Improvements in Single Acting Multiple Expansion Motive Power Engines.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Jan, 1894
Complete Specification Left, 15th Oct., 1894-Accepted, 17th Nov., 1894
PROVISIONAL. SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Single Acting Multiple Expansion Motive Power
Engines.
I, JAMES WILLIAM RESTLER of No. 68 Linden Grove, Nunhead in the County
of Surrey, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention relates to compound or multiple expansion motive power engines
having one two or more sets of cylinders each set being arranged tandem fashion
relatively to the shaft the cranks where two or more are used being set at any desired
angle relatively to each other the motive fluid being distributed by means of a valve
or valves so that the pressure transmitted to the crank pin or crank pins is always in
one direction and the essential feature of my invention consists in the construction
and use of a hollow cylindrical rotary valve or of hollow cylindrical rotary valves
having ports therein communicating with ports in the valve box or case or valve
boxes or cases for effecting the distribution of the motive fluid to the several
cylinders in a simple and efficient manner. The valve or each valve may be
rotated in its box or case in any suitable manner from any suitable moving part of
the engine for instance by means of a toothed wheel on the crank shaft gearing with
a corresponding wheel fast on a spindle or by coupling rods connecting the valve
spindle and crank shaft and so connected with the valve that by the rotation of
this spindle the valve will be rotated and yet will admit of the valve or spindle
moving or of being moved longitudinally by hand or under the action of a governor
so as to regulate the admission of motive fluid and also so that the valve may be
shifted by hand so as to reverse the engine. One valve may be arranged to
distribute the motive fluid to one or more sets of cylinders or in some cases more
than one valve may be used for this purpose. Taking as an instance the application
of this valve to an engine having two sets of cylinders arranged side by side live
motive fluid enters an aunular space surrounding the valve box or case and passes
therefrom through a port or ports in the valve box or case and corresponding port
or ports in the valve to the interior of the valve and thence through a port or
passage into the smallest cylinder of one set of cylinders. The motive fluid acting
on the piston in this cylinder forces it to the end of its stroke thereby giving
rotation through a connecting rod and crank to the engine shaft. The valve is by
this motion turned in the valve box so as to cut off the admission of live motive
fluid to this cylinder and bring the admission port into position to direct the live
motive fluid into the smallest cylinder of the other set of cylinders the piston in
this cylinder being thereby forced to the end of its stroke and giving further
rotation through its connecting rod and crank to the engine shaft whilst at the
same time the piston in the first named cylinder is caused to make its return stroke.
While this stroke is taking place the motive fluid passes from the small cylinder of
the first set through a port to the interior of the valve and thence through another
port in the valve into the next larger cylinder of the second set of cylinders. The
pistons in the large cylinders are of annular form and may be formed in one with
or attached to their respective pistons in the smaller cylinders. The motive fluid
acting on the annular piston serves in conjunction with the live motive fluid acting
on the smaller piston to drive the engine in the same direction. By the time the
pistons in the second set of cylinders have completed their stroke the valve will
have been turned in its box or case so as to open ports which will admit the exhaust
motive fluid from the operating side of the annular piston to the under-side thereof,
the area of which under-side is equal to the full diameter of the cylinder minus the

page_text: sectional area of the piston rod. The communicating ports between the opposite
sides of this annular piston remain open until the said piston has nearly completed
its return stroke and the pressure per square inch on both sides of the piston being
equal the excess of area of the one side over that of the other or annular side assists
the smaller piston to expel the motive fluid from its cylinder into the larger cylinder
of the first set of cylinders and tends to relieve or remove the pressure that would
otherwise come upon the crank pin. The motive fluid expelled from the small
cylinder of the second set acts on the annular side of the piston in the larger
cylinder of the first set and in conjunction with the motive fluid admitted to the
small cylinder of the said first set exerts its pressure on the crank pin in the same
direction, the ports communicating with the upper and under side of this annular
piston being closed and a port communicating with the under side of the said piston
and the exhaust passage being opened. The valve may be arranged so as to
distribute the motive fluid to two sets of cylinders alternately as herein before
described or it may in conjunction with a receiver or with receivers be arranged
to distribute the motive fluid to one set of cylinders or more than two sets if
desired.
Dated this 15th day of January 1894
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Single Acting Multiple Expansion Motive Power
Engines.
I, JAMES WILLIAM RESTLER of No. 68 Linden Grove Nunhead in the County
of Surrey, Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my invention and in what
inanner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement :-
My invention relates to compound or multiple expansion motive power engines
having one two or more sets of cylinders each set being arranged tandem fashion
relatively to the shaft, the cranks where two or more are used, being set at any
desired angle relatively to each other the motive fluid being distributed by means
of a valve or valves so that the pressure transmitted to the crank pin or crank pins
is always in one direction, and the essential feature of my invention consists in the
construction and use of a hollow cylindrical rotary valve or of hollow cylindrical
rotary valves having ports or passages therein, communicating with ports in the
valve box or case or valve boxes or cases for effecting the distribution of the motive
fluid to the several cylinders in a simple and efficient manner. The valves or each
valve may be rotated in its box or case in any suitable manner from any suitable
moving part of the engine for instance by means of a toothed wheel on the crank
shaft gearing with a corresponding wheel fast on a spindle or by coupling rods
connecting the valve spindle and crank shaft and so connected with the valve that
by the rotation of this spindle the valve will be rotated and yet will admit of the
valve or spindle moving or of being moved longitudinally by hand or under the
action of a governor so as to regulate the admission of motive fluid and also so that
the valve may be rotated by hand or power independently of the valve driving
mechanism so as to regulate the speed of or reverse the direction of motion of the
engine. One valve may be arranged to distribute the motive fluid to one or more
sets of cylinders or in some cases more than one valve may be used for this
purpose. Taking as an instance the application of this valve to an engine having
two sets of cylinders arranged side by side live motive fluid enters an annular
space surrounding the valve box or case and passes therefrom through a port or
ports in the valve box or case and corresponding port or ports in the valve to
the interior of the valve and thence through a port or passage into the smallest
cylinder of one set of cylinders. The motive Huid acting on the piston in this

page_text: cylinder forces it to the end of its stroke thereby giving rotation through a
connecting rod and crank to the engine shaft. The valve is by this motion turned
in the valve box so as to cut off the admission of live motive fluid to this cylinder
and bring the admission port into position to direct the live motive fluid into the
smallest cylinder of the other set of cylinders the piston in this cylinder being
thereby forced to the end of its stroke and giving further rotation through its
connecting rod and crank to the engine shaft whilst at the same time the piston in
the first named cylinder is caused to make its return stroke. While this stroke is
taking place the motive fluid passes from the small cylinder of the first set through
a port to the interior of the valve and thence through another port in the valve
into the next larger cylinder of the second set of cylinders. The pistons in the
large cylinders are of an annular form and may be formed in one with or attached
to their respective pistons in the smaller cylinders. The motive fluid acting on the
annular piston serves in conjunction with the live motive fluid acting on the smaller
piston to drive the engine in the same direction. By the time the pistons in the
second set of cylinders have completed their stroke the valve will have been turned
in its box or case so as to open ports which will admit the exhaust motive fluid
from the operating side of the annular piston to the under-side thereof, the area of
which under-side is equal to the full diameter of the cylinder minus the sectional
area of the piston rod. The communicating ports between the opposite sides of
this annular piston remain open until the said piston has nearly completed its return
stroke and the pressure per square inch on both sides of the piston being equal the
excess of area of the one side over that of the other or annular side assists the
smaller piston to expel the motive fluid from its cylinder into the larger cylinder of
the first set of cylinders and tends to relieve or remove the pressure that would
otherwise come upon the crank pin. The motive fluid expelled from the small
cylinder of the second set acts on the annular side of the piston in the larger
cylinder of the first set and in conjunction with the motive fluid admitted to the
small cylinder of the said first set exerts its pressure on the crank pin in the same
direction, the ports communicating with the upper and under side of this annular
piston being closed and a port communicating with the under side of the said piston
and the exhaust passage being opened. The valve may be arranged so as to
distribute the motive fluid to two sets of cylinders alternately as herein before
described or it may in conjunction with a receiver or with receivers be arranged
to distribute the motive fluid to one set of cylinders or more than two sets if
desired.
And in order that my said invention may be fully understood I shall now proceed
to more particularly describe the same and for that purpose shall refer to the
several figures on the annexed sheet of drawings the same letters of reference
indicating corresponding parts in all the figures.
Figures 1 and 2 are vertical sections at right angles to each other and Figure 3
a horizontal section of a motive power engine constructed according to my invention.
Figure 4 is a vertical section of a similar engine shewing an arrangement for
regulating the admission of steam by means of a governor driven by the valve itself
and Figure 5 shews an arrangement whereby the valve can be adjusted axially in
the valve chest relatively to the position of the ports therein so as to regulate the
admission and exit of the steam to and from the cylinders and to reverse the
direction of motion of the engine when required.
Referring to Figures 1, 2 and 3, A B C and A' B'C' are respectively sets of
three cylinders arranged tandem fashion the two sets being arranged side by side
with a valve chest between containing a rotary valve, and provided with ports or
passages for distributing the motive fluid to the whole of the cylinders.
The cylinders A B C contain pistons D E and the cylinders A² B² C'³ contain
similar pistons D³ E³.
The ports or passages in the valve chest for the motive fluid are numbered 1 to 8
inclusive commencing at the upper end, and the ports or passages in the valve are
numbered 9 to 12 inclusive commencing from the upper end. The pistons D E

page_text: and D' E' as shewn in the drawing are supposed to be moving in the direction of
the arrows. The valve is shewn as being rotated by bevel gear a a' but it may be
driven by any other convenient means. The valve being in the position shewn,
live steam from the boiler enters by the pipe or opening 13 and passes into the
annular space 1 in the valve chest and thence by the port 9 in the valve into the
upper end of the high pressure cylinder A' and at the same time steam from
the high pressure cylinder A is exhausting through the port 3 in the valve chest
and through a passage or port 10 in the valve into the annular intermediate
cylinder B. During the time the steam is passing from the cylinder A to the
cylinder B the annular intermediate cylinder B is exhausting through the port 5
in the valve chest the passage 11 in the valve and port 7 in the valve chest into the
low pressure cylinder C, and the low pressure cylinder C. is also exhausting
through the port 6 in the valve chest passage 12 in the valve and thence by the
port 8 in the valve chest into a pipe or passage 14 leading to condenser or into the
atmosphere. At the return stroke of the pistons the valve will have made one
half revolution so that the port 9 thereiu establishes a communication between the
ports 3 and 1 in the valve chest thereby admitting live steam from the boiler to
the high pressure cylinder A and at the same time steam from the high pressure
cylinder A is exhausting through the port 2 in the valve chest passage 10 in the
valve and port 5 in the valve chest into the annular intermediate cylinder B. The
intermediate cylinder B' is at the same time exhausting through the port 4 in
the valve chest passage 11 in the valve and port 6 in the valve chest into the low
pressure cylinder C². The low pressure cylinder C is also at the same time
exhausting through the port 7 in the valve chest and passage 12 in the valve into
the pipe or passage 14 leading to the condenser or into the atmosphere. The
steam admitted to the low pressure cylinders acts on the whole undersides of the
pistons DE and D' E' to assist them in their upward or return strokes.
In the arrangement illustrated by Figure 4 the valve is capable of moving in a
longitudinal direction in the valve chest in addition to its rotary motion the wheel a
by which rotation is imparted to the said valve being keyed to a spindle b which is
connected to the valve by a feather or key C so as to rotate with the said spindle
and at the same time admit of the valve sliding longitudinally on the said spindle.
The upper end of the valve is connected by a rod d to any suitable governing
device so that by the rotary motion of the valve motion is imparted to the governor
which will cause the valve to be raised or lowered more or less according to the
speed at which the valve is being rotated and thereby open or close more or less
the ports leading to the cylinders. Or instead of regulating the admission of
steam by the longitudinal movement of the valve the collar e of the governor
device may be free to slide on the rod d of the valve so as to operate a lever in
connection with a valve in the steam supply pipe or a valve in connection with the
rotary valve inside the steam chest itself and thereby throttle more or less the
passage for the steam to the cylinders according to the speed of the engine and
thus maintain the speed of the engine practically uniform.
The valve may be adjusted axially in the valve chest by any suitable means so
as to regulate the admission and exit of steam to and from the cylinders and so
also as to reverse the direction of the motion of the engine when required. A
convenient arrangement for carrying out this part of my invention is shewn in
Figure 5 but I do not restrict myself to this arrangement.
h
The spindle b carrying the wheel a is provided with a sleeve or cap / revolving
with the spindle but free to slide longitudinally on a feather or key k thereon.
This sleeve is provided with helical threads or with studs gas shewn which
engage in helical threads or slots formed in the lower portion of the rotary valve,
so that when the spindle b is revolving, rotary motion will be given to the sleeve
or cap / through the feather or key k, the said rotary motion being transmitted to
the valve by the engagement of the threads or studs g with the sides of the helical
threads or slots f. On the sleeve or cap is formed a recess or collar which may
be engaged by the forked end of a lever by means of which the cap is raised and
h

page_text: lowered without moving the valve in a longitudinal direction; the sleeve or cap
then sliding on the feather or key k. By raising or lowering the sleeve or cap
the studs y by their engagement with the helical threads or slots fimpart to the
valve an axial motion independently of the rotary motion derived from the bevel
wheel and spindle whereby the position of the passages in the valve axially
with reference to the ports in the valve chest may be varied as required so as to
regulate the passages for steam to and from the cylinders. The valve may be thus
be moved into position relatively to the position of the cranks on the crank shaft
as to reverse the direction of motion of the engine.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my inven
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed 1 declare that what I
claim is.—-
1. In a single acting multiple expansion motive power engine consisting of the
combination with one or more sets of cylinders, each set comprising a high pressure
cylinder an intermediate pressure cylinder and a low pressure cylinder, a rotary
valve or rotary valves having ports or passages arranged as hereinbefore described
for distributing the motive fluid to the several cylinders substantially as hereinbetore
described.
2. In a single acting multiple expansion motive power engine such as herein-
before described a rotary valve having ports or passages arranged as described for
distributing the motive fluid to the several cylinders in combination with means for
moving the valve longitudinally in the valve chest to regulate the passages for the
motive fluid substantially as hereinbefore described.
3. In a single acting multiple expansion motive fluid engine such as hereinbefore
described a rotary valve having ports or passages arranged as described for
distributing the motive fluid to the several cylinders, a governor connected to and
operated by the valve so as to regulate the admission of motive fluid to the
cylinders substantially as herein before described.
4. In a single acting multiple expansion engine such as hereinbefore described, a
rotary valve for distributing the motive fluid to the several cylinders in combination
with a governor operated by the valve the said governor operating a throttle valve
in the steam pipe or passage for the motive fluid or in the valve chest so as to
regulate the admission of the motive fluid to the engine substantially as hereinbefore
described.
5. In a single acting multiple expansion motive power engine such as herein-
before described, a rotary valve for distributing the motive fluid to the several
cylinders in combination with means for adjusting the position of the valve axially
in the valve chest for the purpose of regulating the passages to and from the
cylinders and for reversing the direction of motion of the engine substantially as
hereinbefore described.
6. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting the single acting
multiple expansion motive power engine hereinbefore described and illustrated by
Figures 1. 2 and 3 of the accompanying drawings.
7. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting the single acting
multiple expansion motive power engine hereinbefore described and illustrated by
Figure 4 of the accompanying drawings.
8. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting means for regulating
the admission of motive fluid to and for reversing the direction of motion of single
acting multiple expansion motive power engines substantially as herein before
described and illustrated by Figure 5 of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 15th day of October 1894.
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX.