IMPROVEMENTS IN VALVES FOR STEAM AND OTHER MOTIVE-POWER ENGINES
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joshua Nickerson Rowe, of Rockland, in the State of
Main, United States of America, but at present of Tuebrook, in the County of
Lancaster, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN VALVES FOR STEAM AND
OTHER MOTIVE-POWER ENGINES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joshua Nickerson Rowe at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 11th January 1881.
JOSHUA NICKERSON ROWE, of Rockland, in the State of Main, United States of
America, but at present of Tuebrook, in the County of Lancaster. "IMPROVEMENTS
IN VALVES FOR STEAM AND OTHER MOTIVE POWER ENGINES."
My Invention relates to a novel construction of supply valves and cut off valves
for steam and other motive power engines, and is particularly adapted to be used
as a controlling, governing, or supply valve for steam steering engines.
A valve constructed according to my Invention consists of a cylindrical casing,
from the periphery of which lead passages or ports to the top and bottom end of
the steam cylinder. The bottom of the casing is provided with a suitable exhaust.
The inside of the casing has a slight taper or draw. Within the casing there is a
cylindrical ring having a corresponding draw or taper to the casing. This ring is
provided with ports corresponding with the ports of the casing, and is hereafter
termed the controlling or cut off valve. Within the controlling or cut off valve is
the main or admission valve, which is provided with a corresponding taper or
draw to the interior of the controlling, and with ports on its periphery
corresponding to the ports on the controlling valve and the valve casing: One of
the ports on the main valve is the admission port and the other is the exhaust
port. The interior of the valve is provided with a diaphragm which divides the
valve into two semi-cylinders, one of which is for admission and the other for
exhaust. The admission half is open on the top and closed at the bottom. The
exhaust half is closed at the top and open at the bottom. The admission valve is
worked by a suitable spindle, and is operated, in the case of steam steering engines,
by the steering wheel or by hand. The controlling valve is also operated by a
[Price 6d.1

page_text: suitable spindle and gear, and is worked by the action of the engines by connection
to the barrel or other moving part of the steam steering engine. The admission
valve has a certain rotary travel within the controlling valve which regulates the
steam supply and the advance of the controlling valve over the admission valve.
An admission and controlling valve according to my Invention may be arranged
as a single valve, one to each cylinder, or by prolonging or deepening the valve
and duplicating the ports, and setting them at opposite positions and one above the
other on the periphery of the valves, the valve is adapted as a single valve
supplying both cylinders.
In carrying out this latter arrangement the leads or passages from the valves
may be direct to the cylinders, or they may be used to supply steam through
ordinary slide or other valves. In this latter case the valve of my Invention is
used as an intermediate controlling valve, in which, in the case of steam steering
engines, the admission valve is the hand valve, and the exterior or controlling valve
the cut off worked by the engines.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Joshua Nickerson Rowe in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
11th July 1881.
"
JOSHUA NICKERSON ROWE, of Rockland, in the State of Maine, United States of
America, but at present of Tuebrook, in the County of Lancaster. IMPROVEMENTS
IN VALVES FOR STEAM AND OTHER MOTIVE POWER ENGINES."
My Invention relates to a novel construction of supply valves and cut off valves
for steam and other motive power engines, and is particularly adapted to be used
as a controlling, governing, or supply valve for steam steering engines.
This
A valve constructed according to my Invention consists of a cylindrical casing,
from the periphery of which lead passages or ports to the top and bottom of
the steam cylinder. The bottom of the casing is provided with a suitable exhaust.
The inside of the casing has a slight taper or draw. Within the casing there is a
cylindrical ring having a corresponding draw or taper to the casing.
ring is provided with ports corresponding with the ports of the inside or admission
and exhaust valve herein mentioned, and is hereafter termed the controlling or
cut off valve. Within the controlling or cut off valve is the main or admission
valve, which is provided with a corresponding taper or draw to the interior
of the controlling valve, and with ports in its periphery corresponding to
the ports on the controlling valve. One of the ports in the main valve is
the admission port and the other is the exhaust port. The interior of the
valve is provided with a diaphragm which divides the valve into two. semi
cylinders, one of which is for admission and the other for exhaust. The
admission half is open on the top and closed at the bottom. The exhaust half is

page_text: closed at the top and open at the bottom. The admission valve, is worked by a
suitable spindle, and is operated in the case of steam steering engines by the
steering wheel. or by hand. The controlling valve is also operated by a suitable
spindle and gear, and is worked by the action of the engines or by connection to
the barrel. or other moving part of the steam steering engine. The admission valve
has a certain rotary travel within the controlling valve, which regulates the steam
supply and the advance of the controlling valve over the admission valve.
.
An admission and. controlling valve according to my Invention may be arranged
as a single valve, one to each cylinder, or by prolonging or deepening the valve
and duplicating the ports, and setting them at opposite positions and one above the
other on the periphery of the valves, the valve is adapted as a single valve
supplying both cylinders.
In carrying out this latter arrangement the leads or passages from the valves
may be direct to the cylinders, or they may be used to supply steam through
ordinary slide or other valves. In this latter, case the valve of my Invention is
used as an intermediate controlling valve, in which in the case of steam steering
engines, the admission valve is the hand valve, and the exterior or controlling valve
the cut off worked by the engines.
In order that my Invention, and the method of putting the same into practical
operation, may be clearly understood I have hereunto annexed a Sheet of Drawings
illustrative thereof, marked with letters and figures of reference corresponding
with those in the following description, like letters being used to denote the same
or corresponding parts throughout the various views.
Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of the combined casing, cut off valve, and
admission valve.
Figure 2 is a section at X, X, Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a plan of the cut off and admission valve viewed from the top.
Figure 4 is a perspective view of the valve casing.
Figure 5 is a perspective view of the cut off or controlling valve.
Figure 6 is a perspective view of the admission valve.
Figure 7 is a perspective view of the valve casing cover.
The last four Figures, namely, Figures 4, 5, 6, and 7, are arranged one over the
other in the position which they occupy in relation to each other, as illustrated at
Figure 1.
The combined valve arrangement consists of a cylindrical casing A, from the
periphery of which lead passages or ports, namely B, B', leading to the top and
bottom of one cylinder, and C, C¹, leading to the top and bottom of the other
cylinder. The bottom of the casing A is provided with an exhaust passage D.
The inside of the casing A has a slight taper or draw. Within the casing A there
is a cylindrical ring E having a corresponding draw or taper to the casing A.
This ring E forms the controlling or cut off valve, and is provided with ports
F, F, and H, H', in its periphery, corresponding with the ports of the hereafter
mentioned admission valve.
Within the valve E there is placed the valve J, which forms the main or
admission valve, and has a corresponding taper or draw to the interior of the
valve E, and is provided with ports, K, L, being the steam ports, and M, N, the
exhaust ports. The interior of the valve is provided with a diaphragm P, which
divides the valve into two chambers, being semi cylinders, the chamber R being for
steam admission, and the chamber S being the exhaust. The chamber R is closed
at the bottom and open at the top for admission, and the chamber S is closed at
the top and open at the bottom for exhaust, as will be understood upon reference
to Figure 1. The admission valve J is worked by the spindle T, which is operated

page_text: in the case of steam steering engines by suitable gear in connection with the
steering wheel or by hand. The controlling or cut off valve E is operated by the
spindle U, worked by suitable gear operated by the action of the engine or by a
connection to some moving part of the steam steering engine. The admission
valve J has a certain rotary travel within the controlling valve E, which regulates
the steam supply and the advance of the controlling valve E over the admission
valve J. This travel is limited by the stops a on the controlling valve, and the
stop b on the admission valve. Steam is supplied to the admission valve through
the cover V and passage and pipe W.
In the Drawings, Figures 4, 5, 6, and 7, the position of the valves shown illustrate
the position when the engine is at rest, doing no work, all the ports being closed.
By moving the valve J (supposing the valves were all closed together) to the right
or left steam will be supplied to the engines to give corresponding movement, which
movement will be arrested by the valve E, which cuts off the supply or follows up
the movement of the valve J.
In construction all the ports in the cut off valve E should be at least double in
depth the depth of the steam admission ports, but the same circumferential
length.
The exhaust ports M, N, of the valve J are the same depth as the ports of the
cut off valve E. The admission ports K, L, of the valve J will in some cases have
to be V shaped at both ends to prevent too sudden action of the steam during first
admission. The passages B, B, C, C', should be the same size as the ports in the
cut off valve E, and by preference should be the same depth as such ports to
prevent muffing of the steam at any point.
By removing the cut off valve, Figure 5, and dispensing with the spindle U
and its gland, and enlarging the valve J to fit the casing A, I produce a valve for
ordinary engines where no cut off is required. One valve can be made to work
one, two, or more engines; no eccentrics are required. In the case of a single
engine the valve would have one tier of ports, and would be driven a complete
turn for every revolution of the engine, but in cases where a fast moving valve is
objectionable the ports can be so divided as to give two or more revolutions of the
engines to one of the valve. In cases where piston valves are used my valve
arrangement can be used as the controlling valve.
Having now described and ascertained the nature of my Invention, and shown
how the same may be put into practical operation, what I claim as my Invention
and secured to me by Letters Patent, as aforesaid, is,-
The construction and arrangement of valves for steam and other motive power
engines, as herein described and shown in the Drawings hereto annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joshua Nickerson Rowe, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fifth day of July, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty one.
JOSHUA NICKERSON ROWE. (L.S.)