Improvements in or connected with Means for Distributing Actuating Fluid in Engines or Motors.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Aug., 1899-Accepted, 11th Nov., 1899.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Means for Distributing Actuating
Fluid in Engines or Motors.
We, JOHN BROKENSHIRE FURNEAUX, of Victoria Works, Gateshead, in the
County of Durham, Engineer, and WILLIAM ARMSTRONG WOODESON, of Victoria
Works, aforesaid, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement:
-
This invention relates to means for distributing actuating-fluid in engines or
motors (e.g., those of direct-acting steam-pumps) of the kind in which the slide
valve that controls the admission and the exhaust of the motor cylinder is moved
so as suddenly to open and close the admission and exhaust ports to their full
extent, its actuation being effected by the live steam itself under the control of
an auxiliary slide-valve operated by a moving part, as the crosshead of the piston
rod. The invention has for object to simplify and consequently cheapen the con-
struction of apparatus of this kind.
In order that the nature of the invention and the manner of performing the
same may be fully understood, reference will be had in the following description
to the accompanying drawings, which represent an example of the motor of a
direct-acting steam-pump provided with steam-distributing apparatus according
to this invention; Figs. 1 and 2 show the motor cylinder and the valve chest
as seen from opposite sides of a vertical central sectional plane; Figs. 3, 4, and 5
show the same in section on the lines III, IV, and V respectively of Figs. 1, 2,
6, and 8 as seen from above; Figs. 6 and 7 show the liner respectively in vertical
central section and in plan; and Fig. 8 is a development of the periphery of the
liner, the plane of division being indicated at VIII in Fig. 7.
According to this invention the main slide-valve 1 and the auxiliary slide-
valve 2 are accommodated in a single liner 3, which is of suitable material, as
cast iron, and is provided with a transverse partition 4 to form two chambers 5
and 6 for the valves 1 and 2 respectively. The main valve 1 is of the piston
type, being provided with four rings 7, 8, 9, and 10 (integral or not with the
body of the valve) that fit the liner 3 and between which there are three portions
of smaller diameter that form chambers 11, 12, and 13, of which, when the
piston 14 of the motor is in its highest position (shown in Fig. 1), the highest
chamber 11 forms a communication between a port 15 in the liner 3 connected
by a passage 16 (in the liner or in the valve-chest 17, or partly in each as shown)
with the steam inlet 18 of the valve chest and a port 19 in the liner 3 connected
by a passage 20 with the upper end of the cylinder 21, whilst the middle
chamber 12 forms a communication between an exhaust port 22 in the liner,
which is in permanent connexion with the exhaust passage 23 of the valve-chest,
and a port 24 connected by a passage 25 with the lower end of the cylinder 21
(the ports and passages in the liner are most clearly shown in Figs. 6 and 8):
at the same time the upper and lower ends of the cylinder are prevented from
communicating with the exhaust passage 23 and the steam inlet 18 respectively

page_text: by the rings 8 and 9 of the valve 1. When, on the contrary, the piston 14 is at
the lower end of the cylinder 21 the valve 1 is in such a position that the upper
end of the cylinder is in full communication with the exhaust passage 23 through
the passage 26 and the ports 27 and 22, whilst the lower end of the cylinder is
in full communication with the steam inlet 18 through a passage 28 and two
ports 29 and 30, of which the latter, 30, is in permanent connexion with the
steam inlet 18 through the passage 16. In order to balance the main valve 1,
passages 31, 32, 33, 34, (forming almost complete rings) are formed in the wall
of the liner as continuations of the ports 19, 27, 24, and 29 respectively so as
to surround the rings 8 and 9 of the valve 1 when these rings are opposite the
corresponding ports. The auxiliary valve 2 is also of the piston type and is
provided with two rings 35 and 35" between which a portion of smaller diameter
forms a chamber 35b, which is in permanent communication through a port 35°
and a passage 16", both in the liner, with the passage 16, and which, when the
main valve 1 is in the position shown, is in communication with the upper end
of the interior of the liner through a port 36, a passage 37, and a port 38, all in
the liner, and the steam thus admitted thereto keeps the main valve 1 in the
position shown, steam from the lower end of the chamber 5 of the liner, having,
during the downward movement of the valve 1, been expelled to the exhaust
passage 23 through a port 39, a passage 40, and a port 41, all in the liner, the.
upper end (above the valve 2) of the chamber 6, a port 42 and a passage 43 both
in the liner, and the port 22. When the valve 1 is at the upper end of its stroke,
it is kept in position by steam reaching the lower end of its chamber 5 from
the chamber 35b of the valve 2 through a port 44, a passage 45, and a port 46,
all in the liner, steam from the upper end of the chamber 5 of the liner 1 having,
during the upstroke of the valve 1, been expelled to the exhaust passage 23
through a port 47, a passage 48, a port 49, the lower end (containing the valve 2)
of the chamber 6, a port 50, and a passage 51 leading to the passage 43, all these
ports and passages being in the wall of the liner. The positions of the ports 39
and 47 in the chamber are such as to cause the main valve 1 to be cushioned
at the ends of its strokes. The operation of the auxiliary valve 2 is effected by
the crosshead of the pump rod 53, which strikes, at the ends of its up and down
strokes respectively, against tappets 54 and 55 fixed on a rod 56, which is
connected by a lever 57 pivoted at 58 to a bracket 59 secured to one of the
covers 60 of the valve chest 17. When the valve 2 is moved by the cross-head
from one to the other of its extreme positions, it immediately causes live steam
to pass from its chamber 35b to the proper end of the chamber 5 and places the
other end of that chamber into communication with the exhaust passage 23 so as
to effect a sudden movement of the main valve such as to put the two ends of the
motor cylinder quickly into full communication with the steam inlet 18 and the
exhaust passage 23 respectively. Through the other cover 61 of the valve chest 17
projects a spindle 62 which is fixed to the main valve 1 and is provided with a
handle 63. This device has the two-fold object of indicating the movements of
the main valve when the pump is in operation and of enabling the main valve
to be worked up and down by hand for a while when the pump has been stopped
for some time, so as to make sure of the freedom of the valve in its chamber and
to get rid of any slight impediment that there may be.
It will be obvious that although the invention has been described in its applica-
tion to an engine or motor whose piston has an up-and-down movement, the
direction of motion of the piston in relation to the vertical is immaterial to the
application of the invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is:
1. Means for distributing actuating-fluid in an engine or motor comprising
a main slide-valve and an auxiliary slide valve for cantualling the

page_text: actuating-fluid to and from the main valve for operating the same, in which the
main and auxiliary valves are located in two chambers arranged in line with
each other and provided with suitable ports and passages for connecting them
together and with the ends of the motor-cylinder and with steam inlet and
exhaust ways.
2. A liner provided with a transverse partition and with suitable ports so as
to be adapted for use in means for distributing actuating-fluid in engines or
motors according to the preceding claim.
3. Means for distributing actuating-fluid in engines or motors according to
Claim 1, in which the main valve is provided with a device for indicating the
motion of the said valve and enabling it to be worked by hand.
4. Means for distributing actuating-fluid in engines or motors, constructed,
arranged, and operating substantially as hereinbefore described with reference
to and shown in the accompanying drawings.
For the Applicants,
W. LLOYD WISE,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Chartered Patent Agent.