IMPROVEMENTS IN MULTIPLE CYLINDER ENGINES
Year: 1885

page_text: I, The Honourable RICHARD CLERE PARSONS, Airedale Foundry, Leeds, in the
County of York, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of said invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MULTIPLE CYLINDER ENGINES " to be as follows:-
This invention relates to multiple cylinder engines in which two or more
cylinders radiate from an enclosed central space in which the crank revolves and
has reference chiefly to means for the admission and release of the working fluid
also for altering the positions or varying the throw of the eccentrics for actuating
the valves with the object of either reversing the engine or varying the duration of
admission of the working fluid to the cylinders and also a method of lubricating the
wearing surfaces.
.
On the side of the engine a face is formed having passages in it to each of the
cylinders. Against this face there works a valve which by its action-partly
reciprocating and partly rotatory-allows of admission and release of the pressure
fluid to each of the cylinders in turn.
The valve is circular in form and is driven by an eccentric, fixed on, or formed
in one with the crank shaft. The valve works within a chamber to which the
pressure fluid is admitted. On the back of the valve there is provided a loose ring
of the form mentioned in the specification of former Letters Patent dated the
9th day of October 1882 granted to Charles Algernon Parsons, Richard Clere
Parsons, and John Hawthorn Kitson, N° 4797, working on the inner face of the
chamber for the purpose of forming a tight joint for prevention of leakage of the
pressure fluid. This ring is of such a diameter that only a small portion of
the area of the back of the valve is subject to the pressure of the working fluid.
When the working fluid is admitted for only a portion of the piston stroke,
another circular valve, also driven by an eccentric, is provided that works on- the
back of the main valve for the purpose of effecting a rapid cut-off of the fluid.
The main valve is then formed with an annular space in it divided by partitions
into a number of short passages from one face of the valve to the other. Over
these passages the additional or "expansion" valve works.
When two valves are employed the ring for balancing the pressure on the valve
face is placed on the back of the expansion valve.
For the purpose of altering the positions or varying the throw of the eccentrics
a sleeve on the shaft which drives the valves is connected to or formed in one with

page_text: an eccentric and is free to turn on the shaft, but is prevented from moving along
the shaft. On this eccentric a larger eccentric is placed from which the valve is
driven. The outer eccentric is driven by a pin working in a radial slot in an
enlarged part of the driving shaft or from some part attached to it. By this
arrangement if the sleeve and the inner eccentric be rotated relatively to the crank
shaft, the driving pin slides in the slot and the position of the outer eccentric is
changed so as to reverse the engine or vary the admission of the working fluid.
In order to effect the rotation of the sleeve and inner eccentric above mentioned
a spiral or screw is formed on the end of the shaft. A nut on this spiral engages in
a slot in the sleeve and is free to slide in this slot.
If an end pressure be applied to the nut it will turn on the spiral and impart a
rotating movement to the sleeve. This end pressure is applied in either direction
by means of a screw or lever in the end of the shaft.
For the purpose of continuous lubrication of the working parts a disc is made to
rotate inside the central space from which the cylinders radiate. The outer edge
of the disc is provided with van-s which dip into a well of lubricant and lift the
lubricant into a channel from whence it can flow to the main bearings of the crank
shaft, thence by grooves to the valve eccentrics and to the crank pin, from whence
it flows back to the well to be again lifted by the vanes on the rotating disc.
With steam as the pressure fluid, and leakage past the pistons, the condensed
steam would fall into the lubricant well where the water is separated from
the lubricant by gravitation substantially as described in the above mentioned
specification of Letters Patent N° 4797 A.D. 1882.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Multiple Cylinder Engines.
I, The Honourable RICHARD CLERE PARSONS, Airedale Foundry, Leeds, in the
County of York, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and 3
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to multiple cylinder engines in which two or more single
acting cylinders radiate from an enclosed central space in which the crank revolves
and has reference chiefly to means for the admission and release of the working 3
fluid also for altering the positions or varying the throw of the eccentrics for
actuating the valves with the object of either reversing the engine or varying the
duration of admission of the working fluid to the cylinders and also a method of
lubricating the wearing surfaces.

page_text: On the side of the engine a face is formed having passages in it to each of the
cylinders. Against this face there works a valve which by its action-partly
reciprocating and partly rotatory-allows of admission and release of the pressure
fluid to each of the cylinders in turn.
The valve is circular in form and is driven by an eccentric, attached to, or formed
in one with the crank shaft. The valve works within a chamber to which the
pressure fluid is admitted. On the back of the valve there is provided a loose ring
of the form mentioned in the specification of former Letters Patent dated the 9th day
of October 1882 granted to Charles Algernon Parsons, Richard Clere Parsons, and
John Hawthorn Kitson, No 4797, working on the inner face of the chamber for
the purpose of forming a tight joint for prevention of leakage of the pressure fluid.
This ring is of such a diameter that. only a small portion of the area of the back
of the valve is subject to the pressure of the working fluid.
When the working fluid is admitted for only a portion of the piston stroke,
another circular valve, also driven by an eccentric, is provided that works on the
back of the main valve for the purpose of effecting a rapid cut-off of the fluid.
The main valve is then formed with an annular space in it divided by partitions
into a number of short passages from one face of the valve to the other. Over
these passages the additional or "expansion" valve works.
When two valves are employed the ring for balancing the pressure on the valve
face is placed on the back of the expansion valve.
For the purpose of altering the positions or varying the throw of the eccentrics
a sleeve on the shaft which drives the valves is connected to or formed in one with
an eccentric and is free to turn on the shaft, but is prevented from moving along
the shaft. On this eccentric a larger eccentric is placed from which the valve is
driven. The outer eccentric is driven by a pin working in a radial slot in an
enlarged part of the driving shaft or from some part attached to it. By this
arrangement if the sleeve and the inner eccentric be rotated relatively to the crank
shaft, the driving pin slides in the slot and the position of the outer eccentric is
changed so as to reverse the engine or vary the admission of the working fluid.
In order to effect the rotation of the sleeve and inner eccentric above mentioned
a spiral or screw is formed on the end of the shaft. A nut on this spiral engages
in a slot in the sleeve and is free to slide in this slot.
If an end pressure be applied to the nut it will turn on the spiral and impart a
rotating movement to the sleeve.
This end pressure is applied in either direction by means of a screw or lever in
the end of the shaft.
For the purpose of continuous lubrication of the working parts a disc is made to
rotate inside the central space from which the cylinders radiate. The outer edge
of the disc is provided with vanes which dip into a well of lubricant and lift the
lubricant into a channel from whence it can flow to the main bearings of the crank
shaft, thence by grooves to the valve eccentrics and to the crank pin, from whence
it flows back to the well to be again lifted by the vanes on the rotating disc.
With steam as the pressure fluid, and leakage past the pistons, the condensed
steam would fall into the lubricant well where the water is separated from
the lubricant by gravitation substantially as described in the above mentioned
specification of Letters Patent No 4797 A.D. 1882.
As engines of this class are generally made with three cylinders symmetrically
arranged around one centre and have the working fluid admitted to the outer ends
of the cylinders only, the following description applies to such an engine embodying
the improvements described above.
Referring to the accompanying drawings on Sheet 1 Fig. 1 is a longitudinal
section through the centre of an engine with a single valve. Fig. 2 is an end
view with the valve-cover removed, shewing the back of the valve and the passages
to the cylinders.
Fig. 3 is a part plan of the engine and Fig. 4 is a transverse section on the

page_text: On sheet 2, Fig. 5 is a longitudinal part section through the centre of an engine
having two valves, one acting on the back of the other for the purpose of rapidly
cutting off admission of the working fluid from the cylinders.
Fig. 6 is an end view with the valve cover removed and shewing the backs of
the valves.
Fig. 7 is a view on the face of the main valve which works over the cylinder
port face.
Figs. 8, 9, and 10 are detail views of gear for altering the position of the
"expansion" valve. Fig. 11 shows another mode of doing this.
Figs. 12 and 13, are enlarged 'diagrammatic end views shewing how the position
and stroke of the expansion eccentric are altered.
.
In Fig. 1. A. A. A. are the three cylinders radiating from the central chamber B.
C is a crank shaft rotating in bearings formed, at one end of the engine in the oil
disc cover D, and at the other end in the, valve cover E. F is one of the three
connecting rods which are coupled by the divided straps H. H to the crank pin.
The outer ends of the connecting rods engage on pins J in the pistons K. L. L. Lare
passages affording communication between the outer ends of the cylinders and the
circular face M on the side of the engine over part of which the circular valve N
works. O is an eccentric formed in one with or fixed on the main shaft C and
which by its action causes the circular valve N to cover and uncover the
passages L. L. L to each of the cylinders A. A. A in turn, for the admission of the
working fluid from the annular space P. P, and its release to the exhaust
space Q. Q.
The circular valve cover E is fixed to the cylinder face M, leaving an annular
space P. P to which the working fluid is admitted at R.
The exhaust fluid is released at S. On the back of the valve N (Fig. 1) a
turned ring T described in the specification of patent No 4797, 9th October 1882
fits (for the purpose of balancing the valve) which works against the inside face of
the valve cover E and prevents leakage; this ring is pressed against the cover face
The bottom
by the pressure of fluid and by springs t. t. t in recesses in the valve.
of the chamber B forms a well for containing lubricant which by a notch U flows
into the bottom of a circular chamber formed on the opposite face of the engine to
that on which the valve works. Within this chamber a disc V rotates with the
crank shaft. On the outer edge of the disc there project vanes or paddles W. W. W,
and on the disc rotating, these lift the lubricant into which they dip,-and
discharge it at the top of the chamber by the passage Y into a reservoir Z in the
disc cover D. From this reservoir the lubricant flows through holes into the shaft
bearing, thence into the annular recess a in the balance weight b and through the
holes c. c. c to lubricate the crank pin, whence it then falls into the well B.
A pipe d leading from the reservoir Z conveys the lubricant to the other shaft
bearing in the valve cover, from where it flows into another annular recess e and
thence by the pipe f to the well B. There is thus a continuous circulation of
lubricant through the main bearings and the crank pin, when the engine is
running.
The valve eccentric may also be lubricated in a similar way by a hole communi-
cating with the main bearing. Fresh lubricant is supplied to the engine through a
cock g fixed on the side of the chamber B. For the purpose of testing whether
the lubrication is efficient a try cock his fixed on the pipe d.
Where steam is the motive power, and if any leakage of steam past the pistons
condenses in the chamber B it falls by its greater density to the bottom and passes
away to the overflow chainber j formed in the cover D the top of which chamber
is in communication with the chamber B by a passage l, and opening m.
The
lubricant level in the chamber B is determined by the height of the pipe n which
carries away the water of condensation.
In Figs. 5 and 6 (Sheet 2) the main valve N₁ (sbewn separately by Fig. 7) has
an annular space around its outer edge divided by narrow partitions into a number

page_text: of short passages .p through which the working fluid is admitted to the cylinders.
On the back face of the main valve the balanced expansion valve N works, which
by its action quickly covers the passages p. p in the main valve N¹ and effects an
early and rapid cut-off of working fluid to each of the cylinders.
For the purpose of altering the amount of admission, the position and throw of
the eccentric which drives the expansion valve are altered by the apparatus shewn
partly in section in Fig. 5 and by the detail views Figs. 8 to 11 and which I will
now proceed to describe.
A sleeve q projecting outside the engine bearing surrounds the shaft at the valve
end. On the inner end of the sleeve there is formed an eccentric r which works
within a larger eccentric s on which latter the expansion valve N³ is free to
rotate. A pin x projects from the inner side of the large eccentric s.
This pin
engages in a block u which is free to slide radially or otherwise to the crank shaft,
in a suitable recess in the main valve eccentric o or (as is shewn on the drawings)
in a slot in a plate v on the shaft and which is rotated with the shaft by a pin w
on it engaging in a hole in the main eccentric o.
Fig. 8 shews two views of the driving plate v with its projecting pin w and the
slot with the sliding block u in it. Fig. 9 shews two views of the large eccentric s
which drives the expansion valve. x is the pin which engages in the sliding
block u shewn in Fig. 8.
Figs. 12 and 13 are diagrammatic views to shew the action of the variable
expansion gear.
By rotating the sleeve q with its eccentric (the centre of which latter in Fig. 12
is lying along the line a¹¹) so that the position of the centre is brought along the
line y. y as in Fig. 13, the position of the outer eccentric s is altered as shewn,
while its change of position is also partly dependent upon the direction of motion
of the pin block in the slot. As shewn here it will be seen that the centre of
the outer eccentric has been moved from Z along the line Z³ to Z¹, along the
line Z³ thus altering not only its throw but also its angular position relative to the
crank pin c¹.
The partial rotation of the sleeve on the shaft is effected by a lever on the outer
end of the sleeve. This lever may be fixed at intermediate positions, (for various
rates of expansion) to another lever or disc on the main shaft as shewn in Figs. 5
and 10. Fig. 11 shews another method of effecting the partial rotation of the
sleeve. In this the end of the main shaft C is reduced and screwed to receive a
nut u² fixed to a handwheel w which nut can be turned inside an outer sleeve q¹,
which internally fits a spiral or screw on the outside of the main shaft C. To the
inside of this sleeve and clear of the screw is fixed a key k, which slides in a
recess on the outside of the eccentric sleeve q. By rotating the handwheel w² fixed
to the nut on the small screw on the end of the main shaft the nut is moved along
and carries with it the internally screwed sleeve ql endways. As this sleeve fits
into the spiral on the main shaft the end motion given produces rotation of the
sleeve on the spiral while it also carries around with it the eccentric sleeve g, by
its engagement with the sliding key k. The eccentric sleeve q is prevented from
moving endways.
The spiral sleeve and its nut may be locked in any position by another nut or
hand wheel w³.
Although I at first described an engine with a single valve driven by a fixed
eccentric, it is evident that the variable eccentric gear shewn in Figs. 5 to 13 for
driving the expansion valve may be applied to an engine with a single valve to
alter the duration of admission of the working fluid to the cylinders or by a further
rotation of the sleeve the main eccentric may be changed to the other side of the
centre line of the crank, and the engine thus reversed. In this case the admis-
sion ports are formed symmetrically for rapid closing and opening in whichever
direction the engine runs.

page_text: Also, although the expansion valve in Fig. 5 is shewn variable it need not be so
but the eccentric may be formed in one with the crank shaft, as in Fig. 1, or
attached to it.
It is also evident that although the description given is that of a 3 cylinder single
acting engine the application of the above invention is suitable for such engines
with 2, 4 or more cylinders arranged radially around a central chamber.
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
1. In a multiple cylinder engine a circular balanced valve working on a fixed
valve face and driven by an eccentric from the crank shaft substantially as
described.
.
2. In a multiple cylinder engine the combination with a circular valve working
on a fixed face and driven by an eccentric from the main shaft of a circular
balanced expansion valve which works on the back of the first mentioned valve
and is also driven by an eccentric from the main shaft substantially as described.
3. In a multiple cylinder engine having a valve or valves such as referred to in
claim 1 or 2 the use of an outer eccentric mounted upon an inner eccentric or boss,
or sleeve capable of being partially rotated at will with relation to the shaft such
outer eccentric being guided during the rotation or partial rotation by a pin and slot,
substantially as described and for the purposes specified.
4. In a multiple cylinder engine of the kind referred to the use of a fan or
bucket wheel to raise lubricant from which the water has been separated and
passages to distribute such lubricant to the various bearings substantially as
described.
5. The improved multiple cylinder engine constructed arranged and operating
as shewn in and described with reference to Figs. to 4 of the drawings.
6. The improved multiple cylinder engine constructed arranged and operating as
shewn in and described with reference to Figs. 5 to 7 of the drawings.
Dated this 8th day of February 1886.
RICHARD CLERE PARSONS.
W. Lloyd Wise,
Agent for the Applicant.