Improvements in Steam-engines.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application. 19th Feb., 1889
Specification Accepted, 11th May, 1889
Improvements in Steam-engines.
1,. HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings in the County of Middlesex 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:-
This invention relates to direct-acting steam-engines, and particularly to that class
in which the piston itself-acts as the valve, and in which a rotation is imparted to the
piston during its travel, and whereby the ports are accordingly opened or closed, the
object of the invention being to impart the rotative movement to the piston in a
simple and easy manner so that the engine will be capable of running at a very
high speed, and it consists in the construction as hereinafter described.
In the accompanying drawing.
Figure 1 represents a plan of the engine complete.
Figure 2 is a longitudinal vertical section of the same.
Figure 3 is a transverse vertical section on line rx of Figure 2.
Figure 4 is a modification.
Figure 5 is a vertical section through the guide E looking toward the guide F
and showing the groove the guide being in the position of the down quarter
point.
Figure 6 is a face view of the guide F representing the position as at the up quarter
point or opposite that of Figure 5.
Figures 7 and 8 are similar views to Figures 5 and 6 showing the positions as at
the respective dead centres.
A represents one cylinder, and B a second cylinder, both substantially alike, and in
axial line with each other, the adjacent ends of the two cylinders are open but the
outer ends are closed. The iwo cylinders are supported upon a base common to both,
and so as to be firmly held in alignment.

page_text: Cis the piston of the cylinder A, and D. the 'piston of the cylinder B.: these
pistons are of cylindrical shape, corresponding to the interior of the respective
cylinders, but of a length somewhat greater than the stroke required for the piston.
The two pistons are connected between the cylinders and the connection forms
a pair of parallel guides E F, between which guides a crank block G is arranged
which is free to slide in said guides at right angles to the axis of the piston. The
crank H of the driving-shaft is fitted with a crank-pin I, which works in the said
block G and so that as the pistons reciprocate, the guides E F will be moved
accordingly, and such reciprocating movement of the pistons and guides, will, though
the block Ġ and the crank H. impart a corresponding rotary movement to the
driving-shaft.
J represents the steam-inlet passage of one cylinder A, and K. represents the like
steam passage of the other cylinder B: these steam passages are arranged distant
from the closed end of the cylinder a little greater than the stroke of the piston, and
the passages open into the cylinder through ports a o of the cylinder A, as seen in
Figure 3, and like ports in the cylinder B, indicated by broken lines Figure 2, the
passages in the cylinders preferably terminate in two ports upon opposite sides of the
. piston, as seen in Figure 3, from the cylinder A an exhaust passage L opens,
preferably through two ports d d see Figure 3, and from the cylinder Da like exhaust
passage M opens, through like ports c. The exhaust ports are also distant from the
closed end of the cylinder greater than the length of the stroke and the length of the
piston is equal to the length of the stroke plus the length of the ports of the cylinder,
and a little more, so that on the reciprocating movement of the piston, neither end of
the piston ever reaches the respective ends of the ports.
The piston is constructed with a longitudinal chamber N, see Figure 3, and also
seen in broken lines Figure 2, opening, to the active end of the cylinder.
From the sides of the piston corresponding to the respective inlet ports, passages
open from the periphery of the piston into the central chamber F as seen at e in
Figure 3 these passages form ports in the piston C, and in the piston D. which
correspond in size to the corresponding inlet ports of the respective chambers.
From the same chamber N exhaust passages see Figure 3 open to the periphery
of the piston, and are adapted to register with the corresponding exhaust ports d d in
the cylinder A, and like exhaust passages i are formed in the piston D, to register
with the respective exhaust ports d d of that cylinder.
The exhaust ports of the piston are in length little less than the stroke of the
piston.
The rotary movement is imparted to the piston so that as the pistons move from
one quarter point to the dead centre, then to the other quarter point, a rotative
movement will be imparted to the pistons in one direction, then as the pistons continue
to the other dead centre, and hence to the point of starting, the return rotative
movement will be imparted to the pistons.
The arrangement of the respective pistons with relation to the ports of the cylinder,
is such that as the piston of one cylinder starts on its outward movement, the inlet
ports of that piston will register with the inlet ports of its cylinder for the admission
of steam, at the same time the exhaust ports of the piston of. the other cylinder will
register with the exhaust ports of its cylinder for the escape of steam.
To impart the required rotation to the pistons, and so that it may be so easy as to
produce no jar or concussion, I construct the guides E E with grooves on the face of
one or the other, of cam shape and into which a stud on the crank-block works as
it moves up and down between the guides E F and the stud of the crank-block'
always travelling in a direct straight path, will impart to the guides E F an oscillatory
or rotative movement, corresponding to the shape of the grooves in the said guide
or guides, and in which grooves the said stud or studs work, and the rotative
movement thus imparted to the-guides. E F will be communicated to the pistons.
The shape of the cam groove or grooves in the guides E F, is therefore of a-shape
which will impart the required rotative movement to the piston, that the several ports
may properly register for the admission, cut off and exhaust of steam.
⋅

page_text: Preferably I make the cam grooves in both slides as seen in Figures 5 and 6,
that in the guide E running from the centre downward and to the right, while that
in the guide F runs from the centre upward and to the right, and on the crank-block I
provide corresponding studs I m for the respective grooves in the guide E, and as seen
in Figure 2. These studs are equidistant from the central line of the crank-pin, and,'
as shown, each stud is distant from the centre of the piston equal to the length of the
crank, hence when the crank is at the quarter, one of the studs will always stand in
the central line of the pistons, the two grooves therefore both run to the centre, and
so that together they would form a continuous groove, as indicated in broken lines
Figure 6, but both grooves curve in the same direction, from the centre outward.
In operation, when the cranks stand upon the quarter say upward. the lower stud
will stand in- a central position, as indicated in Figure 6, at which time the upper
stud m will have reached its highest position, as also seen in Figure 6, the result
of which is, by the upward movement of the stud m in the curved groove, the guide
has been thrown to the extreme left, as seen in Figure 6. As the crank now passes to
its dead centre, the stud travels down the respective grooves until they arrive at
the central or dead centre position, indicated in Figure 8 at which time the slides
stand vertical, but as the crank now continues its movement, and the studs continue*
their descent until the next quarter point is reached, when the stud m will have
arrived at the centre, and the stud will be at the extreme down position, as indicated
in Figure 5, which continues the rotative movement of the slide to the opposite.
extreme, the crank continuing its movement on the return, and when the dead centre
is reached, the stud will have arrived at the central or opposite dead centre position,
as seen in Figure 7, when the studs will be at points equidistant from the centre,
thus as the crank revolves, a vibratory movement is imparted to the slide; which gives
a corresponding rotative movement to the pistons, sufficient to open and close the
ports for the admission or exhaust of steam."
The shape of the grooves is a segment drawn through the three points for each
stud, to wit, the central line of the piston, the dead-centre point of the studs, and
the extreme throw of the studs, the dead-centré points being in a vertical line through
the centre of the pistons, and the extreme point being at one side of that line,
equal to one half the rotation required, and as clearly indicated in Figure 8.
The grooves may be both in one guide, say as indicated in broken lines in
Figures 7 and 8, or grooves may be formed alike in both guides, and studs formed
upon or attached to the crank-block accordingly but I find that the groove for one
stud formed in one guide and the groove for the other stud formed in the other guide,
produces the most satisfactory result.
This construction of grooves and studs makes the rotative movement of the piston
correspondingly easy and the change from one direction to the other is so gradual,
that there is no abrupt termination of the stroke, consequently no jar is produced, and
the result is, that there is no limit to the velocity at which the engine may be successfully
run; further than the action of the steam is concerned, the machine itself offering no
impediment to such high velocity.
I have represented the studs as distant from each other equal to the throw of the
crank, and equidistant from the centre line of the crank, but the distance of the studs
from the centre line of the crank-pin is immaterial, it only being essential that they
may be equidistant from the centre of the crank-pin and that when the cranks stand
upon the dead centres, the studs shall be equidistant from the, centreline. of the.
pistons.
The grooves are in length corresponding to the movement required for the studs,
and the shape of the grooves is a segment starting from the centre of the piston
through the centre of the studs at the dead centre position, thence to the point where
the studs will stand at the quarter position.
In describing the grooves in the guides E F, I have stated that the curve is to the
right, this term right is used as looking toward the face of the guide F but it will be
understood that it is immaterial whether the grooves turn to the right or left.

page_text: The wear of the machine owing to this easy movement, is extremely light, and the
construction affords great facilities for lubrication.
I have illustrated two inlet passages in the pistons and two exhaust passages, with
corresponding ports and passages in the cylinder, but it will be understood that the
two inlet ports and the two exhaust ports act substantially as one, and that therefore
either may be dispensed with, it only reducing the area of the inlet or outlet, or more
ports may be added.
While I prefer to make the pistons to employ two open ended cylinders and two
corresponding pistons acting directly, the two pistons may be combined in one and
work in a single cylinder, as represented in Figure 4, but the crank will still
work between the guides, and so that the rotation of the piston will be imparted as
described.
As a packing for the piston at the open end of the cylinder, I introduce a
stuffing-box P around the piston, and to avoid the full pressure of steam upon the
stuffing-box, construct the cylinder with an annular groove R near the stuffing box,
and from that groove in the bottom of the cylinder, a channel S leads to the exhaust,
so that steam or water passing along the cylinder toward the stuffing-box, will
necessarily enter the groove r, and be conducted therefrom to the exhaust, hence no
greater pressure can be brought upon the stuffing-box than the exhaust. This
packing for the piston at the open end of the cylinder, while specially applicable
to engines of this character, is equally applicable to all open end cylinders."
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated to me by
my foreign correspondents I declare that what I claim is
First. In a steam-engine, the combination of a cylinder, a reciprocating piston, the
cylinder constructed with inlet and exhaust passages terminating in ports into the
cylinder, distant from that end of the cylinder, with which they are adapted to
communicate greater than the stroke of the piston, a piston greater in length than its
stroke, with inlet and exhaust ports opening through its periphery to the cylinder-
through the active end of the piston, the said piston extending outside the cylinder and
provided with two guides parallel to each other, at right angles to the axis of the
piston, a crank, a crank-pin extending between said guides, a crank-block on said
crank-pin working between, and guided by said guides, grooves in the face of one
or both of said guides, and studs on the said crank-block corresponding to said
grooves, the said studs equidistant from the central line of the crank-pin, and the
said grooves curved from the centre, substantially as and for the purpose described.
Second. In a steam engine in which the cylinder is constructed with inlet and
exhaust passages opening through ports into the cylinder, and in which one end of
the cylinder is open, and in which the piston works through the said open end of the
cylinder and having a stuffing-box in the said open end of the cylinder, around
the said piston, the cylinder constructed with an annular groove upon its inner
surface, and inside the said stuffing box, with an outlet from said annular groove
directly to the steam exhaust passage of the cylinder substantially as described, and
whereby the water arising from condensation in the said annular groove may flow
directly to the steam exhaust passage, and there escape.
131
1033
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
, Agents for the Applicant.