IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND WORKING OF STEAM HYDRAULIC AND PNEUMATIC ENGINES
Year: 1884

page_text: I HENRY HUDSON late of Severn Works Shrewsbury in the County of Salop but
now of Penmaenpool in the County of Merioneth or of Sandycroft Foundry in the
County of Flintshire Yacht and Ship-Builder, do hereby declare the nature of my
said invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND WORKING OF STEAM
HYDRAULIC AND PNEUMATIC ENGINES to be as follows:-
The valves (of the slide or piston type as required) are held in compression by
pressure on their outer ends against the eccentric or may be attached to it by a
sheaf in the usual way the eccentric is carried on a wedge-sleeve fitted to slide on
the main shaft. This sleeve is actuated by governors connected to a continuation
of the sleeve direct or by such other gear as may be necessary. The position of the
sleeve is altered by the centrifugal force of the governors and the wedge being thus
moved in its slot within the eccentric varies its eccentricity and in so doing
increases or decreases the travel of the valves admitting only sufficient power to
the cylinder to take the load. This arrangement may also be fitted to existing
engines. The cylinders may be constructed to admit the power at one or both
ends and for the purposes of this application are described and distinguished as
single or double acting. In the single acting types a trunk piston is generally
used the connecting rod being attached to a pin within the trunk by its one end
and to the crank pin by its other, or a rigid connection may be formed between the
two piston heads by rods having rectangular branches at their inner ends these
branches being kept apart by liners of a sufficient thickness to admit the crank pin
and its brasses, to travel within a slot thus formed, this last described arrangement
is applicable to double acting engines also or in lieu of it the ordinary crosshead
guides, slides piston and connecting rods commonly and generally in use may
be employed. One, two, or more cylinders may be used and arranged in any
convenient position, either vertical, horizontal or diagonal. The Engines may be
made compound high and low pressure, condensing and reversible the reversing
motion being accomplished by a hand lever acting in lieu of or in conjunction with
the governors herein before described.
The various arrangements of cylinders, pistons &c. are mentioned merely as
being forms of engine to which the invention may be applied, the essential feature
of the invention being the method of regulating the throw of the eccentric by the
governors.

page_text: I, HENRY HUDSON late of Severn Works Shrewsbury in the County of Salop
but now of Penmaenpool in the County of Merioneth or of Sandycroft Foundry in
the County of Flintshire, Yacht and Ship Builder do hereby declare the nature of
my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND WORKING OF STEAM
HYDRAULIC AND PNEUMATIC ENGINES" and in what manner the same is to be
performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
My invention has for its object economising of steam or other motive power
which at the same time tends to decrease vibration and the spaco required for a
certain engine power or the extra power obtained may go into extra speed while
the engines are under perfect control. These engines form the special provision for
variable cut off so directly connected with the cylinders' make them most sensitive
to the slightest variations in speed which is immediately compensated for by the
control of the inlet passages and thus they are very suitable for Electric lighting
and other such purposes where great steadiness and regularity is required.
In order that my invention may be clearly understood and more easily carried
into practice I have appended hereunto a sheet of drawings upon which
Figure 1 is a part sectional elevation of the engine and,
Figure 2 is an end elevation of the same and ;
Figure 3 and 4 show the details of the eccentric.
The valves A and B are of the slide or piston type as required and they are held
against the eccentric strap C by the pressure of steam against their outer ends or
they may be attached to the eccentric by straps in the usual way. The eccentric
is carried upon a wedge D which slides upon the main shaft E. The wedge D is
secured to the eccentric F by its square or other flat sides and is also fastened to
the governor spindle H by the cotter K which is free to slide in the slots b and b¹
in the main shaft. This wedge or sleeve is actuated by the governors M which
either withdraw or force forward the wedge D which moves the eccentric sideways
upon the main shaft E thus altering the inlet of steam at either a¹ or b¹. The
details of the arrangement of this gear and connections to the governor may be
somewhat varied. It will thus be seen that the position of the sleeve is altered
by the centrifugal force of the governors and thus the travel of the valves A and B
are varied most directly and only sufficient power is given to the cylinders to
support the load then upon them. These engines may be made either single or
double acting but the ones shown only take steam on one side of the piston the
connecting rods N and P being connected direct to the trunk pistons Q and R and
to the crank pin S by the segmental journals t and u and secured thereto by the
rings v and w which is a most compact arrangement of parts taking but very little
room yet working very steadily. A rigid connection may if preferred be formed
between the two piston heads by rods having rectangular branches at their inner
ends these branches being kept apart by liners of a sufficient thickness to admit
the crank pin and its brasses to travel within the slot thus formed. This last

page_text: arrangement is applicable to double acting engines also or in lieu of it the ordinary
crossheads, guides, slides piston and connecting rods commonly in use may be
employed The steam passages X and X¹ are common to the boiler and conduct
the steam to ports a¹ and 6' while the exhaust steam may escape as shown at
valve A by the passago Y and holes Y' and thus through a suitable opening in the
valve casing. Or the exhaust may be effected as shown by valve B where it passes
down passage O into the open space or casing but the former mode is the best.
I do not confine myself to any particular number of cylinders or to either high
pressure or low pressure as such engines may be constructed of almost any design
and they may be compounded. They may also be made reversible by a suitable
hand lever acting in lieu of or in connection with the governors.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
The improvements in steam engines for economising steam space and power of
the wedge sleeve D operated by the governors M direct upon the valves A B and
pistons and R substantially as herein set forth with any mere modifications of
the same.