US1441135A - Power-generating mechanism - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 2, 1923.

E J. F THOMAS.

POWER GENERATING MECHANISM.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

FILED APR. 8, I922.

i wuowlioz 0185 75077245 2 SHEETS SHEET 2.

M... M11 mm W POWER GENERATING MECHANISM- lll'lql'lllllll IIITIIII Jan. 2,1923;

Patented Jan. 2, lfiuil.

pains eerie.

JAMES F. THOMAS, OF IMONTREAL, QUEBEC, CANADA.

POWER-GENEBATING IaIECHANISM.

Application filed April 8, 1922. Serial No. 550,758.

'1 '0 all whom, it may concern: I

Be it known that 1, JAMES F. THOMAS, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at 23 ()verdale Avenue, in the city and district of hilontreal, in the Province of Quebec, in the Dominion of Canada, have invented .certain new and useful Improvements in Power-Generating Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to mechanism particularly adapted and constructed for compressing air, elevating or forcing water after the manner of a ram for use in various capacities as a power generating medium, or for general service or supply, and the primary object of the invention is to provide an organization of cooperating instrumentalities and elements, and including an oscillating compressor, which is also equally well usable as a water elevating or forcing means and in which a piston is loosely mounted to automatically and freely reciprocate in opposite directions without restriction, and thereby dispense with piston connecting and actuating devices, relying solely for reciprocation ofthe piston on the gravitation thereof alternately from one end to the other of the prime compressing cylinder or means to accomplish the desired operation relatively to charges of air or to elevate or force water that may be indrawn into the cylinder, or similarly actuate any other medium to which the improved mechanism is adapted. A still further object of the invention is to simplify and economize in the general construction and organisation of devices of this character and at the same time reinforce or strengthen the several parts to withstand wear and tear and the pressures to which the parts may be subjected during the operation of the improved power generating mechanism.

With these and other objects and advantages in view, the invention consists in the construction and arrangementof the several parts which will be more fully hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a side elevation of a mechanisn embodying the features of the invention and including a storage reservoir or tank and showing the prime factor or cylinder in dotted lines in full rocked position in one direction;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section through the prime factor or cylinder for compressing or elevating or forcing water;

Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section through the rocking cylinder showing a part of the rock shaft towhich the cylinder is connected;

Fig. 1- is a horizontal action taken on the line 55, Fig. 8; p

Fig. 5 is a transverse vertical section taken on the line 66, Fig. 5;

. Fig. 6 is a detail elevation, showing a portion of the shifting mechanism which is automatically operated by the rocking cylinder; I

This application embodies features ofimprovement on the construction disclosed in my pending application, Serial No. 510,917, filed Oct. 27, 1921, for improvements in power generating mechanism, patented September 26, 1922, #1330316.

The numeral 5 designates a supporting pedestal or frame comprising opposite members 6 having supporting feet 7, the said members being reduced towards their upper ends to provide means for applying suitable bearings 8 thereto for a rock shaft 9 fixed to a prime operating factor or cylinder 10 having therein a freely movable and operatively unrestrained piston 11 of suitable dimensions and weight. At opposite ends of the cylinder 10 are laterally projecting heads 12, one of which is shown by'Fig. 5, these heads being for the attachment of discharge and intake pipes or conduits i l and 13. The discharge pipe or conduit .14 has a central discharge outlet 15 which will be more fully hereinafter explained with relation to its connection with a storage means or tank located in any suitable position relatively to the said prime .factor or cylinder 10. The intake pipe or conduit 13 at each end of the cylinder, or in connection with each of the heads 12 is adapted to be open forthe full intake of air or run to a source of supply of water. The discharge and intake pipes Li and 13 are connected with both ends of the mechanism, or with the two heads 12 of the prime factor or cylinder 10, to adapt the mechanism for reversal of operation croscillation in a manner which will be more fully explained, and while air and water may be referred to as the mediums preferably acted upon by the improved mechanism in the. subsequent description, it will be understood that the improved mechanism is intended to be used with any other mediums or for any specific service to which it may be acapted. Each of the heads 12, as clearly shown by if igs. 3, and 6, has loosely mount ed valves 16 and 17 disposed in operative alinement with the connected terminals of the discharge and intake pipes or conduits 1d and 13 and operating alternately in reverse directions, or, when the va ve 16 is open the valve 17 will be closed, and vice versa. Each of the heads 12 is formed with interior chambers 18 and 18 and within the chamber 18 is a valve seat 19 of suitable structure for the valve 16, the valve 17 also having a seat 20 in alinement with the connected terminal of the discharpe pipe or con duit 14:. The valves 16 and 17 are mounted to operate in guides 21 located in rear extensions of the chambers 18 and 18 and these valves also have extensions and 23 which are located in the centers of he connected terminals of the pipes 13 and 14. The valves 16 and 17 are free to move, or are un restricted by springs or other obstructing devices and operate solely through the action thereon of the piston 11 in its reverse movements through the cylinder 10, so that the pressure created by the movement of the said piston towards the valve 17 will open the latter and close the valve 16, and conversely, when the piston moves in the opposite direction it will set up a drawing action on the valve 16 and also on the valve 17, opening the former valve and closingthe lat ter valve. The connected terminal of the discharge pipe 13 relatively to each head 12 is separated from the connected terminal of the intake pipe 1-1 to the head by an intermediate partition 24, and it is proposed to supply the interior of each head with a filling or wall of suitable plastic material, as at 25, and this plastic structure will be carried out relatively to the valve seats, so that the valves operated upon or contacting or engag ing with the said plastic fillings or walls will form their own seats and maintain tight joints relatively thereto. The interior of the cylinder 10 atthe top, sides and bottom is likewise provided with walls 26 27 and 28 of suitable plastic material, and the base of the cylinder consists of a metal plate 29 extending full length thereof and applied a gainst the lower plastic wall 28. The metal base plate 29 in the present in proved struc ture is provided with upwardly projecting ribs 80 extendinglongitudinally thereof on opposite sides of the center, these ribs projecting through the lower plastic wall and having their reduced extremities 31 ext-- posed within the interior of the cylinder 10. The cylinder 10 also has metal straps 32 extending thereacross at intervals and engaging these straps, and extending downwardly through the side plastic walls 27 are tie bolts or rods 33 which are suitably nutted and serve as reinforcing means, the top straps 32 serving to brace and strengthen the top wall 26. It is proposed to introduce in the plastic walls 26, 27 and 28 suitable reinforcing means or devices and also to otherwise reinforce or brace these walls as may be found necessary to maintain the said walls in strong and durable shape. The piston 11 is disposed for operation in the cylinder 10 and is free for automatic reciprocation towards opposite ends of the cylinder when the latter is oscillated in reverse directions. This piston 11 has a lower or bottom plate 34: formed with longitudinal depending ribs 35 having grooves 36 therein, one in each, to receive the upper reduced edges of the ribs 30, the grooved ribs 35 depending a short distance into the bottom plastic wall 28 of 1 the cylinder 10. The piston 11 also has a bottom frame plate 37 extendinglongitudinally thereof and a similar top plate 38 connected by side angle plates 39 formed with lower and upper inwardly projecting angular flan es l0 and 11, the flanges 10 having the opposite side edge portions or" the plates 37 resting; thereon and this plate secured by suitable fastenings 42 extending therethrough and through the said lower flanges 4L0 into the bottom plate 34 of the piston. The upper flanges l1 are secured against the lower side of the top plate 38 by suitable fastenings 43 extending through the said flanges a l into the top plate, as clearly shown by Fig. i. The top plate 38 is slightly wider than the bottom plate 37, the opposite side edges of the top plate being flush with the outer surface of the side angle plates 39. Applied around the sides and bottom of the framework of the piston as just explained is a plastic covering or sheathing e l, the ribs 35 projecting below the lower portion of this sheathing for free engagement with the guide ribs 31. ["he opposite ends of the piton 11 have removable head plates 45 of metal and held connected to the plates 3% and 35 by suitable removable fastenings, as at 46, shown by Fig. 3, the upper edges of the said plates 45 projecting; above the upper surface of the top plate 38 to closely engage the top plastic wall 26 of the cylinder 10. In the event of wear and settling of the piston 11 within the chamber of the cylinder 10, any leaking spaces that may be formed between the upper edges of the plates 45 and the top wall 26 of the cylinder may be closed to make a tight slide lit of the piston by ap plying plastic material to the upper outer sides of the plates -15 and along portions of the upper surface of the plate 38 adjacent to the plates 45. The interior of the piston is free for the introduction of weight devices by removing either one of the heads 4-5, said weight devices being adapted when used to test the balancing effect of the piston 11, or to increase the weight of the same as the operation of the improved device may require. These weight devicesmay be of any suitable the inner surfaces of the wallsof the cylinder' willensue. It 1s proposed at any time term, but are preferably plates, as at t'Wand indicatedby dotted lines in Fig. 3. Any number of theseplates maybe usedand they may be constructed of sultable metal. lnthe preliminary preparation or the cylinder 10 and while theplastic walls. 26,27 and 28 are around the top, sides andvbottom of the pis ton WlllplVGllt leakage of air or water be tween the piston and the walls of the cylin-v der. This manner ol properly shaping and producing a closelit between the sides 01 the piston 11 and the inner surfaces of the walls of the cylinderslO through the preliminary sliding, actuation ofthe piston 11 will economize in the structure of the cylinder 10, or avoid expensive crossing operations and measurements, and furthermore, a more per fectconforinity of the piston relatively to found necessary and after the sheathing 14: of the pistonll has worn considerably, to replace the said sheathing as may be found necessary to maintain an air and water tight fitting between the piston and the walls of the cylinder; Both the cylinder and the piston are preferably square incross section, so

as to avoid the least displacement ofthe cylf p I extends upwardly over a sprocket wheel 60 loose on a drive shaft 61, the sprocket inder in a lateral direction, and the reduced ribs 30 and grooved ribs servevto hold the piston true in its oscillation and reduce the friction to a minimum and at the same time equalize thewear on the sheathing in the piston and ljllG'lIlllGISllllitlCQS oi the walls of the cylinder.

The heads 12 are secured to the, ends of the cylinder, through the ,mediuinofouter' angle plates or ends l? constituting the en-' closures of the heads and angle plates &8.

secured to the ends of the cylindennutted draw bolts orrods 4:9,. engaging the angle I plates 47 and 48, as shown by jl ig. 3, to set up atight fitting of the headslQwith relation to the cylinder ends; The'shait 9 in the present improveinent'is also secured to he bottom of the cylinder in a more eilective manner than inthe structure disclosed by my pending application aforesaid, and as shown by Fig. 4-, the means for setting up this improved shaft securing association with the'cylinder consists of I-be'ams or '=ehan11els "50 having the: upper inner porg tions otthe flanges thereof secured to the bottom plates 29 by meanslot tastenings 51, and-the lower inner flanges of the said beams or channels similarly securedby fastenings 52 tor-the shaftlt); hide cover plates are'applied over the outer flanges ot the l beams or channels 50 and have openings Eiel therein to snugly iit overthe shalt -9, filling plates being introduced in the outer channels of the-bean1s'50 as brace or reintorcingmeans, and tie sa d slde cover plates 53 together with the opposite I-beams and plates 55 are secured by transversely extending nutted draw rods 56. By this ineansthe shaft 9 is firmly secured to the bottom; oi the cylinder 10, and as the side cover plates extend a considerable distance on: opposite sides oi the shart 9, the strain on the cylinder incident to the operation of the, latter and the shaft is d stributed over, a

- larger area, particularly in viewof the fact v w J: J c that thebeams 00 extend lull length or the cylinder: and also over the heads 12 and provide a stable foundation or base structure tor the cylinder as a whole.

, Various mechanisms for operating the cylinder 10 might be adopted for actuating the said cylinder regularly in an oscillating mannerto 'eil'ect agravitation of the pi ton 11 tOWMClSOPPOSltB ends olthe cylinder in alternation, but one preferred form oi operating mechanism consists of an endless chain belt 57 attached to arms 58 projecting outwardly from the opposite extremities of the lower portion of the cylinder 10, or from the base frame-construction for thecylinder above specified. The endless belt, 57 passes downwardly over a lower idler sprocket 59v at the center of; the lowe Jory-i tion of the pedestal. 5, as shown by Fig.7,1, and from thearms 58 the Said. chain belt wheel 60 having a clutch hub 62 integral therewith or attached'thereto. On the shaft the shaft 61 adjacent to the band pulley 63is a bevel gear 65 in alinement with an opposing bevel gear adjacent to or forrm.

ing part of the sprocket wheel 60. The gear 65 is loose on the shaft 61,-and between the two gears 65 and-66 is a transmission bevel, gear -67 suitably supported to operatebetweei'i'the two gears'efi and 66. The gear 65 has a clutch hub termed with or attached thereto, and. between the two hops 62 and '68 a clutch sleeve 69 is splined to and slidableon the shaft 61, andwhereby. the motion ot'this shaft may be transmitted to either the gear 66 or the gear 65, the re versal of movement of the main driving sprocketwheel 60 and the gear 66 being accomplished through the interposed gear 67.

chain belt 57 bya yoke Z0 having a depending'arrn '71 with a lower fork 72 withsuit clutch sleeve 69 rill be shifted through the forked extremity or end of the arm 71 depending from the yoke 70, to change the direction of movement by bringing diiierent gearing into play and to cause'th'e cylinder and piston to be thrown over from the dotted position shown'in Fig. 1 to the r verseposition, or so that the end or extremity of th cylinder that is uppermost as shown in Fig. 1 will be lowermost, and this oscillation continues during the actuation of the chain belt 54 through the gearing and mechanism explained, and as a consequence, the cylinder will he regularly operated and the piston automatically shifted in alternation from one end of the cylinder to the other. As in my aforesaid application, the improved cylinder and piston will be arranged to have a double action, or so that the intake and discharge is eil'ected in opposite extremities in an automatic and positive manner. It will be understood that the chain belt 57 will have sufficient slaclr to render it effective in operation of the cylinder and pistonand also to accommodate it to varying positions of the latter during the rocking movement or oscillation thereor". i

The discharge charge conduit 14, or which receives as a unit the discharges fronrthe opposite ex tremities of the oscillating cylinder 10 through the action of the piston 11;. has coupling attached thereto and having a flexible pipe 75 associated therewith and 0t any suitable length and in turn connected to a coupling 76 attached to the bottom oi a reservoir 77 located in any suitable position relatively to the oscillating shaft 9, this reservoir 77 being shown in Fig. 1 simply as a matter of convenience in illustration in" side elevation above theshaft 9. This reservoir 7?. however, may he locatedinotlier positions best adapted to serve its function and the pipe T5 or any of the connections between the dischai outlet and the bottomoi? the reservoir, may be sul'liciently flexible to conn iensate :tor the oscillation oi the cylinder 10. Furthermore, the reservoir 77 is shown in upright position, but this particular position is not essential to the n'actical operation of the reservoir '77 as a storage means, as it might be tilted slightly at an angle particularly towards the right.

The air under pressure passing through the discharge outlet 15, connections 7% and 76 and pipe 75 enters the lower portion of the reservoir or storage tank 77, or if water he outlet from. the dis forced ul'iwardl y through the same parts by action oi? the cylinder l0 and piston 11, the water will he likewise held in the lower part of the reservoir. From the reservoir or tank 77 the stored air under pressure will be liberated for any practical service desired. and likewise, water that may be delivered into the reservoir '77 maybe similarly dis tributed or discharged from the said reservoir or tank 77 for operation of other mechaand com ress the indrawn charges and force the later outwardly through the discharge pipe l-l into the connections '74:, 75 and 76' and finally into the reservoir or tank 77. The same operation ensues in elevating and forcing water into a similar reservoir or tank, and; "from the tanlr, or reservoir the water may be supplied to any mechanism desired.

All of the parts of the improved apparatus have been constructed for strength and durabi 'ty, and it is proposed to modify the propo ons and dimensions of the several parts to adapt the improvements to various bottom-0t the piston having a metal plate withdepending grooved ribs to receive the upper reduced portions of the runner ribs, the piston being hollow and comprising SlClQ angle plates and top and, bottom plates secured to the angle plates, a rock shaft tor the cylinder, and means inter iosed between uses without departing from the nature or the bottom plate of the cylinder and the rock I shaft tor strongly securing the said parts and distributing "strain iiiciilcnt to the rocking motion oi the cylinder tully over the bottom of the latter;

2. In a mechanism of the class specified. a roekingcylinder having plastic walls, a piston mounted to loosely gravitate within the cylinder of hollow form and cou'iprising a skeleton metal frame with a plastic covering over the sides and bottom thereof, end metal plates applied to the piston. and extending above the top plate of the latter to engage the top wall of the cylinder and also depend mamas ing and movable over a portion oi the bottom wall or said cylinder, the said end plates operating to shape the cylinder chamber, a rock shaft, and means connecting the rock halt to the bottom of the cylinder;

3. In mechanism of the class specified, a rocking cylinder having plastic walls and intake and discharge connections, a hollow piston mounted to ireely. slide in the cylinder and provided with plastic side and bottom walls, a rock shaft for operating the cylinder, and connecting means between the rock shaft and bottom of: the cylinder and consisting of Lbeams secured to the shaft and bottom of the cylinder, outside cover plates .v

with openings therein to receive the shaft, reinforcing filling plates between the outside cover plates and the said beams, and i d aw rods extending transversely through JAMES 'F. THOMAS.

Images