IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION, ARRANGEMENT, AND WORKING OF STEAM CYLINDERS FOR USE IN STEAM PUMPING MACHINERY, AND IN STEAM ENGINES
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Gordon Picking and William Hopkins,
both of Islington, in the County of Middlesex, Engineers, for the.
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION, ARRANGEMENT, AND
WORKING OF STEAM CYLINDERS FOR USE IN STEAM PUMPING MACHINERY, AND
IN STEAM ENGINES."
Scaled the 31st January 1873, and dated the 1st November 1872.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Gordon Picking
and William Hopkins at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 1st November 1872.
We, GEORGE GORDON PICKING and WILLIAM HOPKINS, both of
Islington, in the County of Middlesex, Engineers, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION,
ARRANGEMENT, AND WORKING OF STEAM CYLINDERS FOR USE IN STEAM PUMPING
MACHINERY, AND IN STEAM ENGINES," to be as follows:-
:―
This Invention consists principally in the arrangement and com-
bination of a steam cylinder with a reciprocating bar and a slide valve,

page_text: each of which is provided with certam ports and passages in such relative
positions as to cause the reciprocation of the piston and rod in the
cylinder, without the employment of any mechanical appliance or gear
for directing the flow of steam actuating the same.
The cylinder is provided with covers at each end secured in the usual
way by bolts and nuts, and is surmounted by the bar which is placed at
the side of the valve.
According to one modification (illustrating the application of the In-
vention to a steam pump), live steam is admitted into the interiors of
the valve and bar from a common pipe, and has constant access from
the former through either one of two main steam ports placed at opposite
ends of the cylinder to cause the desired reciprocation of the piston and
rod therein. In passing from the valve through one of them, the steam
causes the piston and rod to make a stroke on or near the termination of
which the piston passes over or uncovers a port in communication
through a port in the bar and one in the valve, with one end of the
interior of the casting containing the latter when the steam passes
through this passage, and causes the shifting of the valve part of its
stroke, but sufficient to open a second port leading from the interior of
this end of its casting to a port in the casting containing the bar, and at
the time in communication with the live steam being supplied thereto,
the steam therefore passes from the latter through this passage and
completes the stroke of the valve, the exhaust port at the end towards
which the stroke was made being open through an exhaust port in the
bar and an exhaust opening common to the valve and bar to the air.
The slide being constructed on the same principle as an ordinary
valve now changes the direction of the steam into the cylinder, at the
same time opening the exhaust from the end towards which the next
stroke is to be made, and causes the piston to begin to make its return
stroke. As soon as it begins to move steam passes through a port and
passage (which the piston had previously covered) leading from this end
to the same end of the casting containing the bar (a similar passage at
the other end being now open to the exhaust), and thereby moves the
bar in the direction of the movement of the piston into the position
ready to cause the return movement of the slide as soon as the piston
has passed a port in its cylinder at this end corresponding to the one at

page_text: its other end, which as above described caused the first movement of the
valve. The port and passage leading from each end of the cylinder to
each end of the bar may be made to run into the main steam ports and
passages if desired, so that the commencement of the movements of the
piston and valve may be simultaneous.
The above described action is thus continued, the next strokes of the
valve and bar being caused by the action of the steam through ports and
passages at opposite ends thereof respectively to those above described,
but bearing an exactly similar relation to each other as regards position,
so as to secure a precisely similar return action.
According to a second modification (illustrating the application of the
Invention to a high-pressure steam engine), the steam can be worked
expansively. In this modification the valve is provided with two
chambers (with a partition dividing them), having two passages con-
municating with the bar, to the interior of which only the live steam is
admitted. And the position of the above-mentioned ports and passages
leading from the ends of the cylinder to the ends of the bar depend upon
what part of the stroke of the piston it is intended the steam should be
cut off.
The action of this modification is as follows:-The steam enters the
bar and passes therefrom through a port therein and one of the two
passages, and into one of the chambers ready for reversing the motion of
the piston as soon as the slide is shifted, which is accomplished in the
same manner as described in the first modification, when the piston has
travelled sufficiently far to admit the steam from the cylinder to the
right end of its casting, and when the slide has been shifted thereby the
steam passes through this chamber and causes the return stroke of the
piston, but as soon as it opens the port and passage at this end of the
cylinder leading therefrom to the same end of the bar, and the position
of which port as above-mentioned depends upon what part of the stroke
the steam is required to be cut off, the steam from the cylinder passes
up the same and shifts the bar (the corresponding port at the opposite
end being open to the exhaust), and admits the steam from the same to
the other passage and cuts it off from the first, so that the steam by its
expansion is caused to complete the piston's stroke, the operation being
thus continued.

page_text: The Invention consists further in the provision of simple and effectual
means for readily shifting the valve and bar in the event of their "sticking"
during the action. At the upper part of the casting containing the
valve and bar we fit a spindle, having a handle at its outer end. The
casting is provided with two bosses into which are inserted screw plugs,
prior to which screw pins are passed through the bosses and into the
spindle so as to project through it, and into slots in the valve and bar, so
that in the event of their sticking they can both be immediately started
again by simply touching the handle.
It will be understood that this part of the Invention is equally
applicable to steam cylinders working in connection with any number of
valves by simply providing the requisite number of pins.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said George Gordon Picking and William Hopkins in
the Great Seal Patent Office on the 1st May 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, GEORGE
GORDON PICKING and WILLIAM HOPKINS, both of Islington, in the
County of Middlesex, Engineers, send greeting..
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the First day of November, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-
sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto us, the said George Gordon Picking and William
Hopkins, Her special licence that we, the said George Gordon Picking
and. William Hopkins, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as we, the said George Gordon Picking and William
Hopkins, our executors, administrators, and 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 THE CONSTRUCTION, ARRANGEMENT, AND WORKING OF STEAM
CYLINDERS FOR USE IN STEAM PUMPING MACHINERY AND IN STEAM ENGINES,"

page_text: upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said George Gordon
Picking and William Hopkins, our executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under our, or one of our, or their, or one of their
hands and seals, 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 we, the said George Gordon Picking and
William Hopkins, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement in writing,
and on reference being had to the accompanying Drawings (that is to
say) :—
The first part of this Invention consists principally in the arrangement
and combination of a steam cylinder with a reciprocating bar and a slide
valve, each of which is provided with certain ports and passages in such
relative positions as to cause the reciprocation of the piston and rod in
the cylinder (as hereafter described), without the employment of any
mechanical appliance or gear for directing the flow of steam actuating
the same.
Such being the nature and object of our said Invention for " Improve-
ments in the Construction, Arrangement, and Working of Steam
Cylinders for use in Steam Pumping Machinery and in Steam Engines,"
we will now proceed to describe more in detail the manner in which the
same is to be or may be performed or carried into practical effect, and
in order that the same may be distinctly understood we have annexed.
hereunto one Sheet of Drawings illustrative thereof, and have marked
the same with figures of reference corresponding with those in the
following explanation thereof, that is to say :-
On the accompanying Drawings, one modification (shewing the appli-
cation of the Invention to a steam pump) is illustrated in Figures 1, 2, 6,
and 7, the first of which represents a sectional plan through the valve
chest, slide valve, and bar.
1 represents the cylinder (of ordinary construction and provided at
each end with a cover 2 secured in the usual way by bolts and nuts),

page_text: surmounted by the bar 3 which is placed at the side of the slide valve 4,
see Figure 2. The D slide proper is seated on the bottom of the steam
chest or valve and bar casing 5, and is fitted in a rod 6 connecting two
enlarged heads 7 (which work in its casing), so as to be moved by and
act therewith, and which form with the D slide what is hereafter called
the valve 4."
The operation of this modification will be readily ascertained on
reference being had especially to Figures 1 and 7. Live steam is first
admitted into the interiors of the valve 4 and bar 3 (which latter is of
the construction shewn), through a common pipe 8 (Figures 1 and 2), and
has constant access from the former through either one of two main steam
ports 9, 10, to alternate opposite ends of the cylinder 1 (to cause the
desired reciprocation of the piston 11 and rod 12 therein), and exhausts
through an opening 13 common to both the valve 4 and the bar 3.
Suppose the parts to be in the position shewn in these Figures. In
passing from the valve 4 through the port 9 the steam causes the
piston 11 and rod 12 to make a stroke in the direction of the arrow 14,
on or near the termination of which the piston 11 passes over or uncovers
a port 15 (in and near the end of the cylinder 1, see Figure 1), which
communicates therefrom through a port or passage 15 in the bar 3, and
one 15 in the casing 5 and valve head 7, with one end of the interior of.
that part of the casing 5 containing the valve 4, when the steam passes
from behind the piston 11 through this passage 15, and acting against
the end of the casing containing the valve 4 between it and the enlarged
head 7 at this end causes the shifting of the valve 4 part of its stroke to
the right, but sufficient to close or obstruct the through passage 15, and
to open a second port 16 leading from this end of the interior of its
casing to a port 16 opening in the interior of that part of the casing
containing the bar 3, and at the same time in communication with the
live steam being supplied thereto; the steam therefore passes from the
interior of the bar 3 through this passage 16 behind the same head of the
valve 4, and completes the stroke of the same; the exhaust port 17 at
the end towards which the stroke was made being open through an
exhaust port 17 in the bar 3, and the opening 13 to the air.
The slide 4 being constructed as an ordinary slide valve (and either
flat or radial), now changes the direction of the steam through the
port 10 into the cylinder 1, at the same time opening the exhaust 9 from

page_text: the end towards which the next stroke is to be made, and causes the
piston 11 to begin to make its return stroke. As soon as it begins to
move steam passes through a port 18 (which the piston had previously
covered) in the main cylinder and passage 18 leading from this end of
the latter to the same end of that part of the casing containing the bar 3
(a similar passage 19 at the other end being now open to the exhaust of
the cylinder), and thereby moves the bar 3 in the direction of the move-
ment of the piston 11 into the position ready to cause the return movement
of the valve 4 to that above described as soon as the piston has passed a
port 20 in the cylinder 1 at this end corresponding to the one 15 at its
other end, which as above described caused the first movement of the
valve 4. The ports and passages 18 and 19 leading from each end of
the cylinder 1 to the same ends of the casing containing the bar 3 may
be made to run into the main steam ports and passages 9 and 10 if
desired, so that the commencement of the movements of the piston 11
and "bar" 3 may be simultaneous.
We would here remark that in our Provisional Specification the word
"valve" was inserted "per incuriam," where the word "bar" stands
as underlined in this sentence. It will be readily understood by any
practical man reading the same, that the word "bar" should have
appeared instead of the word "valve."
The above described action is thus continued, the next strokes of the
valve 4 and bar 3 being caused by the action of the steam through ports
and passages 20, 21, and 19, respectively, at opposite ends the cylinder
to those 15, 16, and 18, above described, but bearing an exactly similar
relation to each other as regards their position and functions, so as to
secure a precisely similar return action.
According to a second modification the operation of which will be
readily ascertained on reference being had to Figure 3 (illustrating the
application of the Invention to a high-pressure steam engine), the steam
can be worked expansively. In this modification the valve 4 is provided
with two chambers 22 and 23 (with a partition or central enlarged
head 7 provided with a D shaped cavity [equivalent to the slide proper
shewn in Figure 1] on its under side to reverse the exhaust steam as an
ordinary slide valve dividing them), having two passages 24 and 25
communicating through the casing 5 with the interior of that part of

page_text: the casing containing the bar 3, to the interior of which only the live
steam is admitted. The position in which the above-mentioned ports
and passages 18, 19, (leading from the ends of the cylinder to the same
ends of the casing containing the bar 3) open into the cylinder 1, depend
upon what part of the piston's stroke it is intended the steam should be
cut off.
The action of this modification is as follows:-Supposing the parts to
be in the position shewn, the steam enters the bar 3 at 8, and passes
therefrom to the port 25 ready to pass through the chamber 23 to the
cylinder 1 for reversing the motion of the piston as soon as the valve 4
has been partly shifted, as described in the first modification, and
entirely so by the steam passing from the bar 3 through the port 16, the
steam passes through this chamber 25, 23, and main passage 10, and
causes the return stroke of the piston, but as soon as the latter uncovers
or opens the port and passage 18, the steam from the cylinder passes up
the same and shifts the bar 3 (the corresponding port and passage 19 at
the opposite end being open to the exhaust of the cylinder), and admits
the steam from the same to the other passage 24, and cuts it off from
the first 25 so that the steam by its expansion in the cylinder is caused
to complete the piston's stroke, the operation being thus continued.
In a further modification of the same application represented in
Figure 4, we accomplish the same object by simply adding ports 26, 27,
to the first modification, as illustrated in Figure 1, which lead from the
cylinder 1 to the ends of the casing containing the valve 4, the position
in which they enter, the former however depending upon what part of
the piston's stroke the steam is required to be cut off.
As soon as
and filling
In a further modification represented in Figure 5, the same object is
attained by entering the ports 18 and 19 in the cylinder 1 at the desired
positions. The action is as follows:-Steam enters at 8, passes through
the port 24 in the casing 5 into the chamber 22, down the port 9, and
acting on the piston moves it in the direction of the arrow.
it uncovers the port 19 in the cylinder, the steam passes up
the end of that part of the casing containing the bar 3 shifts it over,
thereby cutting off the supply of steam to the main cylinder. The
steam by its expansion then causes the piston to continue its stroke
until it uncovers the port 15, when steam passes up and shifts the
valve 4 in precisely the same manner as first described.

page_text: The Invention consists further in the provision of simple and effectual
means for readily shifting the valve 4 and bar 3 in the event of their
"sticking" during the action, see Figures 2 and 6. At the upper part
of the casing 5 we fit a spindle 28, having a handle 29 at its outer end.
The casing is provided with two outer female bosses 30, into which are
inserted screw plugs 31, prior to which screw pins 32 are passed through
the bosses 30, and into the spindle 28, so as to project through it and
into slots in or against projections 33 on the valve 4 and bar 3, so that
in the event of their "sticking" they can both be immediately started
again by simply touching the handle.
It will be understood that this part of the Invention is equally appli-
cable to steam cylinders working in connection with any number of
valves by simply providing the requisite number of pins 32.
Having now described the nature and object of our said Invention for
"Improvements in the Construction, Arrangement, and Working of
Steam Cylinders for use in Steam Pumping Machinery and in Steam
Engines," together with the manner in which the same is to be or may
be performed or carried into practical effect, we would remark in
conclusion that we claim as our Invention :-
Firstly. The arrangement and combination of a steam cylinder with a
reciprocating bar and slide valve actuated by steam, substantially as
above described, and as illustrated in Figures 1, 2, 6, and 7 on the
accompanying Drawings, as applied to a steam pump.
Secondly. The modifications of the similar arrangement and com-
bination for working expansively, substantially as above described, and
as illustrated in Figures 3, 4, and 5, as applied to a steam engine.
Thirdly. The commencing the stroke of the slide valve 4 by steam.
from the main cylinder 1, and the finishing thereof by live steam from
the bar 3 (the flow of the steam being thereby directed to the piston
without the employment of any mechanical gear), together with the
entire operation or improved methods of working the several modifi-
cations, substantially as above described.
And lastly. The improved means for shifting the valve 4 and bar 3 in
the event of their "sticking" during the action, substantially as above
described, and as illustrated on the accompanying Drawings in Figures 2

page_text: -
and 6, and the application of the modifications thereof referred to, to
cylinders working with more than two valves.
In witness whereof, we, the said George Gordon Picking and
William Hopkins, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this
Twenty-sixth day of April, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-three.
Witness,
BRISTOW HUNT,
Solicitor and Patent Agent,
5, Serle Street,
Lincoln's Inn.
G. G. PICKING. (L.S.)
WM. HOPKINS. (L.S.)