IMPROVE- MENTS IN VALVE GEAR FOR STEAM ENGINES
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Adam Ruthel, of Stettin, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN VALVE GEAR FOR STEAM ENGINES."
ealed the 13th April 1877, and dated the 16th October 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Adam Ruthel at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 16th October 1876.
ADAM RUTHEL, of Stettin.. "IMPROVEMENTS IN VALVE GEAR FOR STEAM
ENGINES."
According to this Invention the position of the steam engine expansion slide
valve is regulated from the governor by means of friction discs. On a suitable
frame bracket, which may be fastened to the slide jacket, is arranged a hollow
spindle; to the upper end of this spindle is fixed the sliding sleeve of a so-called
buss governor or other suitable governor; the governor itself is fastened to a
governor spindle, which passes through the aforesaid hollow spindle, and has a
bearing step in the frame, its end resting on a regulating centre point screw. The
hollow spindle carries a bevil wheel united thereto by means of a spring in the
boss, and causing this spindle, as well as the inner or governor spindle, to revolve,
the bevil wheel gearing into another bevil wheel which is on a spindle caused to
revolve by strap pulley and strap from the fly-wheel shaft. The hollow spindle
also carries two friction discs, which according to the position of the governor turn
a third disc placed between them in one direction or the other. This latter disc is
on a spindle, which also carries a bevil wheel gearing into another bevil wheel on a
spindle fitted with an endless screw gearing into a worm segment, which by set
screw is fastened on the boss of a graduated disc, against which is placed a fixed
hand that indicates the point of cut off of the steam. The spindle of the graduated
disc also carries a spur pinion, which is situated inside the slide jacket. The
expansion slide valve is parted in the middle, and each part carries a short tooth
rack gearing with this pinion; as the latter is turned one way or the other the two
halves of the expansion slide are thus either drawn closer together or forced further
apart, and the point of cut off is thereby altered, all according to the action of the
governor, from which the movement is transferred by the friction wheel and tooth
gear aforesaid,

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by the
said Adam Ruthel in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 16th April 1877.
ADAM RUTHEL, of Stettin.
ENGINES."
"IMPROVEMENTS IN VALVE GEAR FOR STEAM
According to this Invention the position of the steam engine expansion slide
valve is regulated from the governor by means of friction dises. On a suitable
frame bracket, which may be fastened to the slide jacket, is arranged a hollow
spindle; to the upper end of this spindle is fixed the sliding sleeve of a so-called
"Busse" governor or other suitable governor; the governor itself is fastened to a
governor spindle, which passes through the aforesaid hollow spindle, and has a
bearing step in the frame, its end resting on a regulating centre point screw. The
hollow spindle carries a bevil wheel united thereto by means of a spring in the
boss, and causing this spindle, as well as the inner or governor spindle, to revolve,
the bevil wheel gearing into another bevil wheel which is on a spindle caused to
revolve by strap pulley and strap from the fly-wheel shaft. The hollow spindle
also carries two friction dises, which according to the position of the governor turn
a third disc placed between them in one direction or the other. This latter disc is
on a spindle, which also carries a bevil wheel gearing into another bevil wheel on a
spindle fitted with an endless screw gearing into a worm segment, which by set
screw is fastened on the boss of a graduated disc, against which is placed a fixed
hand that indicates the point of cut off of the steam. The spindle of the graduated
disc also carries a spur pinion, which is situated inside the slide jacket. The
expansion slide valve is parted in the middle, and each part carries a short tooth
rack gearing with this pinion; as the latter is turned one way or the other the two
halves of the expansion slide are thus either drawn closer together or forced further
apart, and the point of cut off is thereby altered, all according to the action of the
governor, from which the movement is transferred by the friction wheels and tooth
gear aforesaid.
And in order that this Invention may be more fully understood I will now pro-
ceed to describe the same with reference to the accompanying Drawings, of which
Figure 1 is an end elevation partly in section through A, B, Fig. 3; and Figure 2, a
horizontal section of a valve gear constructed according to this Invention, and
applied to a horizontal steam engine; Figure 3 is a side elevation of same;
Figure 4 is a face view of the slide valves in position; and Figure 5 is a separate
view of the expansion valve.
a is a cast-iron frame bracket bolted on to the slide jacket, and carrying a hollow
spindle b; to the flange on the upper end of the latter is fixed the sliding sleeve of a
"Busse governor." The governor itself is fixed to the governor spindle s, which
works in the hollow spindle b and runs in a step bearing c formed on the bracket a,
its end resting on a regulating centre point screw. The bevil wheel e has its
bearing on the boss d on the bracket a, and causes by means of an internal spring
the hollow spindle b to turn, and through the governor also the governor spindle 8.
Into the bevil wheel e gears the bevil wheel f, the spindle of which runs in the
upper boss g of the bracket a, and at the other end carries a strap pulley driven
from the fly-wheel shaft. To the hollow spindle are fixed two friction discs h, h¹,
by means of set screws. These discs drive a third friction disc i between them in
one direction or the other, according to the position of the governor. The disc i is
keyedfon to a spindle, which at its other end carries a bevil wheel / gearing into a
bevil wheel Z, which is fixed on a spindle fitted with an endless screw m that gears
with the worm segment n; the latter can turn on the nave of the disc 0, and is
fastened thereto by means of a set screw p. The disc o is graduated and a hand
fixed on the slide jacket indicates the grade of expansion or point of cut off with
which the engine works. The spindle of the disc o carries at the other end a
pinion q in the interior of the slide jacket. The expansion slide ris parted in the
middle, as shown more clearly at Figure 5, and each half is provided with a small

page_text: rack gearing into the pinion q as the latter is turned one way or the other; the two
halves of the expansion slide are thus either drawn closer together or forced further
apart, and the point of cut off is thereby altered, all according to the action of the
governor, which transmits its motion in one direction or the other by means of
the friction wheels and tooth gearing above described and shown on the Drawing.
And having thus fully described and ascertained the nature of this Invention
and how it may be carried into effect, I declare that I claim, operating an expansion
slide formed in halves or parts by means of a governor through the intervention of
friction gearing, all substantially as described and as shown.
In witness whereof, I, the said Adam Ruthel, have hereunto set my hand and
seals, this Twelfth day of April, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and seventy-seven.
ADAM RUTHEL. (L.S.)