Steam Engines.
Year: 1886

page_text: Steam Engines.
I. HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co, Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be par-
ticularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:―
This invention relates to direct-acting steam engines.
The first part of my invention consists in providing a direct-acting steam-engine
with a pair of reciprocating-rotary valves that control the inlet ports, said valves
being operated from the main piston by a peculiar combination of devices, and
being so arranged as to admit a greater or less volume of steam during the entire
stroke of said piston, which admission of steam can either be regulated, by the
engineer, or be worked automatically by any approved form of "governor," as
herein after more fully described.
The second part of my invention comprises a novel combination of devices that
enables an engineer to reverse a direct-acting-engine in an instant and without.
closing the "
throttle," thereby rendering my invention especially applicable to
locomotives, as hereinafter more fully described.
In the accompanying drawing
Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved direct-acting steam-engine.
Figure 2 is a vertical section through the steam chest and the upper portion of
the cylinder of said engine, the piston being supposed to be travelling in the
direction of the arrow..
Figure 3 is a horizontal section of one of the reciprocating-rotary inlet-valves.
Figure 4 is a transverse section through the upper part of the steam-chest, and
its attachments.
Figure 5 is a horizontal section through one of the bonnets of the engine.
▲ represents the upper part of a steam cylinder of any desired diameter and
stroke, and a a portion of the piston of the same. Secured to this cylinder, or cast
therewith, is a steamn-chest, consisting of a central or exhaust chamber B, and a

page_text: pair of live-steam chambers C, C₁, the latter having openings c, c₁, to admit the
branches d, d' of a steam pipe D. Furthermore, the chambers C, C¹, have, respec-
tively, shells E, F to receive inlet valves G, H, said valves being, preferably,
cylinders, open at each end, and having side-ports g, h, and lugs g¹ h¹, which lugs
traverse slots e, f, of said shells. These ports g, h, communicate with the inlet
ports I, J, of the cylinder, while the lugs g¹¹, have attached to them rods K, L,
that connect with swinging hangers k, l, whose upper ends are pivotted within the
chambers C C. The lower ends of these hangers are coupled to stems m,.m¹,
pro-
jecting rigidly from the opposite ends of a slide valve M, that has on its under side
a customary recess m", adapted to communicate alternately between the passages
N N', and exhaust port n.
This slide valve is chambered or bored out at M¹, to admit a fixed cylindrical-
piston O, which is maintained in position by rods o, o¹, secured to the partitions
that separate the steam chambers C C, from the exhaust chamber B. P, P¹, are
inlet ports in the lower side of valve M, and p, p¹, are exhaust ports in the upper
side thereof.
b is the outlet of the exhaust chamber B, which ventage may communicate with
the escape pipe of the engine. Q¹are the stems of. the cylindrical valves G, H,
said stems being passed through the cap B¹ of the steam chest, and having slotted-
arms q.q secured to their outer ends. These slotted arns are coupled to the
opposite ends of a side-bar R, supported by two links r, r, the latter being jointed
to a bearer S, having ears 8, s¹, within which is journalled a rock-shaft T.
Projecting rigidly from this rock shaft, and extending across the stean-chest, as
seen in Figure 4, is a lever t, pivotted to a bearing t, and having a governor
rod tu, attached to it. One end of this lever traverses a keeper U, provided with
a series of perforations u, to receive a screw-bolt or. pin u¹, when it is desired to
retain said lever at any specific adjustment.
w is a wrist-pin that connects the side bar R, to a slide W, capable of being
shifted within the groove x. of a pendulous yoke X, the latter being pivotted at Y
to a bracket y bolted to the steam chest. The inner ends of a pair of connecting
rods Z, Z are coupled to this yoke, at x1, the outer ends of said rods being jointed
to the arms, of a pair of shafts 1, 11 journalled in bonnets 2, 21, bolted to the
opposite cylinder-heads 3, 3. The inclosed portions of these shafts have cranks
4, 41, operated by the slotted levers 5, 5¹ of a pair of rockers 6, 6', the latter being
bung in bearings of the cylinder heads; as seen in figure 5, and being provided with
toe pieces 7, 71 playing within slots 8, 8' of said heads. Attached to the yoke X,
is one end of a rod 9, the other extremity thereof being coupled to an ordinary
reversing-lever.
al, a, are spurs projecting from the opposite sides of the piston a, which spurs
are chamfered off to prevent any concussion when they.come in contact with the
respective toe-pieces of the rockers.
To illustrate the action of this engine, I will suppose the arm 2¹ has first been
swung over in the direction indicated by the arrow on the same in figure 1,
which act will cause, all the operative parts to assume the positions seen in
Figure 2.
Reference to this last illustration shows that the toe-piece 7 is elevated, the toe-
piece 7 depressed, the cylindrical valve G closed, the other cylindrical-valve H
opened, and the slide valve M advanced to afford communication between the
passage N and exhaust port n. Consequently, live steam flows through the
chamber C, open-ended cylindrical valve H and communicating ports h, J, thus
filling the cylinder A, and driving its piston a in the direction of the arrow on the
same. This advance of the piston expels the exhaust steam through the channel N,
recess m¹ and port n, because the inlet port I is now closed by valve G, it being
understood there is no communication between said port. I and channel N. It will
also be noticed that the inlet ports P, P₁ of the chambered slide-valve M M' are
now closed, on account of said ports being over the solid portions of the seat upon
which this valve travels. The instant the piston completes its stroke, the spur a¹

page_text: comes in contact with the toe piece 7, thereby depressing the latter and elevating:
the slotted lever 5 of rocker 6 which act raises the crank 4 and swings its arms,
over in the direction indicated by the arrow on the same in figure 1.
While the valve G is opening, the slide valve M M' is being shifted far enough.
to bring its inlet ports P, P¹ in communication with the upper ends of channels N, N¹
in order that the live steam, between the piston a and head 31, may flow up the
channel N¹ and port P¹, so as to act against the fixed piston O thereby completing
the retraction of said slide-valve before valve G is fully opened, and causing the
recess m to form a communication between the channel N₁and exhaust port n.,
But, when valve G is completely opened, its port g is in line with the inlet port I,
while the opposite inlet-port J is closed by the other valve H. Live steam then,
flows through the chamber C,ivalve G and ports g, I and drives the piston towards
the head 31, the exhaust steam being discharged through the channel N', recess ml
and outlet n. But before the piston can strike said head, the spur o" comes
in contact with the now elevated toe-piece 71, thereby forcing the latter down,
again opening the valve H and closing the other valve G as previously described,:
which operations are repeated at each stroke of the engine. From the above
description it is apparent that the retraction of the slide valve M M¹ is initiated:
by the opening of the appropriate inlet-valve, but is completed by the action of
live steam at boiler pressure. It is also apparent that the steam which is exhausted:
from the chamber M¹ through the ports p, p¹at every stroke of valve M, escapes
at the outlet b.
The volume of steam 'entering the cylinder at each stroke of the engine is
positively controlled by inserting the bolt u¹ in either one of the perforations u of
keeper U, according to the duty required. If it is desired to have but a limited
supply of steam, the lever t is depressed within said keeper so as to elevate the
side-bar R and cause it to approach the pivot Y of pendulous yoke X.
Consequently, said bar will impart a very limited stroke to the slotted arms q, q¹
that operate the stems QQ of inlet valves G and H. If, on the contrary, is
should be desired to open and close said valves very quickly, the lover t is set so as
to drop the side bar R and cause the yoke to impart a greater swing to the same.
To control the admission of steam automatically, the pin or bolt u¹ is dispensed
with, and a governor rod t¹¹ is then coupled to the lever t.
Another feature peculiar to this invention consists in attaching the rod 9 to the
yoke X, which rod enables the engineer to "reverse" instantly and without taking
time to close the throttle valve, thus rendering. the engine especially serviceable
for locomotives. This instantaneous reversal is due to the fact that the engine is
perfectly balanced in all its parts, and can be "pulled over" when running at the
highest possible speed, and without employing much force, or breaking any of the
connections. In some cases it may be desirable to connect the lever t, with
another lever or appliance that will enable the engineer to operate said lever from
a cab, and thereby adjust the supply of steam to the special requirements of any
locomotive service. By prolonging the slotted arms q; q¹ so as to enable the side
bar R to be elevated as. high as the pivot Y, of swinging yoke X, as indicated by
the dotted lines in Figure 1, the swinging motion of said arms will be instantly
arrested.
Hence, it is apparent the engineer can immediately stop the engine without
taking time to close the throttle.
Finally, reference to figure 3, shews there is. ample space at each end of the
valve G g to permit the unobstructed entrance of steam into this inlet device.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is :-
First. The combination, in a direct acting steam-engine, of a pair of reciprocating
rotary inlet-valves; a chambered. and ported outlet-valve sliding within a special
exhaust-chest, and devices for initiating the movement of this outlet-valve from the

page_text: main piston of the engine, the stroke of said valve being completed by live steam?
operating against a stationary piston fitted within it, substantially as described.
Second. The combination in a direct-acting steam-engine, of a pair of recipro-'
cating-rotary inlet-valves, a chambered and ported outlet-valve sliding within a
special exhaust-chest, and devices for initiating the movement of this outlet-valve
from the main piston of the engine, the stroke of said valve being compléted by:
live-steam operating against a stationary piston fitted within it, said reciprocating
rotary inlet-valves being coupled either to a positive or automatic mechanism for
the purpose described.
Third. The combination, in a direct-acting steam-engine of the spurred piston a,
a¹, a¹¹, rockers 5, 6, 7, 51, 6¹, 71, cranks 4, 41, shafts 1; 1 arms z, z¹ and connections
for operating the inlet valves of the engine, substantially as described.
Fourth. The combination, in a direct-acting steam-engine, of the valve stems QQ¹,
slotted arms q, q¹ side bar R, slide :W, w pendulous yoke X x Y, and links r, pl
which latter are capable of being raised and lowered to regulate the stroke of said.
arms, as herein described.
Fiftb. In combination with the side bar R, slide W w, pendulous yoke X x Y,
and links r, for operating the valves of a direct-acting steam-engine, in the
manner described, the rod S 8 8², rock-shaft T, pivotted levert, t¹, and devices for
retaining said lever at any specific adjustment.
Sixth. In combination with a direct-acting steam engine having its valve ope-
rating devices coupled to a pendulous yoke, in the manner described, the rod 9.
attached to said yoke, to enable the engineer to "reverse."
g
Seventh. A direct-acting steam-engine consisting of cylinder A, piston a, steam-
chest B, C, C, valve seats E e F f, reciprocating-rotary valves G ġ H h, ports I, J,
rods K, L, hangers k, l, chambered sliding-valve M, M¹, m m³, m" P P¹p p', and
channels N N¹ n, said piston being furnished with spurs a¹ a", for actuating
rockers that operate the valves G g H h, in the manner described.
Eighth. The bonnets 2,, 2¹ secured to the cylinder heads 3, 31, and having fitted
within them cranked shafts 1, 4, 11, 41, and rockers 5, 6, 7, 51 61 71, that actuate
the inlet valves of the engine.
Ninth. A pendulous yoke situated at the side of a direct-acting steam-engine,
and having coupled to it a pair of rods that receive motion from devices operated
by the main piston, and another pair of rods that transmit motion to the inlet
valves, said rods being connected to said yoke below its point of suspension, for
the purpose described.
Dated this 24th day of June 1886