Improved Valve-motion and Engine for Highly Superheated Steam or Gas.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Mar., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 23rd Dec., 1896-Accepted, 23rd Mar., 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Valve-motion and Engine for Highly Superheated Steam
or Gas.
I DESIDER ADORJAN, Engineer of Budapest, Hungary do hereby declare the
nature of my said invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to engines in which highly overheated steam or gas is
employed as the driving medium, and has for its object the construction of an
improved equilibrium valve and of a piston and cylinder which may be employed
for all kinds of engines.
It has been my object in the construction of the improved valve, as well as of
the improved engine to be employed in connection therewith, to prevent all the
friction surfaces from coming into contact with the over-heated steam or gas, or
at least to make this contact so slight that these surfaces will not be injured
thereby.
The valve which is ground tight into its casing, has the form of a cylinder with
hollow walls and is at suitable places provided with the necessary admission, and
discharge ports and in addition thereto with passages for conducting the exhaust
steam through its hollow wall.
To the cylindrical valve thus constructed is imparted simultaneously a rectilinear
and a rocking movement by means of two excentrics upon the main shaft and by
suitable rods and levers.
By the twisting movement thus produced the different ports of the cylindrical
valve are alternately brought into justa position with the corresponding ports in
the valve casing so as to effect at the proper intervals the admission, expansion and
exhaust.
This cylindrical slide valve operates at both its ends in the same manner as an
ordinary piston slide in which the admission takes place from the inside and the
exhaust to the outside. The central part of this slide resembles a balanced Corliss
slide and its ports serve for adjusting the duration of admission. The combined
effect of the valve is essentially the same as that of a double-slide (Meyer, Rider)
with the difference however, that the admission and expansion slide are not disposed
one above the other, but beside each other.
The exhaust steam is conducted through the before mentioned passages in the
hollow wall of the slide and through similar passages in the wall of the valve
casing, whereby a thorough cooling of these parts is effected.
The overheated steam comes into contact with that part of the slide operating
the admission, only during the admission, while the central part of the slide only
presents a few, comparatively very small parts of its surface to the direct action
of the overheated steam. This is, however, counteracted by the exhaust steam
passing through the hollow walls of the slide and the casing, whereby these parts
are so effectually cooled that the average temperature of the valve will be but
little higher than that of the exhaust steam.
The improved engine to be employed in connection with this valve may have a
plunger or an ordinary piston. The peculiar feature of this construction in either
case, whether a plunger or a piston is employed, is that the diameter of the plunger
or piston is somewhat smaller than the inside diameter of the cylinder, so that a

page_text: small intermediate space is formed. The tightening of the plunger or piston in
the cylinder is effected by suitable tightening rings inserted into the cylinder.
When a pluuger is employed these rings are inserted into the far end of the
cylinder whereas in the case of a piston being used the tightening rings are placed
in the centre of the cylinder. The head of the plunger or the ends of the piston
are of larger diameter than the body but not large enough to produce any friction
against the inner surface of the cylinder, that is to say they do not fit steamtight
and permit a certain quantity of steam to pass into the wider space beyond between
plunger or piston and the cylinder.
This construction prevents the overheated steam from coming into contact with
the tightening rings in which the plunger or piston is working. At the changing
of the stroke the narrow space between the plunger or piston body and the cylinder
is filled with compressed steam and as this space, during the return stroke, becomes
smaller and smaller by the plunger or piston approaching, the cylinder head, the
steam contained in this space is forced out into the cylinder. The only possibility
of the overheated steam reaching the tightening rings would be during the exhaust,
but as at this period the steam is saturated these rings are always protected against
too high temperatures.
When a piston is employed instead of a plunger. the piston rod is protected
against the over heated steam by a tube attached to the inside of the cylinder
head, in which tube the piston rod may work.
Dated 21st March 1896.
GEO.
DOWNING,
8 Quality Court, London, W.C., Agent.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Valve-motion and Engine for Highly Superheated Steam
or Gas.
1, DESIDER ADORJAN, of Jaegergasse 33 Budapest, Hungary, Engineer, 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 following
statement:-
My invention relates to steam engines in which highly superheated steam or
gases are employed, and has for its object the construction of an improved
equilibrium valve and of a piston which may be employed in all kinds of steam
engines.
In the annexed drawing Figure 1 is a sectional view on the line of axis of the
steam engine and valve.
Figure 1 shows the operating lever of the slide in side view.
Figure 2 is a longitudinal section through the slide valve and its casing.
Figure 24 is a cross section through the slide valve on line -y of Figure 2.
Figure 3 is a sectional view of a cylinder with a piston instead of a plunger.
In all figures similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.
It has been my object in the construction of the valve as well as of the steam
engine belonging thereto to prevent all friction surfaces from coming into contact
with the superheated steam, or at least to make this contact so slight that these
surfaces will not be injured. The valve consists of the cylindrical slide A with
hollow wall, which slide is ground tight into the casing B. To the slide A is
imparted an oscillating movement and at the same time a rectilinear movement.
For this purpose the slide is provided with a shaft a which passes through suitable
stuffing boxes in the covers bb of the casing B. To one end of this shaft a, a lever c

page_text: is attached by groove and feather, which is operated from an eccentric c¹ by means
of the rod and which imparts the oscillating movement to the slide A. The
other end of the shaft a is operated upon from a second eccentric d' by means of a
rod d and a bell crank lever d which is movably connected with the shaft a by
means of a fork or in any other manner suitable to the purpose. By means of this
mechanism the rectilinear motion is imparted to the slide A.
The casing B and the wall of the cylindrical slide A are provided at suitable
places with the ports for the admission and exhaust as well as with ways for the
passage of the steam; these ports are alternately brought into juxtaposition by the
twisting movement of the slide cylinder resulting from the rocking and sliding
movement thereof so that the steam admission and discharge are effected.
The operation of the valve is as follows:-
The slide A acts at both its ends e e in the same mauner as an ordinary piston
slide in which the admission takes place from the inside, and the exhaust to the
outside. The central part of the slide with the ports el is a balanced Corliss slide
and serves for governing the duration of admission. Thus the combined action of
the slide corresponds to the construction of a double slide (Meyer Rider) with the
only difference that the ordinary and expansion slides are not arranged one above
the other but beside each other. The way of the steam through the valve is the
following:-
The steam enters through the admission pipe g passes through the ports in ii
of the valve casing, then through the ports e of the slide into the interior of the
latter, thence through the ports e,.. and through the channel into the cylinder.
The exhaust steam of the one cylinder passes off through the space h, while the
exhaust steam of the other cylinder is conducted through the channels by b, b, in
the wall of the slide A and through the channels u u, us in the wall of the casing B,
from the space h¹ into the space h, whereby the slide and the casing are efficiently
cooled. The superheated steam only comes into contact during the admission of
the steam with the working surfaces of port e, which operates as the ordinary.slide.
The inner part of slide A only comes into continuous contact with the super-
heated steam upon the relatively very small surfaces at i, i, i, but it is at the same
time considerably cooled by the exhaust steam passing through the channels by bg ba
and u, u, us so that the mean temperature of the slide will scarcely be any higher
than that of the exhaust steam. The channels b₁ b₂ by or u₁ ug uз may also be
employed for the introduction of a lubricant.
"
In the steam engine to be used in connection with the above described valve
motion, and which is also shown in Figure 1 of the annexed drawing, a plunger P
is employed in place of a piston. N, N, are the two cylinders. The plunger
consists of the plunger body P and of the head p. The diameter is nearly the
same as the inside diameter of the cylinder, without however fitting steamtight
therein, while the diameter of the plunger body P is still somewhat smaller than
that of its head p, so that a small space k is formed between the plunger body and
the cylinder.
The tightening of the plunger body P in the cylinder is effected by tightening
rings inserted into the latter. By preference I employ, as shown, for each cylinder
two rings m, m the sides of which facing each other are inclined, so that a suitable
space is left between them for the reception of a third prismatic pressure ring m¹.
By this third prismatic ring m' the two other rings m in are pressed against the
plunger and asunder, so that they tighten against the plunger as well as against the
cylinder.
By this construction the contact of the tightening rings with the superheated
steam is completely prevented. When the stroke changes, the small space k between
the cylinder and the plunger is filled with compressed steam and when the plunger
descends, the space becomes sinaller and smaller, whereby the steam contained
therein is pressed outward and into the cylinder; thus the possibility of superheated
steam coming into contact with the tightening rings could only occur during the
exhaust. When this takes place, however, the steam is saturated so that the

page_text: tightening rings are always protected against possible injury through too high
temperatures.
Instead of a plunger, a piston may be employed as shown in Figure 3 of the
drawings. This piston P is essentially of the same construction as the described.
plunger, with the only difference that the former is provided with a head p at either
end and that the tightening rings are in the middle part of the cylinder instead of
in the end. In order to protect the piston rod R against the superheated steam,
the piston P is provided with a central opening r throughout the greater part of its
length and the rod R is fixed into the far end of the piston. To the inside of the
cylinder head, through which passes the rod R, a tube t is attached which extends
and fits into the aforesaid central opening of the piston. This tube t forms a
jacket around the piston rod R and keeps the latter from coming into direct contact
with the superheated steam in the cylinder.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
-claim is :-
1. In a steam or gas engine the combination with a valve casing B of a cylindrical
slide A adapted to operate at its ends e e in the manner of an ordinary, slide valve,
of ports e in the central part of the slide A adapted to govern the duration of
admission, and of means for imparting to the slide A a compound, twisting movement,
substantially as set forth.
2. In balanced slide valves, the combination with a valve casing B provided in
its wall with channels u₁ u u3, of a cylindrical slide A provided in its wall with
channels b, b, b, and adapted to operate at its ends e e in the manner of an ordinary
slide valve, of ports e in the central part of the slide A adapted to govern the
duration of admission, and of means for imparting to the slide A a compound,
twisting movement; substantially as and for the purpose specified.
3. In a steam or gas engine with a slide valve of the kind herein described, the
combination with the cylinder N of a plunger P with a head p, of a space k between
the cylinder and the plunger body, and of means for tightening the plunger in the
cylinder; substantially as and for the purpose described.
4. In a steam or gas engine. with a slide valve of the kind herein described, the
combination with the cylinder. N of a piston P with heads p p, of a space k between
the cylinder and the piston body, of a tube t placed inside the cylinder and adapted
to form a protecting jacket around the piston rod, and of means for tightening the
-piston in the cylinder; substantially as and for the purpose described.
5. In a steam or gas engine with a slide valve of the kind herein described the
combination with a cylinder N and a plunger or piston P of the kind described of
two tightening rings m m placed in the cylinder and having inclined sides adapted
to form a prismatic space, and of a third prismatic ring m² adapted to fit into the
aforesaid space between the rings m m and to exert a pressure upon them; sub-
stantially as and for the purpose described.
Dated 23rd December 1896
GEO.
DOWNING,
8.Quality Court, London, W.C., Agent.