IMPROVEMENTS IN LOCOMOTIVE ENGINES
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake,
& Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for an Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN LOCOMOTIVE ENGINES." A communication from abroad by
John B. Smith and George B. Smith, both of Dunmore, Pennsylvania, United
States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 9th June 1880.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN LOCOMOTIVE ENGINES."
[A communication from abroad by John B. Smith and George B. Smith, both
of Dunmore, Pennsylvania, United States of America.]
My Invention relates to the combination and arrangement in a locomotive of
three cylinders and their immediate connections with the ordinary slide-valve gear
and reversing gear, so that the pistons of the said cylinders may be operated
through and by means of such slide-valve gear and reversing gear, and steam is
admitted to each end of each of the three cylinders in each revolution of the
driving wheel, that is to say, to one end and then to the other end of the cylinders
successively.
The object of this Invention is to produce a practical three-cylinder-locomotive,
so that lateral motion in the locomotive shall be overcome, thereby increasing the
durability of the engine and of the rails upon which it runs; also causing the engine
to run steadier and easier on steep grades, or to draw a longer or heavier train
than heretofore.
The crank-pins and crank-axles are arranged at thirds of a circle, or at angles
to each other of about 120°. There are three pairs of excentric rods, and three
pairs of excentrics for driving the valves. There are also three connecting rods
extending from the three pistons to the driving wheels and axles, two of these
connecting rods being connected to crank pins and one to the crank axle, or all
three may be connected inside to crank axles.
The steam is admitted through pipes direct from the throttle valve to the steam-
chests. The steam passes from the three steam-chests through the slide valves into
the three steam-cylinders. The three pairs of excentric rods are connected with
three links, so that the engine can be reversed in the ordinary manner by the
"link motion."

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
9th December 1880.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN LOCOMOTIVE ENGINES."
A communication from abroad by John B. Smith and George B. Smith, both of
Dunmore, Pennsylvania, United States of America.
This Invention relates to the combination and arrangement in a locomotive of
three cylinders and their immediate connections with the ordinary slide-valve-gear
and reversing gear, so that the pistons of the said cylinders may be operated
through and by means of such slide-valve-gear and reversing gear, and steam will
be admitted to each end of each of the three cylinders at every revolution of the
driving wheels, that is to say, first to one end and then to the other end of the
cylinders successively.
The object of this Invention is to produce a practicable three-cylinder locomotive,
so that lateral motion in the locomotive shall be overcome, thereby increasing the
durability of the engine and of the rails upon which it runs; also causing the engine
to run more steadily and easily on steep gradients, and enabling it to draw a longer
or more heavily loaded train than heretofore.
In the accompanying Drawings,-
Figure 1 is a side view of a part of a locomotive embodying my improvements.
Figure 2 is an elevation showing the position of the crank-pins and crank-axles,
these parts and the three cylinders being combined and arranged as hereinafter
described.
Figure 3 is a plan shewing the three steam cylinders with the other mechanism
arranged and combined, as hereinafter described.
Figure 4 is an end view shewing the three steam-cylinders, the wheels, crank-
pins, crank-axle, the excentrics and the shaft for the valve-stem arms.
Figures 5, 6, and 7 each represent one position of each piston, with slide-valves
in position to admit steam for a forward movement of the engine.
a is the frame of the locomotive; b, b, b, are the steam-cylinders; 61, 61, 61, steam-
crank-
chests; c, c, driving wheels; d, d, crank-pins on driving wheels; d', d',
axles.
The crank-pins and crank-axles are arranged at thirds of a circle or at angles
to each other of about 120°, as shewn in Figures 5, 6, and 7; e, e, e, are slide
valves; fff, steam-ports; and f¹, f¹, f', exhaust-ports; g represents one of the
valve-stems; h, ', h", are arms for driving the valve stems; i, i, i, are links, and
jjj, three pairs of excentric-rods; k, k, k, three pairs of excentrics for driving
the valves; L, l, l, are piston rods, and m, m, m, cross-heads; n, n, n, are connecting
rods extending from the three piston-rods to the driving wheels and axles, two
of these connecting rods being connected to crank-pins d, d, and one to the crank-
axles d' (or all three may be connected inside to crank-axles); o, o, o, are parallel
or coupling rods; p, p, are link-lift-arms; q is a rod extending from the link lift
arms to the reversing lever r; 8, 8, are sleeves for carrying arms h, h¹; t is a shaft
for carrying arm ".
The steam is admitted through pipes direct from the throttle-valve to the steam-
chests b¹, b', 6'. The steam passes from the three steam-chests through the three
slide-valves e, e, e, into the three steam-cylinders, the slide valves on the steam-
cylinders being operated by three pairs of excentrics kc, k, k, on one of the engine-
axles through the three pairs of excentric rods j, j, j, and three links i, i, i, and so
that the engine can be reversed in the ordinary manner by the "link-motion
connections, the steam being admitted uniformly to the three cylinders through the
"

page_text: three slide-valves e, e, e, and thereby giving steam to each cylinder twice in each
revolution of the wheels (first to one end of all the cylinders and then to the
other end of all the cylinders successively), and this on either a forward or backward
movement of the machine.
The arrows in Figures 5, 6, and 7 indicate the path of the steam admitted to
and exhausted from the three cylinders on a forward movement of the engine.
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondents, and the manner of performing the same, I wish it understood
that I claim,
In a locomotive the combination of three cylinders and their immediate
connections with the slide-valve-gear and reversing gear, arranged and operating in
such manner that steam is admitted to each end of the three cylinders in each
revolution of the driving wheels, substantially as specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Ninth day of December, in the year of our Lord One
Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty.