US262141A - Rotary engine - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.) 2 Sheets- 81mm 1. r W. SPRAGUE.

ROTARY ENGINE.

No. 262,141. Patented Aug. 1, 1882.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

W. SPRAGUE.

ROTARY ENGINE.-

Patented Aug. 1, 1882.

ATTOPQIEY.

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Usirrnn STATES PATENT fission.

\VILLIAM SPRAGUE, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

ROTARY ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 262,141, dated August 1, 1882.

Application filed March 22, 1881.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM SPRAGUE, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of Philadelphia, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Rotary Engines, which improvement is fully set forth in the following specification and accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a side elevation of the rotary engine embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of a portion thereof in line mm, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a vertical section thereof in, line y y, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a view of a detached part.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

My invention consists of a rotary compound steam-engine adapted to run at a high degree of speed and with increased effectiveness, and

provided with reversing mechanism, the construction and operation thereofheing hereinafter fully set forth.

Referring to the drawings, A represents a small cylinder, and B a .larger cylinder,

which are suitably flanged and bolted or otherwise connected together, and though independent of each other are in communication by means of pipes (J, each of which is provided 0 with a check-valve, C, also constituting astop-valve.

\Vithin the cylinder A is a piston-wheel, l), and within the cylinderB is apiston-wheel, E, the two wheels being fixed on a shaft, F, which is passed centrally through the heads of the two cylinders and carries the pulley G, by which the power of the engine may be utilized or transmitted to machinery.

The cylinder A is provided with a valve and valve mechanism, with live and exhaust steam ports, as at H, and the cylinder B is similarly provided, as at J, a steam-supply pipe, K, leadingto the valve mechanism H, and a steamsupply pipe, L, leading to the valve mechan- 4 5 ism J, each supply-pipe having a cook, a.

The wheels are each provided with a piston, M, on the periphery thereof, that M of the wheel E being shown by the dotted lines, Fig. 3.

N represents the abutment-blocks, one for (No model.)

each cylinder, the same being fitted between the walls of the ports a, and bearing against the periphery ofthe wheel, and havingan openingin which is fitted an eccentric, P, the shaft of which passes through the head of the cylinder, and carrying on its outer end a pinion, b, which gears with a spur-wheel, c, properly mounted on the outer walls of the valve mechanism, and having pivoted to its wrist-pin d ajointed arm, Q, one limb of which is pivoted to the head of the cylinder, and carries at its outer end a'stud or pulley, 0, adapted to be engaged atin tervals by a cam f,on oracamgroove in the pulley G, so that rotation is imparted to the wheels 0 b, and consequently to the eccentric P, whereby the abutment-block will be moved from the periphery of the piston-wheel to allow the passage of the piston M, and atterward again moved against said periphery as the closing point of the wheel.

On the outer ends of the shaft F are eccentrics It, the surrounding yoke R of each of which is connected to an arm, S, whose upper end is adjustably fitted to a rocking lever, T, the shaft T whereof is mounted on standards T, rising from the frame or cylinders of the engine, the rocking lever T having segmental slots 9 to receive blocks to which the arms S are pivoted, and formed with notches into which drop the holding-teeth of said arms S, the teeth being adapted to be raised to clear the notches of the lever T, and when the arms are moved or adjusted the teeth dropinto'the respective notches, and so hold the arms in position.

. The outer ends of the rocking lever T are removably connected to the upper ends of the stems U of the valves of the two cylinders, and said ends V are hinged or swiveled to the main portions of the stems and formed with hooks V for the reception of pins or studs on the ends of the rocking lever T. To the hooked ends V are pivoted levers W, somewhat of the order of toggle-levers, the central connectingpivots of which are attached to a sleeve, W, which is fitted on a collar, X, supported on the standard T. A spring, X, is placed within the collar and sleeve, and rests on the top of the standard and bears upwardly against the sleeve. A catch, Y, with a proper handle, is 100 ,cylinders then taking live steam.

from cylinder A exhausts at the proper port of 5 its valve mechanism H, and that from cylin- ,der B at the proper port of the valve mechan- 2 the valve-stems U, thus disengaging the rocking lever. The latter is then raised or lowered to enter the upper or lower hooks, and the catch Y is released, and the spring X raises the sleeve WV and with it the arms WV, thus drawing in the ends V, so that the hooks again engage with the rocking lever, these features being employed when the engine is to be reversed.

In starting the engine both cocks a a. are opened and both checkvalves C closed, both The steam ism J.

Should less power be required, steam is shut off from the cylinder B by closing the proper cock a The opposite check-valve U is opened. Steam from the cylinder A then passes into the cylinder B and works there expansively; or steam from the cylinder A is shut otf, the opposite cock at is closed, and the opposite checkvalve is opened and the other check-valve is closed, live steam then entering the cylinder B, and,passing into the cylinder A, works there expansively.

It will be seen that the steam acts upon a piston of certain area and revolves the shaft F. After a half-revolution of the shaft or piston the steam is cut off and allowed to act upon the piston in the other cylinder at the same time with the first cylinder. At this moment there is steam of the same pressure on both pistons. The steam begins to expand, and, giving the area of the piston in the second cylinder the proper proportion at the end of the next half-revolution, the same pressure will be on the pistons as there was originally on the first cylinder alone. When the piston passes the port a the cylinder A exhausts and the check-valve O closes quickly, owing to the pressure on its under side being released by the exhaust. The steam follows the piston of cylinder B until it arrives at its exhaust-port. In the meanwhile the piston of cylinder A has arrived at its steam-port, and

the second cylinder exhausts ahead and takes live steam from the boiler.

The power gained through the expanding steam in the second cylinder is an actual gain over the live steam admitted to the first cylinder from the boiler, and the pressure willv be equalized on both pistons.

During the operation and running of the engine the exhaust-ports of both cylinders are constantly open to the atmosphere, so that there is no back-pressure on the piston-to overcome the slide-valves, which are balanced.

The steamehests and their valves are so arranged and timed that steam is entirely cut off from the cylinders while the pistons pass the abutment-blocks.

The check-valves C have their stems of two parts, fitting each other telescopically, whereby when the upper stem of a valve is fully lowered the valve proper is forced on its seat as a stop-valve, and when said stem is raised the valve proper is adapted to rise and fall as a check-valve.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a rotary engine, the combination of the concentric piston wheels and the movable abutment-blocks with two pistons and cylinders of difierent areas on the same shaft, :1. communicating pipe, and a compound check and stop valve, live steam being supplied to one cylinder and passing thence as exhauststeam to the other cylinder, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with the eccentrics, of the arms S, the rocking lever T, with slots g, and the valve-stems, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The hooks V of the stems U, and levers WV, in combination with collar X and sleeve Msubstantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. The coinbination,with the levers W, collar X, and sleeve \V, of the catch Y and spring X, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. The combination of double cylinders, valve mechanism, and reversing mechanism, constructed and operating substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

JOHN A. \VIEDERSHEIM, A. P. GRANT.

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