US1494994A - Steam engine - Google Patents

Description

1,494,994 W. E; CQWLING STEAM ENGINE I Filed March 21,?922 3 Sheets-Sheet I'll-{Ill till-Ili May 20 1924,

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May 20, 1924. 3 1,494,994

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May 20, 1924. I 7 1,494,994 w. E. COWLING STEAM ENGINE Filed March 21. 1922 3 Sheets-Sheet. 3

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UNITED STATES WILLIS E. COWLING, 0F BLUEFIELI), WEST VIRGINIA.

STEAM ENGINE.

Application filed March 21, 1922. Serial'No. 545,503.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, WILLIS E. CowLINe, a citizen of the United States, residing at Blue-field, in the county of Mercer and State of VVest Virginia, have invented Improvements in Steam Engines, of which the following is a full and complete specification.

My invention is an improvement in locomotive steam engines and relates more especially to the valve-gear for the purpose of regulating the admission of steam to the engine cylinder.

The main object'of my invention is to provide a simple, compact, economical and efi'ective valve-gear by means of which to not only regulate the admission of steam from the steam chest to the engine-cylinder for forward and reverse motion but also provide for cutting oil the supply of steam during certain portions of the stroke of the piston whereby to economize the use of steam in running the locomotive by using the expansion of each charge of steam delivered to opposite sides of said piston, with provision for admitting a full charge at each stroke at the will of the engineer.

, A further object of my invention is-to provide a valve-gear mechanism for the above mentioned purposes which consists of comparatively few parts that can be readily installed in connection with the conventional type of locomotive steam engine, and that can be quickly adjusted or set by the operation of a single lever and when adjusted or set the mechanism will operate automatically to out off steam to the en gine-cylinder at regular intervals duringthe stroke of the piston in both directions and in forward and backward movement of the locomotive.

These principal objects of my invention are attained in the present instance by providing the piston slide-valve in the steamchest with auxiliary piston-heads having openings through which the steam passes 'to' the engine-cylinder and cut-offs to close said openings atpredetermined intervals with respect to the stroke of the main piston. in connection with means for operating said cut-offs includin a peculiar form of valve adapted to be adjusted or set by the engineer of the locomotive.

Other objects and advantages of my improved form of valve-gear for locomotive engines will hereinafter appear in the specifications, and what I particularly claim as 7 my invention and desire to protect b Letters-Patent is specifically set forth 1n the appended claims. v

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side view of a locomotive steam-engine showing the application of my improved valve-gear mechanism thereto.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view to showthe slide-valve mechanism andmeans for operating the same.

Fig. 3 is an end view of the steam-chest and valve-gear mechanism, one element of the latter being in section. v

Fig. 4 is a detail view of the auxiliary piston-heads operating in conjunction with the pistons of the slide-valve Figs. 5 and 6 are sectional views on the lines 5 5 and 66 Fig.4.

Fig. 7 is a side view of the connected rotatable disks for closing the openings or steam passages through the auxiliary piston-heads of the slide-valve.

Fig. 8 is a detail side view of the operating mechanism for the slide-valve, looking at the opposite side from that in Fig. 1.

Fig. 9 is a top view of said mechanism, parts at one end being broken away.

Fig. 10 is an enlarged side View of the operating valve with the outer plate removed to show the disposition of ports or steam passages hereinafter referred to.

Fig. 11 is a view of the inner side of the removed plate showing-the form of channels employed for. reversing thesupply of steam through'the ports in the cover-plate.

Fig. 12' is a vertical sectional view through the operating valve.

Figs. 13 and 14 are, views of the meeting faces of the valve-casing and adjoining cylinder respectively.

Fig. 15 is a transverse sectional View through the operating valve. 1

Fig. 16 is a detail view of the hollow plug of the operating valve.

Fig. 17' is a sectional view on line 17-'17 Fig. 12-...

Fig; 18 is a vertical sectional view illustrating a'modification of the invention.

Like numerals of reference indicate like parts in all the views of the drawings.

connected in the usual manner to one of the the inlet and exhaust ports over the comnunicating ports to regulate the admission of steam to either end of the engine-cylinder at one side and the other of the piston and to exhaust from said cylinder, alternately, as will be understood. The piston slide-valve is operated by a piston .33 working in a-cylinder 34 bolted to the forward end of the steam-chest, steam beingsupplied to and exhausted from this cylinder, in the operation of the piston, by means of a special form of valve hereinafter described.

In the present instance the operating piston 33 and slide-valve piston heads 31 32 are connected by a tubular rod 35 to which they are keyed and also secured by nuts 36 threaded on the opposite ends of said tubular rod, and to prevent this tubular rod and piston heads fixed thereon from turning a set-screw'38 is threaded through the bearing portionat the rear end of cylinder 34 to engage ina longitudinal groove 39 in the tubular rod; steam-tight joints being formed between the steam-chest 26 and cylinder 34 by means of a packingegland 40.

In carrying out my invention I provide the piston slide-valve witha pair of auxiliary piston-heads 41 '42 located between the pistonl 1eads .31 32 a slight distance there from respectively and keyed on the tubular connecting-rod 35, saidauxiliary pistonheads being spaced apart to work at opposite sides of the steam-inlet 27 and thereby receive live steam between them at all times. These auxiliary piston-heads are provided with openings 43 through them to permit the passage of the steam to the ports 29 30 according to the position of the main piston-heads 31 32 with which they 0 erate in conjunction and by means of whic the supply of steam to the engine-cylinder may be cutoff at predetermined intervals, as hereinafter explained. To close the openings 43 r I employ disks 4445 working against the inner faces of the auxiliary piston-heads 41;

42 to cover said openings and provided with corresponding openings 46 adapted to register with the aforesaid openings 43 when said disks are turned, and for the purpose of turning said disks in unison and to pro.- vide for closing the openings in one pistonhead when those in the other are open the said disks thus connected being operated by a rod 48 in the tubular connecting-rod beyond' the forward end of which it projects on through the head 34 of the cylinder 34 to receive an operating-lever 49,the manner of operating said lever being hereinafter exconnecting-rod 35 it is provided with a keyl way or groove 48 to receive a keyor' setscrew 49 connecting the lever to said operating-rod. To provide a tight joint between the cylinder 34 and steam-chest 26 Where the rods 35 and 48 pass through the inner end of said cylinder there is a packing-gland 51, and to protect the outer end of rod 48 where it projects beyond the lever 49 a protecting-cap 52 is bolted to a lateral boss 34 on the cylinder-head 34*, interposed blocks 53 being used at opposite sides of the operating-lever.

As will be understood the reciprocating slide-valve in the steam-chest is operated by the piston 33 directly connected to the rod 35 and receiving steam at its opposite sides alternatelythrough ports 54 55 (Fig. 12) communicating with a valve 56 mounted on the cylinder 34, the supply and exhaust being controlled by a slide-valve 57 working over said ports and operated'by one of the drive-wheels of the locomotive, as usual, through the medium of connecting-rods 58 59 and interposed lever 60. The lever is supported by a bracket-arm 61 at the upper end of a. support 62 bolted to a ring 63 on the housing 25 which. encloses the slide 23. Steam is supplied to the operating-valve 56 through a central port 64 in the top of the valve-casing, and the exhaust is through ports 65 65. at or near the opposite ends of said valve-casing. By this'arrangement the controlling slide-valve 56 is operated by the locomotive automatically to admit steam into the cylinder 34 for the operation of piston 33 to correspondingly move the slicleevalve in the steam-chest, and in order to provide for reversing the engine and more especially to provide for cutting off the admission of steam during certain portions of the strokes of the main piston there is in the present instance a peculiar construction of valve mechanism controlled by the operation of a lever and which cooperates with the auxiliary piston-heads 41 42 in the steam-chest by opening and closing the openings therethrough.

By reference to Figs. 10 to 16, inclusive,

showing details of the controlling valve and connections the particular construction and arrangement of this mechanism of my improved valve-gear will be understood from the following description thereof.

7 In the present instance the valve-casing 56 is provided with a rotatable hollow plug or bushing 66, preferably tapered and fitting into a corresponding bore in the valve-casing to provide a close fit, the said hollow plug or bushing having a straight bore for the working therein of the slide-valve 57 and a reduced extension or stem 67 at its forward end projecting through the head ;of the valve-casing to receive an operatinglever 68 by which the plug or bushing is turned. The stem 67 has an axial opening therethrough for the passageof the valve operating rod 58, and of course suitable packing glands, as 69 70 (Fig. 10), may be provided to prevent the escape of steam fro-m the valve. To admit steam into the valve chamber or interior of the plug 66 the latter is provided with two sets of inlet and exhaust ports 71 71 and 72 72 respectively, through the top of the same adapted to register with the aforementioned ports 64 65 in the top of the valvecasing, the ports 71 and 71 as well as the companion ports 72 and 72 being spaced apart slightly so that movement of the plug or bushing to intermediate position will close the inlet and outlet ports 64; 65.

To provide for reversing the engine by changing the supply of steam to cylinder 3 in which operating piston 33 works, that is to say by changing the admission of steam through the ports 54 55 for operating piston 33 according to the direction of movement of the locomotive, the valve-plug is provided with two ports 73 7 1 in the bottom thereof adapted to register with ports 75 76 or 75 76 according to forward or reverse movement of the locomotive, which extend di rectly through the bottom of the valve-casing and communicate with channels 77 and. 78 formed in the upper meeting surface of the cylinder 34 as continuations of ports 54 55, whereby when valve-plug is turned to one position ports 75 and 7 6 will connect by way of channels 77 and 78 to ports 54; and 55 respectively and when turned to the other position port 7 5 alongside of port 75, and port 76, alongside of port 76, connect by channels 78 and 77, respectively, to ports 55 and 54, respectively; for when the valvecasing 56 is bolted on cylinder 34- by bolts 78 passing through the bolt-holes 79 80 in these parts respectively port 75 will register with channel 77 at 77, port 76 with channel 78 at 78 port 7 5 with channel 78 at 78", and port 76 with channel 77 at 77 Asfabove stated, this arrangement provides for controlling the admission of steam to the cylintier of the slide-valve operating piston 33 by turning valve-plug 66 to the position required according to direction of movement of the locomotive desired; for instance in forward motion ports 73 74 are brought to register with ports 757 6 and inreverse or backward motion said ports 73 74; are brought to register with ports 7 5 76*, so that the direction of steam supply from the ports 73 and 74L is changed from one end of the cylinder 34 to the other with relation to each port, it being understood of course that the piston valve 57 which works over the ports 73 74 is connected to a drive-wheel of the locomotive and cooperates or has relative movement with the enginepiston.

The lever 49 operating the disks 4A 45 to open and close th ports 13 in the auxiliary piston-heads 4142 constituting in the present instance a part of the slide-valve for the engine is actuated by a piston 81 (Fig. 3) working in a cylinder 82 receiving steam at opposite ends through pipes 83 84, and to provide for the operation of said piston 81 automatically through the medium of the valve 56 when lever 58 is set the pipes 83 84 are connected to said valve at one side thereof, and so that this operation will correspond with the forward and reverse motion of the engine an arrangement of ports and channels similar to that between the valve and cylinder 34, hereinab'ove described, is provided; that is to say, said pipes 83 84 connect with ports 85 86 through a face-plate 87 bolted to the side of the valve-casing, and said ports connect with channels 88 89 in the inner side of the faceplate with which register two sets of ports 90 90 and 91 91 extending into the valve to receive steam by way of two sets of ports in the adjoining side of the hollow valveplug or bushing 66 which are brought into operation according to forward or reverse motion of the engine, with a pair of ports to place the piston 81 in right position in changm from forward to reverse and vice versa. 7 s will be noted by reference to Fig. 12 there are two sets of ports 92 92- and 93 93 at one side of the valve plug which are adapted to register with the portopenings 90 90 and 91 91 in the adjoining side of thevalve-casing but are spaced a slightly less distance apart than said portopenings (see Fig: 17 so that only one pair thereof will register at a time for forward or reverse motion-in the present instance ports 92 92 registering with portopenings 90 90 in forwardmotion and ports 93 93 with port-openings 91 91 in reverse. In th outer face of the rotatable valve-plug, and adjoining each port 92 towards port 93, is a channel 94 beginning on a vertical line with pOItS 92 93 and extending horizontally a short distance towards the adjoining end of said plug to a port 941*, these ports 94 9 1 being thereby connected with port-openings 90 90 when the valve-plug is turned to register channels 94 94 with said port-openings. correspondingly, for reverse motion, there are channels and ports 95 95 adjoining ports 93 93, and in order to place piston 81 in cylinder 82 in intermediate position, holding the cut-offs so that the openings in the auxiliary pistons of the slide-valve are half open, I provide between the pairs of channels 94- and 95 a pair of channels 96 96, also beginning on a vertical line with ports 92 93 but extending towards the center of the valve-plug and connecting with ports 96". All these ports in the side of the hollow valve-plug for the operation of piston 81 to actuate the cut-offs 44 45 on the auxiliary piston-heads of the engine slide-valve receive steam from between the heads of spool-valve 57 by way of inlet-port 71, and exhaust through outlets 72 72 on reciprocation of said valve 57, as will be under stood, with the exception of ports 96 which receive steam constantly from said spoolvalve-the others alternately on the stroke of the spool-valve. It will be noted, also,

" that ports 92 93 and 94 95 are located with respect to the ports '73 74 delivering steam to cylinder 34 so as to operate successively after said ports 73 74 are uncovered alternately on stroke of the spool-valve 57; and that when either port 92 or 94 is brought 'to register with ports 90 90 through. the

valve-casing all the other ports are closed,

the same being true with respectito ports 93 95 when either is brought to register with ports 91 91, and likewise with respect to ports 96 96, the latter registering with either ports 90 90 or 91 91 on the throw of lever 68 to its fullest extent in either direction. In the operation of this part of the valve-gear on forward motion of the engine a full charge'of steam for each stroke of the engine-piston 21 will be supplied to engine-cylinder 20 from the steam-chest through openings 43 in the auxiliary piston heads, 44 45 and ports 29'30 alternately as the piston-heads 31 32 operated by piston 33 uncover said ports, and when the engins-piston gets its full stroke in either direction spool-valve 57 having previously uncovered port 75 or 76 to actuate aforesaid piston 33 now uncovers ports 92 92 admitting steam into one end of cylinder 82 and exhausting from the other end for operation of piston 81 to actuate connecting-rod 48 to close the auxiliary piston-head through which steam has passed and open the other auxiliary piston-head for supplying steam to the other-end of the engine-cylinder on movement of the piston slide-valve in the opposite direction.

The auxiliary piston-heads in connection with the cut-offs therefore provide for cutting off the steam to the ports 29 3O irrespective of the slide-valve piston-heads 31 32, and thereby provide for cutting 05 the ports 90.

te e 4:

supply of steam before the end of each stroke of the main piston 21, as for instance on quarters; this operation being efl'ected by the engineer moving thelever 68 to turn the cylinder 82, likewise with respect to" ranged with respect to the stroke of spoolvalve 57 to cut off the supplyof steam to the engine-cylinder at any desired interval The ports 94 94 maybe ar- 7 or positionof slide-valve, and consequently additional ports'may be added to vary the interval.

To connect both ends of the engine-cylim' der 20 with the outlets 28 28 from the steam-chest when the engine is drifting and the slide-valve at rest, as for instance in the 9 position shown in Fig; 2 of the drawings, I provlde the inner side of each piston-head 31 32 with plates or disks 97 which are at. i

ated; but when the engine is drifting the r cut-offs on the auxiliary piston-heads are turned to close the piston-head, as 42 (Fig. 2), through which steam might pass to the engine cylinder, the operation beingaccomplished by the engineer manipulating rod 101 to so position lever 68 of the valve 56 that the rotatable sleeve in said valve will connect the ports 85 and 86 with the ports leading to the auxiliary cylinder 82'by way of the pipes 83 and 84. 1

The construction and operation of my im proved valve-gear will be understood from the foregoing description in connection with the accompanying drawings, and it will be noted that the mechanism can be applied to a conventional type of locomotive engine at comparatively little expense, the installation of the same dispensing with a number of as cylinder 82, may be hushed, and the cylinders 34 82 cushioned at their ends, in the customary manner;

In Fig. 17 of the drawings I have shown a modification adapting the valve-gear for use in connectionjwith a low-pressure en'- gine, in which instance the auxiliary piston-heads and cut-cits are eliminated and consequently the mechanism for operating the same also dispensed with; there being merely the reciprocating slide valve with the heads 31 32 and operating piston '33, the latter being operated from the control-valve as for forward and reverse motion through operation of lever 68, but in this instance the rotatable valve-plug 66 is not, of course, provided with any of the ports at the side thereof.

Having described my invention, 1 claim:

1. A valve-gear for steam-engines comprising piston-heads, operating in a steamchest with relation to the ports leading to the engine-cylinder, auxiliary piston-heads located between the aforesaid piston-heads to receive the live steam between them and having openings for thepassage of the-steam tothe aforementioned ports, closures for said openings, and means for operating said closures atpredetermined intervals wlth relation to the stroke of the piston.

2. A valve-gear for steam engines comprising piston-heads operating in the steamchest with relation to the ports leading to the engine-cylinder, auxiliary piston-heads located between the aforesaid pistonheads V to receive live steam between them and having openings for the passage of the steam to the aforementioned ports, disks rotatable against the faces of .the auxiliary pistonhcads to close the openings therein, and means for operating said disks at predetermined intervals with relation to the strokes 3. A valve-gear for steam engines comprising piston-heads operating in the steam chest with relation to the ports leading tothe engine-cylinder,, auxiliary piston-heads located between the aforesaid piston-heads to receive live steam betweenthem and having openings for the passage of the steam to the aforementioned ports, disks rotatable against the faces of the auxiliary piston-heads, means for operating'said disks, and a valve controlling the operation'of said means;

LA valve-gear for steam engines comprising piston-heads operating in the steam chest with relation to the ports leading to the engine-cylinder, auxiliary piston-heads 10- cated between the aforesaid piston-heads to receive live steam between them and having openings for the passage of the steam to the aforementioned ports, disks for closing the openings in the auxiliary piston-heads, an operating-rod connected to said disks, and a piston operating in a cylinder and connected tothe rod; together with a valve controllin the admission of steam to the last mentione cylinder.

5. A valve-gear for steam engines comprising a tubular connecting-rod carrying the main piston-heads of the slide-valve in the steam-chest, auxiliary piston-heads v10- cated on the connecting-rodte'tween the main piston-'headsto receive live steam between them and having openings forthe passage of steam to the ports leading to the engine-cylinder, disks for closing the openings connected by a sleeve on the tubular connectingrod, a rod in thetubularconnecting-rod connected to the sleeve for operating the disks, and means for'operating this'rod at predetermined intervals with relation to the strokes of the engine-piston. V

,6. A valve-gear for steam engines comprising a tubular connecting-rod carrying the main pistonrheads ofthe slide-valve in the steam chest, auxiliary piston-heads 10 cated on the connecting-rod between the main piston-heads to receive livesteam between them and having openings for the passage of steam to the ports leading into the ends of the engine-cylinder, disks for closing the openings connected by a sleeve on the tubular connecting-rod, a rod in the tubular connecting-rodfl"connected to the sleeve for operating the disks, an operating piston connected, to this rool, a"cylinder in which said operating piston works, and a valve for supplying steam to thecylinden- [7. A valve-gear for steam engines comprising a tubular connecting-rod carrying the main piston-heads of the slide-valve in the steam-chest, auxiliary piston-heads located on the connecting-rod: betweenfthe main piston-headsto receive livesteam between them and having openings for thepassage of steam to the ports leading into the ends of the engine-cylinder, disks for closing the openings connected by a sleeve on the tubular connecting-rod, a rod in the tubular connecting-rod connected to the sleeve for operating the disks, a piston attached to the tubular connecting rod for operating the slide-valve and working in a cylinder beyond which'the rod for operating the disks projectsga leverattached to said projecting end of the rod, a piston 'working in a cylinder and connectedto thelever, and a valve controlling the supply of steam to said cyl: inders.

8. A valve-gear for steam engines comprising a slide-valve in the steamchest comprising main piston-heads, auxiliary pistonheads located between the same and having openings through which live steam passes to the ports leading into the ends of the engine-cylinder, closures for the openings, and means for operating said closures at predetermined intervals with respect to the strokes of. the engine-piston; together openings throiigh themain pistoii-headsand springactuate d plates covering said opemngs, substantially as shown and for the purpose set forth.

9. A'valve-gear' for steam engines compris ing a tubular connecting-rod carrying the main piston-heads of the slide-valve in the steam-chest, auxiliary piston-heads located on the connecting-rod between the main pis-r ton-heads to receive live steam between them and havingopenings for the passage of steam to the ports leading into the ends of the engine-cylinder, disks for closing saidiopen ings connected by a sleeve on the tubular rod, a' rod rotatable in the tubular rod and connected to the sleeve for operating the disks, a piston attached to the tubular connecting-rod for actuating the same and work- ;ing'in a cylinder,- a-valve mounted on this cylinder and having ports leading into the same, a rotatable sleeve within the valve having port-s arranged in pairsadapted to register with the aforementioned ports to provide for forward and reversemotion of the engine, a reciprocating piston in the valve operated from a'drive-wheel of the locomotive, an operating piston and auxiliary cylinder the piston being connected to the rod operat- 'ing the disks for rocking said rod and disks to open and close the'openings through the auxiliary piston heads, and means for supplying steam to the auxiliary cylinder by way of the aforesaid valve. I

' 10. A valve-gear for steam engines comprising a reciprocating slidewalve comp-rise ing main piston-heads and auxiliary pistonheads therebetween, said auxiliary piston heads receiving. live steam between them and having openings through which the steam passes to theports'leading into the ends of the engine-cylinder, closures for the openings I in the auxiliary piston heads, and means for operating said closures including a valve and cylinder and piston to which steam is ad mitted from said valve.

11.--A valve-gear for steam engines 'comprising a reciprocating slide-valve having main piston-heads and auxiliary pistonheads therebetween, said auxiliar pistonheads receiving live steam between them and having openings through which the steam pa'ssesto the ports leading intothe ends of the engine-cylinder, closures for the openings in the auxiliary piston-heads, and means for operating said closures including a piston and cylinder, and a valve for supply ng steam to said cylinder, said valve having a rotatable hollow plug with inlet and exhaust, ports and a series of ports co-operating with ports through the valve-casing which connect with the cylinder.-

12. A valve-gear for steam engines comprising. a reciprocating slide-valve having main piston-heads and auxiliary piston-heads therebetween, said auxiliary piston-heads receiving live steam between them and having openings through which the steam passes to the ports leading into the ends ofthe enginecylinder, closures for the openings, in the auxiliary piston-heads, and means for operating said closures including a piston and cylinder, and a valve for supplying steam to t I said cylinder, said valve comprising a casing, a tapered hollow valve-plug rotatable therein and provided with ports through the sides thereof and a' stem projecting through the casing, ports and channels connecting the valve with the cylinder, and aslide-valve located in the hollow valve-plug, together with means for turning said valve-plug.

13. A valve-gear for steam engines comprising a reciprocating slide-valve having main piston-headsand auxiliary piston-heads P located between the same and having openings through which the live steam passes to theports leading into the ends of the engine-cylinder, closures for said openings,-

and means extending beyond the steam chest a operates over the portsleading into the ends of the enginecylinder and the other set-receiving live steam between them and having openings through which the live steam passes to saidports, and means for closing said openings; at predetermined intervals with relation to the WILLIS COWLING.

strokes of-the engine piston.

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