1844.] 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



37 



IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES. 



Jacob Samuda, of Southwark Bridge Iron works, Surrey, Engineer, for 

 "Improvements in the construction of steam engines, particularly applicable to ttie 

 purposes of steam navigalion.—Giaatei July 10, 1843 ; Enrolled January 10, 1844. 



The first improvement consists in a novel construction of the steam engine, 

 whereby the cylinders are placed almost over the keel of the boat ; the steam 

 cylinder, piston rod, cross head, and side rods, are of the ordinary construc- 

 tion, but in place of the side lever beams, Mr. Samuda employs a lever of a 

 triangular form moving upon centres, which gives motion to the connecting 

 rod ; the cylinders of this engine are not exactly in a line with each other 

 but a little sideways, and in an opposite direction to each other, so that the 

 connecting rods may work close to each other, but if it is desirable to have 

 the cylinders in the same line, it can be effected by cranking one of the con- 

 necting rods, so as to receive the other : the following sketch, which is an 

 elevation of the engine with one side removed, will serve to illustrate more 

 clearly the novel construction of the same ; a a,h the framework of the en- 

 gine, h, b two iron triangles working on centres c, c, fixed to the framework ; 

 d, d the connecting rods, the lower ends of which are connected to the ends of 

 the triangle by pin joints, and the upper ends to the single crank pin ; e, e, 

 the cylinders,/,/, the side rods connected at one end to the cross head of 

 the piston, and at the other end to the triangle by a pin joint as shown by 

 the drawing. 



The second part of these improvements consists in a modification of the 

 above, but in place of one cylinder being employed at each end of the frame, 

 there are two cylinders placed abreast of one another ; in this case there are 

 four air pumps employed which are worked from the cross head, but if pre- 

 ferred one only may be employed, which may be placed in tbe centre of the 

 frame and worked from the crank shaft ; the condensers are underneath the 

 bed plate of the engine. The cylinders in the thud part of these improve- 

 ments are elevated upon brackets cast or otherwise fixed to the framework, so 

 that the pistons descend and are connected to the ends of the triangles by 

 short links ; the eccentrics in this case are fixed one on each shaft, and the 

 crank pins are connected by a link, so that the engines in case of an accident, 

 can be worked independently of each other. The fourth part of these im- 

 provements shows the application of the above to vessels moved by submarine 

 propellers. Some idea may be formed of this part by inverting the annexed 

 sketch. In this case the triangles are placed above the main shaft, which 

 latter passes through the stern of the vessel, and upon it is fixed a drum 

 having arms of plate iron made in a spiral form, so as to have the efleot of 

 forcing a very lolid body of water through, the reaction of which has the 

 effect of propelling the vessel. Fifth improvement consists in the arrange- 

 ment of two vibrating cylinders inclined at an angle of 45 degrees, and an 

 open topped air-pump placed between them, all ut which are worked from 

 one crank pin. Sixth improvement relates to a mode of working the exhaust 

 valves of steam engines, the steam valves being constructed in the usual way. 

 For this purpose, two segments of metal sufficiently long to cover the exhaust 

 passages are made to fit the inner circumference of the cylinder ; these seg- 

 ments of metal, which are connected together by a rod, are actuated by the 

 motion of the piston, that is to say, when the piston has nearly finished its 

 upward stroke it comes in contact with the segment at the top of the cylin- 

 der, and closes the exhaust way at the top, and opens that at the bottom, and 

 vice versa. The seventh relates to a mode of regulating the expansion valves of 

 steam engines and so as to cut oil' the steam at any point of the stroke ; each 

 expansion valve is worked by a cam or eccentric having a boss cast on one 

 side, and bored out so as to fit the crank shaft and work loosely upon it 

 through the circumference of the boss, and about one third or fourth of the 

 way round is made a slot ; a hoop is then bored out to fit nicely upon the 

 boss of the eccentric, and through the circumference of this hoop is made a 

 spiral slot;;2a pin js then passed througU the slots of the hoop and eccentric. 



and is fixed into a hole formed in the circumference of the shaft •, thehoojv 



it should be observed, is prevented turning round upon the boss of the 

 eccentric by means of keys ; it will therefore be seen that on moving the hoop 

 endwise, which is effected by a bell-cranked lever actuated by a screw, that 

 the eccentric will be turned round upon the shaft, whereby the expansion 

 valves can be regulated so as to cut off the steam at any required part of the 

 stroke. 



The eighth and last improvement is for a mode of constmcting a governor 

 for regulating the discharge of the saturated brine from the boilers ; to effect 

 this a valve box is made in the discharge pipe, having a conical valve, on 

 the spindle of which there is a helical spring which acts against a collar 

 formed on the end of the spindle, so as to raise the valve and thereby increase 

 the size of the aperture ; the action of the steam and brine upon the base of 

 the cone, will of course have the effect of closing the aperture by forcing into 

 it the apex of the cone, and the same will be regulated according to the pres- 

 sure of steam in the boiler. 



STONE SAWING MACHINERY, 



William Hutchiso.v, of Ivy-bridge Lane, Strand, Middlesex, marble 

 merchant, for ** improvements in machinery for cutting or sawing marble and other 

 i/oncs."— Granted July 13, 1843 ; enrolled January 13, 1844. 



This improvement consists in the application of a saw guide, or frame fixed 

 above the blnck of marble or stone to be cut, whereby the sawing of stone 

 is rendered very easy, and capable of being done by any man or boy of suf- 

 ficient strength to move the saw frame. 



The saw guide consists of two pieces of timber parallel to each other and 

 a few inches apart ; these timbers or guide are placed above the stone, and 

 supported at each end by transverse pieces, which pieces are capable, by 

 means of screws, of being raised or lowered at pleasure. At each end of the 

 saw frame (which may be of the ordinary construction) there are two anti- 

 friction rollers which work between the guides, and serve to keep the saw 

 frame in a vertical position ; in addition to the screws above referred to for 

 raising the pieces of timber that support the ends of the guide frame, there 

 are also screws for moving and adjusting the said guide frame laterally, by 

 means of which the saw can be set to any part of the face of the block of 

 marble or stone when it is required to cut it into slabs, and the guide frame by 

 the arrangements above described, can also be set to any required height. 

 Another improvement in this apparatus is in the apphcation of a weight for 

 bearing up the saw frame, so that the sand and water may get freely under 

 and pass the blade of the saw ; for this purpose a pulley, capable of adjusting 

 itself to the position of the saw frame, is suspended from a bar affixed to the 

 loof of the building; a rope, having a counterbalance weight at one end, is 

 passed over the pulley, and attached to the frame of ihe saw, which « ill have 

 the effect of supporting the same as may be reiiuired. The claims are for 

 the mode of guiding saws worked by hand by means of guides, together 

 with the moving of the guides laterally or vertically by means of screws; 

 also the application of the anti-friction rollers, and lastly, the mode of sus- 

 pending a pulley that moves with the saw guide. 



STEAM PROPELLING MACHINERY. 



Joseph Maodslav, of Lambeth, Surrey, engineer, for " Improvements in 

 machinery used for propelling vessels by steam power," — Granted July 13, 1843 ; 

 enrolled January 13, 1844. 



The first part of these improvements relates to a mode of transmitting 

 power from one shaft to another, for the purpose of driving or giving motion 

 to a submarine propeller. The main or crank shaft in this case is in a line 

 with the keel of the vessel ; on the end of the shaft (which may be pro- 

 longed to anv convenient distance towards the stern of the vessel) there is a 

 drum, h.aving a number of grooves in its periphery. On the end of the pro- 

 pelling shaft, which is placed below and parallel with the crank shaft, there 

 is another drum of smalU-r diameter having a like number of grooves formed 

 in its periphery ; these drums are keyed on their respective shafts in such 

 manner with regard to position, that the grooves in one of the drums are 

 opposite the spaces of the other drum : the mode of transmitting motion 

 from the drum of the crank shaft to that of the propelling shaft, is by a rope 

 which circulates with repeated convolutions around the two drums. The 

 rope in the first place is passed over the drum of tlie crank shaft at one end, 

 it is then conducted by means of two guide pulleys to tlie opposite end of the 

 drum, and made to pass under the drum of tbe propelling shaft into that 

 groove nearest the end of the drum ; it is then passed over and under the two 

 drums until it reaches the opposite end, at which place the two ends of the rope 

 are spliced together. Between the two drums there is another pulley fixed on 

 the end of a moveable lever, actuated by a screw ; the object of this apparatus 

 •s to tighten the rope when required, which is effected by causing the pulley 

 to press against tha rope. The patentee claims the improvement in machinery 



