US216818A - Improvement in balance steam-engines - Google Patents

Description

J. 0. BAIR'D. Balance Steam-Engine.

No. 218,818. Patented June 24,1879.

1, INVENTOR:

ATTORNEYS.

N. PETERs, Puo rD-LITHOGRAPHER, wAsmNGTON. D 2y pistons, piston-rods, and cranks.

UNITED STATES? PATENT OFFICEc t JAMES O. BAIRD, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND JOSEPH BOYOE, OF SAME PLACE.

`IMPROVEMENT IN BALANCE STEAM-ENGINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 216,818, dated June 24, 1879; application filed January 7, 1879.

To alt whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J AMES O. BAIRD, of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Balance Steam-En gine, of which the following is aspecication.

Figure l is a vertical section of the engine through line e c, showing the three cylinders, Fig. 2 is a vertical section on line w w, showing steamentrance and cross-section of that part ofsteamvalve pertaining to the central and larger cylinder. Fig. 3 is a cross-section on line as 5v through cylinders, steam-chest, and steamvalves. Fig. 4 is a section on lineyythrough that part of steam-valve and steam-passages pertainingto small cylinder. Fig. 5 is a section on line z c, giving a longitudinal section of steam-valve.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts. 4

This invention has for its object the construction of an engine with two or more cylinders with pistons working alternately and having independent connections with the crankshaft, so that a balance is produced in the strains transmitted to the crank at all points, and, in connection with the engine, a balance steam-valve of peculiar construction and etticiency. p

In the drawings, A is the frame of the engine, supporting three cylinders-B, the larger on e, and C and C', the smaller oneswhich are preferably made in one casting. The area of the larger piston, b', is equal to the area of the smaller pistons, c and c, combined, and consequently its force transmitting power is equal. l

The cross-heads run in grooved slides,which afford ample bearings, as shown atD D D, and are secured in the usual way to connectingrods E E E, which connect with crank-shaft F, as shown, the central connecting-rod pertaining to the larger cylinder being set thereon in a direction opposite to that of the connecting-rods of the side cylinders.

The two pistons C" and C' descend and rise simultaneously under the operation of the direct pressure of the admitted steam, alternating in their' movement with the larger piston, b. The result of this alternate action of the pistonsl is to produce la balance in the strains transmitted to the crank at all points, so, in fact, that the engine may be run with the caps removed from the crank-shaft bearings.

While in the ordinary balance-engine the adjustment of connectingrod brasses is extremely difficult, on account of one piston being connected to two cranks, (thereby in effect forming a forked connecting-rod,) this difficulty is entirely overcome by the independent connecting-rods, and the adjustment rendered simple and easy.

The independent connection also permits each piston to he taken ont for inspection or repair withoutinterfern gwith theother orothers. This cannot be done in the ordinary balanceengine without disconnecting the whole engine. It is designed by this arrangement to make the forces exerted on opposite cranks equal.

It will be observed that the arrangement of the cylinders secures bearings for the cranks and cross-heads, which are very much larger than those of any other balance-engine-an advantage of great importance in the matters of smooth running and durability.

The length of the crank-bearings, it is evident, depends upon the distance between the centers of the outside cranks. Let us take the case of the ordinary balance-engines having two pistons in one cylinder. The cylinder being tive and one-half inches in diameter, the greatest distance between the centers of the outside cranks will be four and one-fourth inches, while inthe case of the three-cylinder balance-engine the distance will be eleven inches, or more than two and one-half times as long 5 and in a two-cylinder engine of this design they would be seven inches, ample bearings for crank -bearings of engines designed for many purposes.

The matter of long bearings is very important when the high speed at which the balance-engine is designed to run is considered.

The iiaring mouth of the induction-pipe Gr fits closely over the valve H, and conveys the..

'the piston, while the steam under the piston escapes through the lower port, as indicated by an arrow, into the exhaust-chamber N,

Vwhence it-nally escapes, as indicated.

In Fig. 4 the valve is shown in position for steam to enter under one of the small pistons,

while from above the exhaust escapes through the central passage, 0, into and out of exhaustchamber, as indicated.

In Fig. 5 the steam-passages of the valve are indicated by letters s s s, while the exhaust es y capes into exhaust-chamber at P I) I?.

The peculiar form of the passages in the valve allows of simple and straight ports in the cylinders, making the casting of the cylinders an easy operation, while the casting of an ordinary balanced engines cylinders is an extremelyv difficult matter, because of the intricate steam-passages.

It is obvious that this style of valve and steam-ports is also well adapted to a two-cylinder balanced engine with pistons .working alternately, as described, and that a two-cylinder balanced engine of this general design and constructed on this principle would possess many advantages over all other balanced engines.

I am aware that others have designed engines of two or more cylinders, some of which l QIGQSRS have two pistons in one cylinder, and. in some of which the steam is used directly in one or more ofthe cylinders and eXpansively in the other or others; and my attention has been directed to the inventions of Mr. George L. Washburn, of Worcester, Massachusetts, one of which relates to the arrangement of cylinders and steam-ports, so that the steam after being used on one side of a given piston is permitted to iiow to the other side of the same piston and to another cylinder to be usedexpansively, and the other of which is apeculiar ar'- rangement of two cylinders with single-acting pistons and a larger cylinder with a doubleacting piston, upon whose sides the steam Vfrom the other cylinders is used eXpansively.

Not only is the arrangement of my cylinders and steam-ports radically different, as herein shown, from those of Washburn or any others, so that by it heretofore unknown advantages in construction and working have been secured, but the desirable eii'ects obtained'by other peculiarities of my construction do not result from any other construction with which I am acquainted.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- A The combination of two cylinders, C C', having pistons of equal diameter, with a cylinder, B, whose piston is double either ofthe others in cross-sectional area, operated alternately therewith and connected with thev same crankshaft, but to a crank diametrically opposite those oi' the smaller pistons, constructed and arranged as and for the purpose describedi JAMES O. BAIRD.

Witnesses:

C. Suns-WICK, I. I. S'roRER.

Images