IMPROVEMENTS IN COMPOUND ENGINES be as follows
Year: 1885

page_text: We WILLIAM YOUNG FLEMING and PETER FERGUSON, both of the Phoenix
Engine Works, Paisley, in the county of Renfrew, Engineers, do hereby declare
the nature of our said invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN COMPOUND ENGINES
be as follows
-
"
to
Our invention consists in so arranging and connecting the cylinders of compound
engines that the degree of expansion of the steam may be varied by expanding it a
greater or less number of times in passing it through the series of cylinders, and
by such means a greater or less amount of power may be developed by the
engines
To that end we employ three, four, five or other number of cylinders of the
same or of different sizes and we connect the main steam pipe to the valve casings
of a greater or less number of the cylinders or to all and provide suitable stop or
check valves by means of which we may admit the high pressure steam to a
greater or less number of the cylinders, while we also connect the cylinders so
that by the use of valves the steam from one or more of the cylinders may be
expanded at once into the remaining cylinders or be gradually expanded from
cylinder to cylinder or from several cylinders to others throughout the series
Thus in a typical arrangement of compound engine we arrange three pairs of
cylinders each pair consisting of a small and a large cylinder connected tandenwise
to three cranks upon the crank shaft, and we arrange the pipe connections and
valves so that we may admit the steam to the three small cylinders and expand
into the large cylinders in the usual way to obtain great power without great
regard for economy, or that we may admit the high pressure steam to a single
cylinder, expand into the two cylinders of similar size, again expand into one of
the larger cylinders and finally expand into the remaining two large cylinders
thus obtaining a quadruple expansion and working the engines economically with
the development of comparatively small power Or we may admit the steam to
two cylinders and expand directly into four, or by triple expansion in succession
through a large and small cylinder and two large cylinders Or we may admit

page_text: the high pressure steam to the whole of the cylinders in order to obtain the
greatest available power with the least economy The requisite actuation of the
valves which control the admission of the high pressure steam and the expanding
steam may be effected by hand in the ordinary way, or instead of operating a
series of valves individually, reversing valves of any well known kind may be
employed to vary simultaneously the admission of the high pressure steam and
that of the expanding stem to the various cylindeis
The arrangement described is particularly applicable to the engines of vessels
such as torpedo boats in which a sufficiently high rate of speed may be economically
maintained in ordinary circumstances but which may be greatly accelerated in
emergencies by enabling the engines to develope a greater amount of power
10

page_text: Improvements in Compound 'Engines.
We, WILLIAM YOUNG FLEMING, and PETER FERGUSON, both of Phoenix Works,
Paisley, Renfrewshire, Engineers and Shipbuilders, 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 consists in so arranging and connecting the cylinders of compound
engines that the degree of expansion or more properly the divisions of expansions
of the steam may be varied by expanding it a greater or less number of times in
passing it through the series of cylinders in order to develop a greater or less
amount of power by the engines.
To that end we employ three, four, five or other number of cylinders of the
same or of different sizes and we connect the main steam pipe to the valve casings
of a greater or less number of the cylinders or to all and provide suitable stop or
check valves by means of which we may admit the high pressure steam to a
greater or less number of the cylinders while we also connect the cylinders so that
by the use of valves the steam from one or more of the cylinders may be expanded
at once into the remaining cylinders or be gradually expanded from cylinder to
cylinder or from several cylinders to others throughout the series
This arrangement is particularly applicable to the engines of such vessels as
torpedo boats and war vessels in which a sufficiently high rate of speed may be
economically maintained in ordinary circumstances but which may be greatly
accelerated in emergencies by ranging the engines to develop a greater amount of
power. A further advantage resulting from the improved arrangement is that in
the event of any individual cylinder becoming inoperative through accidental
breakage it may be thrown out of action together with its connecting parts
without disabling the engines.
In the accompanying drawings which illustrate our invention Figures 1 and 2
are respectively an elevation and a plan in outline of a three cylinder compound
engine showing the application thereto of one modification of our improvements
Figures 3 and 4 are corresponding views of a four cylinder engine and figures 5
and 6 of a six cylinder engine showing arrangements for dividing or varying the
expansion of the steam in accordance with our invention.
Referring to the example illustrated in figures 1 and 2 A, B, C, represent the
three cylinders and E and F stop valves through which steam from the boiler may
be admitted by the pipe G, direct to the cylinders A and B, these cylinders
exhausting through the central part of the piston valve D while it is in the
position shown by dotted lines and passing into the receiver of the cylinder C, the
engines thus working with two divisions of expansion and the exhaust from the
cylinder O passing to the condensor. The cylinder A may however be fitted with
a self acting valve on exhaust branch so that it may be thrown out of action
altogether in which case steam from the boiler is supplied to the cylinder B, only >

page_text: For working triple-expansion or with three divisions or grades of pressure, the
stop valve F, is closed thereby cutting off the cylinder B, from the boiler, and the
stop valve E, is opened to admit steam from the boiler through the pipe G, to
the cylinder A, which exhausts through the piston valve D, while in the position
shown by the full lines, and through the pipe I, into the receiver of the cylinder B,
which exhausts through the jacket in the ordinary way to the cylinder Ċ this last
cylinder exhausting to the condensor The arrangements above described are
applicable irrespective of the position of the cylinders For example the three
cylinders may be in line or one pair of cylinders may be fitted as tandem engines
alongside the single cylinder,
Referring to the example illustrated in Figures 3 and 4, A, B, C, D, are the
cylinders, E, F, G, the stop valves In working with two divisions or grades of
expansion the stop valves F, and G, are closed thereby cutting off the cylinders A,
and B, from communication with the boiler and the stop valve E, 1s opened to
admit steam direct through the steam pipe K, to the cylinder C, which exhausts
through the jacket in the usual manner to the cylinder D, and this cylinder in
turn exhausts to the condensor A self-acting valve I, prevents the steam blowing
through from the cylinder C, to the cylinder B
In working with three divisions or grades of expansion the stop valves E, and F,
are closed, thereby cutting off the cylinders A and C from the boiler and the steam
stop valve G, is opened to admit steam direct through the steam pipe K, to the
cylinder B, which exhausts through the pipe I, to the cylinder C, which exhausts
through the jacket in the usual manner to the cylinder D, and from that cylinder
to the condensor A self-acting valve H, serves to prevent the steam blowing
through the exhaust pipe M. to the cylinder A.
In working with four divisions or grades of expansion the steam stop valves G,
and E, are closed thereby cutting off the cylinders B, and C, from the boiler and
the steam stop valve F, is opened to admit steam direct from the boiler through
the steam pipe K, to the cylinder A, which exhausts through the pipe M, to the
cylinder B, this pipe in turn exhausting through the pipe L, to the cylinder C,
which exhausts through the jacket in the usual manner to the cylinder D and
thence to the condensor
Referring to the example illustrated in Figures 5 and 6, A, B, C, D, E, F, are
the cylinders In working with two divisions or grades of expansion the steain
stop valves G, H, and I, are closed, thereby cutting off the cylinders A, B, and C,
from the boiler The steam stop valve K, is opened to admit steam direct from
the boiler through the steam pipe O to the cylinder D, which exhausts through
the pipe S, to the cylinders E, and F, which in turn exhaust to the condensor
through the pipes T, T Self-acting valves L and M, serve to prevent the steam
from blowing through the exhaust pipes R, to the cylinders A, and B
In working with three divisions or grades of expansion the steam stop valves I,
and K, are closed to cut off the cylinders C and D, from the boiler and the stop
valves G, and H, are opened to admit steam direct from the boiler through the
steam pipe O, to the cylinders A, and B, which both exhaust through the pipes R,
to the cylinder D The cylinder D, exhausts through the pipe S, to the cylinders E,
and F, which exhaust to the condensor through the pipes T, T A self-acting
valve N, serves to prevent the steam from blowing through the exhaust pipe P, to
the cylinder C
In working with four divisions or grades of expansion the stop valves G, H,
and K, are closed to cut off the cylinders A, B, and D, from the boiler and the stop
valve I, is opened to admit steam direct from the boiler through the steam pipe O,
to the cylinder C, which exhausts through the pipe P, to the cylinders B, and A,
these cylinders in turn exhausting through the pipes R, to the cylinder D, which
exhausts through the pipe S, to the cylinders E, and F, and thence to the
condensor through the pipes T. T.
✓✓
J

page_text: We do not confine ourselves to any of the preceeding arrangements of the pipe
connections and valves, for controlling the steam in carrying out our invention, as
the connections may obviously be differently arranged to obtain the same or like
results Thus in a six cylinder compound engine, we may arrange the cylinders as
three pairs of tandem engines each consisting of a small and a large cylinder
connected to a crank on the shaft, and the pipe connections and valves may be
arranged to admit steam to the three small cylinders and expand into the three
large ones, in the usual way to obtain great power without regard to economy, or
the high pressure steam may be admitted to a single cylinder, be expanded into
the two cylinders of a similar size, be again expanded into one of the larger
cylinders and finally into the remaining two large cylinders, thus obtaining a
quadruple expansion and working the engines economically with the development
of comparatively small power, or the steam may be admitted to two cylinders and
expanded directly into four or by triple expansion in succession through a large
and small cylinder and two large cylinders, or we may admit the high pressure
steam to the whole of the cylinders in order to obtain the greatest available power
with the least economy
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim 18-
The combination with compound engines of pipe connections and suitable valves
for so controlling the admission and exhaust of steam from cylinder to cylinder as
to permit of varying the grades or divisions of expansion, substantially as herein
described and in part illustrated in the drawings annexed.
Dated this twenty fifth day of February 1886
CRUIKSHANK & FAIRWEATHER,
Agents