In- PROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS TO BE USED FOR DESIGNING OR SETTING OUT THE SLIDE VALVES OF STEAM ENGINES, AND FOR INDICATING THE WORKING OF SUCH VALVES
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Cooper, of North Shields, in the
County of Northumberland, Engineer, for the Invention of "In-
PROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS TO BE USED FOR DESIGNING OR SETTING OUT
THE SLIDE VALVES OF STEAM ENGINES, AND FOR INDICATING THE WORKING OF
SUCH VALVES."
Scaled the 16th July 1875, and dated the 23rd April 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Cooper at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 23rd April 1875.
I, WILLIAM COOPER, of North Shields, in the County of Northumber-
land, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS TO BE USED FOR DESIGNING OR SETTING OUT
THE SLIDE VALVES OF STEAM ENGINES, AND FOR INDICATING THE WORKING OF
SUCH VALVES," to be as follows:-
My Invention of improvements in apparatus to be used for designing
or setting out the slide valves of steam engines and for indicating the
working of such valves consists of a framework and various moving parts
corresponding to the parts of steam engine slide valves and connections,

page_text: each part being capable of independent adjustment and motion, and
from their individual and united action sufficient data may be experi-
mentally obtained for setting out slido valves of new engines, and if the
apparatus is applied to valves already at work thoir whole action may be
readily shewn.
The frame, which is made of brass or other suitable metal, is in a
shape similar to an inverted cross having three vertical slots. The slot
at the long end of the cross acts as a guide for a sliding block, which
corresponds in its action to the piston of a steam engine cylinder;
another and smallor slot runs parallel with the first, and is graduated on 1
one side so that an adjustable slide moving in this slot may be readily
fixed at any required point corresponding to the relative length of con-
necting rod and stroke of the piston. Fixed to the piston block by a
swivel coupling is a circular rod which may be varied in length, as required,
the other end of the rod works on a crank pin fixed to a bevil wheel, 3
from which it receives motion similar to the connecting of an engine,
the bevil wheel revolving on a centre stud. Gearing into the bevil
wheel is a small pinion, fixed to a shaft running in bearings under the
frame and actuated by a milled wheel. The remaining slot carries two
fine threaded screws, one at each end, the outer end of each screw 2
having a milled wheel. Across the slot are transverse plates, one on
each side of the centro stud and connected to the screws by means of
nuts. These plates are termed lap and lead plates, and are marked on
their upper surfaces with equidistant parallel lines, by which a pointor
passing through the centre stud may be adjusted according to the 2
required lead of tho valve. The slide of the slot is graduated in cach
direction from the centre, so that each plato by means of its screw may
be brought to and fixed in the required position for the proposed lap of
the valve. The cross arms of the frame are also graduated each way
from the centre for the purpose of adjusting the length of the pointer, 3
which has to correspond with half the travel of the valve, that is, half
the throw of the eccentric. The pointer being set to the required length
and the plates to the proposed lap, on turning the large milled wheel the
pointer indicates the 'position of the valve at any part of the stroke.
The piston block at the same time indicating by the graduated 3
adjustable slide the per centage of travel of the piston at any position
of the valve.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Cooper in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 24th September 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
COOPER, of North Shields, in the County of Northumberland, Engineer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Hor
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of April, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in
the thirty-eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, tho said William Cooper, Her
special license that I, the said William Cooper, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William
Cooper, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS TO BE USED FOR DESIGNING OR
SETTING OUT THE SLIDE VALVES OF STEAM ENGINES, AND FOR INDICATING THE
WORKING OF SUCH VALVES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said William Cooper, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and scals;
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 I, the said William Cooper, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, that is to say :-
My Invention of improvements in apparatus to be used for designing
engines and for indicating the

page_text: working of such valves, consists of a framework and various moving
parts, corresponding to the parts of steam engino slido valves and con-
nections, each part being capable of independent adjustment and
motion; from their individual and united action sufficient data may bo
experimentally obtained for setting out slide valves of new engines, and
if the apparatus is applied to valves already at work their whole action
may be readily shown.
The frame, which is made of brass or other suitable metal, is in shape
similar to an inverted cross having three vertical slots. The slot at the
long end of the cross acts as a guide for a sliding block, which corrc-
sponds in its action to the piston of a steam engine cylinder. Another
and smaller slot runs parallel with the first, and is graduated on one
side so that an adjustable slide moving in this slot may be readily fixed,
at any required point, corresponding to the relative length of the
connecting rod to the stroke of the piston. Fixed to the piston block
by a swivel coupling is a circular rod which may be varied in length,
The other end of the rod works on a crank pin fixed to a bevil wheel,
from which it receives motion similar, to the connecting rod of an;
engine, the bevil wheel revolving on a centro stud. Gearing into the
bevil wheel is a small pinion fixed to a shaft running in bearings under
the frame and actuated by a milled wheel. The remaining slot carries
two fine threaded screws, one at each end, the outer end of each screw
having a milled wheel. Across the slots are transverse plates, one on
each side of the centre stud and connected to the screws by means of
nuts. These plates are termed lap and lead plates, and are marked on
their upper surfaces with equidistant parallel lines, by which a pointer
passing through the centre stud may be adjusted according to the
required lead of the valve. The slide of the slot is graduated in cach
direction from the centre, so that each plate by means of its screw may
be brought to and fixed in the required position for the proposed lap of
the valve. The cross arms of the frame are also graduated each way
from the centre for the purpose of adjusting the length of the pointer,
which has to correspond with half the travel of the valve, i.e., half the
throw of the eccentric. The pointer being set to the required length
and the plates to the proposed lap, on turning the large milled wheel
the pointer indicates the position of the valve at any part of the stroke.
The piston block at the same time indicating by the graduated adjustable,

page_text: VUZYC
And in order that my Invention may be better understood and more
casily carried into operation, I will now proceed to describe the Sheet of
Drawings hereunto annexed, similar letters having reference to similar
parts in the two views.
Figure 1 is a plan looking on to the top of the instrument; Figure 2
is a sido elevation.
A, A, is the framework carrying the various moving parts; B is a
long slot in which slides the slide block C, corresponding to the piston of
the cylinder; D is a small slot parallel with the long slot and graduated
on one side, giving various lengths of connecting rod relative to the
length of the stroke; E is an adjustable graduated slide on which may be
read off the various positions of the piston or slide block; F is a swivel
coupling for fixing in any required position the connecting rod G; H is
a crank pin for giving motion to the connecting rod, and is fixed to the
bevil wheel J; K is a centre stud carrying the bevil wheel; L is a bevil
pinion gearing into and driving the bevil wheel; M is the pinion shaft
worked by the milled wheel N; O is a centre slot in which are fixed two
fine thread screws P, P, and worked by small milled wheels Q.Q;
R, R, are transverse sliding plates to indicate the lap and lead of the
valve; they are worked by the screws P, P, passing through nuts S, S;
T is a sliding pointer fixed in position by the small screw V; U, U, are
cross arms graduated for adjusting the length of the pointer.
Having now described and ascertained the nature of my Invention,
and how the same is to be carried into practical operation, I would have
it understood, that what I claim and desire to secure by the herein-
before in part recited Letters Patent is,—
Firstly. The construction and use of a frame with graduated slots
arranged and used in manner and for the purpose herein-before described
and illustrated by the accompanying Drawings.
Secondly. The construction and use of sliding block, connecting rod,
and adjusting plates, worked in the manner and used for the purpose
herein-before described and illustrated by the accompanying Drawing.

page_text: And, Thirdly. The construction and use of an instrument for setting
out slide valves, substantially of the arrangement and action as the
instrument herein-before described and illustrated by the accompaning
Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Cooper, have hereunto 5
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-third day of August, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
five.