Improvements in Motive Fluid Engines.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Mar., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 28th Dec., 1895-Accepted, 26th Mar.. 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Motive Fluid Engines.
We, ROBERT CHRISTIAN JOHN DICKEN, of 21 Weltje Road, Ravenscourt
Park, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer's Draughtsman, and GEORGE
DICKEN, of Rose Villa, Melbourne Road, West Bridgford, Nottingham, in the
County of Nottingham, Ironmonger, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
In order to prevent steam or other motive fluid from being wasted in the cylinder
of a steam or motive fluid engine on account of the length of the ports between the
interior of the cylinder and the valve face, the latter is, according to this invention,
made curved and concentric with the internal surface of the cylinder, the slide-
With this arrangement, there is no
valve being suitably formed to fit thereon.
waste of motive fluid, hereinafter referred to as steam, except that due to the
necessary thickness of that portion of the wall of the cylinder on which the
curved slide-valve works.
The invertion also relates to improved means for distributing steam to and from
engine cylinders.
In one construction according to this invention, the slide-valve comprises &
hollow body the ends of which are made concave to fit the convex surface of
the valve face of the cylinder on which they work and are provided with ports
adapted to be brought alternately into correspondence with the cylinder-ports so as
to allow live steam to pass from the interior of the valve into the cylinder. In the
portion of the body of the valve remote from the cylinder there fits a hollow plug
or tubular piece, which works against a seat on the inner side of the cover of the
valve-chest and by means of which the interior of the body of the valve is kept in
This hollow or
constant communication with a steam-inlet in the said cover.
balance plug is of such dimensions that it and the valve body will be pressed
against the cover and valve face respectively with no more than the requisite
amount of force to keep them thereon, so that unnecessary wear will be avoided
and the power necessary to actuate the valve will be reduced. A spring is provided
between the valve body and hollow plug for keeping the valve against the
valve face when the engine is not under steam. In exhausting, the steam issues
from the cylinder past the ends of the valve into the valve-chest and escapes
therefrom through a suitable outlet. The cylinder may advantageously be turned
externally and fit into a casing adapted to form both the valve-chest and a steam
jacket.
In a modification, the two curved end portions of the valve are made separate
and are connected together by a hollow shaped piece, which fits at each end
into one of the end portions, works against the cover of the valve-chest, and is
cause the valve to
arranged, like the balance-plug herein before described, to
be pressed against the valve face on the cylinder with only the proper amount
of force, a coiled spring being introduced between each end portion and the
corresponding branch of the intermediate portion for the purpose hereinbefore
mentioned.
In another construction, live steam does not reach the interior of the valve
through the balance-plug but through a tube in which a neck-like portion of

page_text: the valve-body fits transversely. This tube receives live steam through its ends,
which work in tubular guides that are in connection with the steam inlet.
In a modified construction, the central portion of the body of the valve is made
convex on its underside and is arranged to work in a concave seat and live steam
is admitted to the interior of the valve body and thence to the underside of the
valve through suitable openings in the valve body and valve seat. The central
portion of the valve body is provided with a hollow balance plug as in the other
arrangements.
In all the constructions described the interior of the valve is always open to live
steam.
If desired, however, it may be arranged that the exhaust-steam shall pass
through the interior of the valve and the live steam through the valve-chest.
Valves of the kind herein before described may be adapted to have each of their
ends operated separately to enable the relative times of admission cut off, exhaust
and compression to be varied to suit requirement. In some cases separate cut-off
valves may be provided.
Improvements in Motive Fluid Engines.
We, ROBERT CHRISTIAN JOHN DICKEN, of 21 Weltje Road, Ravenscourt
Park, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer's Draughtsman, and GEORGE
DICKEN, of Rose Villa, Melbourne Road, West Bridgford, Nottingham, in the
County of Nottingham, Ironmonger, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
In order to prevent or lessen the waste of steam or other motive fluid that
usually takes place in the cylinder of a steam or motive fluid engine on account of
the considerable length of the ports and passages between the interior of the
cylinder and the valve face, the latter is, according to this invention, made
curved and concentric with the internal surface of the cylinder, the slide valve
being suitably formed to fit thereon. With this arrangement, there is no or very
little waste of motive fluid, hereinafter referred to as steam, except that due to
the necessary thickness of that portion of the wall of the cylinder on which the
curved slide-valve works, aud in which the steam ports are formed.
The invention also relates to improved means for distributing steam to and from
engine cylinders.
In the accompanying drawings,
Figs. 1 and 2 show respectively in central longitudinal section and cross section,
part of a steam engine constructed according to this invention. 1 is the engine
cylinder turned externally and fitted into a casing 2 adapted to form both a steam
jacket 2 for the cylinder and a valve chest 2b in which the slide valve 3 is arranged
to reciprocate. 4 is a branch communicating with the interior of the valve, and 5 is
a branch communicating with the interior of the valve chest.
The slide-valve 3 comprises a hollow body the end portions 3* of which are made
concave on their underside to fit the convex surface of the valve face 1 of the
cylinder on which they work and are provided with ports 6 adapted to be brought
alternately into correspondence with the cylinder-ports 7 so as to allow live steam

page_text: o pass from the interior of the valve to each end alternately of the cylinder.
he portion of the body of the valve remote from the cylinder, that is to say in
he top portion in the example shown, there fits a hollow plug or tubular piece 8
which works against a seat 9 on the inner side of the cover 10 of the valve-chest:
nd by means of which the interior of the body of the valve is kept in constant
communication with the steam inlet 4 through a passage 4* in the valve chest
cover. The plug 8 is of such dimensions that it and the valve body will be pressed
gainst the cover 10 and valve face 1 respectively with no more than the requisite
amount of force to keep them thereon, so that unnecessary wear will be avoided
and the power necessary to actuate the valve will be reduced. A spring 11 is
provided between the valve body and hollow plug for keeping the valve against
the valve face when the engine is not under steam. The steam enters the
cylinder through the valve as indicated by the arrows a and exhausts over
the ends of the valve and through the valve chest to the outlet 5 as indicated by
the arrows b.
Figs. 3 and 4 show a similar arrangement to that illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 but
the live steam is caused to enter the valve chest through the branch 5 so as to pass
over the ends of the valve 3 to the cylinder and exhaust through the valve to the
branch 4. The plug in this case relieves the back of the slide valve of steam
pressure to an extent dependent upon the cross sectional area of that part of the
plug which fits into the valve. The pressure of the valve on the valve face can
thus be reduced to any desired extent. The plug is pressed against the under side:
of cover 10 by the pressure of the live steam against the end flange in the valve
chest 8 on its upper part. In this arrangement also, the cylinder is packed with
live steam instead of with exhaust steam.
Figs. 5 and 6 are corresponding views to Figs. 3 and 4 showing a modification in
which the two curved end portions 3* of the valve are made separate from each
other and are connected together by a tubular shaped piece 3" which fits at
each end into one of the end portions, and works at its central portion against the
cover 10 of the valve chest so as to serve like the balance plug 8 hereinbefore
described to partially relieve the valve face, to the desired extent from downward
pressure due to the action of the live steam admitted to the valve chest through
branch 5. A coiled spring 11 is introduced between each end portion 3 of the
valve and the corresponding branch of the intermediate portion 1 for the purpose
hereinbefore mentioned.
. Figs. 7 and 8 illustrate another construction in which live steam reaches the
interior of the valve through a tube 12 in which a perforated neck-like portion 3
of the valve-body fits transversely as shown. The tube 12 is formed with a central
eularged tubular part 12 adapted to receive the neck-like portion 3 perforations
in which register with the adjacent ends of the passage through the tube 12. The
neck-like portion 3 is closed at its upper end by a balance plug 8, which fits
into it and is so supported by a spring 11 as to bear against the cover 10 of the
valve chest. The tube 12 receives live steam through its ends which work in
tubular guides 13 that are in connection with the steam inlet 4 by a passage 4* in
the valve chest.
In another modified construction illustrated in Figs. 9 and 10, the central portion
of the body of the valve 3 is made convex on its underside and is arranged to work
in a concave seat 14. The interior of the valve 3 is in communication with the
branch 4 through openings 15, 15" formed through the underside of the valve body
and the valve seat respectively. Live steam may enter the valve chest through
the inlet 5 and be admitted to each end of the cylinder, alternately through the
porta 7, upon the said ports being uncovered by the ends of the valve, the exhaust
steam issuing from the cylinder through the ports 7 and 6 to the interior of the
valve 3 whence it passes through the openings 15, 15" to the branch 4. It will
5 be obvious however that live steam may enter by branch 4 and escape by branch 5.
Figs. 11, 12 and 13 are respectively a part central longitudinal section, a cross
section and a horizontal section on the line A B of Fig. 11 showing a construction

page_text: of engine similar to that shown in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive but having a valve 3
formed with steam admission ports 6" 6" and exhaust ports 6, and provided
with separate expansion or cut off valves comprising two blocks 16 16 adapted to
fit upon the curved back of the main valve 3. The said blocks are connected
to a pair of rods 17, 17 having right and left hand screw threads by means of
which the blocks can be moved nearer together or further apart, as well under-
stood, for the purpose of varying the point at which they will cut off steam from
the ports 6*.
In each of the arrangements hereinbefore described the valve 3 is retained in
its proper working position transversely on the curved valve face 1 by reason of
the plug 8 being arranged to work between longitudinal guides 10 on the cover 10.
Figs. 14 and 15 illustrate an engine according to this invention provided with a
flat valve 3 working on a flat valve face and so constructed as to distribute the
steam to and from the cylinder in the manner berein before described with
reference to Figs. 1 and 2, or it may be in the manner described with reference to
Figs. 3 and 4.
Figs. 16 and 17 illustrate a variable expansion engine according to this invention
provided with a flat valve 3 with separate cut off valves 16 which distributes the
steam in the manner hereinbefore described with reference to Figs. 11, 12 and 13.
It is to be understood that motive fluid engines constructed according to this
invention can be variously modified without departing from the essential features
thereof.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is
1. In a motive fluid engine a cylinder constructed with a valve face made
curved and concentric with the internal surface of the cylinder and with a slide
valve adapted to fit and work on said valve face substantially as described and
shown for the purpose specified.
2. A motive fluid engine wherein the steam distributing slide valve is made
hollow and in parts that fit one within the other and are pressed apart by the
steam pressure, and also by a spring or springs so as to bear against the cover
of the valve chest and the valve face, and the steam chest is constructed with two
passages one of which is in constant communication with the interior of the
hollow valve and the other with the valve chest so that the supply of live steam,
or the exit of exhaust steam, can take place through the said valve and one of the
said passages, substantially as described.
3. A motive fluid engine of the kind referred to in the preceding claim in which
the communication between the valve and one of the passages in the valve chest is
effected through an opening in the top of a hollow plug carried by the valve and
working against a seat on the inner side of the valve chest cover, and a passage
formed in the cover of said valve chest, substantially as described.
4. Motive fluid engines constructed arranged and operating, substantially as
described with reference respectively to and shown in Figs. 1 and 2, in Figs. 3 and 4,
in Figs. 5 and 6, in Figs. 7 and 8, in Figs. 9 and 10, in Figs. 11, 12 and 13, in
Figs. 14 and 15 and in Figs. 16 and 17 of the drawings annexed.
Dated this 28th day of December 1896.
W. LLOYD WISE,
Per F. J. Brougham,
46 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Applicants' Agent.