US1531250A - Road engine - Google Patents

Description

F. A. saowm,

March 24, 1925.

ROAD ENGINE 4 sheeis she ea Filed Aug. 10, 1921 v WTINESSES March 24, 1925. 1,531,250

F. A. BRowNE ROAD ENGINE Filed Aug. 10, 1921 4 sheets-sheet 2 Fli I;

a INVENTOR:

F. A. BROWNE ROAD ENGINE Filed Aug. 10, 1921 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR fiamK flflrowne,

A TTORNEYS.

F. A. BROWNE Rom) ENGINE Filed Aug. 10, 1921 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 WITNESSES: INVENTOR:

A TTORNEYS.

roller and the traction engine.

Patented Man 24, 1925.

- {UNITED 4s lsnase -PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK ALBR-OWNEQYOEWAYNE, PENNSYLVANIA, essrenoa TO BARBER AS- PHALT COMPANY,'OF.PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION 013' VIR- emu. v

LROAD ENGINE.

' To'al l whom it may mem- Be it known that'I, FRA'NKA'. BROW'NE, a

citizen of "the United States, residing in Wayne, in the county of Delawareand State of Pennsylvanimhave invented eertam'new and useful Improvements in Road Engines,

My inventlonrelates to road engines,'= and the like, of the classtypified by the steam tion is concerned with propelling and steering'mechanismsuitable for vehicles of this class, as Well as their generalconstruction. I ainr to make the engine powerful and rugged in design and construction; and convenient, reliable,"and flexible in operation. How these and other I advantages can be obtained in connectionwith my" invention will appear from thedesfcription hereinafter of the best embodiment of said invention at present known to me.

In thedrawings, Fig. Ii's a side elevation of asteam roller constructed ina-ccordance withniy 'il'ivention. I

'Fig. II is a plan-view'of the steam roller shown in "Fig. Lwith variouspa'rts in horizontal section and other parts being omitted to avoid confusion.

Fig. III is aside elevation on a larger scale than Figs. I and II, illustrating) the mounting of the driving engine.

Fig/IV is a rear view corresponding to FigJIII, certain partsteingbroken away or omitted forthe vsake of clearness ofillus tration;

As here illustrated;thesteam-roller road engine comprises a boX=like fore and aft frame structure 10 that carriestheupright steam boiler and furnace 11 and the driving engine 12; 'a'front steering truck 1410011- sisting of a broad roller l5jmounted on trunnions 16 in a yoke frame :Which has a vertical trunnion l8 journalled in a bracket 19 attached to the front end of the frame and a pair of Wheels 20 (of greater diameter and narrower individual tread than "the roller 15) mounted at opposite sides of'the frame 10. On the upper end of the steering truck trunnion 18 is keyed a, gear sector 21 that meshes with a pinion 22 keyed, on the upper end of a short; upright shaft23 journalled in thebraeket 19. On the lower end of the shaft 23 is fixed a worm wheel 24 The inv'encan turn the truck '14 e ther way so as to that meshes with a worm25 fixed on a short "transverse steering shaft 26 which 1S also journalled, in the bracket structure 19. By

turning "the steering shaft :26 one way or the other hereinafter described) the truck 14 may be turned or swung elther way for the purpose ofsteering the road engine. Moreover, the pitch of the worm 25 is such as to make the steering connections irreversible and self-lockingg i. e., no external force acting on the roller 15 (due to the roughness of the ground travelled over, for example) alter the course of the road engine.

Still referring to Figs. I and II, it will be P seei'i that the main frame 10 comprises fore and aft sidewalls or girders 30 and 31, united at their forward ends by the bracket 19 (Whose rear corner flanges are riveted to them), and at their rear ends by the side- 'ta nk orbin and cab-floor structure 34, which is secured to them by upright angle-bar clips 35, as well as by the forward ends of fore and aftchannel-bars 36 that help to secure the floor to the tanks. The sides 30 and 31 are also connected and braced together by fiange'ended shaft-housings 3T,

- side 31 is offset inward to aiiord a gear casing'40 in this side of the frame. As shown,

the frame side 31 comprises forward and rear side plates 41 and 42 (the latter e);-

tending to a point just forward of the shaft housing 37) and an intermediate side plate 43 connecting them; and it is this intermediate side plate 43 that is set in to form the gear compartment 40. b At its front and rear edges, the plate 43 is united to the plates 41 and 42 by interposed upright channel bars '44 with their flanges riveted to saic plates. The lmpairment of girder strength in this side of the frame 10 resulting from this construction is compensated for (in large measure, at least) by fore and aft channel bars 46 with their rear flanges "riveted to the upper andlower edges of the plate 43, and by corner gusset-plates 47 riveted to the front flanges of the channel bars 44 and 46. The channelbars 44 and '46, .it will be seen, form fore and aft and upper and lower walls for the gear compartment 40, while the plate 43 forms its rear wall.

and 31 just ahead of the tank and floor structure 84, being supported by downward facing brackets 48 riveted thereto and resting on and bolted to upward-facing brackets 49 riveted to the outer sides of the plates 30 and 31. The steam engine 12 is located between the frame sides 30 and 81 a little forward of the boiler 11, just about abreast of the gear-casing How it is mounted and supported will be described hereinafter. In the forward portion of the frame 10, below the engine 12, is mounted a watertank 50 that not only affords a reserve supply for the boiler 11, but serves as adjustable ballast for securing a proper fore and .aft distribution of weight, so as to give the roller 15 and the wheels 20 their proper relative loading. This tank 50 hasa covered clean-out manhole 51 in its top, and a drainplug 52 in its bottom.

The drive wheels 20 are overhung and separately rotatable at the projecting ends of a transverse shaft 54 mounted in the rearmost housing 37, and have driving gears 55 bolted fast to the inner sides of their spokes, adjacent the main frame sides 30 and 31; Preferably, one drive wheel 20 is held fast to the shaft 5% by a key pin 56 in the latter, while the other wheel 20 is ordinarily left free to turn on said shaft 54. Outside the frame 10, overhung on the ends of a transverse countershaft 57 in the housing 38, are pinions 58 and 59 for driving the gears and the drive wheels 20. In the gear casing 10 is a pinion 60 which is fast and overhung on one end of a countershaft 61 in the housing 39, and it is driven by the engine 12 through intermeshing gears 62 and 63 fast and overhung on the projecting ends of the shaft 61 and of the engine crank 65, respectively,outside the frame 10 on the opposite side thereof from the gear casing 40. The pinion 60 meshes with a gear 66 mounted in the gear casing 410 about the countershaft 61, and through it drives the pinions 58 and 59, the countershaft 57, and the drive-wheels 20.

Preferably, the drive from the gear 66 to the drive wheels 20 is not. a hard and fast,

rigid one, but allows some relative turning of the drive wheels, so as to enable the engine to take curves more readily. As shown, the connection includes a differential gearing which comprises a bevel gear 67 keyed fast on the countershaft 57, (on whose hub the gear 66 is mounted to revolve) a bevel gear 68 fast to the hub of the pinion 59, and a number of small bevel pinions 69 mounted in openings in the web of the gear 66. The pinion 58 is keyed fast on the shaft 57, while the pinion 59 is loose thereon; and thus these pinions and the drive wheels 20 can turn 1n opposite directions about shaft 57. differential can be put out of action and the relative to one another through rotation of the bevel pinions 69 on their axes independently of the revolution of gear 66 On occasion, however. the

wheels 20 constrained to turn in unison, by simply inserting a locking pin' 70 through a hole in the hub of the loose wheel 20 into one of a number of holes in a disc 71 keyed fast on the shaft 54 between the wheel hub and the adjacent frame side 31. 'This enables the road engine to start when stopped or stalled with one of its wheels 20 in a mud-puddle, for example.

Referring, now, to Figs. III and IV as well as Figs. I and II, it will be seen that the steam engine 12 is a duplex one with double cylinder and valvechest structure at one end of a common frame and with common crank shaft 65 journalled in two arms 81 at the other end of said frame. The connecting rods 82 from the piston rods of the two cylinders are attached to cranks 88 between the frame arms 81, and the steam-distributing valve rods 84 are actuated through valve-gears of wellknown rod type from eccentrics 85 outside said frame arms. The reversing arms 86 of the valve gears are fast on a common shaft 87 mounted in bearings on the upper sides of the frame arms 81. This shaft 87 may be rocked to adjust the valve-gear to reverse the engine by means of a reach-rod 88 connected to a crank arm 89 fast to one end of the shaft 87 and extending rearward to any convenient pointsuch as the engine cab. Steam is supplied from above to the valve-chests 80 through branch pipes 90 from a. common centrifugal throttle gove-rnor 91 connected to a pipe 92 leading from the top of the boiler 11; and the exhaust steam is led off from the lower sides of the valve chest-s 80 through a couple of pipes 93 that communicate with said valve-chests through passages in a subjacent transverse header-like structure 94: whose opposite ends are bolted to the valve-chests. As shown, the exhaust pipes 93 lead to nozzles 95 in the conical hood 96 at the base of the boiler S1110k6S1 lOl 97, so that the exhaust may be utilized to improve the draft. The speedgovernor 91 is driven by a belt 98 from a pulley on a fore and aft shaft 99 which is itself driven by bevel gearing 100 from the engine crank-shaft 65.

The forward end of the engine 12 is supported by feet 101 on the frame-arms 81 which rest on and are bolted to flanges 102 that project forward from the shaft-housing 89, one near either end thereof. Like the others (37 and 38), this housing 89 has end flanges 103 that bear against the frame sides 30 and 31 (plate 43) and are bolted or riveted to them. Thus this end of the engine 12 is mounted and supported about the cou -nter slia-ft 61,- by means embracing said shaft.- The rear end'of the engine 12 is pivotally supported from a transverse channelbeam 105 connected by bracket clips 106' between theframe sides 30 and 31 (43) by meansgof a pair of upstanding lugs 107 on said beam and an inte-r .'ening lug 108, depending from thehea'der 9-1 and connected to said lugs 105 by a fore and aft pivot pin 109. Thnsthe engine: 1211sa whole has what is-virtually athree-point supportor suspension on the main frame or chassis 10, so that no external strains whatever are imposed on the engine structure either by the working of the chassis on uneven ground or bygthermal expansion" and contraction of the engine itself.

The steering shaft 26 can be turned to swing the steering truck 14: by'means of a fore and aft" sectional shaft 11Q, 111 connected to said shaft 26by bevel gearing 112 and extending rearward to a steering handwheel 113 in the cab.. In order to relieve the; engineer of the laborof turning the massive steering truck 14: by hand, means areprovided for bringing the power of the engine 12 to bear for this purpose. As shown, there isfixed on the end of the engine crankshaft-a bevelgear 115 which meshes with bevel gears 116 and 117 loosely mounted on the forward shaft section 110 at opposite sides of said; gear 115, and housed in a casing 118-secured to the frame side 31 overa suitable opening therein. On the shaft 110, between the gears 116 and 117, a centrally grooved double" cone frictionclutch member 120 is splined so as to turn withsaid shaft,though,free to shift lengthwise of it. When the clutch member 120 is inthe central position shown, its two conical' clutch-faces remain inidwaybetween corresponding conical clutch recesses in the adjacent sides of. ,the oppositely revolving gears-116 and: 117" without contact with either ofthem, and hence the shaft section 110 remains. at rest The clutch member12O may, however, be shifted either way along the shaft 110 by a relatively slight, turn of the-shaft sectionv 111 one wayor the other. For. this purpose, .a bellscrank' lever 121 is pivoted on the casingllS; at122, and its forked end is providedjwith projections 123 engaged in thegroove' of the member 120. The other lever arm 12a. is pivoted at 125 (as w'ith'a f-pin. and .slot connection). to a crank-arm 126 normally fast to the shaft section 111, as shown. i

For hand steering, the shaft sections 110, lll may be coupled together to turn as one by forcibly pushing the rear section 111 forward from the position shown in Figs. I and II and then turningit until the front teeth of the clutch member 127 onthe section 111 interlock with thoseof the clutch member 128 on the forward section 110, the

forwardend ofjthe sectionlll moving and beingsupportedin the bore of the member 128. The forward shift of the clutch member 127 throws its rear teeth out of engagement with those at the forward side of the hub 12.) of the power steering cra11k-arm 126, so that subsequent turning of the rear shaft section 111 does-not affect the power steering gear described above. The hub 129 is splined on the shaft section 111, and is kept in a fixed fore and aft position (de-- rolled surface, sheet metal scraper blades 132 are pivoted in lugs at front and rear of the yoke 17. The scraper blades 132 are pressed against the roller by a helical tensionspring 133 connected between crank arms 134; on the ends of the pivot shafts 135 of the scrapers. For a similar purpose, the drive wheels 20 are provided with scraper blades 136 carried by leaf or flexion springs 187 which are attached to clamps 138, that can be clamped in various angular positions about studs 139 attached to the frame 10. No matter whether the engine is going ahead or is backing, one of the scrapers will act effectively on each of the rollers and wheels 15 and 20.

Over the top of the main frame 10, from the boilerll forward to the bracket 19, may be placed a plank or other cover or deck 140, for the convenience of the crew in operating the machine, forthe protection of the machinery, and also for use as a con venient' platform for articles or material to be transported,

Having thus described myinvention, I claim:

LA road engine comprising a box frame.

including forward and rear sidesections one of which is provided with a recessed intermediate portion affording a gear casing, and separately rotatable drive wheels at its opposite sides, a transverse countershaft in said framewith a pinion at either end thereof for. separately rotating said drive wheels, an engine supported in said box frame by a three-point suspension and having differential connection with i said pinions and drive wheels, and an alternative means to lock the drive wheels together for rotation in unison.

2. A road engine. comprising a reinforced boxl frame including forward and rear side sections one of which is interma diately recessed to afford a gear casing and separately rotatable drive wheels at its opposite sides, a transverse countershaft journalled in said box frame with an overhung pinion at either end thereof for separately rotating the drive wheels, one of said pinions being fast to said countershaft and the other loose thereon, an engine mounted between the sides of said box frame on two opposed rigid supports and a third pivotal support with a driving Connection to the aforesaid pinion including a differential gearing on said shaft adjacent the loose pinion having a gear fast thereto and a gear fast to the shaft, a complementary member secured on the drive shaft and one driving wheel being provided with registerable apertures, and removable means for insertion in the registerable apertures to lock said drive shaft and driving wheel together.

3. A road engine comprising a fore and aft box frame with a gear compartment in one side thereof and drive wheels at its opposite sides; a transverse countershaft in said frame with pinions on its opposite ends, outside said frame, for driving said drive wheels an engine between the sides of said frame; another transverse countershaft in said frame; gearing operatively connecting the engine shaft to said lattercountershaft beyond one side of said frame; and gearin in said gear compartment, inside one of the aforesaid drive wheel pinions, for operatively connecting said latter countershaft to that first mentioned and to said drive wheels.

4;. A road engine comprising a fore and aft box frame with a gear casing in one side thereof and separately rotatable drive Wheels at its opposite sides having driving gears at their inner sides adjacent the frame; a transverse countershaft in said frame with overhung driving pinions for said driving gears on its outer ends, one beyond said gear casing loose on the shaft; an engine on said frame and a pinion driven thereby in said gear casing; and a differential drive in said gear casing, between its inner wall and said loose pinion, including a driving gear in mesh with said enginedriven pinion and gears actuated thereby to drive said loose pinion and said countershaft.

5. A road engine comprising a fore and aft frame with a steering truckat one end and separately rotatable drive wheels at its opposite sides; a transverse counter-shaft in said frame with means thereon for separately driving said drive wheels, including a differential at one side of said frame adjacent one of them; an engine between the sides of said frame; another countershaft in said frame for driving said differential geared to the engine shaft outside of said frame on the side thereof opposite said differential; and means outside said frame, on the same side as said differential, for turning said steering truck, said means being operatively connected with one of the shafts last mentioned.

6. A road engine comprising a box frame including forward and rear side sections one of which is intermediately recessed to afford a gear casing and separately rotatable drive wheels at opposed sides thereof, a transverse countershaft in said box frame with an overhum pinion at either end thereof for separately rotating the drive wheels, one of said pinions being fast on said countershaft and the other loose thereon, an engine mounted between the sides of said box frame on opposed rigid supports and a third forwardly positioned fore and aft pivotal support, said engine having a driving connection to said pinion including the differential gearing on said shaft adjacent the loose pinion having a gear fast thereto and a gear fast to the shaft, a complementary disk member secured on the drive wheel shaft and the adjacent drive wheel being provided with registerable apertures, and a pin for insertion through the registerable apertures to lock said drive shaft and driving wheel together.

7. A road engine comprising a box frame including forward and rear side sections one of which is intermediately recessed to afford a gear casing, said box frame having its forward portion isolated by partitions to define a ballast chamber, separately rotatable drive wheels on a common shaft at opposed sides of said box frame, a transverse countershaft in the box frame with an overhung pinion at either end thereof for separately rotating the drive wheels, one of said pinions being fast on said countershaft and the other loose thereon, an engine mounted between the sides of said box frame on opposed rigid supports and a third forwardly positioned fore and aft pivotal support, said engine having driving connection to said pinion including the differential gearing on said shaft adjacent the loose pinion having the gear shaft thereto and a gear fast to the shaft, a complementary disk member secured on the. drive wheel shaft and the adjacent drive wheel each being provided with registerable apertures, and a pin for insertion through the registerable apertures to lock the drive shaft and driving wheel together.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this fourth day of August, 1921.

FRANK A. BROWNE.

WVitnesses JAMES H. BELL, E. L. FULLERTON.

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