US232375A - spindlee - Google Patents

Description

, l zsheen-sneez 1. J. G. SPINDLER & I'. L.A FAIRGEILD. Y Traction Engine.

, No. 232,375. j Patented SepLQLISSO.

IN VEN TORS Jafm Y a. --sjsi wier v 2S11eets-Sh'eet :2. J. C. SPINDLER & P. LI'AIRCHILD.

, Traction Engine.4

No. 232,375. Patented sept. 21, 1880.

* a I l y n llll l mm' l v IN1/FN 70H5` lWivnesses Jaim Y Spindler f' Y `./glvl) N PETERS. YNOTO-LTfOGRAPHER. WASHINGTON. D4 C.

UNrTED STATES PATENT Ormea.

JOHN C. SPINDLER AND FRANK L. FAIROHILD, OF MOUNT VERNON, OHIO, ASSIGNORS TO O. COOPER, GEORGE ROGERS, F. L. FAIROHILD, AND O. G. COOPER, ALL OF SAME PLACE, ONE-FOURTH TO EACH.

TRACTlON-ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 232,375, datedSeptember 21, l1880.

Application iiled January 1G, 1879.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JOHN C. SPINDLER and FRANK L. FAIRCHILD, of Mount `Vernon, in the countyT of Knox and State of, Ohio, have 5 invented a new and useful Improvement in Traction-Engines, which is fullydescribed in the following specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l represents a side elevation of an 1o engine with such parts shown as are necessary to illustrate the nature of our improvements; Fig. 2, a detail vertical section, on an enlarged scale, of the wheel, taken on the line a: m, Fig. l; Fig. 3, a similar view looking outward, taken I5 on the line z z, Fig. 2; Fig. 4, a similar view of a portion of the main shaft and drivingpinions, taken on the line g/ y, Fig. l; Fig. 5, a transverse section taken on theyline fv o, Fig. 4, and Fig. 6 a similar view taken on the zo line w fw, Fig. 4.

Our invention relates to improvements in the mechanism bynieans of which the engine is made self-propelling. y

The invention consistsin providing the hub 2 5 of the rear supporting wheel or wheels with an inwardly-projecting llange, on which the drivinggear-wheel is mounted.

It also consists in providing a spring-oonnection between the Vmain engine-shaft pro- 30 pelling-gear, whereby the shock is taken up in passing over rough ground, and a limited amount of motion is permitted in the engineshaft when starting, before the propellinggearing is loroughtinto` operation. 3 5 It also consists in various devices and combinations of devices, all of which will he hereinafter fully described,l and more definitely pointed out in the claims.

We have applied our improvements to that 4o particular class of self-propelling engines in which the rear truck-wheels are driven by an inclined shaft at one side of the engine, ex'- tending from the main engine-shaft to the rear axle or counter-shaft, when the latter is used, 45 although our improvements are not necessarily limited to this particular kind `of driving mechanism, but are applicable to engines provided with propellinggear dill'erently constructed and arranged. y

The mainfeatures of the. engine and pro- 5o pelling mechanism above referred to are well known, and will be referred to herein only for the purposeof clearly showing the construction and operation of our Vpresent special improvements. Y

In the drawings, A represents the boiler of the engine, and B the main en gineshaft, which is provided with the ily-wheel O. An inclined shaft, D, is mounted in suitable hearings at one side of the engine, and carries at its upper 6o end a bevel-gear wheel, d, which meshes with a bevel-pinion, E, mounted loosely on the main engine-shaft. In the back of this pinion E a circular groove, e, is out, extending nearly around the pinion, as shown in Fig. 6 of the 65 drawings.

A hub, F, is rigidly secured to the main shaft B. On the outer face of this hub there is a pin, f', which is arranged to enter a groove,

g, in the hub g of a circular casing, G. This 7o hub is mounted loosely on the engine-shaft, and the groove therein is similar in construction to that in the pinion Ethatis, it extends nearly around the hub.

The inside g2 of the casing G is mounted 75 loosely on the hub F, and the two parts of the casing lare secured together by suitable bolts.

It will be seen, therefore, that the circular case G is free to move within certain limits upon the engine-shaft and hub F. To the in- 8o side part of the casing G is attached a pin, f, which projects into the circular groove e in pinion E.

Within the case G is coiled a spring, H, the inner end, h, of which is fastened to the hub 85 F, Awhile the outer end, 7L', is secured to the case, as shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings.

At the lower end of the inclined shaft D is a bevel-pinion, df, which, in Fig. 1 of the drawings, is represented as engaging directlywith 9c the driving gear-wheel I, which communicates motion to the truck-wheels through the medium of a pawl-and-ratchet attachment, the ratchet r, as shown in Fig. 3, beingin this instance on. the wheel I, and the spring pawl or pawls t on the hub of the truck-wheel. This mode of connecting the wheel I and the truckwheel, which permits independent or slip motion of the truck-wheel independently of the driving gear-wheel I when occasion demands, is well known, and requires no further explanation.

The construction shown in patent of George Rogers, No. 173,498, may be substituted, howeverthat is, a counter-shaftmay be employed with pinions gearing into the driving-wheels on the truck-axle, the said counter-shaft driven by the inclined shaft.

In Fig. 2 of the drawings the wheel I is represented as constructed to gear with a pinion on such a counter-shaft, and in this same figure the axle J of the rear truck-wheel is represented as a short or stub axle fastened to the boiler or re-box of the engine.

The hub 7a of the rear truck-wheel is provided with a flange, k,projecting inwardly on the inside of the wheel, and constituting the bearing for the drive-wheel I, which is mounted loosely on the flange c, and connected with the truck-wheel hub by the pawl-and-ratchet attachment, as before explained, and as shown in Figs. 2 and 8 of the drawings.

The'flange k extends over an enlargement, j, of the axle; but an open annular space is left between this enlargement and the ange, as shown in the drawings, so as to avoid-all unnecessary friction.

A shoulder, k2, is provided at the hub end of the ilange, against which the gear-wheel I rests `when in position. The wheel is also provided with a casing, L, which surrounds or overhangs the pawls p and the ratchet r; but as this feature of construction forms no part of our present invention it is not necessary to describe it in detail here.

It has been found by experience that when traction-engines are run over a rough road or field there is danger of breaking the gearing or some portion of the propelling mechanism by the severe shock when striking or passing over an obstacle, and this difficulty is increased by the movement of the fly-wheel, which is, of course, in motion when the propelling mechanism is in operation.

It has also been found that in a traction-engine with a single crank and cylinder some annoyance and delay are occasioned by stopping on the center; and also, the engine in starting has no chance to gain motion before it commences to pull its load, but there is a dead pull at the very start of the engine.

All of these difficulties are obviated by the spring attachment which we introduce between the engine-shaft and the inclined shaft; for it is evident that if when moving along the truckwheels strike an obstacle or drop into a rut there will be sufficient yielding in the gearing connecting the engine-shaft and the inclined shaft to prevent breakage.

Whenever the engine stops the reaction of the coiled spring will be sufficient to turn the crank past the center, and when the engine is rst started up it is evident that the engineshaft will make nearly one revolution before the pin f will be in position to turn the bevelpinion E, and then there will be the winding up of the spring before the engine commences to pull its load, which will altogether give a free start of nearly two revolutions before the parts are brought into working position to move the engine.

Heretofore the driving gear-wheel I (which must be loose or independent of the truckwheel and connected therewith by pawl and ratchet, or equivalent means, so as to allow the truck-wheel to have movement independently thereof when occasion demands) has been mounted on the axle, and as it usually turns with the truckwheel, additional friction is thereby occasioned, and also the bearing is worn away by dust and dirt working in around it, thereby disturbing the true position of the wheel and impairing the successful operation of the propelling mechanism. By mounting the gear-wheel on the flange of the hub, as above described, we obviate this difficulty; for as the gear turns with the truck-wheel it will have no movement about its bearing on the flange except when turning corners or when the engine is drawn by horses.

The spring attachment to the gearing may be placed on the inclined shaft instead of the engine-shaft, and other changes may be made in details without departing from the essential features of our improvements.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a traction -engine, the combination, with the single-crank engine-shaft, the inclineshaft, and gearing connecting the two, of a spring attachment, forming part of the connecting-gearing', and arranged and operating to permit movement, to a limited extent, of the driving-shaft independently of the inclineshaft, as and for the purposes hereinbefore set forth.

2. The main engine-shaft B and its hub F, provided with a pin,f, in combination with the grooved casing Gr, mounted loosely on the shaft, the coiled spring H, the loose bevelpinion E, provided with a groove engaged by the pin f on the casing, and the bevel-wheel d on the incline-shaft, substantially as hereinbefore set forth.

3. A single-crank engine-shaft, B, provided with fly-wheel C and hub F, with pin f', in combination with the incline-shaft D, hav-ing a bevel-wheel, (l, at its upper end, the loose bevelpinion' E, grooved as specified, the grooved loose casing Gr, provided with pin f, and the coiled spring H, substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore set forth.

4.. Ihe truck-wheel with hub projecting on IOO IIO

IZO

` permit slip or independent movement of the truck-Wheel with respect to said drivin g-Wheel, as and for the purposes hereinbefore set forth.

5. The Wheel-axle J, provided with an enlargement, 7', in combination with the truck- 1o wheel hub having an inner ange, 7d, extending over the enlargement j, but with an annu- 1er space between them, and the driving gear- Wheel I, loosely mounted on the huh-flange, substantially as described.

JOHN C; SPINDLER. FRANK L. FAIROHILD.

Witnesses:

DEsAULT B. KIRK, J. H. RICHARDS.

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