass through these ports and the valve on its way into and out of
the cylinder. In the parts Va Ve corresponding ports are formed so that when
the ports in the valve coincide with the ports in the chamber, steam can pass
through the valve. It will be obvious that either the ports in Va Ve on the one
hand, or the ports Sa Se admitting and exhausting steam from the cylinder on the
other hand, must not be in line, or must be so arranged that they open communication
at their respective appropriate times for admission and exhaust.
The number of ports in Va Ve will be determined by the speed of rotation of
the rotary valve relatively to that of the crank shaft. Four are shewn in the
drawings, and this is found to be a convenient number in practice. In this case
the valve rotates at one fourth of the speed of the crank shaft. Any other
convenient proportion and number of ports may however be taken. The number of
ports may vary with the speed of the engine, being greater with high speeds and
fess with low speeds.
The valve may be packed between the admission and exhaust parts by the
Ramsbottom packing rings R or otherwise.
The cut-off valve Vo is fitted within V a for the purpose of regulating the cut-off
in various ways.
We prefer to oscillate it however by the means hereinafter
described from the crank shaft although it may in some cases be rotary or stationary.
Taking the relative positions of the valves indicated by Figure 4 as a starting point,
and assuming the motion of V a and Vo both to be clock-wise, Vo having four times
the angular velocity of Va, at the end of one eighth of a revolution the ports will
have taken the same relative positions as shewn for the exhaust ports Figure 5, so
that the steam admission is fully opened. Just before when or after this point is
arrived at, as may be determined by the amount of expansion required, the valve Vo
returns with a quick stroke and thus suddenly closes the port from the inside of the
valve. The exhaust ports are arranged to be open during the return stroke of the
piston only, as is well understood.
The rotary valve may be rotated by any suitable gearing from the crank shaft.
As shewn by the drawings, Figures 1, 2 and 3, it is rotated by the skew wheel L
and the worm N on the valve spindle O.
The cut-off valve, as represented by the drawings is oscillated by the excentric E
and its rod E. This rod may be connected with the valve spindle by a short arme
wbich is engaged with the rod by a stud fixed in the arm or it may be connected to
a stud on an adjustable block arranged in a longitudinal slot in the arm e, so that
by altering the position of the block in the slot the stroke of the cut-off valve may
be lengthened or shortened, or the same result may be obtained by other known
devices. Alternatively, the excentric and its rod may be omitted, in which case a
pin on the arm e may be arranged to be engaged in a fixed arc slot concentric with
the valve spindle and to be adjustably fixed in this slot, or, e may be substituted by
a worm wheel engaged by a tangent screw. In either case the cut-off will be fixed,
but may be varied by moving the pin in the slot or by rotating the tangent screw.
As a further modification, the arme or its equivalent may be connected with a
governor in which case its position will be controlled by the governor direct. if it
be desired that the cut-off valve be rotated, the motion may be obtained by gearing
from the crank shaft.
Synchronous motion of the valves is ensured by driving both the rotary valves
from the shaft M, and by connecting the cut-off valves by the rod H.
The modification represented by Figures 7 and 8 is practically identical with

page_text: that already described, the valves instead of being at the outer ends of two opposed
-cylinders, being at the outer ends of a single double acting cylinder C. Also, the
rotary valves, instead of being driven by a worm and worm wheel are indicated as
being driven by mitre or bevel wheels, either arrangement of gearing being
available in either case.
1
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. In a steam engine, a rotary valve transversely divided into two distinct parts
of which one forms the admission and the other the exhaust portion, the valve
.having longitudinal ports therein and being geared with the crank shaft in such a
manner that the valve is rotated through the distance between two ports for every
complete revolution of the crank shaft; constructed and arranged substantially as
hereinbefore described and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
2. In a steam engine, the combination and arrangement with the rotary valve set
forth in the preceding. claiming clause, of a cut-off valve contained within the
.admission part of the main rotary valve, constructed arranged and operated
substantially as hereinbefore described and as illustrated by the accompanying
-drawings.
3. Valves for the admission and exhaust of steam to and from the cylinders of
steam engines, constructed arranged and operated substantially as hereinbefore
described and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 7th day of December A.D. 1893.
<>
WILLIAM E. HEYS,
Agent for the Applicants.