US1260939A - Engine. - Google Patents

Description

A N. NICKERSON, ENGINE.

APPLICATION mm JUNE rs. 1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

Wfizess Q. EM.

Patented Mar. 26, 1918.

A. N. NICKERSUN.

ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED IUNE 16. 1916.

Patented Mar. 26, 1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALMA. N. NICKERSON, 0F STONEHAM, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO JOSEPH H.

MONEIL, OF SAUGUS, MASSACHUSETTS.

ENGINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 26, 1918.

Application filed June 18, 1916. Serial No. 104,094.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALMA N. NICKERSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Stoneham, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Engines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain improvements in single-acting steam engines, and has for its object to provide an engine of this character, which may be readily reversed and which will be as eilicient when operating to drive the main shaft in one direction, as in the other.

A further object is to simplify and improve the means for controlling the steam supply and exhaust in an engine of the type above referred to.

I accomplish these objects by the means shown in the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1 is a central sectional and partly diagrammatical view of the cylinder and valve mechanism of a reversible engine embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a central sectional view of the engine cylinder taken at right angles to the section of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a cross section at the line 33 of Fig. 2.

Figs. 4 to 9 are section views showing different positions of the piston and valve mechanism.

Figs. 10 and 11 are central sectional views at right angles to each other, of the cylinder of an engine of the non-reversible type, embodying a feature of my invention.

Figs. 12 and 13 are similar views, partly in elevation.

Fig. 14 is a detail view illustrating the application of automatic governing mechanism.

While I have only shown the application of the invention to a single cylinder, it will be understood that it is intended to be applied to an engine having at least two cylinders, and may be applied to engines having a still greater number of cylinders, but such additional cylinders have not been shown, as this would involve mere duplication.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 9 of the drawings, the cylinder 1 is provided with a single-acting piston 2, having a connecting rod 3 directly connected thereto and to the crank 4 of the main driving-shaft 5, of the engine.

The connecting rod is directly connected to the piston by a cylindrically-shaped head 6,

which is mounted to oscillate in the piston and has a pair of ports or passages 6, 6 therein, which are adapted to be brought into and out of register with passages 2, 2 and 2", 2, respectively, of the piston as hereafter explained, said passages 2 and 2" leading from the sides of the piston, at opposite points, to the head 6, and said passages 2" and 2" leading from said head 6 to the working face of the piston.

The cylinder is provided with oppositely disposed steam inlet ports 1 and 1", which are connected to steam inlet pipes 7 and 8, respectively, and is also provided with an exhaust chamber 1, which opens to the interior of the cylinder through port 1 and to which an exhaust pipe 9 is connected. The inlet pipes 7 and 8 are connected to opposite ends of a valve casing 10 in which a hollow piston valve 11 is arranged, said valve having an annular groove 11 formed therein midway thereof and having suitable operating means, as the connecting rod 12 and hand lever 13, located at one end of the valve casing, a steam supply pipe-14 being connected to the opposite end thereof, and a branch pipe 15 being connected to the middle portion thereof and to the exhaust pipe 9.

Opposite portions of the piston are provided with longitudinal grooves in which sliding cut- ofi valves 17 and 18 are mounted each having a port 17 18*, therein, adapted and arranged to be held in register with the inlet ports 1, 1", respectively, and with the outer ends of the piston passages 2, 2, respectively. Each valve 17 and 18 is provided with suitable means for adjusting it longitudinally, the particular means shown comprising a post 19, 20 mounted in the valve and connected b a link 21, 2:2 to a hand lever 23, 24, which is adapted to be locked in different positions of adjustment.

As will hereinafter appear, the parts may be adjusted to cause the engine to be driven in either direction, and in Figs. 1 to 9 the parts are shown as adjusted in the position to cause the main shaft to be driven in the direction of the arrow of Fig. 1. When thus adjusted, the sliding valve 18 will be moved to its outermost position, so that the inner end of its port 18 will be in register, with the inner end of the port 1", and the valve 17 will be adjusted inwardly to some point, according to the position at which the steam supply is to be cut off, as will be hereinafter explained. V

\Vhen the piston valve 11 is in its middle position, it will close both ports leading to the steam supply pipes 7 and 8, and, When it is desired to admit steam to the pipe 7, the lever 13 is moved inward so that steam will pass thereto through the hollow valve 11, and by this movement, communication between the pipe 8 and branch pipe 15 is established through the annular space 11 so that port 1 is opened to the exhaust pipe 9.

In Figs. 1 and l. the piston is shown in its innermost position, in which position the passage therein in open communication with the port 17" of the slide valve 17, and the port l of the cylinder, to which the supply pipe 7 is connected, so that, when the piston valve 11 is open, the passage 2* will contain steam under pressure. In this position, however, the inner end of the passage 2 will be practically closed by the head 6, but, as best shovvn in Fig. 4, the ends of the passage 6 therein are so arranged that when the connecting rod 3 is moved slightly to the right, by the passing of the crank beyond the dead center point, communication will begin to be established between the passages 2 and 2 through the passage 6, in the head, so that steam will be immediately admitted to the Working face of the piston; the passageway thereto being fully open as soon as the pie-- ton has moved outwardly a short distance, as shown in Fig. 5. It may be noted that this exact timing is not essential, as steam may be admitted either at a slightly earlier or later time. As the piston moves outwardly, connection between the passages 2 and 2 is maintained, but the outer end of the passage 2 soon begins to pass beyond the outer end 01? the port 17*, of the valve 17, so that, when the piston has, for example, half completed its stroke, the em trance to said passage 2 will have passed beyond the port 17, as shown in Fig. 6, causing the steam supply thereto to be cut oil", and the remaining portion of the outward stroke of the piston to be made under the expansive force of the steam. As the piston nears the end of its outward movement and the steam in the cylinder has expanded to atmospheric pressure, the working face of the piston will be carried beyond the exhaust port 1*, so that the interior of the cylinder will then be opened to the exhaust during the remainder of the outward movement. of the piston, to the position of Fig. 7, and also during its correspending return movement, suction and compression during this portion of the piston travel being thus prevented.

"As the piston face passes said port 1, on the serum movement, as shown in Fig 8,

the head 6 will be turned until the passage 43 therein is in open communication with the .assage 2" and 2, as Hllfi'il'll in Fig. 8, so t lat, beyond this point, the cylinder will exhaust through the passages 2" and 2*", through the port in oi the valve 18, and through the port 1" and pipe 8, to the branch pipe 15, through the connecting valve recess 11*, and to the exhaust pipe 9. As the piston nears the end of its inward movement, the head 6 will be turned sufficiently to close communication between passages 2 and 2, as shown in Fig, 9, so that compression will take place during the re mainder of the inward movement. The operation above described will then be repeated.

The engine may be driven in the opposite direction by reversing the relative positions of the slide valves 17 and 18, and moving the inlet valve 1] to its opposite position, so that steam will be admitted to the passage 8 which is connected to the port 1", and the passages 2" and 2 will become supply passages and the passages 2 and 2* will become exhaust passages, being connected to the pipe 9, through pipe 7, valve casing 10, and branch pipe 15, and the operation being otherwise precisely the same as that already described, and its operation on the reverse being as efficient as its operation on the forward motion, this arrangement being especially advantageous for marine Work, and for motor-driven vehicles.

Engines employed for the above purpose constantly have an engineer in attendance, and frequently carry, under normal conditions, a constant load, so that the point of out-off is not, and does not need to be under automatic control.

In Figs, 10 to l-l, the application of a feature of my invention to a stationary engine, which is adapted to be run in one direction, only, shown. As shown in said figures, the cylinder 25 is provided with a single supply port 25, to which the steam supply pipe 7 leads, and the piston 26 has an inlet passage 26 opening at one end to said port 25 and at the other end to a head 27 having a connecting rod 28 fixed therein, said head also having a port 27 which, in certain positions of said head, connects the passages 26 and 26 to admit steam to the working face of the piston.

A slide valve 30 having a port 30, and similar in function and operation and ar rangement to the valve 17 is also provided, said valve being preferably operated automatically to vary the point of cut-off by means of any suitable form of speed governor 31, as indicated in Fig. 1-1. The piston 26 is also preferably provided with. exhaust passages 26, which are arranged to be com nected with passages 27* in thehead 27 onthe return movenient ot the piston, said pas till sage 27 leading to the ends of the head and being in open communication with grooves 27 in the sides of the piston, said grooves being in open communication with an exhaust chamber 25 in the cylinder 25.

With this arrangement, the exhaust port in the side wall of the piston may or may not be employed, and the particular location of the exhaust passage is not essential beyond a location which permits an open exhaust during the return movement of the piston. The operation is substantially the same as that already described in connection with the engine of the reversible type, that is, steam is admitted through the supply pipe 7 and passes through the ports 25 and 30, passage 26 in the piston, passage 27 in the head 27, and the passage 26"" in the piston, to the working face of the latter, when the piston is about to move outwardly, and is in the position of Fig. 10. The supply of steam to the working face of the piston is cut oil as soon as the end of the passage 26 passes beyond the port 3O in the cut-ofi' valve 30, and the interior of the cylinder is opened to the exhaust port 26 during the latter portion of its outward stroke, and first portion of its inward stroke. Beyond this portion of the inward movement, the cylinder will be opened to exhaust through the piston passages 26", passages 27, in the head 27, and the grooves 27, in the side of the piston, which latter open to the exhaust chamber 25, as indicated in Fig. 11.

I claim 2- 1. A single-acting steam-engine comprising a cylinder having a cut-off device located in its side wall and provided with a steam inlet port, a piston having an inlet passage therein leading from its side to its working face and arranged to be held in communication, at its inlet end, with said inlet port, during a portion of the pistons travel, an oscillatory valve in said piston having automatic means to move said valve to open and close said piston passage during the reciprocation of said piston, and means to adjust the longitudinal position of said cut-off device to vary the point at which the inlet end of said piston passage is moved out of communication with said inlet port.

2. A. single-acting steam-engine, comprising a cylinder having an inlet ort in its side wall, a piston having an in ct passage leading from the side thereof to the working face and arranged to be held in communication at its inlet end with said inlet port during a substantial portion of the pistons travel, an osciilatory valve in said piston arranged to open and close said passage, a r-om'iecting-rod for said piston arranged to oscillate said valve during the reciprocation of the piston, a cut-off device disposed between said inlet port and the inlet nd of said piston passage and havin a port therein arranged to be held in register with said inlet port, and means to move said outoff device longitudinally of the cylinder to vary the point at which said inlet end of said passage passes out of communication with the steam inlet port, on the outward movement of the piston.

3. A single-acting steam-engine comprising a cylinder having a steam inlet port in its side wall, a piston having an inlet passage therein leading from its side to' its working face, automatic means to close said inlet passage during the return movement of the piston and to open it during the outward movement thereof, a valve mounted in the cylinder between the inner wall thereof and the piston and having a passage there through arranged to be held in communication with said inlet port at one end and with said piston passage at the opposite end and slidably movable longitudinally of the cyl inder, to vary the point of disconnection between its assage and the inlet end of said piston durmg the outward movement of the latter.

4. A single-acting steam-engine comprising a cylinder having two separate ports in its side wall leading to the interior thereof at corresponding po1nts, a reciprocating piston therein having two inlet passages, each leading from points in its side to its working face, a valve in the piston arranged alternately to open one of said passages and to close the other on the opposite movements of the piston, separate cut-off devices mounted to engage the inner wall of the cylinder for adjustment longitudinally thereof, each having a passage therethrough arranged to be connected at one end with the inlet end of said piston passages to connect said ports and passages throughout different portions of the travel of the piston, and means to connect either of said ports to a source of steam supply or to the exhaust in alternate relation.

5. A single-acting steam-engine compris ing a cylinder having two separate ports in its side wall leading to the interior thereof at corresponding points, a piston therein having two inlet passages, each leading from the sides thereof to the piston face, a valve in said piston automatically oscillated on each reciprocation thereof alternately to open one of said passages and close the other on the opposite movements thereof, cut-ofi' devices independently movable to connect said cylinder ports and the entrance ends of said piston passages at diflerent points in the travel of the piston, and valvemechanism arranged to connect either one of said ports to a source of steam supply, and the other to the exhaust.

6. A single-acting steam-engine compris ing a cylinder having two separate ports hated at opposite pointa in its side-wall, a, mipmcating piston therein having two inlet pasmgea each leading from correspondin points in its side to its Working has, va e-mechanism in the iston arranged alternateiy to open one of said passage: and to close the other an the oppssite movements of the piston, means to vary the point of connection of said passages with :0 said ports and means to connect either of mnae e. In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this spgcification, in the presence of a subscribing witness.

ALMA. N. NICKERSON. Witness:

H. B. Burs.

his 0! till pitent may be attained far he Gents eash. by ambush: thc amnisflaner of Patents,

Wuh-tsgton, D- G.

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