US279453A

US279453A - Superheating steam-engine

Info

Publication number: US279453A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1883-06-12
Anticipated expiration: 1900-06-12

Description

(No Model.)

J. E. SINCLAIR.

- SUPERHEATING STEAM ENGINE.

N0.-Z79,453. Patented June 12,1883.

INVENTORE I "fl yw a I BY ATTORNEYS.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES E. SINCLAIR, OF BALTIMORE COUNTY, MARYLAND.

SUPERHEATING STEAM-ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 279,453, dated June 12, 1883. Application filed January 29, 1883. (Nb model.)

To all whom, it may concern: 7

Be it known that I, JAMES EDWARD SINCLAIR,

of Baltimore county, State of Maryland, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Superheating Steam-Engines; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is a vertical central section, and Fig. 2 is a top view.

My invention relates to an engine in which the steam is reheated after it leaves the boiler, and its expansive force thus greatly increased. Heretofore separate superheating-chambers interposed between the boiler and cylinder have been used. My invention dispenses with separate superheating-chambers and superheats the steam in the cylinder in which it is used, thus simplifying this class of engines and enabling me to cut off earlier in the stroke.

The improvements consists in combining the cylinder and a fire-box or furnace, so that the heated wall of the furnace forms the side of the cylinder, as will be fully described hereinafter.

In the drawings I have shown one formof my invention, in which the firebox is arranged concentrically within the cylinder.

A is the outer shell of the cylinder, formed with flanges a a, and B is the inner shell of the cylinder, formed with flanges I). These two shells are bolted by their flanges to the annular heads 0 O, of which 0 constitutes the base, while 0 forms the top of the engine. The outer shell, A, is formed with induction and exhaust ports a a, the passage of steam through which is controlled by a slide-valve, D, of the usual form. The inner periphery of the outer shell and the outer periphery of the inner shell are both turned to a true circle, and between is formed the annular steam-space, in which slides the ring-shaped piston E. This piston is provided with two piston-rods, F F, which pass through stuffing-boxes in the annular head 0, and connect with the main crank-shaft, through which motion is transmitted to the valve-rod G. Inside the inner shell,.at the bottom, is arranged a grate, b while at the top is an opening, a, forming a smoke-exit. It will therefore be seen that the chamber in the inner shell forms a furnace or fire-box, and this shell both forms the walls of the furnace and the side of the steam-cylinder. When, therefore, steam is admitted to the annular steam-chamber, it becomes superheated as soon as it comes in contact with the hot walls of the furnace, and its expansive force is thereby greatly increased.

H is a steam-gage having pipes H, with check-valves leading to each end of the steamcylinder. Theobject of this gage is to indicate the working pressure on the cylinder at each stroke of the piston.

I may also make use of the engine as thus described for forcing hot air, the air being heated by the furnace through which it may be made to pass; and, again, I may take a part of the hot air from the furnace and introduce it, along with the steam, into the steam-cylinder to increase the useful effect, if desired.

Instead of using a furnace with grate-bars, I

may provide, as its equivalent, a battery of lamps or gas-jets to produce the same effect. I can also cause the exhaust, or a part thereof, to enter the boiler, thereby lessening the cost of fuel for same. I do not confine this invention to steam-engines alone, but may use it with hot air, gas, 850.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is 1. The combination of a steam-cylinder, an annular piston, and a central furnace, or its equivalent, substantially as shown and described.

2. The combination of a steam-cylinder and a furnace, or its equivalent, as described, both arranged within the same outer case, with a steam-gage having a pipe leading to each end of the cylinder, to determine the working pressure at eachstro ke, substantially as shown and described.

JAMES EDWVARD SINCLAIR.