IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Alfred Shipton, of Wolverhampton, in the
County of Stafford, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
STEAM ENGINES."
Sealed the 23rd July 1861, and dated the 28th January 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Alfred Shipton at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
28th January 1861.
I, JAMES ALFRED SHIPTON, of Wolverhampton, in the County of Stafford,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN STEAM ENGINES," to be as follows, that is to say:―
This Invention relates to the construction and arrangement of steam engines
of the direct-acting class. Under one modification, this engine consists of a
base or sole plate, with two vertical standards-or-end-pieces-cast thereon. To
the upper ends of these standards is bolted a cross beam, which forms an arch
extending over the sole plate. The central part of the cross beam forms the
journal or bearing of a pendulous-steam chamber which takes the place of the
ordinary cylinder. This steam chamber is supported on the cross beam so as
to oscillate freely to and fro, suitable passages are formed for the admission
and emission of steam to the upper and lower ends of the steam chamber.
The internal configuration of this steam chamber is cylindrical at the central

page_text: part and spherical at the ends, so that a piston of corresponding diameter in
its vertical section traverses up and down therein in a steam-tight manner. An
eccentric aperture is formed in this cylindrical piston, through which a hori-
zontal shaft passes, suitable openings being formed in the end plates of the
steam chamber to admit of the shaft working out through them. The driving
shaft is supported in pedestal bearings arranged on the base plate. The
steam pipe and the exhaust are arranged at the upper part of the steam
chamber, and project outwards in a lateral direction from its sides. The steam
passage which is formed in the upper part of the steam chamber conveys the
steam to a slide valve arranged at the side of the chamber. The slide valve
is actuated so as to admit the steam alternately to the top and bottom of the
chamber by means of an eccentric on the main or driving shaft. When the
steam is admitted to the chamber, its pressure, which is first given in an
angular direction, tends to turn the piston about its axis. This partially rotatory
movement of the piston causes the chamber to be moved to the left owing to
the eccentricity of the piston on the driving shaft. The steam continues to
press on the piston until it has made half a revolution, it will then be at
the lowest point of its rotation. The steam is now admitted to the lower end
of the chamber, the upper portion being now open to the exhaust. The
inflowing steam drives the piston round, and causes it to rise to its former
position, the steam chamber being thereby caused to oscillate to the right side.
In this way the rotatory motion of the shaft is obtained by the eccentric motion
of the piston around it, and thus producing a reciprocatory movement within
the steam chamber or cylinder. The lateral faces of the piston are fitted with
rings, which rest on the conical faces of inner rings, these last being forced
out as required by means of wedge bolts. And in cases where requisite, a
rectangular block of metal is inserted between the periphery of the piston and
the adjustable plates which are fitted at the belt or central part of the steam
chamber. These arrangements effectually compensate for the wear of the
moving parts, and preserve a steam-tight contact of the working surfaces.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Alfred Shipton in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 27th July 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
ALFRED SHIPTON, of Wolverhampton, in the County of Stafford, Engineer, 35
end greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of January, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fourth year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said James Alfred Shipton, Her special license that I, the said James
Alfred Shipton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, tho said James Alfred Shipton, my exccutors, adininistrators, or assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all
times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "Im-
PROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES," upon the condition (amongst ethers) that I,
the said James Alfred Shipton, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing under my hand and seal, or under the hand and seal of one
of them, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the
same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months
next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said James Alfred Shipton, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the fol-
lowing statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and to
the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:-
My said Invention relates to the construction and arrangement of steam
engines of the direct-acting class. Under one modification this engine consists
of a base or sole plate with two vertical standards or end pieces cast thereon.
To the upper ends of these standards is bolted a cross beam which forms an
arch extending over the solo plate. The central part of the cross beam forms
the journal or bearing of a pendulous steam chamber which takes the place
of the ordinary cylinder. This steam chamber is supported on the cross beam
so as to oscillate freely to and fro. Suitable passages are formed for the
admission and emission of steam to the upper and lower ends of the steam
chamber. The internal configuration of this steam chamber is cylindrical at
the central part and spherical at the ends, so that a piston of corresponding_
diameter in its vertical section traverses-up-and-down therein in a steam-tight
manner. An eccentric aperture is formed in this cylindrical piston, through
which a horizontal shaft passes, suitable openings being formed in the end plates
of the steam chamber to admit of the shaft working out through them. The
driving shaft is supported in pedestal bearings arranged on the base plate.

page_text: The steam pipe and the exhaust are arranged at the upper part of the steam
chamber and project outwards in a lateral direction from its sides. The
steam passage which is formed in the upper part of the steam chamber conveys
the steam to a slide valve arranged at the side of the chamber. The side
valve is actuated so as to admit the steam alternately to the top and bottom
of the chamber by means of an eccentric on the main or driving shaft. When
the steam is admitted to the chamber its pressure, which is first given in an
angular direction, tends to turn the piston about its axis; this partially
rotatory movement of the piston causes the chamber to be moved to the left,
owing to the eccentricity of the piston on the driving shaft. The steam con-
tinues to press on the piston until it has made half a revolution, it will then
be at the lowest point of its rotation. The steam is now admitted to the
lower end of the chamber, the upper portion being now open to the exhaust;
the inflowing steam drives the piston round and causes it to rise to its former
position, the steam chamber being thereby caused to oscillate to the right side.
In this way the rotatory motion of the shaft is obtained by the eccentric motion
of the piston around it, and thus producing a reciprocatory movement within
the steam chamber or cylinder. The lateral faces of the piston are fitted with
rings which rest on the conical faces of inner rings, these last being forced out
as required by means of wedge bolts. And in cases, where requisite, a rect-
angular block of metal is inserted between the periphery of the piston and the
adjustable plates which are fitted at the belt or central part of the steam
chamber. These arrangements effectually compensate for the wear of the
moving parts, and preserve a steam-tight contact of the working surfaces.
And in order that my said Invention of improvements in steam engines may
be properly understood, I shall now proceed to describe the several Figures
on the explanatory Sheet of Drawings which I have hereunto appended for
purpose of showing certain modifications under which my improvements
may be judiciously carried out in practice, that is to say.
the
Figure 1 on the accompanying Sheet of Drawings is a front elevation of
one modification of my improved pendulous reciprocating steam engine;
Figure 2 is a corresponding end elevation; Figure 3 is a longitudinal vertical
section of the engine showing the piston at half stroke; and Figure 4 is a
transverse sectional view taken at right angles to Figure; Figure 5 is a
vertical sectional view showing the piston of the engine in its highest and
lowest positions, and details of construction, and Figure 6 is a corresponding
longitudinal view.
The sole plate A of the engine is of a rectangular figure with a curved or
segmental recess formed to admit of the oscillatory traverse of the steam

page_text: chamber or "cylinder." At each end of the sole plate A, is a strong column
arranged opposite to each other; to these columns the main cross beam B is
firmly secured by means of bolts and nuts or other equivalent fastenings.
The beam B is bored at the central part to receive the gudgeon C', which is
firmly fitted into the hollow trunnion C of the steam chamber or "cylinder,"
which suspends the steam chamber or "cylinder " D, and which corresponds in
its office to the cylinder of a steam engine arranged on the ordinary principle.
The interior of the steam chamber approximates to an ellipse, as shown in
the longitudinal section, Figure 3, the ends of the steam chamber or "cylinder"
being enclosed by plates having elliptical openings E, and through these
openings E the main shaft F passes, and which is carried in pedestal bearings
arranged on the sole plate A. On the shaft F the piston G is firmly keyed;
this piston is of a cylindrical figure in its vertical section, and the shaft passes
through it eccentrically, as shown in Figures 3 to 6 of the accompanying
Drawings, so that when impelled by the steam it traverses from end to end
of the steam chamber, at the same time communicating
rotatory motion to
the main shaft, and the steam chamber or cylinder vibrating in its bearing in
the main cross beam B to allow the full side of the eccentric piston to traverse
from top to bottom, and vice versa, of the steam chamber. The periphery of
the piston G works in steam-tight contact with the vertical plates H, which
are arranged parallel to each other at the central part of the steam chamber D.
One of these plates is fitted in a dovetailed groove formed in the inner face of the
steam chamber, and the other in a recess, which admits of it being set up tightly
against the periphery of the piston from the outside by means of the screws I.
Another mode of arranging this part of the piston is shown in Figures 5 and 6,
where the side blocks J are introduced between the plates. I and the
periphery of the piston, the end wear being compensated by the plates J being
jointed together and elongated by the wedge K, and the wear against the
periphery of the piston being compensated by the plates H being set up by
the screws I. The ends of the piston G are also fitted with double rings,
which are forced out by means of wedge pieces and nuts, as shown in Figure 4,
and which are readily got at for tightening up through the elliptical openings E.
The steam is conveyed to and from the steam chamber D by means of the
pipes L and M, which are curved over the ends of the oscillating trunnions C;
the ends of the pipes L and M branch off laterally and pass through stuffing
boxes-fitted in the extremities of the trunnion C, which open in the steam and
exbaust passages N and O, communicating with the slide valve chest P. In
the position in which the the piston G is delineated in Figure 3, the steam is
passing into the upper part of the chamber D through the port Q, and by its
2

page_text: pressure on the piston is forcing it in a downward direction, whilst the steam
below the piston has escaped through the port R and slide valve S to the
exhaust M, as indicated by the arrows. The pressure of the steam on the
piston G causes it to descend from the upper part of the steam chamber to
the lower and inake a partial revolution on its axis, which causes the steam
chamber to swing or move in a lateral direction to the right. Upon the
position of the slide valve being reversed the steam passes into the lower part
of the chamber D and forces the piston in an upward direction, which move-
ment carries the steam chamber over to the left. In this way the piston is
caused to move continuously in a rotatory direction, and impart a corresponding
motion to the shaft F on which the fly wheel T is keyed, the rotatory motion
of the shaft F being communicated in any convenient way to the machinery
to be driven, or other purpose to which the motive power of the engine is to
be applied. The slide valve S is worked by means of the eccentric U on the
shaft F; the upper end of the eccentric rod is connected by a lever to the
horizontal shaft V, which is carried in bearings fitted on the steam chamber D.
A lever at the centre of the rocking shaft V is attached to the upper extremity
of the slide valve spindle, so that the movement of the eccentric imparts the
required reciprocatory motion to the slide valve.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I consider novel and
original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-
before in part recited Letters Patent, is,-
First, the general arrangement and combination of parts which together
form the particular modification of steam engine, as herein-before described
and shown in the accompanying Sheet of explanatory Drawings.
Second, the system or mode of arranging and constructing the pistons of
steam engines, of the class herein-before described, with vertical slide blocks
or adjustable rubbing surfaces, as herein-before described and delineated in
Figures 5 and 6 of the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Alfred Shipton, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of July, One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-one.
JAMES ALFRED SHIPTON. (L.B.)