US108156A - Improvement in steam-engines - Google Patents

Description

FRANK n.K1a'nr,"or`Nnw YORK, N. v.l

Letters Patent No. 108,156, dated otober 11, 1870.-

IMPROVEMENT IN STEAM-ENGINES.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, 'FRANK E. KIRBY, of the city of New York, i'n the county and State ot' New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Steam-Engines; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to Ytheaccompanying drawing forming part of this specification.

The object ot' this invention is to provide simple and elicient means for varying, according to the load or speed of the engine, the position ot' the cut-oli` valves over the ports, andon the back of 'the main L slide valve, by means of which the requisite quantity of steam may be measured 'out for each stroke of the engine, according to the load or power required; and the invention consists in the application of an auxiliary cylinder and pistomfor the use of either steam or liquid, the valve of which is actuated by the governor ot' the steam-engine, the piston-rod of which auxiliary cylinder is a cogged rack, engaging with a pinion on the cut-oli` valve-rod, or the equivalent of a rack and pinion, by means of which that valve-rod may be revolved, or otherwise moved, and by such revolutirmh or movement to vary the position of the cut-oi valves, the whole arranged and operating as hereinafter more fully set fort-h and described. A

In theaccompauyiug drawing- Figure l represents a longitudinal back-side view of an engine-frame with the valve-gear exposed to view and showing my improvement. l

Figure 2 is a horizontal section of fig. 1 on the line w W.

YFigure 3 is a vertical section ol' iig. 4 on the line rIigure 4 is a vertical section of lig. 3 on the line Figure 5 is a vertical section of lig. 2 on the line. Z Z.

Similarletters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

A. represents the Cylinder of the engine.

B is the pistou.

C is the piston-rod.

ll) is the steam-chest.

E is t-ho slide valve.

F represents the engine-frame.

The mode of connecting the cylinder A with the frame, so as to project the cylinder into the steam- 1chesrt, and shorten the posts or passages, is seen in (l is the slide-valve rod.

H is the cut-oli` valve-rod.

II represents the cut-oli` valre which works on the hack of the main slidefvalves.

l J Jtarethe steam-ports through the slide-valves, over which the cut-oft` valves work.

K K are the steampassages to the cylinder.V

L represents the exhaust.

'lherods- G and H are actuated by a connection attached to the jaw M of therod` N, by means A of the arms O and I. t

The former is a portion of the sleeve g, which sleeve is adjustable on the rod N. The latter takesdirectly hold of the rod G.

It will be seen that the main slide-valves and the cut-cti valves have the same longitudinal movement. rlhe cut-ofi' valves arc connected with the rod H by a right and left-hand screw, R R, and thevalve-rod H is arranged so that it may, with the screws It R, be revolved, or partially revolved, as maybe required, by which revolution, or partial revolution in either di- `rectiou, the position of the valves is varied.

This arrangement of cutoff valves, operated by right and left-hand screws, on a valve-rod susceptible ot" rotary motion, I am aware is not new. Efforts have been made to rotate this valve-rod, and thereby make the proper adjustment of the valves automatic, by connecting it directly with the governor, but such connection has been fourni to interfere so materially with the proper action of the governor, and the governor itself being so imperfectly adapted for the purpose, when so connected, that such eiiortshave not Vproved successful. The method now, where this de scription of variable cut-oil" valve is used, is to'rotate the rod and adjust the cut-oli` by hand.`

My object has been to render the yariahle cnt-cfrn i valves automatic, according to the requirements of the engine, by means of the governor, but in a manner which docs not interfere with or entirely depend upon its action. For this purpose I provide the auxiliary cylinder S, placed in any convenient position.v

T is the piston in this cylinder, and

4U is the piston-rod, on which is a cogged rack V.

The upper end of the rod U passes up through the engine-frame, as seen at W, where it is supported in a vertical position, and so that it may-.be raised' or lowered by hand, if desired.

4 X is a pinion, supported between the two hangers y', from the frame ot' the engine.

This pinion has a square hole through it, and the end ot the valve-rod H is made square, to t thc pinion loosely, so that there shall be no friction to interfere with the longitudinal movement of the rod. The rack V engages with the pinion X, and the valve-rod yis given a rotating movement by the 'riseand fall or vertical movementV of the rack. This vertical move ment is produced by means of steam or water acting in the cylinder S on the.piston T. The steam or water, under boiler pressure, is admitted to the cylinderv by means of balanced valves y y in the chamber Z.

'Ihis valve is connected with the governor byfan arrangement seen in fig. 4l.

a is an arm, extending horizontally from the rack c is a level', oneend of which is pi voted to the arm a. The other end is connectedh with the end of the valve-rod d by the connecting-link e. lf is a rod, connected directly with the governor and with the lever c by the connecting-link g. v

The steam or water is admitted to the ends of the valve-,chest and exhausted between the valves y y, as indicated in the drawing. VBy means of the lever c, any movement of the pis- Y ton T causes a movement of the valve, which instant- 'ly closes the ports,land holds the piston and cnt-ofi` The eifect of varying the pressure on the piston T -is to instantly vary the position of the cnt-off valves1 letting on or cutting off steam, and ineasuringit ontfor each stroke, to meet the requirements of the eugine. This action, to lbe perfect, mustl be automatic.

The common Acentrifugal governor, unaided by other mechanism, is, at best, but a poor regulator of the steam-engine. WVhen connected directly with a entf,

olf valve it cannot change its action with suicient rapidity or uniformity to render it of vany material value. By' my arrangement, it will be seen, that the first slight variation of the balls does the work. ing stantly and perfectly.

The left-hand portion of the figs. 1 and 2, and the detail views, gs. 3 and 4, illustrate a device for couverting the air-pump Pinto an engine for extinguishing tires and forcing water.

P' is the air-pum p of the condenser R', which connects with the exhaust of vthe steam-engine by the pipes.

valve T,so as to-close the -ivaterfinduction pipe'V', and attaching a hose to the tube W', I have a water-forcing engine ot' any required power.

Havingthns described my invention,

I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. In combination with the cut-off valve of a steamengine, the auxiliary cylinder S, piston T and valves y y, for` varying the position ot' timeout-off valves, vsubstantially as described. l l

2. The valve-gear, composed of the lever c, arm a, and connections e and g, when the same are arranged to operate in conuection'with the governor and piston T, substantially as and fin the purposes described.

. FRANK E. KIRBY.

Witnesses: Y

GEO. W. MABEE, ALEX. F. ROBERTS.

By closing the exhaust-pipe S andlowering theVV

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