Improvements in Steam Engines.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Sept., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 5th Dec., 1895-Accepted, 11th Jan., 1396
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Steam Engines.
We, WILLIAM FITCH CLEVELAND and EUGENE WYMAN CLEVELAND,
Farmers, both of Rounthwaite, in the Province of Manitoba, and Dominion of
Canada, and ANCUS MARTIUS PETERSON, Barrister, of Brandon, Manitoba
aforesaid, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to a steam engine in which the cylinder is provided at its
ends with inlet ports also forming supplementary exhaust ports, a main exhaust
port at or near the middle of the cylinder, a double piston in the said cylinder, and
arranged relative to the main exhaust port so that when one of the pistons
passes the exhaust port a communication is established between the end of the
cylinder and the space between the pistons.
The inlet ports at the end of the cylinder open into a steam chest which is
provided at or near its middle with the steam supply pipe and the main exhaust
ports open into an annular chamber formed in the cylinder connected with an
exhaust pipe. The two working pistons are arranged at a suitable distance apart
on the piston rod and the steam chest is fitted with a valve formed of two pistons
placed at a suitable distance apart and secured on a valve stem connected at its
outer end by a suitable mechanism with the main driving shaft of the engine so as
to impart an intermittent reciprocating motion to the said piston valve to cause
the pistons to properly open and close the ports in the ends of the cylinder. The
ends of the steam chest are provided with auxiliary ports adapted to exhaust part
of the steam from the ends of the cylinder.
In operation, assuming the piston in the cylinder to be at the left hand end of
the cylinder, the steam passes through the supply pipe into the steam chest between
the pistons of the piston valve and through one of the ports into the left hand end
of the cylinder to exert its pressure against the outer face of one of the pistons
therein to force the latter to the other end of the cylinder and as both pistons are
on the same piston rod they move simultaneously. When the other piston leaves
the right hand end of the cylinder the piston valve in the steam chest shifts to the
left so that the piston valve uncovers the other port in the cylinder and the exhaust
steam in the right hand end of the cylinder can pass through the said port into the
right hand end of the steam chest and out into the exhaust pipe which is connected
with both ports in the ends of the steam chest. When the left hand piston moves
upon the main exhaust ports in the middle of the cylinder at the time the other
piston is near the end of its stroke, then the piston valve in the steam chest shifts
to the right so that the one piston valve uncovers the one port and the other piston
valve closes or moves over the other port. By a further movement to the right
the left hand piston will pass the main exhaust ports; that is into a position
similar to the right hand piston previous to the movement so that the steam in the
left hand end of the cylinder can pass through the main exhaust ports, the annular
chamber, and exhaust pipe, to the outside. The exhaust steam also passes into the
space between the two pistons so that the pressure on the opposite faces of the said
pistons is equal. When the pistons are on the return stroke, then the left hand
piston during the first part of its movement passes from the main exhaust ports and
at that time the piston valve in the steam chest again shifts to the right so that
the piston valve opens the port to connect the left hand end of the cylinder with
D

page_text: the left hand end of the steam chest and with the exhaust port. Thus it will be
seen that by the arrangement described a main exhaust takes place through the
main exhaust ports and exhaust pipe at the left hand end of the steam chest
and an auxiliary exhaust takes place through the inlet and exhaust ports
respectively.
The exhaust pipes extend into the chimney or stack of a locomotive with the
upper end of the one exhaust pipe a short distance above the upper end of the
other pipe so that the exhaust steam passing first through the one pipe into
the chimney or stack causes a suction over the other pipe to remove atmospheric
pressure therefrom and ensure a ready exhaust of the steam through the pipe and
the respective end of the steam chest, as previously explained. By this arrangement
the pressure against the pistons by the exhaust in either end of the cylinder is
greatly reduced and consequently very little, if any, back pressure exists in the
engine. It will further be seen that by the main exhaust through the middle ports
the pressure in the cylinder by the exhaust is reduced to atmospheric pressure and
consequently the exhaust steam passing through the ports can readily pass into a
condenser and be condensed therein without danger of back pressure; furthermore,
the arrangement permits of utilizing the exhaust steam through the middle ports
for use in a second cylinder to produce a compound engine, it being understood
that this exhaust will not affect the working of the pistons by the expansion of
steam in the second cylinder as the pressure on both adjacent faces of the pistons
is equalized, as previously explained. It will further be seen that the piston valve
in the steam chest is perfectly balanced, as the live steam passes on the adjacent
faces of the pistons at all times.
Dated this 17th day of September 1895.
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.
We WILLIAM FITCH CLEVELAND and EUGENE WYMAN CLEVELAND,
Farmers, of Rounthwaite, in the Province of Manitoba, and Dominion of Canada
and ANCUS MARTIUS PETERSON, Barrister, of Brandon, Manitoba, aforesaid 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 improvements in steam engines and it has for its object
to produce a steam engine of simple construction, arranged to utilize the motive
agent to the fullest advantage and to reduce back pressure in the cylinder to the
minimum.
The invention consists principally of a cylinder provided at it ends with inlet
ports also forming supplementary exhaust ports, a main exhaust port at or near the
middle of the cylinder, a double piston in the said cylinder, and arranged relative
to the main exhaust port so that when one of the pistons passes the exhaust port, a
communication is established between the end of the cylinder and the space
between the pistons.
The invention also consists of certain parts and details and combinations
of the same, as will be fully described hereinafter and then pointed out in
the claims.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this
Specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts
in both the figures.

page_text: Figure 1 is a sectional side elevation of the impr
Figure 2 is a transverse section of the same, on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.
The improved steam engine is provided with a cylinder A, having at its ends the
et ports a and b opening into a steam chest B, preferably made cylindrical, and
ovided at or near its middle with a steam supply pipe C, connected with a boiler
other source of steam supply. At or near the middle of the cylinder A are.
ranged the main exhaust ports c opening into an annular chamber A', formed in
e cylinder A, the said chamber being connected with an exhaust pipe D.
In the cylinder A are arranged to slide, the two pistons E and E', placed a
itable distance apart on a piston rod F connected in the usual manner with the
ain driving shaft of the engine. In the steam chest B is arranged a piston valve,.
rmed with two pistons G and G¹ placed a suitable distance apart, on a valve
em G, connected at its outer end by a suitable mechanism with the main driving
aft of the engine, so as to impart an intermittent reciprocating motion to the
id piston valve, to cause the pistons G and G' to properly open and close the
orts a and b.
In the ends of the steam chest B are arranged auxiliary ports d, d', adapted
o exhaust part of the steam from the ends of the cylinder A, as hereinafter more
ally described.
In operation assuming the pistons to be in the position shown in Figure 1, the
notive agent passes through the supply pipe C into the steam chest B between
the pistons G and G of the piston valve, and through the port a into the left hand
end of the cylinder A, to exert its pressure against the outer face of the piston E,
to force the latter to the right in the direction of the arrow a¹ and as both pistons E
and E' are on the same piston rod F they move simultaneously.
When the piston E¹ leaves the right hand end of the cylinder A, the piston
valve in the steam chest B shifts to the left, so that the piston G¹ uncovers the
port b and allows the exhaust steam in the right hand end of the cylinder A to
pass through the port b into the right hand end of the steam chest B and out
through the port d' into the exhaust pipe H which is connected with the other
exhaust port d. When the piston E moves upon the exhaust ports c at the time
the other piston E is near the end of its stroke, the piston valve in the steam
chest B shifts to the right so that the piston G' uncovers the port d and the other
piston G closes or moves over the port d¹. By a further movement to the right,
the piston E will pass the ports c; that is, into a position similar to the piston E¹,
previous to the movement and as shown in Figure 1, so that the steam in the left
hand end of the cylinder A can pass through the ports c, the annular chamber A¹
and exhaust pipe D to the outside. The exhaust steam also passes into the space.
between the two pistons E and E', so that the pressure on the opposite faces of the
said pistons is equal.
When the pistons E and E¹ are on the return stroke, that is, travel in the
reverse direction of the arrow a', then the piston during the first part of its
movement passes from the ports c and at that time the piston valve in the steam chest B
again shifts to the right, so that the piston G opens the port a, to connect the left
hand end of the cylinder A with the left hand end of the steam chest B and with
the exhaust port d. Thus it will be seen that by the arrangement described a
main exhaust takes place through the ports c and exhaust pipe D, and an auxiliary
exhaust takes place through the ports a, d and b and d' respectively.
The exhaust pipes D and H extend into the chimney or stack I of a locomotive,
0 as indicated in Figure 2, with the upper end of the exhaust pipe D a short
distance above the upper end of the pipe H, so that the exhaust steam passing first
through the pipe D into the chimney or stack I, causes a suction over the pipe H
to remove atmospheric pressure therefrom and insure a ready exhaust of the steam
through the pipe H and the respective end of the steam chest B, as previously
5 explained. By this arrangement the pressure against the pistons E and E' by the
greatly reduced, and consequently very
exhaust in either end of the cylinder,
little if any, back pressure exists in the engine. It will further be seen that by

page_text: the main exhaust through the ports c, the pressure in the cylinder by the exhaust
is reduced to atmospheric pressure, and consequently the exhaust steam passing
through the ports d, d', into the pipe H can readily pass into a condenser and be
condensed therein, without danger of back pressure; furthermore, the arrangement
permits of utilizing the exhaust steam through the ports e for use in a second
cylinder, to produce a compound engine, it being understood that this exhaust will
not affect the working of the pistons E, E', by the expansion of steam_in_the
second cylinder, as the pressure on both adjacent faces of the pistons E, E' is
equalized, as previously explained.
It will further be seen that the piston valve in the steam chest B is perfectly
balanced, as the live steam passes on the adjacent faces of the pistons G and G¹nt
all times.
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. A steam engine, comprising a cylinder provided at its ends with inlet ports
also forming supplementary exhaust ports, and a main exhaust port at or near the
middle of the cylinder, and a double piston in the said cylinder, arranged relatively
to the said main exhaust port so that when one of the pistons passes upon the
exhaust port, a communication is established between the ends of the cylinder and
the spaces between the pistons, substantially as shown and described.
2. A steam engine, comprising a cylinder formed at it ends with inlet ports and
at or near its middle with a main exhaust port, a double piston fitted to move in
the said cylinder, each of the pistons when moving into an innermost position and
passing partly over the said main exhaust port establishing a communication
between the end of the cylinder and the middle of the cylinder between the pistons,
a steam chest into which opens the said inlet ports, and a valve fitted to slide in
the said steam chest, substantially as shown and described.
3. A steam engine, comprising a cylinder formed at its ends with inlet ports and
at or near its middle with a main exhaust port, a double piston fitted to move in
the said cylinder, each of the pistons when moving into an innermost position and
passing partly over the said main exhaust port establishing a communication
between the end of the cylinder and the middle of the cylinder between the pistons,
a steam chest into which open the said inlet ports and provided at its ends with
supplementary exhaust ports, and a piston valve fitted to slide in the steam chest
and adapted to open and close the said inlet ports, substantially as shown and
described.
4. A steam engine, provided with two exhaust pipes for successively carrying
the exhaust of the cylinder of the engine, the ends of the exhaust pipes being
arranged alongside each other, so that the first exhaust steam passing through one
pipe creates a suction over the other pipe, substantially as shown and described.
Dated this 5th day of December 1895.
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
53 Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.